Athletes of the Week: The Boys’ Lacrosse Captains

The opposing team’s player tosses the ball across the field to his teammate. Out of the blue, senior Mac Perry lunges through the air and swoops the ball away. Perry passes the ball down the field to senior Tamer Sullivan who catches the ball and charges down the field. Sullivan swings his stick and passes the ball with precision to senior Bradley Ingersoll. Ingersoll dodges past defenders, outmaneuvering them at every move before throwing the ball to senior Myles Haigney. He snatches the ball away from the crowd of defenders and rips the ball into the goal, followed by the swooshing sound of the ball hitting the net.

“Not only are they incredible athletes, but they are responsible individuals and they care for not only the lacrosse community but the Exeter community as a whole. They’re funny, easy going, fun to be around and genuinely good kids.”

Haigney, Ingersoll, Perry and Sullivan are the captains of the boys’ varsity lacrosse team. The four lead a successful team of 39 players this season, running on a current record of 12-2. Each of their strengths are in different areas as captains have made them great cooperative and passionate leaders.

Haigney first started playing the sport in third grade, when most of his friends had already started playing in the previous year. At the time, he played a variety of sports, including soccer and baseball, but once he picked up a lacrosse stick, he immediately fell in love with the sport. The combination of “game sense, teamwork and quickness” made it incredibly fun and competitive, at the same time.

Since coming to Exeter, Haigney explained that many of his best friends have come from the lacrosse team. The senior credits the team’s atmosphere for uniting the group together. “We’ve always had a playful atmosphere that makes everyone including the younger guys feel welcome,” he said.

On the field, Haigney is an offensive force to be reckoned with. Upper Jack Pimental complemented Haigney for being one of the top goal-scorers on the team. Pimental also praised Haigney for his leadership abilities. “Through each drill, Myles is very vocal to make sure that we are all giving our all to get better,” he said.

Ingersoll picked up the sport when he was in fifth grade, when one of his friends started playing. Since hockey was the only sport he was playing at the time and lacrosse was just growing in North Carolina, he thought he would give it a try.

Playing on the Exeter team, Ingersoll noticed the strong camaraderie between the players, compared to his previous team. “At Exeter it is different because there is a real sense of family within the team. Living together with a lot of my teammates here at school and spending more time with them than I did before has allowed me to grow really close with them,” he said.

As a captain, Ingersoll tries to lead the team by example, making sure that the younger players have a smooth transition. Knowing that Exeter can be tough at times, Ingersoll enjoys being able to help them in any way.

Haigney described Ingersoll as being on the quieter side, but noted that he “leads by his example like no one else—that way whenever he gets on players to concentrate or focus up, his word carries extra weight.”

  Pimental mentioned that one of his favorite memories of playing was with Ingersoll during their game against Governor’s, a consistent lacrosse powerhouse, earlier this season. “Within the first half, Bradley had already netted three goals and he finished the game with four of our team’s eleven goals in the game. Without his outstanding play, I’m not sure we would have come out victorious against such a tough competitor,” he said.

Perry, on the other hand, started playing the sport once he grew tired of standing around on the baseball diamond. He noted that playing on the Exeter team has been an incredible experience for him because they function much more as a complete team, spending more time with other players during classes, meals, and practices. “We all know each other so well both on and off the field that we’re able to have an awesome dynamic when we’re together, whether we’re playing or not,” he said.

Perry added how grateful he was for being part of such a strong, passionate team. “I’m lucky to be able to go out every day and play a sport I love with so many of my best friends every day. More than anything, I feel fortunate to be a part of this program and to have shared so many wonderful experiences with everyone in it,” he said. Upper Wyatt Foster noted that Perry was one of the “most down to earth” members of the team.

Similar to the others, Sullivan started playing lacrosse for his local team in third grade. After watching his brother and his friends play the sport, he was inspired to join and started playing seriously when he was in eighth grade.

Sullivan agreed with his fellow co-captains about the close-knit environment of the lacrosse team. He recalled coming to Exeter as a prep and being taken under the wing of a lacrosse-playing senior who showed him the “ins and outs” of Exeter. “If you play lacrosse, as soon as you step on campus in the fall you are part of the team,” he added.

As a co-captain of the team, Sullivan is described as a “vocal and emotional leader.” Haigney praised Sullivan for the hard work and dedication he displays for the team. “He’s giving everything he’s got and more for every second of our practices and games so having him as the anchor of our defense is comforting,” he said.

Upper Tanner McGowan explained that because all of them possess different skill sets and strengths, they make a great group of leaders. “Overall, as a group, they are great leaders in every area, with each captain playing a different role. I will miss their ability to be serious when things need to be taken seriously and their ability to joke around when it is appropriate. I feel that they balance these two things very well,” he said.

Pimental agreed with how easy it is to get along with all the captains. “Each of them has a great sense of humor and they are all great guys that I know would do most anything for me if I needed it. Once we step onto the field they recognize their jobs as role models for the younger kids on the team. They become more serious on the field and make sure that we give our all during each drill and rep in order to make ourselves and the team as a whole better,” he said.

Senior Paul McDonald added that the captains are caring in every way, not just on the lacrosse team. “Not only are they incredible athletes, but they are responsible individuals and they care for not only the lacrosse community but the Exeter community as a whole. They’re funny, easy going, fun to be around and genuinely good kids,” he said.

Leading a successful season with having already had a winning six-game streak, the captains are ready to tackle their next schools in the upcoming games. As McGowan said, “The thing that stands out most for me is their ability to get the team fired and up and ready to play. No matter the weather, no matter the game, the captains get everybody amped to play.”