On a Saturday afternoon last winter at The St. James sports complex in Springfield, Va., two weeks before the team’s season opener against Michigan, the University of Virginia was preparing to take on Navy in a scrimmage.
Redshirt senior attackman Xander Dickson (Greenwich, Conn.) approached redshirt freshman long-stick midfielder Tommy McNeal (Windham, N.H.).
“It’s time to show them who you are,” Dickson said to McNeal.
McNeal doesn’t think Dickson would even remember that moment, but it was exactly what he needed to hear. It had been three seasons since McNeal had been able to play lacrosse, but he was looking forward to it finally being his time to shine.