Men's club lacrosse goalie earns national recognition

The National Collegiate Lacrosse League named junior Dan Colosimo as an outstanding goalie in the April issue of Inside Lacrosse magazine.

Colosimo was chosen by coaches, players and the director of the NCLL. His 67 percent save percentage set him apart from goalies in the other 120 collegiate club teams that make up the NCLL.

"The recognition comes from his consistency," Chris Rigoli, treasurer of the team and attack player, said. "Dan has been solid every game that I can remember since I've been here. There is no such thing as a game where Dan falls apart. People are going to notice and commend anyone that does their job at a high level day-in and day-out."

His consistency has been noticed by opposing teams, coach Fred Plaisted said.

"I hear comments from the opposing sideline about Dan nearly every game," he said.

He also has a tremendous ability to stay focused and forget about mistakes, Rigoli said.

Colosimo said he had been playing goalie since fifth grade when he joined a youth league in Montgomery County, Md., where he grew up. He joined the Richmond men's club lacrosse team during his freshman year, and last spring, his teammates elected him president. Since then, he has matured as a leader and earned even more respect from his teammates, Plaisted said.

"Dan is a quiet and unassuming leader," Plaisted said. "He takes care of his responsibilities off the field and leads by example against the opposition."

Colosimo has done a great job balancing the responsibilities that come with being president, Rigoli said.

"I have respect for the way he has been a leader," he said. "He is not an in-your-face kind of leader, he leads by example. He shows up all the time and does everything that the team needs."

As a goalie, Colosimo was willing to face any kind of adversity, Plaisted said. Six days after injuring his hand during the first half of a game against the University of Virginia on March 20, Colosimo led his team to a double overtime victory against Virginia Commonwealth University. His injured hand was wrapped in duct tape, Plaisted said.

"In games, Dan's focus and energy is contagious and he is a real example for the younger guys on the team," sophomore Clay Palmer said. "His play alone was the leading factor to our 10-9 double overtime victory at VCU."

Palmer, who will succeed Colosimo as president of the program next year, said he was looking forward to taking over the reigns as president and continuing Colosimo's success.

Colosimo's recognition from the NCLL came as he helped to transition the team from a club sport to a varsity club sport, which would give the team more funding and better competition. After this transition, Colosimo said the team would move from the NCLL to the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association, gaining more funding for a trainer and a paid coach.

"I just enjoy playing, getting out and relieving stress from work," Colosimo said. "I just play for fun and would hate to give up a sport I dedicated my life to in high school. I focus on keeping my team in the game by organizing a controlled defense, and of course, making saves."

The men's club lacrosse team will continue play against Christopher Newport University and James Madison University on April 10th.

Contact reporter Elise Reinemann at elise.reinemann@richmond.edu