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Will Mark was never one to meditate. Although Mark often immerses himself in books and research that emphasizes mindfulness, he says meditation has always felt to him to be “taboo.” Mark could only imagine the monks sitting in silence, so he became indifferent.
That was until last spring, when he met with Michelle Giordano, the academic coordinator for Syracuse Athletics, to discuss classes for the fall semester. She brought up CRS 347: Mindful Communication Skills to help Mark deal with the pressures of being a goalie.
Mark, who was hesitant at first, gave up. Meditation has now become essential. Mark’s daily routine consists of meditating for 5-15 minutes each day and journaling. Although the changes were subtle, the effect was obvious.
“This is very likely the most important class he’s taking in college,” said Mark’s father, Chris.
Mark has focused on the mental aspect of lacrosse since his days at Long Island University, and this year he has focused on it more and has achieved elite results. Mark has been a calm presence in the net all season for Syracuse, holding opponents to a career-high 10.49 goals per game while posting a 54.7 percent save percentage. Mark recorded double-digit saves in SU’s final 11 games en route to being recently named a semifinalist for the Tewaaraton Award.
Mark says that as a goalie, both positive and negative thoughts can consume your day. But he learned to accept those thoughts and let them pass through meditation. Mark added that this translates directly into being “calm and present” during games.
Consistency inside and outside of lacrosse is also essential. Eating right and getting enough sleep are central tenets of Mark’s process, with Chris adding that Mark spends his free time walking around campus and taking in his surroundings.
That calm stems from the time Mark spent with Professor Diane Grimes, who taught CRS 347 and whom he calls his favorite teacher. Each class began with yoga, followed by a period of meditation, and then students discussed their assigned readings, which included learning how to deal with stress and react to positive and negative situations. It was often difficult.
“As a goalkeeper, it’s very important to be mindful of your thoughts and things and be as calm as possible and as confident as possible at the same time,” Mark said.
From the first assignment, Mark was fascinated by the content. He vividly remembers immediately sending the piece to his sisters. Part of the challenge emphasized dealing with pressure, which Mark was able to easily connect. No active Division I goaltender has taken more shots than he has, a harsh reality he was forced to face during his time at LIU.
Originally committed to Vermont in high school, Mark turned it down in 2019, the first season of the DI program, and went to LIU. Chris said Mark wanted to be in a place where he could make an immediate contribution, and LIU offered him.
Will Mark controls the ball with his stick against Duke. Arnav Pokhrel | Staff Photographer
He was a starter from day one. Facing an inexperienced defense, Mark took shots as a freshman and established himself as a shot-stopper.
Despite his 6-foot-4 height, Mark stays low to the ground and saves low, bouncing shots that other goalies “have a hard time stopping,” according to former LIU goalie coach Matt Gill. It seemed like this was an everyday occurrence. Described by Gill as one of the “most athletic goalies I’ve ever seen,” Mark’s quick hands and reaction time, along with his length and athleticism, make him one of the top goalies in the Northeast Conference. It became.
“Big guys don’t move like he does,” Gill said. “He just does things that other players don’t do, and he does it very naturally.”
In 2020, Mark led the nation with 15.29 saves per game. Still, he allowed at least 14 goals in all but two games, as LIU went 1-6. During this time, Mark discovered the spiritual side of lacrosse. Mark has long valued technique, until he met LIU defensive coordinator Jack Rankel.
Former LIU goalie John Ruddick said Runkel, who won a national championship with Loyola (Md.) in 2012, let his goalies experiment to see what worked for them. Runkel gave Mark the freedom to decide his approach and made only slight adjustments to his technique.
Runkel’s biggest challenge with Mark was keeping him calm. He knew Mark was “hiding his emotions,” but Runkel needed to instill in his mind that he didn’t have to save every shot.
“We always nurtured his competitive nature, but you can imagine that taking so many shots in a season can cause mixed emotions, so we tried to keep him as balanced as possible. We also paid attention to that,” Runkel said.
Despite Runkel’s advice, Mark always refused to listen. Ruddick said Ryu’s shooting drills were aimed at “overwhelming the goalie,” sometimes making five step-down shots within 15 seconds. Each rep had to be short to keep each goalie fresh.
Not for Mark. Ruddick said he stayed until he made his presence felt, even if he missed a few saves. Runkel often had to step in and drag Mark out of the net, but he usually shook him off. Mark managed to get back into the net as Runkel forced him to the sideline.
“That’s probably the weirdest part about him,” Runkel said. “(I) had to tell him, ‘Hey, relax, you don’t have to show up to every practice and make every save.’
While the rest of LIU’s defense worked together, Mark was its rock. As a sophomore, Mark’s development took to another level, posting a career-high 57.7% save percentage and winning the NEC Defensive Player of the Year Award. He went on to score a career-best 10.64 goals per game and win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards.
However, LIU still left much to be desired. After the Sharks lost 11-10 to St. Joseph’s in the NEC semifinals, head coach Eric Wolfe left to take a job at New Jersey Institute of Technology. So Mark considered his options.
Gill said everyone knew Mark could play “anywhere in the country.” The coaching staff often talked about how he faltered despite being a top DI talent. When Mark hit the transfer portal, Gill’s cell phone was blown up by a bunch of coaches before he committed to Syracuse.
Cole Ross | Design Editor
Nothing changed for Mark. He wanted to prove himself at another school. This time it was one of the most prestigious programs in the country. Mark accomplished just that in 2023, saving 54% of his shots and allowing 12.10 goals per game. While the defense around him was shaky, Mark was a foundational piece for SU.
So Mark, entering his second season as Syracuse’s starter, didn’t have to change much on the field. What was different was his approach from then on. After taking his CRS 347 in the fall, Mark wanted to expand his knowledge of meditation and enrolled in the advanced course CRS 447 (Mindful Communication Theory).
The results were remarkable. Gill, who grew up in central New York, traveled from Maryland to watch Syracuse play Duke on March 20th. During his time at LIU, Gill closely watched Mark during warmups. Based on his movements, Gil could tell if Mark was going to have a big game. As part of his superstition, he never told the coaching staff. He didn’t want to jinx anything.
That wasn’t the case for Mark at Syracuse. So when Gill saw Mark barely moving as he warmed up for the Duke game, he turned to his father in the stands.
“He might be out today,” Gil told him.
Gil’s prediction came true. Mark shut down the No. 1 offense in the country and held the Blue Devils to just four points. This was the lowest total score since 2012. Mark’s save percentage of 77.8% was the second highest of his career.
Mark came to Syracuse this season when asked. After allowing his most goals of the year (18) against Cornell on April 2, Mark needed to make a big splash 11 days later against North Carolina. In the third quarter, the lead was six points at one point, but with two minutes remaining, it was reduced to one point. But Mark denied Trevor Dubner’s fifth save of the fourth quarter, and SU won 10-9.
After the game, Mark said he’s at his best when he “feels like he’s winning and has the stick in his hands.” Mark joked, “It sounds crazy, but that’s his style.”
“I play my best lacrosse when I’m doing everything right outside of lacrosse,” Mark said.
Published April 25, 2024 12:16am
Contact Zach: [email protected] | @ZakWolf22
