The "X" Factor: Zach Cole's Rise to Stardom on Hawk Hill
A two-year All-American who shattered Saint Joseph's face-off and ground ball records, Zach Cole '22 has had a meteoric rise to success since stepping foot on Hawk Hill in August 2018.
Image by Sideline Photos
Scan the Hawks' bench at any Saint Joseph's men's lacrosse game this season and you'll find a line of 56 players chomping at the bit to make a difference, to be a factor in the final outcome when the clock hits 0:00. And at the very end of that line, intentionally separated in order to reset and focus, will always stand #7.
Once the ball hits the back of either team's net, it's his time. Taking a deep breath, he jogs back out to the midfield, back to his spot… back to the face-off "X."
Simplicity is the name of the game as he sets his feet and lines up his hands on his stick, not giving either a second thought until the officials instruct him to get down. He doesn't hear the noise from the stands and doesn't consider the opposing face-off specialist inches from his face. Relaxed, he stares down the ball, and once the whistle blows, the 6-foot, 211-pound former football linebacker explodes toward it.
Securing that ball is a job, and Zach Cole '22 doesn't take sick days.
This story originally appeared on sjuhawks.com.