Troy lacrosse gives seniors historic ending

TROY — Troy lacrosse decided it had enough in 2024.

After being pushed around in the Oakland Activities Association White last season and eliminated in the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state tournament in the blink of an eye, the Colts felt some retribution was in order.

Novi and Farmington, who both beat Troy in 2023, would be first on the list as the Colts opened up their revenge tour campaign with two quick redemption games. Outscoring both teams by a combined 21-13, Troy was running hot to start early.

“The Novi game last year, we kind of got pushed around a lot,” Troy coach Brian Johnson said. “That was one that was definitely on our schedule. Going into that game, I feel like we have a lot to prove from the season, because each year, the expectations get higher and higher, as every team should. That was one of the games we circled and knew we had to come out and make a statement, and the boys did. It really set the tone for the season.”

Troy would then tack on Royal Oak to the list before setting up for a matchup that arguably carried the most weight for the Colts.

A full circle redemption would require Troy to rewrite its double overtime playoff loss to Oxford, and it had the opportunity right in front of them April 25 at Troy High School.

“That was definitely a big revenge game,” senior Michael Lim said. “Coach was hyping us all up, especially losing to them in double overtime last year. We really needed that one.”

The Colts would pick up the 9-4 victory, kickstarting a nine-game win streak to close out the regular season and give the school best regular season record (13-3) and most regular season wins (13) in school history.

Troy also won its first OAA league championship in school history, finishing 6-0 in league play. Everything seemed to be clicking for Troy, and sophomore Caleb Regner said he credits the veteran players for the program’s growth.

“I feel like it just started with our leadership,” Regner said. “We had a lot of graduating seniors this year, and at the beginning of the year we just adapted the mentality that everything needed to happen this year. They drove that idea into the juniors and the underclassmen. We were playing every game like it was our last.”

Lim (all-State 2nd team) and Regner (all-State HM) forefronted an offensive attack that carried the upper hand over Utica Eisenhower and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in the first two rounds of regionals, outsourcing both teams 26-11. Sophomore Jack Horvath paced the offensive efforts as well.

The Colts offense, which averaged nine goals per game, played to its potential in its regional finals matchup against Clarkston May 29, but a Colts defense that had been stingy all year, allowing just over five goals per game, would be hit hard in a 21-8 loss.

“Something I harped on with the kids after was just the offseason,” Johnson said. “You know Clarkston with Brian Kaminskas over there, he runs a lot of the summer stuff and he gets his kids on summer teams, and they play together for the most part. They like to play together, and they’ve been playing together since they were in second grade, so that chemistry that you get is unteachable unless you play with each other.”

Regardless of the Clarkston game, the defense had been on point all season behind senior Ben Duda, junior Zach MacLeish (2nd team all-State), senior Conner Miller, and sophomore Joey Clark (all-State HM) in net.

Standing 6-foot-2 and with football experience in high school, Duda was someone opposing teams always had to keep an eye out for on the defensive side. Duda and MacLeish, the heartbeat of the Colts defense, made for a great pairing on the defensive side.

Although he didn’t even pick up a lacrosse stick until his sophomore year, Duda said the game came to him quickly.

“Coming from football, I already had the athleticism,” Duda said. “It was really rewarding to get used to all the stick skills. It adds a whole other dimension to the game. I was a D-lineman in football. I really enjoyed it. I actually ended up liking it more than football in the end.”

Aside from what they brought on the field, the Troy seniors’ leadership is what Johnson believes will be a key factor for the Colts next season as the underclassmen and juniors look to take the next step in their progression.

“They just embody what it means to be a Troy Colt on our lacrosse team and the culture we set,” Johnson said. “Part of that culture is helping mentor the younger kids. A lot of sophomores, you can tell, are voicing their opinions and taking roles that not a lot of sophomores do around the state.”

With 16 seniors graduating, there will be voids across the board to fill for Johnson and company before next season rolls around.

After a historic season and veterans across the board graduating, Johnson said he expects the team to be motivated and ready to step up.

“There’s room to step up, and I think a lot of the sophomores and underclassmen really embody our culture and want to step up into those roles,” Johnson said. “It’s just pushing them to get better and better. I think that they’ll do a great job of just bringing together the team as a whole in things that we do in the offseason and getting the results we want to get when we get to the season. I’m sure with 16 seniors graduating, people are thinking we’re going to have an off year next year. I don’t see it that way. I think we’re even going to get better and just keep improving each year.”