By Mary Patalita
Special to GoHolyCross.com
Despite facing adversity during his time as a Crusader, senior Kevin Lux's perseverance has led him to an outstanding lacrosse career including reaching a monumental 100 career points and just recently earning All-Patriot League honors. His consistency and hard work over his four years has allowed him to accomplish such feats, however it was not always smooth sailing. After experiencing injuries and sickness during his time, Lux came back a stronger and even more determined athlete as he has not let any obstacle get in his way.
During Lux's four years at Holy Cross, the Crusaders have been closer than ever to completing their goal of winning a Patriot League championship. During his junior and senior seasons, the team has qualified for the Patriot League Tournament for the first two times ever. Lux and his teammates look to chart the uncharted to become the first team in program history to win a Patriot League championship. The Crusaders' quest for a championship starts on Tuesday, April 25, when they travel to Annapolis, Md., to take on Navy in the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament at 6:00 p.m. Go here to watch the game on the Patriot League Network.
PREGAME
Lacrosse was always part of Lux's life starting at an early age. His father and three uncles all played in college, which inspired him to start playing at age five. “My earliest memory playing lacrosse is winning my first local youth tournament with my cousin,” said Lux.
Lacrosse was always a family tradition for the Lux family as his older sister also played in college at Colby. When it came time for him to choose a college himself, he ultimately chose Holy Cross because of the caliber of education and athletics that he could receive as a Crusader. “Knowing that I wanted a liberal arts education as well as a great school academically and athletically, Holy Cross was the perfect fit for me,” said Lux.
FIRST QUARTER
Once arriving on Mount Saint James, Lux's transition to college athletics seemed effortless. During his freshman season, he played in all 15 games and earned nine starts. He ranked fourth on the team with 20 goals, seven assists and 27 points as well as ranking third in caused turnovers. During his inaugural season in purple and white, Lux was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week. “Receiving this honor was awesome because it was the week that the team earned our first Patriot League win against Lafayette,” said Lux on being awarded Patriot League Rookie of the Week. At the conclusion of the season, he received the team's Joseph M. Murphy Rookie of the Year Award.
His background in lacrosse allowed for a smooth adjustment to Division I athletics. “The fundamentals that I learned from a very young age made the adjustment to the next level easier,” said Lux. “The biggest difference between high school and college lacrosse was the speed of the game and the skill of so many great players.”
SECOND QUARTER
Building on his successes from freshman year, Lux entered his second season eager for more. During his sophomore year, he appeared in all 13 games with 12 starts, posting at least one point in 12 of the 13 games. He was tied for first on the team with 21 goals and second on the team in points and assists.
He cites the team's first program win over No. 8 Loyola Maryland during his sophomore season as one highlight of his career. “Freshman year we had lost to Loyola 16-4 in our home opener which made the 13-12 win in Baltimore that much sweeter,” said Lux. “We were much tougher and playing in the snow didn't bother us. It was a statement to the rest of the country defeating a top 10 team on the road.”
THIRD QUARTER
After starting his career as a Crusader off with such a splash, Lux experienced some setbacks during his junior season due to injury and illness. “Junior year, I didn't have many personal ups after missing the first three weeks with a broken foot and then the rest of the season following the Army game with sickness and surgery to fix my foot,” said Lux. “Although personally it was a tough year, it was still awesome watching my teammates clinch a playoff spot with the win over Boston University.”
Despite injury and illness, Lux still played in 11 games during his junior season and was still able to finish fourth on the team in assists even with missing games.
FINAL QUARTER
Bouncing back after a setback year, Lux was determined to make his last year of lacrosse count. Following a down season, he was motivated by his teammates, coaching staff and goals for the program to finish his career off strong. “After missing the rest of my junior year and the entire fall because of foot surgery, our first practice in January of this year was the longest time I had been away from the game since I first picked up a stick at age five,” said Lux.
Coming back to the game after a long recess due to injury, he was motivated to finish off his final season by hopefully accomplishing the teams ultimate goal. “Our goal from the start has been a Patriot League Championship, and that remains to be our goal,” said Lux. “Personally I hope to be the first senior class to win the PLC.”
After three years of ups and downs, Lux was ultimately able to reach 100 career points, an accomplishment that less than two dozen Holy Cross men's lacrosse players have been able to achieve. “It was great to reach 100 points in a very important game for the team,” said Lux. “In that game, we defeated Lafayette to be 3-3 in league play which put us even closer to the Patriot League Tournament and accomplishing our eventual goal.”
POSTGAME
Not only have his teammates looked to him to produce on the field, they also have learned a lot from playing with him. “Playing with Kevin has been a fun and learning experience because he takes a very calculated approach to playing the game, but he's definitely one of the smartest players I've ever played with,” said senior Jon Vogel. “It's like he sees the whole picture of the offense rather than just one play at a time. He always has his head up looking to let the play develop and assist a guy you might not have expected him to at first. He's very patient on offense, but I think that's helped him excel.”
Lux's reliability is something that his teammates look to him for. “Kevin is one of the most consistent, even-keeled guys I know,” said Vogel. “You can count on him to show up every day and perform to the best of his ability. I think a lot of guys on the team look up to him, even though he is fairly quiet he sets a great example of how to act and play.”
It is Lux's consistency that makes him a great player and role model to his teammates. “Kevin has been an amazing teammate and leader since freshman year,” said senior Sean Kirkpatrick. “Being his roommate for the first three years of college, I got to see how hard he worked on and off the field. On the field, he is a guy that you absolutely love playing with because he is constantly competing and bringing a winning attitude to every practice and game. Also, he is extremely smart and savvy, and makes everyone around him better. Off the field, he has established a strong GPA as an accounting major, while also taking a larger course load in order to attain his CPA.”
As the clock is winding down for Lux's career, his legacy will be remembered as a Holy Cross men's lacrosse player. “Kevin has shown tremendous determination and perseverance throughout his career,” said head coach Judd Lattimore. “Reaching 100 points just demonstrates his consistency, hard work and his importance to our team. Kevin, along with all of the seniors are a major reason for our success this season in the Patriot League.”
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