Class Three, An Inside Look: Mike McDonnell & Liam Bourke
9/30/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
The University of Michigan men's lacrosse team inked 14 student-athletes as members of the team's 2014 recruiting class last spring, and the group was ranked as the No. 19 recruiting class in the country by Inside Lacrosse.
MGoBlue.com will sit down with each incoming freshman on an individual basis as the full class is released.
Faceoff man Michael McDonnell and defender Liam Bourke are the focus Tuesday.
Michael McDonnell • Face-off • Centreville, Va./Middleburg Academy
On how winning the National Faceoff Combine twice helped hone his skills ... "It was strictly face-off men honing in on our craft and being very technical with everything. Two days of competition and reps, then the final day went down to the final competition. It was against some of the best face-off specialists in high school. Going there, I didn't know what to expect, but when I first got there I knew I was up against some steep competition. My first competition there were 12 or 14 D-I commits at my class. Coming in the second year, there was about the same amount. Kids were stronger and bigger when I was there the second time. I was happy with my results both times."
On how wrestling and face-offs go together ... "Physicality. It's both very individualistic. Wrestling, you're one on one with a guy. Face-offs are a bit different because you have the wingmen flying in to help you out. Physically, I think wrestling with the body positioning and such helped me a lot overall."
On having head coach John Paul as his position coach ... "He's the man. He knows a lot; he's shown me a couple of drills and techniques that I'm trying out. I think Brad Lott, Will Biagi and Brian Archer help me out a lot too."
On how happy he is to be here at Michigan ... "The whole experience of coming to a school like Michigan is pretty big. There's a lot of weight on your shoulders, and it's a gift to play lacrosse at the highest level and be given the opportunity. For myself, I only started playing since I was a freshman in high school, so being here now is pretty humbling. I'm pretty happy with myself every day."
Liam Bourke • Defender • Ross, Calif./Redwood
On the California contingent on the team ... "It's been really helpful to get exposure to Michigan. I always knew I wanted to come to a big school like Michigan, and I'm happy that I did. Coming from California, where lacrosse usually isn't the number one sport for kids, it's cool because we're kind of like a startup, similar to Michigan right now. It feels like home. When I was a freshman, our club team wasn't known, but now we are. That's kind of how I feel like Michigan is now."
On playing with fellow freshman Pat Tracy in high school and having him here at Michigan ..."It's really cool. We have been best friends since second grade and have always played on the same team. It's cool that we'll probably end our careers together too. His dad brought us up in lacrosse and was the owner of our high school club. In high school, it was awesome playing with him all four years because he's really fun to watch."
On his style as a defender ... "I like ground ball play. I'm a transition guy, not really a six-on-six guy. I like transition, so that's probably my style."
On what he's looking forward to in the upcoming year ... "Playing in my first college game and being a part of the first year of the Big Ten. It's a serious league now, so I'm looking forward to the competition and seeing how we stack up because I think we'll stack up well."
On why he chose Michigan ... "It was and is my favorite school. My dad told me to choose the place where I would be most happy if I had a career-ending injury, and that was Michigan."
• Previous Entry: Eric Smith & BJ Mattheiss
