Team USA Player Profile: Steele Stanwick

Hometown: Baltimore, MD

High School: Loyola Blakefield ’08

College: Virginia ’12

MLL Team: Ohio Machine

Has anyone had quite the career that Steele Stanwick has had so far? If they have, they are far and few between. Stanwick has been a star at every level he has played at starting back in high school at Loyola Blakefield. The eldest Stanwick set a school record for career points with 231 of them (123 goals and 108 assists). With accolades such as that, it isn’t a surprise that Stanwick was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the nation and played in the Under Armour All-American game.

As soon as he stepped foot on Virginia’s campus, he became an instant impact player for the Cavaliers and lived up to the billing of being the No. 1 recruit in the nation. He was the 2009 ACC Rookie of the Year and ranks first in points (58), second in goals (36) and tied for fifth in assists (22) on the Cavaliers all-time freshmen list. The next season, he would step up his game even more by being named a USILA second-team All-American and an All-ACC member. He was also named to the All-ACC Tournament team member and to the All-NCAA Championship team. He also led the team in assists and he was second on the team in goals and points as well.

What he would do in the last half of his college career was even more impressive as he won the prestigious Tewaaraton Award in his junior season along with being named the ACC Player of the Year and a USILA first-team All-American. Did I forget to mention the Cavaliers also won the NCAA Title that season? Well they did. His senior year, if you had to consider it this way, was a disappointment compared to his junior year as he was ONLY named a USILA first-team All-American and the ACC Offensive Player of the Year.

The Man of Steele as I like to call him, continued his ascension to be one of the best lacrosse players in nation as he was picked No. 2 overall by the Ohio Machine. In nine games for the Machine, Stanwick compiled 28 points, 17 of which were assists. Last season, Stanwick improved slightly as he bumped his point total up to 32 points, 20 of which were assists.

In the two seasons he has spent with the Machine, Stanwick is the unquestioned quarterback of this team. For Team USA he figures to step in and play a similar role, albeit, with more talented players than the ones he plays for on his pro team. His vision is extraordinary and he can score the ball when asked to do so. He has shown in college that he has the ability to be the focal point of the offense and carry them to new heights.

As he gets prepared for the upcoming FIL Championships this summer in Denver, he will look to add more hardware to his immense trophy case.