Fifth-year attackman Levi Anderson etched his name into the St. Joe’s men’s lacrosse record book after setting a record for most goals in a single game in program history March 18 at St. John’s University.
Anderson scored eight goals for the Hawks, breaking the previous record of seven goals in a single game. The record was most recently held by Ryan McGee ’15 from 2012.
Despite his strong offensive performance, which earned him the title of Atlantic 10 (A-10) Player of the Week, Anderson said he did not feel any different compared to other games.
“When it happens, you don’t even realize it’s really happening,” Anderson said. “You kind of get in this zone.”
In fact, Anderson said he was not aware he had set a record until he received a call from his mother, who was close to tears according to Anderson.
“She just said how proud she was of me,” Anderson said. “How excited she was to see me with such a level of success.”
But for Anderson, there were many other emotions accompanying the moment.
“I was definitely happy to share that with teammates, as well as my family that was watching back home in Canada,” Anderson said. “But I was excited to get back on the bus and just enjoy the vibe you get from winning.”
Head Coach Taylor Wray said that most of Anderson’s emotion was directed toward the Hawks’ 16-10 victory.
“He was more excited that we won the game than he was about his individual accolades,” Wray said.
Assistant Coach Mike Rastivo ’17, ’18, who currently holds the record for most career goals with 124, said that his own accomplishments and his knowledge of the type of person Anderson is gives him a different kind of insight.
“When those accolades come, they’re always special and something that you’re going to remember,” Rastivo said. “But I know that [Anderson’s] number one priority is winning games and winning an A-10 championship.”
Anderson, who currently leads the team in points this season with 31, said it’s motivation from his teammates that pushes him to work harder.
“They push me consistently both on and off the field,” Anderson said. “Once you get to practice, all the individuals on the team, we turn into one big collective and we want to be there.”
Rastivo said that even in practice, Anderson’s focus is always on the overall improvement of the team.
“The lack of ego really shows with [Anderson],” Rastivo said. “He always wants to make sure everyone’s on the same page.”
This display of character, along with his rare athleticism, has made him a natural leader on the team according to Wray.
“He’s always been a leader because of his abilities, and his ability to kind of shine in the big moments,” Wray said.
After doubling his personal record for goals in a single game, Anderson credited his coaches for helping him get to this level of performance.
“Coach holds you to a standard of always getting better, and that’s what I’ve always appreciated,” Anderson said. “At the end of the day, we’re all one team going for gold.”
Even in his personal achievements, Anderson continues to better the team and the program, Rastivo said.
“In order to take the next step in the program, I think it’s really important that players come through that are going to continue to raise the bar,” Rastivo said. “[Anderson] is certainly a guy like that.”
