Loyola men’s lacrosse junior attackman Kevin Lindley recently spoke to PressBox about growing up loving lacrosse because of his mother, his best friend on the Greyhounds and more. Lindley, a native of Darien, Conn., scored a single-season school record 60 goals in 2019.

PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?

Kevin Lindley: Ever since I remember, I was playing lacrosse. My mom. [Lisa], is actually the girls’ lacrosse coach at [Darien (Conn.) High School], the high school that I went to, so it was honestly the first sport that I got into. My mom and dad were always fighting about whether to play lacrosse or hockey and which one would be my main focus, and I ended up following my mom and picking lacrosse. She played at Northwestern and UMass.

PB: How did your mother give you the encouragement that lacrosse was the way to go?

KL: To be honest, ever since a young age, because she couldn’t get a babysitter because she had practice, she always just brought me to her practices and she kind of threw me to the wolves and let me do some drills with all of her high school girls. I knew talent-wise I was always better in lacrosse, so naturally I was like, “It’s my better sport, I might as well just pursue that.”

PB: Why did you choose to come to Loyola?

KL: That comes from my eighth grade lacrosse coach and my summer lacrosse coach. His name is Jamie Hanford, and he went to Loyola. He said, “Just go to Loyola, see if you like it and we’ll go from there.” So sure enough, I came here, visited and fell in love with it once I stepped on campus.

PB: What’s your favorite memory at Loyola?

KL: Winning the Patriot League finals, the championship, my freshman year. I just like winning championships and winning games, so that is by far our [biggest] win I’ve ever had here besides obviously the NCAA first round, but that’s the first title I’ve won, so pretty cool.

PB: What’s your favorite thing about Baltimore and Loyola?

KL: I just love the city. I think Baltimore is a special place, special city, just the atmosphere and the energy that these people hold. I think Loyola is special just because of how community-based it is. Everyone knows each other on campus. Everyone knows the athletes. Everyone cares and appreciates everyone, so from that aspect it’s a real family culture that’s really cool to be a part of.

PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship on and off the field?

KL: Ever since freshman year, Aiden Olmstead has kind of been thrown to the wolves and played as a freshman. I think me and him always have an open dialogue about on-the-field issues, off-the-field issues, so I definitely talk to him the most about everything.

PB: Who were some of the players you looked up to early in your career at Loyola?

KL: I mean, obviously Pat Spencer. I’ve learned a ton from him, not just only being a lacrosse player but also just being a competitor, so definitely him. I still look up to him.

PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?

KL: I’ve been fortunate enough to have some great lacrosse coaches throughout my whole career, whether it was my fifth-grade coach, Kevin Waldron, to Jamie Hanford. I think I grew the most in my high school years with my high school coach, Jeff Brameier. I think what separated my game in high school with Jeff is because he gave me the confidence to go out there and perform the way that I needed to. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the right coach at all the different phases of my game.

PB: What advice would you give to younger players?

KL: My advice would just be go out there, be relaxed, perform what you love to do — you love the sport — so try to play with no pressure and just go out there and kick some butt.

Photo Credit: Larry French/Loyola Athletic Communications

Issue 261: February/March 2020

Luke Jackson

See all posts by Luke Jackson. Follow Luke Jackson on Twitter at @luke_jackson10