Towson men’s lacrosse senior Chop Gallagher recently chatted with PressBox about growing up as a lacrosse player in Oregon, recovering from two season-ending injuries and more. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound midfielder scored eight goals, dished out three assists and picked up 16 ground balls in eight games prior to suffering a broken wrist. Gallagher is a native of Portland, Ore., and graduate of Sunset High School.
PressBox: How did you become interested in lacrosse?
Chop Gallagher: I’m from Portland, Ore., and lacrosse wasn’t that large. My high school program was one of the first ones in the state and we had a great high school coach and a great youth program. It rains a lot, so baseball was always getting canceled and stuff like that. The coach came to my elementary school and talked to a bunch of the students, and I had an older brother who started playing, so I was like, “Why not give it a shot?” It just went on from there.
PB: Who were the biggest influences on your game growing up?
CG: The biggest influence on my game growing up was definitely my older brother Tillman and my dad — even though he didn’t grow up playing lacrosse at all, he was my coach from fourth grade until eighth grade. My brother always helped out. He was four years older than me and I got lucky enough to play with him for a year in high school. It was pretty special.
PB: What’s it like developing as a lacrosse player in Oregon?
CG: It’s cool. I’d say there are definitely some athletes out there in Portland and in the Oregon area. It’s a cool sport and it’s a new sport not a lot of people know about, so it’s great to be able to grow the game with the younger kids around Portland. It’s growing a lot and you can see that a lot of people are taking it more seriously and coming out here to play the best competition out in Maryland.
PB: Why do you go by Chop?
CG: My real name is Calder, but when I was born, I think I was like 11 pounds, 24 inches tall, so a pretty big baby. My nana used to call me chonchito. She didn’t speak any English and she was from Peru, [where] chonchito meant pork chop. That shortened to chop, and it’s just been that since.
PB: Why did you choose to come to Towson?
CG: I really loved this school, and then also it’s pretty cool to be in a hotbed of lacrosse. It’s crazy how many high school programs, how many people out here actually know what this sport is. You drive by a park and there are lacrosse nets, so I thought it’d be a pretty special opportunity to really go all-in. I also just kind of fell in love with the school and the area.
PB: How did Towson notice you?
CG: I was talking to [Tigers defensive coordinator Steve Grossi when] he was at Richmond. I didn’t hear from him for a while, so I was like, “Shoot.” Then he called me up. I believe he saw me in Denver. I’m not totally sure. And then he called me up and said, “I moved to Towson,” and just went from there.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at Towson so far?
CG: I’d say going to the CAA tournament my sophomore year [in 2022]. Even though we didn’t win, we got a win against UMass in the semifinals, and I thought it was a pretty great trip just for the team even though we didn’t come out with the CAA championship. I had a really great time and it was a cool experience.
PB: How difficult was your season-ending wrist injury last year and how did that affect your offseason?
CG: It was pretty difficult. I also tore my labrum in my shoulder my freshman year after two games, so I’ve had two season-ending injuries in only three years. It’s tough to fight back from them, but I felt like this second one I was a little bit more prepared for. You kind of just roll with the punches. And then in the offseason it was nice because by the time I went home I was fully recovered, so I could really just focus on the next season.
PB: Was there anybody in particular who helped you through the process of losing a second season due to injury?
CG: I really have to give a big shoutout to my roommates [Austin Ducommun, Andy Joerres, Jamison Gaskins and Colby Barsz]. A lot of my roommates really helped me through it and kind of kept my mind off it and kept me up. I’d say also Greg Penczek, our athletic trainer. He did a great job and always talked to me and made sure I was good and stuff like that.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Towson the town?
CG: I’d say uptown Towson is a pretty good spot. I also love how close it is to Baltimore and I like being able to go to Ravens games, Orioles games. I think it’s a pretty awesome sports city in general. That’s pretty special. In Portland, we only have the Trail Blazers and unfortunately we haven’t been that good, so being around some good professional teams is pretty fun to see.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
CG: I’d say one of my best friends is my roommate Austin Ducommun. He’s from Vancouver, Canada. I guess we just stayed together on our official visits. We were both in some older guys’ houses [and] everyone else was in the dorms, so we got to spend a lot of time and get to know each other right from the start. And then being from [somewhat] the same area, our parents have stayed connected and we’ve just built a great bond all through the years.
PB: Who was a player you looked up to when you first got to Towson?
CG: A player that I really looked up to was Brody McLean. He was a big, lefty attackman from Canada. He just always had a good vibe and a smile on his face. He enjoyed being out there. He was a fifth-year when I was a freshman, and I got to play with him a little bit. He was just a great guy on and off the field and just had good vibes.
PB: What advice do you have for younger players in the recruiting process, particularly those in the Pacific Northwest?
CG: Find a spot that you really love and really give it a good chance because once you start to meet the guys, sure, it can be scary traveling across the country to go to school, but when you get involved with the team and involved with the guys, you can build some really strong, lifelong friendships and relationships with everyone — especially if it’s in a good area that you like and you can see yourself in for the next four years.
PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
CG: I’m looking to move back to the West Coast, hopefully, but it’s not set in stone. I don’t have anything set, but I do want to go and try to become a firefighter. … I feel like it’s just a cool opportunity to stay fit, stay working with a team and also help out in the community.
Photo Credit: Bill Stewart
Issue 285: February/March 2024
Originally published Feb. 21, 2024