PressBox recently chatted with UMBC men’s lacrosse senior Elie Fraiji about grinding for an opportunity, the player he looked up to early in his college career and more. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defenseman has appeared in just four games as a Retriever but is expected to see the field in 2025. Fraiji is a native of Pylesville, Md., and graduate of John Carroll.
PressBox: How did you first become interested in lacrosse?
Elie Fraiji: I started playing when I was about 9 or 10 years old. One specific memory I have, I went and watched my cousin, [Michael Fraiji], play in the 2013 MIAA lacrosse championship. It was Loyola vs. Boys’ Latin. Boys’ Latin had an undefeated season. Loyola barely made it to the championship. I think at one point, BL was up 6-0. Loyola ended up coming back and beating them, so watching my cousin experience that was very cool to me and something that maybe one day I wanted to do. He was on Loyola.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
EF: Growing up, I had a handful of coaches that were super influential to me. One of them was Nick Thompson. He actually played at UMBC. He was a long pole. He was my Jarrettsville Hawks rec coach growing up. He taught me a ton about the game and was someone that I really looked up to. And then in high school, my coach Don Reynolds really mentored me throughout high school, taught me a bunch about the game and was super influential to my game.
PB: What are your favorite memories from your time at John Carroll?
EF: My favorite memory at John Carroll was our Patriot Weeks, which were kind of like our tryouts. We would wake up very early before school — do our weightlifting, do our conditioning. It was always frigid cold. And then after school we would practice and have our tryouts, so doing this with all my high school buddies were really cool experiences doing something hard. We really bonded and created great relationships.
PB: Why did you choose to go to UMBC?
EF: I chose to go to UMBC because it has great academics and a very competitive lacrosse program. I really like the coaches. I was bought in to the culture here throughout the recruiting experience. It’s also close to home, so my parents are able to come and watch my games, which is very important to me. It’s been a great experience so far.
PB: What’s your favorite memory at UMBC so far?
EF: My favorite memory was when I was a freshman we went up to Vermont playing in the America East playoffs. Everything was new to me since I was a freshman, so the whole experience was very cool. The year before, I was in high school. Now I was playing in the America East playoffs. We ended up losing in the championship, but just playing at that level was a great experience and something that I hope to repeat this year.
PB: Why have you chosen to stick around instead of transferring in search of more playing time?
EF: I’ve chosen to stick around because I really love UMBC. I’ve created great relationships with all of my teammates. My entire senior class is very tight. My personality, I have goals and it’s not over yet. I’m going to keep trying to dig in. This is my last chance to get some playing time on the field.
PB: What’s the process like in grinding for a bigger opportunity as a senior?
EF: It’s really being bought in to everything the coaches have to say, having zero entitlement, going hard in everything you do, really not letting up at all — whether that’s conditioning or testing or watching film — staying up to date, never being discouraged and trusting in your teammates and overall just buying in to your goals and never giving up.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Catonsville?
EF: It’s kind of like a suburban area but still close to the city, so we can experience going to Orioles games or going to Ravens games but also you don’t have the congestion of the city. My dad also grew up here, so I’m familiar a little bit with the area. It’s overall just a very beautiful campus at UMBC and a very beautiful surrounding area.
PB: Who’s your best friend on the team and what’s a story that underscores your friendship?
EF: I would say my best friends on the team are my housemates. There are six of us that live in this house. Some of my favorite memories with them are during [the winter] we don’t have classes, per se. All we have is lacrosse, so we’re kind of professional athletes. We just get to come home and hang out with each other. Right now, we’re watching “The Wire.” It’s been really great so far.
PB: Who was a player you looked up to when you first got to UMBC?
EF: Someone that I looked up to was Corey Gaines. He was a fifth-year senior when I was a freshman. He was a close defender. He was actually my big brother as well. Each freshman is assigned a big brother, and he mentored me throughout my freshman year. He was a really good player on the field and also mentored me off the field and I learned a lot from him.
PB: What advice do you have for younger players going through the recruiting process?
EF: I would say work hard in everything you do, whether that be in the classroom or on the field or in the weight room. Create great relationships with your high school and club lacrosse coaches so they can give you great recommendations to college coaches.
PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
EF: I’ve had two internships so far. One was at the United States District Court for the District of Maryland. Another one was at Harford Financial Group in Bel Air. Both of these were finance-related internships, so I’m looking to continue my goals in finance and try to find a job after college within that industry.
Photo Credit: UMBC Athletic Communications
Issue 291: February / March 2025
Originally published Feb. 19, 2025