Navy men’s lacrosse junior Zach Hayashi chatted with PressBox about his development at the X, a day in the life at the Academy and more. The 5-foot-8, 221-pound faceoff specialist won 58.4 percent of his draws for the Midshipmen from 2024-2025. Hayashi is a native of North Potomac, Md., and graduate of McDonogh School.
PressBox: When did you first become interested in lacrosse?
Zach Hayashi: Just growing up in Maryland, I feel like you’re exposed to the big lacrosse community, so it was just something I wanted to play growing up. I didn’t really have any family that [played] but had a bunch of friends, so I just wanted to join them and have some fun.
PB: Who was the biggest influence on your game growing up?
ZH: I think definitely my high school coach, [Andy Hilgartner]. He’s just someone I really look up to as a mentor. Just really trying to do my best and take in all the knowledge from him. He’s just someone that’s had a great impact on my life on and off the field.
PB: What are your favorite memories from playing at McDonogh?
ZH: My junior and senior year, we were fortunate enough to win the MIAA, but honestly I think it’s just the people, the coaches, teammates, support staff. All around just a great program, and I’m fortunate enough to be a part of it. It was truly the made by all the alums that came before us, so just really grateful for that.
PB: When did you start taking faceoffs?
ZH: For me, I always grew up just playing middie and with that came facing off. I really specialized going into my freshman year of high school, just kind of fell in love with the whole idea of facing off.
PB: Do you have to be a dominant faceoff specialist in high school to be recruited by Division I programs?
ZH: You just have to be motivated. For me, it took a lot of learning and just seeing the guys who came before me and trying to be like them. That’s really where my passion came from. There really is no cut-and-dried recipe, but just being eager to learn and taking in all the information that you can.
PB: Who taught you how to win faceoffs?
ZH: I have [had] countless coaches, faceoff coaches like [Jeremy Rualo and Demetri Rosette]. Those guys really helped me out and formed the kind of faceoff specialist I am, [as did] other teammates like Gable Braun, who was at McDonogh ahead of me, just taking in all the knowledge that he had.
PB: Why did you choose to go to Navy?
ZH: To be honest, I really just fell in love with the school and the coaching staff. Having the opportunity to attend such a great school academically [and] lacrosse-wise and being able to represent our country, I wasn’t fully set on Navy but I fell in love with it throughout the whole process and still love it to this day.
PB: What’s a typical day in the life of a Navy men’s lacrosse player?
ZH: I wake up every day usually around 6:30. We have four classes in the morning. We have a lunch period and we watch film every day with that and then have two class periods in the afternoon. We either have lift and then practice after that, or we just have practice after that. Practice will range from anywhere from an hour and a half to two hours. After that, hanging out with all the guys or doing some homework. It’s really nice in a way. It’s fairly routine, so you can get in a nice cycle there.
PB: How were you able to win 2024 Patriot League Rookie of the Year as a faceoff specialist?
ZH: Honestly, it’s a testament to all the wings and all the other faceoff guys. Coming in as a freshman, I really didn’t know what to expect, but a bunch of the older guys really helped me out, gave me some good advice. The wings don’t get enough credit [on faceoffs]. Truly, they are the difference-makers out there. I was just really grateful to be able to put on the Navy jersey and go out there and have some fun with them. It was really the help from my coaches, my teammates and all the support staff.
PB: How would you explain the importance of faceoffs to a casual fan?
ZH: I think any way that you can have the ball more, just like in any sport, the odds are that you’re going to win the game. I describe facing off [as] a battle for possession and allowing your offense to get the ball and put the ball in the back of the net and also allowing your defense to not be put in those positions.
PB: You suffered a partially torn PCL in your right knee last season. How did rehab go?
ZH: I was sidelined for around two months, but I definitely learned a lot. I learned a lot about being able to recover but also seeing the game from a different point of view. It obviously was very frustrating and sucked at times, but I look at that adversity and in a way, I’m grateful for it. I was able to develop myself as a player in different ways than I thought.
PB: You were able to recover in time to play for Team USA at the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship in South Korea. What was that experience like?
ZH: It’s really hard to dream of just because you grow up playing lacrosse never expecting to put on the USA jersey. When I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity from [head coach Shawn Nadelen] and his staff, I was forever grateful. It was an unbelievable experience that I’ll cherish forever. It still stings that we weren’t able to come away with gold, but just truly was grateful for the whole process and being able to play with such great guys. They were great guys on the field but even better guys off the field. Forever grateful to USA Lacrosse and Coach Nadelen and his staff for the opportunity.
PB: What’s your favorite memory so far at Navy?
ZH: I would say plebe year when we played Hopkins up at Homewood. Our bus broke down twice, caught on fire a little bit and we were able to pull out the win. I forget which highway we were on, but we were on one of the highways going up to Hopkins. For whatever reason, there’s smoke coming out of the engine and we have to get off and get a new bus, but that was after one of our other buses broke down earlier in the trip. It was kind of a mess, but we were able to pull the win out against Hopkins. I’d say that was my favorite memory just because of the chaos that happened that day but we were able to find a way to win.
PB: What’s your favorite thing about Annapolis?
ZH: Even growing up in Maryland, I never really came to Annapolis that much, but being able to go out in the town real quick and get a nice bite to eat but mostly it’s just the memories I have with a bunch of the teammates. We always walk around and go get a bite to eat. We just get close from that. Through the ups and downs of the Academy, we’re there to support each other.
PB: What player did you look up to when you first got to Navy?
ZH: I’d say it was actually two of my high school teammates, Dane Swanson and Jackson Bonitz. I still remember my freshman year of high school seeing those guys and they were captains of our high school team. [And then] seeing them as leaders on our college team was really cool, was really surreal. They definitely took me under their wing and helped me out in any way that they could.
PB: What advice would you have for younger players going through the recruiting process?
ZH: There are obviously highs and lows throughout all of it. I’d say bet on yourself. If you know that you put in all the work that you could, be confident in that. You’re going to find the right place for you. There’s no need to get caught up in what everyone else is doing. Everyone has their own unique process. Embrace them, and be grateful for all the opportunities that do present themselves.
PB: What are your goals for after lacrosse?
ZH: I want to serve my country to the best of my ability and maintain those friendships and bonds that I’ve created here at the Academy just because the people really make this place special.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Navy Athletics
Issue 297: February / March 2026
Originally published Feb. 18, 2026