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Princeton starting goalie Ryan Croddick joins the show to talk about his winding path to the Ivy League — from being told not to bring his field stick anymore in youth lacrosse, to committing to Richmond, to getting a last-minute call from Princeton.

Ryan shares how growing up playing hockey and battling his brothers in the backyard made him fearless in the cage, what he learned backing up Mike Gvozden for two years, and the pregame gratitude walk he does with teammates before every game.

We also get into his juggling routine, how he uses baiting on late turns and from X, scouting shooters without overthinking it, working on hockey-style footwork behind the cage, and what Princeton is building as they chase a national championship this season.

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Stanford goalie Lucy Pearson shares her journey from accidentally discovering the position to playing D1 lacrosse.

We dive into the mental side of handling goals, why being athletic beats being robotic in cage, and how she evolved her communication from frantic to confident.

Lucy breaks down Stanford's process-over-results mentality, shares how she got out of a slump by remembering to have fun, and explains why positive reinforcement makes constructive criticism land better.

Plus: the power of squash for hand-eye coordination, coaching insights from Goaliesmith, and why you can't tie your identity to your performance.

Key Topics:

• Mental approach to giving up goals
• Athletic vs robotic playing style
• Communication evolution (calm > frantic)
• Stanford's team culture
• Process over results mindset
• Being more set/settled in goal
• Getting out of slumps
• Balancing identity and performance

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Coach Mark Lange joins the show to discuss his new book "The Culture Line: Building Future Community Leaders Through Sport." With 20+ years of coaching experience across 100+ seasons—from Pop Warner football to Carleton University lacrosse—Mark shares his framework for developing athletes into leaders.

We dig into why the best coaches are both loved and hated in the same week, what "process-driven" really means for goalies and coaches, and why resilience starts before the tough moment ever happens. Mark breaks down why authenticity matters (don't try to be Dylan Ward or Connor Foley—be YOU), and we explore the difference between a winning culture and a leadership culture.

Key takeaways for goalies: how to build resilience through reasonable expectations, why having fun is contagious for your whole team, and finding your authentic style in the cage instead of copying someone else's game.

Connect with Mark on Instagram @marklangejr or email theculturelinebook@gmail.com

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