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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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Dr. Kate Lund, psychologist, best-selling author, and host of The Optimized Mind podcast, shares powerful strategies for building mental resilience in lacrosse goalies and young athletes.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The Relaxation Response Technique: A simple 5-minute daily practice using breathing and a calming word/phrase to modulate stress and build emotional control
• Pre-Game Routines & Visualization: How to create a solid foundation of confidence before stepping on the field
• Managing Emotions on the Sidelines: Why parent stress transfers to players and what to do about it
• The "Even Keel" Mindset: How to celebrate great saves without losing focus for the next shot
• Processing Failure: The importance of sitting with disappointment rather than sweeping it under the rug
• The Daily Wins Exercise: Writing down 3-5 things that went well each day to counteract negative thought patterns
• The Car Ride Home: How parents can support their goalie after tough games

Dr. Lund also discusses her new book, Step Away: The Keys to Resilient Parenting, and shares insights from her personal journey with resilience, starting from childhood challenges with hydrocephalus to becoming a competitive tennis player.

Connect with Dr. Kate Lund:

• Website: katelundspeaks.com
• Instagram: @dr_kate_lund
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kate-lund

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Penn female lacrosse goalie Orly Sedransk joins the show to share her journey from a volunteer youth goalie to an Ivy League standout. Orly breaks down what young goalies actually need to succeed, from building confidence and handling pressure to creating routines that lead to real consistency. She dives deep into the mental side of the position, including breathing techniques, reset habits after goals, and how to stay locked in during big moments like overtime and championship games.

This episode also covers goalie development at every stage, including earning trust from teammates, preparing for college recruiting, managing slumps, and why your warm-up does not define your performance. Packed with practical lessons, mindset shifts, and honest insight, this is a must-listen for goalies, coaches, and parents who want to understand what it really takes to thrive in the crease at the highest level.

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Notre Dame National Champion Tommy Ricciardelli on Mental Toughness, Championship Goaltending & Finding Your Flow State

Join two-time National Champion Tommy Ricciardelli (Notre Dame) as he breaks down the mental game that carried him through championship runs and what it really takes to compete at the highest level.

In this episode, Tommy shares:

• The Next Shot Mentality - How he learned to bounce back from 4-goal runs and stay composed under pressure (hint: it involves tapping the posts and focusing on blades of grass)
• Finding Your Flow State - Tommy's approach to getting into that blackout performance zone where you don't remember plays but make every save
• The Reality of Being a Backup - How serving as Liam Entenmann's backup for two years made him a better goalie and taught him invaluable lessons about competing at the elite level
• Coach Corrigan's Two Non-Negotiables - Poise and intention in everything you do, on and off the field
• Technical Insights - Why Tommy switched from a tight stance to playing loose, the truth about that little "hop" technique, and his stick setup philosophy
• Championship Lessons - What he learned from that Penn State comeback loss and how it's shaping his approach this season
• The Communication Balance - Why Notre Dame goalies focus on saves first and let defenders handle slides (plus when younger goalies should learn the defensive system anyway)

Plus: Tommy's advice on staying creative, having fun, and not putting too much pressure on yourself in the cage.

Perfect for goalies looking to level up their mental game and learn from someone who's been there on college lacrosse's biggest stage.

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In this episode, we sit down with Roger Williams University goalie Aaron D'Aversa to unpack his full lacrosse journey, from a gear obsessed third grader to a confident college starter. Aaron talks about why he first fell in love with the position, why he briefly left it to play attack, and how that switch ended up becoming one of the most important ingredients in his development.

Aaron shares stories about youth lacrosse on Long Island, earning varsity time in seventh grade, and navigating the recruiting chaos of COVID before eventually finding the right home at Roger Williams. He goes deep into the technical parts of his game too including why he favors a lateral step, how he built elite clearing ability, and the drills he uses to stay patient, stay balanced, and stay big in the cage.

You’ll hear his approach to the mental game, how he resets when he’s flinching or in a slump, the routines he relies on before every game, and why being able to string your own stick and throw with both hands might be the most underrated advantage a goalie can have.

Whether you’re a young goalie building your foundation or a college player looking to sharpen the details, Aaron brings a ton of insight, honesty, and actionable advice in this interview.

Tune in and enjoy.

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Columbia College goalie Finn Landy joins the show to talk about his journey in the crease, from Raleigh youth lacrosse to South Carolina MCLA champ to NAIA starter and coach. Finn shares lessons on confidence, flow state, communication, clearing, film work, and developing young goalies. He also opens up about managing bipolar, staying even, and rediscovering joy in the game.

We dig into:

• How Finn first jumped into goal and never left
• Growing up around the UNC and Duke lacrosse scene
• Using film to read shooters and sharpen reactions
• Balancing reading the play vs reacting in the moment
• Why swagger matters for goalies
• Teaching confidence and communication to young keepers
• Staying present one play at a time
• Returning to college lacrosse and leading a first year program

Plus, the power of coaching to understand the game on a deeper level, and how to love playing the position again.

Follow Finn: @brickwallgoalieco

Final takeaway: Play with swagger.

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