Author’s Note:  Ray Carnicelli has run Lax904.com for a number of years and he recently posted an interview with the four JU Men’s captains this year: Chase McIntyre, Ryan Beville, McLean Chicquen and Max Hartong.  I think you’ll find it an interesting and fun read.  The photos are from Brice York for the Lax904 web site. By the way McLean, if you read this . . . never forget this author is a RABID NY Islanders fan . . . 

  Excerpt: Lax904: When did you first hear of Jacksonville University and what were your first thoughts about playing college lacrosse in Florida? Max Hartong: I played on the same club team (Burning River) as Josh Kuehn in high school and JU was checking in on Josh at a tournament. The JU coaching staff saw me play and contacted me shortly thereafter. Since Josh was already committed and had visited he was a great resource for info about JU. I was immediately excited about coming down. What could be better than D1 lacrosse in Florida? Ryan Beville: I first heard about JU when they emailed me the summer after my sophomore year. My first thought was how awesome it would be to play Division 1 lacrosse in warm weather, near the beach, and against some of the top teams in the country for 4 years, especially to join a new program and help build a bright future.     McLean Chicquen: I heard about JU through my recruiting process because one of the coaches at the time was actually from Victoria, BC. Personally, I love playing lacrosse in Florida; it’s a nice change of pace from what I was used to, playing in the rain at home and then the snow at Stony Brook. Chase McIntyre: I heard about them on an Inside Lacrosse article, seeing that they were the first D1 lacrosse program in Florida. I hate the cold, so my coaches thought it would be a great fit.     Lax904: Did you watch any Jacksonville University games prior to being a member of the team? Live/Internet? Max Hartong: I was able to come down to the Moe’s Classic during my junior year when JU played Ohio State in EverBank. It was a great game. I saw them play the Buckeyes again the next year, this time it was very cold, pouring down rain at OSU. Not a good game that time. Ryan Beville: After I visited and committed to JU, I watched or followed almost every game following my commitment into my junior and senior year of high school. McLean Chicquen: When Coach Galloway and I started I watched them play St. John’s on YouTube. The guys came up with a big win in what looked to be a miserably cold NY day. Chase McIntyre: Yes. I watched the very first Moe’s Classic, and casually watched more games online whatever I could get up in Canada.   Read the rest HERE