BOCA RATON, Fla. – Lynn University’s men’s lacrosse team has yet to hit the field for competition this school year, but the Fighting Knights have been rather active off the field during the fall semester, participating in a slew of community service efforts throughout the offseason.

The lacrosse team has proven to be more than just a contingent of dedicated student-athletes as different members of the squad have volunteered their valuable time at six different events in the South Florida area.

“The men’s lacrosse team is a leader on campus with volunteer service and I’m proud of our guys for giving back to the community in various ways,” head coach Brian Kingsbury said.

This school year’s service initiatives began on Sept. 15 as the team continued its participation at the international coastal cleanup. The team spent their afternoon cleaning trash from a local beach.

In October, Ian Magnan, Mitchell Goode, Keegan Maxwell, Xander Cosenza, Jake Huey, Brandon Garcia, Caleb Wells and Callen Gallagher volunteered their time to teach lacrosse basics to youth through clinics at the YMCA of Palm Beach. Participating in this event allowed the players to spread their passion for the sport that they love while making an impact in their community.

On Oct. 18, Ben Jackson, Ryan Haefling, Cosenza, Dan Luette, Andrew Betch and Michael Troese led a OneLove campus wide workshop, creating awareness to prevent domestic violence. This workshop included over 60 individuals from the Lynn community, assisting the OneLove organization to reach 22,000 people in a time period of just three weeks.

Throughout the months of October and November, the team collaboratively grew out their mustaches in order to raise awareness and funds for the HeadStrong Foundation, benefiting individuals affected by cancer. The team raised over $4,000 for the Foundation to help families in need who are battling.

The team was also active with on-campus events, helping put on the Lynn Business Symposium. The Fighting Knights put up signage and worked behind the scenes, while also working the registration tables for community guests. Many team members also volunteered to serve as student ambassadors for the honored speakers, doing introductions and serving as hosts throughout the entire day. “Under the leadership of Coach Kingsbury, we have a group of individuals who comprise the Lynn lacrosse team that are simply second to none,” Lynn professor and director of the Lynn Business Symposium Jennifer McFarland stated. “They are kind, generous, polite, and helpful. They are leaders in the classroom, on the field and throughout campus. They are everything we could want to represent Lynn University.”

The squad’s final service project took place earlier this month with the team taking a volunteer trip down to Big Pine Key. Here they spent the day cleaning up mangroves with the Conch Republic Marine Army.

Be sure to reciprocate the support for the Fighting Knights this season. Lynn opens the 2019 campaign at home vs. NYIT on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 12 p.m.

About the Fighting Knights Lynn University’s national champion Fighting Knights compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, softball, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball. The university’s 19 intercollegiate teams are home to nearly 300 student athletes. Lynn is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II institution and winner of 24 national championships and 38 Sunshine State Conference titles. Representing spirit, service and strength, the Fighting Knights strive for greatness through athletic performance and academic excellence. For more information, visit: lynnfightingknights.com.