Coach brings Lehigh men’s lacrosse ‘family’ a ring

On the morning of June 19, 2023, after 16 seasons with the Mountain Hawks and two Patriot League titles, coach Kevin Cassese announced he would be leaving the Lehigh men’s lacrosse team to pursue an assistant coaching job at the University of Virginia.

That afternoon, assistant coach Will Scudder was named the 12th head coach in the program’s history.

The former team captain and All-Patriot League honoree with 12 years of prior coaching experience at Lehigh was the obvious choice.

Joe Sterrett, the dean of athletics, said Scudder had been preparing himself to make the jump to the head coach position for years and when the opportunity came, he was ready.

He said Scudder has engaged in specific developmental programming, immersed himself in the recruiting and athlete development processes, and offered to help in administrative areas of the program while an assistant coach.

“He was confident and team members and other athletics staff members were also confident about his preparation and his capabilities to be an effective head coach,” Sterrett said.

In his first year as head coach, the team posted a 10-7 record, a performance strong enough to propel them to a two-seed and a bye in the first round of the Patriot League Tournament. 

In that tournament, they soundly defeated Navy 12-8 in the semifinals. However, the real test came when the team faced Boston in the finals, a team they’ve had problems with in the past. 

“We all knew that game was gonna be a battle,” junior defenseman Richard Checo said.

The Terriers had just upset the number one seed, Army, on their home field at West Point, and the game started poorly for the Mountain Hawks, as Boston scored three unanswered goals in the first quarter.

Boston’s early dominance was met with a barrage of offensive pressure from Lehigh, which included four goals to take back the lead.

Boston regained momentum and scored two to take a one-point lead on the Mountain Hawks going into halftime.

Players came into the locker room anxious to get back on the field.

Facing perhaps the team’s highest-pressure moment that season, the main message from Scudder was the same one he’d relayed all season.

“‘We want to stay the course,’” Scudder said “‘Keep doing what we’re doing, the trust we have for one another will show through in the end.’”

“He puts so much trust in us to lead the guys as well,” senior defenseman Will Lyman said. “He understands exactly what we are going through on a day to day basis.”

Leaving the locker room, Lehigh started the second half of the game with two quick goals that put them back in the lead in the third quarter. 

After three unanswered Boston goals and 14 minutes left in the game, the Mountain Hawks were down 10-7.

With 11 minutes left, senior captain Scott Cole fired a shot in the top corner of the net.

Junior midfielder Dakota Eierman and sophomore attacker Andrew Kelly followed Cole and scored consecutive goals to tie the game at 10 with five minutes to go.

With the game in his stick and 90 seconds left on the clock, senior attacker Quinn Armstrong netted the game-winning 11th goal for the Mountain Hawks as they were able to hold off Boston’s final attempt and return to the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in program history.

“We had gotten to that point because of the love that we had for one another and that was all we needed,” Scudder said.

It became clear to players in that moment that in addition to a staff change during the 2024 season, there was a culture change. They trusted each other, played with confidence, and had just seen and felt the benefits of Scudder’s “family first” motto.

“I tell the guys all the time, all I care about is them showing me how much they care,” Scudder said.

Checo said Scudder’s approach made all the difference during their playoff run, especially as they reached the fourth quarter of the championship game against Boston.

“At the end of the day I was playing for my brother, and I was scared to let my brother down,” Checo said. 

When Cassese announced he was leaving, Checo said he received a call from Scudder asking how he was doing and where he was. Without hesitation, Scudder drove from Lehigh to Connecticut to make sure Checo would stay with the team.

“He will do anything for you,” Checo said.

Scudder’s leadership doesn’t just stop on the field. Checo said many players see him as a role model. 

“When I become an adult, and I become a father, I want to be just like Coach Scudder,” Checo said. 

Scudder said his job with his players isn’t fulfilled until they leave Lehigh a better person than when they got here.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t trying to make him into the best man he could be,” Scudder said.

While emphasizing on the family first motive for his team, Scudder is also a family man at home. 

Now a father to a 4-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter, Scudder said he remembers watching his coaches’ kids grow up around the team, and he was always jealous of it. 

“I remember thinking that it must be so much fun for his son to grow up around 40 to 50 guys and be a part of that,” he said. “It’s something that I’m really looking forward to for myself.”

Part of the culture Scudder said he wants to add to the program is building a family around his own.

“My hope in the recruiting process is bringing in great people so they can be a part of my son and my daughter’s life, and they can see what it looks like to be a father,” Scudder said.