Senior year of college is supposed to be the time of your life and thanks to hard work and overall leadership, that is proving to be true for St. John’s lacrosse senior Trevor Michaelsen.

In his third year playing for the Red Storm after transferring from Rutgers, Michaelsen and his No. 16 Red Storm haven’t experienced a season like this in a very
long time.

“Absolutely,” Michaelsen said about this being the most fun he’s had on the field since transferring here. “Winning does it for us, it’s no fun losing.”

Losing was all the Red Storm seniors were used to for quite some time, especially after coming off a two win season last year.

What a difference a year has made.
At 4-1 overall, the Red Storm has changed that losing culture into a winning one within just five games of the season’s start.

“The change has been senior leadership,” said Michaelsen. “We make sure everyone is working hard.”

On top of senior leadership, overall play from Michaelsen as well as other seniors has propelled the Red Storm to this historic start.

With five goals and two assists against Drexel on March 7, Michaelsen earned the ECAC Player of the Week honor the following Monday. The award was the first of Michalesen’s career.

In the Red Storm’s signature victory over Georgetown back on Feb. 28, a victory that could be considered not only a season-changer , but a program-changer as well, Michaelsen delivered for the Red Storm with two goals and one assist.

With the Red Storm’s recent success comes a reputation to now live up to, and play the way they have started the season.
Michaelsen knows the competition will be gunning for them.

“Each team has put a bull’s eye on our chest,” said the Red Storm attacker. “Teams are going to be coming harder and harder
after us.

Incoming freshman and the development of other underclassmen has been key to the Red Storm’s outstanding start, but as is the case with most college sports, the seniors have shouldered the load.

The winning Michaelsen has experienced this year has humbled him, but he will never forget where he and the Red Storm were last season.

“We have to continue to work hard each day,” Michaelsen said. “We all remember where we came from last year.”

With about a month and a half of regular season left, St. John’s lacrosse still has the better half of their schedule remaining.

All the hard work they have put in to turn around a program which appeared heading in the wrong direction has paid off. Now it’s time to turn the doubters into believers.

With that being said, there is only one goal for this season.

“We have to make the playoffs,” Michaelsen said. “Each week we have to have a chance and make a run Memorial Weekend.”

With the playoffs still a good two months away, the Red Storm’s playoff push starts now.

It starts a lot sooner than most teams, but most teams vying for postseason play didn’t win just two games last season.