Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Midfielder chooses Liberty lacrosse over Minnesota football
6/25/2021 12:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
A talented receiver on Lakeville South (Minn.) High School's football team, Will Geary considered following his older brother Clay Geary's footsteps to walk on as a wide receiver at the University of Minnesota this fall. Instead, he opted for an opportunity to make a more significant impact as a midfielder on Liberty University's men's lacrosse team.
"Football was definitely my first love, but later in life, I have had a bigger heart for lacrosse," said Geary, who scored six touchdowns in the first two games last fall before his senior season was cut short by injury. He recovered in time to score 50 goals and distribute 13 assists for the Cougars' lacrosse team this spring. "About a month and a half ago, I decided I was going to strictly play lacrosse. For the next four years, that is where my passion is going to be, and I am very much looking forward to it."
Flames Head Coach Kyle McQuillan, who played football growing up in Canada before arriving at Liberty as a walk-on and switching to lacrosse after not making the final roster cut, is thankful Geary chose to specialize in a sport that allows him to showcase his creative energy as a playmaker and a goal scorer.
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| Geary adds tremendous speed and athleticism to the Flames midfield. |
"Will is a fantastic two-sport athlete and his focus over the last few years has been more toward football, as a really accomplished wide receiver," McQuillan said. "He was looking to go somewhere where he could play football and lacrosse, but he has since made a full commitment to lacrosse, to being at Liberty and developing as a player, and we are excited to have him on our team."
He said rising sophomore midfielder Keaton Mohs, who had a breakout season as a freshman for the Flames after decommitting from Marquette University, helped in the recruiting process of Geary. He is one of three members of the seven-man incoming class from Mohs' home state of Minnesota.
"Keaton broke the mold on Minnesota, bringing him in last year, and Will Geary is a result of that connection," McQuillan said. "They knew each other back in Minnesota and Keaton kind of got Will interested in our program. He's an example of how once you start recruiting pipelines and through word of mouth, it can spread quickly."
Geary visited Liberty for a recruiting camp late last summer, when he stayed for a weekend and saw firsthand the Flames' lacrosse facilities as well as the School of Business, where he plans to study, possibly pursuing a degree in finance.
McQuillan said Geary will give Liberty's attack an extra gear next spring after making practices more competitive this fall.
"Will is a pure athlete that's going to come in and improve the work ethic and push the team hard," McQuillan said of Geary, who has improved his speed and footwork with personal training from Kevin Brown over the past seven years. "He's a workhorse, an all-around great athlete who we going to be able to utilize in a lot of ways."
McQuillan said Geary's route running and kick returning abilities in football translate well to the fast-paced attack he likes to run on Liberty's lacrosse fields.
"As a coach, personally I love guys that are well rounded and play a handful of different sports," McQuillan said. "What you learn from playing football, or basketball, will only add to his bag of tricks and I think he'll do really well with all of his focus now on lacrosse."
He said this year's recruiting class is deeper than last season's, when several graduating players exercised an optional fifth season of eligibility due to missing all but the first six games of 2020 due to the pandemic. The first four of the recruits in the incoming class are standouts on the defensive side of the ball — one goalie, two defenders, and one long-stick midfielder.
"Our recruiting class is larger than in previous years and more fluid, as we are keeping it open for a longer period of time," McQuillan said, in part because of COVID-19-related obstacles to seeing prospective players in person. "All of the recruits that we have coming in are guys we've made a commitment to, though a couple will probably have a greater impact than others."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
