Serving with purpose: Flames lacrosse players pour hearts into Pan-Am Sixes Cup in Puerto Rico

Liberty men's lacrosse players encourage youth from a local school during a clinic they helped put on during their stay in Puerto Rico in mid-December.

Serving with purpose: Flames lacrosse players pour hearts into Pan-Am Sixes Cup in Puerto Rico

1/15/2026 10:55:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse

Twenty-one team members and four Liberty coaches and staff volunteered to help run the first tournament of its kind on the island, directed by alumnus Miguel Lozada.

Gallery: (1-14-2026) Lacrosse clinic in Puerto Rico

Service was the overwhelming emphasis of the Liberty University men's lacrosse team's Winter Break outreach to Puerto Rico. From Dec. 9-15, immediately after fall semester exams were over, 21 team members, accompanied by two coaches and two staff members, flew to Puerto Rico to assist with the 2025 Pan-American Lacrosse Association Sixes Cup and help run an all-nations lacrosse clinic for Puerto Rican youth.

Originally, the team had planned to serve as a practice squad for the tournament, which was held in Puerto Rico for the first time. As it turned out, due to limited field space, the Flames' only chance to play the game was in running the clinic at a local school, but they exemplified servants' hearts through assisting with operations of the tournament.

"Puerto Rico was a great experience for our team, even better than we expected with the way that everything came together," Flames Associate Head Coach Mike Zumpano said. "We had to be flexible to the way the event was unfolding and work hard to overcome challenges. When they saw a need, they stepped in to fill it."

"We served a lot more than what I was expecting, but it's definitely helped me to learn what it's like to fully devote yourself to serving others, to actually serve biblically instead of just doing a kind act for somebody," freshman long-stick midfielder Isaiah Bainbridge added. "We were putting in the long hours of work … to help out with the main goal which is to put on an amazing lacrosse tournament."

The friendly international tournament took place in Humacao, a small town on the island territory's east coast, and attracted men's and women's teams from seven countries and territories — Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Haudenosaunee (a confederacy of Native Americans formerly known as Iroquois Nation), Mexico, Peru, and the host team.

Puerto Rico's men's and women's teams advanced to the championship game of both brackets, finishing runner-up to the Haudenosaunee Nation to secure two silver medals.

Miguel Lozada ('14), a former Flames player who is the co-founder and current president of the Puerto Rico Lacrosse program, said this was their first time hosting an international tournament of this scale. The Flames assisted in running Gatorade stations, working the sidelines, helping line the fields, and setting up and tearing down equipment.

"Without Liberty University and its men's lacrosse team, the event would not have been as successful as it was," said Miguel. "They were absolutely great to work with."

He said the Flames reflected the light of Christ in all their words and deeds.

"They were able to interact with almost every nation that was there and to minister to youth in the community," Lozada said. "They were an example of what Christ's love looks like, through their unselfish, untethered, and sacrificial service."

Zumpano said the team had originally planned an outreach trip to Puerto Rico in 2017, before Hurricane Maria canceled it.

"God's provision enabled us to go after Puerto Rico Lacrosse was more established, so we were able to contribute in bigger ways," he said, noting the recovery from the hurricane is ongoing. "God is opening doors for Puerto Rico Lacrosse to be a part of that growth and change."

The Flames gained an appreciation for a different style of lacrosse while working along the sidelines and supporting the players any way they could.

Zumpano said Lozada and his PR Lacrosse staff were very engaging and helped connect the team with the vibrant life in the coastal city.

"A very distinct familial culture came through in the tournament, which made for a good environment to grow the game of lacrosse. Being a part of that experience put Liberty on a good platform in the international community," he said.

Sam Nigra, the Club Sports assistant athletic trainer who traveled with the team, served as medical lead for the tournament, filling in for a Puerto Rican operations director who had a family emergency.

"To be able to fulfill that role and take the pressure off of him was a blessing," said Nigra, whose primary responsibilities were communicating with and directing the athletic trainers on hand as well as serving in that capacity for Brazil's team.

While the weather was tropical, with highs in the 80s, and the coastal scenery was spectacular, heavy rains put a bit of a damper on the tournament, restricting play to one field instead of two and requiring more maintenance with twice as much foot traffic.

"With all that rain, the grass fields did not drain super well," Nigra said. "We used sand and tarps to do the best we could, but the ground was wet."

Zumpano said the team worked overtime to help keep the five-day tournament running smoothly.

"We had longer days than anticipated, but we gained favor in the community from the experience," he said. "We built really strong connections and relationships that are going to last beyond the one trip. We will be welcomed back with open arms to do more trips in the future."

Freshman defender Derek Fay and other freshmen on the trip worked together well with their new teammates.

"We really bonded during this trip," he said. "We worked super long and hard days out in the sun. Being able to grow with them through that was such a blessing and such a cool opportunity."

While it was not Fay's first mission trip, he said it was one of the most memorable and meaningful experiences.

"It's special to represent the university by going with these guys that I get to live with and be brothers with, (fulfilling) the Great Commission (together) by sharing the Gospel with as many people as possible," he said.

A highlight of the trip for freshman midfielder Branson Isaacs was helping to run the clinic for 15 youth at a local school.

"It definitely showed me how much of a community that lacrosse can bring to kids and even college students," he said. "It brought a lot of countries together, and we were able to serve under one like-minded goal, which was fun. It allowed me a new opportunity to go with a university that really puts sharing your faith at the top of its priority. We had one mission in mind and one goal to achieve all week."

Puerto Rico's national team, consistently ranked in the top 10 on the world stage, hopes to secure one of 20 qualifying bids to the 10-man 2027 World Championships in Japan with a strong showing at the July 14-19 Pan-American Lacrosse Championship Qualifier in Kingston, Jamaica.

Puerto Rico is a long shot to qualify for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which will stage a sixes tournament comprising only six national teams.

"We have a long road for that, but hopefully we have a chance to qualify, and hosting this (Pan-Am Sixes) tournament gives us momentum," Lozada said.

He said his playing career with the Flames was a transformative time in his life that equipped him well for his current role.

"Without the lessons I learned at Liberty, I would not be able to lead the organization as I have and be able to have the success that we have had," Lozada said. "All glory goes to God. I take no credit for it."

He approaches developing Puerto Rico Lacrosse's players — from youth up to the national team — in a similar manner to how he was trained at Liberty under Head Coach Kyle McQuillan and Zumpano.

"In everything that we do, we make sure we pray and make sure people understand our mission is to lead people where they are and use lacrosse to open opportunities in their lives that they might not have had previously," Lozada said.

He hopes to have future Flames teams visit the island, noting that he has potential staff positions for players to fulfill.

"We are excited to continue to connect with Liberty's players, so when they graduate, if they want to stay in the lacrosse world, they have that opportunity," Lozada said.

After returning, a few players joined an alumni team led by Mark Rolewicz ('24) in Baltimore to participate in a men's league box lacrosse tournament the weekend before Christmas.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video by Andrew Messer/Club Sports Video & Media Assistant