Dryden’s Hicks impresses in TC3 debut

Few players, if any, stood out at Tompkins Cortland Community College’s first men’s lacrosse game of the season more than Dryden High School alum Ethan Hicks, who tallied four goals and an assist in his college lacrosse debut.

On March 13, the game, which finished with a 19-9 win over Sussex Community College, ended a layoff that lasted over a year for Hicks, whose senior lacrosse season at Dryden was canceled due to COVID-19. After having zero games in 2020, six games this year will be more than enough. He discussed what it was like to step on the field competitively again after so much time away from the sport.

“It was a great feeling,” Hicks said. “I haven’t played since club ball in 2019, so it’s almost like a new start per se because I haven’t played in so long. It was great to finally get back out there against a team in a different color. It was great to just play again with a solid team and have fun.”

A 19-goal game is an excellent way to start the abbreviated six-game season for the Panthers. For Hicks and his four goals, the success all came down to coaching.

“It’s a really big number,” Hicks said of his goal total. “It was surprising for me, but our coaches set us up to play. In the game, the plan just fell in place, and we all followed it. It worked out for all of us. Three of us actually had four-goal games. When we follow the game plan, it works.”

Due to COVID-19 safety protocols, for much of the lead-up to the season, the team wasn’t fully practicing together. The impressive season-opening victory exemplifies the amount of work the Panthers put in in a short amount of time.

“It wasn’t until maybe a month ago that we were all together and finally building up that solid chemistry that we now do have,” Hicks said. “It’s not terribly long, but long enough to where we got to know each other and got comfortable with each other and got into our own little groove.”

Hicks detailed how the team was able to gel so quickly with only a few weeks to familiarize themselves with each other on the field.

“Our coaches, they brought us all together,” he said. “Our team chemistry was very good right away almost just because our coaches just bring us together [often]. We’re super solid as a whole team. We can communicate and get along. There was no rush. I wasn’t really worried about that part of the game for us.”

The real challenge for student-athletes this season, though, will be making sure to follow all the guidelines in place due to COVID-19. Hicks talked about what it’s like being a student-athlete in this day and age.

“It’s hard for sure because you have to do daily check-ins and daily things that have to go along with the coronavirus, and things change all the time,” he said. “Like with the mask protocols in-game, it just got switched to where you don’t have to wear them in the game, which is a lot different than what we have been doing all year. It’s just really different and crazier than anything I’ve ever experienced before. Along with the online schooling, it’s a lot. No one really has like a rulebook on how to do it or how to get it done, so you just have to kind of work hard and go with it.”

On the field, especially after the hot start, Hicks envisions plenty of success for the Panthers this season.

“We have a lot of talent,” he said. “We have great coaches and we work together very well. We just have to stay focused and keep working, and I think we have a future.”

The TC3 men’s lacrosse program has been one to watch over the past few years under head coach Zach McMullin. The Panthers were nationally ranked for the first time in program history in 2017 and reached the regional championship for the first time ever that same season. By adding standout local talent like Hicks, the team is sure to continue to improve over time.