This spring was one to remember for the Ithaca High School boys lacrosse team. The Little Red captured its first Section IV championship since 2018 with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over rivals Corning. Multiple key players from that title run will continue their careers in college next spring, including their faceoff specialist.
Quentin Getzin is off to Hamilton College to join a program in the ascendancy. While the Continentals’ 9-8 record this past season on the surface is nothing to write home about, they made the NCAA tournament for just the second time in their history and their first appearance since 2003. Getzin felt he could help keep the Continentals on an upward trajectory to make those NCAA tournament runs a regular occurrence.
“I really wanted to go to a good academic school that also is good at lacrosse,” Getzin said. “They’ve definitely been getting better in the past few years. I just wanted to go to a place where I’d be able to win and excel at the Division [III level] while also having a good school.”
It’s also worth noting that the Continentals play in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), one of the toughest conferences in Division III lacrosse that features the three-time defending national champions Tufts University. Having played with and against current and future college players, Getzin is undoubtedly battle-tested.
“I feel decently prepared,” Getzin said. “I feel like going to Hamilton and having a good face-off coach, I’ll be able to make a big step, hopefully. But I definitely am prepared because I’m going against a lot of good competition in high school and especially my club team.”
To say Getzin was great at the faceoff X is a severe understatement. Getzin flat-out dominated in that specialty, as he won 79% of his faceoffs his senior year and 73% throughout his career. To put that into a collegiate perspective, Cornell’s Jack Cascadden—one of the best faceoff specialists in the nation—won 62.7% of his faceoffs last season.
“It’s really just being able to put the hours in and practice and get reps in, hone in on your technique, set muscle memory,” Getzin said. “That’s probably the most important thing.”
Not only did Getzin shine at faceoffs, he also flourished in attack. He tallied 36 goals and 19 assists to lead the Little Red with 55 points. The midfielder earned the distinct honor of being a USA Lacrosse All-American, something that only three players from Section IV are awarded each season. He becomes the first Ithaca boys lacrosse player to garner that recognition since Ryan Sposito in 2018. Getzin believes being an All-American was a true team accomplishment.
“It definitely means a lot, and I’m really thankful that my coaches nominated me and that they gave me the support to be an All-American,” Getzin said. “But I really feel like one of the reasons I got All-American was how well our team did this year and just how well everyone played, especially in our last couple games. Thomas [Howley]—our goalie—and our defense was outstanding. The work that they put in definitely made it possible.”
Howley and the defense undoubtedly kept Ithaca in that championship game against Corning. Trailing 7-4 through three quarters, Ithaca would not concede another goal. The offense got going in some style, scoring three goals in a 20-second span (including one from Getzin) to tie things up at 7-7. Then with 12 seconds remaining, Isaac Lee-Byrnes gave the Little Red its first lead of the game and put them on the precipice of glory.
“We called the timeout, and we all decided what play we were gonna do,” Getzin said. “Once Isaac caught the ball and shot it, we all knew it was going in. That’s definitely what sticks with me the most.”
While there was very little time left, Getzin still had to win the ensuing faceoff in order to officially seal the deal. There was never any doubt that wouldn’t happen, and the Little Red’s eight-year title drought would finally come to an end.
As Getzin closes one door of his high school lacrosse career on a high note, another door has opened in Hamilton. If he wants to replicate the success he enjoyed with the Little Red to the Continentals, a positive mindset is paramount.
“I think the biggest thing is to always have fun,” Getzin said. “Whenever you get too much in your head and you start overthinking, you start spiraling downhill. You just want to remember that lacrosse is such a fun game. You’re out there having a great time with your best friends, your teammates.”
Seven of Getzin’s fellow classmates will also continue playing lacrosse in college: Jack Barton (Utica University), Griffin Conrad, Tomas Hernandez and Jameson Howley (Tompkins Cortland Community College), Thomas Howley (Virginia Military Institute), Anderson Marchell (Muhlenberg College), Lee Milton (Alfred University), and Jacob Steele (D’Youville University).
