M
ichael Grace spent the summer leading into his sophomore year at the Rochester Institute of Technology digging holes for his cousin’s company, Bednarz Post Hole Digging, to develop strength. At the end of his freshman season, Grace became a defender and long-stick midfielder, desperately needing to bulk up to compete.
By digging fence post holes, putting the posts in the ground and filling the hole with concrete in the hot Ontario summer, Grace said he got in the necessary shape to hit the ground running in his sophomore year. RIT head coach Jake Coon noticed Grace “came back as a different player.”
Over the next three seasons, Grace was instrumental in helping RIT win the 2022 Division III National Championship before becoming a Third-Team All-American (2022) and earning First-Team All-American honors (2023, 2024). Following a senior campaign in which he was awarded the USILA William C. Stiles Memorial Outstanding Defenseman Award, honoring the best D-III defender, Grace transferred to Syracuse for his final year of eligibility. Grace will have a crucial role on SU’s defense following LSM Saam Olexo’s graduation.
In early November 2023, before his senior season at RIT, which ended with an 18-14 National Championship loss to Tufts, Grace sat down with his parents and the Tigers’ coaching staff to discuss his future. They agreed he should go somewhere new for his fifth year, receiving extra eligibility due to COVID-19. Grace officially entered his name into the transfer portal after the season.
Grace said as soon as he entered the portal he “subconsciously” wanted to go to Syracuse. He already knew SU midfielder Sam English from playing box lacrosse with him for the Burlington Chiefs in Canada. He also recognized the program’s pedigree. But he still visited five teams.
Jamie Hunt, Grace’s roommate and fellow defender at RIT, asked Grace about each visit. Grace recalls talking endlessly to Hunt about Syracuse before visiting it. And when Grace returned, Hunt said Grace couldn’t stop talking about the Orange.
“It wasn’t like I was trying to get information out of him or pick his brain,” Hunt said. “He just kept talking about it. He loved the school, he loved the coaches.”
In April, Grace confirmed his intent to play a grad year at Syracuse to Inside Lacrosse.
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At SU, Grace will look to bolster a defensive group that averaged 8.17 caused turnovers per game in 2024, ranking 36th in the nation, and maintain its prowess at picking up ground balls, where it ranked fifth in D-I last year. Most importantly, Grace joined Syracuse to reach the mountaintop.
“(Syracuse) was the best chance to win a national championship this year,” Grace said. “The coaching staff here is great. We got some great players, and I know I already knew some of the players here, so I felt that this was the best fit.”
Grace entered college with experience in box lacrosse, including dropping a series 4-1 to Hunt’s Orangeville Northmen in the Ontario Junior Lacrosse League Finals in 2019. But at RIT, Grace had to adjust to field lacrosse.
Grace’s biggest challenge, however, was his position. He was a defender in box lacrosse but was recruited without a set position, eventually starting as an attack.
After playing attack didn’t pan out, he tried midfield. That didn’t work either. At the end of 2020, Grace chatted with the coaches about trying defense. To start the spring season, Grace was put under “trial by fire,” according to Coon, against RIT’s eventual national championship players.
Grace smoothly transitioned, noting it felt natural. Meanwhile, Coon thought the longer pole complimented Grace’s “rangy” 6-foot-5 frame. Coon said Grace was the first player to switch from attack to defense during his 15-year tenure at RIT. And Grace flourished, capping his RIT career with 217 career ground balls and 77 caused turnovers.
Both Coon and Hunt stress Grace made the most improvement on his own. Part of that entailed digging holes for his cousin’s company. But Grace also said he became “a whole new athlete” in summer 2021, grinding in the weight room, running and developing his stick skills after three RIT defenders graduated.
“Once I recognized a spot was open, I put my head down and put all that work in,” Grace said.
Michael Grace maneuvers downfield for the Tigers. Grace played four seasons at RIT before transferring to Syracuse for his graduate season. Courtesy of RIT Athletic Communications
Hunt and Coon said since Grace had limited field lacrosse experience, he was malleable to a position switch. Grace had developed strong footwork playing defense in box lacrosse and basketball. He swiftly applied it to field lacrosse.
Hunt observed Grace’s endless drive to improve. He frequently trained with Grace, who’d push him to do more speed work and conditioning, and said it’s a testament to Grace’s determination to hone his game outside of the spotlight.
“It seemed like he had a never-ending motor,” Hunt said.
Coon sees Grace’s hands as one of his greatest strengths, along with using his high IQ to create beneficial angles to defend effectively. But he still was “shocked” how seamlessly Grace adapted as a defender. Hunt said it became easy to play with Grace on defense.
“If something breaks down, then you can count on him to make a big play in the key moment,” Hunt said.
Grace also played other roles for the Tigers. Coon said he’d do whatever the team needed, whether it was on the wings, as a LSM or close defender. Coon would also design plays for Grace on offense, leading to his 20 career goals.
Coon recalls one play where RIT’s defensive midfielders would venture into the offensive zone, clearing space in the middle. The Tigers would then simultaneously substitute two players, with one heading into the offensive zone. The second was Grace, who positioned himself on the backside. The opposition would be forced to sub, too, and RIT ended up with a six-on-five with Grace open, where he could cash in on the opportunity.
Grace’s sophomore year ended with RIT’s second straight national championship, the first of which he didn’t play in after only playing in three games throughout the campaign. This time, he played a major role for the Tigers, snagging 59 ground balls and forcing 20 turnovers.
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Grace calls the 12-10 national title-clinching victory over Union the “best moment of his life.” He relished the month of postseason play after classes finished, saying it felt like a professional environment with the team solely focused on lacrosse.
Grace was hungry to taste a national championship again. After falling to Tufts 15-11 in the 2023 semifinals, the Elephants downed the Tigers 18-14 in the Championship last year.
Grace said he thinks about the 2024 Tufts loss every day. He thinks about what he could’ve done differently. He thinks about the ground balls he could’ve picked up. He thinks if he could’ve played harder.
With that desire driving him, Grace chose Syracuse. He said he clicked with the coaches, especially defensive coordinator John Odierna, and was excited to play under head coach Gary Gait — a fellow Canadian who Grace called the “GOAT of lacrosse.” Gait shares a similar feeling about Grace.
“I love Michael Grace,” Gait said. “He gives us some more size on defense, but I think he’s got a great lacrosse IQ and I think he’s going to fit in very well with our defense.”
However, Grace’s story will live on at RIT. Coon said he tells Grace’s journey — going from an attack with limited field lacrosse experience to becoming the best defenseman in D-III — to prospective recruits and younger players. Hunt calls it an “underdog story” and says it’s hard to comprehend Grace’s achievements.
Grace also can’t believe how far he’s come. But he’s in the present, looking to rediscover that national championship feeling at Syracuse, which is trying to snap its 15-year drought without a title.
“I couldn’t imagine being here five years ago, but I made it here now. So let’s do it,” Grace said.
Photograph Courtesy of SU Athletics
Published on January 29, 2025 at 11:21 pm
Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu | @nalumkal
