Photo by: Andrew Fielding

Freshman lacrosse goalie Jamie Faus, from Sharon, Conn., has exceeded his expectations this season by starting ten out of the 11 games so far as a freshman.

He has faced 348 shots so far this season, making 111 saves and averaging 55.5 save percentage.

In addition, Faus was named Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) defensive player of the week on April 11 for the third time this season after recording a career-high 16 saves against then-No. 4 Duke.

The Clarion had the opportunity to sit down with Faus to discuss the process that he went through to get to this point in his career.

 

What made you decide DU?

I actually committed to Denver during my junior year in high school when Jamie Munro was the head coach. I wanted to come here because of the reputation for academics and the mountains. I like to ski, but I can never get up to the mountains because of practice and games on the weekends.

 

What adjustments did you have to make when moving out here?

Leaving my family and my home was the hardest part. They raised me for the first 18 years of my life and now I have to tend for myself. Also balancing my social life and lacrosse is difficult. We have practice for two to three hours a day and I have to complete six hours of study hall per week. It’s not easy to find free time.

 

Before the season started, did you project yourself to be a starter?

I wanted to be a starter, but I was not certain that I would reach that goal. My mentality coming in was to work as hard as I could and prove myself to the coaches and the other players that I was ready to play.

 

What makes you different from every other lacrosse goalie in the country?

I try to be really emotional every time I take the field. When my teammates make a big play I try to yell and get them pumped up. I would definitely consider myself an emotional leader on the field.

 

How was the transition from high school lacrosse to college?

I thought it was extremely difficult, but my teammates helped me and believed in me. Especially Troy Orzech (junior goalie) and my goalie coach Trevor Tierney.

 

When you were still in high school, is this what you envisioned for you career?

I think that I exceeded my expectations [at this point]. I always visualized myself being a good college goalie but I never thought I would be playing major minutes as a freshman. But my teammates make my job so much easier. They make the shots, which makes things easy for me.