NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Kyle Saggio, a senior on the University of New Haven men's lacrosse team, was the subject of a profile in the Charger Connection - a newsletter for parents, alumni and prospective students. Below is the text of the feature.

KYLE SAGGIO ’16
MAJOR: History with Paralegal Studies Certificate

The University of New Haven Men’s Lacrosse Team is the oldest athletic club on campus, having been started in 2004. They play in a nationally governed league that has over 225 teams from 43 different states and Canada. New Haven plays in Division II of the Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (PCLL), against 16 other institutions from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York and Maine.

Beginning at 6:00 a.m., the New Haven men’s lacrosse team practices five days a week for the entire spring semester. The season consists of over a dozen games and includes conference and national championships. Further, chemistry among the teammates does not just occur on the field, but off of the field as well. It is rare to see a player on the Men’s Club Lacrosse Team on campus without one of his teammates nearby. Many members have leadership roles within student government, student clubs, service-based fraternities, and community-service organizations.

The team began as a very strong program, including a 2006 PCLL Championship Runner-Up finish, but slowly fell apart around 2009. In 2012, the team had only won two games in the season, and athlete participation, leadership and direction began to dwindle.

However, in 2013, the team appeared to begin a new culture of accountability, fun, and self-improvement. The team went just below .500 and cut their goals against in half. A new coaching staff arrived (led by Rob Holub ’08, Ben Brown, and Nick Mayo ‘08) and was here to stay. The following season, the team went above .500, beat teams they shouldn’t have and made it to the playoffs for the first time in over five years.

The team learned that, to have a winning culture, everyone must buy in. In 2012, practice attendance was extremely poor; some days there were hardly enough people to run basic practice drills. Following Coach Holub’s enthusiasm, dedication and desire to win, the team now holds everyone accountable, and it is very rare that there is not perfect attendance. The Men’s Lacrosse season now boasts the second largest roster in the PCLL, at 40 student-athletes, including military veterans from the Marines, Army, Coast Guard, and Air Force.

The true mark of success of the team was seen in the 2015 season. For the first time in program history, they hosted a playoff game and made it as far as the PCLL Conference semi-finals. Further, the team graduated three 100-point scorers, one All-American, five All-Conference, and one Academic All-American. Most importantly, the team now produces young alumni full of life skills, including confidence, leadership, problem solving, and self-worth, in various fields, including State and Federal Law Enforcement, Forensics, Business, Engineering, Music and International Relations. It is clear to see that the New Haven Men’s Lacrosse Team is continuously growing, advancing and becoming a better team as each year passes.