FAIRFAX, Va. – Two months ago,
Alexa McGovern closed the book on one of the most accomplished careers in George Mason lacrosse history.
The three-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team selection graduated as the program's all-time draw controls leader, ranked third all-time in scoring and helped guide the Patriots to three straight seasons of 10 wins or more.
But Mason's former team captain isn't done playing.
McGovern is in her first season with the Baltimore Ride, one of four teams in the United Women's Lacrosse League (UWLX). The four-team semi-professional league is in just its second year of existence and includes clubs in Boston, Philadelphia and Long Island. The season began at the end of May and, after nearly a month break since mid-June, picks back up this weekend. Playoffs start in two weeks, with the championship game Aug. 2 in Lake Placid, N.Y.
Equipped with a bachelor's degree in biology, McGovern plans to attend graduate school at UMBC later this academic year and pursue a career in the medical field. So to the 5-foot-8 midfielder from Sykesville, Md., getting the chance to extend her playing career with the Ride is more about soaking in the experience than worrying about the outcome.
"It is more about showing up and having fun," she said. "It is definitely a lot calmer (than college) and not about winning and losing. It is just playing the game we all love. It is definitely a cool experience. I'm happy I have the opportunity."
Plus, she isn't the only Patriot in the UWLX.
It is as if McGovern never left campus as one of her assistant coaches at Mason the last three years,
Greg Danto, is a member of the Baltimore Ride coaching staff. Danto, a Baltimore native, actually suggested McGovern join the league just days after the Patriots' season came to an end in May.
"It is nice to have him and he knows how I play and where I play best," McGovern said. "It is definitely helpful and comforting to have him there."
While one Mason assistant coach is on the same side as McGovern, another Patriot coach roams the playing field for one of the Ride's rivals.
Kelsey Sheridan, who finished up her first season on the Patriots' coaching staff, suits up on defense for the Boston Storm.
Sheridan, just three years removed from her collegiate playing days at A-10 rival Massachusetts, is the UWLX veteran among her Patriot counterparts as she is in her second season with the Storm.
"It is awesome that Alexa was able to play and Greg is able to coach because it puts George Mason out there a little bit more," Sheridan said. "Once you get girls playing at a higher level the next step professionally then you get more name recognition. Then people start wondering, 'Oh, where's George Mason?' Or, 'What is George Mason doing?' And that helps us. A lot of younger players like to come out and watch so if they see Alexa doing really well they'll wonder what school she played at and that kind of starts the conversation."
Sheridan, a native of Chelmsford, Mass., was a two-time IWLCA All-Region and All-Atlantic 10 defender at UMass who helped lead the Minutewomen to four consecutive conference regular-season and tournament titles. She has competed for the U.S. Women's National Lacrosse Team and hopes to make the team again next summer.
"This allows me to keep playing lacrosse and stay sharp," Sheridan said. "It is a good opportunity."
The league features players hailing mainly from the four teams' surrounding areas – Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia and New York – but representing colleges from around the country. The Ride's roster includes recent graduates and All-Americans Madison Cyr (Penn State) and Sammi Burgess (Florida) along with a plethora of former Maryland standouts.
Players range from having just wrapped up their college careers this spring to as far back as 2011. In each of the first two seasons, interested players enter their name for a draft prior to the season. Games are played at high schools and colleges, including UMass and Harvard.
"It is really fun and you get to play with a really high level of competition," Sheridan said. "The play is really strong, the girls are really good and any opportunity you get to just play lacrosse is always great."
McGovern and Sheridan have met once on the field this season as the Storm defeated the Ride 14-10 in early June at a high school in Connecticut. The teams aren't scheduled to play again before the playoffs.
The college careers of McGovern and Sheridan overlapped one year. Sheridan was a senior starter at UMass in 2014 when the Minutewomen defeated the Patriots at George Mason Stadium. McGovern was a freshman coming off the bench and doesn't think she was on the playing field back then at the same as Sheridan. Thus, she relished the chance to see her former assistant coach on the playing field.
"I've never played even with her so it was just funny to be on the same field," McGovern said. "She actually switched her mark so she was marking when I was on attack and she was on defense. It was just funny. She is a great player. She is definitely a competitive player. She is out there to win."
