A BYU lacrosse attackman is outpacing the team's all-time leading scorer — and he's only a sophomore.
Mike Fabrizio has had a remarkable season. The Bountiful native is in his second season at BYU and is following the footsteps of Ted Ferrin's record-breaking season. Ferrin is the overall scoring leader at BYU, with 202 goals in his four years at BYU and an amazing 81 goals his senior year. As a sophomore, Ferrin scored 19 goals in 18 games, but Fabrizio has racked up double that amount in five fewer games, with an average of about three goals a game.
'I try not to think about the other team too much,' Fabrizio said. 'I just try to play with confidence. I like to think that I can play against anyone.'
Mike Fabrizio passes the ball against New Mexico. Fabrizio is the RMLC's leading goal scorer. (Photo by Elliott Miller)
Even before Fabrizio became involved with lacrosse, he was an athlete to be reckoned with. He was awarded multiple awards in various sports, including the Rey Hale Award, which is given to Bountiful High School's most outstanding male athlete.
'As a player, he is fearless,' Fabrizio's high school lacrosse coach, Marty Wescott, said. 'He doesn't let anybody stop him.'
Fabrizio was first introduced to lacrosse when he was 12 years old by his father, Doug Fabrizio. However, this sparked little interest for Mike Fabrizio, as lacrosse was still a growing sport in Utah. As his friends became more involved in lacrosse, Mike Fabrizio's interest grew.
'After he discovered lacrosse, he never put the sticks down,' Doug Fabrizio said.
As a junior in high school, Mike Fabrizio's lacrosse career took off; he won his first championship as a lacrosse player and followed it up with another championship his senior year. He was selected as a U.S. lacrosse high school All-American.
'He was the best lacrosse player in the state, probably for two years,' Wescott said.
Soon after high school, Mike Fabrizio jumped right into college lacrosse, where he first met Ferrin, freshly off of his mission. After one semester at BYU, Mike Fabrizio left on a mission to Osorno, Chile. Returning to the game after a two-year break proved a little more difficult than expected.
'I wasn't able to move my body the same way or do the same things I was able to do before,' Mike Fabrizio said.
Mike Fabrizio's lacrosse life started up again, this time with a player to imitate and look up to in Ferrin. Mike watched Ferrin score 81 goals and have 51 assists and become the national leader in both categories in a single season. As Ferrin's career came to an end, Mike's college career boomed with the help of role models, teammates and great coaching.
'Coach Schneck has really helped me have a lot of confidence,' Mike Fabrizio said. 'Confidence is a really big part of the game.'
Mike Fabrizio drives around a New Mexico defender. Fabrizio is averaging about three goals a game. (Photo by Elliott Miller)
With this green light, Mike Fabrizio has become the leading scorer of the RMLC and has led BYU to an 11-2 record. He has scored 41 goals in his college career with 36 of those goals this season. BYU has not had a losing season since 1996 and has won just as many National Championships as the basketball, football and volleyball teams combined.
'Here at BYU, we are not on scholarship,' Mike Fabrizio said. 'We do it because we love it. We are gone for sometimes a week straight, but I try to not make lacrosse my number-one priority. I have to get good grades if I want to get a good job. Whenever I lose track of that, I try to remember why I play, and that is just because I love the game.'
Mike Fabrizio plans on playing lacrosse the rest of his time at BYU while contemplating a degree in accounting or business. He plans on moving around and going places he has never gone before. He wants to travel and experience life in a new place and, of course, give back to the game he loves.
Mike Fabrizio and the BYU lacrosse team will play on North Field against some of the top programs in the nation throughout the rest of the season. Visit byulacrosse.com for a complete schedule.