Holding the Middle Ground

Nate Usich ’19

Photo by Carl Socolow '77.

by Tony Moore

“I didn’t have the attention span for a baseball game, and I was an awful hockey player,” says Nate Usich ’19, an economics major and long-stick middie for Red Devils lacrosse who’s been playing since seventh grade. “A friend recommended I try lacrosse, and I haven’t put the stick down since.”

That constant attention to the sport has served him well at Dickinson. As a uniquely positioned defender, Usich covers the opposing team’s best offensive midfielder and creates transitions from defense to offense. It’s a spot on the field that’s  all results and little glamour. But Usich doesn’t go unnoticed.

“Nate excels in this role—he has great anticipation, which helps him dominate ground balls and secure possession,” says Head Coach Dave Webster ’88. “Nobody loves playing more than Nate. He’s completely focused and driven, and this passion to compete and get better is what distinguishes him amongst his peers.” 

In May, Usich’s ability to hold the middle of  the field helped the No. 9 Red Devils win the Centennial Conference championship over rival Gettysburg College, ranked No. 3. And it also ensured his status as All-American his last two seasons and a spot on the All-Conference first team for the past two years.

“Beating No. 2 RIT my sophomore year was certainly a special moment, but nothing compares to winning the Centennial championship,” he says, still riding the wave of the team’s subsequent NCAA tournament run into the Elite Eight. “No one ever doubted we would bring the trophy home, but I believe our best memories are yet to come.”

When Usich and the team create more memories next season, his brother Zach ’22 will be on the field with him. Originally intending to go to lacrosse powerhouse Salisbury (which finally stopped Dickinson in the NCAA tournament this season), Zach saw how much his brother was enjoying Dickinson and thought “Dickinson had a better balance of academics and sports,” says Usich. “I can’t wait to play with him. It’s going to be a fantastic experience!” (After Zach, Usich sees yet another brother, Alexander, coming Dickinson’s  way in a few years. Their uncle, Jonathan Usich ’93, preceded them all.)

But for now, Usich will head to Miami for a summer internship with BankUnited’s corporate lending division. And like swinging from offensive to defensive postures, Usich’s Dickinson experience is keeping him on his toes.

“The long-stick middie position can really be anything you want it to be, and the liberal-arts education is no different,” he says. “I’m an economics major, but my favorite class I’ve taken is Music in Film my freshman spring. On the field, I'm prepared to do whatever coach asks of me. Thanks to those lessons I’ve learned and the education at Dickinson, I’m ready for whatever life demands.”

Read more from the summer 2018 issue of Dickinson Magazine.

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Published August 3, 2018