Patience has been a virtue for Princeton lacrosse goalie Ryan Croddick throughout his career, and now it’s finally paying off as he gears up to play on the national stage this weekend in the NCAA Tournament semifinals against Duke.
Croddick, a Rumson-Fair Haven graduate, spent his first two years as a Tiger behind another goalkeeper before getting his turn. When he did get his time to shine, the senior made the most of it. He earned back-to-back Ivy League Goalie of the Year honors and was selected 2026 first-team All-American.
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“I think definitely patience was super crucial in my early years here, freshman and sophomore year,” Croddick. “It was definitely a challenge mentally showing up to practice everyday knowing you were never going to see the field but I think honestly overall it helped me find new perspective and allowed myself to grow as both a goalie and a person my first two years of school. So that when I got that starting role my junior year, that first start I was ready to go off the bat, cause there’s really no time to adjust when you really get two years to play the sport you love.”
The Final Four for the Tigers opens vs. Duke Saturday at 12 p.m. (ESPN2); Notre Dame and Syracuse will play in the other half of the semifinals that are hosted by the University of Virginia. The Tigers are ranked No. 1 nationally and seeded No. 1 in the tournament. Croddick says it’s been a memorable ride so far that he doesn’t want to end.
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Princeton’s last NCAA title in men’s lacrosse came in 2001. The Tigers have won the national title six times. Princeton also won the Ivy League Tournament this season. Croddick says he’s hoping for the perfect end to a college career.
“The season has been great,” Croddick said. “All you can ask for so far. My final season at Princeton. We had a tough start losing to Penn State but righted that wrong this past weekend in the quarterfinals. Looking forward going down to Charlottesville (Va.) and playing in the Final Four.”
“It would mean everything,” said Croddick on what it’d mean to win a national title. “I think it would be so special with this group. I love every single guy on this team. It would just be a culmination of all the hard work we put in this year and all the sacrifice.”
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In high school, Croddick had somewhat of a similar background. His freshman year he sparingly saw the field. In his junior season, the pandemic hit and he had no season. However, he still managed to help the Bulldogs win a South Group 2 championship his freshman and senior seasons.
“Honestly it’s sort of near my time at Princeton,” Croddick said. “I didn’t play my freshman year, my sophomore year I split time, and junior year the season was lost due to COVID. So I understood that once I got to Princeton you can’t really take anything for granted. Coach (Marc) Moreau was just super impactful and super supportive.”
Croddick still keeps tabs on Rumson-Fair Haven. His younger brother Andy played for the Bulldogs and is now at Colgate. Moreau, on the same day his team is set to play in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals, took time out to speak on his former stud goalie. He said he’s not surprised at all of Croddick’s success.
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“He came in with some legitimate competition in the beginning, but he was kind of the whole package from the beginning, you can see it when he plays now. You can see it in the ability he has once he has the ball in his stick, not just saving the ball,” Moreau said.
“I just saw how he grew as a player and a person in his four years at Rumson. We coached him hard. And we expected a lot out of him but he’s the type of kid that expected even more out of himself. He’s very self confident, very calm disposition, you see it on the field, he never gets excited, he never gets down, he’s even-keeled as they come,” he continued.
When he was playing Rumson travel at third grade and tried out, he “fell in love with it there” while playing goalie and midfield. The following year at tryouts, coaches told him to keep his midfield stick at home and stick to protecting the net.
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Croddick has a full time job lined up in New York City after college in finance and also wants play professionally after Princeton. Despite his post-college plans — he said he “doesn’t want this season to end.”
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Ryan Croddick of Rumson starring for No. 1 Princeton men’s lacrosse
