Army’s Knox Dent on Keys to Building Confidence in Your Goalie Game – LGR 218
By Coach Damon
September 2, 2023
This Episode Is Brought To You By:
On today’s episode of the Lax Goalie Rat Podcast, I’m joined by recent All-American Army West Point grad Knox Dent.
Knox just wrapped up a phenomenal final season with the Black Knights, his first season as a starter.
The senior was heroic throughout Army’s postseason run in the Patriot League and NCAA Tournaments. He made 52 saves in the Black Knight’s four postseason games to guide them to a Patriot League title and to their first NCAA Tournament win since 2010.
https://twitter.com/USALacrosseMag/status/1639681878604095491
Dent would then go on to put on a show in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, making 16 saves, leading Army to its first tournament win since 2010 over No. 4 Maryland before bowing out to Penn State in the quarterfinals.
https://twitter.com/LacrosseNetwork/status/1658151336188293132
His stellar 9.51 GAA and .533 Save % were enough to earn him the honors of Patriot League Goalie of the Year and a 2nd team USILA All-American. He’s Army’s first USILA Second Team All-American since Marcus Hudgins in 2021 and the 67th in program history.
His biggest moment by far this season though was during a game against Loyola.
After suffering a torn meniscus while trying to intercept a pass on man-down Dent rose to his feet and scrambled above goal line extended to make the diving save and preventing the Greyhounds from scoring an easy EMO open-netter.
It was an incredible display of athleticism and the kind of heart one can only expect from the brave men who devote their lives to serving.
Knox ended up making the jump to goalie in 5th grade after the team’s goalie didn’t show up for the game, he was thrown into the net and ended up doing a lot better than many people expected. After the performance, it wasn’t long before Dent became a full-time goalie.
Dent spent time attending the Bill Pilat Goalie School when he was younger and he attributes a lot of his development as a young goalie to the structure that he built in his game while at these camps.
The native of Denver, CO grew up watching many Denver Pioneer greats like Ryan Laplante as a young goalie and even attended a few of Ryan’s camps while he was working with 3D Lacrosse.
Lacrosse was something Knox knew he wanted to play in college and in sophomore year he started receiving offers to different schools.
Knox didn’t initially consider going to West Point as an option early in his recruiting process. But after talking to the coaches and meeting players on the team it felt like an obvious decision for him to make. Knox gave some tips during the show on what things you should consider when making your decision to play at the next level.
Dent is now working as a 2nd lieutenant in the US Army while also helping the coaches of the lacrosse team on the operations side and is hoping to help out the goalies at Army this season.
I hope you enjoy this episode with Knox Dent where we touch on a multitude of topics including how to overcome the fear of the ball, how to have a strong sense of belief in your goalie game, mental lessons from his college career and much more!
Show Notes
Knox’s Gear Setup
Video Interview with Knox Dent
Videos and Photos of Knox Dent
P.S. – Ready to take the next step? Here are 3 powerful ways I can help you:
1.
Join the Lax Goalie Rat Academy
Unlock your full potential inside the premier training program for lacrosse goalies. Get exclusive access to technique tutorials, drills, mental game strategies, lacrosse IQ development, and direct coaching from Coach Damon. Join 400+ goalies who are leveling up their skills and confidence.
2.
Master the Goalie Parent Role
Being a goalie parent is harder than playing the position. That’s why I created the Lacrosse Goalie Super Mom/Dad course — designed for parents with zero lacrosse experience who still want to support their goalie. You’ll learn how to train them (yes, really), but more importantly, how to guide them through the emotional highs and lows of the game.
3.
Get in front of 11,000+ lacrosse enthusiasts
Promote your brand, product, or service by sponsoring the Lax Goalie Rat newsletter. It's the easiest way to get noticed by a passionate and highly targeted community of lacrosse goalies and coaches.
