On today’s episode of the Lax Goalie Rat podcast, I’m joined by Princeton goalie Michael Gianforcaro.
Michael is headed into his senior season at Princeton after earning the starting position with the Tigers this past season.
Michael had an outstanding 2023 campaign for the Tigers finishing with a .592 save percentage (2nd in NCAA D1) and a 10.40 GAA (1st in IVY League).
His best performances came in the post-season where Michael helped lead his team to an Ivy League Championship making 17 saves in the Championship game, the most ever by a Princeton goalie in an IVY League Tournament game, en route to winning the Most Outstanding Player at the Ivy League tournament.
Michael was also named a second-team All-Ivy League selection and a USA Lacrosse Magazine honorable mention All-Amercian.
Gianforcaro started the season in a goalie battle, splitting time with teammate Griffen Rakower, before eventually taking over starting duties six games into the season.
Michael would go on to have several stellar performances including multiple 15+ save games including 20 saves in a win over Harvard.
Before his tenure at Princeton, Gianforcaro had gained significant attention as a highly sought-after recruit, having honed his skills at the prestigious Culver Military Academy in Indiana.
His time spent with such a nationally renowned program garnered considerable interest during the recruiting process, resulting in his ranking as the No. 5 incoming freshman by Inside Lacrosse in 2020.
Gianforcaro has also spent time training with our friends at Goaliesmith and was one of their original athletes during his junior year of high school.
During our conversation, Michael delves into his valuable relationship with Andrew and Mike Gvozden, highlighting the pivotal role they played in shaping his game, fine-tuning the intricacies of the goalie position, and offering crucial mental guidance to enhance his performance.
I hope you enjoy this episode with Michael where we discuss topics like the Tigers 2023 IVY League Tournament run, playing at Culver Academy and lessons learned from training at Goaliesmith.
P.S. - Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways I can help you:
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Great interview! I enjoyed every minute of it. keep up the great work, Lax Goalie Rat.
Thank you sir!