Athletes want to improve every day. But just as their game grows on the field, being part of the team teaches players so much more. Griffin Turner of the Hofstra University men’s lacrosse team has bettered himself in many ways since joining the Pride in 2022.

Turner had a tumultuous journey before joining the Pride. Graduating from high school in 2020, Turner’s recruitment path had to be put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before coming to Hofstra, the California native briefly attended Texas Christian University (TCU) where he played his first year on their club team.

“I loved my time at TCU,” Turner said. “Playing club was very different from playing Division I. I wanted more commitment from the program, and I just didn’t have that at TCU.”

Making the jump from a club team to Division I lacrosse wasn’t easy. Turner wasn’t sure where he would be playing. He credits Kyle Harrison, a former player of Hofstra head coach Seth Tierney’s while at Johns Hopkins University, with recommending Hofstra to Turner.

“Kyle was a big role model for me,” Turner said. “I would watch him growing up and tried to model my game after his. After hearing him speak so highly of Tierney and the staff here [at Hofstra], it made it pretty easy to choose here.”

The challenges continued for Turner after joining the program. New York still had strict COVID-19 restrictions in the fall of 2021 which affected Turner’s ability to get acclimated to his teammates and the unfamiliar environment.

“I kept saying to the coaching staff that I just felt bad for guys like Griffin,” Tierney said. “This was a very hard time for our team because we couldn’t get together and practice. Griffin didn’t know anybody on the team and had no way of getting to meet them.”

After minimal practice time, Turner played his first collegiate season with Hofstra that spring.  His phenomenal freshman season concluded with him earning three starts, scoring seven goals and six assists in 14 total games. In the years since, Turner’s role on the team has only continued to increase.

Turner himself admits he’s been asked to do many different things as he’s gotten more playtime.

“My role has definitely changed,” Turner said. “It comes down to how much I’ve been trusted to have the ball on my stick. This year, I’ve been working on drawing more slides and being more unselfish.”

Turner’s year-over-year growth has been remarkable for the Pride. In his sophomore season, he reached a career-high of 11 goals and eight assists in an injury-shortened campaign that saw him play nine games.

“Last season, I injured both my ankles about a month apart,” Turner said. “I was on crutches and couldn’t play. It was an incredible feeling when I was able to come back and play the last game of the season against Drexel. I was dreaming of getting back on the field every day.”

Turner’s season finale against Drexel University was arguably the best game of his career. He scored three goals and had two assists to help the Pride beat the Dragons 8-7. Unfortunately for Hofstra, Turner’s ankle would keep him out of the lineup in the Pride’s season finale versus Stony Brook University, where the Pride ultimately fell short of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament.

Turner hasn’t taken last year for granted. He’s continuing to improve and is riding an 18-game point streak. He sits second on the team in points (26) and is first in assists (17). Turner already notched a career-high in assists and averages two per game.

In his junior season, Turner credits his great play to his teammates. Away from the field, Turner had a hard time connecting with the culture of the team. After transferring from TCU and dealing with COVID-19 restrictions, it took him some time before he got comfortable.

“Rory Jones and I have been playing together for a few years now and our chemistry keeps getting more fluent,” Turner said. “Obviously, I’ve gotten a few more assists this year because guys like him are putting the ball away.”

Even with his improving output on the field, Tierney is more impressed with Turner’s growth as a leader on the team.

“Griffin doesn’t say a whole lot. He never has. But when he does speak, the whole room goes quiet,” Tierney said. “He got some votes to be a captain this year and we’re hopeful he can be soon. He’s grown so much from the kid who didn’t know anybody and becoming a captain next year is a real possibility.”

Turner has wholeheartedly accepted the challenge of becoming a leader despite being on the shyer side.

“Like coach [Tierney] said, I’m definitely a man of few words,” Turner said. “However, I have noticed myself getting more vocal over the years. I think it comes down to just becoming more comfortable with the guys on the team and building that trust in them.”

The Hofstra men’s lacrosse team has gone through many changes since Turner arrived in Hempstead. With Tierney at the helm, leadership and accountability are still central to the integrity of the program and the players he recruits.

“I’m really proud of the guys we’re coaching,” Tierney said. “If our team is a boat, Griffin is now one of the guys with the oar steering it to the right direction. Wherever this team ends up, will be determined by guys like him.”

This season is still young and the path this team is on is still undecided. The Pride are currently 0-2 in CAA play which makes each game more important than the last. The individual accomplishments and points don’t matter to Turner. He stays focused on bringing the program back to glory.

“I want to win a CAA championship,” Turner said. “That would be a dream come true for me.”

Hofstra has not been to the conference tournament since 2021 and has a 16-season championship drought. Turner has one more year of NCAA eligibility and will graduate with a bachelor’s in finance in May.

“I will definitely be back for a fifth year. There’s unfinished business with this team. And I’m excited to see what we can do,” Turner said.

 Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Lee S. Weissman