By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher Ryan Swenson has been a natural athlete ever since he was a little kid. He got used to having success anytime he stepped onto an athletic field, and because of that he’s always been pretty confident. Some may even call him brash. Swenson is never one to shy away from competition, and if he’s getting the better of you, he may let you know about it from time to time. He’s the kind of football and lacrosse player who endears himself to teammates, but sometimes has coaches tugging on the reins to reel him in. His willingness to let his swaggar show sent him to the bench a time or two during the football season, but Mainland Regional lacrosse coach Clayton Smith said Swenson has matured immensely since the beginning of the school year, and coach Smith said he feels like one of his top players is on the verge of being ready — mentally and emotionally — to become a college athlete. “He is a good, natural athlete. He has mentally matured so much from the start of the school year to now,” Smith said. “He had a couple of ripples in football that actually got him benched, but he’s matured and he’s seeing his future ahead of him, he’s getting ready to go off to college.” Swenson recently announced that he plans to play football at Coastal Carolina University this fall, but before he graduates from Mainland he has some unfinished business to attend to. The attacker who wears a long white headband that flows out from underneath his helmet and gold cleats scored his 100th career goal earlier this season in a win over Vineland, and has his sights set on the school’s all-time goals scored mark of 133. 
Swenson tries to get around Ocean City defender Harry Pfeifle during a game in mid-April. That was Mainland’s only loss, as the Mustangs enter the final weekend of April with an 11-1 record. Smith said what makes Swenson such a valuable attackman on the lacrosse field is not only his ability to score, but also the way he can set up teammates for scoring chances. It’s kind of like having a basketball point guard who is a little bit like Allen Iverson, but also like John Stockton. “He has almost the same number of assists as he does goals this year, so he’s definitely a more well-rounded player this season. With him sharing the wealth as far as scoring, I think that Ryan being himself is what is making us as good as we are,” Smith said. “There are six guys on the team with double-digit goals this year instead of just one or two kids. So you can’t key on him and try to shut him down because there are five more guys who can score.” “Coach gives us some freedom. I like to evaluate the whole field when I get the ball, see who is open and who isn’t. If the shot is there, I’ll take it, but if not I’ll just keep the ball moving,” said Swenson, a four-year varsity starter. Swenson said he’s excited to see what this team can do, and being on a team that could contend for a league title is something he’s been striving for. “I’m pretty excited about how this season has gone so far. We were the first team in school history to start out 6-0, everybody is playing well, so we’ll see what happens,” Swenson said. “I want to make the best of my last year. It’s been pretty awesome so far.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]
Boys lacrosse: Swenson has evolved into more than just a scorer during Mainland career
