Swanson Excited to be a Titan

Detroit Mercy announced their men’s lacrosse recruiting class nearly three weeks ago, and six of the eleven signees hail from the state of Michigan. Midfielder Dylan Swanson of Ann Arbor Pioneer was among those who will continue their playing careers in a Titan uniform, and he’s excited to be a part of the Titan family.

Dylan Swanson will go from Pioneer to Titan in 2013. Photo via UDM.

“Detroit Mercy is a place where I can focus on my studies as well as a chance to play against some of the best competition in the country,” said Swanson. “My goal at Detroit is to make it to the NCAA Tournament and make some noise there.”

That’s no small task for a program that has yet to play its third year on the Division 1 level. However, The Titans were within a game of making the tournament in 2011, and the program has grown to the point where those are realistic goals. Adding talented offensive prospects like Swanson will only help to take Detroit to the next level. He has the athleticism to succeed, and need only add polish to become a top-flight player.

“He is an excellent athlete who is growing into his lacrosse body,” said UDM head coach Matt Holtz. “He has a ton of upside and potential.”

Swanson agrees with his future coach that athleticism is one of the strengths of his game. He has the offensive ability to score or make plays for his teammates, and the attitude to do the small things that help a team win games – even if they don’t show up on the box score.

“I would describe myself as an aggressive slashing middie who can share the ball as well as get to the goal and score,” he said. “I don’t mind rolling my sleeves up and playing gritty either.”

With the majority of Michigan’s 2012 signing class hailing from out-of-state (only two of 18 players come from Michigan), Detroit has continued to be the go-to program for players who want to continue their careers in “the mitten.” Before taking his talents down I-94 to the Motor City, Swanson has one final spring of high school ball. His goals for Pioneer in 2012 are lofty.

“I want nothing but the best I and my team can do,” he said. “I want to play in a championship, and be voted an All-American.”

Many thanks to Ryan Hagy and Hillary Robinson for getting me in touch with Dylan. If you’d like to share a news tip with me, you can e-mail me or tweet @GreatLaxState.