April 7, 2006

There was a line in a movie once that if you've been in school for seven years, you're probably a doctor or a lawyer.

Although Georgetown men's lacrosse players Dave Paolisso and Mike White haven't gone to medical school or taken the bar, they have been around the Hilltop for a while.

Paolisso and White are among a trio of fifth-year student-athletes - joined by Rich D'Andrea - on the No. 2-ranked Georgetown men's lacrosse team.

Both Paolisso and White had the chance to leave after they finished their undergraduate degrees last May, but returned to play for Georgetown one more time.

They could have just done what many college graduates do and enter the work-force. But since both had missed one year - White in 2003, Paolisso in 2004 - they had the opportunity to come back.

Head Coach Dave Urick was more than willing to have a pair of important midfielders back in his lineup, but he also wanted the pair to make sure they were doing it not just for the lacrosse. Urick, who has guided Georgetown to nine-straight NCAA Tournament appearances in his 17 years on the Hilltop, really wanted them to do something that would help off the field.

Heeding Urick's advice, Paolisso and White did just that.

When the Hoyas started practice in the Fall, Paolisso and White weren't there. When their teammates were getting up at six in the morning to go through conditioning workouts at Yates Field House and on the Multi-Sport Field, Paolisso and White were putting on different uniforms.

The pair had secured internships with local companies for the semester prior to starting graduate school. Because of that, they were not allowed to dress or practice with the team. After four years of getting up early for practice as they got ready for the season, they would get up early and go to work.

Paolisso secured an internship with Friedman Billings Ramsey, an investment banking firm in Virginia. White interned with CB Richard Ellis downtown, where he worked for former Georgetown lax standout Brendan Owen, a Senior Vice President of the commercial real estate firm at the time.

The two got up every morning, dressed for work and went to the office. Paolisso's office was business casual, but White went to work in a suit and tie.

"I did a lot of busy work, but at the same time, I worked with the senior managing directors and was learning the business," Paolisso said. "This had nothing to do with school and it gave us a taste of the working world. We had to pay rent, pay bills and do all the normal stuff that people with jobs do. We couldn't do anything with lacrosse." White would still pay some visits to practice in the morning on his way to work, but while everyone was running, he stood on the sidelines in his suit.

"I didn't mind it (the suit) so much when it was warm out because of air conditioning, but it wasn't a ton of fun when it got cold out," White said. "Work was not that bad. It's not the worst thing in the world, but playing lacrosse is a lot better."

While White worked more strict work hours, life as investment banker did have its strains. "I was more business casual," Paolisso said. "He was suit and tie, had more structured hours and he was up earlier. I could be there until after midnight. Those investment bankers work a lot of hours."

As much as they enjoyed the work experience and know that it will benefit them in the long-term, they were excited to get back to the team. After not participating with the Hoyas during the Fall, they weren't sure what to expect with their return.

"We kind of felt like we had our senior year, we might as well give these kids (the current seniors) theirs," White explained, "so they should take control of the team and we would help them in any way we could."

"I thought coming in to the Spring," Paolisso said, "we wouldn't take any leadership roles because we wouldn't know as many of the freshmen and it would take us a while to get into the swing of things." But a funny thing happened along the way.

Rather than being "along for the ride," as Paolisso said, they were welcomed as leaders. "It is the case that we're along for the ride," White said, "but we're still a big part of the team. In a lot of ways, we're part of this senior class."

And that's made their return even more special. The team has won seven-straight games since the season opener and is ranked No. 2 by Inside Lacrosse and No. 3 in the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association/STX poll.

Paolisso, who played on the defensive end for most of his career, has moved into an attacking midfield role and has emerged as a top offensive threat on the team. He's scored a team-high 14 goals and has two assists for 16 points. White, meanwhile, has continued in his role as a defensive middie, scoring three goals and chipping in two assists along the way.

Now, after experiencing the working life, they also realize that getting the opportunity to play a Division I sport is not that much of a burden.

"It's so much easier and so many people complain, and I did it too the last few years," White said. "Some days you wake up and it's raining or cold and you don't want to go on the field with people barking at you. "I've never felt more comfortable on the field. I haven't had a bad day."

Paolisso echoed the same thoughts. "I enjoy it so much more," he said. "I guess we took it for granted the last four years, so this year makes it more special."

As much as they gained from their experience in the "real" world, Paolisso and White desperately wanted one more chance. Really, they had wanted one more goal.

During their first four years on the Hilltop, the Georgetown men's lacrosse team experienced as much success as any Division I team in the country. The Hoyas posted a 44-16 record, won the 2004 ECAC Lacrosse League Championship and advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament each time.

Three of the four times the Hoyas went to the Quarterfinals, however, the season ended with a one-goal loss. The goal for any team is to win a championship and both players knew how close Georgetown was each year. In 2002, Princeton ended the team's season with a 14-13 win. In 2004, Syracuse won 8-7. And last year, the year Paolisso and White played their final season with the teammates they entered school with, Maryland handed the Hoyas a heart-breaking 9-8 loss. "We weren't sure what we were going to do and then with how our season ended, I felt unfulfilled," Paolisso said. "The goal is the national championship and that's what we want."

"I remember sitting in the locker room (after the Maryland loss) and looking at the rest of our classmates - Nick (Miaritis), Brodie (Merrill) and Andy (Corno) - who basically didn't have the chance that we did to come back," White said. "I couldn't believe how bad they must have felt that they didn't get another opportunity and we're almost lucky to be back here again."

So now they're back. They're taking classes, this time at the graduate level. White's even doing an internship, three days a week at UBS in Virginia. They live together, as they had the previous two years, in anoff-campus apartment and they're helping the team win.

"We had agreed that if one of us came back, then both of us would come back," White said. "We were the exact same majors (finance/international business), we took the same classes, we live together, we room together on the road, so I see enough of him that I know he's one of my best friends."

"I knew once that game was over (the Maryland game in 2005) that I was coming back," Paolisso said. "Having this fifth year, a lot of the guys we graduated with would have loved the opportunity. "Mike and I had that chance and we want to make the most of it."

Sometimes students do go to school for five years or more. They may not end up being doctors, but they can win in more than just one way.

By Mike "Mex" Carey
Sports Information Director