“My Goal is to be back” Princeton star Michael Sowers talks with Liberty Line

When Michael Sowers was graduating from local school Upper Dublin, those close to him knew that he was going to be something special. His senior campaign finished with him having over 400 career assists, with 179 points total his senior season. That is one of the best high school seasons by a player ever.
With all the hype surrounding him going to Princeton University, Sowers stayed calm and continued to dominate. The Ivy League points and assists records for freshmen were shattered by Sowers who put up 41 goals and 41 assists. This is when the national media began to finally get a hold of the wunderkind. As his career progressed he was top 25 in voting for the Tewaaraton Award, considered the MVP for NCAA lacrosse.
Michael Sowers has suitcases full of ankles. pic.twitter.com/KQzh661riM
— Lacrosse Rat (@LacrosseRat) March 1, 2020
Junior year is when it got real, being named a captain, Michael broke the program record for goals setting it at 90. The name Tewaaraton started to become familiar with him, being named a finalist for the 2nd time. All of the eyes were on Sowers going into his senior year. Looking like LeBron James on the 2007 Cavaliers, Michael dominated every night to lead Princeton to a top 5 ranking, taking down #2 Virginia in the process. The Tewaaraton and a legitimate shot at the national championship were in clear view, nobody was going to stop Sowers who was working every day for years for this moment.
Want to see what 14 points in one game look like? Here are all 14 of Michael Sowers' points against Colgate. pic.twitter.com/Q1XAVB9j8u
— Princeton Lacrosse (@TigerLacrosse) February 19, 2020
That is when everything came crashing down, COVOID-19 forced the NCAA to cancel their spring seasons, along with Princeton’s championship aspirations. Michael alongside every other athlete was devastated. I was able to sit down with Mikey to talk about his career and what his future was going forward.
What was your favorite moment at Princeton?
“It may sound a bit cliche but I didn’t really have one favorite, defining moment. My favorite memories are the times before practice in the locker room, after practice, team dinners in our apartments, and the long bus rides. Those will be the things I miss the most.”
Did you imagine all of this would happen when you graduated UD?
“Definitely not. To be honest, coming out of Upper Dublin and going to Princeton I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was definitely out of my comfort zone athletically, socially, and scholastically. But, I was fortunate enough to have received great coaching at the high school level, which when paired with a great staff at Princeton and some really good players around me, allowed me to have success.”
What are your thoughts on the NCAA shutting down?
“It’s obviously a really tough situation. At Princeton, we always talk about controlling the controllable. This situation was completely out of our control. There was nothing anyone could have done to keep our season going. Originally, we were all devastated. But as time went on, we realized the magnitude of the situation and our concern shifted from our season to the well being of everyone around us.”
What was your season like with Princeton up until the shutdown?
“It was great. We were firing on all cylinders and we were extremely confident. We felt that we were primed to peak at the right time and play deep into May, which was our ultimate goal.”
Your dad, Dave Sowers runs the Be your Best Lacrosse Camp. This is the largest Lax camp in the area and has helped produce tons of talent including yourself, what is it like to go back and help out?
“It’s great. I have been going or coaching at the camp since I was 7 years old so it’s always great to be able to go back and help out.”
How you’re passing the time during quarantine?
“Watching a ton of TV and writing my senior thesis.”
Have you made any decision for next year?
“Not yet. I am currently waiting to see the NCAA ruling which comes out on Monday. My goal is to be back playing for Princeton.”