Dan Terenick might be commonly known as the senior midfielder for Cabrini’s men’s lacrosse team, but to his teammates, he is known as “Trenlax,” one of the most clutch players on the squad.
“I have played with Trenlax for many years now. Nobody gets yelled at more than him to get up, go out and get a goal that we need,” Mark Hamilton, senior midfielder, said.
Terenick has been a valuable player for the Cavs since his freshman year. Before Cabrini, he played four years of lacrosse at Ridley High School. He chose to continue his career at Cabrini because it’s close to home and he was really impressed with the coaching staff.
Part of Terenick’s determination on the field comes from the pain of seeing his football career end due to knee surgery while in highschool. Luckily, he did not have to give up lacrosse, which has always been his other passion.
“I played football since I was a kid, so seeing that end was really hard,” Terenick said. “I started playing lacrosse when I was in seventh grade and as soon as I picked up the stick, I knew it was going to stay with me.”
Terenick credits his lacrosse coaches at Ridley, coach Flynn and coach Ellers, as having the most impact on his athletic career.
“They were always there from the beginning and taught me everything I know about the game,” Terenick said. “They really molded me into who I am today.”
Who he is today, as described by his teammates, is one passionate person with a big heart, as well as a great player and friend.
“I’ve known him since my freshman year and consider him to be someone of good character who carries themselves with the utmost respect,” Bryan Churchey, senior midfielder, said. “Dan’s always been a great teammate to me and to everyone else on the team. He’s always trying to encourage others and keep a positive attitude on the sideline. He’s easy to talk to and ask advice from.”
Hamilton said that Terenick is the kind of guy who is always up for a good joke, movie quote or even to go fishing after practice. Also according to Hamilton, the other players on the team only make up a small portion of his supporters within the Cabrini community.
“Trenlax’s loyal fan club is unmatched to anything I have seen in lacrosse, last year he might have had 20-25 people who came to a game just to see him play,” Hamilton said.
Part of the reason he has such a loyal following is because according to Churchey, watching him on the field is really exciting. His style is “dodge and shoot to score,” which can give the Cavs that offensive spark at any time.
Terenick has modeled his style of play after Matt McKinney, a Cabrini lacrosse alum and former Ridley player.
“He was a senior on the team when I came on as a freshman here at Cabrini,” Terenick said. “He taught me the ropes and we had that bond both being from Ridley. I really wanted to be like him on the field.”
Terenick is not the only former Ridley player on the current Cabrini roster. Brian Hill, junior attack, John McSorley, junior defense, and Tim Greiner, sophomore midfielder, are all Ridley alum.
“We have a special bond, all being from Ridley, and we carry that over onto the field,” Terenick said. “Part of that chemistry is I always look for Hill in the crease to set him up for a goal.”
Terenick will be leaving the Cavs behind as a graduating senior. He is an information systems major but has an open mind for his career after graduation. He will definitely keep playing lacrosse in men’s leagues and will look to get into coaching at the high-school level or higher.
Terenick will be missed by his teammates upon graduation, but he will have a lasting mark on Cabrini for more than just his lacrosse game.
“He was the only other player besides myself that went to the food shelter with our coach and managers to drop off food for those less fortunate,” Churchey said. “That really said a lot to me about who he was as a person, always willing to help others.”
