Throughout the Fall and Winter, PeaceLacrosse will bring you a Q&A with the games biggest stars each week:

We kick off with our first Q&A with a guy I’ve enjoyed covering throughout his career. A guy who has always been great to talk to and is always willing to talk whether it’s after a big win or a tough loss….Florida Launch attackman and Towson U and Westminster HS alum Ryan Drenner!!!

From winning Maryland State championships, to guiding Towson University to their first final four since 2002 and playing professional lax for the Florida Launch, Ryan Drenner is carved at impressive career. And The Westminster high school grad is planning on playing the game as long as he can.

Drenner compiled a pretty great senior season for the Tigers. Drenner led the Towson in points with 59 as well as assists (29). He was a key player in the Tiger’s post-season run where they defeated the #2 seed Syracuse. It was the second year in a row that Towson has sent the 2 seeded team home.

The Florida Launch took notice of Drenner and selected the Finksburg, Maryland native with the 28th pick in the Major League Lacrosse draft.

Drenner didn’t waste any time making an impact at the pro level. He made his professional debut against the New York Lizards on June 10, with a four point performance, including three goals and one assist.

Now during the offseason Drenner is home and wants to give back and teach the game to the younger generation. This winter Drenner is conducting training sessions through the Rock Lacrosse Club. (Details Here:

View at Medium.com

The Peace Report did a Q&A recently with Ryan Drenner. We covered several bases. What it was like to help Towson beat Syracuse in the NCAA tournament, to playing with long hair, and what Drenner likes to do away from the lacrosse field.

PEACE REPORT: You’ve had quite the 2017, ending your senior year with a final four appearance with Towson University. Then get drafted and play for the Florida Launch in the MLL final four. Are you amazed how good of a year you’ve had?

DENNER: Yeah I definitely think this year was really exciting and brought me a ton of amazing memories that I’ll never forget. Being able to play the game I love at the highest level is amazing and certainly something to cherish and look back on forever.

PR: Talk about the senior season with the Tigers and surprising the country by beating Syracuse and making it to the Final Four?

DRENNER: This past year really felt like something out of a movie. At the beginning of the season we all had high hopes of building on our success from years prior and finally making it to Championship Weekend. To be able to take down the #2 seed in the tournament two years in a row was an awesome accomplishment. I think the best part about this past year was how many guys from my senior class contributed to our success. We were all playing for each other and to see the hard work we put in through those four years on campus pay off when it mattered most was truly unbelievable.

PR: What did you learn from that experience?

DRENNER: Each year at Towson we choose three words to best personify what we’d like to be about. This past year our three words were Accountability, Purpose, and Trust. I really believe that this experience taught me the real meaning of these three words and why they are so important to success on and off the field.

PR: What is it like to play for Coach Nadalen?

DRENNER: Playing for Coach Nadelen was truly an honor. He definitely isn’t the easiest coach to play for, he will make you earn everything and that’s what makes him such a great coach. I think the thing that sets him apart from other coaches is the time he invests in every single player to make them better every day. He was always super involved in everything off the field, making sure we were polite, mature, respectful members of the community. The impact Coach Nadelen has had on me and my teammates really shows up after graduation. He does such an awesome job preparing us for the real world and giving us the tools to be successful. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to come to Towson and play for him and his staff and can’t thank them enough for such an incredible four years.

PR: You were drafted by the Florida Launch, what went through your mind when you were drafted? And in your first pro game?

DRENNER- I had actually never been to Florida so when I heard the news I had been drafted to the Launch I was more than excited to finally visit Florida. The Launch had a really productive draft so I was super pumped to be a part of that and get to work with the guys. When I got down to Florida for the first time for my first pro game I had some nerves about how the dynamic of the team would be but the veterans on the Launch and really all the guys on the team are really awesome, easy to get along with, and a lot of fun to compete with so it was a pretty smooth transition.

PR: You not only represent Towson University in the pros but also you’re a public school kid (Westminster) from a hotbed state like Maryland. Does that mean much to you?

DRENNER: It does mean a lot to me. I have a lot of pride in where I’m from and the journey I’ve taken and I strive to be a positive role model and leader and hope to encourage some kids to go out and achieve their goals. I know that in whatever I do whether it’s lacrosse related or not I’m always representing the people that raised me so that’s always in the back of my head.

PR: Your long hair is how people can spot you on the field and it is a cool look. Do you have a reason why you play with long hair or is it just how you like playing?

DRENNER- I know having long hair always helped my mom spot me on the field but I don’t have long hair for any specific reason really. Growing up my mom always let my brother and I grow our hair out as long as we wanted which my dad wasn’t always the biggest fan of. I’m really just not a big fan of haircuts I always go from growing my hair out long to getting it buzzed off and then I grow it out again. I guess it’s been pretty long for a while now, might be ready for a fresh chop.

PR: You’re giving back and helping with Rock Lacrosse Club with winter sessions. How does that feel to give back and teach the younger generation about the game?

Drenner- It’s a lot of fun being able to help younger players improve their game. I love seeing their progression through multiple sessions and then hearing feedback about how training sessions have helped them improve on certain areas of their game.

PR: What do you like to do away from the lax field?

Drenner- I love spending time with my son who will be a year Oct 27th. Aside from hanging with him I like to play other sports with friends, play Xbox, and eat at different restaurants with my girlfriend.

PR: How long do you see yourself playing pro lax and do you want to play box lacrosse?

Drenner- I’d like to play for as long as possible. I think if I am able to stay away from injury I could have a long career playing in the MLL. I would like to play box, I’m not sure if there is any need for a skinny two handed X attackmen in the box game but if the opportunity presented itself I would definitely play.