Monmouth lacrosse seniors get separate commencement after NCAA Tournament conflict

WEST LONG BRANCH - The seniors on Monmouth University's men's lacrosse team were going to have a difficult time being in two places at once Wednesday.

Luckily, there was a plan. 

Not long after his Hawks clinched the MAAC regular-season title on April 21, head coach Brian Fisher looked at a calendar and realized he may have a problem. 

If Monmouth won the MAAC Tournament and secured its first NCAA Tournament bid, there was not only a reasonable chance it would be slotted for a play-in game, but would potentially have to play on the road. The problem was, Monmouth's undergraduate commencement was scheduled for Wednesday, and 17 of Fisher's 22 seniors were slated to walk. For what its worth, this is the program's first four-year graduating class after opening play in 2014. 

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The way Fisher tells it, he floated the idea of a separate commencement for his athletes, if necessary, past his sport administrator, Ken Taylor, who works in development and marketing inside the athletic department. From there, the idea went up the food chain. 

Deputy Director of Athletics Jeff Stapleton got involved, as did Athletics Director  Marilyn McNeil, and eventually, all of this got up to Grey DiMenna, the school's interim president and noted supporter of athletics. 

"I think graduation is important, it's why we have jobs and why we're here," Fisher said. "It was an idea I pitched to Ken and quite frankly, I didn't have much to do with it. Everybody getting on board was just another example of all of the unbelievable support we have at Monmouth."

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Speed ahead to Sunday. Monmouth won the MAAC Tournament just after noon. Nine hours later, the team, the coaching staff and a host of school officials, including DiMenna, McNeil and Stapleton, convened in the Varsity Club at OceanFirst Bank Center to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show.

As expected, the Hawks were bound for the play-in game against Bryant. The host of that game was not immediately clear, but at 9:30 p.m., Bryant, located in Smithfield, Rhode Island, was found to be the host. 

Shortly after learning Monmouth would be on the road Wednesday, a small group that included DiMenna, McNeil, Stapleton and Fisher had a pow-wow in the Varsity Club. By that time, thanks to Fisher's initial inquiry to Taylor, a plan was already in place. Now, it just had to be enacted. 

Monmouth traveled to Bryant on Tuesday, played the Bulldogs on Wednesday evening, a 10-7 loss to end its season, and arrived back in West Long Branch around 3:30 a.m.

Late-Thursday afternoon, on campus at the Pollak Theatre, family, friends, teammates, coaches, administrators and trustees were all present as the school pulled off a separate commencement for those 17 seniors.

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The finished product did not appear shabby or rushed, but a legit commencement, with a procession into Pollak by the young adults to start, and them throwing their caps and tassels in the air to close it. In between, DiMenna gave a speech, as did senior goalkeeper Nick Hreshko, before the students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas. 

The whole thing didn't last 45 minutes, and while it may have looked easy, logistically, it probably wasn't. After undergraduate commencement on Wednesday at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, the school's inaugural graduate commencement took place Thursday at OceanFirst Bank Center, a mere four hours before the lacrosse players had their turn at Pollak. 

"This was fantastic," said DiMenna, who noted that early thinking of adding the lacrosse players to the graduate commencement was quickly nixed. "The enthusiasm from the players, the families, the other members of the team being here to support their seniors, it was great. Commencement is always a happy occasion, but of all the commencements, this was probably the most enthusiastic. 

"This was well-worth the effort."

Staff Writer Josh Newman: jnewman@app.com