(Photo by Stephen Goldsmith) DOUG UP: Doug Bryant heads up the field in 2010 action for the Princeton High boys’ lacrosse team. This past year, Bryant walked on to the University of Michigan men’s lacrosse varsity club team and became a star. The 6’0, 180-pound Bryant scored 13 points on 10 goals and three assists and was named as the squad’s Freshman of the Year. Bryant and the Wolverines will get the chance to step up their game as the program has been elevated to NCAA Division I status.

PHS Alum Bryant Goes From Walk-on to Star; Emerging as Top Freshman for Michigan Lax

Bill Alden

Doug Bryant faced an uphill battle as he tried to play college lacrosse for the University of Michigan varsity club team this past spring.

“I was not recruited by Michigan, I talked to the coach and he said I could walk on,” said Bryant, a former Princeton High lax star whose college choice came down to Pomona (Calif.), Vanderbilt, and Michigan.

“The tryouts for the team started after the first day of school and continued for a few weeks. There were 30 freshmen out and some older kids. There was a lot of one versus one stuff and some team-oriented stuff. There were several cuts. The final roster was set on October 3 and three walk-ons made it.”

The 6’0, 180-pound Bryant was one of the trio who beat the odds and by the end of the spring he had emerged as a standout for the Wolverines.

Bryant scored 13 points on 10 goals and three assists as the Wolverines went 18-1 and advanced to the semifinals of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA), or national club tournament. He was later named as the squad’s Freshman of the Year.

For Bryant, making the squad helped him fit into the daunting Michigan campus.

“The coaches demanded a lot since we are not an NCAA team, we could be at practice more,” said Bryant, referring to the club’s fall ball season.

“It was enjoyable being with the other guys and being in a group. It made the transition smoother.”

Bryant enjoyed the challenge of moving to midfield from the attack position he starred at for PHS.

“I could see that the game was a lot faster,” said Bryant. “I was switched to midfield so I had to make a transition. I liked that. You get short sticks on you instead of having to deal with the long poles.”

Having a big game against Brigham Young University in mid-March helped Bryant get up to speed at the college level.

“That game built up my confidence; I got the first goal of the game,” said Bryant, who tallied three goals and an assist in a 16-6 Michigan win.

“I had been in a slump before that. I was on the field but my shots weren’t going in and the passes weren’t leading to assists. I realized I can do this; I can keep up with these guys.”

The rest of the country struggled to keep up with three-time MCLA champion Michigan as it went undefeated in regular season play.

“It was really great; we are really close and we really push each other,” said Bryant. “Everybody had to give 100 percent.”

Bryant gave 100 percent in the MCLA quarters as he scored two goals in a 13-8 win over Oregon.

“That was another confidence builder; I didn’t play well in the first game of the MCLA,” said Bryant. “I looked at that as a redeeming game.”

The top-seeded Wolverines, though, didn’t get to the title game as they fell 7-6 to No. 5 Arizona State in the MCLA semis.

“It was hard to believe; it didn’t sink in right away,” said Bryant. “The expectation was to win the title; we had beaten everybody. It was a huge disappointment; it gave us motivation to work harder.”

After the season, Bryant experienced a huge surprise as he won the club’s top freshman award.

“That was great; we had a lot of good freshmen,” said Bryant. “The team votes on the awards and I had voted for another freshman who I thought would win the award.”

The program received some great news last month when it was announced that program is being elevated to NCAA Division I competition.

“It is really exciting,” said Bryant. “It had been hinted at a lot but we weren’t sure when it would happen. There were mixed emotions about the season; we were disappointed about the loss but excited about the new opportunity.”

After making the most of his opportunity to walk on to the Michigan program, Bryant is looking forward to the challenge of taking on D-I competition.

“It is a big jump from high school to the MCLA and now another big jump to the NCAA,” said Bryant.

“We watched the Denver-Villanova NCAA tournament game when we were out there for the MCLAs and saw that the game is faster. Physically and mentally, you have to keep up.”

In going from walk-on to star in one season, Bryant has proven he can keep up at a higher level.

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