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It used to be  in lacrosse that the goaltending position was usually held down by players with big hearts, but sometimes less than jaw-dropping athleticism.

Luke Robinson of Fox Lane High School in Bedford is part of a new breed. The senior is not only one of his team’s best athletes — but one of the best goaltenders in the region.

His career in the cage began out of necessity.

“I played defense until about fifth grade and then my team needed a goalie. My dad was the coach and since no one else wanted to play, he put me in the goal,” he said.

Fox Lane goaltender Luke Robinson will attend Division III power Ithaca. 

We caught up with the Ithaca-bound Robinson at Saturday’s Red/Gray Shootout at Somers:

When did you first starting playing lacrosse and how long did it take you to become a goaltender?

I first started playing when i was in first grade. I played defense until about fifth grade and then my team needed a goalie. My dad was the coach and since no one else wanted to play, he put me in the goal.

Do you think it takes a different type of makeup to be a goaltender, with the demands and challenges of the position?

I think it takes a different type of makeup because you have to have the mindset where you can let go of things and forget about what just happened quickly, also you have to be a little bit crazy.

Who are some of the best offensive players you’ve gone up against the last three years and why?

Section 1 has a ton of good offensive players, but the best player I have played against is (Syracuse University-bound Somers senior star) Joe Marasco. He is practically impossible to cover man-to-man and has a real fast shot with amazing accuracy as well. Also players like Chris Bocklet (former John Jay star who is now a freshman at Virginia) and others, but I think the best I have played against is Joe Marasco.

Can you talk a little bit about your team? What players do you expect to have leadership roles besides yourself? What are the team’s strengths?

We have a lot of seniors on the team this year so there are many people that have leadership roles. Colin Dowey and T.J. Tynan are the offensive captains with Conor Morris and Chase Beitzel helping at attack. I would say the team’s strengths are probably on the midfield since we have a lot of depth there this year. We have a number of guys who can score and don’t really have any superstars so many people get good opportunities.

What was the recruiting process like for you, and what were the key factors in selecting Ithaca?

The recruiting process put some pressure on me. I ended up chosing Ithaca because when I went up to visit I liked Coach (Jeff) Long a lot and liked the guys on the team as well. They are a well-respected program in D-III also and I really liked the school also.

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