A family affair

Growing up in the same home, sharing memories and experiences, and even living together at college, no one would make a better teammate than your own brother.

After years of playing lacrosse together, the time has come for senior Nick and sophomore Matt Mandia to say goodbye to their time together on the field.

Through all of the trials and triumphs they have had, the brothers have always managed to come out on top as teammates and as brothers.

This coming May, Nick will be graduating, leaving Eastern and moving on to different endeavors. For the first time, they will not be shared with his younger brother. He and his brother, Matt, have played on the same team since Nick’s sophomore year in high school.

“We have always been close, but lacrosse has brought us even closer,” Nick Mandia said about playing with his brother. “Sharing the same love for a sport creates an unbreakable bridge between the two of us.”

According to Matt, the feeling is mutual: “I think we’re very lucky to have played on the same team for the past two years, so I’m thankful for that.”

The admiration between the two is strong, since Nick is one of the leading point scorers in the conference and, according to Nick, “Matt is one of the best poles I have ever played against.”

Playing together has definitely influenced them to be better as athletes. “Playing with my older brother, I play and train harder in practice,” Matt said. “Also, there is the friendly brother competition that has been between us forever.”

Nick feels that it will be nostalgic to walk away after so many years of playing lacrosse.

“The end of this season is going to be really hard,” Nick said. “My lacrosse career is ending and along with that I won’t have the opportunity to be on the same team as Matt.”

Still, in the end, it will be a pleasure for Nick to look back at the memories made with his brother.

“I’m glad that we were able to share the past two seasons on the field together, it will be something that I will never forget,” Nick said. “Playing together has always been fun, it is an experience we won’t be able to replace. I’m definitely going to miss being on the field, especially with Matt.”