When Frank Mezzanotte came to Towson State College in 1969, he came for the climate, the slower-paced atmosphere and the athletic opportunities. For the most part, his niece Laura and nephew Peter came to Towson University for similar reasons in recent years. But the Towson of today is much different than the Towson of the late 1960s and early ?70s.
“I don?t know how much further it can go today,” said Mezzanotte, a native of Long Island, N.Y. “When you came in there, you kind of felt you?d be the foundation of something bigger down the road.”
Little did Mezzanotte know, as a Division III lacrosse star, that he?d not only lay the foundation for a solid program in general, but for many of the players that now call that program home.
“I?ve seen films of him from the 1970s,” said Towson freshman Peter Mezzanotte, whose team is 7-4 and ranked No. 14. “He taught me a lot. He and my dad basically taught me the game.”
Laura Mezzanotte, Peter?s sister, is a junior defender for the Towson women?s lacrosse team (5-7).
“Growing up, it was lacrosse, lacrosse, lacrosse,” said Laura, who also mulled offers to play college lacrosse in Colorado. “I knew I wanted to play lacrosse in Maryland.”
Part of that has to do with Frank?s 28-year-old Harford Lacrosse Camp, held every summer in Rocks State Park in northern Harford County. Both Laura and Peter help out with the camp, which started including a girls program eight years ago. Now, nearly 160 campers turn out for each program.
The game has changed a great deal since Mezzanotte?s playing days, when he earned third-team All-American honors as a defender in 1973.
“There?s definitely a lot more kids, a lot better athlete overall and it?s made for a big difference in the game,” said Mezzanotte, who also credits equipment technology and athlete commitment with wholesale changes to the sport.
He started playing in the ?60s, when, in New York, the game was sold as “spring football practice.” The Maryland game was much more cerebral, in comparison to a disorganized game in New York.
“It looked like people running around trying to catch butterflies,” Mezzanotte said of the New York version.
Adapting isn?t newto Mezzanotte?s nephew and niece, either. Laura has moved from offense to defense since her freshman season in black and gold. And now, she?s adapting to having a little brother on campus.
“He comes over every now and then to grab some food off of me,” Laura said.
Peter is adjusting to playing only lacrosse after participating in track and football on Long Island. But much like his uncle?s impressions of the area decades ago, Peter sees a southern approach to things at Towson.
“Long Island is definitely a more fast-paced environment than here,” Peter said. “Maryland is more laid back.”
The campus might have grown. The lacrosse program might have gone from Division III to Division I.
The game might have changed. But when the next wave of Mezzanottes comes to Towson around 2035, they can expect the same general experience.
