It has been a whirlwind couple of months for junior Joseph (Joey) Bambrick. He has been a rising star in Bellarmine’s lacrosse program for the past two years, and as he has grown and improved, universities took notice. In September, Joey was able to follow his dreams and commit to playing collegiate lacrosse at the University of Notre Dame. “There’s moments where I think about and I can’t even comprehend it,” said Bambrick. Currently playing football, Joey is trying his best to stay humble and remember his roots.

Bambrick, or “Bam” as he is called by teammates, has been playing lacrosse since he was in 2nd grade, and is currently entering what will be his 10th year of playing the sport competitively. However, it was not until his 8th-grade season that his dream of playing collegiately “became more and more of a reality.” In high school, Joey plays for the Bellarmine Club Team, as well as the West Coast Stars, a California-based team that competes in tournaments on the East Coast periodically throughout the year. For Joey, it can mean traveling long distances, but that’s something he’s willing to do to compete at higher levels.

The recruitment process, something that can often take lots of careful consideration for some athletes, proved to not be a pain for Bambrick. Despite having many Division 1 offers, including schools like Duke, Virginia, UPenn, Ohio State, and Harvard, all of which Joey considered in his top 5, the decision to settle on Notre Dame turned out to be an easy one. “I fell in love with the campus…before the process really even started,” said Bambrick, referring to his visit to the school last summer. As it would turn out, Bambrick knew he wanted to go to Notre Dame, so when the offer came in September, it was something he couldn’t refuse. When asked about his reasoning for Notre Dame, Bambrick said he “wanted a mix between a high academic school with a mix of a high sports environment as well.”

Although he is already committed to play for Notre Dame, Joey still has two more years at Bellarmine, which he plans to use to continue improving and hopefully find more success. Last year, Bambrick helped Bellarmine defeat rival Seattle Prep, as he scored the game winning goal in overtime. “My most memorable moment…It was exhilarating…it was crazy.”

Unfortunately, Bellarmine would go on to lose in the first round of the playoffs to Seattle Prep. Still, Bambrick is optimistic about the upcoming season. “Over the past couple years, we’re becoming a more lacrosse-oriented school. I think we really have something special here.” What Bambrick enjoys most about the sport is the fast pacing. He describes it as “the perfect mix between individual and team sports.”

For now, Bambrick will continue to play football with the Lions, and when that’s done, his sights will turn to the lacrosse season. For someone with his skillset combined with his work ethic and determination, he will likely continue to improve and lead Bellarmine to a great season.