Michael Fay Leads West Linn into 2010

By James Joseph
WSL Senior Features Writer

West Linn head coach Mark Flood knew midfielder Michael Fay had the potential to be a special player when he put Fay on his varsity squad as a freshman. By midway through that season, “there were signs of him becoming a Division I player,” Flood said.

And by midway through Fay’s sophomore season, there was no doubt Fay was on his way to becoming an elite force. Late in a game with Lakeridge on April 14, 2008, West Linn trailed by two goals. With about 1:30 left Flood called timeout.

“I was going to set something up, but (Fay) said, ‘Just give me the ball. I’ll take it behind the cage and score.’” Flood recalled.

Fay did as he said he would, beating his defender and scoring. And after West Linn won the ensuing face-off and Flood called another timeout, Fay asked for the ball again. And once again he scored to tie the game.

West Linn eventually lost in overtime, 5-4. But Fay’s performance late in regulation proved to be a seminal moment in his development.

“The season changed dramatically after that for me,” said Fay, who is heading into the season ranked No. 3 among seniors in the Western United States, according to the WSL Elite 25 selection committee.

“That’s when I really started feeling like I could be an elite player. I just felt like there wasn’t anyone on the field I couldn’t beat or I couldn’t take. I felt like I was playing as a senior as a sophomore.”

That Fay was mature beyond his years is no surprise. His first experiences with the game were playing with his older brother John (a 2006 All-State defenseman at West Linn) and John’s friends. 

“It helped me with all my sports because, to be honest, I wouldn’t be able to hang out with my brother if I couldn’t stay competitive with him,” Fay said. “If I wasn’t competitive, I wasn’t hanging out with him.”

The backyard brawls with the older kids made Fay tough. And what Flood described as “an amazing work ethic,” has helped Fay hone his lacrosse skills. Flood said Fay will “shoot for hours,” and that practice has made him a lethal scorer – he’s compiled 119 goals and 54 assists in three seasons at West Linn.

“He can shoot on the run with both hands, full speed, pretty accurately, pretty hard,” Flood said. “His shooting is exceptional, and his release has gotten quicker and quicker the last couple of years.”

Fay also has improved his explosiveness, which, combined with his natural athletic gifts – he stands 6-foot-3, runs the 40-yard dash in 4.69 seconds and has a 32-inch vertical leap – makes him one of West Linn’s top defenders.

“Whenever he tries to come off the field whenever the other team gets the ball, I just wave him back on the field,” Flood said.

Fay doesn’t have much down time, even when he’s not playing lacrosse. In the fall, Fay caught 52 passes for 920 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games, helping lead the West Linn football team to the state quarterfinals. And he currently starts at forward for the West Linn basketball team.

But Fay said he has the most fun playing lacrosse, which is why he’ll play it in college – he’s committed to Towson. 

First, however, he has unfinished business at West Linn, which has not advanced past the state quarterfinals since 2003. 

“We really want a state championship,” said Fay, who last season was selected as a U.S. Lacrosse high school All-American. “If we put it together, I think we can make a run at it.”