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Brian Cannon ���14 makes the most of Dickinson connections

by Matt Getty

Brian Cannon ���14 tensed when he saw Peter Zouck ���13 knock the ball loose from one of Roanoke College���s attackmen. The ball skipped across the grass 60 yards away, but Cannon���s body responded as if it were linked to the rubber sphere.

He headed upfield, shifting into fast-break formation as Draper Donley ���14 scooped up the ball and sprinted toward him. Opportunity and preparation were seconds away from meeting, and Cannon was ready.

���I love the fast pace of lacrosse,��� he says, recalling the breakaway during last March���s victory over Roanoke as one of his favorite moments on Biddle Field. ���Like they say, it really is the fastest game on two feet. The momentum can shift so quickly, and one moment can change the entire game.���

A Roanoke defender rushed toward Draper, leaving Cannon open. Draper���s pass hit Cannon���s mesh perfectly, the embodiment of seamless teamwork.

Cannon has racked up numerous individual accolades. The Baltimore native has twice been named the Centennial Conference (CC) player of the week, earned a spot on the 2013 USILA All-America Lacrosse Team, set the record for CC tournament points and received the 2013 Lt. Col. J.I. (Jack) Turnbull Award as the nation���s out- standing attackman. But it���s being a part of this tight-knit team he values most, on and off the field.

���I wanted that small, close community feel,��� the economics major says on his decision to attend Dickinson after hearing about the school from alumni Trip Deeley ���05 and Brian Mohler ���07. ���It told me a lot that alums would go out of their way to talk about how great the school was. And that���s what I���ve found here���the close relationships with faculty and the ability to get involved in activities outside of class.���

This semester he���s taking advantage of both. To prepare for a career in finance, he���s partic- ipating in the Student Investment Group and is enrolled in an independent study on global economics. Through both, Cannon is learning that a future on Wall Street just might demand many of the same elements that made up his favorite play on that March 2013 day on Biddle Field. ���There are definitely similarities between lacrosse and life,��� he says. ���You have to move fast, you need solid teamwork and you have to be prepared, be ready to make the most of any opportunity.���

Which is exactly what he did.

After snagging the pass from Donley, Cannon cocked back his lacrosse stick. He read instantly that the goalie was leaning away, expecting a shot to the far pipe. No time for a head fake, no time to do anything but react, Cannon flung the ball just inside the near pipe and into the back of the net.

Read more from the spring 2014 issue of Dickinson Magazine.

Published April 22, 2014