The latest edition of "Where Are They Now" features Zach Higgins. Higgins laid the foundation for the men's lacrosse program as a standout goaltender from 2009-2012. He is the program's all-time leader in saves (506), save percentage (.615) and wins (30). He has played in 103 career games in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) in five different organizations. He most recently played for the Philadelphia Wings in 2020 and posted an 8-4 record with 521 saves in 14 games.

You were a part of the beginning of the program, what lessons did you learn from those experiences?
Being fortunate enough to join a brand new program at Davenport, preparing to start its second year of play allowed me to have the opportunity not many student-athletes can experience. I was able to join a team still looking to build its identity and culture on and off the field, allowing us the opportunity to shape our team and program. The biggest lesson I learned was the importance of building relationships with team members creating a positive team culture. Having a positive culture is the toughest and most important goal to achieve because without it, teams won't find the success they are striving to obtain. I definitely believe the Davenport lacrosse team has been successful in building their identity and culture. The program has won another championship, and has helped players be successful on and off the field making it a winning culture recruits would want to join. 

In 2011, you and your teammates were able to capture the MCLA Division II National championship, what are your fondest memories from that season?
Remembering our championship year brings a smile to my face every time. I remember our championship year was filled with lots of character building moments. My first memory of that season is traveling to play our rival Dayton in a tough environment where winning feels extra special. I remember my good friend Mac Ganzak putting on a defensive clinic against one of the best attackmen in the country, all the while he was letting the crowd know who was boss out there. Beating Dayton always brought an excitement to our team and we definitely celebrated such a great win. The best memories of that season though start with heading into CCLA conference final to play our rival Grand Valley State, who beat us pretty good earlier in the year and who was the number one team all year. You could sense an aura amongst our team knowing this game meant more than winning a conference championship. We may not have beat GVSU that day, but we proved to ourselves, come the MCLA tournament, we have what it takes to beat the best.
 
Heading into the MCLA tournament, we were placed in a bracket matching us up against three teams who beat us earlier in the year (Briarcliffe, GVSU, St. Thomas). It seemed fitting to us the path we had to go down was against these three teams. The game against Briarcliffe we knew would be emotional and physical and you could tell from the energy in our celebrations for every goal. Right from the first face-off, we came out with urgency and took the game to them, putting the game out of reach early and often. Knocking Briarcliffe out of the tournament felt extra sweet for how much chirping they enjoyed to say to us. The semifinal game against GVSU had the feeling to be a classic, and it turned out to be an all-time great. It was an emotional rollercoaster right from the start with both teams trading goal after goal. The game came down to who could execute with the extremely high tensions of a berth to the final on the line. I remember a massive surge of excitement when Shawn Beers scored the winner in the fourth overtime and running around on the field celebrating uncontrollably. My nerves have never been as high as they were during this game. It was the moment we all knew we were heading to the national championship game to win it. 
 
The national championship game was a thrill. It felt right having to knock off St. Thomas in the final. They knocked us out of the tournament the last two years prior in the semifinal, they beat us in the regular season in a hard-fought game and I can remember us feeling there was no better time to beat St. Thomas. In the final, we saved our best lacrosse of the year for the second half where we staged a big comeback to come from 6-2 down, scoring eight goals in the fourth quarter, and beating the back-to-back champions. The celebrations on the field were so much fun and had such a great energy about them, you could feel the happiness from everyone celebrating together. It's a moment I can still feel to this day. 
 
You still hold several goaltender school records at DU, what are your thoughts on still being atop the record books?
It feels pretty special to have spent four years with such an exceptional group, knowing some of the great players who have played for this program and to still be atop is definitely a privilege. I personally did not know I had these records, but it does feel special to have made an impact in the program. I haven't been one to follow my personal records. I get the enjoyment out of the team's success and records, and having the most important record of winning the MCLA title is the one I will remember fondly forever. 
 
At what point growing up did you think that you could play lacrosse collegiately?
My recruitment to DU wasn't your typical recruiting story. I grew up with a majority of my lacrosse goaltending experience being with indoor lacrosse, which is more similar to hockey goaltending than outdoor lacrosse. I remember meeting Bob Clarkson for the first time after one of my indoor games in the summer. He came to scout players and meet with Cedric Soubry, who was part of the first recruiting class to DU, and who I was playing against that night. With this being an indoor lacrosse game, I was shocked to have Coach Clarkson interested in talking with me about coming to visit DU and to potentially join the program. This was the first day I believed I could play lacrosse collegiately. I left my meeting with Coach Clarkson excited and extremely nervous because I never spent time focusing on improving my outdoor goaltending skills and because I was forced to as the teams indoor goalie. I saw this as an opportunity to go to college with the chance to play the sport I love, and to meet some friends I will have for a lifetime. This was an opportunity I could not pass up. 
 
You have been able to craft out a professional career in the NLL for several seasons, what has been the secret to your longevity?
This will be my 8th year in the NLL and it has been an up-and-down eight years. I started out on the practice roster with the Minnesota Swarm waiting to get an opportunity to play which came the year after. My second year came with some successes and struggles which is normal of a rookie goaltender in the NLL. But I struggled through my early years with my confidence and belief to fit in with the teams culture to be successful. It wasn't until I was cut from the Swarm (now Georgia after relocation from Minnesota) where I played for a team called the Oshawa Outlaws of the Arena Lacrosse League who helped me find my confidence and belief within the teams culture to be successful. This is how I've come to understand the most important lesson for a starting program is the identity and culture of the team. I took this lesson with me when I received the opportunity to play with the Buffalo Bandits knowing this was my chance to help the team be successful and to continue my career in the NLL the way I wanted it to go. Through lots of hard work, dedication, and perseverance, I have been able to find my confidence and belief and now I am fortunate enough to be in a similar situation as a member of the Philadelphia Wings, who are in their second year of operation. I have the chance to continue to apply the lessons learned from my years at Davenport now in my 8th year with a fantastic organization and with a tremendous group of teammates who have built that culture which creates success.