When looking at the best players in sports, specialists are often forgotten or glanced over. However, at Quinnipiac, the story is a bit different. The men’s lacrosse team is in possession of one of the best face-off specialists, not only in the MAAC, but in the entire country.

Graduate student midfielder Demitri George is a Connecticut native from West Simsbury, a town with a population of just over 3,000 people. But being from a small town hasn’t stopped George from achieving big things, as his lacrosse career has only improved as time has gone on.

George immediately made an impact the moment he stepped onto the Quinnipiac lacrosse field, appearing in all 16 games during his first season and being named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team in 2019.

It all seemed to come naturally to George, who grew up around the sport.

“I come from a lacrosse family, since both my brothers played in college, I was thrown right into it whether I liked it or not,” George said. “Lacrosse was definitely what I wanted to focus on down the road so that’s what I’m doing here now, I got a lot of guidance on the sport from my older brother.”

During his junior year, George not only shined on the field, but off it as well. On top of winning the first of his back-to-back Faceoff Specialist of the Year Awards and being awarded the MAAC Player of the Week in April 2021, George was also named to the MAAC All-Academic team.

Choosing Quinnipiac was not difficult for George, who felt welcomed from the moment he stepped onto campus.

“I mean what’s not to love about Quinnipiac,” George said. “Beautiful campus, great coaching staff, great group of guys here, and when I came on my visit I felt welcomed and I knew this was the spot I definitely wanted to be at.”

Coming out of the Westminster School, George was destined for the next level.

“Demitri is the ultimate teammate and a hell of a guy,” former Westminster teammate Riley Larsen wrote in a statement to the Chronicle. “It’s hard to put it into words, but he carries himself in a way that’s hard to find in people.”

As of publication, the midfielder currently ranks 25th nationally in face-off winning percentage throughout men’s NCAA Division I. Ranked out of 150 eligible specialists, this places George in the top 17% of the entire country. George is usually limited to just face-offs during a normal game. Most of the time after the face-off is finished, George will run back to the sidelines and begin to immediately prepare for the next one.

So while he is clearly gifted in the sport of lacrosse, racking up multiple awards and achievements during his collegiate career, why does he limit himself to just a face-off specialist?

The answer is simple – family ties.

“My middle brother started taking face-offs in high school, he turned out to be pretty good so I said ‘Hey I’ll be your backup’ and he started training me in middle school,” George said. “Then come high school we were both on the same team on varsity and we just kept practicing everyday in the backyard which made it a lot easier on me. He was a big part of that.”

Five years into his collegiate career, he has gotten better with every passing season. He continues to put up impressive numbers for the Bobcats, yet he believes that he is far from mastering his craft.

“There is always more to learn,” George said. “You know every single game when I go back into the locker room I think about all the stuff that I could’ve done better … I’m always trying to evolve and become better.”

As George is in his final year of eligibility, the next six games on the Bobcats schedule could be his last playing lacrosse at the collegiate level. The season has gotten off to a middle-of-the-road start, with the team currently sitting at 4-3, but it’s still in control of its own destiny.

“(I) definitely still try to watch him and keep up with the program as much as I can,” Larsen wrote. “Truly a friend and one of my closest buddies.”

The team has the ability to finish the season strong and its members are well aware of that. But no matter how the season ends for the Bobcats, one thing is for certain: George has carved out a legacy at Quinnipiac that will be remembered long after he’s gone.