Krieger Shows Character, Toughness in Crease

Japanese and lacrosse usually don’t go hand-in-hand. But for men’s lacrosse sophomore goaltender Harry Krieger, the Asian language and culture bear many similarities to the sport that he has been playing since he was five years old.

“In Japanese, you have to be assertive and confident in what you are saying,” Krieger explains. “When you’re trying to tell your teammates what’s going on in front of you as a goalie, you also have to be very assertive or you will sound like you’re not in control.”

The Crimson’s goalkeeper is having a career season—he has started all 12 games and recorded a career-high 19 saves in a comeback win against No.14 UMass on March 29—all while renewing his interest in Japanese.

“I did it through high school and then I started it again this year,” Krieger says. “I’ve learned new things about the language and culture. The program moves very fast and I love it.”

Krieger’s mother, Kathie Krieger, attributes the goalie’s interest in Japanese to family experiences.

“His older brother took Japanese and spent two summers in Tokyo,” Kathie says. “We also hosted a Japanese exchange student for a year. So that’s how he got into it.”

In addition to being an academic interest, Japanese has also inspired Krieger’s attitude on the field.

“When you’re on the field, you’re not only representing yourself,” Krieger says. “You’re also representing your family, school, and teammates. So honor and respect must always be there, which is consistent with the Japanese culture...If you’re not doing your best, you’re disrespecting your family. And in lacrosse, your team is like your family.”

With that mentality, the netminder has developed into one of the leaders of the team, despite it being only his second year on the squad.

“As the goalkeeper, you’re the last line of defense,” says Crimson coach Chris Wojcik ’96. “So you’re expected to be a leader, and this year he has emerged as one of our defensive leaders. He’s a guy that our team really looks for direction and communication on defense.”

“He’s the leader of our defense,” sophomore midfielder Ryan Stevens echoes. “He directs pretty much everything that happens on the defense side of the field. He’s like the quarterback of our defense.”

Krieger’s quick rise to leadership is no surprise to his high school coach, Rick Brocato, who says that Krieger’s approach to academics and lacrosse made him well-respected by peers and elders alike.

“He understood the value of academics, leadership, and citizenship,” says the St. Paul’s men’s lacrosse head coach. “He didn’t demand the respect of everybody; he commanded it.”

During his high school years at St. Paul’s, Krieger broke his collarbone three times playing lacrosse. As remarkable as his recoveries are, how he handled the injuries at the moment is arguably even more impressive.

“It was like having an assistant coach,” Brocato recalls. “He would help the defense and the backup goalie in understanding our defensive strategies in practice and games. He also worked really hard to strengthen the shoulder so he could come back in his best shape.”

“When you’re in high school, you’re like ‘God, there goes my chances of playing in college,’” Kathie Krieger adds. “But that never crossed his mind. He was always focused on fixing it and getting better.”

The ability to quickly overcome adversities in his mind has helped Krieger both on and off the field.

“His optimistic outlook on life is really beneficial to the team and makes him a pleasure to be around off the field,” Stevens says. “He’s a great guy who’s always upbeat and takes everything with a grain of salt.”

Yet with all of Krieger’s abilities, those who know him say his most admirable trait is his unwavering focus in accomplishing what needs to be done.

“When he gets on the field, he’s extremely focused,” his mother says. “And that’s how he is in general. He’s very detail-oriented, and you can see that in his play.”

Krieger’s focus and attention to detail has helped him develop a keen sense for the game, which enables him to provide the team with timely support.

“Once we were down a lot against Calvert Hall,” Brocato says. “But Harry made an unbelievable, point-blank save and proceeded to run the length of the field to score on the other goalie. It was a real shot in the arm. We did eventually lose the game, but our team played with a renewed confidence after that.”

With such poise and talents, Krieger appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

“Every year he gets better and we can only wait to see what he can become.” Kathie says.