MORGANTOWN — Nate Goldcamp was tired of being bored in the spring when the weather turned warm.
Not much of a baseball fan as a fifth-grader, there weren’t many options out there, until a neighbor suggested Goldcamp give lacrosse a shot. Six years ago in North Central West Virginia, lacrosse was a niche sport starting to gain popularity.
“My neighbor always played lacrosse so he convinced me to finally try it, and I played with the middle school team. It really started to become a passion later in middle school.”
Now a junior, Goldcamp is the top offensive threat for Morgantown High, leading the Mohigans with 42 goals and 22 assists. The next-closest scorer, Ethan Yost, has 13 goals and 11 assists.
Goldcamp recalls being offensive-minded from his initial playing days at South Middle.
Once he reached MHS, however, it was slow to catch its footing.
Goldcamp’s first experience in high school wasn’t an easy one. The Mohigans, typically one of the state’s powerhouse programs, closed the 2017 season with a losing record.
Two years later, Morgantown (10-3) enters the postseason as one of the favorites to win the WVSLA championship, which would be the program’s sixth. The last was in 2012.
“Everyone has been working hard for a couple years now and it is nice to see where that work has gotten us,” Goldcamp said. “The biggest difference between then and now is experience with the team as a whole. We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores then that have become great players. There were some players that had been introduced to lacrosse but now, with work and a few years playing, have become key parts of the team.”
Goldcamp began to feel most comfortable last year as a sophomore and started to put up impressive numbers. Coach Jeremy Bennett knew then how important he would be to MHS’s success this year.
His attitude is what makes Goldcamp so special, according to Bennett.
“Nate is a hard-working, yes-sir, no-sir kind of player,” Bennett said. “He’s always asking ‘What can I do to get better?’ With an attitude like that, he’s very easy to coach. He plays the game the right way. He plays with effort, always looking for an assist just as much as a goal.”
Coming off an overtime loss to University last Friday, the Mohigans look to rebound at Harrison County at 7p.m. Tuesday.
