The first time the Connor brothers played together, younger brother Liam Connor was called in to play on Rory Connor’s youth flag football team in Port Washington, N.Y. While the sport they play together has changed, their relationship has not.
Now the two dominate on offense for the Georgetown University men’s lacrosse team. Off the field, the brothers love hanging out with each other, going to get food and getting extra practice in. Together, on the field, they have become a dominant offensive force for a nationally-ranked, championship-contending team.
Graduate attacker Rory Connor’s 34 goals this season lead the team and land him third in the NCAA for goals per game. His brother Liam is a junior attacker whose 30 assists lead the team and put him atop the NCAA in assists per game. Last offseason, Head Coach Kevin Warne and Assistant Coach John Hogan convinced the brothers to transfer from Colgate University.
Rory Connor said his father had a big influence on pushing them to play lacrosse.
“Our dad actually played lacrosse at the University of Maryland, graduating back in 1990,” Rory Connor told The Hoya. “He definitely put the stick in our hands at a pretty young age. I was probably three or four years old and he was rolling tennis balls at me in the basement. Our dad got us into the game and then we fell in love with it from there.”
While echoing his brother’s sentiments, Liam Connor also pointed to his older siblings’ influence as the driving force behind his introduction into lacrosse.
“Seeing Rory and then our older brother Owen, play and see how much fun they were having with the basic element of the game — once I saw them doing it, being the younger brother, I just naturally wanted to join them and do the same thing,” Liam Connor told The Hoya.
While the Connor brothers have been playing on the same lacrosse team for the last few years, their camaraderie stretches back to childhood. Liam said he loved playing with his older brother, even if it meant being the goalkeeper.
“On one of Rory’s teams, they were having goalie troubles,” Liam Connor said. “So I got to step in the cage for a couple games. I’m not sure that I was the greatest goalie, but I obviously loved being out there, playing with him.”
However, the two brothers have only recently started to play on the same line over the past few years, which Rory Connor said has given them a special connection.
“In high school, we unfortunately didn’t get to play together all that much,” Rory Connor said. “It wasn’t really until my junior year, Liam’s freshman year at Colgate, that we really started playing together a bunch.”
“That year I played attack and Liam played middle,” Rory Connor added. “Then the following year was the first time that we played on the same attack line. So that was definitely special and it has been so much fun these past two years in particular, running on the same attack line together.”
In their season debut with Georgetown, the Connor brothers combined for 7 goals and 13 points. In the Hoyas’ most recent game, the brothers combined for 8 goals and 10 points against Providence College. Last spring, the two combined for 6 goals and 9 points in Colgate’s Patriot League Championship victory over Boston University.
When Rory Connor had one year of college eligibility remaining last offseason, he said he decided to transfer to Georgetown.
“My freshman year at Colgate, I broke my foot and had to get surgery, so I missed enough of the season that year to get a medical redshirt,” Rory Connor said. “But it’s definitely a bit of a blessing in disguise because I knew I had an extra year of eligibility that I couldn’t use at Colgate because there was no graduate school.”
Liam Connor said he wanted them to stay together after his brother’s transfer.
“Going through the end of the year last year at Colgate, it was so special to get to play with Rory for two years,” Liam said. “I think after looking ahead at my future and trying to figure out what that looks like, I ultimately decided to enter the transfer portal.”
The decision to transfer was a tough one, both brothers said, but Georgetown’s winning culture and welcoming coaching staff were key factors. Rory Connor said it also didn’t hurt that their mom went to Georgetown.
“Fortunately, Coach Warne and Coach Hogan reached out and made me excited about the opportunity to come to Georgetown,” Rory Connor said. “It was a no-brainer to come to Georgetown, with the winning culture, the coaching staff and the guys on the team here. My mom also went here so I’ve always liked Georgetown from a young age.”
Liam Connor said his transfer decision took some more time.
“My process was a bit different,” Liam Connor said. “Something that I was pretty grateful for is that I was reached out to by different schools and Rory did a great job of staying out of it and letting me explore different options.”
“Meeting with Coach Warne and having Jack Schubert come and show me around campus, made me feel that this place really fit,” Liam Connor added. “I really believed everything that Coach Warne said and from the second I stepped on campus I could feel just how much this team loves each other.”
One of the advantages of having the Connor brothers on the same team, apart from them both being star players, is that they have built-in brotherly chemistry, Liam Connor said.
“There’s definitely an element of trust and trust comes from hard work,” Liam Connor said. “Growing up as Rory’s brother, seeing him going up to the field to shoot extra, I know the work that he’s put in as an individual.”
Since 2018, Georgetown has won seven straight Big East championships, which also gives them an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Despite the strong conference success, the Hoyas have failed to advance past the quarterfinals in this stretch. This trend continued last year, with Georgetown falling to No. 2 University of Maryland in the quarterfinals after upsetting No. 7 Duke University in the first round.
Rory Connor said the team’s goal for the season, as well as his own, is continued dominance in the Big East.
“The first goal that has to happen is winning the Big East championship, which everyone, aside from me, Liam and the freshman, have done at least once,” Rory Connor said. “So that’s a goal that a lot of people have already checked the box for but we’re still hungry to get one more.”
Liam Connor added that taking the season day-by-day is essential.
“One of Coach Warne’s biggest sayings, something that I write down in my notebook frequently, is just about going 1-0,” Liam Connor said. “Whether that’s having a great day at practice or winning each game we play, if we’re able to go 1-0 consistently throughout the course of the season, we’re going to be in a good spot when the year finishes up.”
Offering advice to young lacrosse players looking to play at the collegiate level, Liam Connor said hard work has propelled him to success.
“Your college career is not going to be defined by who reaches out to you on September 1st,” Liam Connor said. “I’m still trying to reach my highest potential, but the coaches and my hard work have served me pretty well so far.”
“If you really love playing lacrosse and you love the game then the hard work is actually fun. Whether it’s shooting against the wall or going to practice everyday, it’s something that Liam and I have been fortunate enough to enjoy putting in the work,” Rory said.
While Liam Connor still has another year of eligibility, Rory Connor is nearing the end of his career. He reflected on his short time left, saying his love for the game leads to how much fun and enjoyment he gets out of playing lacrosse.
“You only have so many days left playing the game,” Rory Connor said. “Last year was my senior year, I was lucky enough to have a fifth year but I know that in a couple weeks my lacrosse career is going to be over.”
“I don’t take a moment for granted,” Rory Connor added. “Whether you’re a junior in high school, just know that the clock is ticking and it’s a game that is supposed to be fun. Just having fun with it and enjoying it everyday makes it that much more fun.”
