Josh Balcarcel makes name for himself in Redwoods debut

There were a lot of questions surrounding the California Redwoods when they arrived in Albany for training camp. That’s only natural when there’s a new general manager, new head coach and offensive coordinator, and 15 players in camp who weren’t on the team last year.

And for all the questions about what the attack would look like or who was going to be the new starting goalie, there was one question that head coach Anthony Kelly loved getting: “Who’s that guy?”

The questions referred to the player wearing the No. 30 pinnie. And while they may not have known about him then, by the time the final whistle blew in California’s 15-12 victory over the Denver Outlaws, Josh Balcarcel made sure to leave a lasting impression.

“He’s a guy no one knows, no one is respecting, so you put a short stick on him, looking at that game, there were two or three huge moments where he broke someone down and drew a slide and we got goals out of it,” Kelly said. “He may not be rewarded on the board with goals, but he’s getting us goals. It’s a great story.”

An All-MAAC First Team selection, Balcarcel had ended his fifth year at Marist with a one-goal loss to Siena in the MAAC semifinals. He told his coaches he aspired to play in the PLL; while he acknowledged he wasn’t likely to get drafted – only one other player from Marist, faceoff specialist Payton Smith, had ever dressed for a PLL game – he just was looking for any connections to help get an opportunity. His coaches at Marist reached out to Redwoods general manager Joe Spallina, who said he loved the way Balcarcel played, but nothing came of it, and he thought his career was over.

He was supposed to graduate Friday, May 23, the first day of PLL training camp, but Foxes head coach Dave Scarcello called him that Monday.

“[He said], ‘I know you have graduation, but if you could go to training camp, would you?’” Balcarcel remembered. “I said, ‘Coach, I’d miss anything for that opportunity.’”

Spallina had put in a claim for the midfielder to be a special training camp designee, filling the camp roster in place of rookies Sam English, Carter Rice and Jack Fracyon, who were unable to travel because they were playing in the NCAA semifinals.

Balcarcel knew, coming from a mid-major program, that his name didn’t carry as much recognition compared to teammates like Dylan Molloy, Romar Dennis, Andrew McAdorey and Chris Kavanagh. That helped him feel like he had nothing to lose, though, which boosted his confidence.

The goal was just to make a name for himself.

“Me thinking that my career was over, me thinking that I didn’t have a chance, that it was all on the back burner and I lost my opportunity, and then getting that call, it kind of flipped the switch to anything moving forward, I’m just grateful to be a part of it,” he said.

He believed the best way for him to impress the coaching staff was to do whatever they asked of him. He asked a lot of questions and ran through the plays the best he could. On the field, Balcarcel’s ability shined. Kelly said he had speed similar to first-round pick McAdorey that made him able to break people down. In the team’s scrimmage against the Maryland Whipsnakes, Balcarcel scored an impressive goal off a crease dive.

Barcacel said he left everything on the field during training camp, and Kelly also noticed how much Balcarcel cherished the opportunity.

“Joe and I were laughing,” Kelly said. “We were saying he’s like our golden retriever puppy. He’s happy, tongue out, and just wants to chase balls and be there for you. He’s a kid that has massive upside.”

It was upside that Kelly, Spallina and assistant coaches Chris Bocklet and Chris Collins wanted to take a chance on. Balcarcel made not only the 25-man roster but the 19-man active roster for the season opener against the Outlaws.

The rookie earned his first professional point – also the first point by a Marist alumnus – on an assist to Kavanagh. He then scored his first goal with just under two minutes remaining in the game when he beat his man from behind the cage at X and released a shot just before the shot clock expired.

Kavanagh got the ball out of the net and gave it to Balcarcel.

“He’s a great kid, always smiling,” Kavanagh said. “We’re in the same position. We’re going through the journey together.”

Balcarcel said he gave the ball to his mom after the game as a thank-you for everything she had done for him growing up.

Scarcello was also at the game, and Balcarcel joked with him afterward about all the attention he was receiving.

“I signed more autographs today than I did the past five years at Marist,” he said.

If making a name for himself was Balcarcel’s goal, he can consider it a mission accomplished. Not only was he a popular request for autographs after the game, but the undrafted rookie’s No. 34 jersey – chosen in honor of Eddie Coombs, a former Marist player who wore the number before tragically dying in a car accident in 2011 – was the top-selling jersey in the league as of Wednesday.

The focus now, however, is to ensure he doesn’t become a one-hit wonder. Balcarcel said it’s important to not be complacent, that he needs to work that much harder than everyone to stay in this position, that the job isn’t finished. He’s also aware there may be weeks he doesn’t dress, and in those cases, he needs to be the team’s biggest supporter.

As he works toward continuing his professional lacrosse dream, he wants to make sure he uses the platform he has after an impressive first game to motivate the next generation of players.

“Hopefully, I can inspire younger guys who didn’t have as much exposure,” he said. “I just want people to know every story and every route to get to the PLL is different. I have that underdog story, so just inspiring younger guys and allowing them to have hope that you genuinely have an opportunity if you put the work in and have the proper mindset.”