Redwoods LC midfielder Kevin Unterstein has announced his retirement from professional lacrosse During his 14-year career, Unterstein won the 2015 MLL Championship with the New York Lizards and the 2018 gold medal with Team USA.

The 2021 PLL season was officially my last season of playing lacrosse. As I'll be stepping away from playing the game, I wanted to take the opportunity to thank the people who have helped to shape my career along the way.

My parents and brothers -- the most loyal of family. Thank you for being my biggest supporters day in and day out and traveling the world to watch me play. Being the youngest of four, I had some incredible examples to follow and I'm grateful to have looked up to you all.

Thank you to my wide, Melissa, and our girls, Noa and Charlee -- you're the reason for everything that I do. Thank you for being by my side unconditionally throughout the journey of my career, for being my constant motivation, for keeping me ground, and for always telling me when I play "soft" -- I love you.

My coaches and teammates -- I've been extremely fortunate to have been surrounded by such amazing people who have had a lasting impact on my playing and coaching career. I've been in the presence of some truly legendary coaches, players, and teammates and I'm humbled by the experiences I've had with them. From Shoreham Wading River and Hofstra University to the PLL and the World Games, the coaches I've had the privilege of training under have set the foundation for the kind of player and person I am today.

Thankfully, although I'm stepping away from playing, I'm not stepping away from the game completely. I'm fortunate to work for an amazing program at the University of North Carolina and coach the finest young men in college lacrosse under a truly incredible head coach. I have such a passion for what I do and I hope I can have the same kind of impact on future generations of players that my coaches, mentors, and teammates have had on me.

--Kevin Unterstein