You may have seen his name in the headlines in the last few weeks, as Manheim Township High School graduate Alex Ready has twice been named Big East Conference Men’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week. And on Wednesday the University of Denver (Colo.) keeper earned national accolades for his efforts when tagged as the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association/Lids Team Sports Division I Defensive Player of the Week.

That came after Ready’s 14-save performance in Denver’s overtime victory Sunday against Notre Dame - a matchup of the top-two men’s lacrosse teams in the nation.

Ready has done all of this in only his first month or so of competing in the college ranks as a freshman.

Of course, some might look at this and think it’s just another Blue Streaks’ product doing well at the next level. After all, Ready is one of 10 Manheim Township grads currently playing men’s college lacrosse - six of them are at the D-I level. But keep in mind Ready is Denver’s new starting goalie this season, with the program having made its own headlines after last season winning its first ever national title. So one can only imagine the pressure that’s been on the shoulders of the 6-foot, 1-inch, 210-pound frame of Ready.

Ask Ready about those high level of expectations, though, and he doesn’t make too much of them. He instead refers to how tough the last 24 months of his life have been since graduating from Manheim Township in 2014, and how that experience has quickly matured him while putting things in perspective a bit, which has in turn helped him make a smooth transition at Denver.

‘One of the worst years of my life’: The University of Denver was one of the last schools to recruit Ready when he was still attending Manheim Township. But Ready committed as soon as the Pioneers showed interest. Only problem was, Ready would need to attend a community college in Denver for a year - while sitting out of lacrosse for a season - to improve his grades. If that happened, he could then join the University of Denver and get his spot on the lacrosse team.

“So after high school I took a year and I actually moved out here by myself,” Ready said by phone Wednesday. “I spent the year out here by myself last year. I didn’t play lacrosse. I just took classes at a local community college all year.”

While he still exercised and kept up on his lacrosse skills by himself, that one year proved challenging, as it likely would be for anyone who graduates from high school and moves away from home and lives on their own for the first time.

“It helped me mature and grow up a little bit. I wouldn’t trade that year for anything. But it was one of the worst years of my life,” Ready said. “It was just tough. It was the first time I’d ever have something taken away in terms of not being able to play lacrosse (for a team).”

But Ready kept grinding, did well in his classes at the community college and soon found himself attending the University of Denver.

Sign up for our newsletter Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

‘I appreciate what the game brings’: The Pioneers, coming off their first national championship and in need of a new goalie after four-year starter Ryan LaPlante graduated, would have an open competition for the starting gig throughout last fall between Ready and three others.

“We came back in the spring and coach talked to me and told me I’d be the guy,” Ready said.

Surely, the task must have been quite nerve-wracking, what with being the new keeper for a defending national champion and one of the top-ranked teams in the country.

“I think there’s a little bit of pressure there but you embrace it and try to have fun,” Ready said. “Having taken off for a year, I appreciate what the game brings to me and I’m having fun with it. There’s always gonna be pressure playing for a team like this, but I’m really just trying to enjoy it.”

Additional notes:

- Ready says he got his start in lacrosse in the second grade, when a friend convinced to him play. He played alongside that friend through middle school, when the friend moved away to Baltimore. That friend is Tal Bruno, who is seeing action off the bench in his sophomore campaign for Johns Hopkins University so far this season. To top it off, Denver scrimmaged Johns Hopkins back on Jan. 30.

- Ready also played basketball in his four years at Manheim Township, seeing action at the power forward position

- Ready didn't start playing goalie on the lacrosse field until he got to high school: "Actually our first session our coach (then Kyle Wimer) asked everybody 'Who wants to try goalie?' Nobody raised their hand so I said I’d give it a try.'

- Ready tore the meniscus in his knee just two months before his senior season with Manheim Township: "I thought I would miss a chunk of the season but I rehabbed and got back in time and didn't miss any action."

- When asked when he felt he reached a point where he knew he could hold his own for Denver, Ready said after the Pioneers beat Air Force in the season opener. Ready allowed nine goals but Denver won, 10-9, with Ready tallying 13 saves. That effort earned him Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career: “I think after the Air Force game was when I was like 'OK, I can do this.' It gives you a sense of confidence. At the same time I’m never satisfied. There’s always opportunities to get better.”