Record-setting Davis headed to UMBC
BUTLER TWP — When it came to athletics, Ayden Davis had a slew of choices.
He was a wide receiver in football. He’s a guard in basketball. He runs the 100 and 200 meters, along with competing in the long jump, in track and field.
But the Butler senior’s sport of choice? Lacrosse.
“I’ve been playing since sixth grade,” Davis said of the sport. “I love the culture of it. The American Indians used lacrosse as a type of war. I’ve always been fascinated by the sport.”
He’s pretty good at it, too.
Davis set a single-season Butler record by scoring 79 goals in the regular season last year. Counting postseason play, Davis had 83 goals and 105 points last season.
He recently signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and lacrosse career at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). The Retrievers are a Division I program that plays in the America East Conference. UMBC won that league in 2019 and 2021, along with reaching the league title game in 2022.
The Retrievers were 8-5 overall last season, 3-4 in conference play.
“UMBC is a great choice for him,” Butler boys lacrosse coach Justin Steiner said. “Ayden is a natural athlete who works at his game. I expect him to have a great career there.”
Before choosing UMBC, Davis also considered Rutgers, Towson, Richmond, Utah, Jacksonville and Lafayette. He plans to major in business management or business marketing.
“I looked at a lot of places,” he said. “I like the players at UMBC and the coaching staff. It’s a solid program that plays good competition. That’s what I was looking for.”
His goals for his final season at Butler is a simple one.
“Break that (goal scoring) record again,” he said.
Steiner believes that thought can become reality.
“Ayden is a tremendous offensive player,” the coach said. “He gets back on defense, he knows how to lead a break, he can run by people and he’s an excellent passer. He can create scoring opportunities through his teammates or by himself.
“He knows how to work himself in closer to the goal, but that’s not the only way he can score. He can snap off a strong shot and score from far out. With his speed and athleticism, he’s so hard to contain.”
One thing Davis won’t do is rest on his laurels.
“I’ll keep doing anything I can to improve ... working out, playing wall ball, practicing in the backyard, whatever it takes,” he said.
Ryan Moran is UMBC’s third head coach since 1970. He is 44-41 in seven years with the program. The Retrievers have 18 seniors on their current roster.
