Morgan Cheek is a third-generation student-athlete at Harvard University. And the sophomore from Wellesley is carrying on the family legacy quite well for the Crimson men’s lacrosse team.
The 6-f0ot-1, 200-pound attack exploded for a program-record tying nine goals in the Ivy League semifinals against Brown, pacing Harvard to a 14-12 upset of the Bears. A second-team all-Ivy selection, Cheek ranked second on the Crimson (8-8) in goals (36), assists (24) and points (60) and was third in ground balls (35). Harvard was later derailed by Yale in the final, 14-9.
His speed, strength and ability to change direction and make plays with either hand have presented a tough challenge for opposing defenders.
“If you take away one side he can beat you the other way,’’ said Harvard head coach Chris Wojcik of Cheek, a 20-year-old history and science major. “The Wednesday before the Brown game he had such an outstanding practice his teammates were even awed by it.’’
A soccer and lacrosse captain at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, and a US Lacrosse All-American, Cheek led both teams in scoring his junior and senior seasons. His brothers are also standout multi-sport athletes at Nobles: Watson, a Harvard-bound senior captain (17 goals, 33 assists this season) and Hayden, a sophomore attack (29 goals, 32 assists).
His mother, Charlotte Joslin, was the first female in Ivy League history to earn first-team league honors in three different sports; his father, Leslie Cheek IV played JV hockey and his grandfather, Jim Joslin, was a three-time football letter winner.
Q. What made the practice prior to the Brown game so special for you?
A. I had worked hard the whole season and things just started to click. My moves came more naturally, almost without thinking about them that day. I left practice feeling good knowing that my game was coming together.
Q. After a seven-goal, seven-assist freshman season, what did you work on?
A. I played a good amount my freshman year and started the last two games. I went into the summer knowing I could contribute in a major way. So I hit the gym at Harvard every day, played box lacrosse with the US Under-19 team at the World Games in Canada and did a lot of extra shooting at our goalie, Robert Shaw.
Q. Your lacrosse coach at Nobles, Tom Resor, said you and your brothers share common traits of competitive fire and a feel and vision for the game. Do you agree?
A. Yes. The competitive part is the biggest piece of it. Our fun games at home in the backyard could get very heated, not as much now because we’re more mature. It set a tone where we always wanted to one-up the person we were playing against.
Q. In what perspective do you put your nine-goal game?
A. It’s validation for a lot of hard work but it hasn’t changed my approach to wanting to get better. The number of goals isn’t necessarily a standard for me. The goals came because I tried play an all-around game and was so absorbed in winning I wasn’t even aware of the total until late in the game.
Q. Were you ever coached by a family member?
A. My mom coached me in Wellesley Youth Lacrosse when I was in fourth and fifth grade. She also taught me to throw and catch even before then and it was fun to have her with me. She really knew her stuff.
Q. How did you choose your majors?
A. Although I hope to enter the finance world after graduation, I chose history and science because they were an area of interest. The opportunity to combine them was a natural progression.
Q. You also played box lacrosse in Canada two summers ago. How has that form of lacrosse improved your game?
A. It’s really physical so it toughens you up. It’s really fast so you need the stick skills and you need to be more creative in order to keep up with the pace of the game.
Q. What were your favorite classes in high school?
A. Junior and Senior English and AP Biology. I had great teachers in all three. I enjoyed creative writing and learning about Shakespeare and biology gave me different perspectives about science.
Q. What is your favorite family destination?
A. Summertime at our house in Blue Hill, Maine. We play lacrosse on our lawn and enjoy all kinds of water sports. It’s a great time to relax before heading back to school and to practice.
Q. How has your soccer experience helped your lacrosse game?
A. The conditioning and running have definitely carried over.
Q. What are your plans this summer?
A. I’ll stick around for the most part, but also participate in the Tuck Business Bridge Program at Dartmouth, an intensive introduction to business fundamentals.
MARVIN PAVE
For full interview go to bostonglobe.com/west.
