SPARKS, Md. — Marcus Holman isn’t entirely unfamiliar with the number 91. It’s not the number he’s worn his entire lacrosse career — that’d be No. 1 — but it does at least represent the year he was born.
Holman sported 91 at this weekend’s U.S. Men’s National Team training camp at USA Lacrosse, vying for one of 22 roster spots that will be part of the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship next June in Tokyo. At 35, Holman was the oldest player in attendance.
It wasn’t a charity invite by head coach Seth Tierney. Yes, Holman provided invaluable insights as somebody who’s been cut (2023), who’s won gold (2018) and who’s felt the agony of earning silver (2014) in international competition, but he’s also coming off a Premier Lacrosse League season in which he was named an MVP finalist.
“Marcus Holman, first of all, has earned the right to be here,” Tierney said. “We need him here. Will he make the team? That remains to be seen. The things he’s said, the things he’s earned, he belongs here in Sparks this weekend.”
There will be clarity regarding Tierney’s self-imposed question in January after what’s shaping up to be the final training camp in Dallas. Holman is still playing at an elite level, and in Tierney’s view, has somehow gotten even smarter as a player.
One of the final players cut in 2023 before the United States won a gold medal in San Diego, Holman didn’t feel any negative emotions toward Tierney (then an assistant) and head coach John Danowski. He was still “cheering those guys on” from afar, but thoughts crept in that perhaps his USA career was over.
That didn’t mean his lacrosse career at large was finished. Holman has seemingly elevated his craft even into his mid-30s. Since being cut leading into the summer of 2023, Holman’s display case has been filled with four All-Star nods, two first-team All-Pro selections and an Attackman of the Year acknowledgement. He was a PLL MVP finalist in both 2023 and 2026.
“It’s unique, where I’m at,” Holman said. “I don’t think there’s been anyone who got cut their third go-round and tried to come back for a fourth. But I feel pretty healthy and able to, if nothing else, be a great teammate to these guys.”
Holman had veteran leaders he looked up to when he represented national teams in 2014 and 2018. Those guys — Kevin Buchanan, Matt Danowski, Kevin Leveille and Paul Rabil, to name a few — helped filter information and ease the tensions that come with trying out for a national team.
“You have a lot of alphas here,” Holman said. “Some guys tread lightly and don’t want to overstep and talk too much. For me, it’s encouraging those guys to step out of their shells and be themselves.”
His easy-going demeanor makes him an asset to have around, and even if Holman isn’t named on the final roster, you can be sure that his presence in October impacted the final team.
“He brings a little bit of a calmness with him and where he is in his career,” Tierney said. “He’s playing with house money.”
Holman has zero intentions of hanging up his cleats just yet. He said he will sign another one-year deal with the Boston Cannons, and while retirement isn’t currently top of mind, he’s done enough “prehab” to be ready for when the time is right.
He doesn’t want to become a journeyman and said retiring on a high note is admirable.
“When it’s time, it’s time,” Holman said. “When I’m done being an asset, I think I’ll be able to walk away.”
MAKING A ROSTER
Tierney admitted that coaches can be neurotic.
“They worry about things that probably never happen,” he said before a split-squad scrimmage Saturday night. “You look for a little bit of an edge, and you hope that’s the last thing that can put you over the top.”
There are more questions than answers when it comes to making this roster, in part due to injury availability and in part because of the balance of talent in the player pool. The U.S. team scrimmaged twice during the training camp instead of overloading the players with drills because Tierney thinks game situations can be eye-opening.
“We’re looking to see what actually happens in these scrimmages,” he said. “You can get a feeling from drills, but there’s nothing like scrimmages to bring out situations and the communication piece. The wanting to win and to succeed.”
Communication is a major factor for the coaching staff. Tierney wanted to see which guys would respond to having leadership thrust upon them. It’ll also showcase how certain players respond to each other.
That could be part of how Tierney deciphers the goalie room. The margins are razon-thin between the four goalies present at camp — Sean Byrne, Liam Entenmann, Logan McNaney and Blaze Riorden — as well as Anderson Moore, who helped backstop the team in Jamaica during the Pan-American Men’s Lacrosse Championship in August.
It could come down to the smallest of details when making the choice.
“I remember speaking to defensemen in years past and asking them, ‘Who would you jump in front of and take a rubber bullet for?’ It’s that chemistry piece,” Tierney said.
LARKIN'S DETERMINATION
Maybe the busiest man during training camp, AJ Larkin didn’t even spend all weekend wearing a USA jersey. He took part in camp activities Friday evening, then went to Greenwich, Conn., with his Maryland teammates on Saturday afternoon to scrimmage Army before heading back to Sparks for an evening scrimmage with the U.S.
He only played a half against Army and arrived roughly 45 minutes before the action was set to begin at USA Lacrosse. Tierney hugged him as he arrived and thanked him for being dedicated enough to make it work.
Larkin was one the only active NCAA player at camp.
