Sophomore Summer: Quinn Moore of Men’s Lacrosse

By: Justin Lafleur

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Throughout the summer, DartmouthSports.com will be focusing on members of the Class of 2025 who are currently in their “Sophomore Summers” presented by the Norwich Inn.
 
This installment focuses on Quinn Moore of the men’s lacrosse program.
 
DartmouthSports.com: What have you been doing during your sophomore summer?
Quinn Moore: Sophomore summer is my off term, so I have been living in Hanover, but not taking classes. My days start every morning with a 6:30-8:00 workout with the rest of my teammates who are on campus right now and the hockey guys who are on campus. I have recently started to work at Ramunto’s in town and volunteer at Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction. The rest of my free time usually consists of playing lacrosse or basketball or hanging out at the river with my friends. I’ve also played more golf than I ever have, but I’m still terrible at it. It’s been really nice so far to have a whole summer with access to all of our facilities to really focus on getting better. My teammates and I have been trying to take advantage of the unique opportunity that we have to be able to push each other when we would typically be training on our own during this time. It has also been really nice to have the time to make better friendships with people outside of my team who I normally wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with.
 
DS: What is your favorite place on campus?
QM: I’d say that my favorite place on campus is easily Scully-Fahey field. We’re lucky enough to play on, what is in my opinion, one of the most underrated settings in college lacrosse. All the trees behind the field really make it feel like we’re in “The Woods” and I don’t think there’s a more beautiful place on campus when the trees are covered in snow. It’s also probably the place where I spend the most amount of my time. I’d say some of my hardest moments at Dartmouth have been on Scully, but also most of my memorable moments have been at Scully. The relationships I’ve made with my teammates have been the best part of my Dartmouth experience and most of them have been developed on the field or in the locker room at Scully. 
 
DS: What was it in the recruiting process that sold you on Dartmouth?
QM: Dartmouth was an easy choice for me as soon as it became an option. I had always known I wanted to play lacrosse at an Ivy League school, but Dartmouth jumped out to beyond its Ivy League status. When I first visited, I immediately felt the strong community that is fostered by both the location and size of Dartmouth. I knew this could easily be a place for me to call home for four years. I was also sold by the culture and vision that the players and coaching staff had for the program. I could see that the program was on the verge of really improving and I wanted to be a part of it. 
 
DS: If you could play another sport at Dartmouth, what would it be and why?
QM: My dad played football at the University of Oregon, so I have always loved football and wanted to play like him, but he never let me as a kid. I was allowed to play in high school, but I was already focused on soccer and lacrosse at that point. I ended up quitting soccer after my sophomore year and have always wished I just played football to start high school. So my answer would definitely be football.
 
DS: Other than your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life?
QM: I would say that all of the teammates I’ve had have had the greatest influence on my life outside of my parents. I’ve learned more life lessons playing sports than anything else I’ve done in my life. In my opinion, there is no better way to prepare yourself for life in the real world than playing any team sport. My teammates have taught me how to be a better person by example. There’s nothing like being in a locker room with 40 guys from completely different backgrounds, with different views and beliefs, and being able to come together and work towards a common goal.
 
DS: What has been your best on-field memory thus far in your Dartmouth career?
QM: My best on-field memory in my Dartmouth career was easily beating Harvard in OT this year. We hadn’t won an Ivy League game since 2015 up until this year, and that was a huge piece of motivation for my teammates and I. We all felt like we came here to change things around, so winning a conference game was the first step in the right direction for us. I remember dropping a pass in OT on what would’ve been a shot to potentially end the game. Harvard picked the ball up and called a timeout and I think I was more nervous during that time out than any other time in my career. Thankfully, our defense made a big stop, Brandon Ventarola made a gutsy decision to push it in transition, and Colin McGill was able to tap the rebound in. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to replicate that feeling in another conference game this season, but I think we made steps in the right direction and have been left with even more motivation to win a few more of them next year.
 
DS: What is your favorite food to eat the night before a game?
QM: When I was younger, I’d usually have penne vodka with grilled chicken the night before games. I haven’t yet found a routine meal for the night before games, but I think I’ve ordered Chipotle every single time we’re on the road. I usually go with a bowl with white rice, double chicken, veggies, mild and medium salsa, corn and cheese.
 
DS: What would be your best advice to your 15-year-old self?
QM: I would tell my 15-year-old self to just keep working hard. As a 15-year-old I probably worried too much about how other people compared to me, whether that be academically, socially or athletically. I would tell myself to just be patient and trust that my hard work would eventually pay off.