For Zack and Sydney Mentzer, York College Spartan lacrosse is a family affair. The siblings are in their second year together at York College.
Zack is a grad student playing short-stick defensive midfield for the Spartans, while Sydney is the do-it-all midfielder for the nationally ranked women’s squad. How they got to York is two very different tales. Zach was a multi-sport standout at Red Lion High School. In the fall, he was the Lions’ starting quarterback. In the winter, he was a starter on the boy’s basketball team and in the spring, he was a standout on the lacrosse field.
After touring a number of Division III institutions in the mid-Atlantic region, he decided to be a part of Brandon Child’s Spartan men’s lacrosse program. As Zack was choosing a college, Sydney was starting out on her path at York Catholic High School as a freshman. Zack’s career began like most freshmen. Learning the ropes and understanding his role as he adjusted to the collegiate game. He saw action in three games in the COVID shortened 2020 season. The 2021 saw him be a bigger part of the Spartan rotation and 2022 saw him take off and establish himself as one of the best short stick defensive midfielders in the MAC Commonwealth.
While Zack was getting his footing at York, Sydney was becoming one of the best high school players in York County. She was getting looks from several Division I programs. Her performance at York Catholic and the summer circuit were drawing rave reviews from a number of D1 coaches.
Fast forward to the fall of 2022 when Sydney was getting ready to head to Elon University for her freshman year. She started to have second thoughts and decommitted from the Phoenix program. She gave Spartan head coach Jen Muston a call to see if Muston was interested in having her join the York College program.
“I already had a great relationship with Coach Muston prior to enrolling at York,” said Sydney. “My parents would always sign up for the York camps when I was younger which allowed me to already be familiar with the campus and the athletic facilities. It made it an easy choice to come to York. I loved that Coach Muston had built a great program and is driven to win. I wanted to be coached by someone who would drive me to be my best. It’s been a great fit for me.”
That relationship allowed Sydney to seamlessly integrate into the York College program. It was also clear that Sydney would play a key role in the Spartan squad from day one on campus. While Zach was having a strong senior campaign, Sydney was establishing herself as one of the top players in the Commonwealth. She earned the Commonwealth Rookie of the Year award in addition to being a first-team MAC All-Commonwealth selection. She helped lead the Spartan program to a MAC Commonwealth title and the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.
“It was great to see Sydney come in and make a pretty big impact for the women’s team,” said Zack. “Seeing her be very successful as a freshman was great and it is great to have her around.”
Sydney credits her big brother with making the transition to York easier. “Zack made the adjustment to college easier,” says Sydney. “I can always go to him if I need help or advice. I also love going to his games and being able to support him.” Having both Zack and Sydney as a part of the Spartan lacrosse program has been a blessing for their parents, Jeff and Amy. They have always been a consistent presence at their children’s games and having Zack and Sydney at the same school has given them the ability to see more games than they would have otherwise. Spartan doubleheaders really make it easier for Jeff and Amy to see their kids compete.
“My parents have a rule that one parent has to be at our games,” said Sydney. “We always know that we have at least one of our parents who was going to be there supporting us. We are very fortunate to have that situation and it means a lot knowing that our parents are at our games.”
“We are very lucky to have our parents be able to come out and support us,” states Zack. “I can usually hear my dad supporting me and the team.”
As Zack closes out his Spartan career, he is appreciative of the chances he has had at York College.
“I have gotten a great education, played in a high-level lacrosse program, and had a great experience at York,” said Mentzer. “I want to be able to go out and have a great season as we try to win another MAC Commonwealth championship and go to the NCAA Tournament. Then I can retire and watch Sydney play as a junior and senior.”
Zack is closing out his career that has seen him play 75 career games as he has 28 career points on 13 goals and 15 assists. He has added two game-winning goals, 85 ground balls, and 64 caused turnovers for the Green and White. He has earned MAC All-Commonwealth honors in 2022 and 2023. He has been an excellent student at York as he graduated with a Sport Management degree and is pursuing a graduate degree in Strategic Leadership and Management. Zack and his teammates open conference play on Saturday at home against Albright.
Sydney is an Early Elementary Education major who has the ability to leave York with her name stamped all over the Spartan record book. She has played in 31 career games and has recorded 72 points on 67 goals and five assists, while she also has 59 ground balls, 47 caused turnovers, and 99 draw controls heading into MAC Commonwealth play starting on Saturday at Albright. Zack believes that their choice of York College has been the best for both of them. “We took different paths to get to York but we are both glad we are here,” said Zack. “We will both look back fondly on our time here and always be Spartans.”
