WESTERVILLE – Though he didn't begin his college journey at Otterbein, men's lacrosse senior Nathan Lewis is proud to call himself a Cardinal. After transferring midway through his freshman year, he has grown in numerous ways both on and off the field and enters his second season as a team captain.

"It ended up being a great decision for me," Lewis said of coming to Otterbein as a transfer from Aurora University in Illinois.

A midfielder from Avon, Ohio, Lewis played baseball, football and basketball during his formative years and was introduced to lacrosse in the latter stages of elementary school via a neighborhood friend. The more he played lacrosse, the more he fell in love with it. And while he started playing football in high school, he eventually quit to focus on lacrosse full time.

"I played travel ball in the summer and focused on lacrosse all year round," he said. "I loved how fast it was, and I liked how it had the physicality of football. I got pretty good at it, so I decided to stick with it."

During his freshman year at Avon High School, Lewis began considering a path to playing lacrosse at the collegiate level.

"I was in a club program in the summer, and they were starting to introduce the next steps. They pushed it because they thought it was a great idea, and the coaches for those teams were college players and coaches," he said. "From there, I thought it would be a good idea. I fell in love with the game and didn't want to give it up."

After initially attending Aurora University, Lewis decided to explore other options. Friend and fellow Avon High School graduate Jackson Jerdonek, also now a senior for the Cardinals lacrosse team, suggested that he transfer to Otterbein. Though he still wanted to play, Lewis was prepared for a transfer to be the end of his lacrosse career. However, Otterbein head coach Colin Hartnett offered him an opportunity to keep that career alive.

"Jackson got me in touch with Coach Hartnett, and I thought it would be fun to play with my buddy and be closer to home," Lewis said. "Coach Hartnett was a big selling point for me. He's been here a long time, and he told me when I was a freshman that he'd be here when I graduate, and that's still the case. I made the decision and ran with it."

As a mid-year transfer, Lewis readied himself for what he expected to be a slower-than-typical process of being ingrained within the team. After all, the other freshmen were several months ahead of him in forming bonds with teammates and learning their roles. Instead, the team quickly welcomed him with open arms.

"In my first week here, the team did a great job of including me in everything," he said. "The team culture is very inclusive in making sure everyone is comfortable."

Lewis didn't expect to get any playing time as a freshman, but injuries to other players gave him the opportunity to play in nine games off the bench that translated into 12 points coming via eight goals and four assists. That level of on-field production helped build his confidence going into his sophomore season when he found a more solidified role on the team. He played in all 17 games in 2023, starting 16 of them, and finished the season with 28 points on 20 goals and eight assists. He tied for second on the team in goals and ranked fourth in points and assists.

That momentum continued into his junior campaign when Lewis earned a spot as a team captain en route to closing the year as a Second Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree.

"I was surprised," Lewis said of the All-OAC recognition. "I knew I had a pretty good year, and I was proud of myself. But it's also a credit to my teammates."

He started all 16 of the Cardinals' games and finished with 36 points on 21 goals and 15 assists, ranking second on the team in points and third in assists.

Entering his senior season, Lewis has 76 points on 49 goals and 27 assists in 42 career games as a Cardinal. He has six career hat tricks, including a career-best four-goal game in a 17-13 win at Marietta last season. While that was certainly a highlight, he also cites last year's 13-12 victory at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., as a memorable moment.

"It was raining, and I did not play well, but my teammates did a great job, and it was a staple win to be a part of," he said.

Lewis added that the spring break trips each year have always provided great memories. The Cardinals traveled to North Carolina in 2023 and 2024 and went to Florida in 2022 and are returning there this season.

"That's another aspect of the program that I love. Those trips are so much fun," he said. "We're together the whole trip, and it's the most bonding thing we can do as a team. Coach Hartnett always says we're a different team after spring break because we were trapped together for seven days."

For Lewis, perhaps the best part about playing at Otterbein, though, has been reuniting on the field with his younger brother, Andrew, who is now a sophomore.

"Getting a couple more years with him has been awesome. Being around him outside the game, too, with hanging out on the weekends and walking to class," Nathan said. "It means a lot, and that's one of the biggest things I'll miss once this year is over is not getting to play with him anymore."

While Nathan strives to be a good role model for Andrew, that mentor relationship has proven to work both ways.

"I am older, but he can do things on the field that I can't do, so we learn from each other," Nathan said. "He looks up to me, but there are things he does that I look up to as well."

Off the field, Lewis is now a business analytics major after initially studying business administration and management. He highlights the data and text mining course he's currently taking as one of his favorites and offers high praise of Otterbein's professors.

"The professors do a great job of always being there for you, and they really want you to succeed," he said. "They might challenge you and give you some hard assignments or have you figure things out on your own, but every professor I've had has always been willing to meet and answer questions and help me."

Lewis is currently interning in an IT analytics role and plans to return to the Cleveland area to pursue a career in IT or as a business analyst upon graduation. But he's got one more season of lacrosse left to play, and it begins Saturday with a home game against Albion (Mich.). The forecasted high temperature for that contest is 34 degrees, and while playing in the cold is difficult, Lewis and the Cardinals have gotten accustomed to such conditions.

"As much as we want to talk about how tough we are and that the cold doesn't faze us, it definitely impacts us. Your hands and feet get cold pretty quick, but when you're out there, you don't feel a ton of it because you're running and getting hit," he said. "In my freshman year, we played at Albion in February, and there was snow and wind. Last year, we played there, and Coach Hartnett said that was the coldest game he had ever coached in. Your hands freeze, and your face is windburned, and your ears hurt. It's tough, but we're excited to get out there this weekend."

The Cardinals are coming off a 2024 season that saw them finish 8-8 overall and 5-4 in the OAC. They fell 21-10 at Ohio Northern in the opening round of the OAC Tournament and are eager to return to competitive action after their game at Trine on Feb. 15 was postponed due to inclement weather.

"Personally, I just want to keep building off last year. Collectively, we just want to win," Lewis said of this season's goals. "The guys who are in their fifth year and us seniors have had good careers, but as a team, I feel like we haven't done what we wanted to do. Returning a lot of guys on offense is something we haven't had in a while, so we're excited."

Being a second-year team captain is something Lewis is proud of and is a role he isn't taking lightly. While he prefers to lead by example, he has gotten more comfortable with serving as a vocal leader as well.

Reflecting on his Otterbein career thus far, Lewis has enjoyed playing for Hartnett while also forming bonds with teammates that will last a lifetime.

"Coach Hartnett is a great guy and is fun to be around. On the field, he's all business, and he's definitely made me a much better lacrosse player, and I think all the guys would say that. He's easy to talk to, and he asks about things not related to lacrosse like, 'How's school going, and how's your mom and dad, and how are your friends doing?' And he loves talking sports with us, too, which is fun," Lewis said. "And I love the brotherhood aspect of the team. I've met so many good friends and have great memories of going to eat in the dining hall as a whole team in the mornings after conditioning. We do a great job of being inclusive and treating everyone like a brother and having each other's backs. It's like your own fraternity."

Hartnett has similarly high praise for Lewis, who has displayed tremendous growth as a Cardinal.

"Nathan joined us mid-year as a freshman, and from day one, he was one of us," Hartnett said. "He is one of the most reliable and consistent players I've ever coached, and being elected captain as a junior shows the team felt the same way. Whatever success we have this year as a team will be because of our great senior class and guys like Nathan."