TJ Comizio's Move from the Main Line to the Main Stage

UTICA, N.Y. — On an afternoon when the U.S. men’s box team poured in 23 goals, it was a defensive player that set the tone.

Early in Sunday afternoon’s 23-3 win over England, T.J. Comizio was pushed to the ground from behind, resulting in a change of possession. Comizio quickly jumped up, freeing himself for a long outlet pass. He then he fed Joey Spallina on a cross-floor pass in transition for the first goal of the game.

AND JOEY SPALLINA WITH THE HEATER 🔥

USA first on the board 1-0. pic.twitter.com/4BcbLJvCBx

— U.S. Men's National Team (@USAMLax) September 22, 2024

It was one of several savvy plays from Comizio, who finished with a pair of assists and helped the U.S. defense blank England for the final 34 minutes of the game. Comizio has thrived in box lacrosse despite not picking it up until after he graduated from Villanova.

Comizio earned third team All-America honors as a shortstick defensive midfielder as a senior at Villanova in 2019, and the skills from the d-middie position transfer to box lacrosse better than most field positions, but it was the urging of Canadian and Haudenosaunee players that helped give him his shot to play in the box.

Comizio was drafted by Major League Lacrosse’s Atlanta Blaze and had a strong rookie season in the professional field game, finishing with 14 points, 43 groundballs and nine caused turnovers to earn all-star recognition in 2019. His teammates encouraged him to give box lacrosse a shot. The Blaze and the NLL’s Georgia Swarm were both owned by John Arlotta.

“Shayne Jackson, Bryan Cole, Randy Staats, Mark Matthews – those guys where there was overlap with the Blaze and the Swarm, those guys put me in touch with John Arlotta and [the Swarm] picked me up in the draft,” Comizio said. 

There was a learning curve, but Comizio was eager to pursue a new challenge.

“I did a year on the practice squad, which was kind of helpful for me to watch the games with the guys on that team,” Comizio said. “We had some pretty good players, some good defenders that kind of helped me learn the game.” 

The COVID pandemic then shut down his first NLL season early, but Comizio returned to field lacrosse that summer when he helped the Whipsnakes win the Premier Lacrosse League Championship Series in the summer of 2020 in Utah.

The NLL didn’t have a season in 2020-21, but by the time the league returned to the floor in late 2021, Comizio had earned a spot on Georgia’s playing roster.

The extra time had him prepared.

“Coming from a field background, I do think there’s a lot that translates,” Comizio said. “But it was helpful for me to have a couple of years with the Swarm and great coaches like Eddie Comeau just teaching me the game.” 

Over the last three years, Comizio has been a regular contributor for the Swarm. In 52 games, he’s had 327 loose balls, 76 caused turnovers and added 38 points.

He loves the sport.

“It’s fast, it’s physical,” said Comizio, a multi-sport athlete at the Delbarton School (N.J.). “I feel like you’re always involved in the play. You get to touch the ball a lot more as a defensive guy than you do in the field game. There’s a great energy in the box with fans and stuff.”

It’s led him to an opportunity with the U.S. national team. This year’s USA men’s box roster has more professional NLL experience than any of the previous five teams. That experience has shown up in the early stages of the tournament, which included a 16-9 victory over the Haudenosaunee Nationals on the opening night.

Comizio and his defense went up against Staats, one of the players that helped open the door to box lacrosse for him. Staats had a hat trick, but the U.S. was able to beat the Haudenosaunee for the first time ever in box lacrosse. There are big challenges left – Tuesday’s night game against five-time event champion Canada will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU beginning at 8 pm. And then comes the playoff round where the U.S. will look to keep its medal streak alive, but also improve upon five straight bronze medals.

The crowds have been vibrant in Utica and Tuesday’s game will be played at the Oneida Nation’s Mary C. Winder Community Center, where a capacity crowd is expected.

“This is by far the coolest experience I’ve had playing lacrosse,” Comizio said. “It’s the first international experience I’ve ever had and it’s been a lot of fun. I’m really proud to get the chance to do this with a great group of guys on U.S. turf. Hopefully this isn’t the peak for us, and we’re going to keep getting better, but it’s been a really, really cool experience.”