ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Liam Linden was enjoying his first year as a Division I student-athlete at St. Bonaventure University when he received a life-altering phone call.

His mother, Christine, had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Although Christine urged her son to stay, Linden put his lacrosse dreams on hold, packed his bags and headed home to Amityville Harbor on Long Island.

"I knew that I had to go home and be there for her," Liam said.

Circumstances were challenging during the early stages of Christine's treatment and the family rallied to support her.

"She really wasn't able to do anything for a while, so we really had to pick things up on our end and take care of her," he said.

Liam remembers laying in bed one night during one of the more difficult times as Christine's treatments were making her sick.

"I knew from that point on, that if she can do this and she can fight through what she is going through, then I can get through anything in this life," Linden said.

As Christine's prognosis improved, Liam began thinking about making a return to lacrosse. He enrolled at nearby Molloy, and spent the 2022 and '23 seasons with the Lions, playing in 28 games and earning a second-team All-East Coast Conference honors in his first season.

While at Molloy, Liam took notice of the way the Roberts Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team played and eventually connected with former coach Rocky Delfino, who offered him a spot with the program.

"He brought me in like I was family," he said.

Linden sat out the 2024 season as a transfer student but has been a standout performer for the Redhawks the last two seasons.

He set a program record with 37 caused turnovers in 2025, a number he has surpassed this season with 43 heading into Wednesday's ECC semifinal at Molloy. His average of 3.58 caused turnovers per game leads the conference and ranks third in NCAA Division II.

Linden graduated from Roberts with a degree in Physical Education and is pursuing his Master's degree in Special Education. Liam has already landed a job at Ginther Elementary School in Brockport and hopes to pursue opportunities in professional lacrosse once his college career is complete.

Looking back, Liam is eternally grateful for his experiences at Roberts as both a student and an athlete.

"I love this place," he said.