Feb. 20, 2008

QUEENS, N.Y. - With one game behind them, the Red Storm lacrosse team is ready to get things started on the road against the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Saturday, Feb. 23. Senior midfielder Felix Forbes from Corning East, N.Y., sat down with RedStormSports.com to catch up with lacrosse fans before his first road trip of 2008.

Forbes, nicknamed "Feels," played significant minutes in the Red Storm's season-opener against Holy Cross on Feb. 16. In high school, Forbes helped lead his lacrosse team to the state championships in 2004. He also earned all-state honors as a quarterback for the Corning East football team.

"Felix is poised for a big senior year," said Red Storm head lacrosse coach Jason Miller. "He is a very hard worker on and off the field and has great presence in the weight room. He brings a great attitude everyday."

RedStormSports.com:What made you come to St. John's? What was your second choice and why did you finally end up coming here?
Felix Forbes: I came to St. John's for an opportunity to graduate with a four year degree and to play for a Division I program. My second choice was Hobart College but at Hobart they did not have the major I was looking to pursue. St. Johns did, which led to my decision to come here.

RSS: As a native New Yorker, why is your favorite professional team the Dallas Cowboys?
Forbes: As a young child, I was influenced by my mother who is a huge Cowboys fan. She kind of persuaded me to become a cowboys fan. It didn't really take much persuasion because at the time they were one of the top teams in the NFL, which made me even more interested in them.

RSS: After Dallas was out, which team did you root for in Super Bowl XLII?
Forbes: Sad to say but I rooted for the New York Giants, the Cowboys arch rivals. If the Cowboys couldn't win the Super Bowl, I would rather a team from their division win the championship.

RSS: What is one thing you learned since coming to St. John's?
Forbes: I learned that with hard work and determination you can accomplish anything.

RSS: What made you start playing lacrosse in the first place and why do you like it?
Forbes: One of my good friends Mike Hatton was the first person to introduce me to the sport. I played in a lacrosse tournament in Albany and I scored four goals, one of them being a game winner. From that moment on I was hooked on the game.

RSS: Which of your lacrosse teammates inspires you and why?
Forbes: I would have to say Rob Gannon inspires me the most on the team because on and off the field he works hard to achieve his goals. That type of determination inspires me to work just as hard to accomplish my own goals.

RSS: What is your favorite St. John's lacrosse memory?
Forbes: My favorite lacrosse memory was my sophomore year (2006) when we played Layette and I scored the game-tying and game-winning goal.

RSS: What is your favorite Coach Miller quote and why?
Forbes: "Hay is in the barn fellas." Coach says this the day before the game at the end of practice. It means all the hard work we put in this week has prepared us for our game and on game day we need to execute.

RSS: What is one word to describe the 2008 lacrosse team? Why?
Forbes: Unity, because we win and lose as one team. So in practice, if we feel that we are not performing our best it's not just one or two of us that gets punished it's the whole team.

RSS: What can you do better this Saturday at Quinnipiac?
Forbes: I want to be more aggressive in my dodges. When we play Quinnipiac a more aggressive dodge gives our offense more opportunities against their defense.

Check back with RedStormSports.com next week to meet senior attackman Rob Gannon!

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