Ryan Tucker Retires From The Bayhawks
Baltimore, MD – Ryan Tucker, coming off his fifth MLL season, three playoff appearances and
receiving the 2019 Corum Players Choice Award has announced his retirement.
“I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been a part of the Bayhawks organization over the past three years,” said Tucker. “The attention to detail, care, and professionalism exhibited has confirmed the Bayhawks truly are the best in the business. I will forever cherish the relationships forged between my teammates, coaches, and staff. I believe it is time for me to step away and begin a new chapter in my career. I will always look back on my time spent in Annapolis with a smile.”
Ryan Tucker got his start in Baltimore, playing for the Gilman Greyhounds. Upon graduation he was listed as the No. 10 recruit in the country and No. 2 incoming midfielder by Inside Lacrosse. At the University of Virginia Tucker was a Captain, USILA All-American and a Senior CLASS Award candidate. He was drafted fourth overall out of UVA in 2015 by the Boston Cannons. His rookie season he saw action in 6 games, garnering a total of 10 points for the Cannons. At the end of the 2015 MLL season Tucker was traded to the Blaze and then in 2017 he returned to his hometown to play for the Bayhawks.
In the past three seasons Tucker has played in a total of 27 games for the Bayhawks and scored 30 goals. The final two goals of Tucker’s career came in the 2019 MLL semifinals, in the Bayhawks one-point win over the Atlanta Blaze (14-13).
The evening before the 2019 MLL Championship, where the Bayhawks would earn their sixth title, Ryan Tucker was named the 2019 Corum Players Choice Award recipient. The award is given to the player who is considered to be “the best teammate in Major League Lacrosse” and is voted on by the players themselves. Tucker has had a profound impact on the players and the overall Bayhawks team.
“It has been a pleasure playing with Ryan. He is the ultimate teammate and truly cares about the team first,” said Bayhawks starting goaltender and captain, Brian Phipps. “His passion, energy and devotion to the team helped us get to our championship last year. He was an important part to our success. I have been fortunate to know him since his younger years when his dad coached me in high school. It’s awesome to share my years on the Bayhawks with him and even better to share a championship.”
“Tuck was arguably the most selfless teammate I’ve ever played with,” said standout rookie for the Bayhawks, Andrew Kew. “He constantly had a smile on his face and always made the people around him better. He also knows the most random trivia knowledge in all of lacrosse.”
Outside of MLL play, Ryan Tucker has built a career as a teacher and head coach at Norfolk Academy. Under Tucker, the Norfolk Bulldogs were undefeated in the 2020 season, before it was cut short due to Covid-19. There is no one to better compliment a young coach’s promise than previous Bayhawks Head Coach, Dave Cottle.
“Ryan Tucker is one of the finest young men and teammates that I have ever been around,” said Cottle. “Now he will move on to his next chapter of being a great coach and teacher.”
The Bayhawks and the Chesapeake region are grateful to Tucker for returning home for the final three years of his career. He has brought an incomparable spirit to the team that will be missed.
As we look towards the 2020 NCAA Collegiate Draft, set to place May 4, Head Coach Tom Mariano will surely be looking for individuals who can emulate Tucker’s dedication, selflessness and team-first mentality. We have very big shoes to fill, but we look forward to building our next generation of Bayhawks Champions.
