Francisco Rosas ’26 Represents Mexico, and the Valiants, in International Lacrosse
For much of the bus ride to the Gogcheonpo Training Center in Seogwipo, South Korea, Francisco Rosas ’26 sat with headphones on, letting music from his native Mexico fill his ears. In just minutes, he would step onto the field representing both the Mexican National Team and Manhattanville University.
Already dressed in uniform and ready to play, his phone buzzed constantly with messages from friends and teammates back home in Purchase.
“I was getting an insane amount of texts from everyone back home—sending prayers, thoughts, props and stuff,” he recalled. While he tried to stay focused on his first-round match against the Chinese National Team in the 2025 World Lacrosse Men's U20 Tournament—the premier international junior men’s lacrosse competition held on Jeju Island—Francisco also felt the weight of the moment. He was about to compete on the world stage carrying two identities: representing his heritage with Mexico while proudly wearing the Valiant name.
Finding a Home at Manhattanville
Francisco arrived at Manhattanville University in the fall of 2022 from Stratford, Connecticut, determined to pursue a degree in Sport Studies and continue playing lacrosse.
His decision to enroll followed a campus visit during high school. After meeting the men’s lacrosse coaches and touring Kennedy Gymnasium, he explored the academic side of campus as well—walking through Reid Castle and sitting in on classes.
The experience left an immediate impression.
“I liked that it was a tight community,” he said. “You could get more focus from your professors.” When his first year began, Francisco found a sense of belonging among his teammates. They lived together, trained together, and often gathered in Benziger Cafeteria after early morning practices.
“We practice at about six in the morning for two hours,” he said. “Then usually the whole team goes to breakfast together for ‘sweaty caf,’ because we’re still sweating from practice.” Over time, Francisco developed into one of the Valiants’ most dependable defensive players. Across his Manhattanville career, he has started in 33 of the 51 games he has appeared in and helped anchor the team’s defense during a period of steady growth for the program.
But lacrosse had not always been his sport.
Lacrosse Valiant Francisco Rosas '26 on the field.
Discovering Lacrosse—and a New Opportunity
Growing up in Mexico, Francisco played soccer and baseball competitively and also explored basketball, tennis, swimming, and taekwondo. It wasn’t until he moved to the United States as a teenager that he was introduced to lacrosse.
By his sophomore year at Manhattanville, he had begun to make a name for himself on the field. Around that time, teammates told him about Mexico’s national lacrosse program for collegiate players.
The team was preparing to compete in the Heritage Cup, an international tournament that spring.
Curious about the opportunity, Francisco emailed the organizers and soon found himself wearing a Mexico jersey over his Manhattanville gear and competing in the four-day tournament in Philadelphia.
The Heritage Cup brought together more than 60 teams across five divisions, with players representing universities and national heritage from around the world.
“It’s just kind of how everyone got to know one another,” Francisco said. “You’d hear things like, ‘Oh, you go there? That’s so cool. I go to Manhattanville.’”
During the tournament, he learned about an even larger opportunity: tryouts for the Mexican U20 National Team.
Determined to earn a spot, Francisco signed up for tryouts in Dallas later that fall.
“I saw some very flashy helmets. Big schools. Division I schools,” he said. “I was like, it’s going to be a dogfight.”
The Phone Call
Weeks passed after the tryout with no word.
To take his mind off the uncertainty, Francisco invited several teammates to his dorm for a movie night. The room was filled with snacks, laughter, and the low glow of the television when his phone rang.
The name on the screen read “Coach Padilla.” The room fell silent. The movie paused. Francisco answered the call and placed it on speaker.
“Everyone was just sitting there,” he said. “And as soon as Coach Padilla started talking, I knew the guys would explode if they heard it, so I put the phone on mute.”
Moments later, the news was official: he had been selected for the Mexican National Team.
The room erupted. Teammates piled on top of him, shouting and celebrating as they realized what had just happened.
Preparing for the World Stage
In the months that followed, Francisco met regularly with his national teammates over Zoom. The group included players from colleges across the United States, united by their shared Mexican heritage and their love of lacrosse.
“The Zoom meetings weren’t just a lacrosse experience,” he said. “We got to learn a lot about ourselves and each other.”
That summer, the team gathered in person for the first time at a week-long training camp hosted at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Despite meeting face-to-face for the first time, the players quickly felt like longtime teammates. They practiced twice a day, completed strength sessions, and scrimmaged throughout the week. During the camp, Francisco received another unexpected honor.
“I was announced team captain,” he said. “That was an incredible moment.”
As captain, he would not only lead his teammates but also carry the Mexican flag when the team entered the field.
Game Day in South Korea
Francisco Rosas ’26 travels with Mexico’s U20 national lacrosse team outside the tournament venue in South Korea during the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship.
When the tournament opened on August 15, 2025, Francisco stepped off the team bus outside the stadium with adrenaline racing through him. Moments later, he led his teammates down the stadium steps and onto the field.
Half a world away from Kennedy Gymnasium—the home field where he had spent years developing as a player—Francisco now stood representing Mexico in international competition.
“My heart was beating super-fast even though I looked calm on the outside,” he said.
As both teams lined up for introductions and their national anthems, Francisco stood tall with the Mexican flag in his hands. When the anthem began, he sang with pride.
From Mexico to Manhattanville to South Korea, the journey had led to this moment.
Now it was time to play.
International teams line the field with national flags during the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship, where Francisco Rosas ’26 represents Manhattanville University and Mexico.Defying Expectations
In the days leading up to the opening match, an article from Inside Lacrosse predicted Mexico would struggle against the more experienced Chinese roster, which featured several players from top U.S. collegiate programs. Mexico’s players took notice.
“A lot of the guys used that post as the background on their phones as motivation,” Francisco said.
When the game began, China lined up with a faceoff specialist from the University of Vermont who had recorded 93 faceoff wins that season. Francisco and his teammates studied film and scouting reports to prepare.
“I had a friend look up everything about him—his tendencies,” Francisco said. “Then we worked with our faceoff guy and went over film.”
As the whistle blew, Francisco stood ready in the defensive backfield. The ball struck the ground. Sticks clamped down. Then it popped free—straight into Mexico’s possession. Seconds later, Mexico surged downfield with the first possession of the tournament.
“Having a good faceoff gives you a huge advantage,” Francisco said. “Right then we knew they were beatable.”
They were right. Mexico defeated China 12–4.
Mexico’s U20 national lacrosse team on the field together during international competition at the World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship.A Moment Bigger Than the Game
For Francisco, the victory represented far more than a single game. It was the culmination of years of work—growing up in Mexico, discovering lacrosse in the United States, and developing as a player at Manhattanville. After the celebrations ended, he reflected on the people who helped him reach that moment.
“I’m a Division III athlete, and I get to play in a tournament on the other side of the world,” he said. “It’s not just me representing myself—it’s the 30 other guys on the team at Manhattanville and everyone watching back home in Mexico.”
Hours earlier, as he stepped onto the field in South Korea carrying the Mexican flag, those two worlds came together in a single moment—one that began years earlier on a campus in Purchase, New York.
For Francisco Rosas, the journey from Manhattanville to the world stage had come full circle.
About Manhattanville University
Manhattanville University (formerly Manhattanville College) is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social responsibility. “U.S. News and World Report” ranks Manhattanville among the Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. The university has been recognized among the best colleges in The Princeton Review for close to 20 years. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its diverse student body. The university serves more than 1,400 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the university offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities and 23 NCAA Division III teams.
