All in the Family, an Endicott Athletics Sibling Featured Story

This photo is a four-photo collage featuring eight Endicott student-athletes that make up four sets on siblings on campus. Pictured (clockwise)are Jessica and Carter Glenn of the Endicott women's and men's lacrosse teams, Chad and Troy Riorden of the men's volleyball team, Conner and Evan Couchot of the men's soccer team, and Catie and Chris Lipscomb of the women's and men's basketball teams.

Pictured (clockwise): Jessica and Carter Glenn, Chad (right) and Troy Riorden, Conner (right) and Evan Couchot, Catie and Chris Lipscomb

Posted: Sep 22, 2016

By Annie Jenkins

BEVERLY, Mass. — "Family is…" Troy Riorden (Fairport, N.Y.) '18 paused to carefully consider my question as younger brother, Chad '20 nodded in agreement when Troy opened his mouth to speak.

"It's everything. It's stronger than anything. Those are the people who will have your back 'til the day you die," said Troy.

His words resonated through the echoing walls of the racquetball court, the only quiet spot to meet in the Post Center on a busy Tuesday morning. I soon knew this was exactly how I wanted to start this story.

With the annual Homecoming, Hall of Fame, and Family Weekend celebrations at Endicott College just a day away, I was searching for a way to put a different spin on the yearly gathering of past and present Gulls who flock back to campus, and was inspired by the number of Endicott students off the top of my head I could name who chose to share their college experience with a brother or sister.

So I dug a little deeper.

In fact, according to data provided to me by Mr. Thomas Redman and his staff in Admissions, Endicott's freshman class of 2020 boasts 45 legacies, meaning 45 new students on campus this fall currently have, or have had a mother, father, sister, or brother also attend the College.

Overall, there are about 150 students of the school's 2,730 current undergraduate population who share this family connection, taking what we like to call "Forever A Gull" to a whole other level.

To break that down even further, as it turns out, there are roughly six pairs of siblings competing in some fashion for the Gulls in 2016-17, coupled with countless families to come through the College in its history, so I set out to sit down with four current families to find out all about them as student-athletes, siblings, professionals, and above all, people.

They're teammates. They spend a lot of time together. They trust each other. There's maybe even a little healthy sibling rivalry wafting through the air down the hallway leading to the locker rooms. If you're wondering what the smells like, I suggest you ask whomever is on laundry duty.

MVB: Troy (Jr.) and Chad (Fr.) Riorden [Fairport, N.Y.]

FB/MBB and WBB: Chris (Sr.) and Catie (So.) Lipscomb [West Springfield, Mass.]

MSOC: Conner (Jr.) and Evan (Fr.) Couchot [Mason, Ohio]

MLAX and WLAX: Carter (Sr.) and Jessica (Jr.) Glenn [Underhill, Vt.]

TROY '18 AND CHAD '20 RIORDEN

FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS

First, I met with Endicott men's volleyball brothers, Troy '18, and Chad Riorden '20, the sons of Ed and Michele Riorden of Fairport, N.Y., (which in case you were wondering, is about a seven hour drive from Beverly.)

Troy is a junior outside hitter studying finance, while Chad, a Business Management major, is a freshman setter looking to step onto the court with his brother when the four-time defending NECC champs begin the 2017 season ready to contend for the program's fifth title under head coach George Chapell '08.

Troy, the oldest of the Riordens' four children, got into playing volleyball because his best friend tricked him into attending tryouts, but soon "fell in love" with the sport.

He first remembers hearing about Endicott when his Fairport High School buddy and current Gulls' teammate, Ryan Sutherland, headed off to Beverly.

Once Troy got the idea in his head that he wanted to play volleyball, "It [Endicott] was always on the radar because there are not too many opportunities to go D3 for men's volleyball."

When asked why they chose Endicott, Troy summed it up perfectly, "I visited a lot of schools, and from the first time I stepped on campus, it was just an overwhelming feeling of community that I didn't feel anywhere else."

For Chad, "Basically, all my stories just end up being following in his footsteps… because I always wanted to be him. So that's why I became a business major, came here, played baseball and volleyball and did everything he did growing up."

Right away, I could tell that Troy and Chad belonged at Endicott, just by how they interacted with each other and the way they carried themselves, so it didn't surprise me when Chad thoughtfully selected the following three adjectives to describe his big brother "T".

"T's probably the NICEST person you'll ever meet, I don't think I could find one person on campus who would say one bad thing about him," said Chad. "He's a LEADER, he has led me through everything in life. We've been on many sports teams together and he's been my captain, my leader, throughout all that. He's FUNNY. He's a funny dude and fun to be around."

LEADING THE WAY

In just a few short weeks of being back in Beverly, Troy has been helping Chad get acquainted with the campus, teaching him the ins and outs of the College's three beaches (they like Tupper the best), though with never enough time in the day, there are still "a ton of cool places around here that I've got to take him. There's a place with a patio near College Hall that I'd love to show him," said Troy.

When I asked the Riorden brothers to tell me more about their family and what they enjoy doing as a family, they beamed with pride.

"They're a lot like us. They're nice people, we couldn't have grown up in a better house," offered Troy.

I also learned that Chad has a twin sister, Shaughnessy, and their little sister, Brynn, is the youngest of the family.

Together, the Riordens like to listen to Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" as a family.

"Every single thing I've been through, my family has been there for me. My family as in my parents, my sisters, my dogs, my brother. They've been there for everything for the goods and bads and if you don't have your family, I imagine it'd be a very empty feeling," said Chad.

When I asked Troy if he had any big brotherly advice for Chad, academically, athletically, and professionally, he said, "Just keep doing what you're doing. Stay within yourself, don't try to do too much. Just take in every moment because it goes too fast."

TEAMMATES FOR LIFE

So not only are the Riorden brothers both walking around campus these days, but they'll also be on the same court once again come January. So just how does Troy feel about having his little brother at Endicott?

"I couldn't be more excited!" said Troy. "I can't wait for him to experience some of the things that I have and have his own experiences as well!"

Being a member of a sports team at Endicott offers the opportunity for lifelong friendships and special bonds to be formed.

When I asked Troy what he likes most about being on a varsity team here, he emphasized the importance of teammates.

They [the bonds] are stronger than just about anything that you could find as you progress further in life. I know I'm going to stay in contact with the guys on my team for the rest of my life, even the guys who've graduated, we still talk all the time and they come visit every once in awhile and I go visit them."

It's never too early to think about the future, but it's also good to reflect on where you've been and where you are right now.

Though it's still two years away for Troy, I asked him what he hopes to leave behind when his volleyball playing days are over.

"I would hope that when people think of me… they think kindness, how he was just a very nice person. When people see us, to know how close we are and how close of friends we are, not just brothers."

"Our mom always told us this: 'If you went up to a person to ask them what they think of someone, you wouldn't one person to say a bad word about you, so that's how you should try to live," said Chad.

Family Superlatives

Who is the family favorite?	Chad: Points to Troy. \| Troy: I'm not going to deny it. \| Chad: I'll give him that one.
Who's the better driver?	Troy: I'm a terrible driver. \| Chad: I'll take that one.

CHRIS '17 AND CATIE '19 LIPSCOMB

"Being part of the Lipscomb family is definitely unique, in a sense that you never know what you're going to get," said Chris Lipscomb (West Springfield, Mass.) a Sport Management major, who competes on both the football and men's basketball teams as he has all four years.

When I scheduled a time to meet with the Lipscombs, Chris was hurrying back from football practice and called to say he was running a bit behind, which impressed me that he made the time to call someone he barely knew. Meanwhile, Catie, a sophomore guard on the women's basketball team, chatted with me while we waited for Chris.

When Chris arrived at our designated meeting place in the Post Center, I joked about Chris and Catie both being so busy that maybe tonight was the first time they've seen each other all week. They laughed. But actually, it probably was, but not for any other reason than just conflicting schedules.

They come from a close-knit family at home that extends to parents Deb and James, half-sisters Shanti and Tamika, grandmother, and two little cousins, Tim and Elizabeth Hourihan, that they consider to be a brother and sister, all living under the same roof.

What does FAMILY mean to you?

Catie: "Family to me means just supporting each other in every way possible. Being there when things get tough, just pretty much loving each other no matter what."

Chris: "To piggyback off her answer, to be there when things are good, to when they're tough. It's that backbone that you have that you know you can go back to talk about anything. Somebody that supports you and you are always going to support them."

When I asked them to describe each other with three adjectives, they came up with the following.

Catie about Chris: "Kind-hearted. Protective. Headstrong."

Chris about Catie: "She's TOUGH in multiple ways. She's SMART. She's LOVING."

What's the best family holiday you celebrate together?

"Thanksgiving and Christmas are awesome holidays just because we see both sides of the family for both of those, mom's side and dad's side," said Chris.

Catie: "See, I really think Christmas," Catie chimed in, "Because of Tim and Elizabeth's faces when all the presents are down there. Because they're young, they are 10 and six... But, Thanksgiving is good, too."

While Chris and Catie might have a slight difference of opinion in which holiday is better, they were in absolute agreement when it came to the holiday meal of choice.

"Every holiday is great because my mom makes mac-and-cheese," said Catie.

I then asked if that was the family's favorite food, and Chris and Catie smiled.

"That's about the only thing she can cook, actually," added Chris, "You can throw that in there, so she knows we said that."

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Going on four years of college and countless hours of practices, Chris reflected on how Endicott has helped shape his life and find a place where he fits in because of the relationships he has built with teammates, coaches, and professors.

"You know, you call somewhere 'home' where you spend time with your family and I spend a lot of time with my Endicott family here," said Chris.

"Definitely the team aspect helps; you've got friends right away and they become family," Catie added. "And then having Chris here, whenever I am uncomfortable, I can always text him and just talk to him and that is good."

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Chris started playing soccer first, then began basketball at age five. He stopped playing soccer his sophomore year of high school to try football.

"I was never allowed to play football before that because my mom never let me. I played football my sophomore year and fell in love with it. I got on the field right away that year and definitely found my groove in it. I just kind of took it from there and ended up doing both sports here," said Chris.

For Catie, she discovered basketball in Kindergarten with her dad, James, as her coach all the way through sixth grade in AAU basketball and it's something she kept up with, even though in the end she had to choose between her love of soccer and basketball.

"Growing up, my dad used to always talk to me before games with like a pump up speech for both of us. It was a conversation to try to get us focused," said Chris. "He still even today will do that, but instead of in person, he'll give me a call on a Friday night before a football game and just talk to me, not even necessarily about football, but just to get me focused on what I have to do tomorrow."

WHY ENDICOTT?

"I first heard about Endicott because two of my friends from high school were seniors when I was a junior, said Chris. "They were going to Endicott and had already known they were going to Endicott really early their senior year and that was my junior year right when recruiting was really going on, so I knew about the school, but when they started recruiting me is really when I heard and figured out that this was somewhere where I'd want to be."

Chris said he actually chose the College for a couple different reasons. "Academically, to start, everybody picks Endicott for the internship program, it's a great place to start. But the academic experience I was going to get from a hands-on learning aspect and like a small classroom size where I could really have a personal relationship with a professor, and the Endicott community I kind of fell in love with when I first stepped on campus," said Chris. "After my first visit, I just knew this is where I saw myself for four years and athletically it was a place that would allow me not to have to choose between football and basketball, which has worked out pretty well for me so far."

For Catie, persuasion played a role. "At first, my parents really wanted me to go here because it would be easier for them to go to both games. But I was like, 'No, I'm not going here… I'm not going to school with my brother.' And then I started coming here to all his games and I loved the campus… And he was having a great time, so I started thinking about it 'so I guess I could go to school with him."

ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR LITTLE SIS

As Chris is gearing up for his final seasons wearing the Blue and Green, he took a moment to offer some advice to his little sister in terms of athletic, academic, and professional endeavors.

"My advice for you would be to really just keep doing what you're doing, you've done a really good job in my eyes, and in a lot of other people's opinions on campus in your first year and a couple weeks, Catie. "Just stay ahead of the game, you know, always know where you want to go and make sure you're doing the right things to place yourself there. That's academically, athletically and professionally."

ON LIFE AFTER ENDICOTT

Right now, Chris is interning for a global sport marketing and event planning firm in Watertown, Mass. Upon graduation in May 2017, his is looking into getting his MBA and then "would love to get into the sports world from a marketing standpoint, whether that be with a college team or university, or sports business," Chris said as he touched upon really wanting to stay connected with sports for as long as he can.

Catie, an Athletic Training major right now, still has two years after this one in undergrad, but is considering going onto grad school for perhaps a doctorate in physical therapy.

When you graduate from Endicott, what will be your legacy?

Chris: "What I hope it is is that if people talk about me after I leave, that they talk about me as a hard-working kid, someone who really cared about everything he did and put his all into everything, whether that's with teams or academically… or just in friendships and relationships with people on campus. That I was a leader on and off the court and field and with friends in the Endicott community. They don't need to talk about me much… but when they talk about me, I hope it's something like that. Someone who was caring about his teammates and the success of each team, hard-working, self-driven, and really tried to do the right thing."

Family Superlatives

Who is the family favorite?	Catie: Chris. \| Chris: Absolutely me. \| Catie: Absolutely. \| Chris: But once I leave Endicott, I'm sure she'll be the family favorite because I'll be off on my own. \| Catie: Probably not.
Who is the better driver?	Chris: Me. \| Catie: Oh, no way (points to self)\| Chris: Yeah, if we're trying to get there next week. Catie: I'm just trying to get there…
Who is the funniest?	Chris: Oh, that's me! I definitely have the best sense of humor.
Who's the best singer?	Catie: (laughs) Neither. \| Chris: I don't think either of us can sing. But I don't like to say she's better than me, so I'm the better singer.
Better dancer?	Catie: Me. For sure.
Who spends more time on social media?	Catie: That's me.
Who has better style?	Chris: (thinks about it) Me. \| Catie: Yeah, I wear sweatpants.
Who's the better student?	Chris: Me…. Your major is harder. \| Catie: Thank you. \| Chris: But who has the better GPA? \| Catie: You do. \| Chris: Me. \| Catie: But I have a harder major.
Of the two of you, who is messier?	Catie: [points finger] Chris, one-hundred percent." \|Chris: I don't think that's true. \| Catie: 100 percent. Chris: People are going to read that and be like, no way! I'm not messy, so…at home, yeah, but... Catie: At home, he's the messier one.

CONNER '18 AND EVAN '20 COUCHOT

Last week, I met with Endicott men's soccer brothers Conner '18 and Evan '20 Couchot (Mason, Ohio) at Hempstead Stadium while the team was getting some extra touches in on their day off. Mind you, head coach Joe Calabrese had given the team a day "off" from practice sandwiched between a tough week of upcoming opponents.

Yet, as a student-athlete there are no real days off.

When it was time to take a family photo, Conner, having just come from class, wasn't wearing an Endicott soccer shirt. Not a problem, because freshman forward Fred Marinelli '20 (also the brother of Endicott women's soccer alumnae Paige Marinelli '16), physically gave Conner the shirt off his back to borrow for the picture.

That's just what brothers do.

Conner, a Finance and Accounting double major in his junior year, and Evan, a Biology & Biotechnology major come to Endicott by way of Mason, Ohio, about 20 minutes north of Cincinnati to star on the Endicott men's soccer team. Evan currently leads the team with seven points (three goals, one assist) in his rookie season, while big brother Conner "Couch" Couchot cheers loudly from atop the press box.

Couch? You're telling me his nickname is 'Couch'?

"When I was a freshman, people would be like what's your last name? And I would be like 'Couchot', and obviously they don't know how to spell that… it's a little French. 'So how do you spell that, they'd ask?' Couch-O-T, which is how our parents always described it to other people. So from there, my teammates and friends started calling me Couch, and it just stuck I guess," explained Conner.

On game days, Conner will carefully make his way up and down the stairs leading to the roof in the press box and has twice made comments pertaining to our ecgulls.tv live broadcast of the soccer matches. Once, to tell me that the video stream had cut out (of course, Evan scored his first career goal against Carthage when my Internet suddenly disconnected the stream. My apologies, Mr. and Mrs. Couchot, and older brother, Justin, watching back home), and the second time the other night to tell me that the camera was zoomed in too much and his family couldn't see the action.

See, at Endicott, our families are very dedicated, supportive, and honest in almost every meaning of the word.

When I sat down with Conner and Evan, (also nicknamed Couch, Baby Couch, Couch Jr., Futon) I immediately noticed their closeness. Not quite the "I finish your sentences" telepathy, but definitely a chemistry that I look forward to seeing in action on the field next year when Conner returns from ACL surgery.

As soon as I asked the first question, I knew we were in for a hilarious interview. Almost every word out of their mouths was a journalist's golden nugget to store away to use at just the right time.

To start, Evan, please describe your brother with three adjectives:

Evan: "Hmm, that's a tough one. UGLY. ADVENTUROUS. FUN."

And I'm sitting here thinking, oh my gosh, he just called Conner ugly. Am I going to have to be the interviewer turned family therapist/mediator?

Nope, because Conner dished it right back.

Conner: "WEIRD. LIAR. Also ADVENTUROUS."

Do you guys play video games together?

Conner: "Over the summer we actually played a lot because I was bedridden."

Oh, so you [Evan] were his maid, right?

Evan: "No, never. I usually moved things farther away to make it extra hard."

Me: "Yeah, you were just helping the rehab process."

Evan: "Exactly!"

Do you guys have any hobbies outside of soccer?

When they aren't playing soccer, the Couchot family lives for adventure, which isn't surprising because both brothers described the other as "adventurous".

"We've gone hiking in the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion...snowboarding on volcanoes, swimming with sharks in Belize, skydiving, doing stuff that gets our adrenaline going," said Conner.

"And kayaking!" Added Evan, "We have four kayaks at home."

CHEMISTRY IS NOT JUST A COURSE; IT'S THAT TEAMMATE TRUST

To set the record straight, having your brother as your teammate is, "A lot of fun," said Conner. "We've played a lot in the backyard, so we know pretty much where each other is going to be and it's a lot more fun being able to not talk… just play together. I'm glad I have two more years of it after this."

For Evan, "It's definitely a lot easier playing with him than some people that I've basically just met a couple weeks ago. We've kind of built our chemistry together over our lifetime together."

What do you guys like most about being part of the soccer team here?

Conner: "The family. I know he [Evan] is my real family, but together we are also one."

So, how did you guys get into playing soccer?

Conner: "Well, it was actually our older brother, he played when I was two and he [Evan] was probably not even born yet. He [Justin] was probably four. I was on the sideline and just the loved the game and just kept playing and he [Evan] played with me when he was old enough and from there it just took off."

How did you guys know that soccer was the sport you wanted to focus on?

Evan: "That's all I remember playing. I think I played a season of baseball once...and I hated it."

Conner: "I was playing soccer for five years before I started baseball, and I'd been used to running the whole game, so it [baseball] was too much standing around."

WHY ENDICOTT?

Conner knew he wanted to go to school on the coast, so when the family was driving through the area and saw Endicott pop up some website, they said "Well, let's just stop there and see."

"I stepped out of my car and was like 'Wow, I love it here and I haven't even talked to anyone," said Conner.

Conner remembers going on a tour here when the LSB was under construction, and thought the campus had a lot to offer. "I knew I wanted to do internships, so that was a huge part of my decision," he said.

FAMILY MATTERS

Conner: "Family is just like always having someone to go to and talk to when you need them. Always being around each other."

Evan: "Always having somebody around that you can talk to, get advice from, and cares for you."

When asked how they felt about being at the same school together, Evan talked about how Conner already being here made it an easy decision. "Conner definitely made it easier for me to go such a far way away from home, because I'd have at least one person that I could know right off the bat," said Evan.

"Remember what you wrote in your application paper, Evan? About how you always were doing stuff your brothers did," said Conner. "I don't feel like he followed me; I wanted him on the team, I wanted him here. It's pretty cool that he wanted to come here."

And since they have been here together, Conner and Evan already have a favorite spot on campus.

"Definitely Peace Rock, at low tide," the brothers agreed.

ON LIFE AFTER ENDICOTT

When reflecting back on his time in college so far and what he is striving for in the future, I asked Conner about what he hopes his legacy will be.

"CCC Championships. A couple in a row, I hope," said Conner. "And then from that, I want to be an All-Conference player all four years and in the academic world, to be one of the top tutors and at the top of my class."

What advice do you have for Evan, academically, athletically, professionally?

Conner: "Always look to those people around you, because I know being in the tutoring center, people will help you if you need it. And especially on the team, we're there for each other."

Family Superlatives

Who is the family favorite?	Conner: Him. (Evan) Easy. \| Evan: (shakes his head) Says it's Conner.
Who's the better driver?	Conner: I am. For sure. \| Evan: Raises his hand.
Who is the better athlete?	Conner: Me. Easy. Uh, well actually right now probably him because… (points to knee)
Who's the funniest? Who tells the best joke?	Evan: I don't have any set jokes. \| Conner: Hmm, I don't know, probably him though because he is a good storyteller. \|Evan: I am? \|Conner: But, a lot of his stories are a little over-embellished. \| Evan: Yeah, maybe. \| Conner: But they're pretty funny. \| Me: Well, you did say he was a liar…. \| Conner: He is a liar. In the first grade, he said he saw a mountain lion outside his window… it was a raccoon. \|Evan: It was a pretty big racoon.
Who's the best singer?	Evan: Not me. \| Conner: Not me either.
Better dancer?	Evan/Conner: Both shake head. Oh not me. \|Conner: Only the moves on the field.
Who spends more time on social media?	Conner: Probably me… I spend a lot of time on Snapchat. \| Evan: Nods head in agreement.
Who is the better student?	Conner: Probably him… he beat me in GPA in high school… took more AP classes.
And last one, who is more competitive or is it equal?	Conner: Me. \| Evan: No way. \| Conner: Yes. \| Evan: No.

CARTER '17 AND JESSICA '18 GLENN

Carter Glenn (Underhill, Vt.), a senior Nursing major on the men's lacrosse team, is the older brother of Jessica '18 and little sister, Anna. When I sat down with Carter, he insisted that we try to FaceTime Jessica, a junior Hospitality major on the women's lacrosse team, who is currently studying abroad this semester at ICMS in Manley, Australia.

With the 14-hour time difference, Jessica wasn't able to answer the phone, but Carter took the lead and pleaded that I send her all the same questions because according to him, "She's got time, she's living it up down there."

Carter, the son of David and Cynthia, was a self-proclaimed "bully of the family" when they were little.

"When we were growing up, it was competition all the time. My dad is a wicked athlete. My mom played sports in high school, so our whole family is into athletics, playing and working out in the backyard and stuff," said Carter, a proud big brother.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR SIBLING IN THREE ADJECTIVES

Carter about Jessica:

1. "She's funny, but it's because she laughs a lot, not because she's actually funny. 2. Adventurous. She loves adventure. 3. And I guess I should say she's athletic, huh?"

Jessica about Carter:

1. "Caring- He always puts people before himself. 2. Motivating- He has so much motivation to keep improving himself in academics and athletics. 3. Outgoing- He is always down to do anything he is a social butterfly."

Do you guys have any nicknames for each other?

Carter: "Yeah, she's J. The letter J. Our whole family calls her J. She calls me 'Cart'. She calls me Carter mostly, but if we're joking around it's J and Cart."

What's it like being the middle child, Jessica?

"People always talk about middle child syndrome, but I don't believe it's true at all, well at least not in my family. I am really close with my little sister as well as my older brother and that's why I love being the middle child because I am close in age with both of them."

CLOSENESS COUNTS

I asked Carter how the family supports one another through their busy schedules and he told me about a massive group text conversation that ensues the morning of a game.

"Our dad keeps up with all our stuff, he even watches the games online if he can't make it," said Carter. "He comes to as many as he can. He'll include us in a group chat the morning before our games and give us this big pep talk before every single game. We have like what, 16 to 18 games a year...that's a lot of texts."

So how did you get into playing sports? Did you always play lacrosse?

Carter: "So I played football the longest, since the fourth grade. I played soccer and baseball, too, and then football throughout high school. In 8th grade, I started playing lacrosse because my best friend in middle school played it was like 'Dude, you gotta try it.' So, I went out for the lacrosse team, made it, and had a blast. And ended up being ok at it... best decision of my life. It's awesome. This team is great, I couldn't ask for a better choice."

"I've been playing sports ever since I can remember, added Jessica. "I started skiing when I was three or four years old and then started to get into other sports. I played little league soccer and baseball when I was in elementary school. In middle school, I played soccer and ran cross country. Then when I got to high school, I started playing lacrosse, but also stuck with soccer."

WHY ENDICOTT?

"I knew I wanted a smaller school," said Carter, "I was on CollegeBoard.org and you can fill out what has nursing, Division III lacrosse, and smaller size, and there a few schools that fit that criteria, like Salve Regina, University of New England, and Endicott," Carter listed them off. "I came to Endicott's campus and was like 'This is the spot'. I came to a summer camp for lacrosse and talked to Coach Quirk and he said we'd love to have you."

For Jessica, she remembers looking at Endicott before Carter arrived on campus, but his decision helped her in the process.

"I came to visit the women's lacrosse coach and visit Carter," said Jessica. "I took a tour of the school and fell in love. I met the lacrosse coach and knew that I wanted to come here to play lacrosse. I love the academics, location and athletics here at Endicott, and it just made it better to also have my brother here with me."

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

"My freshman year I was all over the place, kind of didn't know anybody except my cousin who went here to play softball (Cameron Sprague)," said Carter.

Their mother, Cynthia, is one of 10, so with 26 cousins just on her side, "Chances are, at least one of them was going to go to Endicott," joked Carter.

"Freshman year I was kind of a scramble for the first semester, and then once the season hit, I was lbrothers with these guys. Second semester of freshman year we all hung out ,then sophomore year we moved in together and it was like living with a brother. I didn't have a brother growing up, and now I have 50 of them."

Jessica agrees that Endicott is a one big family.

"From my teachers to my friends I couldn't feel more at home," said Jessica. "Since Endicott is a small college, the classes are smaller, making it easier for the teacher and students to have a better relationship. I do have my best friends, but at Endicott we don't have cliques; everyone is friends with everyone. I can't walk to class without seeing at least 3-4 of my friends, and that's the best part of my day- seeing everyone."

Seeing everyone, except maybe Carter.

"I don't really see her that much during the week because I'm over there in the nursing building mostly, and she's hospitality, over that way," Carter pointed. "We probably couldn't get further apart during the day, but on the weekends I see her."

Jessica agreed that their different schedules make it difficult to rendezvous during the week, but added, "I see him a lot on the weekend because we have the same friend group and are really close."

FAMILIES THAT WORK TOGETHER

Carter: "My plan right now is critical care nursing for a couple of years, and that's a prerequisite to apply to nurse anesthesia school. Our dad is a nurse anesthetist in the operating room. I had an internship this summer at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. for eight weeks in the intensive care unit. And I want to apply for a job there after I graduate."

Jess: "My plan is to be an event planner at a corporate company. My plan is to live in Boston for a couple years and then see where it takes me."

So I noticed in your bios you both have ties to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center?

Carter: "We both work there. My internship was separate. We both work in the operating room (OR) as a peri-opt support technician, so we go in after anesthesia and take down all of the equipment used for the procedure and replace it all. We have a phone and they [doctors] call the phone if they need anything like medications or supplies. We also help clean the room after surgeries."

What does FAMILY mean to you?

"Always having each others' back no matter the circumstances and to love each other unconditionally," Jessica said.

Family Superlatives

Who is the family favorite?	Carter is, even though I don't like to admit that, says Jessica.
Better driver?	I am the more responsible driver, but he is probably the better driver.
Better athlete?	Carter is, he just has so much motivation that I wish I had, says Jessica.
Funniest?	Carter is probably more funny, but I like to think I am but most people seem to disagree haha.
Best singer/dancer?	Honestly we are both pretty bad, but we like to think we are good dancers.
Spends more time on social media?	Jessica spends more time on social media.
Has more style?	Carter: Jessica is always helping to tell me what looks good.
Better student?	Carter is a better student, he loves learning new things and teaching people, says Jessica.
Who is more competitive?	Tie. I would say we are both competitive.
Who is messier?	I am WAY messier than Carter, even though I don't like to admit it, says Jessica. Carter is extremely clean and sometimes he gets mad because I'm so messy.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

In addition to the Riordens, Lipscombs, Couchots, and Glenns, Endicott is also currently home to MLAX freshman twins Ben and Will Clark '20 and MLAX brothers Kenny '17 and Nick '20 Sturgess.

Nearly all 25 of Endicott's varsity and club teams, combined, have had other sibling connections through the years, such as: