Otterbein started forming its men’s lacrosse program from scratch during the 2008-09 school year, with the inaugural season taking place in the spring of 2010. Head Coach Colin Hartnett was searching for pieces to construct that initial team, and quickly found a centerpiece in Michael Spatafore from Vineland, N.J.

The standout defenseman would start 60 games over the next four years, helping the Cardinals evolve into the now established program you see today. Otterbein improved its record each year with “Spat” on the roster; 4-11, 7-10, 9-6, 12-6.

A four-year captain, Spatafore consistently ranked among the team leaders in caused turnovers and spearheaded improved results on the back line. The defensive unit shrunk its goals-against average from 11.4 per game in that first season all the way down to 7.5 by his final campaign.

The Ohio Athletic Conference did not (yet) sponsor men’s lacrosse as an official sport at the time, so it was not possible for Spatafore and his teammates to earn All-OAC awards or compete for a league title. However, the Cardinals flew above and beyond that during a memorable 2013 season…

Spatafore and seven other seniors, graduating as the first four-year class in program history, delivered a punctuation mark by leading Otterbein into the NCAA Division III Championships. The team received an at-large bid as an independent through Pool B, ultimately dropping a very competitive 14-11 game in the first round up at Adrian College in Michigan.

His contributions didn’t stop there, as Spatafore joined the Otterbein coaching staff to serve in a part-time role from 2015-16. The Cards made two more NCAA appearances during that time, including beating Capital in the OAC Tournament Final before hosting a first-round contest with Aurora in the national bracket.

Spatafore, who ranks seventh all-time in program history with 43 caused turnovers, impacted many other parts of campus as well. He spent three years with the cheerleading team, played one year of football, served as an orientation leader and was voted Homecoming King.

The do-it-all Cardinal, earning his degree in health and physical education, has become a key fixture among the local lacrosse scene in Central Ohio and is now the head coach at nearby Westerville South High School.