Raleigh’s Josh Zawada shines in NC for PLL’s Chaos in Charlotte
Josh Zawada has played lacrosse across the continent, but few places feel more familiar than North Carolina.
The Carolina Chaos attackman is back in his home state this weekend, suiting up in Charlotte as part of the Premier Lacrosse League’s tour. He scored a game-tying goal during the second half of the league’s opening game Friday night — a fitting moment for someone whose lacrosse journey started just two hours up the road.
It’s a full-circle moment for Zawada, a Raleigh native whose unconventional path took him from the Triangle to Canada and Michigan, and now to the sport’s biggest stage.
Zawada didn’t follow the typical North Carolina lacrosse route. He never starred at a local high school or racked up headlines as a team phenom. Instead, he honed his skills in Canadian box leagues, rewrote record books at Michigan and earned national recognition at Duke.
Now, he’s playing high-level lacrosse in the state where it all began — this time with fans in the stands who may have once been just like him.
“This was me — 10, 12 years ago — this was me in the stands watching,” Zawada said after the Chaos’ 12-9 victory, gazing at the packed house at American Legion Memorial Stadium. “It was something I wanted to do, and I stuck with it. And even though I left North Carolina and took a different route — all these kids, the game is in a great spot. I feel like North Carolina is taking a turn, and it’s becoming a new hotbed that people didn’t know about from the start.
“Sometimes, I guess I take it for granted, but when I look at the bigger picture, it’s awesome to see all these little kids who look up to you and hope to be like you one day.”
Raleigh roots to Canada
Zawada first picked up a stick in second grade. His dad, John, officiated high school games in the Raleigh area. He watched ACC powers Duke and North Carolina from the stands as a kid, idolizing players like Matt Danowski, Ned Crotty and Justin Turri.
That early exposure gave way to a unique path.
Zawada spent all but one of his high school years in Canada — including a post-grad season at The Hill Academy in Ontario — and became one of the most productive players in Michigan history. He led the Wolverines in goals and assists across multiple seasons and graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer.
“My mom moved down here about three years ago, so getting to see her and play in front of her is always a family reunion for me,” Chaos goalie Blaze Riorden, who set a PLL single-game record with 25 saves Friday, said in the postgame news conference. “I love coming to Carolina, and I wish I wasn’t so sweaty.
“It means absolutely nothing to break the record, but it means absolutely everything to do it in front of my family and people who care about the Carolinas. That’s what this is about. It’s “The Medicine Game” at the end of the day. It’s a little cliché, but I don’t think it’s a coincidence that 10 years into my career, I have the best night of my career in front of these fans who give so much energy, from the drum to The Red Legion and all the red in the crowd.”
Zawada’s Canadian experience began before high school, with a summer playing box lacrosse alongside cousins in British Columbia.
The game was faster, tighter and more physical. Zawada even spent two months treating his left, “off” hand as his primary, sharpening the versatility that would become a hallmark of his style.
When Zawada didn’t make the Cardinal Gibbons varsity team as a freshman, his parents reconsidered his path. He enrolled at Vimy Ridge Academy in Edmonton, earned spots on national box teams and ultimately at The Hill Academy — a Canadian lacrosse powerhouse.
“This is a place I want to be,” said Chaos head coach and Hall of Famer Roy Colsey. “I can’t wait to be here more than one weekend a year and contribute to the growth of lacrosse in this area, this community. Seeing all these kids come out, they’re so excited to meet their favorite players and get autographs, and it’s an incredible experience for all of us.”
From the NC stands to pro goals
Zawada’s winding road eventually brought him back to the ACC.
In his lone season at Duke last year, Zawada earned a nomination for the Tewaaraton Award, college lacrosse’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy. That followed a historic run at Michigan, where he became the first Wolverine to record 200 career points and set single-season records for goals, assists and points.
Now he’s finally playing elite lacrosse in his home state — something he never got to do in high school.
“I first started playing club lacrosse here in Charlotte,” Zawada said. “It means the world. Having my time at Michigan was unbelievable, and then going to Duke for my fifth year, I kind of wanted to do a full circle moment and go back to where I grew up: Watching Duke lacrosse all my life. It was a great experience, and I’m hoping some kids here in North Carolina get that opportunity to go play for Duke, UNC, whatever.”
Zawada also played football and basketball growing up, but his bond with lacrosse was always different. He watched Duke win its first NCAA title in 2010, remembering the pace, intensity and energy of the game.
He’s seen the sport grow in North Carolina — from the stands, to the field, to the PLL stage.
And this time, he’s the one inspiring the next kid in the crowd.
