Greg Gurenlian Bio
Greg Gurenlian, born on March 23, 1984, in Springfield, Pennsylvania, is a former American professional field lacrosse player widely regarded as one of the greatest faceoff specialists in the history of the sport. Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall and competing at around 225 pounds, Gurenlian built his reputation on speed, leverage, and relentless preparation at the X. He is the only faceoff specialist to win the Major League Lacrosse Most Valuable Player award, a distinction earned during a record-setting 2015 campaign. After stepping away once, he returned for the launch of the Premier Lacrosse League before retiring a second time in 2020.
Of Armenian descent, Gurenlian grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and developed into a standout midfielder before concentrating on the faceoff position. Beyond playing, he founded The Face-off Academy to train young specialists and runs a YouTube channel under his own name to share instruction and behind-the-scenes content. His career bridged two professional eras, from the long-running MLL to the modern PLL.
Early Life and Background
Greg Gurenlian was born and raised in Springfield, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia with a strong tradition of youth lacrosse. His Armenian heritage shaped his upbringing and family life, although his parents are not publicly identified in available records. Springfield and the surrounding Delaware County programs gave him early access to competitive club lacrosse, where he began learning the technical side of the faceoff well before high school.
His formative years were spent training on local fields, developing the quick hands and lower-body strength that later defined his style. He played scholastic lacrosse in Pennsylvania, and the quality of competition in the region helped him earn attention from top college programs. Family and local coaches supported his commitment to the sport, encouraging the discipline required to specialize in faceoffs.
After completing high school, Gurenlian enrolled at Penn State University, joining the Nittany Lions lacrosse program at a time when the team was establishing itself as a national contender. The combination of Big Ten competition and the university’s strength and conditioning resources gave him the platform to grow into a draft-caliber specialist.
Path to Lacrosse
At Penn State, Gurenlian became a four-year letterman and served as a co-captain during his senior season. He finished his college career ranked second all-time in program history in ground balls and first all-time in faceoff wins, records that reflected both his consistency and his centrality to the team’s possession game. Those numbers drew the attention of Major League Lacrosse scouts heading into the 2006 draft.
The Rochester Rattlers selected him in the 2006 MLL draft, marking his official entry into professional lacrosse. His college résumé, paired with his athletic testing, convinced the Rattlers that he could contribute immediately as a faceoff specialist. That transition from Penn State captain to professional draft pick set the tone for a career built on precision and preparation.
Greg Gurenlian Career
Early Career (2006–2011)
Gurenlian opened his professional career with the Rochester Rattlers, spending two seasons learning the pace and physical demands of the outdoor summer league. He moved on to the San Francisco Dragons in 2008, where he spent two more years refining his technique against varied competition on the West Coast. In 2010, he joined the Toronto Nationals for a single season, then made a brief stop with the Chicago Machine in 2011.
Those early stops gave him exposure to different coaching staffs and field conditions, and they cemented his identity as a specialist whose value came from winning possessions. By the end of the 2011 campaign, he had earned a reputation as one of the most reliable faceoff men in the league, which set the stage for his longest professional tenure.
New York Lizards Era (2012–2018)
In 2012, Gurenlian joined the New York Lizards, the franchise with which he would spend the next eight seasons. The Lizards built their midfield around his ability to win clean possessions, and he quickly became a foundational piece of the roster. He made the MLL All-Pro team six times and was selected as an All-Star five times during his career, honors that reflected sustained excellence at the faceoff X.
The peak of his Lizards tenure came in 2015, when he set MLL single-season records for most ground balls, most faceoff wins, and highest faceoff percentage. That same season, he became the only faceoff specialist ever to be named MLL Most Valuable Player, and he captured the Steinfeld Trophy as the New York Lizards won the 2015 MLL Championship. The season established him as the standard-bearer for the position.
Premier Lacrosse League Era (2019–2020)
In 2018, Gurenlian announced that he would come out of retirement to join Paul Rabil’s newly formed Premier Lacrosse League. He was assigned to the Redwoods Lacrosse Club, where he continued to handle faceoff duties at the highest level. His experience and reputation helped raise the profile of the specialist position in the league’s first seasons.
After one PLL campaign, Gurenlian announced his retirement on January 22, 2020, closing a professional career that spanned more than a decade. His time with the Redwoods was brief, but it allowed him to bridge the MLL and PLL eras and reinforce his standing among the game’s most respected specialists.
International Career
Gurenlian represented the United States on the senior international stage, joining Team USA for the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship in Netanya, Israel. The American squad captured the gold medal, and Gurenlian played a central role in the team’s possession battle. His performance at the tournament set the U.S. record for international faceoff percentage at 81 percent, a mark that remains a benchmark for American specialists.
Driving Style and Strengths
Gurenlian’s style centered on explosive clamping, low body posture, and an ability to read opposing wing matchups before the whistle. He excelled on faster surfaces where quick hands could disrupt a defender’s setup, and he paired those tools with thorough film study and pregame preparation. His consistency came from repeatable technique rather than raw size, allowing him to compete against bigger specialists throughout his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
The 2015 season stands as the defining milestone of his career, when he swept the MLL’s major individual records, won league MVP, and lifted the Steinfeld Trophy with the New York Lizards. The 2018 World Lacrosse Championship gold medal added an international signature moment. His transition from the MLL to the PLL in 2019 also marked a generational shift in professional outdoor lacrosse, one he helped anchor.
Greg Gurenlian Career Wins
Greg Gurenlian’s competitive record is defined less by goal totals than by possession victories and championship hardware. Across his MLL tenure with the Rochester Rattlers, San Francisco Dragons, Toronto Nationals, Chicago Machine, and New York Lizards, he established himself as the league’s premier faceoff winner. His 2015 campaign produced the single-season records that still define the position.
MLL Highlights
His most celebrated MLL season came in 2015, when he set the league’s marks for ground balls, faceoff wins, and faceoff percentage in a single year. He was named MLL Most Valuable Player, the only faceoff specialist to receive that honor, and earned the Steinfeld Trophy as a member of the MLL Champion New York Lizards. Across his career he was a six-time All-Pro selection and a five-time All-Star.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond MLL play, Gurenlian captured a gold medal with Team USA at the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship in Israel. He set the U.S. record for international faceoff percentage at a major tournament, posting an 81 percent winning rate. His one-season stint with the Redwoods Lacrosse Club in the PLL capped a professional résumé that bridged two leagues and an international title.
Greg Gurenlian Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Gurenlian is of Armenian descent, a heritage he has spoken about as an important part of his upbringing. He was raised in Springfield, Pennsylvania, alongside family members who supported his early commitment to lacrosse. Public details about his parents and immediate family remain limited in verified sources.
Personal Life
Greg Gurenlian has largely kept his personal life private, and verified public information about a spouse or children is not available. Since retiring in 2020, he has focused on coaching through The Face-off Academy and on producing instructional content for his YouTube channel. He continues to be involved in growing the visibility of the faceoff specialist position across youth and professional lacrosse.