With the Atlanta Blaze trailing the Chesapeake Bayhawks 7-3 coming out of halftime last Saturday, Kevin Rice began a dodge from behind the goal. The 5-foot-9 Blaze attackman went straight at 6-foot-2 Bayhawks defender Will Koshansky. They met at goal line extended, where Koshansky shoved Rice on his shoulders. Rice shrugged Koshansky off, spun off him, got to the crease and dove across the face of the goal, putting the ball in the back of the net before landing.

That play showed both the kind of talent and goal scoring ability Rice has, as well as his lack of fear. It’s not just physical contact Rice is willing to go head-first into, though.

“He doesn’t shy away from conflict, physical or verbal. It’s something he enjoys,” Atlanta coach Dave Huntley said. “He’s not afraid to say what’s on his mind. I can be direct and he’s direct, so we get along well in that regard. He’s not shy about expressing his views on things, and I think that’s good.”

Rice’s ability to argue comes in handy in his daily life, as well. Rice, who graduated from Syracuse in 2015 with a degree in history, is a law school student at Wake Forest and works at a New York City law firm.

“I have no idea what kind of law he’s going to practice,” Huntley said, “but if I needed a lawyer, I would want him on my team, not on the other side of the aisle.”

It is not unusual to see Major League Lacrosse players work a full-time job in addition to playing professionally, but more players are finding a way to make a living in lacrosse through coaching and media jobs.

Rice, however, chose not to go down that path.

“I can’t sit at my desk all day, but it also lets me step away from the game and pursue my passion elsewhere,” he said. “Having that other outlet has been good for me.”

Rice admits it’s not always easy to do both, but neither was his choice to go to goal with Koshansky in his way.

“The MLL season is a grind, especially if you’re working,” he said. “I don’t get out of the city until 7 or 8. I don’t get to where we’re playing until midnight. To commit to the training is a commitment. Every guy finds a reason to do it. For me, it’s not financial. I love the game and want to keep playing. On a personal level, I want to keep working and earn the respect of everyone in the league.”

Respect, however, has alluded Rice at times.

At Syracuse, Rice scored 80 points (36 goals, 44 assists) as a junior. Despite the success, Rice wasn’t selected until the fourth round by the Florida Launch. Before even playing a game in the league, Rice was then traded to Rochester in a deal for Miles Thompson.

“I had spoken to several GMs before [the draft]. I expected to go earlier,” he said. “Once the first round went, I stopped watching. I knew it was another situation where I could internalize and use it for my benefit for my senior season. After the first round, it didn’t make much difference. Rochester gave me a shot my rookie year, and I was fortunate.”

As a senior, Rice tallied 84 points (36 goals, 48 assists), was a USILA first-team All-American and won the Turnbull Award as national attackman of the year. Jumping right into MLL, Rice scored 11 goals and added 10 assists in eight games.

Then he was traded — again – this time to Atlanta.

“I thought he was a heck of a player,” Huntley said. “I thought he was a complete attackman, the ability to dodge and pass and score. I really liked the way he conducted himself, so when we had a chance to get him for the Blaze – I was coaching the offense last year — he was a guy who was really high on my list.”

Huntley thought so highly of Rice, he compared him to a former No. 1 pick and MLL championship MVP.

“I coached Joe Walters a lot over the year, and I like that kind of player on my team who can do all those things,” Huntley said. “I’ve never coached [Rice] before, but the first training camp, it was no doubt that was the guy whose stick I wanted the ball in, and that hasn’t changed.”

Rice flourished in his first year with the Blaze. Through nine games in 2016, he scored 37 goals and added 21 assists and was on pace to shatter the single-season points record. He suffered a season-ending knee injury, however, and couldn’t even play in the MLL All-Star game, his first time selected.

Rice has picked up where he left off upon his return this season. Through eight games (he missed four games with a hand injury), he leads the Blaze with 36 points (21 goals, 15 assists).

Huntley offered several thoughts on what makes Rice so successful on the field.

“If I was a young kid, and I wanted to model my game after somebody, I would watch Kevin Rice,” he said. “The way he moves, he’s not big, he’s not fast, he’s not super quick, but the way he angles his body, the way he changes speed, and then his stick protection and the way he delivers the ball. … His action on his shot is unbelievable. I can’t tell you what side or high or low [it will go], so I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a goalie trying to stop him.”

Despite the impressive statistics, Rice would feel snubbed once again when he was not among 59 players initially chosen to try out for the U.S. national team. Nor was he added to the list when US Lacrosse added 12 players, mostly collegians.

“Every guy they brought is capable,” Rice said. “I’m disappointed I didn’t get to try out and see how I mesh with those guys. At the end of the day, the coaches picked the team. … With the depth of talent, you don’t necessarily have to go with the best guys, but can go with the guys you feel most comfortable with.”

Of all the news surrounding the U.S. tryouts, the first step toward determining the group of 23 that will attempt to regain the gold medal next summer at the FIL World Championship in Israel, Rice’s omission drew the most attention on social media, including tweets from Rice himself.

If a player averages more than a point per game more than anyone else in the MLL, shouldn't they be invited to try out for Team USA? pic.twitter.com/oFn7PeLZ5F

— Lacrosse Film Room (@LaxFilmRoom) June 15, 2017

Always a good lesson, when told you're not good enough you have 2 option: pout, or prove their error beyond doubt, I choose the latter https://t.co/IkYdO6y45g

— Kevin Rice (@kevinrice_2) May 16, 2017

Feed the hate fire! https://t.co/xVHuDZ5yVz

— Kevin Rice (@kevinrice_2) June 15, 2017

Been doubted since I was a 5'3 high school sophomore, it's my resting state! Will keep grinding to prove them wrong https://t.co/AzWXL8ITqg

— Kevin Rice (@kevinrice_2) July 10, 2017

Best thing about @USLacrosse decision is I get to play a game in about 60 hours

— Kevin Rice (@kevinrice_2) June 15, 2017

Rice said he appreciates the positive words of the fans, adding that he has been an underdog his whole life and uses the times he has been overlooked as motivation. But Huntley, who is also the program director for Canada, isn’t buying it.

“I know there’s this whole underdog thing and nobody appreciates him, but if you don’t, you’re clueless,” he said. “I don’t know what people are watching. As soon as I watched him, I said, ‘He’s really good. I’ve got to get him.’ Then you start talking to him and you’re like, ‘OK, I know why you’re that good.’”

Rice did get some recognition when he was selected to his second consecutive MLL All-Star Game. Additionally, Huntley said he is an important leader on the field and in the locker room for the Blaze, who currently sit one game out of the final playoff position with two games remaining. Atlanta (5-7) hosts Rochester (6-6) in a pivotal game Saturday and finishes the regular season Aug. 5 at last-place Boston.

“The guys in the room really respect him for his compete level and honesty,” he said. “The guy, he’s hardest on his himself. If he wasn’t so hard on himself, nothing else would matter.”

Atlanta features several attackmen who for various reasons did not latch on with previous MLL teams. James Pannell was a third-round pick by the New York Lizards in 2016, but he played in just four games as a rookie. Now he’s an all-star and the Blaze’s second leading scorer. Mark Matthews played for three teams in four seasons before arriving in Atlanta. Dylan Donahue was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Charlotte Hounds, but was traded to Atlanta in the offseason after playing eight games with Charlotte.

Add in attackmen Randy Staats and Chris Bocklet, and the Blaze have a number of options they can go to during a game. While Rice typically operates the offense, he said he is happy to share the spotlight with his teammates.

While stats, awards, all-star games and U.S. team selections are all nice, all Rice wants to do at the end of the day is win.

“Depending on the situation in the game or the score, I’ll do what I can to help our team win,” he said. “[My] style of play is not flashy, so I might not be the sexiest player on the field in terms of style, but I’ve been effective for my teams, and that’s what means most to me.”