Mackie Malkiel is a standout midfielder from Team Oregon and the ADVNC NDP 2026 team committed to playing at the University of Utah, starting next Fall.
Mackie has grown up in a lacrosse family. His parents, Whitney and Jon, both played ice hockey and lacrosse as freshmen at Princeton, but Whitney ultimately gave up lacrosse for hockey (where she was the team captain) while Jon gave up hockey for lacrosse. Mackie’s older brother, Porter (ADVNC NDP ‘24) is currently a sophomore midfielder at Princeton and his younger brother George (ADVNC NDP ‘28) is also a standout player at Jesuit.
“I started playing lacrosse when I was really young,” Mackie said. “My dad and Porter introduced me to the game, and all of us were embedded from the start. I saw Porter playing, and it looked fun. I loved it right away.”
Growing up playing and learning to love the game with his two brothers has been central to Mackie’s story. They have been there to help each other and push each other the whole way.
“I got to play in High School (at Jesuit HS in Portland, Oregon) for two years with Porter, and I’ll get to play two seasons and finish my high school career with George,” Mackie said. “I love that. I’ve always looked up to Porter, and he’s always been someone that I try to emulate, but I also try and create my own path at the same time. It’s been great having two brothers who love and play lacrosse like me. One of them is always willing to go outside and shoot and practice.”
Mackie said the Malkiel’s have a little field with a goal in their front yard that has gotten a lot of use while growing up. Their family’s life has revolved around lacrosse for many years.
(L-R): Mackie, Porter and George Malkiel.
“It’s been terrific,” said Jon Malkiel. “When George was little, he’d come to the high school games and watch Porter, and then Mackie as well. Now he’s on the team. The three of them have a common language they speak to one another through lacrosse. They all understand that they will have highs and lows, and they support each other through both together.”
Mackie played for MadLax Oregon and MadLax National before the club became Team Oregon. He started playing with ADVNC NDP when ADVNC partnered with Team Oregon several years ago. “There are so many talented guys on my NDP team,” Mackie said. “It was great playing at such a high level with elite players on the East Coast. My coaches, Tim O’Brien and Josh Peck both helped me a lot. In the summers we would always be playing a lot of games in really brutal heat. They would always encourage me just to keep going and stay strong mentally. They would always encourage me to keep shooting and work hard off the ball to find better shots. They both made me a better lacrosse player.”
Mackie playing for Team Oregon.
“NDP has been a great experience,” said Jon Malkiel. “It’s such a well run program and the coaching has been excellent. Regional or National teams can be hard to manage with kids coming from different states…its always challenging to make them feel and operate like cohesive units. But ADVNC NDP always felt like a real team, even though they don’t practice a lot together. The players always have gotten along really well, and play for each other. The other families have also been great, and very supportive.”
When Mackie’s recruiting summer came along, he aspired to play DI lacrosse just like Porter. He spent the entire summer of 2024 on the East Coast, playing in countless events in the oppressive mid-atlantic weather.
“I was looking for a DI school and program that embraced that I have dyslexia,” Mackie said. “I was diagnosed with it in 5th grade. So I wanted to find a school that understood that part about me and was able to support my dyslexia and would help me thrive as a student. And I was looking for a lacrosse program that was similar in that way, and would help me be the best I could possibly be and help me be there for my teammates at all times.
Mackie and Porter Malkiel celebrating together with Jesuit H.S.
After considering multiple schools, Mackie committed to the University of Utah last summer. “It’s close to home, which I like a lot. An hour and a half flight is way better than a six hour flight for me. It’s a super nice campus. The coaches are awesome. They seem very supportive of their players, but also expect their standard of excellence to never drop off. The facilities are unbelievable and they have incredible support staff. The team seems super tight knit.”
In addition to Team Oregon and ADVNC NDP, Mackie also credits the Jesuit program with helping to develop his game. “Playing for Jesuit has been one of the best decisions of my life,” Mackie said. “Our coaches constantly push us to be the best we possibly can be. Whether it’s on or off the field, they never want the standard to drop. That goes for freshmen all the way up to seniors. They’ve had lots of great players that have gone onto play in college, and being surrounded by those players has helped me get a lot better.”
Tucker Dordevic coaching Mackie on the sideline during a game.
Mackie has also looked up to Tucker Dordevic, another great player from Portland who starred at Syracuse and Georgetown and played in the PLL. In addition to being a great player, Dordevic also has dyslexia. “I’ve always looked up to him as a player, and he coached me in the 4th-7th grade,” said Mackie. “And he was the one who told me that with my dyslexia, I should go to Edison High School, where he went. (Edison is a school that specializes in helping kids with learning differences, like dyslexia). So I take classes at Edison as well as at Jesuit. Both schools have supported me and helped me a lot.”
Mackie recalled a big moment for him a couple years ago when Tucker was scheduled to give a speech at his High School, and a guidance counselor suggested that he surprise Tucker and introduce him to the audience. Mackie said he was nervous about doing that. But seeing Tucker caught so pleasantly by the surprise introduction made him feel really great.
“It went much better than I thought it would,” said Mackie. “Sometimes I just have to think to myself, I’ve been in bigger situations than this before. So that helps calm me down. That event went really well.”
With the high school portion of his journey now nearly complete, Mackie has this advice for young players who aspire to follow in his footsteps. “When you’re really young and just starting out playing lacrosse, just have fun. Enjoy it a lot, because it gets a lot more serious, and more like a job as you get older. But try to have a lot of fun. Try new things on the field. Be creative, and most importantly, go 100% every time you are on the field. For me, it’s about flipping that switch when I step on a field, every time. I always want to give full effort, and above all else, be there for my teammates.”
Mackie playing for ADVNC NDP.
Mackie’s dad said that in all his years of playing, coaching and watching lacrosse, Mackie has an uncommon love of playing for his teammates. “It’s at a point where it's almost over the top,” Jon Malkiel said. “When he’s on the field, he is super focused on whatever makes the team better. He takes the team aspect very, very seriously.”
Mackie’s love of his teams was challenged when he suffered a torn ACL playing for Jesuit last year. He is still recovering and expects to be ready when his senior season starts this coming spring. But his dad said he has attacked his recovery with the same focused and passionate work ethic that made him into a DI lacrosse player.
“The injury is unfortunate, but Mackie has been attacking his rehab like crazy,” said Jon Malkiel. “He’s just a grinder, in everything he does. He’s super disciplined, and like I said before, he’s such a team guy .. all he wants is to get back on the field and help his team.”
Having seen his two oldest boys get recruited to DI programs, Jon has this advice for parents. “The biggest thing is making sure that the kid loves playing lacrosse, or whatever sport they choose. It has to be fun. The lacrosse road is long and getting longer, so making sure they love the game and really want it is critical to their success and well being.