All too often high-level lacrosse becomes a game of two halves, with each team foregoing semi-transition opportunities after a turnover to instead hold the ball and sub their offensive specialists onto the field. Offensive midfielders can’t/don’t/won’t play defense, and the same applies to short-stick defensive middies (SSDM’s or simply “shorties”) on the offensive end. Unless there is a clear opportunity for a fast break, teams choose to hold the ball for possession and set up shop. This year, though, there are a few SSDM’s making their case as legitimate two-way threats.
Five games into the season Notre Dame middie Drew Schantz has already tied his goal tally from last year. After a live-ball turnover or a save the Irish can look to quickly push the ball up field with confidence in Schantz’s offensive abilities. This can quickly lead to advantages for ND because it can force their opponent to play with an offensive middie on defense. If the opposition instead chooses to run their O-middies off the field, the number 2 team in the country gets to push a 5 on 6 break. The increase in quick possessions could benefit a Fighting Irish team who’s currently not even playing at a top 40 pace.
Meanwhile, up-and-comer Ohio State is letting their freshman SSDM Ryan Terefenko run whenever he pleases. Terefenko has added up 4 each of goals and assists so far this year, including a goal and two assists against Denver. Granted, he has an offensive pedigree from high school. However, the Buckeyes choose to use him in a mostly defensive role now. Terefenko could be the start of a new breed of shorties who can play on both sides of the ball.
Fans of the sport have to wonder if lacrosse will undergo a transition similar to that of the NBA. Will teams look to push the temp a la the Suns teams led by Steve Nash, or the current day Warriors? Most of the current top teams choose to put a hold on their offense to get their best players on the field. As of now, the best teams play slow, with none of the current top 10 ranked teams breaking the top 10 for pace of play. While obviously, midfielders need to cover a lot more ground than NBA players, not utilizing specialized players and in turn speeding up the game could benefit teams with the right personnel.
