Feb. 16, 2004
Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala has been reminded, all too frequently, about the similarities between himself and former Blue Jay mentor Henry Ciccarone. After all, both were standout players at Hopkins who used their passion and fiery spirit to become premier coaches at Homewood.
But it's not those comparisons that Pietramala has been hearing about since last May. Rather, it's the strikingly similar beginnings of their coaching careers at Homewood that has drawn the attention of close followers of the program.
Ciccarone took over for legendary head coach Bob Scott prior to the 1975 season, advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals his first year, the NCAA Semifinals his second year, the NCAA Championship game in his third season and lost a total of eight games in those first three seasons.
Pietramala, who is entering his fourth season as the head coach at Hopkins, guided the Blue Jays to the NCAA Quarterfinals his first season, the NCAA Semifinals his second year and the NCAA Championship game last season. As if that weren't enough the Blue Jays have lost, you guessed it, eight games in Pietramala's first three years.
Close followers of the program hope the mirror-image of Ciccarone and Pietramala's first three years will continue -- Ciccarone guided the Blue Jays to the NCAA Championship in his fourth, fifth and sixth seasons.
"Obviously people have taken the opportunity to remind me of coach Ciccarone's record and all that he accomplished here," Pietramala noted. "Our coaching staff has made it a priority to make sure our current players learn about and understand the history of Johns Hopkins lacrosse. However, we focus on our part of that history, not a comparison to something that happened in the past. Obviously, we would be thrilled to win a national championship and that is our goal every year."
With six starters, the entire second midfield, the entire defensive midfield and the top three faceoff specialists all returning from last season's team that tied the school record for wins in a season (14) and advanced to the NCAA Championship game, the Blue Jays may just have what it takes to claim the program's eighth NCAA Championship.
Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2004 Blue Jays.
Attack
During Pietramala's first three years at Hopkins he has started two sophomores and a freshman on attack (2001), two freshmen and a junior (2002) and two sophomores and a senior (2003). Now, he and offensive coordinator Seth Tierney will work with not only one of the top attack units in the nation, but also one of the most experienced.
"We have felt good about the players we have had on attack, but we've never had the combination of talent and experience we will have this season," Pietramala stated. "Obviously, we will miss (four-year starter) Bobby Benson, but the experience we return should help us overcome the loss of one of the smartest players I have ever had the opportunity to coach."
Junior First Team STX/USILA All-American Kyle Barrie grabs most of the headlines after he led the team in scoring with 37 goals and 20 assists for 57 points last season. He was the only sophomore in the nation to earn First Team All-America honors last season and has firmly established himself as one of the premier players in the nation. In two years he has scored 60 goals and added 28 assists for 88 points despite often drawing the opposition's top defensive player.
Joining Barrie as a returning starter on attack is junior Peter LeSueur, who quietly enjoyed an outstanding season in 2003. LeSueur scored 24 goals and added 21 assists to finish fifth on the team in scoring with 45 points. He has started all 30 games during the last two years and provides the Blue Jays with a left-handed threat on attack.
In addition to his offensive exploits, LeSueur also excels as a disruptive force in the clearing game. A tireless worker, LeSueur often forces opponents into turnovers with his relentless rides on clearing attempts.
Joining Barrie and LeSueur on attack will be either senior Conor Ford or junior transfer Matt Rewkowski. Ford started the second half of his freshman year on attack before starting on the first midfield the last two years. Rewkowski was an Honorable Mention STX/USILA All-American and the leading scorer at Duke University before transferring to Hopkins last summer.
Ford enters the 2004 season as the leading active scorer on the team with 57 goals and 50 assists for 107 points. He tied for third on the team in scoring last season with 18 goals and 28 assists for 46 points and is one of the most savvy lacrosse players in the nation. A move back to his natural attack position should increase his goal production - he scored 22 goals as a freshman playing exclusively on attack. He was particularly effective after entering the starting lineup that year as he scored 14 goals in four games and added four goals and five assists in two starts on attack last season. In his career, he has started six games on attack and has 27 points in those six games. He has never had less than three points in a game he has started on attack.
Rewkowski started all 30 games in 2002 and 2003 at Duke and emerged as the team's top offensive threat last season, when he led the Blue Devils in scoring with 36 goals and 11 assists for 47 points. He scored four goals against Johns Hopkins last season and tallied 18 goals in his final five games.
"We are fortunate to have, in essence, four returning starters on attack," Pietramala noted of the team's depth at the position. There are certainly one or two players here who could also see time at midfield ... we want to get our most productive players on the field together to make it more difficult for our opponents to defend us."
While Barrie, LeSueur, Ford and Rewkowski draw most of the attention, Pietramala and Tierney feature four other attackmen who are all worthy of playing time and will push for a spot in the rotation.
Sophomores Joe Benson and Scott Spratlen and freshmen Drew Dabrowski and Jake Byrne possess enough talent to form a starting line of their own.
Benson had his freshman season cut short with a broken collarbone he suffered during practice in early April. He had played in five of the first seven games and had two goals and one assist to his credit. The younger brother of former Blue Jay All-American Bobby Benson, Joe Benson was at full strength in the fall and will look to pick up where he left off prior to his injury. Spratlen played in eight games last season and scored two goals in a reserve role.
Dabrowski benefited during the fall as several players were out nursing injuries. He is a rangy player with good offensive skills and saw time on the Blue Jays' potent extra-man unit during fall practice.
Byrne could be the wild card in the attack lineup. A talented offensive player, he missed virtually the entire fall campaign, but is expected to be at full strength by the beginning of the season and should make an impact when he gets up to full speed.
Midfield
The Blue Jays possess an abundance of riches at midfield and utilized superior depth at the position last season to fuel the long scoring runs that put many of their games away last season. Since Pietramala and Tierney arrived in 2001 they have made a commitment to fielding the strongest lineup possible. Several players, including Ford and two-time First Team All-American Adam Doneger, epitomize this philosophy as both started their careers as attackmen before moving to midfield the last two years. With that in mind, it's likely that one or more of the attackmen could find a home at midfield.
Junior Kyle Harrison headlines the returning middies as he earned Second Team STX/USILA All-America honors last season. He scored 22 goals and added 14 assists in 2003 and registered at least one point in 15 of JHU's 16 games. The only sophomore among the five finalists for the 2003 Tewaaraton Award, Harrison creates matchup problems for the opposition as his combination of quickness and ability to breakdown a defender often leads to open opportunities.
Two-time Third Team STX/USILA All-American Kevin Boland will make the move from the second midfield to the first this season and is one of the top play-making midfielders in the nation.
Last season he scored 21 goals and added 25 assists and he has 33 goals and 44 assists in the last two years. He often found himself on the field in crucial situations during the last two years and will team with Harrison to give the Blue Jays one of the top midfield tandems in the nation.
Senior Joe McDermott and sophomore Greg Peyser exemplify the depth the Blue Jays have at midfield. Either could find a home on the first midfield, or they could team to form one of the nation's best tandems on a second midfield.
McDermott enjoyed a solid season in 2003 as he scored 12 goals and added nine assists for 21 points. His game-winning goal in overtime against Maryland jump-started a strong season-ending run. McDermott scored Hopkins' first goal of the game in both the NCAA Semifinals and the NCAA Championship Game and had seven goals and one assist in the NCAA Tournament.
Peyser wasted little time establishing himself as one of the top young players in the nation as he scored nine goals and added five assists despite missing two games. He excelled during the Under-19 World Championships last summer and the coaching staff is hopeful that he makes the same jump in production that Harrison and Boland did their sophomore years.
"We have several players who have played key roles for us during the last two years when they didn't have a lot of experience," Pietramala noted. "Some of those players are now juniors and seniors and the experience they have gained should allow us to field two midfield lines that are balanced and put continuous pressure on our opponents. We don't want to put a midfield unit out there to kill time ... we expect our second and third midfields to contribute."
Sophomore Kyle Dowd and junior Joe Vollen are the top contenders in the battle for a spot on the second midfield. Both bring exceptional athleticism to the field and could be the perfect complement to Peyser and McDermott.
Dowd was one of just two freshmen to play in all 16 games last season and scored four goals on the year. Vollen, who missed the entire 2002 season and actually has three years of eligibility remaining, played in 14 games last season and tallied one goal.
For the first time in years, the Blue Jays may run a third offensive midfield as senior Frank Potucek, junior Joe Malo and freshman Jamison Koesterer could form a solid line.
Potucek appears to be fully recovered from a pair of knee injuries that cost him the 2002 season and limited his effectiveness in 2003. Potucek is a tireless worker who also saw significant time as a defensive middie during his freshman year.
Malo had a very good fall and could be the top offensive threat among the three as he is a very good shooter. Koesterer has good size and will use the 2004 season to adjust to the college game. He comes from a young high school program, but demonstrated an ability to quickly comprehend the Blue Jays' schemes in the fall.
Faceoffs
Harrison, Peyser and junior Lou Braun team to give Hopkins the top three-man faceoff rotation in the nation. All three won better than 55% of their faceoffs last season and Hopkins won 60% as a team.
Harrision won 109-of-174 (.626) faceoffs to once again rank among the national leaders. His ability to win the faceoff and create an odd-man rush puts constant pressure on the opposition. Peyser won 58-of-104 (.558) faceoffs as a freshman and then dominated at the Under-19 World Championships, where he won 36-of-66 (.655). His continued development will be a key for the Blue Jays in this area.
Braun is the wild card in the faceoff area for Hopkins. Last season he won 67-of-112 (.598) of the faceoffs he took and the coaching staff is hopeful that he will assume a larger role. He is coming off a solid showing in the fall and his ability to handle more of the faceoff chores will allow Harrison and Peyser to concentrate more on their role as offensive midfielders.
Defense
Johns Hopkins finished third in the nation in scoring defense (6.94 goals/game) and second in man-down defense (.851 / 40-of-47 killed). Replacing Second Team STX/USILA All-American Michael Peyser is the priority, but there is no shortage of talent or experience at this end of the field.
Juniors Chris Watson and Tom Garvey headline the close defense as both started all 16 games last season.
Watson, who will serve as a team captain this season, is the group leader and makes many of the defensive calls. He has started all 30 games in the last two years and has the most comprehensive understanding of what the Blue Jays are trying to do defensively.
Garvey emerged as one of the top young defensive players in the nation last season and earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team. He will often draw the opposition's top offensive threat and will only continue to improve in his second season as a starter. He shared the rope position as a freshman before settling in on close defense last season.
"Having Chris and Tom return as the anchors of our defense will allow us to maintain a certain amount of continuity," Pietramala stated of his defensive leaders. "We have a defensive system that requires attention to detail and constant communication and our leaders at that end of the field are crucial to any success we might have defensively."
The two most experienced players in the battle for Peyser's vacated starting spot are senior co-captain Greg Raymond and sophomore Matt Pinto. Raymond, who has good size and great stick skills, got the most extensive playing time of his career last season as he played in 12 games.
Pinto was limited by injuries last season and played in just six games. However, he emerged as a starter for the United States Under-19 World Championship team last summer and built on that effort through the fall.
Sophomore Josh Pico and freshman Eric Zerrlaut should also see time on close defense this season. Pico played in six games last season and has shown tremendous progress through the fall and the early part of preseason. He has developed into one of the team's top one-on-one defenders and will likely see an increased role.
Zerrlaut comes to Hopkins with an impressive list of prep credentials and was a key member of the United States Under-19 World Championship team last summer. Despite missing some time in the fall due to injuries, he demonstrated a quick understanding of the team's defensive system and has the talent to see playing time this season.
Senior Kevin Conry will battle for an increased role on close defense, but will likely anchor the team's man-down unit again this season as well. He has been a mainstay on the man-down unit for the last three years and the Blue Jays have ranked among the nation's best in that area throughout his career. He played in 15 games last season and has appeared in more games than any other active member of the Johns Hopkins defense.
Senior Matt Stoffel and sophomore Matt Nader will fight for time in a reserve role. Stoffel saw action in nine games last season, while Nader played in five during his freshman year.
Senior Corey Harned is the leader of what might be the top defensive midfield in the nation. He played in all 16 games last season and had two goals, four assists and 67 ground balls to his credit. He came to Hopkins as an attackman and uses his superior stick skills to his advantage. He earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team last season and is arguably the top player at his position in the nation.
Sophomores Gabe Hirl and Andrew DiConza and freshmen Anthony Triplin and Brendan Skakandi will all fight for time behind Harned.
Hirl and DiConza both saw limited action in their first year as Hirl played in three games and DiConza saw action in two. Hirl has physically developed since last season and worked hard during the fall to earn an opportunity for an increased role this season.
Triplin and Skakandi give the Blue Jays two exceptional young athletes at the rope. Skakandi played at high school prep power Farmingdale (NY) and may just need game experience to emerge as a force, while Triplin is a bit of an unknown as he spent the fall playing football for the Blue Jays. Still, in early preseason practices he demonstrated a quick understanding of the system and has the pure athleticism that should help him find playing time early in his career.
Junior Benson Erwin and sophomore Matt Feild return after they held down the short-stick defensive middie spots last season. Erwin ranks among the top players in the nation at the position and had one goal, four assists and 29 ground balls to his credit last season. Feild was one of just two freshmen to play in every game last season and he had 10 ground balls on the year. Developing a third short-stick defensive middie has been a priority for the coaching staff to keep Erwin and Feild fresh.
Goalies
The Blue Jays have two solid young goalies who only need game experience. Sophomore Scott Smith, who saw limited action last season as the primary backup to Second Team STX/USILA All-American Rob Scherr, and freshman Jesse Schwartzman are likely to take their battle for the starting spot all the way up to the season-opener against Penn on February 28.
Smith played in eight games, including two NCAA Tournament games, last season. He posted a 1.59 goals against average and a .929 save percentage in limited time and demonstrated good skills and an ability to play out of the cage. The experience he gained should prove valuable in his bid for the starting spot.
Schwartzman is a fundamentally-sound goalie who controls shots and is a very good communicator. He excels on outlets, which could jump-start the Blue Jay transition game.
"While it is easy to focus on what we lost in goal, we have worked to develop what we think are two very promising young goalies," Pietramala stated. "Scott and Jesse have done everything we have asked them to do and it will be exciting to see them grow into top starting goalies at the Division I level."
Schedule
The 2004 Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse schedule has been voted the strongest in the nation by Faceoff Magazine. The Blue Jays will play the other three teams from last season's Final Four, all four ACC schools and Princeton and Towson, which both advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2003.
If it's an even-numbered year then the Blue Jays will once again feature a home schedule second to none. Hopkins will welcome Princeton, Syracuse, North Carolina, Maryland and Towson to Homewood Field, while Penn and Albany will also visit Baltimore. The Johns Hopkins-Maryland game will be the 100th meeting in what is generally regarded as the top rivalry in the game.
The Blue Jays will make road trips to Hofstra, Virginia, Duke, Navy and Loyola to round out the most difficult schedule in the nation.
