Download Short Stick Defensive Middies

Short Stick Defensive Middies
by fram on October 31, 2003
In a world overrun by self- applauding sports stars, positions
on the defensive end are often left in the dark. Unfortunately,
this is not only true in professional sports, as the push for the
spotlight seems to be born with the athlete. Just ask any
youth coach how many 8 inch gloves are raised when he
asks for defense and goalie volunteers; chances are there's
not as many Gagliardis in the group as there are Powells.
But there is hope. A new breed is on the rise. A player who
is often described as the team's MVP, yet at the same time
the least noticed. Most are shocked that anyone would ever
want to be in such a position, but, as you'll see, these
players wouldn't have it any other way.
If you ask most of this year's Final Four spectators who their
vote for MVP would've gone to, you'd be hard pressed to find
a nod for anyone but Tillman Johnson. While he is more than
deserving of the title, you'll likely get a different response
from most NCAA coaches. "I am presently making some
instructional videos for an outfit," said Virginia head coach
Dom Starsia, "and as I went back through the championship
weekend, I discovered even more emphatically how vital
Billy Glading's effort was to our championship. He may have
actually been the MVP of the Championship game."
While most may not be able to pick him out of the crowd, it's
hard not to take notice of his accomplishments at a position
usually left out of the headlines. He scored 24 goals during
this past season, including five in the ACC Championship
game. He covered and shut down one of Hopkins' top
attackman by himself in the NCAA championship game. He
was the 2003 ACC tournament MVP as well as this year's
Voshell Award winner for the team's most valuable player.
While these achievements may not be that extraordinary for
some players, what sets Glading apart is that he
accomplished all this while only playing man down and short
stick defense.
The fact that Glading, and others in the same position, are
often overlooked is not really that surprising when you look
at the players they line up with. They're not as flashy as the
attackmen, they don't have the opportunity for a goal every
time they're on the field like an offensive middie, they don't
have the added comfort of a long stick like a defenseman,
and they're not the last line of defense like the goalie. What
they are is a point of attack. As Johns Hopkins coach Dave
Pietramala commented, "Everyone attacks the short stick."
This fact seems to be one of the points that SSDM's delight
in. Coach Pietramala believes this is especially true in the
case of his top short stick, Junior Benson Erwin. "Benson
covers the ball extremely well, individual matchups are a
matter of pride for him." When asked what Erwin means to
the Blue Jays, Coach Pietramala said, "Honestly, he means
everything. Benson is as important to our success as
anyone, but is the least heralded; he prefers it that way."
Like the other top players at this position, Erwin is involved in
every critical defensive position during the game. He's on the
wing during faceoffs, a starter on man down, in all defensive
possesions, creates transition into the offensive end, and the
list goes on. "There's not a guy on the team that plays more
on game day," Pietramala added.
The same can be said for Maryland's top short stick, senior
captain Paul Gillette. Like Erwin, Paul has been the unofficial
team MVP and groundball leader for two seasons, rarely
coming off the field. He is a tireless worker who has been
covering the opponents top players since joining the team
his freshman year. Recently graduated Terp midfielder and
lacrosse sales guru Willy Passavia said, "Paul is the quietest
guy on the team, but he gets everyone going simply with his
play. He gives everything he does his all and gets the least
amount of credit. That's how he wants it though, he doesn't
like the spotlight and he doesn't care who gets the credit."
Aside from shutting down top midfielders and attackmen
alike, Gillette is also a major point in the Terrapin offense
with what he brings in the transition game. He fired home 4
goals and 5 assists this past season without ever staying on
for a full offensive possession.
Their impact is obvious, but the secret to their success is not
as glaring. Coach Starsia feels it can primarily be attributed
to their own humble attitudes, athletic ability and
hardworking mentalities; they can run all day and usually do.
He went on to say that, "If you have ssdm's you can leave in
the game going from "D" to "O", you can often catch the
other team in vulnerable situations (especially if they are
always looking to change their midfield personnel). So while
guys like Billy Glading defend pretty well, it may be more a
philosophy of play that says "leave those guys in the game."