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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."