Feb. 17, 2006

Johns Hopkins men's lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala and his staff have been here before. Well, sort of.

Remember the 2002 season? The Blue Jays had lost a large senior class the year before and embarked on the 2002 season with few veterans sprinkled throughout a lineup filled with youngsters. Fashioning a team that no one thought was a Final Four contender, Pietramala guided the Blue Jays through an improbable run that ended just one win short of the national championship game.

Fast-forward four years to 2006 and the Blue Jays are once again faced with the prospect of replacing a large senior class and will likely field a starting lineup that could count as many freshmen as seniors and more sophomores than juniors.

It's virtually the same scenario Pietramala faced in his second season at Hopkins. Well, not really.

The 2006 Blue Jays will not sneak up on anyone, as they did in 2002. Any thoughts of that were erased when Hopkins posted a 16-0 record and claimed the program's eighth NCAA Championship last season. Despite a roster that consists of just those three seniors with starting experience, the Blue Jays return a wealth of experience from last season's national championship team.

Sure, three freshmen could find their way into the starting lineup on opening day and as many as seven of the starting 10 could be freshmen and sophomores. But the Blue Jays return six starters, four of their top five scorers from 2005, a goalie who led the nation in goals against average last season and four All-Americans. Add in a deep and talented freshmen class and the Blue Jays may just have what it takes to push their Final Four streak to five.

Despite similarities to teams past and a returning core of players from last year's championship team, Pietramala is quick to point out that the 2006 team will be looking to leave it's own mark in the history of the program.

"Our returning players learned so much from our seniors last year and they have been quick to demonstrate the right way to do things to our newcomers," Pietramala stated. "We don't believe in the moniker of defending national champions, because when a team wins a championship it's theirs forever. But this group wants to emerge from the shadow of last year's team and create it's own identity. In a lot of ways the lead-up to the 2006 season is more exciting because there is an element of the unknown."

Attack

On attack the Blue Jays lost a pair of four-year regulars in Peter LeSueur and Kyle Barrie, who combined for nearly 250 points during their careers. LeSueur started 60 of the 61 games during his career and Barrie graduated with 24 all-time goals in the NCAA Tournament, just one shy of the school record. Despite these losses, the Blue Jays will field a unit that could be among the best in the nation as junior Jake Byrne and sophomore Kevin Huntley return to anchor the offense.

Byrne started every game on attack last season after holding down a spot on Hopkins' second midfield as a freshman. He scored 22 goals and added 10 assists to finish third on the team in scoring with 32 points last season. Of course, no one really remembers any of that when it comes to Byrne as his place in Hopkins' history was cemented at the Final Four when he scored with 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime against Virginia in the semifinals, then notched the game-winning goal in the national championship game against Duke.

Huntley saw limited time in Hopkins' first four games last season and then didn't play at all in the 12-11 come-from-behind win at Syracuse in the fifth game of the year. A week later, when Barrie went down with an injury against Virginia, Huntley staged his coming-out party as he came off the bench and notched three goals and added two assists to lead the way to a 9-7 win.

Huntley went on to tie for second on the team in goals (23) and ranked fourth in points (29). The left-hander notched a pair of goals in the NCAA Championship game against Duke and teams with Byrne to give the Blue Jays a solid returning tandem on attack.

"We are fortunate to have proven returning players on attack and we will look to them for not just their scoring ability, but their leadership as well," Pietramala noted of Byrne and Huntley. "It will be exciting to watch this pair lead our offense."

The battle for the starting spot alongside Byrne and Huntley was narrowed to junior Drew Dabrowski and freshman Tom Duerr in fall practice. Both took advantage of an injury to Huntley in the fall to showcase their ability.

Dabrowski played well down the stretch last season and posted a pair of assists in NCAA Tournament victories over Marist and Massachusetts. He has played in 12 games in the last two seasons and provides an experienced player who excels with or without the ball.

Duerr made an immediate impression in the fall as his work-ethic impressed the coaching staff. He demonstrated the ability to carry, pass and finish and performed at a consistent level throughout the fall.

Sophomore Michael Doneger and freshman Josh Peck both saw extensive playing time in the fall and could figure into the mix on attack as well. Doneger, who scored five goals on just eight shots last season, could grab a spot on the Blue Jays' extra-man unit, while Peck demonstrated himself as a tremendously hard worker in the fall and could prosper when given the opportunity.

"Despite its youth, this group demonstrated uncanny poise in the fall," Pietramala noted. "With the losses we suffered not just on attack but at midfield as well that poise will be crucial to our offensive success this season."

Midfield

Johns Hopkins has produced All-Americans on attack and defense and in the goal during its recent four-year run at the top. In fact, Hopkins is the only team in the nation that has produced at least one First Team All-American at each of the those positions since 2002. However, the key to the Blue Jays' success during that time has been due, in large part, to the depth of the team's midfield. While there are key players who must be replaced at midfield, the unit may actually be the deepest in Pietramala's tenure.

Gone are Kyle Harrison, Matt Rewkowski and Joe Malo, who fueled the Blue Jays' run to the national championship last season. Harrison became, arguably, the most decorated player in the history of the program and JHU's first Tewaaraton Award winner. Rewkowski missed the early part of last season recovering from a torn ACL, but returned at midseason and led the team in extra-man goals (5) for the second straight year. Malo enjoyed the finest season of his career and scored twice in the NCAA Semifinal victory over Virginia.

"Obviously we suffered some big losses at midfield and will need to have some of our younger players step up," Pietramala noted. "I'm not sure we can expect to replace Kyle Harrison, Matt Rewkowski and Joe Malo. Not just in terms of goals and assists, but the way they helped lead our team. We certainly feel like we have some talented young players, but how they react in leadership roles will dictate the level of success we achieve this season."

Add in the loss of Joe Benson, a senior on this year's team who suffered a knee injury in November and will miss the 2006 season, and Hopkins must replace 52 goals and 32 assists at midfield alone.

The Blue Jays do have the luxury of returning two players who will anchor the midfield and both were key parts of Hopkins' run to the national championship last season.

On a team that features four captains, senior Greg Peyser is, in many ways, the leader and how he adjusts to a role he's never been forced to handle will be pivotal to the team's success. The Blue Jays figure to use several players to fill Harrison's void on offense, but much of his leadership void will fall on Peyser's shoulders.

Peyser scored a career-high 17 goals and added six assists for a personal-best 23 points last season. He earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team after scoring twice, winning 13-of-23 faceoffs and grabbing 15 ground balls in the Final Four. His second goal against Duke late in the third quarter tied the NCAA Championship game (8-8), which JHU eventually won, 9-8.

Paul Rabil emerged as the top freshman midfielder in the nation last season when he punched up a career-high four goals in a stunning, 12-11, come-from-behind victory at Syracuse early in the season. As it turned out, the performance against the Orange was just a glimpse of things to come.

Rabil went on to finish second on the team in scoring with 23 goals and 14 assists for 37 points to record the second-highest point total ever by a freshman midfielder at Hopkins (four-time First Team All-American Del Dressel holds the record with 46 points in 1983). He also earned Third Team All-America honors and inherits Harrison's role as JHU's most dangerous offensive weapon at midfield.

Junior Jamison Koesterer and sophomore Stephen Peyser are both poised for breakout seasons and team with Greg Peyser and Rabil to give the Blue Jays four legitimate threats at midfield.

Koesterer flashed his potential last season as he tallied three goals and added five assists as a member of the second midfield. He demonstrated a confidence in the fall that he is ready to assume a bigger role.

Stephen Peyser enjoyed a productive freshman year that saw him finish with 10 goals, including three in the NCAA Quarterfinals against Massachusetts. If his performance in the fall is any indication, it may be hard to keep him off the first midfield as he may have had the best fall of any player on the team. The Blue Jays have a long history of second-year midfielders enjoying breakout seasons (Harrison, Kevin Boland, A.J. Haugen) and Peyser may be the latest to join that select group.

Sophomore Garrett Stanwick and four freshmen are among those in the battle for the remaining two spots on the first two midfields and the Blue Jays may have the depth to run a legitimate third offensive midfield several times per game.

Stanwick was slowed by an ankle injury last season, but demonstrated solid skills and scored a pair of goals in the five games he played. He played well in the fall and should see increased playing time this season. With the loss of Harrison, Rewkowski and Malo, Pietramala and his staff went after some of the top midfielders in the nation during recruiting and turned up a bumper crop that includes Andrew Miller, Brian Christopher, Mark Bryan and Austin Walker. All four should contribute immediately.

Miller is a do-it-all workmanlike middie who moves the ball well, excels on ground balls and can play at both ends of the field. Christopher and Bryan should provide an offensive spark as both racked up impressive totals in high school. Christopher is a converted attackman, while Bryan finished his high school career with 340 points, including over 100 as a junior and senior.

Walker may have the most potential in the group as his athleticism is difficult to match. If he can perform at a consistent level he will be difficult to keep off the field as well.

Another pair of freshmen - Nick Donoghue and Billy McCutcheon - will provide depth to the midfield this season as they adjust to the college game, while walk-on Andrew Jaffe joined the program in the fall.

Close Defense

Tom Garvey and Chris Watson were lost to graduation and took their 108 combined starts with them. A group that may prove to be more athletic will be hard-pressed to be as resourceful as last year's group, which teamed Garvey and Watson with current senior Matt Pinto. Hopkins ranked second in the nation in scoring defense (6.94) and held 14 of its 16 opponents to nine goals or less.

Still, Pietramala is excited about the prospects of 2006. "We lost a First Team All-American (Garvey) and someone who set a school record for career games started (Watson)," Pietramala was quick to note. "Asking young players to step into those roles is difficult, but they responded well in the fall and learned so much from Tom and Chris. They are looking forward to challenges ahead."

While there are a pair of returning starters on attack and midfield, there is just one on defense as Pinto has started nearly as many games (31) as the remaining defensemen on the team have played (38). Of those 38 games played by the remaining eight players, none includes a start. Pinto earned Honorable Mention All-America honors last season as he started all 16 games and grabbed a career-high 26 ground balls. He will likely draw the assignment of marking many of the top attackmen the Blue Jays face this season while doubling as the unit's coach on the field.

Junior Eric Zerrlaut, who actually has three years of eligibility remaining, is the likely replacement for Watson and takes over the role of operating from "mission control." He provides a tremendous physical presence and could be one of the surprise players in the nation this season.

The battle for Garvey's spot narrowed to three players in the fall as senior Josh Pico, sophomore Ben O'Neill and freshman Matt Drenan emerged as the leaders in the race for the starting spot. Regardless of who starts it is likely that all three will see playing time.

Pico is actually the most experienced defender on the team behind Pinto as he has played in 17 games in his career. He saw action in five games a year ago and, like Zerrlaut, provides a physical presence. He covers the ball well and was playing well before missing most of the fall with an injury.

O'Neill is making the move from defensive midfield to close defense and took advantage of his playing time in the fall to work himself into the mix for the starting spot. A young player with good size (6-2 / 215) and athleticism, he flew under the radar last season but could emerge as a surprise player this season.

Drenan stepped in immediately in the fall and impressed the coaches with his ability to learn the team's complicated defense so quickly. A tremendous athlete with an excellent work ethic, he could become the first freshman to start on defense for the Blue Jays since Watson turned the trick in 2002.

Senior Gabe Hirl and freshman Michael Evans also figure into the team's defensive plans this year. Hirl has played in 10 games in his career and could find a spot on the team's man-down unit, while Evans uses his raw athleticism as a tenacious defender. He will likely find a home somewhere as the coaching staff will have a difficult time keeping him off the field.

Freshman Will Jawish and junior Kyle Miller are both coming off injuries and will provide depth to the unit.

Defensive Midfield

Senior Matt Feild is the most experienced short-stick defensive midfielder in the nation as he has played in all 47 games in his career. He is the only senior on the team who has played in every game in the last three years and joins Pinto as the leaders on defense. He is a steady, hard-working player who understands the team's defense and will serve as a co-captain this season.

Sophomore George Castle draws the unenviable task of trying to replace Benson Erwin, JHU's top short-stick defensive midfielder for the last four years and one of the top players in the nation during his career. Castle played in five games last season and performed well during the fall. His ability to handle this position will be crucial to Hopkins remaining among the top defensive teams in the nation.

Junior Brendan Skakandi returns to his position as the team's top long-stick defensive midfielder after sharing the job with Greg Raymond. Skakandi played in all 16 games last season and has good stick skills as his 30 ground balls were the most on the team a year ago among close defensmen and long-stick middies. The luxury of having Raymond to team with as an experienced one-two punch is gone and Skakandi will need to take on more responsibility this season.

The biggest surprise of the fall was the play of senior Matt Nader, who made the move from close defense to long-stick middie and excelled in his new spot. Nader has played in just eight games in his career, but has good stick skills and should team with Skakandi to give JHU one of the top pole tandems in the nation.

With a logjam at close defense Evans may also figure into the team's plans as a defensive midfielder, while sophomore Val Washington is making the move from midfield and should provide depth.

Goalie

Few teams, if any, can match the experience and quality the Blue Jays fashion in goal. Junior Jesse Schwartzman and senior Scott Smith both have one season of starting experience to their credit and have excelled in big games. While Schwartzman is the returning starter, Pietramala has confidence in both players' ability to anchor the defense.

"What a luxury it is to have both Jesse and Scott returning," Pietramala stated. "Both of these young men have proven they can handle the job and both have won big games for us. To see them work together to make each other better is part of what has made this team so close."

Schwartzman, who is 18-0 as the starting goalie in the last two years, got the nod in all 16 games last season and led the nation in goals against average (6.68) and ranked third in save percentage (.626). He earned Honorable Mention All-America honors last season and grabbed NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors as he posted 12 saves against Virginia and Duke in the Final Four. After allowing an early third-quarter goal against the Blue Devils he proceeded to shutout the highest scoring team in the nation for the final 27:43 as JHU erased a two-goal deficit to win the national championship.

Smith, who would likely be the starter on most teams, posted a sparking 5.05 goals against average and a .667 save percentage in limited action last season. As the starter in 2004 he posted an 8.13 goals against average and a .545 save percentage in guiding JHU to the Final Four.

Sophomores Graydon Locey and Nolan Matthews round out the team's goalies. Locey played in three games last season and posted five save while allowing three goals. Matthews did not see any game action in 2005.

Faceoffs

The Blue Jays must replace Harrison, who won 328-of-537 (.611) faceoffs in his career, but return three experienced faceoff specialists, including one who ranks among the nation's best.

Greg Peyser won 75-of-121 (.620) faceoffs last season and has won 208-of-337 (.617) during his career. While the coaching staff would prefer not to have him take much more than 40-percent of the team's overall faceoffs, it is difficult not to keep sending him out when he wins such a high percentage. Of the 208 faceoffs he has won in his career none was bigger than the one he grabbed against Virginia with 12.9 seconds remaining in NCAA Semifinals. He calmly collected the loose ball and fed Byrne for the stunning game-tying goal with 1.4 seconds remaining in regulation.

Koesterer and Stephen Peyser figure to take on more of a role on faceoffs to fill the void left by Harrison. Koesterer won an impressive 26-of-40 (.650) last season after winning 9-of-16 (.562) as a freshman, while Stephen Peyser won 12-of-27 (.444) last season.

Schedule The Blue Jays will once again play arguably the most difficult schedule in the nation as 11 of JHU's 12 opponents appear in Inside Lacrosse/Faceoff Yearbook's Preseason Top 25. Included are matchups against second-ranked Duke, third-ranked Virginia, fourth-ranked Maryland and fifth-ranked Syracuse. Add in tilts against Navy (7th), Princeton (10th), Towson (11th), North Carolina (14th), Albany (18th), Hofstra (19th), Loyola (23rd) and UMBC (receiving votes/27th) and Hopkins will be challenged every week by the best teams in the nation.

Maryland, Syracuse, Princeton, Towson and North Carolina all visit Homewood Field to highlight the best home schedule in the nation, while challenging trips to Duke, Virginia and Navy in a four-week span midway through the season will prepare the Blue Jays for the post-season. First round NCAA Tournament games will once again be played on the campus of one of the participating institutions, while the quarterfinals will be played at Stony Brook and Towson. The semifinals and finals return to Philadelphia for a second consecutive year.