Time to speed things up

The slow offensive style of Princeton lacrosse is almost as canonized as that of its basketball counterpart. That offensive style has led head coach Bill Tierney to six national championships, but the brain that led Tierney to those championships is also smart enough to know when change is necessary.

"We were not doing the kids right by us coaching them in a style that was allowing teams to beat us that we thought we were equal to," Tierney said.

Coming off the disappointment of last season, Tierney and associate head coach David Metzbauer realized the team needed to take advantage of more transition opportunities. Once they looked at the athletic talent they had returning they knew that a faster offense could work. Despite having confidence in the new system, it's safe to say Tierney may gain a few gray hairs watching his players streak to the net.

"It's a little scary," Tierney said, "but I think for us it's the way to go."

The team has embraced the change, and the athletic play of the defense has made the fast transition offense possible.

Defensemen like juniors Zach Jungers and Dan Cocoziello have spearheaded the change, and the players are enjoying the new excitement it creates.

"It's been great so far; when you think of Princeton, you think of holding the ball, not fun lacrosse," senior offensive midfield Jim O'Brien said. "This year we're pushing the ball and taking chances and we have some guys that can handle that."

The Tigers return veteran scorers in junior attack Pete Trombino and sophomore midfield Scott Sowanick, who each ended last season with a team-leading 34 points.

"Pete's one of those special players that can really go to the goal and make something happen every time he's out there," O'Brien said.

The team also returns Whitney Hayes '07, an accurate scorer last year with a shot on goal percentage of .636. But what distinguishes this team from years past is its depth and lack of superstars. Against Canisius, the team scored 16 goals, and just three of them were from the duo of Trombino and Sowanick. Freshmen like attack Tommy Davis, who scored three goals on Saturday, and midfield Mark Kovler, who tallied two, will be immediate weapons. If opponents shut down Trombino and Sowanick, Tierney is confident the team has other players who will step up.

"We're counting on a bunch of different guys to score our goals, which makes you a little more dangerous," Tierney said. "Last year they knew if they stopped Jason Doneger '05 they were going to hold us down, this year we have a ton of different guys that can step up."

Fortunately for the Tigers, the team also has the offensive genius of Metzbauer on the sideline on top of the stellar cast of players on the field.

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"One of the nice parts about David is when the going gets tough during the game he always has an answer," Tierney said.

Together with Tierney, Metzbauer has guided the team toward the new faced-paced offensive style, which has been a reaction to the new types of defense being thrown at it. Each week, he also prepares the team to combat its opponent's defense, and the team has complete faith in his teachings.

"He's an offensive mastermind," O'Brien said. "He spends so much time watching film, as long as we can listen to what he says we'll be alright."

Once the game starts, however, there's only so much the coaches can do from the sideline and they're trusting in their players' ability to plan on the fly.

"We have to trust them to make good decisions," Tierney said. "Sometimes they don't, but we're working on that daily."

That daily process is a careful balance for Tierney, who has to cultivate the players' confidence and allow them to be aggressive, while also critiquing their play and molding them into national contenders. Unlike years past, he doesn't want the players to be afraid to rush things and take chances.

"We understand there are going to be mistakes made but in the long run it's the thing to do," Tierney said. "They need to have the confidence if they have a shot to take a shot. They're talented young men, we can let them fend for themselves."