Defense to up aggresion

Crossing the thin threshold that exists between winning and losing, between triumph and defeat, is an act not easily accomplished. Creating success out of what would otherwise be failure requires attributes that allow one to rise above the competition, to pass this fine line.

Any number of traits — athleticism, experience, individual talent — can enable this achievement. Though the men's lacrosse team's defense is endowed with all three of these attributes, its distinguishing feature this year will be its confidence.

"In this game," said head coach Bill Tierney said, "confidence is what it's all about."

As Tierney enters his 20th season at the helm of the men's lacrosse team, which is ranked No. 1 in the latest Nike/Inside Lacrosse poll, he has every reason to be confident in his defense. The defensive corps, arguably the strongest in Division I, will be led by an experienced group of returning starters, anchored by a first-team All-America goalie and backed by a talented group of sophomores and freshmen.

The three starting defensemen this season will be senior Zach Jungers, junior Dan Cocoziello and sophomore Chris Peyser. Jungers, who earned third-team All-America honors in 2006 and was named a preseason second-team All-America in 2007, and Cocoziello, a second-team All-America selection in 2006 and a 2007 preseason first-team All-America pick, are both extremely versatile players and will take turns matching up against opponents' most dangerous attackers. Peyser, a cerebral player gifted with remarkable field vision, will anchor the defense and direct operations in the middle.

After suffering a late-season injury last year, senior John Bennett returns as one of the team's top long-stick midfielders. Sophomore long-stick midfielder Charlie Kolkin and sophomore midfielder Brendan Reilly will be key around the box and particularly in transition. Tierney also has confidence in freshman defenseman Jeremy Hirsch, an All-America standout in high school at Georgetown Prep, whom Tierney believes will be able to overcome the fragility of being a freshman in this program to make a solid contribution on the defensive end.

The final component of the defense rests with junior goalie Alex Hewit, in whom coaches and players alike have unlimited confidence. After playing his way into a starting position last season, Hewit boasted an incredible save percentage of 64.6, which was second overall in Division I. The statistics sheet was not the only place he shined, though; Hewit also earned first-team All-America honors in 2006 and was named a 2007 preseason pick for the same distinction.

"It's very comforting for the guys to have [Hewit] in goal because the defenders know they can give up a 13- or 14-yard shot and he'll be there to save it," Tierney said.

Hewit has shown an ability to be quite aggressive in and out of the goal. After having a year of starting experience, his confidence level has risen and he is now able to exploit his talent to its fullest.

"[Hewit] will take the ball and run through people, but you have to allow him to do that because he's so athletic and has so much confidence now. We reined him in a little last year, but now he's free to do whatever he wants because we know he will make good decisions."

Between Hewit and newcomer freshman goalie Nikhil Ashra, the Tiger goal will be in safe hands for years to come. Ashra's size and quick hands make him the perfect prototype for his position, and his adaptation to the college game and Princeton's style of play have allowed him to make tremendous progress since preseason started.

A trendsetter in the defensive realm of lacrosse, Tierney has adapted his system — traditionally based on patience, quick slides, double-teams and containment to deny good shooting position — to match the characteristics of his defensemen. Armed with an arsenal of athleticism, Tierney plans to exploit his players' strengths by integrating more aggressive play into his traditional defensive style.

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Adapting the system to allow the defensemen to display their individual abilities will make the Tiger defense more solid and force opposing attackers to make tougher decisions.

"The Princeton defense," Tierney said, "has been built on a system where we slide early and put a lot of pressure on our opponents. We think with this group of guys our defense won't require as much sliding but instead we'll be able to beat opponents individually, which will play more into the hands of our athleticism."

Though the Tigers will do less sliding and double-teaming on defense this season, the core team-oriented defense that has helped build the Princeton dynasty will remain in place. The confidence the defensemen have in each other to lend support in the rare instances they make mistakes is a necessary insurance Tierney refuses to relinquish.

"I don't think we'll ever get to a point where we'll play takeaway defense because recruits come here to become solid defensemen," Tierney said.

As is the case with even-strength defense, Princeton's man-down defense has been tweaked to take advantage of players' attributes and has resulted in success thus far.

"In the man-down strategy you have to play some sort of zone, but it can be as intricate or as simple as you want it to be," said Tierney. "We're going to use our guys' intelligence to our advantage. We change formations, we shut others teams' best players off, we get really aggressive, we pack it in tight. The key to man-down is having someone like Alex in goal because you can give away the outside shot."

Figuring out what works best with his personnel will be a learning process for Tierney this spring, but one thing remains constant: With a mix of athleticism, experience, individual talent and most importantly confidence, the Tiger defense looks to be second to none this season.