Unleashing the fury

This year's men's lacrosse team, like so many in the past, is renowned for its strong defense. Head coach Bill Tierney, considered one of the best coaches around, is known as a defensive specialist. So according to Tierney, what will No. 1 Princeton need to do to win its seventh title?

Put the ball in the back of the net.

"If you're going to win a national championship," Tierney said, "the only way to [do] it is to outscore [your opponent]. You're not going to win a championship with six or seven goals. It's impossible."

This year's Princeton squad will see familiar faces from a year ago but will showcase a different offensive approach. In contrast to past squads, which have had a patient, slowdown offense — almost like the men's basketball team — Tierney has recently tried picking up the pace. And while he recognizes the team's defensive strength, he sees much improvement coming on offense.

"We're going to keep a lot of people in single figures [on defense], so we really revamped our whole offense," Tierney said. "We're really trying to push the tempo."

Part of pushing the tempo means taking shots earlier in the possession and taking them from farther out.

Whereas the previous offensive strategy sought to cycle the ball around until an open man could be picked out near the net, this year Tierney is giving his players the green light to take quicker shots from farther outside.

This tactic, he says, affords his shooters a lot more autonomy in running the offense.

"We've found that, with an experienced group like we have, kids know what they're doing," Tierney said. "This year more than ever, the offense is in their hands, and we hope the freedom that we're giving them results in confidence, because confidence is what this game is all about."

Many of Princeton's attempts will be generated by its transition game and its man-up opportunities, two situations where Tierney sees this year's team as being more aggressive in taking shots.

"We have to find other team ways of creating offense, especially in the transition game," Tierney said. "We have to take more shots, and maybe even be a little more risk-taking."

"Even if you don't hit that shot, it might produce more opportunities. So we hope that more shots produce more goals. It sounds simple, but sometimes it's not."

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While defense kept the Tigers close in the contests they lost last season, a little extra offense could have put the team over the top.

Princeton averaged only five goals a game in its losses and netted only three against Ivy League rival Cornell.

"Against Cornell, we scored three goals in a 60-minute game," Tierney said. "That's ridiculous; we should score three goals in a quarter."

Princeton returns almost all of its offensive firepower from last season, including its top-eight scorers.

Leading the charge are senior tri-captains Peter Trombino on attack and Scott Sowanick at midfield. Trombino notched a team-high 22 goals and 18 assists last season, while Sowanick added 20 goals and 18 assists of his own.

Trombino began this year's campaign where he left off last season, firing three goals in the season opener.

Though Sowanick only recorded one assist in the contest, his play was still integral to the Tigers' offensive outpouring. His play last Saturday indicated he might be able to leave some of the shooting to his teammates and step into the vital feeder role that the Tigers have lacked for so many years — a role that has been central to virtually all past Princeton championship teams.

"To me, [Sowanick is] our most valuable player right now," Tierney said after the Canisius game. "He knows the game; he plays the full thing; he lifts everybody else up. He's stepping up and he's the kick we need."

Sophomore midfielder Mark Kovler had 18 goals and 8 assists during his freshman campaign, while junior attack Alex Haynie recorded 13 goals with six assists.

Sophomore attack Tommy Davis netted 15 goals in 10 games before his season was cut short by a shoulder injury against Syracuse.

Haynie struck three times against Canisius, while Davis added two goals and five assists — compared to only one assist in all of last season. Tierney believes both Davis and Haynie will flourish in the team's new style of play.

"I think we'll take more outside shots to spread the defense out," Tierney said. "Alex Haynie and Tommy Davis are fabulous at rebounds, so if we take some outside shots that the goalie doesn't quite save, Alex is as good as a kid I've ever had in that situation."

Entering the fray already this year is freshman attack Rob Engelke, who bagged a hat-trick in his first contest as a Tiger against Canisius. His play recalled Davis' three-goal performance in the team's season opener last year. Like this year, the team also routed the Golden Griffins.

To see even the youngest players on a team step up like that is a fortunate thing for the Tigers.

With its deep, experienced arsenal and freedom to fire away, this year's Tigers should put a lot more biscuits in the oven than some of the Princeton squads of the past few years.

While the team faces its first real test against Johns Hopkins this weekend in Baltimore, a strong offense will need to complement the strong defense should the Tigers want to return to M&T Bank Stadium in May.