It’s cliché to say defense is the best offense. But this is true -- Arizona State men’s lacrosse club team epitomizes this. With their offense less than solid, their defense has carried the team thus far. To make a run for a third-straight National Championship appearance, though, they need to be solid throughout.
“This year, it’s just a different feel,” said junior captain Zachary Scarano, a bioengineering major who has played ASU lacrosse for three years. “A lot of young guys just have to get up to speed.”
In earlier years, the team had founded their success on aggressive offensive play; this year, they have yet to show a similar fire. This is a work in progress.
Scarano said that there is a lot of talent on the team despite being young overall; the majority of overall starters are freshmen. To get “up to speed” would be just to get acclimated to the Sun Devils’ usual style of play.
This team specializes in a fast-paced offense with quick ball movement. This quick ball movement allows the defense to shift, opening up chances on goal; they are fast on the transition too. This seems ideal if the team can capitalize on goals. Not quite; they have yet to dominate and have trouble finishing on the offensive end.
“We’ve seemed to be working all the right passes but we can’t get the ball in the back of the net,” Scarano said.
Because of the lack of offensive chemistry, the team has been relying more on the defense to carry them; they are hoping to be a balanced team in short time.
John Lamon, in his second year as the first assistant defensive coach, sees the change of play since the beginning of his time at ASU. He remembers that the offense just seemed to click, and because of that the defense could just sit back. That was then. Lamon said the strategy now is to be more aggressive on defense and create turnovers. More touches for the offense will be more opportunities to score.
“The defense just needs to stay strong as a unit and play hard,” Lamon said. “You don’t need as much chemistry (on defense). Offensively, you need it. It’ll take some time.”
This is where tough love meets the threshold of love for the game. Head coach Chris Malone, who has been coaching at ASU since 2008, knows he has a young team and a “quick-fix” strategy. He is looking for more sooner than later.
Malone intensely coaches the team and with each whistle and holler across the field, he learns a little bit more about his young team. Are they maturing?
“I’m trying to see if they want it,” Malone said. “If I want it more than them then we won’t get it.”
Malone said that he does not like saying things more than once, that he’ll get his point across the first time around. He wants it — every slip-up, flaw or blown role — to resonate with his players. He wants his players to learn the game of lacrosse and the game of life thereafter.
“I want those guys to say ‘if I can put up with Coach Malone I can put up with anyone,’” Malone said. “They have to be accountable. They have to be disciplined.”
This has been the ongoing transformation taking place.
“We’re at a point that if you don’t fix that part of your game (offense), we’re going to keep losing,” Malone said. “There’s no question, I see us being a contender, but we have to win sooner than later. We just have to get our offense going.”
The team, 4-1 (2-0) on the season, leads the south region of the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference; the conference is a part of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. The Devils, ranked No. 9 in the nation for Division I, will face-off against the current No. 1, Colorado State University, on Saturday, March 10 at ASU’s soccer field.
“The bottom line is you have to win,” Malone said. “I don’t care what you’re ranked. It doesn’t matter.”
How are your teams doing? E-mail me at bcapria@asu.edu.
