This article appears in the February issue of Lacrosse Magazine, a US Lacrosse publication available exclusively to members. Join today to start your monthly subscription to LM.

Cornell Deals with Defensive Overhaul

by Brian Delaney | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

All-American Matt Moyer, who missed the fall with a knee injury, anchors a Cornell defense beset by question marks -- including in the goal, where Butler transfer Kyle Harer has potentially usurped fifth-year senior Jake Myers.

Not even last year, when Cornell was tasked with replacing two first-team All-American defensemen in shutdown pole Mitch Belisle and goalie Matt McMonagle, has the Big Red faced such a massive overhaul project on defense under ninth-year coach Jeff Tambroni.

Despite last spring's 11-4 record and share of the program's sixth straight Ivy League championship, coaches and players alike considered the season a major disappointment. Cornell was embarrassed by a 54-30 margin in its four losses, a stark showing for a program that has leaned excessively on defensive excellence in the Tambroni era.

A lopsided home loss to Ohio State in the NCAA first round initiated an offseason of soul-searching. There will be little room for error this spring, as Cornell will play road games against three of four 2008 NCAA semifinalists - Virginia, Duke and Syracuse - in a travel-heavy schedule.

The Big Red, ranked No. 6 in Lacrosse Magazine's preseason poll, open Saturday at Binghamton.

"This team knows they've got a lot of work to do, and certainly coming off last year's season and the disappointment of last year's season, the opportunity to face some of the country's best teams in their own backyards is more of an excitement for our guys than a fear," Tambroni said.

Last year's starting goalie, fifth-year senior Jake Myers, will use his final semester of eligibility this spring. But in missing the fall season, Myers - who struggled mightily at times as a starter - may have lost his job. Senior Kyle Harer has made a strong push at that position in his absence.

All-American defenseman Matt Moyer, who missed the fall with a knee injury, will anchor a defense with several vacancies. Defenders Max Dorne and Nick Gradinger, who made 19 total starts in 2008, retired during the fall because of persistent back injuries, and dependable shortstick middie Danny Nathan, who graduated, needs to be replaced.

Goalie was, and will remain, the biggest question mark. In 2008, opponents scored on 59 percent of their shots on goal, and Myers finished 15 starts with a pedestrian .527 save percentage.

"Kyle Harer has earned the right, at this point, to be the starting goalie," Tambroni said. "At the same time, we are prepared to give (Myers) every opportunity to take back the starting role that he had earned in 2008. He deserves that opportunity."

Tambroni does have three certainties to look forward to this spring: a dynamic midfield, a surefire scorer at attack, and better depth.

Two-time first-team All-American middie Max Seibald returns, as does two-time second-team All-American John Glynn, like Myers a fifth-year senior. At attack, freshman Rob Pannell will likely crack the starting lineup, giving the Big Red a "quarterbacking attackman" - as Tambroni termed it - much like the role Eric Pittard played during Cornell's run to the NCAA semifinals in 2007.