Hoyas' Davis Back in Cage After Cortisone Shot
by Justin Feil | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online
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Hampered by a herniated disc in his back, Georgetown goalie Jack Davis has returned to help the Hoyas to two straight wins leading into their Big East showdown Saturday at Syracuse. © Georgetown |
Jack Davis wanted to be in goal for Georgetown’s season
opener, but a herniated disc in his back had cost the senior goalie
the chance to compete at full strength for the starting job in the
fall and preseason.
“The style of play that I was taught, with moving toward the
ball and constantly exploding, requires you to be nimble and
flexible,” said Davis, who started all 14 games for the Hoyas
in 2009. “Having a stiff back and a lot of pain made it tough
to play effectively. I hurt it last year. It limited how I wanted
to play.”
Davis received a cortisone shot just days before the season
opener, but with just two healthy practices, the Hoyas went with CT
Fisher in goal. The sophomore made nine saves in his first career
start, but the Hoyas lost to Maryland, 15-13.
“The very first guy to get out to CT after the Maryland game
was Jack,” said Georgetown head coach Dave Urick. “That
says a lot about both of the kids.”
The shot has worked wonders for Davis. He felt a lot better and
looked a lot better in practice the next week.
“Jack had a lot more hop in his step and had a smile on his
face,” Urick said. “I think he was able to play better
because of it.”
“It’s awesome. I feel so flexible and it’s the
way I used to play in high school,” said Davis, the first
scholarship recipient from Glen Ridge (N.J.) High.
“It’s awesome how much better I feel.”
Back as a starter, Davis stopped 12 shots in a 13-12 win over No.
13 Harvard, then followed it with a 14-save, three-ground ball
effort in a 9-6 win over St. John’s in the first-ever Big
East Conference game to be played. Davis was named the Big East
Defensive Player of the Week.
“It was kind of a relief,” Davis said. “I was
playing well in practice, but I wasn’t totally 100 percent
sure I was OK until I was in the cage in an actual game. Once I
made a couple saves, I was good to go.”
The Hoyas feel they have the luxury of two capable goalies with
Fisher now having a good game’s experience under him and a
healthy Davis. If Davis’ back becomes an issue again,
Georgetown won’t hesitate to go with Fisher, who has returned
to the bench.
“I think he’s handled it extremely well,” Urick
said. “He’s a very mature kid. They’re very
supportive of each other.”
The No. 12-ranked Hoyas face their toughest challenge of the
season when they play at No. 2 Syracuse on Saturday.
“They’re one of the most potent offenses out
there,” Davis said. “We couldn’t get a better
test. I couldn’t be more confident. I think the guys are
going to step up and we’ll have a great game.”
Georgetown has won its last two games without one of its three
captains, Barney Ehrmann, who had surgery to repair his ankle
Friday and is gone for the year. The senior defensive middie led
the Hoyas in ground balls a year ago and is expected to return next
season. Ehrmann’s loss has forced defenders Dan Hostetler,
Chris Nixon and Eric Bicknese to be better in front Davis.
“The younger (Brennan) Bicknese has become more a part of
the equation as the fourth guy,” Urick said. “Chris
Nourse’s playing time increased with the long stick. Chris
Nixon has been playing at an extremely high level. If he continues
to play at this level, he’ll have a great year.”
Added Davis: “It’s a collective thing. I have to step
up. Everyone has to do it. Everyone is effectively playing well
together, and we’re working well as a unit. I’m looking
forward to seeing how we progress as a unit.”
Urick saw Davis’ leadership develop at the end of last
season and likes the experience that he brings to the defensive
end. Davis hopes he continues to have the chance to show it on the
field after opening the season on the sidelines.
“It definitely motivated me,” Davis said. “Now
that I’m back in net, I never want to give it up again until
I graduate.”
Big East Notes
Colin Igoe has proven that he is back healthy and
ready to boost the Notre Dame attack. He played
just four games in his sophomore season before suffering a knee
injury that cost him all the remainder of the season plus last
year. Through four games, the senior attack has four goals and two
assists, numbers that equal his output as a sophomore before his
injury... Providence is trying to solidify its
goalie situation after slow starts in back-to-back games.
Frank Cicero allowed five goals in the first half,
including four in the first quarter, and the Friars never recovered
in an 8-6 season-opening loss to Presbyterian. Tim
Finnegan, who allowed just three goals in the second half
against Presbyterian, allowed four goals in the first 6:32 before
Cicero made six saves in the remaining 53:28 of a 9-4 loss to
Jacksonville... Rutgers is 2-1, already halfway to
last year’s four-win total, thanks in part to a stingier
defense that ranks third nationally at 5.33 goals per game.
Brian Shemesh has settled in after a midseason
move back to defense last year, and sophomore Jacob Fradkin has
developed into the Scarlet Knights’ top cover man.
Andrew D’Agostino is back after leading the
team in caused turnovers as a redshirt freshman last year, and
Rutgers has found a star goalie in true freshman Rudy
Butler, who stopped nine shots in the 6-5 loss to then-No.
19 UMBC... When Dom DeNapoli graduated after last season,
St. John’s knew there would be a lot more
ground balls available. The Red Storm has had to compensate for the
loss of the 2009 NCAA ground balls leader. Dan
Cremens, a junior defenseman, has established himself as
the early leader with 13 through three games and St. John’s
has been even with opponents in the category...
Syracuse junior goalie John
Galloway has been incredible through his first three games
with a .646 save percentage. It was .567 last year and .534 as a
freshman. He made 18 saves and kept Syracuse within range of
Virginia in the second half of Sunday’s 11-10 loss. The
Orange actually held a 5-2 lead in the second quarter and all of
its first five goals came on the man-up. It was a welcome
improvement. Aside from that run, the Orange is 1-for-9 with a man
advantage this season... Villanova has answered
one of its biggest preseason questions with Dan
Gutierrez in goal. The sophomore has stepped in for
graduated four-year starter Andrew DiLoreto. Gutierrez had just one
game of experience in 2009, but it was a big one. He started in
goal against Virginia in the NCAA tournament. Freshmen
Peter Metcalf and Bill Hurley
continue to push Gutierrez, who had just a .353 save percentage
through two games before stopping 11 shots in an 8-6 win over
Fairfield.
