Karma of Cama: FOGO Has Post Poised to Repeat
by Chris Gentilviso | Special to Lacrosse Magazine
Online
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. -- It’s a meticulous role
with a defined goal -- gaining possession of the ball.
As C.W. Post’s primary faceoff specialist, senior midfielder
Mike Cama has a basic, yet fine-tuned routine. He makes sure to mix
up his looks, in hopes of keeping his opponents off balance.
By streaking to wins on 75 percent of his faceoffs so far this
season, Cama has kept the balance of power on the No. 1 Pioneers'
side.
“It's a game within itself,” said senior attackman Joe
Meo, a former FOGO in high school. “If we're winning that
game, it sets up everyone else to play at their best.”
Since the start of the 2009 season, C.W. Post has embodied that
“best” with a 25-1 record and a Division II men's
national championship. A large portion of that effort stems from
Cama's consistency.
After leading the nation in 2009 with a .685 faceoff win
percentage, Cama is on pace for similar, if not better marks this
season. But the methods shadowing his success have little to do
with numbers.
“I want the ball,” Cama said. “If someone's in
my way, I'm going to get it. That's it.”
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C.W. Post faceoff man Mike Cama has won 75 percent of his faceoffs in 2010, keeping the unbeaten Pioneers' potent offense in play. |
Cama’s perseverance was on display in Saturday’s
13-11 victory over nextdoor neighbor NYIT. Entering the contest,
the senior knew he was facing a potent counter on the other side of
the line. The Bears (.709) ranked second behind the Pioneers (.757)
in all of Division II in faceoffs.
In a neck-and-neck contest that featured seven ties and five lead
changes, possessions grew crucial down the stretch. With 2:17 left
in regulation, NYIT had trimmed C.W. Post's lead to 12-11, setting
the stage for a decisive 25th battle at midfield.
Cama set down his stick and dug in for the final joust. The ball
dropped, the whistle blew, and he grappled with a pair of Bears
midfielders, pushing the pile across midfield toward C.W. Post's
wing.
Eight seconds later, Pioneers senior defender Mike Celano emerged
from the skirmish with the ball in hand. Two minutes later, Meo put
the game away, breaking by two NYIT defenders for his team-high
27th goal of the season.
“We've played some tough teams early on, but the next group
has the real top faceoff guys in the nation,” C.W. Post coach
John Jez said. “Mike was able to figure out what was going
on. He stuck to it and toward the end of the game, he was able to
get us the ones that we really needed.”
En route to their 2009 national championship, the Pioneers leaned
on the skills of four senior All-Americans on their attack. As two
of the club's eight seniors in 2010, Cama and Meo have stepped up
not only by contributing on the field, but preparing Post to
sustain its success in future seasons.
“More than just doing their position, they're actually
trying to lead," Jez said. "They coach the other guys, and help
them through certain things. They tell them certain things that
they do that help them do things better.”
At the end of 2010, Cama will turn over the faceoff reins to
junior Ronnie Irving -- a transfer who recorded All-American
numbers at Nassau Community College. Off the field, Cama knows
Irving from their time growing up as aspiring athletes in the same
county.
While the goal is to keep his opponents guessing, the opposite is
true when tutoring his teammates.
“Usually what I tell him is just make sure that you do one
move, hustle and don't give up,” Cama said. “The same
things that I tell myself, I tell him.”
Division II News & Notes
On the women's side, Molloy continued its hot
streak, earning wins over conference foe St. Thomas
Aquinas and nonconference rival Southern New
Hampshire. With those wins, the Lions (8-1) already
eclipsed their win total from last season's 7-9 campaign. Molloy
has won five straight contests behind the leadership of senior
midfielder Kristin Sosnowski. Sosnowski was named
ECC Conference Player of the Week after averaging five points and
13 draw controls in those two games. She's been a force to be
reckoned with on the Lions' attack, with 25 goals and 47 shots on
goal in their nine 2010 games ... Despite their streak, Molloy
(8-1) did not crack the top 10 in the IWLCA Division II poll. The
remaining four unbeatens in Division II all made the cut, as No. 1
Adelphi (10-0), No. 2 Lock Haven
(8-0), No. 3 C.W. Post (7-0) and No. 7
West Chester (9-0) kept their perfect records
intact. Molloy will have a chance to stake its claim on a top-10
spot when it heads to C.W. Post on Wednesday.
