April 14, 2008

By Joe Meloni Massachusetts Daily Collegian

April 14, 2008

Amherst, MA (UWIRE) -- Not much has worked on a consistent basis for the offense of the Massachusetts men's lacrosse team.

There are a few Minutemen with high scoring outputs, but it has proved a great struggle for UMass coach Greg Cannella to find combinations and plays that work regularly.

On Saturday, however, the Minutemen found something that not only worked, it won them a game. With his team trailing 8-7 with 18 seconds remaining in regulation and again in the first overtime, Cannella utilized a reset play that led to high-percentage looks for his best finishers positioned directly in front of the goalkeeper.

The formation was simple. One player behind the net with the other five lined up in front of the goalkeeper with defensemen positioned between each UMass player. Once the referees whistle the start of play, the player behind the net rotates out, and those aligned in the restraining box start moving.

"It's something that we've been working on for a couple weeks," Cannella said. "[Assistant coach Jake Coon] thought we should put in an end-line play based on what we're doing behind the goal. It was great advice, and I took it."

UMass used this play on four separate occasions Saturday afternoon, and it turned into a goal for three of them. The time it didn't, freshman Peter McNichols was wide open, but Hobart goalkeeper Max Silberlicht made a spectacular save to keep the ball out of the net.

"The play helped us catch the defense off-guard a little," McNichols said. "But that goalie played a spectacular game. It was nice to beat him later, though."

Sophomore midfielder Bobby Hayes and senior attack Fred Federico played the role behind the net on different situations. The first time Hayes started the play, he wheeled from his post behind the cage and worked himself free before firing a shot over Silberlicht's shoulder.

When the Minutemen ran the play in overtime, Hayes's defender stayed on him vacating more space in the slot. He found McNichols who buried the shot the second time around after Silberlicht robbed him earlier in the match.

"Coach Cannella put the play in earlier in the year. It's something that we feel really comfortable with. It worked to perfection [in overtime], so we're very happy with it," McNichols said after the game.

"We change it on the fly sometimes, but that time it was the original way that we run the play," he added.

It works because it provides several options. After streaking into the wing, Hayes could have shot like he did early in the game or passed to one of the four players in the slot.

In his second season in Amherst, Hayes displayed remarkable poise each time he ran the play. Rather than forcing a bad pass or shot, he allowed the decisions of the defense to dictate his action. When the defender stayed with him, he passed; and when the defender slid to the slot, he took a shot.

Federico started the play at the end of regulation when the Minutemen needed a goal to extend the game. He forced the play too quickly and lost the ball after a vicious check from his defender. If not for Balise's presence of mind to collect the loose ball and shoot quickly without forcing it, the Statesmen would returned to Geneva, N.Y., with a win on Saturday evening.

"I've have [been in the right place a few times], but our offense as a whole is getting more comfortable," Balise said. "We're starting to execute our offense much better and just playing lacrosse."

(C) 2008 Massachusetts Daily Collegian via UWIRE