Share

Tweet

Team USA Notebook: No Quit in McClay

by Ken McMillan | Special to Lacrosse Magazine Online

Faceoff specialist Chris Eck signs autographs following the U.S. training team's exhibition Saturday at Army. Eck and Alex Smith were virtually even in the White team's 14-13 victory. © John Pellino

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Four years ago, the last place Ryan McClay expected to be was at the 2010 Team USA tryouts.

"I was hoping to make the 2006 team and then kind of hang it up after that," he said.

Then the unthinkable happened: McClay, an All-World defender in 2002, was cut from the squad.

"It was disappointing," McClay said. "I decided that day that I was going to give it a push for 2010. Call it ego; call it pride."

McClay admits his confidence was shaken a bit when he got cut, but he received plenty of positive affirmations from teammates. McClay believes his size -- "5-foot-11 on a good day,'' he laughs -- worked against him as Team USA coaches went with taller defenders in 2006.

"The way I play didn't fit into what the coaches were looking for," McClay said. "My game is off the ground, pushing the ball, sound position defense. I'm not going to take the ball away from a lot of guys. I am more a communicator and quarterback of the defense."

McClay, 28, rededicated his efforts to make Team USA. The 2003 Cornell graduate still plays for the Boston Cannons, and gets up at 5 a.m. to get in his morning runs and weightlifting. He got married two years ago and is family planning around his bid to make Team USA once again. McClay works in commercial real estate in Connecticut.

"If I am going to play, I want to play at a high level so I live my life that way," McClay said.

"I am a Ryan McClay fan," said Team USA coach Mike Pressler, who lost in his recruiting bid to bring McClay to Duke. "He is a tremendous player, a quality young man, a selfless guy, a team guy."

Pressler said McClay was impressive at the Team USA tryout camp at Bryant and continued to play well Saturday in an intra-squad scrimmage at Army. He is not concerned about McClay's size.

"It's not how big you are, it's how big you play," Pressler said.

Pressler said McClay's decision to pursue another spot on Team USA says a lot about him.

"It shows you the strength of his character," Pressler said, "the competitive spirit, the leadership qualities, guys being team guys. At the end of the day, when we make decisions here, those intangibles will weigh more than ever in our decision making as we get down to 23 (players)."

McClay said he gets chills when asked what it would mean to make the Team USA squad once again.

"Putting on this jersey is a feeling like no other," he said.

Spallina, Dixon added to roster

Due to a Steven Brooks injury and Brandon Corp's withdrawal from consideration, defenseman Brian Spallina and midfielder Kyle Dixon have been added to the U.S. training team roster.

"Brian Spallina and Kyle Dixon had a great MLL season. Both closed strongly," said US Lacrosse Men's Division Director Jody Martin. "They're now in the running for the final 23 we'll take to Manchester."

Brooks also remains eligibile, as Team USA will now carry 41 players through its fall exhibition series, which includes October dates at Navy and Stony Brook.

‘X' marks the roster spot

Team USA coach Mike Pressler is not sold on whether to choose one faceoff specialist or a pair for the world championships. Not making his decision any easier is the solid play of Colgate graduate Chris Eck (Blue team) and Delaware grad Alex Smith (White team) -- the pair were just about even during the exhibition contest. Midfielders Stephen Peyser (Johns Hopkins) and John Glynn (Cornell) also took some draws.

"When the Blue team got on a roll, they were winning the draw at the ‘X', and when White won the draw it went the other way," Pressler said.  "If Eck and Smith are No. 1, then Peyser and Goynn are our No. 1A guys.

"At the end of the day, we need more than one faceoff guy going into this."

So do you go with one faceoff specialist or two?

"I'm still undecided," Pressler said. "I think you need two guys that can face off, and certainly have two strong ones. Whether you go with one specialist or two specialists, and another midfielder who can do it, time will tell."

College days

The 2002 Team USA squad included seven collegians. The 2006 yeam had none. (Joe Walters graduated from Maryland that spring.) This time around, there are only two college-eligible players among the final 41 candidates: Duke University's Ned Crotty, a midfielder, and Parker McKee, a defender.

"We're not going to look at Major League Lacrosse versus a collegiate player," Pressler said. "What they did to get here in college or in the pros has no bearing on how we are going to select this team."

Pressler said the Duke pair earned their training spots at the summer camp held at Bryant University.

"You watch them play," he said. "They are terrific players, two different positions, two different athletes. They are here because they deserve and earned the right to be here. If they are deserving at the end, they will be selected."

Asked if older players have an edge over younger standouts, Pressler dismissed that notion.

"I think any great team has to have a blend, a mix like we had in 2002," said Pressler, an assistant coach on Team USA that year. "I fall back on that, guys who are very, very experienced, guys in the middle and some fresh blood. When we pick this team, hopefully our team will reflect that: some veteran guys at different positions, some guys fresh out of college a couple years and certainly some youth."

Here is a breakdown of the 41 players on the training squad as per their college graduation years: 2010 (one), 2009 (five), 2008 (eight), 2007 (three), 2006 (seven), 2005 (one), 2004 (four), 2003 (four), 2002 (one), 2001 (two), 2000 (three), 1999 (one), 1996 (one).