Brian Tedder/Collegian

For the past several decades, Garber Field has hosted teams that excel on defense and in the transition game. The 2008 edition of the Massachusetts men’s lacrosse team will be no exception. Yet it will be the Minuteman attack that largely determines the team’s on-field success this season.

If there’s one way to mask a weak offense, it’s with a strong defense. And the Minutemen boast an experienced defensive unit that may be one of the best ever to call Garber Field home. Featuring close defenders Sean Krygier and David Von Voigt, who are both third-year starters, the unit played well in Saturday’s win over Hofstra while allowing four goals. “They all play pretty good team defense. It might be a size or a quickness match-up, so there’s not one player who will cover the top [offensive opponent] each time,” UMass coach Greg Cannella said.

In addition, junior Doc Schneider is one of the nation’s top goalkeepers and played that way against Hofstra. Schneider stopped 19 shots, tying his career high.

Transition attack Expect the Minutemen to take full advantage of all chances to score in transition. Last season, speedy midfielders Brian Jacovina and Brett Garber keyed this part of the offense. With that pair having graduated, senior Fred Federico and junior Evan Blum will play important roles.

Even with a solid defensive unit, Cannella acknowledges that his team will need to increase its offensive output over Saturday’s win. Last season, the Minutemen averaged 8.79 goals per game. But the more telling statistic was that the Maroon and White were 6-1 in games where they scored at least nine goals. Beyond its transition attack, much of UMass’s success will be determined by its ability to score in offensive sets. With attacks Jim Connolly and Christian Haggerty lost to suspension, the scoring burden will fall to Tim Balise. The junior responded against Hofstra by producing half of his team’s offense with four goals. “We’re not telling [Balise] that he has to carry the load,” Cannella said. “He let the game come to him [against Hofstra]. The more our players do that, the better off we’ll be.” The Minutemen also eagerly await the return of senior midfielder Rory Pedrick, who is currently out with an undisclosed injury.

The ride Since lacrosse is a possession-based sport, forcing an opponent to commit turnovers is an important key for success. After nearly every failed attempt to score, the Minutemen engage in a system of defense known as the ride. The strategy is designed to prevent the defense from clearing the ball by aggressively pressuring both the ball carrier and pass recipients up-field. The ride is most effective in settled situations (i.e. after stoppages in play), especially when the opponent must clear the ball the full length of the field. “You hope that you can ride and continue to put pressure on long-stick defensemen and force them into making bad decisions out there,” Cannella said. “The riding game is very important to us; we know we can be successful if we have 30 percent success [with the ride].” Though effective riding can lead to extra possessions, the technique requires pure hustle. With a limited roster, fatigue may become an issue – especially for the attacking unit. “Right now we have 12 offensive players, so there are no breaks in practice,” Cannella said. “There’s less time to stand on the sideline to catch your breath. Conditioning has not changed, but these guys are getting more reps. Hopefully that will keep them in better shape.” But just as creating extra possessions is important, avoiding turnovers is a crucial aspect of the game. Against Hofstra, the Minutemen committed 24 – a statistic that Cannella wants to be closer to single digits. “You ride a fine line because you ask your guys to take some chances when they play without any fear,” he said. “But with many of the turnovers we had [against Hofstra], we weren’t trying to make plays, we were just throwing the play around.”

Face-offs This season, the NCAA instituted a new rule that penalizes a team if any player commits an illegal motion before the whistle. The face-off man of the offending team must exit the field while the opponent gains possession. This can create exploitable matchups, as well as boost transition offenses. But Cannella acknowledges that the rule won’t change how he approaches face-offs in terms of personnel. “It becomes more of a concern what you do out there – you can’t jump the whistle,” he said. Against Hofstra, Cannella thrust junior Joe Reale into the face-off role even though sophomore Bobby Hayes returns to the midfield. Hayes maintained primary face-off duty in 2007, winning nearly 51 percent of his draws. It remains to be seen who will emerge as the top face-off man, though the team may experiment with other players based on opponent match-ups.

Man-down unit Historically, the Minutemen have always boasted one of the best man-down units in collegiate lacrosse. This season penalty-kill success will mostly be attributable to its stellar defense, but like the ride, it requires significant effort to execute properly. Last season the Maroon and White surrendered 10 extra-man goals in 14 games. Though the strength of the unit is an obvious asset to the team, Cannella still stresses to his players to avoid all unnecessary penalties. “You don’t mind the penalties where you’re physical out there on the field,” Cannella said. “It’s the mental mistakes that you hate.” Michael King can be reached at [email protected].