January 5, 2010
For U.S. team, a golden opportunity
by Bill Daye/
In six months, the 2010 US men’s national team will travel to Manchester, England, with a goal of reclaiming the world championship gold medal, which, for only the second time, does not belong to Team USA. Mike Pressler and his staff have their sights set on defending champ Team Canada and, in my opinion, made their selections for this team with Canada in mind. The guys from up north have been all over the lax headlines the past few months, and U.S. fans are hoping for a rematch and a chance for redemption.
The talent pool from which Coach Pressler and his staff chose was very deep. I was fortunate twice during my career to try out for the U.S. national team. There is nothing more intense than competing against your peers for three straight days with the hope of being selected to the 23-man roster.
A formidable attack unit includes veterans and some dynamic young players. The Ryans (Boyle and Powell) have international experience and will be the quarterbacks. When they are on the field together, Powell can be a strong dodger but also can see the field and create opportunities. Boyle is a gutsy player who finds open teammates better than anyone. Brendan Mundorf is new to Team USA but not new to the games; he’s a big loss for Australia but a great pickup for the red, white, and blue. I love his game, he dodges hard and at full speed all of the time. He rides hard and can finish. Drew Westervelt had a breakout year in the MLL and can shoot the lights out when given time and room. He’s a big presence and will be in position to finish when his teammates are doubled off of the dodge. Mike Leveille is a triple threat; he can dodge, feed, and shoot.
It will be hard for any team to match up with the extremely athletic U.S. midfield. Every player is an extremely dangerous dodger who can shoot but also see the field and distribute off of the dodge. Paul Rabil is an intense athlete who works his tail off to be the best. No one can stop him one-on-one. He grew as a player this year, got his Cannons teammates involved more, and distributed the rock when he was double- and triple-teamed. Kyle Dixon is another great dodger with unbelievable vision. Like Rabil he shoots the lights out on the run with both hands and is lethal with time and room. Stephen Peyser, another great dodger, will be reunited with Rabil. They were a lethal 1-2 punch at Hopkins. Peyser can play both ends, face off, and even play the wing. Ned Crotty can play middie or attack and he showed at Duke he can play off ball, with the ball, up top, from behind, or on the wing. Matt Streibel is a veteran who can still beat his defenseman off the dodge. He’s another player who will flourish alongside Rabil and Dixon and will bury it when given the opportunities. Max Seibald is extremely fast, very athletic, and can play both ends of the field as well as on the wing on faceoffs. He’s also dangerous off the dodge and when he’s on with his shooting he is a threat. Kevin Cassese, Chris Schiller, and Matt Zash have experience playing defensive midfield against the Canadians and will be a key to Alex Smith’s success at the faceoff X as his main wing players.
There is no doubt this squad has the firepower to put up gaudy numbers but will they be able to play shutdown defense against their international opponents and defend the Canadian two-man, pick-and-roll offense? Eric Martin, Kyle Sweeney, and Sean Nadelen, three of the six long poles, have experience playing indoor lacrosse, where offense is the pick and roll. Joe Cinosky spent the past year in Toronto and I’m sure developed a pretty good understanding of it. Martin and Sweeney are the best all-around long poles who can play up top or down low and shut down opponents. Nadelen can play long pole or with a short stick and, like Ryan McClay, is a player who will do anything you ask. McClay is a solid positional defenseman. DJ Driscoll is a very good complementary player. Trying to get by his tall frame is a daunting task for any opponent. Anchoring the defense are goalies Brian Dougherty and Adam Fullerton. There’s no doubt Doc will get the starting nod and there’s no one better in big games. Doc is a true leader, very vocal, and one of the best to play the position. Fullerton is athletic, has a big frame, and moves extremely well for his size. It could be part of the coaching staff’s strategy to have two lefty goalies. Most of the Canadian offensive players are left-handed and are accustomed to shooting against right-handed goalies.
The U.S. team’s ability to bring back the gold hinges on how quickly continuity is developed and how well they execute. The U.S. team will play the MLL All-Stars July 8 at Harvard Stadium, providing New England fans with a chance to see the national team before it heads overseas.
Although it’s several months away, best of luck gentlemen. Bring it back home!
Bill Daye is coach of the Boston Cannons.
