Laxers piecing together defensive puzzle

Editor's note: This is the final part of a three-part series previewing the men's lacrosse team. Today's story highlights the defense.

For the Penn State lacrosse team, not much is missing from its defensive puzzle this year. It's just that the puzzle doesn't have that many pieces.

The problem for coach Glenn Thiel is not finding people to fill the spots. It's finding people to give those starters a rest.

"It's a thin defensive unit," he said, "but a pretty good front line."

That front line will be composed of senior tri-captains Dave Daniecki, Tolleison Morriss and sophomore Andrew Germain. They will be trying to keep the ball from getting to sophomore goalie Kevin Keenan. And while Morriss and Daniecki are the most experienced of the four, Germain saw significant playing time last year.

When these thoroughbreds get tired they will be spelled by junior Matt Copeland and freshman Brian Pieri.

The fourth defensive piece is Keenan in goal. He has been seeing the most minutes because Andy King is injured. However, when King gets healthy he could see increased playing time.

While there are plenty of skilled players for the Lion defense, there is one part of the puzzle that will be missing this year. Chris Lamy, who saw significant playing time last year as a freshman, transferred to the University of Maryland in the off-season.

"Obviously, that affects our depth," Thiel said. "We'd like to have somebody who can go take the ball away, but we probably have a better mesh of team defensive people now."

That meshing process is helped by the fact the defense has two of the team's tri-captains. Daniecki is a very good ball defender, while Morriss is able to be the unit's vocal leader as the guy on the crease who keeps everyone on the same page, Thiel said.

Morris said he and his defensive teammates have set two goals for themselves this season.

"We want to try and keep the goals per game and penalties down this year," he said.

This year's schedule is going to demand the defense plays to its potential. The Lions face one of their hardest schedules ever, with six-of-12 opponents ranked in the top 20 of the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse poll. The toughest of those games will be when defending national champion Princeton comes to Happy Valley on March 22.

"It is the toughest schedule Penn State has ever played," Thiel said.

Besides the Tigers, the Lions face Georgetown, Yale, Rutgers, Duke, and have played Notre Dame.