Carrying the ball toward his teammates ahead, the short-stick defender for the Penn State men's lacrosse team maneuvers across the midfield line. As junior Andrew Mackrides clears the ball from the defensive end, he moves through opposing players that are often much larger than him.

Although Mackrides, standing at 5-foot-8 according to the team roster, is one of the smallest players on the team, size has never been that important to him.

"I just go out there. I don't really think about that," Mackrides said. "Of course, 95 percent of the time they are bigger than me. I know they're bigger, but in my head when I'm on the field, it's just me against him."

Mackrides occupies one of the toughest positions on the field, said Penn State head coach Glenn Thiel. Defenses are only allowed to have four defenders with long sticks while the other two defensive positions must play with shorter, 40-inch sticks, making their jobs a lot harder. Thiel also said that opposing offenses target the short sticks when they attack, making their position even more critical to the defense's success.

Fellow short-stick defender Matt Warner along with Mackrides both have chances each game to be involved in the offense. While clearing the ball from the defense, they can make runs to the offensive end as well. The short-stick defender is truly a comprehensive player, excelling at both offense and defense.

"You have to know all of our different sets and plays for offense, then you have to know sets for defense," junior midfielder Bubba Scott said. "So, knowing both of those and knowing the opponents' strengths and weaknesses and then knowing where to shoot on the goalie [are] essential."

Thiel said that Mackrides is just the player to handle such a complicated position.

"He's small, but he's strong, and he takes the role and cherishes it," Thiel said. "He's one of our smarter players. He's so good up and down the field. You need guys like that. We could use two more."

Playing in every game last year, Mackrides finished with five goals and an assist. He's played in every game so far this year and has registered one assist.

Even though he may be as much as six inches shorter than the players he encounters, Mackrides is known for his strength in defense and handling the ball in the open field. His knowledge of the position makes him even more valuable.

"He's just an ironman, he's everything," Scott said. "He can shoot, he can play defense. We're very dependent on him in clearing, defense and just about everything."

Thiel also praised his offensive talents.

He said that Mackrides would even be a great asset to the offense because he can make "smart, subtle moves that maybe some of the other kids can't even do" on the offensive end.

However, Mackrides willingly accepts his role as a defender and considers his short stature as an advantage rather than a setback when confronting opposing players.

"I just try and match them. I can get lower on them and stop them," Mackrides said. "I don't really think about it. I like playing one-on-one against somebody and then clearing the ball out."