Coach Desko Quotes
2007 Syracuse University Men’s Lacrosse Media Day
January 21, 2007
Carrier Dome
On seniors returning from injuries in 2006:
“We’re very happy to have Steve (Brooks), Greg (Rommel) and Greg (Niewieroski) back. They’ve all come back very strong and practiced with us in the fall so we got to see them in October and November and it’s great to have them back. Not only did we miss them last year with their injuries but we’ve got a lot of young guys back who got experience in replacing them last year. We’re looking forward to 2007 with the group coming back and the also the freshmen who are looking to make an impact.”
On changes in the lineup:
“Well last year, Kenny (Nims) and Danny (Hardy) played a lot of midfield and they’ve gone back to their natural positions of attack and it’s great to have had an opportunity to get that kind of game experience last year. I thought as the season went on they did better and better and as a result, for that young group to make the Final Four was certainly an accomplishment.”
On returning goalkeeper Peter Coluccini:
“Well I think just like the other young guys, Pete was basically a freshman last year, a redshirt freshman. He had the previous year experience but just in practice. We saved the game situations for the following years to come. With our schedule, we’re looking for him to come back a lot more comfortable and a lot more confident with what’s going on in the game situation on the field. I think he did lose weight and I think he’s more comfortable being a little lighter and a little quicker.”
On any standout players in practice:
“Well I think it’s hard to tell that because we’re returning a lot of defenders, a goalie, and those offensive players who got hurt last year as well as those who stepped in for them. They’re all doing a great job of sharing the ball so far but I think we need to share the ball, be very unselfish because there are plenty of people who can take the ball to the cage and shoot the ball.”
On finding playing time for everyone:
“I don’t think that will be a problem. We did lose the Joe Yevolis, the Brett Bucktooths, and the Brian Crocketts, who were three of our top scorers last year so we have to replace those guys. I think we have about the same amount of players in all so I think they’ll get along fine. It’s great to have all those guys back in their natural positions.”
On Mike Leveille…
“He’s one of our captains and our leading point returner so there will be a little bit of pressure on him for that but he’s got some guys that will really help him out. I think one of the things that Michael’s always done is he’s always picked things up very quickly. He understands all his positions so being a captain, being a guy back with a lot of experience, it’s very easy for him to tell guys where to go on the field. He’s like having another coach out there and he’s done a terrific job.”
On Max Bartig:
“Max has done a good job especially for a freshman. He is very much like Mike Leveille. He picks things up very quickly and lacrosse is really turning into a thinking man’s game both on offense and defense with so many packages of zones, man-to-man’s, shutoffs, and you have to be aware of what the other team is doing. Max is one of those guys who can recognize that quickly.”
On gaining confidence from the Final Four run:
“I think you see the swagger more in game situations than you do in practice. But I think already we are ahead of where we were last year just because of all the players coming back. Last year we were doing an awful lot of teaching in the springtime instead of the fall because we had new players out there, injuries, you’re teaching what to do in games and how to adjust. I do think we are ahead of where we were last year at this time.”
On difficult games early in the year:
“You find out where you are and what you have to work on because you are seeing some very talented lacrosse teams who have been in playoff situations and these are good teams. Early in the year, if you can get a couple of wins under your belt against teams like this, it’s huge when being considered for playoffs. They look at schedules and RPI and wins and losses, and to play these kinds of teams early is good but to get wins against them also helps at the end of the year.”
On the defensive unit:
“Well, going back to Pete Coluccini, to have him back with some experience and knowing you have to be a bit of a leader as a goalkeeper, I think that helps. The defense is more comfortable with him knowing what he can do in goal. With everybody else back, with the exception of John Wright who often covered the opposing team’s best player, we have guys stepping up who are year older, a year wiser, and a year more experienced and we’re looking forward to seeing how the defense can do in a game situation.”
On the changing state of lacrosse:
“I think lacrosse at the youth and high school level is the fastest growing sport in America. As a result you’re seeing more and more players coming out, more teams with better players, and I think coaches with smarter players are using more defenses and more offenses, and I’m not sure that’s always a great thing. You have a tendency to over-coach and I think you see some of that. We like to see the game played the way it should be played. Now in the future you will see some new rules with the rules committee looking at the state of lacrosse to try to pick up the tempo.”
On the younger players’ talents:
“We’re still learning about that. I think it’s their ability first of all. Pretty much all of them come from small high school programs where they were the best player on their teams since a young age. They got a lot of experience and were asked to carry the ball quite a bit. Guys were asked to carry the ball in double teams and triple teams to score to win the game and that’s a lot of pressure. That they’ve been asked to do so much in high school helps their games in college.”
On the face-off situation:
“I think with Danny being out last year, and he being our top guy the year before, the other guys got experience last year and now there’s a lot of competition at that spot because they are all going against each other. Their constant competitiveness is going to make them better on the field.”
