University Park, Pa. — As the Nittany Lions try to rebound after their first loss of the season, the team will hope to continue a dominant stretch of defensive lacrosse, led by senior captain Tommy Wright (Garden City, N.Y.) and goaltender Colby Kneese (Dallas, Texas). After allowing only four goals to St. Joseph's on Feb. 15, the Lions held Yale to 12, while causing 11 turnovers.
"This group just has a good handle on what the plan is," head coach Jeff Tambroni said. "I think Colby has been very consistent this year which is a huge asset for us and those guys come out every day and set a really good tone."
It was important in last week's game to set the defensive tone early, and Tambroni thought the unit was able to be opportunistic in disrupting offensive breakouts.
"I thought the clarity that our guys went out on that field with was excellent, and the game plan was simplistic," Tambroni said. "That combination really helped so Colby was able to get off to a really good start and it helped those guys feel confident. It was maybe a combination of those things that really helped us execute the way we'd hoped we would going into the game."
Wright caused a turnover and collected four ground balls against the Bulldogs, and credited their success in-game so far this season to the unit's mentality in practice.
"It starts at practice focusing on the details that (associate head)coach (Peter) Toner talks about every day, and the younger guys buying in as well," Wright said. "Those guys have been stepping up and into bigger roles and that has also helped to make our jobs easier so far."
Tambroni admires Wright's passion for the game, and the mentality of competing that he brings into each practice, as well as on game day.
"First and foremost he plays so hard," Tambroni said. "I mean he just competes every single day like it's his last practice, which is admired by all coaches and players because he leads by example on the field.
"He's reliable on the defensive end in terms of his role, and he accounts for at least five or six possessions where some guys may get the ball and turn it back over. I don't know where we'd be without him but he has definitely made a significant contribution thus far."
As a long-stick midfielder, Wright carries a unique role within the game itself. As one of the few non-defenders on the field with a long pole, Wright spoke about the two-way game that being an LSM requires.
"It can definitely be a little different than playing down low, because I can run up and down the field," Wright said. "It can get pretty tiring for sure, but I have a lot of fun with it."
"I started playing it when I was in eighth or ninth grade, I was a traditional middie and then they put a pole in my hand and said to try it out. You have to do multiple things in terms of being able to box out and then go back and play defense. It can be tough at times but I know it is a big role, and I enjoy it."
For Brayden Peck (West Grove, Pa.), the defensive prowess is emblematic of the intelligence that both Kneese and the unit as a whole carry into each game.
"It's definitely been a process, and part of how we've grown is because of Colby being such a veteran in the cage," Peck said. "We really have put forth the effort to work together, as a defense on our IQ, and I think that's been a big thing this year. We're taking steps to become smarter defenders, and have to continue to work together just to simplify the game a little bit and understand what you're doing more than just doing it."
With the adjusted simplicity, Peck thinks that the improvement on fundamentals has allowed for a more cohesive effort on the field.
"I think it's just focusing on our fundamentals as a defense and really just stressing on the concept of trying to disrupt certain offensive players that we're playing against, and playing them into our strengths," Peck said. "With Colby playing so well, we're able to give up the 13-yard shot now, and expect Colby to save that ball and it's just allowing guys to really just play more confidently."
With that confidence in mind, Wright knows what the end goal is for the unit itself.
"Everyone knows we want to get back to the Final Four weekend and get to the title game," Wright said. "We know what that feeling is like to come up just short. So we keep on building that culture of everyone buying in and then practices being harder than the games are on Saturday."
