College Success Spills Over to MLL

By Steve Guglielmo | 1/31/12 11:00 AM

Above: Bayhawks midfielder Kyle Dixon (University of Virginia) and Rattlers attackman Ned Crotty (Duke University) have found tremendous success in the league after college.

There are a handful of teams in Division I Men’s Lacrosse that can be considered blue-blooded royalty. Chief among them are the University of Virginia and Duke University. These two prestigious ACC universities have accounted for six national championships, including the last two. They have produced a combined 60 MLL draftees, nine in the 2012 MLL Collegiate draft alone and six of the first ten picks. They are ranked 1^st and 2^nd respectively in Lax Power’s preseason rankings for the 2012 season.

With the 2012 college lacrosse season just around the corner, we had an opportunity to speak with University of Virginia Head Coach Dom Starsia and Duke University Head Coach John Danowski about the growth of the game, where they see it headed and how they feel to see their alumni doing so well in Major League Lacrosse.

Coach Starsia

“The secret is out of the bag,” says Coach Starsia. “Lacrosse has absolutely exploded, especially at the youth and high school levels. It’s just an easy game to enjoy. Once we get in the door, the game tends to sell itself.” Starsia, who won his fourth national championship in 2011 and the school’s fifth overall, has seen a radical shift in his recruiting classes. “Nowadays it’s not uncommon for us to only have one or two recruits from traditional hotbeds like Maryland and New York,” he says. “When I first came to Virginia, 20 years ago, 90 percent of our roster came from those states.”

It is a trend that Starsia sees as a positive development for the game and one he doesn’t see slowing down anytime soon. “I think we’re going to continue to see the game pushing south and west,” he says. “We’re going to see dramatic growth in the next ten years. I see more television exposure and more schools continuing to add competitive lacrosse programs. It’s a very exciting time for the game!”

Starsia’s success extends into the professional game as well. The University of Virginia has produced a staggering 39 MLL draftees, including this year’s first rounder’s Steele Stanwick and Colin Briggs. It is a source of pride for the legendary coach to have so many of his players continue to play after college. And it’s no coincidence that there are so many UVa alumni in the league. “We play a style that works in the MLL,” says Starsia. “The professional game is so much faster. It requires quick decisions and players that can think on their feet and roll with the punches. Those are qualities that we really emphasize.” That up-tempo system requires a special skill set. “When we are recruiting, we’re looking at two things. The first is obviously athletic ability. That jumps off the page at you,” he says. “But the other part is what I call athletic IQ. Does a player play with his head up? Does he play well with others? Those kinds of things you can only get from watching kids play.” Those attributes help UVa alumni adapt to the pace and physicality of the MLL game.

Coach Danowski

In 2010, Duke University won one of the most thrilling NCAA National Title games in the history of Division I Men’s lacrosse. The Blue Devils beat Notre Dame 6-5 in Overtime, as 2012 MLL first round draftee C.J. Costabile pumped in the winning goal to lead Duke to its first ever National Championship. Costabile was one of three Blue Devils taken in the first round, joining Defenseman Mike Manley and Middie Robert Rotanz.

Having a large number of MLL draftees has become the norm for Duke under Coach Danowski. “We’re very proud to have had so many players go on to play professionally. We want our guys to want to continue to play,” says Danowski. “And for as many guys as we do have in the league right now, I believe there are five or six more players that could be playing and I wish they were.” Duke has produced 21 MLL draftees in its history, including four in 2012.

Like Virginia, Duke plays a style of game conducive to a transition to the pros. “We try to prepare our guys well in the weight room and help them understand the game so that they can adjust to different styles of play and coaching,” he says. The game’s surge in popularity has certainly helped to supplement Duke’s traditionally loaded roster. “You see high school programs and club teams cropping up in North Carolina, Texas, California and Minnesota. There are more being added every year. If you look at our roster, it’s not only kids from the Northeast anymore. They’re from all over the country,” he says. “We’re just seeing an overall growth in the game and I think, as the economy continues to improve, that we’re poised to see an explosion in popularity. I think the next frontier is getting the game into the inner-cities. I can’t wait.”

Want to keep track of the 2012 MLL draftees? For a list of ESPN's 2012 NCAA Division 1 Men's Lacrosse regular-season coverage, click here.