TOWSON, Md. - Throughout the 2012 Tiger men's lacrosse season, senior midfielder Ian Mills will give Towson fans an inside look into the team. In his first entry, Mills talks about the first two weeks of the team's practices and preparations for the season opener against Jacksonville.
Welcome to the player blog of the 2012 season of Towson University men's lacrosse. My name is Ian Mills and I am a senior midfielder for the Tigers.
Throughout my career, I have experienced the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, and have been a part of numerous wins and losses with this team.
Being a member of a Division I lacrosse team is a special opportunity to say the least. The sport of lacrosse attracts a variety of personalities. Saying this, these individuals bond together, both on and off the field, to form what we call our “family.”
This blog was created to give you, the fan, an inside look at what we as players and students experience on a daily basis throughout the season.
On the Field:
In the first two weeks, we have been lucky to have great weather. I can remember back to my freshman year and how frigid the weather was. It was the first time in my life that I saw an icicle on a human being. The sweat would drip down the player's hair and freeze by the end of practice. With the exception of a morning or two, we've had steady temperatures of 40 degrees and above since January 16.
There has been a huge emphasis on improving stick work by the coaches. We've had an additional practice dedicated to passing and shooting in game-like situations. These “mini” practices are held at an extremely high pace, but that's no different than everything we do. This should be encouraging to the Towson faithful as we've been slammed in forums in recent years for playing a slow-down, possession based offense.
There are a few players that have really improved since last season. Redshirt freshman Robby Zoppo earned a spot on the Under-19 USA team this past summer. He's been getting great separation from defensemen and burying the ball. Even more impressive is his hair. He's been growing his flow out all fall and promised me that he will not cut it until the season ends. I've been living vicariously through his locks since I was blessed with a receding hair line at the young age of 16. Thanks Dad.
Carl Iacona has provided great energy since transferring from St. John's University prior to his sophomore year. He's been getting into a nice groove in this new offense and really finding good spots on his shots.
Lastly, Andrew Wascavage hasn't showed any let up after suffering an ACL injury this summer. He's making the stops he should and pulling some out that he shouldn't. Wascavage's clearing game has been extremely strong through the off-season. When the pieces of our team come together, it's really an exciting brand of lacrosse to watch and be a part of.
Off the Field:
The coaches organized a welcome back dinner at Crackpot restaurant of Loch Raven Blvd. We were offered a multi-course meal consisting of salad, fries, shrimp, wings and shrimp cakes. The service was outstanding and the food was delicious. Just ask strength and conditioning Coach Jesse Judy. To the amazement of our players, he polished off four plates of steamed shrimp. We all left happily stuffed.
This past weekend, we held our 18th annual youth lacrosse clinic on campus. We love this event, but more importantly, the kids really benefit from the interaction with the players. The structure allows for each kid to get one-on-one instruction from us.
We worked with them on shooting, dodging, checking, groundball work, face-offs and each goalie received instruction from our keepers on saving the ball and clearing. These types of events allow us as players to reflect on how fortunate we are to be playing lacrosse at such a high level.
A Look Ahead:
The team is excited for the upcoming week as Albany comes to "The U.” We spent the past two weeks beating on each other and are eager to face another color. After the scrimmage, we head to our first Towson Lacrosse Face-Off Night. Alumni and former coaches Carl Runk and Tony Seaman will be attending to speak on the culture of our team. I'm going to trying and keep a running journal so you all can see how we progress though the “game-week” process. Stay tuned!
Until next week. Fight on Tigers!
