Tucker back in top form for Bayhawks
Ryan Tucker came into Major League Lacrosse with much fanfare. The former University of Virginia All-American was the fourth overall selection of the 2015 MLL Collegiate Draft – the No. 1 pick of the Boston Cannons.
Tucker had a solid rookie campaign with the Cannons while playing for his father who was the head coach. John Tucker was hired away to serve as general manager and head coach of the expansion Atlanta Blaze and brought his son along.
Ryan Tucker was the third pick of the 2016 MLL Expansion Draft and responded with a very productive season for the Blaze, totaling 24 points on 11 goals and 12 assists.
However, Tucker’s MLL career took a step backward last season. The Towson native was traded to the Chesapeake Bayhawks during the offseason and never quite found a fitting with his new team, appearing in just six games and posting only 10 points.
Tucker could have blamed the Bayhawks coaching staff for the fact he was inactive for eight of 14 games, but chose to take complete responsibility for the subpar season.
“I put it all on myself. I wasn’t in as good a shape as I needed to be and didn’t play consistently well enough to crack the lineup,” Tucker said this week. “It was a learning experience that made me realize I had a lot to work on. This might sound strange, but it was a great season for me personally because I learned a lot about myself.”
Tucker was determined to make a comeback and was pleased when the Bayhawks elected to retain his rights. He devoted more time to offseason workouts and came into training camp in much better condition in order to show head coach and general manager Dave Cottle that he made a good decision.
“I owe a lot to (owner) Brendan Kelly and Coach Cottle for showing confidence in me. That management would bring me back for another year really meant a lot. I want to perform well to justify their faith in my ability,” Tucker said. “It was just a matter of taking more ownership of my own development as a player. I spent a lot of time shooting, played more wall ball and went to the gym as much as possible.”
That commitment has paid dividends TELEVISION HIGHLIGHTS BLAZE @ BAYHAWKS Tonight, 7 p.m. as Tucker has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2018 season for Chesapeake. The Gilman School graduate is third on the team with 10 goals, two of which have been 2-pointers.
Cottle praised Tucker for playing very efficiently and pointed out that he has committed just one turnover in five games.
“Productivity matters and Ryan has the best goal-to-turnover ratio on the team. I think that statistic speaks volumes about a player’s value,” Cottle said. “Ryan has always been a very smart, talented player. He has figured out a role with the Bayhawks this season and is doing a lot of good things.”
Cottle noted that Tucker has great range as a shooter, evidenced by the pair of 2-pointers. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound midfielder has earned a spot on the extra man unit by being an effective cutter.
Chesapeake has one of the most dangerous dodgers in Major League Lacrosse in midfielder Myles Jones. Attackman Steele Stanwick is an offensive quarterback operating behind the cage while running mates Josh Byrne and Matt Danowski also have the ball in their sticks quite a bit.
“We needed some guys to be good without the ball and Ryan has embraced that role,” Cottle said. “Ryan has become much better at moving off-ball and finding open space, which is important when you play on the same midfield line as Myles Jones.”
Tucker’s willingness to adapt his game to fit into the overall scheme has been contagious and a big reason why Chesapeake holds sole possession of second place in MLL with a 5-2 record. These Bayhawks have developed a close bond that has been displayed on the field.
“Obviously, the chemistry factor is crucial and I’ve just felt a lot more comfortable on this team from the get-go,” Tucker said. “All the guys get along really well and truly care about each other. It has been that way since the start of training camp. This Bayhawks team just feels different in all the best ways possible. It has been a really fun season so far.”