Siena, Ualbany teams are big fans of shot clock
Coaches say quicker pace makes games more enjoyable to fans
To much fanfare, college men’s lacrosse introduced an 80-second shot clock this season with the intention of making the sport faster and more entertaining.
With their teams entering the final month of the regular season, University at Albany head coach Scott Marr and Siena head coach Liam Gleason agreed the new rule is working.
“I think it’s great for the game itself and the fans and keeping it exciting,” Marr said. “I think it should draw in some new fans for us if we can get that fringe basketball fan or basketball fans, in general, to see it with the shot clock and how fast it is.”
An Inside Lacrosse analysis
last week discovered pace of play has increased as possessions per game are up 20 percent over a year ago. Team goals per game rose to 11.2, the highest since 2007.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” Gleason said. “I was very interested to see how it would work, but I think it’s been great for the game. It’s definitely allowed teams to get another opportunity in the game and not a lot of teams (are) sitting on the ball the whole time, which is huge.”
Previously, there was a 30-second shot clock that was only turned on if the officials judged that a team was stalling. But even that was open to interpretation. Teams would pass the ball around and take “fake shots,” as Gleason put it, simply throwing the ball over the goal to appear as though they were playing offense.
Gleason served as an assistant under Marr at Ualbany, which was victimized as much as anyone. The Great Danes, the nation’s highest scoring team five of the past six years, ran into opponents who looked to milk the clock and play keep away.
“Urgency in lacrosse is a good thing,” Gleason said. “Make the guys play fast, and when you play fast, it’s a more
fun game to watch for the fans.”
In Gleason’s first season, Siena has scored 13.9 goals per game, up from 10.3 a year ago. Gleason said it’s hard to determine how much of that is the shot clock and how much is the Saints running a different offense this season.
Over at Ualbany, junior attack Mitch Laffin said the shot clock hasn’t changed Ualbany’s style much since the Great Danes played fast, anyway.
“I don’t like slow lacrosse,” Laffin said. “That’s not really my thing. Even growing up, it was always run and gun, up and down. It was just nice to see they’re incorporating that. It makes the game faster and funner to watch for everybody.”
Ualbany’s scoring is actually down this year, dropping from 14.4 to 11.8. Losing All-american attack Connor Fields to graduation and standout faceoff man TD Ierlan to transfer hasn’t helped.
Great Danes defenseman Matt Perla pointed to another crucial part of the shot clock rule. Teams now have 20 seconds to get the ball over midfield or turn the ball over. As a result, Siena, Ualbany and opponents are using the 10man ride, the lacrosse equivalent of the fullcourt press.
“Mostly every team we play is getting a 10-man ride,” Perla said. “Twenty seconds is not a lot of time. I think that’s one of the biggest differences.”
Marr said the shot clock hasn’t quite led to the offensive explosion people might have expected with more possessions. A few teams, like Siena, have used zone defenses to frustrate opponents. And that 80 seconds can evaporate quickly, although the clock resets to 80 if a shot hits the goalie or a post and the offense regains possession.
“In a way, it does put that pressure on you,” Marr said. “Time is ticking. When that thing’s ticking down, it’s in the back of your head. You get to 20 seconds and the next thing you know, you’ve got to try to force a shot and sometimes you don’t get great shots.”
Notes: Ualbany junior goalkeeper Nate Siekierski is expected to start at Vermont on Saturday. He bruised his right thumb while facing extra shots after Tuesday’s practice. X-rays were negative . ... Siena plays at Marist on Saturday.