NLL Insider

If there’s any National Lacrosse League team that’s gonna hit the ground running, it’s the New York Titans.

With horses aplenty and enough adrenaline to fuel their own squad and them some, the Titans are a runnin’ and and gunnin’ machine. They take the transition game of the NLL to a whole new level and what frustrated opponents so much during last season is they had no idea who or what to defend. Casey Powell and Ryan Boyle created. Pat Maddalena cleaned up. Jarett Park schooled the corners for loosies and Rory Smith brought the physical presence to make sure respect was there. It all added up to a 10-6 season and an East Division semifinal appearance, but the run was over for the Titans when they lost to eventual champion Buffalo in that game.

So what’s up for 2009? New general manager and coach Ed Comeau says he’s still got a lot of things to learn about his team, but he’s loving what he sees so far.

“I felt from watching them last year that they were one of the top teams in the league,” says Comeau, who coached the Rochester Knighthawks last year. “We’ve got a lot of positives from the front end to the back end and a lot of options on a team that is tough to defend.”

The 1-4 start last season didn’t exactly scare anyone, but a three-game win streak got the train on the track and the helter-skelter Titans closed the regular season with four straight wins that included victories over Colorado and Philly. It was a testament to how the squad came together and peaked at just the right time, and a balanced offense was a big reason for the success.

“When you have a team that doesn’t rely on one guy, it creates havoc for the opposing defense,” says Comeau. “We rely on scoring by committee.”

With five guys each scoring at least 56 points or more, the Titans kept opponents honest on defense and then burned them. Powell led the team with 32 goals and 54 assists for 86 points, followed by Maddalena (33-52, 85), Jordan Hall (24-45, 69), Ryan Boyle (17-45, 62) and Mike McLellan (34-22, 56). And guess what? All five are back.

New York will miss the departed Mitch Belisle and Jeff Ratcliffe, but Brendan Mundorf and Jamie Rooney (43 points in Philadelphia in 2008) give the Titans even more options on an offense that thrives on freedom. Comeau says that’s the way it’s gotta be.

“The basis of any offense is creativity,” he says. “And we’ve got a lot of creative players. If we wanted robots, we’d get a video game. So to stymie that creativity would be a mistake.”

Don’t mistake freedom for free-for-all, though.

“Yeah, there is a structure that’s got to be in place,” Comeau says. “We’ll give them a framework because you don’t want guys running out there and taking a shot with 28 seconds left on the shot clock. We won’t put guys in handcuffs, but we’ll work within a system.”

Speaking of systems, transition system talk in the NLL almost always involves Park. The speedy Park, fifth in the NLL with 147 loose balls, gives the Titans something that can’t really be coached, although Park certainly has been listening to coaching advice.

“He’s figured out how to use that speed,” says Comeau. “He’s figured out when to use it and we’re expecting great things from him.”

It’s not all Park, though. The team’s top draft pick, Stephen Peyser, will join his brother Greg in the transition game and should provide some clearing abilities along with Pat Merrill and John Orsen.

Knocking the ball loose for the tranny guys is up to the defense, a unit that’s led by Smith. Now that’s a fella that held his own in a scrap with Philly’s Geoff Snider and gives the Titans some muscle in the back end. Matt Vinc had a respectable 11.85 goals-against average but that might not reflect his true ability since the running and gunning style of play can leave a goalie hung out to dry on occasion. Orsen, Merrill, Jamie Hanford and rookie Steve Amman are among the helpers on a defensive unit that’s “big, strong and athletic,” says Comeau.

It all adds up to an excited lacrosse team in New York and it’s not just because of a new season and the optimism that all teams carry into it. The Titans have the pieces in place to be a legit contender and do some real damage coming outta the East.

“We’re in a good position,” says Comeau.

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