D-UNIT is section dedicated to improving the individual and team skills of WOHS defensemen. All Warrior defensemen are required to check the D-UNIT page for updates on drills, tips and information to help improve their game - especially during the off-season.
If you played defense on varsity during the 2015 season, you
heard me repeatedly refer to Notre Dame’s Matt Landis as the best defenseman in
nation. Just the other day, Landis was
named a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award – essentially lacrosse’s version of
the Heisman Trophy. Out of the 25
finalists, he is only one of two defensemen named.
Landis’ numbers alone won’t turn any heads. He has started all 11 games for the Irish,
scooping 22 GBs and causing seven turnovers.
The ACC Defenseman of the Year isn’t a takeaway-checking type of
defender, hence the low stats. But stats
on defense don’t tell the story. Landis
is the best shutdown defender in one-on-one situations. Why?
Body positioning.
Check out the video below of Landis shutting down Syracuse’s
Kevin Rice. Rice is Syracuse’s top
scoring attackman and also a Tewaaraton finalist. He scored only one goal in the game. Pay attention to Landis’ body positioning,
his defensive approach (athletic stance), how his hips dictate where Rice is
going, how he never over commits and how his stick is constantly harassing Rice,
especially once he is above GLE.
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