DUKE BLUE DEVILS • NCAA DIVISION I MEN’S CHAMPION
59 draws and sparked lengthy possession runs by Duke (16-5) in each of its come-from-behind victories over Cornell (semifi nal) and Syracuse, which led Duke early, 6-1. Fowler became the fi rst player ever to be named Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Division I tournament without scoring a goal or making a save.
“Sometimes kids are dominant high school players and they become defensive middies or faceoff guys,” Duke coach John Danowski said. “We knew right away Brendan was a great kid. But if he wasn’t good enough to play offense or defense on his high school team, how good was he? “Through his own tenacity, Brendan kept getting better.
He’s got tremendously quick hands and he has this mentality. He’s going to do whatever it takes to get on the fi eld.” On a team that overwhelmed opponents with its scoring
ability — Duke ranked third in the nation with 14.05 goals per game and allowed 10.2 goals — the Blue Devils’ not-so- secret weapon was a guy who was on the fi eld for 20-second clips. Fowler took a total of seven shots all season and scored three times.
In the end, the 6-foot, 215-pound Fowler, who primarily has covered kicks for the football team, produced an astounding volume of lacrosse work that refl ects his maniacal devotion to strength and conditioning.
Catherine Ariosa, grandmother of Maryland’s John Haus and Duke’s Will Haus, waves the Maryland state flag during the Terps’ first-round game.
Albany coach Scott Marr and Denver coach Bill Tierney chat after the Pioneers’ 19-14 first-round win.
A Loyola helmet bears the number 3 for senior midfielder Chris Layne, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the tournament.
Fowler ranked third in Division I in faceoff winning percentage (64.4). He attempted and won more draws than any other player, going 339-for-526. No wonder his teammates call him Rabbit and Animal. “[Fowler] was the starter to our engine. Mentally,
he’s one of the strongest people I know,” said midfi elder Jake Tripucka, who had fi ve goals and three assists in Philadelphia.
The only time Fowler did not win the majority of his draws was in Duke’s 9-8 squeaker over Loyola in early March, when he went 9-for-21. But Fowler won 6-for-9 in the fourth quarter to fuel Duke’s come-from-behind fi nish. Fowler’s blend of speed, balance, technique and power against faceoff opponents dovetailed nicely with Duke’s 14-1 record in its fi nal 15 games. That run, which erased Duke’s 2-4 start, featured Fowler’s 20-for-34 night in a 19-16 win over Virginia and his 25-for-38 night in an 18-17 loss to North Carolina. With Fowler leading the charge, Duke nearly stole a victory after trailing 15-6. In Duke’s four NCAA tournament victories, the tireless Fowler took 111 of a possible 116 draws and won 71 of them. ***
Costabile said Fowler, who won 55.5 percent of his 155
faceoffs as a freshman, showed up at Duke with the ability to be a dominant faceoff man. He just needed to sharpen his ball-handling skills.
“Brendan was always a great draw guy. But the faceoff is
a glorifi ed ground ball, and for some reason he had trouble picking them up and he would get stripped,” said Costabile, now with the New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse. “He always had the ingredients to be great at it. His consistency this year was amazing to watch.”
38 LACROSSE MAGAZINE July 2013>>
A Publication of US Lacrosse
BEYOND THE GAMES
© JOHN STROHSACKER (MD); MARC PISCOTTY (SM, BT)
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