Something to Prove
ALEX ROESNER EMBRACES THE CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER
By Mark Macyk
The University of Pennsylvania encourages its students to go outside the box and develop their own unique interdisciplinary educational experiences. Alex Roesner, for instance, spent the second semester of his freshman year focusing on modern Canadian-American relations.
His self-taught course was almost entirely centered around 20 seconds of an exhibition game played this January in Florida. The U.S. U19 team trailed Canada by one with 20 seconds remaining in overtime of a wild, back- and-forth contest. Roesner came underneath, saw his shot, and let it rip. It clanged off the crossbar. Canada ran out the clock and won 14-13. “That last play has been on my mind all winter,” Roesner said. “I tried to put it a little too high. An inch off.” It shouldn’t be something worth such rigorous independent study. It was a play in which Roesner did all the right things, at the end of an exhibition game that all memory of will be erased the second the Americans and Canadians open up the Federation of International Lacrosse U19 World Championship against each other July 7 in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Besides, he scored four goals, including the overtime winner, in Team USA’s Blue-White scrimmage, last summer. No one doubts he can come up in a big spot. But focusing on moments like the exhibition game is part of a very specific upper-body exercise Roesner does. It’s designed to strengthen the chip on his shoulder.
“A lot of kids who commit early get complacent,” Roesner said. “If you play like you have something to prove, it just sets you up for success.”
24 LACROSSE MAGAZINE » June 2016
Team USA’s Alex Roesner isn’t afraid of taking the big shot, as he showed in a January game against Canada and an intrasquad U.S. scrimmage last summer.
The chip was implanted permanently early in high school at Loyola Blakefield (Md.), when two of Roesner’s best friends committed early to colleges. One was current U.S. U19 teammate Ryan Conrad (Virginia), who spent his high school career as the country’s No. 1-ranked recruit. From that moment, Roesner used any perceived doubts about whether he was as good as his teammates to strengthen his chip. “It puts a little pressure on you to succeed,” Roesner said. Roesner committed to Penn as a sophomore. He’s happy with his choice, but said he still thinks the whole process starts too early. Earlier this year, an eighth-grader from Bay Shore, N.Y., committed to Penn State. “You don’t really know how someone is going to develop until at least their junior year in high school,” Roesner said. “There’s no way to tell how an eighth-grader is going to adapt.”
But it could benefit teams that wait longer to recruit late bloomers. “A lot of people are going to fly under the radar,” Roesner said. “In the end it’s also a good thing, because it spreads
»COLLEGE GUYS
Sixteen members of the current 25-man U.S. under 19 men’s national team roster have already played one college season. Princeton midfielder Austin Sims has played two. Here’s a look at their recent college impact.
6 0
Points midfielder Drew Supinski recorded in a two- game stretch in wins over
Towson and Syracuse, before suffering a season-ending knee injury. Supinski won’t play in the U19 games, U.S. coach Nick Myers said, but may still make the trip to Canada with the team.
Number of penalties called on Princeton midfielder Austin Sims in the 2016 season. He also finished second on the Tigers in goals with 23. Originally named to the U.S. team as a defensive midfielder, but may see more time on offense.
16 Percent of North
Carolina’s points scored by the Kelly brothers at the time this issue went to press. Timmy Kelly, a freshman, contributed six goals and six assists, while Patrick had 24 goals and six assists. Throw in cousin Stephen and the number
A Publication of US Lacrosse
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©JOSH ROTTMAN; ©PEYTON WILLIAMS; ©KEVIN P. TUCKER
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