at least, outside the insulated world of West Genesee High School in Camillus, N.Y. — might be the most unassuming force the Division I game has produced in recent years. Loyola’s coaches wonder if he’s the best ever to wear a Greyhounds uniform.
Since the spring of 2012, when he emerged as a sophomore shutdown piece for an 18-1 team that brought Loyola its only national title in any Division I sport, Fletcher has grown in stature.
“JOE OOZES CONFIDENCE WITHOUT A HINT OF ARROGANCE. HE’S SO
GROUNDED.” — Loyola coach
Charley Toomey
He earned fi rst-team All-American honors last year for the Greyhounds, who lost an overtime thriller in the NCAA tournament’s fi rst round to eventual champion Duke. By April of this year, Fletcher appeared headed for recognition as the game’s top defensive player, while Loyola prepared for a promising playoff run as Patriot League champions.
In January, Fletcher became the highest Major League Lacrosse draft pick ever from Loyola, when the New York Lizards selected him at No. 3. In February, Fletcher further validated
his growing place in the sport. When the U.S. men’s national team announced its 30-man roster for this summer’s FIL World Championship, following a tryout process that spanned seven months and included 98 players, the list included Fletcher.
Although Team USA will be pared down to a 23-man active roster following a June training camp, the lone collegiate player with a chance to play in Denver was the lanky, cover man and ground ball machine who wore No. 17 for the Greyhounds. “What’s interesting about the college guys is at the fi rst tryout, they tend to struggle with the pace of the game. That wasn’t the case with Joe,” said Denver Outlaws defenseman Lee Zink, another Team USA fi nalist. “I’m
sure Fletcher never gets dodged, but people try to dodge you right away up here. Joe really embraced the challenge. His style — play position fi rst — and all of the fundamentals were there.”
Zink wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“[Fletcher] is so long that he’s only one step or a step and a half from a
33 MICHAEL EVANS
Joe Fletcher is the highest MLL draft pick ever from Loyola. He went third overall in January to the New York Lizards.
full recovery,” said Outlaws goalie Jesse Schwartzman, one of three on the 30- man roster. “It really doesn’t look like he’s trying too hard. When you fi rst look, he doesn’t make you think he’s a stud defender.”
“Joe doesn’t look very athletic and he doesn’t carry himself in a boastful way,” said Dave Pietramala, the head coach at Johns Hopkins who is running the defense for Team USA under head coach Richie Meade.
“What caught my attention was his knowledge of the game, the way he works off the ball, the way he can split [and cover] two guys on the back side to buy time for another defender to recover. There’s no fl ash to him whatsoever. But in no way does he look out of place.”
PRO TEAM: Bayhawks COLLEGE: Johns Hopkins ‘09 HIGH SCHOOL: South River (Md.) HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-0, 220 AGE: 26 TWITTER: @MichaelEvans33 DAY JOB: Equities trader, Bank of Montreal
“I always speak to both my parents before each game,” Evans said. “It’s something I have done since I was a kid in every sport I have played.”
PRO TEAM: Lizards COLLEGE: Loyola ‘14 HIGH SCHOOL: West Genesee (N.Y.) HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-3, 190 AGE: 21 DAY JOB: Risk assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers
17 JOE FLETCHER
“Things are never going to go as planned,” Fletcher said. “Being able to control the highs and lows are are critical in maintaining focus.”
PRO TEAM: Lizards COLLEGE: Salisbury ‘07 HIGH SCHOOL: Archbishop Curley (Md.)
81 KYLE HARTZELL
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-foot-1, 205 AGE: 28 TWITTER: @Khartzell81 DAY JOB: Owner, Rogue Lacrosse; Head coach, program director Plano West (Texas) High
“Winning a championship on every college level, NCAA and NJCAA, and pro, NLL and MLL, is a great achievement, but making Team USA is up there,” Hartzell said.
A Publication of US Lacrosse June 2014 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 49
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