Your edge // players
IN YOUR FACE
How Virginia midfielder turned defender Morgan Stephens stalks her prey
AS TOLD TO MEGAN SCHNEIDER
Virginia lists All-American Morgan Stephens as a midfielder, but in an unprecedented move that propelled the Cavaliers into the final four, coach Julie Myers took her top player and planted her on defense to faceguard some of the nation’s top scorers. Stephens squared off against Princeton’s Erin McMunn,
North Carolina’s Abbey Friend and Syracuse’s Kayla Treanor in the NCAA tournament. She fueled Virginia’s late-season surge, including a surprise run to the semifinals as the sixth seed, and caused a team-high 20 turnovers in 2014. Stephens went stalker mode for Lacrosse Magazine to demonstrate how to faceguard.
FEET
Be on your toes, so you’re in an athletic position to be able to move quickly. Don’t keep your feet flat, because if you do, your marked girl can easily get a step on you.
KNEES
Always squat. You want to stay low on defense at all times so you are able to move in any direction when they’re moving. The lower you are, the quicker you’ll be.
EYES
By the top of the 8-meter, there is more room. You need to be a little more aware because your girl has more space to go. Focus on her and let the rest of the team know that they’re going to be the next slide. You won’t slide to the girl with the ball. Someone else has to slide for you.
60 LACROSSE MAGAZINE » November 2014 HANDS
Keep your stick in front of you to limit her moves to run past you. Place your hands with one at the bottom of the stick and one at the middle.
A Publication of US Lacrosse
©MATT RILEY
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