Ryan Brown doesn’t fit the stereotypical mold of smaller, shiftier attacks that are proliferating through college lacrosse.

“Ryan Brown, is actually, he’s not a dodger really, he’s more of a shooter,” Syracuse defender Brandon Mullins said of the Johns Hopkins attack.

It’s Brown’s patented overhand release that allowed him to be so effective against the Orange, scoring eight goals on 11 shots in a 12-10 loss to SU on March 15, 2014. But it’s a tendency SU clamped down on this season, allowing the junior only two goals on eight shots when the teams played again just two months ago.

And when second-seeded SU (13-2, 2-2 Atlantic Coast) faces the Blue Jays (10-6, 4-1 Big Ten) on Sunday at noon with a spot in the national semifinals on the line, Syracuse will have to replicate that stingy defensive effort to prevent Brown’s overhand shooting style from taking over the game.

“Coach always says know who their players are and adjust accordingly,” Mullins said. “And he’s definitely one of the top players that we have to focus on so I think we were able to do that last time.”

In an instructional video with Lacrosse Magazine from January, Brown went step-by-step into how he’s perfected the overhand release.

First it’s making sure his hands are positioned behind his face. As a right-hander, he envisions his head at 12 o’clock and feet as 6, so he releases from 11 and finishes at 5. Then after the release, he makes sure to follow through directly toward the goal.

Players like SU’s man-up specialist Derek DeJoe generate massive power from a sidearm release, but that’s less a part of Brown’s arsenal.

“Shooting the ball overhand has allowed me to be very consistent compared to shooting the ball sidearm,” Brown said in the video. “When shooting the ball overhand, you have a greater margin of error.”

He explained how holding onto the ball too long while shooting sidearm will make it go wide and having an early release will place the ball right at the goalie. But with an overhand approach, an early release just means a shot lower in the goal and a later release puts the ball in the upper corners.

As is evident by his numbers against Syracuse, the junior’s prolific shooting may not result in a handful of goals every game. But to counter that, he relies on Shack and Wells Stanwick, his fellow attacks, to draw defenders and create opportunities for him.

Brown leads JHU with 58 goals, but the Stanwicks and Joel Tinney have combined for 70 more.

“He’s a smart player so he knows not every game you’re going to get 12 shots and get eight goals,” SU attack Kevin Rice said. “He has two smart attackmen that he’s playing with in the Stanwicks and they do a good job of helping create opportunities for him, so he just sort of let’s the game come to him and when he gets his opportunities he’s a great shooter.”

SU head coach John Desko highlighted JHU’s ability to shoot the ball as its strength, pointing out Brown as someone who’s a “tremendous” shooter. To defend against that style of player, Mullins said, can be as simple as keeping a stick on his hands since he’s not likely to present a plethora of moves off the dodge.

It’s the third time facing the 5-foot-10 attack in two years. So for Syracuse, it’s just about limiting what Brown has already proven to be lethal.

“I don’t think we’re really worried too much about him dodging hard to the cage,” Mullins said. “…but just knowing where he is on the field and making sure we can collapse on him if they pass him the ball.”

Published on May 14, 2015 at 11:30 am

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