Faceguarding and lacrosse: 'A game within a game'

It’s an honor and a nuisance at the same time.

When an elite girls lacrosse player steps on the field, she knows nothing will be easy. She is going to see multiple defenders. She will be trapped. The defensive scheme is built around slowing her down. There’s no hiding when you are the star.

One of the more popular defensive techniques against these players is a faceguard. Which means exactly what the name implies. A top defender will be just a few inches away from you the entire game —  regardless of where you are on the field. 

It can get frustrating. But it’s also a compliment to their game and just another challenge the top scorers on Long Island embrace.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Joely Caramelli, a senior midfielder for Massapequa.

She added it with a laugh, "But also a little annoying at the same time."

Caramelli, who is committed to play at Syracuse, said she initially became frustrated by the faceguard. She thought the best option was to stay out of the set and let others control the play’s fate. But she quickly realized that was exactly what the defense wanted and she became more aggressive to make plays for herself and others. 

“In my earlier years when I got a faceguard I would get lost and just totally get out of the play,” Caramelli said. “But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned some tricks. Use the crease to get away from the defender, set some picks, stuff like that.”

And she’s not alone in that regard. The biggest challenge was the initial adjustment to knowing that you’ll have to get creative to get open on every play.

“It’s more of a game within a game,” said Kayla Gilmore, a junior midfielder for Floyd. “Like for me, I like to work the crease when I’m faceguarded, especially because in high school defenders can’t go in there. I do short and quick movements, stop-and-go. So for me, I think it’s more fun.”

Gilmore, who is committed to play at Maryland, relies on tricks she’s learned in other sports to get open. She’s also a standout soccer and basketball player and some of those moves translate on a lacrosse field.

“I think playing multiple sports with different movements and different kinds of cuts, give-and-go, picks-and-rolls, they all play within each other,” Gilmore said. “I think over the years and all my different sports, I have grown as an athlete so I’m definitely using all tricks wherever I can get them.”

Meg Morrisroe faced consistent faceguards during St. Dominic’s run to the state CHSAA ‘A’ title. 

“In a way, I take it as a compliment,” said Morrisroe, a senior committed to Princeton. “It pushes me harder and makes me want to work harder for my teammates to use that faceguard as an opportunity to make better plays.”

And it’s not only the offensive player that can get frustrated. On the other side, the defender knows if she’s tasked with a faceguard, the challenges are just beginning.

“It is really tough because when you are faceguarding, you know it’s not the average person,” said Abby Sabella, a senior defender for Mount Sinai. “You are going against a top-notch player so you are going to be moving around, trying your hardest to lock them down on the field and it’s always a lot of work.

“You know that day, it’s not going to be simple,” the Stony Brook commit added. “You are chasing around. You are running. It’s nonstop. It’s exhausting.”

But there are not many feelings better for a player than knowing a team has game-planned for you and still put up a big point total.

“My travel coach always says ‘pressure is a privilege’ so just playing with that mentality and going up against a faceguard and being able to break it is a game inside of a game,” Gilmore said. “And just being able to break that game and play loose and have fun together as a whole team is amazing.”