Stephen Bentz struggled to keep his mouth above water. Bentz, like the rest of his teammates, entered the pool sporting sweatpants and a sweatshirt. The task was to tread water fully clothed, take off each item of clothing and continue to tread while holding the articles above their heads.

Some players panicked. Others had to be held up by their teammates. But in the end, the Hofstra lacrosse team grew stronger.

That exercise was part of what the team called ‘the program,’ which is composed of numerous athletic and leadership training activities led by ‘military special-operations warriors’ and corporate leaders. It was the first exercise in a series of team-bonding experiences for the current No. 7 team in the nation.

Members of the Pride learned their roles on the team and the importance of listening and teamwork — all of which have led Hofstra (12-1, 4-1 Colonial Athletic Association) to become one of the most effective and cohesive units in the country.

‘You see who rises up during these challenges,’ Bentz said. ‘We were on our field doing all these crazy drills and teamwork efforts, and in the second day we were thrown into the pool. It really showed you who the leaders are and who the followers are on the team.

‘And I think that’s what you need.’

Hofstra is often overlooked despite its impressive track record over the past three years. The Pride has been to three consecutive NCAA tournaments under head coach Seth Tierney, who is in his fifth season with the team.

Despite a CAA championship and regular-season title in 2008 and 2009, respectively, the Pride has consistently struggled in the NCAA tournament. It has failed to advance to the second round in each of its last three trips.

It’s a fact that haunts Hofstra’s three senior captains of Bentz, fellow attack Jay Card and defender Mike Skudin. The trio, each a member of Tierney’s first recruiting class at Hofstra, uses past postseason experiences as motivation. This season provides the Pride with a chance to achieve a program record fourth-consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

Card was a part of each of the team’s three losses in the NCAA tournament. The Pride was defeated by No. 3 seed Maryland 11-8 in last season’s tournament. Hofstra was knocked off by NCAA tournament runner-up Cornell by the same result in 2009. Johns Hopkins beat the Pride 10-4 in 2008.

‘It hurts,’ Card said. ‘We work so hard and to come up short in the first round not once, not twice, but three years in a row, that’s been tough for me and the seniors that are here.’

The Pride has rallied from those experiences to become the NCAA’s second-best scoring defense this season, allowing only 6.08 goals per game. The defensive performance is matched by an unselfish attack led by Card, Bentz and senior Jamie Lincoln. The trio has accounted for 75 of the team’s 136 goals on offense. Card, a 2011 Tewaaraton Trophy nominee and former CAA Player of the Year, leads the team with 40 points. He is riding a streak of 41 consecutive games with a point.

But for Tierney, the most important facet of Hofstra’s game plan is to do all the little things to the best of its ability. The head coach stresses the importance of winning the battle for faceoffs and groundballs.

The concentration in these areas has shone through. Hofstra’s faceoff specialist John Antoniades is second in Division I in faceoff percentage, winning 67.9 percent of his draws.

And the Hofstra defense has weathered the storm at nearly every point this season. With Skudin taking the leadership role on the defensive end of the field, he has groomed two sophomore starting defenders to complete a unit that has not given up double-digit goals at any point this season.

‘We have no egos and no superstars,’ Tierney said. ‘The guys know they can’t let their brother down that is playing to the right and left of them. They don’t want to let them down, so they’re doing a good job of understanding what their role and job description is and doing it to the best of their ability.’

Despite a Top 10 ranking, an early-season loss to conference foe Delaware leaves the Pride looking at a second seed in the CAA tournament. Each team has one game left, and a Blue Hens loss coupled with a Hofstra victory over Penn State would give the Pride home-field advantage in the conference tournament.

The only definitive shot at redemption would come with a tournament championship and an automatic bid. The seniors have taken the crash course and grown together in the process, but in May the final push will come.

Months after the teammates came together and held one another up in a pool, they have one last chance to stay afloat for longer than a single NCAA tournament game.

‘We want to get to a final four,’ Bentz said. ‘And we feel like this is the year that we can do it.’

adtredin@syr.edu

Published on April 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm