A male player from the University of Buffalo club field hockey team got his stick tangled with one of the female players’ sticks from the Syracuse team. As he tried to gain separation, the Buffalo player yanked his stick out quickly and hit the Syracuse player on the stomach, an injury that forced her to leave the field.

Michael Dillon, the only man on the Syracuse team, immediately spoke out.

“As soon as I saw the hit I yelled out at the other player,” he said. “One of our players got hurt and I felt like I had to speak out.

“I don’t think it was a dirty play or that he was trying to hurt her. Still, I have to stand up for the girls.”

During his sophomore year, when he found out men could play on the club team at Syracuse, the junior State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry student immediately signed up. This season, Dillon is not only a player, but a coach. He is also instinctively protective.

But he was surprised when he was elected to be the player-coach by his fellow teammates.

After several seniors, including former coach Jess Rys, graduated at the end of last year, Dillon knew there were leadership positions available. But even after submitting his name, Dillon wasn’t certain he’d get the position – he would have been content with league coordinator – but he’s glad to be coaching.

“I like the challenge of coaching my peers,” Dillon said. “They’re always telling me how to improve.”

Dillon first became interested in field hockey, a sport primarily played by women in the U.S., by watching both of his sisters play. He wasn’t afraid to pick up a stick and play along with them.

Sophomore Morgan Chamberlain praised Dillon for his dedication to the team as a coach, constantly planning drills for practice. She had never played on a team with a man before, and has enjoyed getting a chance to do so with Dillon on the team.

Sophomore Makayla Dearborn shared the same thoughts, stating that Dillon’s natural speed, along with his honed skills, make him one of the best players on the team. Because of his skill, freshman Emily Cheney said, the entire team has to try harder and perform at a higher level to keep up with him in practice.

“Mike has good stick skills, he’s fast, and he’s got a good all-around game,” Dearborn said. “He keeps the game going at a fast pace.”

When she joined the team, Cheney wasn’t surprised to see there was a man on the field because she had a male teammate in high school.

Fellow freshman Megan Thompson didn’t have any experience playing with men during her high school career, but she knew that it wasn’t unheard of for men to play field hockey.

From Dillon’s point of view, there is a notable difference on the field when men play the sport.

Senior Anastasia Benko said sometimes the team can be taken aback just by seeing bigger men out on the field. The team had a game earlier this year against Rochester Institute of Technology — a 7-1 victory for Syracuse — which featured two fairly large men on the field, Benko said.

“At the beginning of the game we were intimidated because they were so big,” she said. “But then we realized that they weren’t that good.”

Published on October 9, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Tomer: tdlanger@syr.edu | @tomer_langer