McDaniel's stretch of four victories in its last five games can be traced to a starting attack that has combined for 28 goals and 14 assists. But according to coach Matt Hatton, digging a little deeper reveals that the team's first midfield has been just as critical.
The trio of sophomore Jason Lawrence (Fallston), junior Zach Monzo and senior Sean Brett doesn't have numbers that rival the attack's statistics. Lawrence, Monzo and Brett have totaled 18 goals and nine assists, but Hatton said their ability to initiate and dodge has created opportunities for their teammates on attack.
"They've dodged harder, and they've put defenses in situations where if you choose not to go and slide to them, they're a little more effective in creating offense through the midfield like you need to be," he said Thursday. "You need to be able to break somebody down and get the defense moving and there was a point in the season, particularly in the middle of the season, where we struggled with that. I think guys got bogged down and the confidence got a little questionable. Now they've seen the fruits of their labor if you work hard."
With the three midfielders creating opportunities, the attack of seniors Pat Bivons and Patrick Serio and sophomore Timothy McNichol has taken advantage. Serio has been the biggest beneficiary, posting 15 goals and two assists in the five contests.
Hatton said Serio, who broke his wrist in the fall, has worked hard to overcome what the coach called "a midseason slump."
"He was coming off of a pretty significant injury, and I think he was healthy before, but now he's playing at a faster pace," Hatton said. "He's acclimated to the pace of the game that we want him to play. I don't know that he was three weeks ago because of the injury. So I think that's a part of it, and I think it's a testament to his work and him persevering toward what we've wanted him to do. He was playing some of those games, but not shooting the ball particularly well. He's shooting the ball well now and has been a big part of our offensive success."