As UMBC's leading returning goal scorer (33 last season), Pat Young's reputation as a scorer already was well established. But after five games this season, the junior midfielder leads the team in assists with five.
For Young, that fits into his plans of becoming a more complete player.
"I just think that the way our offense is moving this year and the way things have been going, I realized that I don't have to be the one who scores," he said earlier in the week, as the Retrievers (2-3) prepared to host America East Conference foe Binghamton (1-3) at 12 p.m. Saturday. "I have a lot of confidence in my teammates. As I've grown as I played, I've realized that I don't have to do everything. Lacrosse is a team sport, and even though I may draw the pole or I may have been up there in goals last year, that's not what it's all about. It's about getting the W. It doesn't matter who puts the ball in the back of the net."
Young's teammates have had to change with him. Redshirt senior midfielder Conor Finch recalled a moment in a 4-2 win against Monmouth on Feb. 21 when he cut to the crease and saw Young winding up.
"I ducked, and he passed me the ball, and I totally missed it," said Finch, a Boys' Latin graduate. "I thought he was going to wind up and shoot it."
Retrievers coach Don Zimmerman is appreciative of Young's growth, but also wants to make sure Young still is looking for shooting opportunities.
"We've had to say, 'Hey, Pat, you just passed up a pretty good shot there,' " Zimmerman said. "I like what he's doing as far as distributing the ball, but we also are emphasizing that if you have a shot, let's take it. The bottom line is, we want to see a point up on the board."
Young, who has 72 goals and 22 assists in his career, agreed with Zimmerman.
"Once I became the guy who started to score, I feel like I settled into that role, and that molded me, and now I have to break the mold and learn how to change my game so that I'm not so one-dimensional," he said. "But it's all a learning process, and I'm taking it in stride."