Injuries and illness have forced Washington College to go young on attack.
Freshman Tanner Barbieri has started the last nine games for the Shoremen (5-8 overall and 4-2 in the Centennial Conference) and ranks second on offense in goals (14) and is tied for third in points (18).
Freshman Tyler Powers has started the past eight games and leads the team in assists (nine) and ranks fourth in points (17).
"I think they've done a great job as freshmen," coach Jeff Shirk said Monday. "They've had their freshman moments, but they've battled through them. They've also had some good moments that have helped build their confidence a little bit. So I think they've done a really good job."
The team opened the season with a starting attack of seniors Stephen Luck (Boys' Latin) and Sam Birnbaum and sophomore Owen Evans, but Birnbaum started just twice and Evans hasn't played since March 21 after suffering a concussion in a 9-5 victory over Centennial Conference foe McDaniel.
Shirk acknowledged that he would prefer to have freshmen learn by watching their older teammates and absorbing advice from coaches. But he also noted that former attackman Jimmy Cusick, who recorded 96 goals and 19 assists in his career, started 13 games as a rookie.
"He struggled through some things, but it really helped him progress and become the player that he was," Shirk said of Cusick. "So I think anytime you can get a freshman quality minutes in quality games, it's going to help them down the road to be better players. … It's hard to throw any freshman directly in the fire.
"It probably would have been better if we didn't have the injuries so that we could spell them and give them quality minutes every game but without all of the pressure that comes with starting and playing almost every minute every game. But I think it will be good for them."