Johns Hopkins offensive coordinator Bobby Benson has watched the video of last week's 19-7 win against Virginia, and there were a lot of great things to see.
The trick plays worked. The off ball movement was phenomenal. The Blue Jays ran their pick-and-roll stuff up top near perfection and the Cavaliers couldn't stop the Blue Jays two-man game behind the goal.
But that was last week. Can John Hopkins exhibit that kind of offense Sunday against No. 2 Syracuse in an NCAA quarterfinal game in Annapolis?
"The guys did a good job against Virginia, and they have been working hard the last couple of weeks as far as practice and preparation," said Benson. "They have developed that sense of urgency. Hopefully, that continues every practice, every play.
"Every quarter is a new one. What happened in the past means nothing going forward. If we continue to play like we've been playing, you give yourself a chance of winning Sunday."
Benson is applying lessons from Coaching 101: You never get too high with the highs, and you never get too low with the lows. He has to be cautious because Syracuse (13-2) is allowing only 9.2 goals per game and 97 of the 186 turnovers the Orange have collected were forced.
Syracuse also has Ben Williams who has won 234 of 346 faceoffs, so the Blue Jays have to be efficient with the ball. But the Blue Jays are on a roll having scored 19, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 11 goals in their last six games, all victories.
"I think we're playing a lot harder and making our own breaks," said senior attackman Wells Stanwick, the quarterback of the Blue Jays offense. "I think everyone has found a role and we're all accepting those responsibilities."
The scheme is a change from years ago when the Blue Jays had big, fast, dominant midfielders that generated most of the offense with dodges or sweeps from outside of the restraining line.
The Blue Jays are much more skilled now, and when they are on, they are fun to watch. They can play the two-man game from behind goal with Wells Stanwick (22 goals, 41 assists) and younger brother, Shack, another attackman who has 23 goals and 21 assists.
Both Stanwicks (Boys' Latin) are great passers from the wings and when the Blue Jays are successful at running screens or picks just inside the restraining line, attackman Ryan Brown (58, 12) and midfielders Joel Tinney (25, 9), Holden Cattoni (21, 5) and John Crawley (16, 10) become easy feeds.
Brown might be the best shooter in game, but the player who has added another weapon to the Blue Jays offense is junior midfielder Connor Reed (10, 16). He has outstanding speed and a shot that keeps getting better every week.
"Physically, Connor has done a great job, taken a big step up from last year," said Benson. "He is very different from the other five guys that are usually on the field with him. His athleticism is by far the best of any offensive player we have.
"He has good vision and is one of the guys we have who is more comfortable up top then behind goal or on the wings. He helps balance up the field and creates a lot of space for guys. He does a good job of moving without the ball, and gets back to stop the other team's transition."
Against Virginia, the Blue Jays ran the offense to near perfection. If a midfielder went to the goal, there was always an outlet pass behind or in front. The Blue Jays had transition and over-the-shoulder goals. It was like watching the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Wells Stanwick, a lot of the Blue Jays play basketball during the winter and assimilate the same type of offense. No offense to Benson, but its street lacrosse mostly out of a 2-3-1 set.
"There aren't a lot of code words or anything, just a lot of motion, cutting and reshaping," Wells Stanwick said. "We've had a lot of guys who have played together for years, so we know each other and how they are going to cut. There is no script, and this allows us to develop a flow for the game. We trust each other."
Trust is a big word in the offense. Benson admits he gives his players a lot of green lights to improvise. He prefers his players to be creative as long as they move without the ball and remain unselfish.
It helps to have a player like Wells Stanwick, who directs the tempo.
"One person can't make or create a team offense, but he is our leader," said Benson of the older Stanwick. "He has great enthusiasm for practice and an infectious personality that rubs off on guys. He is a coach on the field. We don't do anything without him being comfortable."
Wells Stanwick has just as much respect for Benson.
"It gets old that he doesn't take any credit because he is the guy who puts us in position and right spots to make plays," he said.
Virginia, though, was young on defense. The Cavaliers couldn't decide when to slide and when not, and they didn't stop a Hopkins shot on goal in the first half. The Orange will be better than that Sunday. Much better.
"They can cause some problems and some havoc," said Benson of Syracuse. "It wasn't our best game against Virginia, but we did shoot well and finished. We're going to have to be better against Syracuse. As you move on, every opponent gets tougher."
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