Ending on a Winning Note

No matter what happens during this postseason for the Millburn boys lacrosse team in search of its first playoff win in nearly a decade, the seniors on this roster could not have asked for a much better ending to their high school careers.

Over the past three seasons, Millburn has posted a 25-32 record with one winning spring and no playoff appearances. This year, the Millers finished their regular season with a 14-4 record, setting the school mark for wins in a season, and travel to Jackson Memorial High School on Tuesday with hopes of continuing their spring for at least one more game.

“I’m coming off of playing football in Millburn, we weren’t too successful. Coming off of playing hockey I wasn’t too successful either,” said MHS midfielder, Ryan Bednarski. “It’s really nice to be out here with a good group of my friends. The seniors, we’re all really close knit guys and we’re just going out playing as a team.”

So how did the boys go from struggling to finish near .500 over the last three seasons to being one of the surprise teams in Essex County and finishing second in the Waterman Division?

The three most common answers from the players: Coaching, offense and senior leadership.

“We’ve always been proud in our program; we’ve always known we had the tools to do the right things, but this year it all came together,” said Millburn’s leading scorer, Mark Funk. “It feels really good to have the best record we’ve had in four years here.”

First year head coach Bill McCutcheon, may have been the spark needed to get this program turned around, but the foundation was set, with a host of capable scorers returning to the team after a 6-11 ‘10 campaign. Senior scoring has made up for more than 80 goals this season and for nearly 50 percent of the team’s total scoring.

“It’s definitely the senior leadership,” Benarski said. “We have more captains than last year, we have more seniors than normal. I think the kids really look up to us and they’re trying to play like we play. We’re just leading by example.”

In 2010, the boys posted 88 goals in 17 games. The year before they scored 156 goals in 21 games and in ‘08 the Millers racked up 143 scores in 19 games. In 18 games this spring, the Millers have piled up 181 scores and have 18 different players with at least one goal this spring.

Perhaps the arrival of McCutcheon has jump-started the efficiency of this offense or perhaps he has raised the level of execution and intensity. A former lacrosse player at Johns Hopkins University, McCutcheon has brought over his college style practices, with less practice time but more intense training during that time, and it has translated well for the Millers.

“I’m young - I try to relate to the guys as much as possible. We try to have a good time,” McCutcheon said. “…Our whole thing was that we wanted to get in as much into a small amount of time because I remember what it was like to be a high school kid, you lose focus. Even the best kids at the best schools in the country, they still are high school kids.”

“I think the overall morale of the team is completely boosted,” said senior Brian Baker. “Our individual effort is a lot better, our individual players have grown so much over the summer and over the couple of years and the coaching is a huge, huge part of our winning season.”

Over the last three seasons, in games decided by three goals or less, the Millers have gone 9-12, though they improved last season with a 5-3 mark. This year, the boys went 6-2 in those situations, and just imagine how different their record would look with those numbers reversed.

“I think it’s just everyone buying into our system and going with our flow and keeping our composure when the game gets tight,” said Millburn senior Ricky Simon.

Defense was never a problem for the boys over the last three years, but when your offense averages under seven scores per game, it may be asking a bit too much from the keeper and back line. This season, with the scoring average up over 10 goals per game, some of the pressure has come off of the defense.

Millburn is 9-0 this season in games in which they’ve scored 10 or more goals. In 2010, Millburn’s offense scored 10 or more goals in a game just once and were held below five scores six times.

“I think our offense as a group is on a new level this year, but so is our defense. Our defense has stayed strong throughout these years,” Baker said. “I think the major difference is our attack and our midfielders actually being able to play as a unit and actually score goals.”

There’s no question that it looks like the Millers will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday against the 14-1 Jackson Memorial Jaguars. They’ve averaged 13.5 goals per game this season, while surrendering a miniscule 4.13 per game. They have scored in double digits in all but three games and have not allowed more than 10 scores in a contest this year.

“Just judging on schedule alone, I think that we play a tougher schedule. We play more difficult opponents on a daily and weekly basis,” McCutcheon said. “We have to respect them. They’re going to be well prepared. They only lost a game and that says a lot, I don’t care where you’re playing.”

But do the Jaguars have answers for Millburn’s one-on-one players? Funk, Simon, Baker and Bednarski are just a few of the Millers who can get a step on their defender and make a play on the net. Ben Cebula, Nathan Weinrauch and Max Nemerow are some of the other offensive players who can do some damage.

“I feel very confident going into this game against Jackson,” Funk said. “They’re seeded above us, but I don’t feel it should be that way and hopefully we will come in and make that statement.”

Should they get passed Jackson, well then they’ll really be playing with the house’s money, facing a Ridgewood team which is ranked sixth in the state according to laxpower.com.

“We have to get through the first game I think, but we’re just going to take it one game at a time,” Simon said. “It’s a bonus, because if you win you keep playing. Most teams are sitting home watching us, so it’s just a privilege being in the tournament.”