Lax Faceoff Specialist Andrew Toner Propelling Maroons to Hot Start

It's a battle of timing, instincts and skill and one of the more under-appreciated but critical aspects of lacrosse. The face-off.

Fortunately for the Ridgewood boys varsity lacrosse team, they have one of the area's best face-off masters in senior Andrew Toner, giving the Maroons a clear step on opponents.

After defeating Montclair, the Group 4 defending state champions, 8-5, on April 6, Toner had a face-off record of winning 33 of 53. He also won 9 of 15 face-offs in the 9-6 victory over Bergen County rival Ramapo on April 4.

"Andrew has been the top face-off player in each our first four games," said Ridgewood head coach Mike Pounds. "Gaining possession of the ball from the face-off is crucial to a team's success."

In addition to his face-off ability, the Maroons head coach said that the senior middy has some all-around ability. "Andrew Toner is critical in all aspects of our game from face-offs to offense as well as being our top short stick defender," said Pounds.

Toner knows how important winning the face-offs and points out what he looks for in that play. "It's all about timing," said Toner. "It's just anticipating the referee and whoever wants it more. The possessions are key and the more you have the ball, the less you have to rely on the defense."

For Toner the 2011 season is not only a big year for him as a senior, but for the rest of the team after coming off a rare under .500 record last season, 7-10. It was the first under .500 record for the program in more than 20 years.

"Coming off the disappointing year, it was an awful feeling and we just wanted to get back on the field," said Toner.

The senior midfielder and the team said the goal is to win the Group 3 title and get back to the State Tournament of Champions. “Our keys are to continue to play our game and not beat ourselves,” said Toner, who added that the team must play tough defense.

As of this week, the Maroons were starting to amend the failures of the 2010 season, and are 4-1 after defeating Bergen Catholic, 12-5, on Wednesday. While another senior, Vann Jorgensen, is the leading scorer for Ridgewood, Toner has been instrumental in the team's start for the 2011 season.

Toner started playing lacrosse when he was in first grade. He played football and basketball in his freshman year. He dropped football and played basketball up to his junior year.

"I've always been in the midfield so I can run up and down the field," said Toner.
But for his senior year, he is exclusively a lacrosse player and will be playing at the next level, Gettysburg College. Toner said that he picked Gettysburg over other schools like Hofstra, Muhlenberg and Loyola of Maryland because of the campus and the coaching staff.

Toner and his fellow Maroons they have a good test on Saturday when they host Mountain Lakes, one of the top teams in New Jersey.