A New Role for Chris Berrier

With the disappearance of last year's defensive unit, the men's lacrosse team must now turn to its inexperienced youth. In years past, Princeton teams have been full of veterans working as independent units, with each player knowing his role to a tee. This year, however, the team will need leaders to organize the newcomers.

This year, that burden falls on team captains Josh Sims and Chris Berrier. A quick glance at a team press guide explains Sims' captainship. He has often been called the best midfielder in the nation and led the team in scoring last season. Berrier, on the other hand, is the prototypical unsung hero.

Since his sophomore year, Berrier has been mired in the inglorious role of short-stick defensive midfielder. He comes into the game when needed, guards opposing attackmen with half the stick of the average defenseman, and then runs off the field once again.

"Chris has passed on a lot of personal glory to help our team in the last few years," head coach Bill Tierney said.

Not surprisingly, most of Berrier's statistics run in the single digits. Last year, he scored six goal — bringing his career total to 11. In comparison, Sims hit the back of the net 27 times — tallying 67 goals in three years. The nature of Berrier's position has kept his name out of the paper and off the ends of people's tongues.

Even when it is not game time, Berrier is generally quiet.

"I'm not the most vocal person," Berrier said. "I try to limit what I say to when I think it's the most important, when it's going to make the biggest impact. [As a captain this year,] I still don't try to talk all the time, because then people tend to start ignoring you."

Despite his self-image as the stoic captain who leads by example, young players looking for support have not found silence.

"Chris is more of the vocal captain," freshman defenseman Damien Davis — one of three freshman to have already earned a starting spot — said. "He really inspires the team, keeps us upbeat and ready to go."

Along with the shift toward greater volume as a captain, Berrier figures to make a lot more noise on the field this season because of a new scheme for midfielders. Tierney has divided them into three distinct groups — offensive, defensive and full-field.

Specialization in the college game has effectively narrowed the midfield position to essentially only the offensive and defensive categories. Depending on the situation, coaches will shuttle players on and off the field to bolster their defense or sharpen their offense. Such frequent substitution has slowed the game to the point where rapid transitions from the defensive end of the field to the offensive end are a rarity.

With the midfield depth of this year's team, however, Tierney can keep the pace of the game up by introducing two full-field midfielders — Berrier and Sims. Calling Berrier a "throwback" to a time when midfielders were true to their name, Tierney is counting on the senior's ability to switch quickly from defense to offense and vice versa.

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As one of the only returning members of last year's defensive corps, it might seem logical that Berrier be left on defense to anchor the developing squad. Instead he will be allowed to roam the field unrestricted.

"We have a lot of young players out there," Berrier said. '"[Tierney's] idea was that in order for us to get some goals in the transition game, he's gonna move guys. He still can put me on defense whenever it's needed.

"In a way, it's really not detracting from the defense."

This season, Chris Berrier must be a bastion of stability on a dramatically different Princeton lacrosse team. He must shoulder the responsibility of the role of full-field midfielder in the new midfield system — requiring him to re-learn his offensive skills. More importantly, Berrier will need to captain a largely inexperienced club effectively. If his peers' gushing praise are any measure, he should have no trouble.

'"Chris is one of the most level-headed people I know," Sims said. "Bringing this trait to the field, he is probably the most complete and consistent player on the team. Add that to his superior dedication and work ethic and he is what many consider an ideal coach's player."