Men's Lacrosse: From attackman to quarterback

But this season played out differently.

“His role needs to evolve on a few fronts,” head coach Chris Bates said. “One, essentially being a quarterback on [the offensive] end of the field and really understanding the time and tempo of a game and helping us manage an offensive game plan.”

McBride’s changing role grants him more control over the Princeton attack but also places more responsibility on his shoulders. Despite the added weight of expectations, the message is getting through.

“Coach tells me, ‘You know, you don’t have to make a play every single time,’” McBride said. “Which is so true, because sometimes I’m so narrow-focused and like ‘I need to go to the goal, I need to go to the goal.’”

For most of the season — a season which has seen the Tigers fall to a disappointing 1-5, with no Ivy League wins — Princeton’s eagerness to go to the goal has been its downfall. The offense, including McBride himself, has been quick to pull the trigger, and its impatience has led to shorter and shorter offensive possessions. Despite generally strong play on defense, the constant pressure has taken its toll.

“We find ourselves in the lead sometimes, and we kind of just cough up the ball,” McBride said. “We have extended periods of where we play defense for such a long time, and that eventually hurts us at the end because our defense is really tired.”

McBride understands that his role as a quarterback is to make sure the attack can sustain possession and take some of the pressure off the defense. But the obstacles to offensive harmony have been numerous.

Senior attackman Jack McBride, Chris’s cousin, is out for the year. Freshman midfielders Tom Schreiber and Nick Fernandez have both missed time this year due to injuries. Fernandez’s current arm injury, which happened during the Tigers’ 8-7 loss to Yale on Saturday, will likely keep him out for the remainder of the season.

And while the gaps left in the offense have been a source of concern, equally troubling has been the play of Chris McBride’s supporting cast on offense.

“It’s been a struggle on that end of the field, and there are some other young guys that we’re counting on to support the cause,” Bates said. “Chris can’t do everything. He can’t have the ball on his stick an entire possession. You do have to share it, and if that person makes a bad decision or turns it over, you know, there’s only so much he can do as a captain and as a quarterback.”

The lack of experience of players surrounding McBride has made it all the more essential that he step into his new role with authority.

“It’s still a work in progress of me being more vocal and just knowing the ins and outs of the offense that much more,” McBride said. “To tell you the truth, there’s still a lot of guys just learning the offense now. I feel like I definitely have to know the offense more.”

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According to his coach, McBride is more than capable of doing that. Still, with a disappointing senior season on his hands and a thesis deadline looming, it is difficult to fault McBride for being irritated by the team’s offensive struggles and the pressure placed on his shoulders. But McBride continues to smile, his outlook strikingly positive.

“As a player, it’s something that you’re looking forward to,” McBride said. “Having that opportunity, to take a lead role, I was very excited.”

Both the player and Bates are adamant that the team is capable of turning the season around. But if McBride can settle into his role as a quarterback, it will go a long way toward instilling confidence and composure in the offense.