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6 LACROSSE GUIDE 2016
photo by phillip elgie staff photographer
ON THE RADAR By Jon Mettus digital editor
B
RIELLE DEJOE CROUCHED BEHIND THE GOAL IN HER FRONT YARD and watched her older brother Derek fire shot after shot into the netting. She braved the oncoming barrage of lacrosse balls for the thrill of watching the numbers flash on the radar gun in her outstretched arm. 104. 105. 106. “I was always excited to see how fast it was,” Brielle said. “… I would suck it up and stand back there, but I was definitely scared.” When it wasn’t Brielle standing behind the cage, it was her father, Steve, who was testing the speed of Derek’s shots. And if it wasn’t at home, Derek was showcasing his high-velocity shot at camps, tournaments and other lacrosse events. DeJoe’s shot has defined his lacrosse career. It’s fast — topping out at 111 mph at an official Major League Lacrosse radar test last summer, which is only 8.9 mph shy of a world record — and why head coach John Desko tabbed him as the team’s “3-point shooter.” But three years into his Syracuse career, DeJoe is tired of answering questions about his shot. He’s tired of being stuck, for much of his career, as a man-up specialist. He has a chance to be a mainstay in the midfield and display parts of his arsenal not defined by triple digits. “I don’t think he’s gotten to show a lot of that stuff,” Steve DeJoe said, “Because when you’re just on man-up you just have a certain
role. Once he gets more consistency out on the field, he’s going to rise to the top and do a lot better because he’s been waiting.” DeJoe lines his chin up over his right shoulder, extends his arms fully back to his left and crow-hops forward before ripping a shot toward the cage. It’s his mechanics that give him such high speeds on his shots, he said, joking that he’s “not that big of a guy” at the prospect of it being pure strength.
I DON’T THINK HE’S GOTTEN TO SHOW A LOT OF THAT STUFF. BECAUSE WHEN YOU’RE JUST ON MAN UP YOU JUST HAVE A CERTAIN ROLE. ONCE HE GETS MORE CONSISTENCY OUT ON THE FIELD, HE’S GOING TO RISE TO THE TOP AND DO A LOT BETTER BECAUSE HE’S BEEN WAITING. Steve DeJoe derek dejoe’s father
The now 6-foot-1, 215-pound midfielder was a mechanically sound player from the start, his former high school coach and current Rochester Rattler’s (MLL) coach, Tim Soudan, said. He was a natural. He never had a problem shooting with his arms tight to his body or limiting his strength to just his elbows like many players do. What he did have was larger thighs than
his teammates, which allowed him to generate power through his lower body and put torque on the ball. “It’s rare that you get a guy that ... you can see how significantly faster he shoots the ball than other guys,” Soudan said. At home, DeJoe constantly shattered his own windows and the neighbors’. The neighborhood didn’t mind too much, his dad said, but when DeJoe nearly shredded a hole in a neighbor’s garage door, his father set up a 20-foot high and 60-foot wide screen to confine the balls to their front yard. Warming up before a game during his sophomore year of high school, DeJoe rocketed a ball near post toward his teammate, Blaze Riorden, in net. His hand stood about as much of a chance as any of the windows. The ball struck near the goalie’s thumb and broke the side of his hand, sending him to the hospital. DeJoe’s coaches had to talk to him about easing up in practice. “Basically, what I told him was just shoot for the corners, “ Soudan said. “We don’t want to hurt any more of our guys. ... He’s just a guy that shoots it hard.” When DeJoe was younger, he watched Soudan shoot in the low-100s at clinics that Soudan ran. It was the fastest DeJoe had ever seen and he wanted to emulate it. In time, he did. DeJoe started winning every fastest shot competition he could enter. Crowds gathered at the annual Ithaca TurkeyShoot Lacrosse Tournament to watch him see dejoe page 9
LIGHTING IT UP
111
119.9
DeJoe’s top shot speed in MPH
World record shot speed in MPH
Derek DeJoe may have more opportunities in the 2016 season to raise his point totals from years past.
SEASON POINTS
Derek DeJoe wants to be known for more than just his shot
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2013
2014
2015
8 8 of Derek DeJoe’s 13 goals have come with a man advantage
MAN-UP GOALS