A few questions with SU's John Lade

If John Galloway is foundation of the Syracuse Orange defense, then long pole defenseman John Lade is the glue that holds it together. A 2010 USILA All-American, Lade hails from Randolph, New Jersey and is quite possibly one of the best transfers the Orange has seen in recent years.

Lade left Villanova after his freshman season and quickly made a name for himself in fall ball in early 2008, just as the 2009 National Championship team was being put together. Coach John Desko and defensive coach Lelan Rogers were looking for someone to step in and fill the void left by 2008 senior defensmen Evan Brady and Kyle Guadagnolo, and it took little time for them to realize Lade was their man. Leading by example, Lade takes on the opposition’s top attackman week in and week out and never disapoints.

The 5-11, 190 pound Lade missed the first three games of the 2010 season with a hamstring injury and although the Orange still went 2-1 while he was out, his prescence was missed without a doubt in the Virginia loss, as well as the Army victory, in which the Orange held on to a 12-7 victory. A member of the 2008 Team USA U-19 club that won gold in British Columbia, Lade scooped up 32 groundballs in 2010 and was second on the team with 22 caused turnovers, none bigger than his work on Cornell’s Rob Pannel that forced the ball loose and eventually led to Chris Daniello’s game winning goal.

John was nice enough to answer a few questions as he gets ready for finals and to head home for winter break.

CollegeCrosse: Talk about how eager you, and the entire team, are to get back out there and get the 2011 season under way after the way the season ended last year.

John Lade: We are very excited to get started. Last year’s end was a disappointment and all the upperclassmen are eager to get under way. We had a different approach to fall ball this year and I really think it will benefit us come spring time.

CC: Can you talk about the new Big East and how you think the teams in conference will compete with you guys? Any teams you are excited to play? What teams will be the biggest competition?

JL: Last year was really cool competing in the new Big East. There are a lot of good teams from top to bottom and is really one of the premier conferences in college lacrosse. I am really excited to play Villanova because I have not played there since I went to school there, so it will be cool to play in the stadium where I played my freshmen lacrosse. I think Georgetown and Notre Dame will be very good this year, so we will need to be really prepared when we play them, like the rest of the teams on our schedule.

CC: Toughest attackman you will have to defend this year?

JL: I am not really sure. Steele Stanwick will be a challenge from Virginia.

CC: Talk about your fellow long poles and how the chemistry has been throughout fall ball and as you get ready to kick off the 2011 season?

JL: We have a lot of experience returning on defense. A good amount of us have been playing together for 3 years, so our chemistry is pretty good. The chemistry this year has been good. The coaches have been looking to replace Matt Tierney and we have a few solid guys that look like they are ready to fill the spot.

CC: What was your off season like and how did you condition/train for the upcoming season?

JL: The off season was relaxing. Just lifted and ran, while playing some lacrosse now and then. Our strength coach, Hal, drills a style of lifting that he wants and it is easy to imitate into our own lifting techniques.