Q&A with Quint Kessenich
Quint Kessenich, a former All-American goalkeeper at Johns Hopkins and a current lacrosse analyst with ESPN, was kind enough to share a few minutes and a few thoughts on the upcoming lacrosse season. Here is a transcript of his responses.
Question: Which team got your No. 1 vote in the preseason poll?
Quint Kessenich: "I gave Duke my No. 1 vote based on the amount of talent they returned in comparison to the amount of points that Syracuse University lost. Syracuse lost three really good offensive players in Kenny Nims, Dan Hardy and Pat Perritt and one of their best defenders in Sid Smith. But I do think that Syracuse returns the best defense in the nation. And I’ve got them either second or third depending on how they fare on March 7 against Virginia. So they’re not that far off."
Q: What can be gained from Duke's 9-8 victory over Team USA in an exhibition on Jan. 31?
QK: "Very little. Duke was playing without four of their best players. Team USA had not practiced at all. Different rules. Duke had the advantage of practicing. What it showed me was the overall athleticism of a Division I player now. A good Division I player can compete with an elite professional player, and I’m not sure that existed 10 or 20 years ago. A kid one year out of Landon was running past a USA Team defender, which is kind of uplifting, I think, for all of college lacrosse and even for high school kids. A great high school player, he’s not that far off. Long-term, Duke’s biggest issue will be their goaltending situation. Sean Brady was their heir apparent and who I believe was very talented. He violated a team rule, and he got suspended. So they have some very inexperienced goalies. And Coach [John] Danowski’s biggest issue is peaking at the right time. They’ve always peaked in the ACC Tournament and they’ve never played their best game on Memorial Day weekend."
Q: How did Bill Tierney's move from Princeton to Denver impact both of those schools?
QK: "It totally changes the culture of lacrosse in Denver and gives them an opportunity to recruit out West. It just ramps up their program and shows a commitment by that administration to compete on a national level. Given the early recruiting calendar nowadays, I’m not sure that Princeton will ever compete for a national title under the same recruiting calendar right now. Coaches are recruiting sophomores now and getting verbals from juniors and the Ivy League is behind on that count. All the scholarship teams are hoarding all the good talent and the Ivy League is left to pick up the scraps."
Q: Which of the Maryland programs has the best chance to play on Memorial Day weekend?
QK: "I'll give you a little something on each team. Towson has the most difficult schedule in the country. [Coach] Tony [Seaman] has a ridiculously hard schedule. Loyola should be about the same this year. Maryland will be improved. Their question mark is finding some scoring from the midfield. Their team speed last year was deficient, and they’ve addressed that issue. Hopkins has a great attack. Their defense at times last year let them down. I think Navy’s going to be much better. Navy returns the majority of their team. I have Navy in the top 10, I’ve got Hopkins in the top 10, I’ve got Maryland in the top 10. UMBC takes a little step backwards."
Q: Which team is flying under the radar?
QK: "I think there are a few teams that fit that label. Harvard returns Jeff Cohen and Dean Gibbons, and they beat Duke last year. They’re just changing the culture there with [coach] John Tillman doing a nice job. Hofstra has a lot of returnees, and they’ve got a transfer from Denver, Jamie Lincoln. Albany has a great attack, and Stony Brook has some athletic midfielders. They play a wide-open system, and they score a lot of goals. They’re fun to watch."
