Loyola's faceoff success traces back to volunteer
Loyola’s Steve Vaikness likes to joke that he’s got “a little green and gray” in him. As a volunteer assistant coach, he’s certainly not in it for the money.
“Yeah, it doesn’t pay well,” Vaikness quipped.
Don’t let the “volunteer” part of the job title fool you. The Greyhounds who take part on faceoffs point to Vaikness as the primary reason why they have finished in the top six nationally in faceoff percentage.
Vaikness, a former faceoff specialist who won 116-of-191 (.607) of his re-starts as a senior at Loyola, has worked wonders at his alma mater since being hired by coach and former teammate Charley Toomey in the spring of 2006.
Under Vaikness’ guidance, the team has finished fourth in the country in faceoff percentage in 2007, fifth in 2009 and sixth in 2010.
Sophomore midfielder Josh Hawkins said the unit’s success can be traced back to Vaikness.
“He’s a great coach,” Hawkins said. “He played here, so he’s been with the program for a while, and we get a lot done in practice. We face off live and get in the faceoff time that we need during practice – whether that’s full-team drills or just on the sidelines.”
Senior John Schiavone was even blunter in his assessment of Vaikness’ impact. Schiavone, who finished fourth (58.7) and fifth (59.9) in faceoff percentage in 2009 and 2010, respectively, credits Vaikness with altering his grip, his stance and even his diet which resulted in a 20-pound loss since his freshman year.
“I don’t think I could have made the transfer with everything that I’ve changed about myself without him,” Schiavone said. “He’s changed everything from my technique to different workouts. I didn’t have to be a dominant faceoff person when I had [former long-stick midfielder] P.T. [Ricci] on my team as a sophomore. I could just toss the ball back, and I knew he was going to get it. … He’s the first one to get on me if I’m not doing something right or if I’m not working hard enough. I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t know if my move or my technique is going to excel any more, but he’s been more of a drill sergeant for me in keeping me right on point with how my play is going.”
Vaikness, who commutes daily from his home in Towson to his job with a residential developer in Washington, D.C, to practice at the Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore, said his passion for the game and the players has banished any thought of leaving Loyola.
“I’ve been playing lacrosse since I was a kid, and when it’s lacrosse season, if I’m not playing, I’m coaching,” Vaikness said. “I was teammates with Coach Toomey, and I’ve got a little green and gray in me. I like to see the guys do well, and I like to experience the success that we’ve had. I just love the game and love to be around it.”
