By Ryan McCord
Former Hofstra lacrosse great and current NLL star John Orsen is one of the few players (other than the excessively-padded, sumo-sized goalie) whom will immediately catch your eye once his New York Titans take the field for pre-game warm-ups.
He wears the No. 56, and sports fans of all ages and area codes know those digits aren’t necessarily congruous for a long-stick middie specializing in chasing down loose balls. The No. 56 is synonymous not only with New York Giant football legend Lawrence Taylor, but the fearless, tenacious and menacing style of play exhibited by what some consider the greatest football player of all-time.
Orsen admitted the influence of the number came after reading a book about the Hall of Famer. “The way he played, he’s a total freak.”
Well Orsen no longer roams centerfield snaring ground balls with a stick the length of a fishing pole. He now plays the hockey-originated role of defensive enforcer, blistering and de-cleating opponents reminiscent of Taylor, and it’s hard to imagine a player in the league that’s better at executing his role than the broad-shouldered native of Laurel Hollow.
“Play solid, cross-check defense and run the floor when he gets the chance,” said Titan head coach Adam Mueller, when asked about Orsen’s role and future in the league. “He’s an athletic kid and he’s going to be around for a long time.”
Some may observe Orsen as an agitator on the field. He spent plenty of time in the penalty box during Saturday night’s loss to Rochester, looking on like a caged animal as his teammates scored a goal or a fight broke out during play.
“It’s tough being in there,” Orsen explained. “You’re teammates are celebrating and you can’t be there, or they need help defending themselves and there’s nothing you can do but watch.”
Orsen’s Titans has just one more win this season than his former teammates on the 2007 Hofstra roster, but the former All-CAA first teamer suggests that it’s too early in the season to make any predictions.
“They just need to keep working. They’ve got some of the best midfielders in the country in clearing the ball with Kevin Unterstein and Julian Watts. They’ve got to feed of their (midfielders’) energy, develop leadership and listen to the coaching staff. They’ll get wins. They’ll be okay.”
Just a rookie, Orsen has already been recognized as one of the best players in the country, as team USA selected him to participate in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championships in Nova Scotia in May.
“It’s hard to compare,” said Orsen, asked to distinguish his most gratifying accomplishments of being named All-American and a national representative within the same year. “Being named All-American wasn’t just what I did, it was about what my best friends did for four years. Being named to the national team is just a cool little thing to keep off to the side.”
Despite collecting this much success at the highest level, Orsen, a marketing major, admits his dream job is to someday work as a trader in the shark infested waters of Wall Street. Orsen laughed when asked if he could make a living just playing professional lacrosse alone, but doesn’t envision himself hanging up the No. 56 anytime soon.
“I don’t even know how long these guys last. I’ll keep playing until the fire burns out.”
Orsen still speaks “every so often” with former Pride coach John Danowski, who he believes is enjoying his own first-year experience as head coach at Duke University.
Orsen and the Titans enter the turf-covered rink at Nassau Coliseum for one more home game in the 2007 campaign this Saturday afternoon against Edmonton.
Photo Courtesy LongIslandLizards.com