In 2013, former Terrapins men’s lacrosse midfielder Curtis Holmes battled injuries after a productive junior season in the faceoff X the campaign before.
After backing up Holmes as a rookie, midfielder Charlie Raffa developed into a mainstay at the X while the veteran was sidelined. Raffa racked up the fourth-most faceoff wins in program history before graduating in 2015.
The Terps are now undergoing a similar transition. With Raffa now playing for the Chesapeake Bayhawks, freshman faceoff specialist Austin Henningsen has assumed starting responsibilities in the X.
And Henningsen appears to have cemented his role.
After the No. 8 Terps’ first two games, Henningsen ranks atop the nation in faceoff winning percentage (78.6). He went 13 of 16 against Yale last weekend and hopes to carry that momentum into Saturday’s Pacific Coast Shootout bout with No. 1 Notre Dame in Costa Mesa, California.
“We’ve seen this scenario play out before where we’ve had a young guy kind of step in and do a good job, so we’re very pleased with what Austin’s done so far,” coach John Tillman said. “He’s very competitive. He’s very level-headed. He never gets too high or too low.”
Henningsen corrals his energy by focusing on one thing at the opening whistle: the ball.
He scrambles while listening for cues from midfielders Isaiah Davis-Allen and Wes Janeck and defender Greg Danseglio on the wings.
“I’m just going for the ball 100 percent full speed; I don’t care if I’m flopping around,” Henningsen said. “Isaiah and Danseglio and Janeck are boxing guys out. Basically they’re like my bodyguards.”
The approach has benefitted Henningsen so far. He opened the season going 9-for-12 in the X. The Terps finished 15 of 27 on faceoffs against High Point that afternoon after Tillman rotated three more players into the spot during the second half.
Henningsen played the entire contest against Yale, and his success against faceoff specialist Jonathan Reese, who finished 2-for-9, was especially meaningful to him. The duo had competed against one another in Suffolk County during their prep days in New York.
But the style Henningsen grew accustomed to in high school has required some adjustment.
In Long Island, the referees blew the whistle quickly after the faceoff specialists crouched down. The players are stuck in the stance for much longer in the college game.
The learning curve showed in the fourth quarter Saturday, as Henningsen committed a faceoff violation for moving too early.
“Otherwise than that, I think I’m adapting well to the college game so far,” Henningsen said.
The freshman has relied on his veteran wing players to help ease the transition, too.
Davis-Allen returned after fielding 33 ground balls in 2015, though longpole Matt Neufeldt, who manned the other side last season, is out for the season. Danseglio, meanwhile, has recorded 12 ground balls and three caused turnovers so far in his first action as a Terp after transferring last year.
“It’s just really been a 10-man faceoff unit,” Danseglio said. “Obviously, Austin’s the center of that, but we try to help him out, break open for him.”
Raffa isn’t on the field with Henningsen but has become a mentor for him. With their high schools about a 20-minute drive apart, they’ve had some opportunities to train together.
Henningsen said Raffa has given him tips about adjusting to college. On game days, Raffa will send him quick text messages.
After playing Yale, he received a note from the former Terps star that said “Great job.” Henningsen hopes to find a similar message after the Terps battle Notre Dame this weekend.
“As a freshman, there’s a lot more for him to experience,” Tillman said. “There are so many more challenges and so many more opponents to go.”
