Searching “Tony Mendes” on YouTube yields several videos of professional bull rider Tony Mendes’ greatest feats, but the top result is a lacrosse highlight reel of top plays from a North Carolina high school player of the same name.
The clip set to Fort Minor’s “Remember the Name” shows 2:49 of the East Chapel Hill High star putting defenders on their backs with lightning-quick cuts and nailing long shots with ease.
The Tony Mendes who effortlessly tears through defenses in the video is now a freshman midfielder on the Terrapin men’s lacrosse team.
“My assistant coach put that together for me to get me pumped up for a couple of games,” said Mendes, who has produced five goals and two assists this season as a mainstay on the Terps’ second midfield line.
But the ease with which Mendes operated in his highlight footage also illustrates how tough it has been for him to adjust this season. The three-time all-state performer had a very different high school experience than many Terp recruits, who come from lacrosse strongholds such as Maryland and New York.
“It was just fun,” Mendes said of the game in his home state. “It wasn’t as serious as it is here. The level of competition wasn’t as good, but it was mostly just going out and having a good time all the time.”
That’s a stark contrast to the college landscape, where taking a single play off can cost a team or merit a spot on the bench.
Yet because of Mendes’ physical talents, coach Dave Cottle stuck him on first-line midfield in fall practice. Mendes admitted he was nervous most of the time in the early going, but it was a necessary trial by fire for the freshman, according to his coach.
“His athleticism and his skills are beyond his years,” Cottle said. “He’s never had to compete, and now he’s competing on a daily basis with guys that are big and strong. He’s got to learn how to utilize his talent rather than develop his talent.”
Mendes scored his first career goal in the Terps’ season opener at Georgetown, one of nine goals by Terp freshmen, but the only one by a rookie midfielder in an 11-6 win. He notched his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist March 3 against Providence and his first start against UMBC on March 14.
But at times this season, he has struggled to display the finishing skills that made him a force in high school. He’s shown the ability to get off shots, including on the run, but he has scored on just 16 percent of his attempts, the second-worst percentage on the team.
“In North Carolina, there weren’t too many great goalies, but here, it’s like every goalie is one of the best goalies in the country,” Mendes said. “You have to really select the right shots. Some of the shots I’ve taken would have gone in in high school, but it’s a lot different in college.”
Cottle is still happy with the production he’s received from Mendes. While the all-freshman starting attack has taken much of the offensive spotlight, Mendes has quietly put together one of the best freshman seasons for a midfielder in Cottle’s tenure with the team.
The fact that the Terps were able to find such a player in the backyard of their ACC rivals is an added bonus.
“It’s kind of almost like he’s a dark horse,” senior midfielder Drew Evans said. “North Carolina isn’t a traditional hot spot for lacrosse. The fact that we were able to get him over UNC and Duke, I think is pretty cool.”
Cottle has gone to North Carolina in the past. Former players such as midfielder Chris Feifs, though, had taken longer to develop.
Cottle said Mendes and Bob Kercher, the other freshman midfielder from North Carolina, were more prepared for the jump in competition level than any others he’s recruited from the state because the travel programs allowed them to play better teams.
And Mendes, who was the state’s first Under Armour All-American and will represent the United States on its under-19 team at the 2008 International Lacrosse Federation Under 19 World Championship in July, expects more players to follow his lead.
But this season, Mendes will keep trying to improve as a midfielder.
Cottle praised Mendes’ “tremendous upside” and said he could emerge as a major force for the Terps next season if he continues to take strides over the summer in areas that will not show up on any YouTube video.
“He has to grow as a teammate a little bit,” Cottle said. “When he’s on offense, he’s a very good teammate, but when the ball hits the ground on the other end of the field, he has some work to do.”
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