When Maryland men’s lacrosse attackman Colin Heacock arrived in College Park as a freshman for the 2014 season, coach John Tillman asked him to play midfield given the Terps’ crowded attack.
The temporary move taught Heacock positional awareness in his first season and soon helped him blossom into one of Maryland’s most effective offensive threats. He ranks second on the team with 18 points this year and is on pace to set a career high in assists.
“That’s an example of how his game has evolved and how hard he’s worked in the offseason to become a totally complete player,” Tillman said of Heacock’s eight dishes this season. “Colin is such a hard worker, and he’s always trying to find different ways to get better. We’ve seen him [improve in many areas], and certainly his ability to distribute the ball is one of them.”
Heacock benefited from playing midfield as an underclassman because he gained comfort in new areas of the field. Now, he said, he can work from almost any angle in the offensive zone, helping him create chances from a variety of positions.
“Any time you play more than one position, it allows you to understand what the other guys are thinking and how they’re thinking,” Tillman said. “There’s a bigger benefit [compared to playing in one spot], whether it’s maybe knowing when guys are going to cut or where they’re going to be.”
After Heacock recorded 42 goals last year, opponents started paying more attention to his scoring ability. But when teams have scrambled to eliminate his open looks this season, he’s found his teammates for assists.
However, Maryland’s collection of capable goal-scorers, he admitted, has aided his outlets. Four other Terps have registered more than five goals through the first five games.
“We have great offensive players,” Heacock said. “Connor Kelly, Tim Rotanz, Matt Rambo and all those guys do a great job on and off the ball. Playing alongside them is a big help.”
With Heacock thriving as a distributor, Maryland’s offense is clicking. Aside from a 5-4 loss to then-No. 4 Notre Dame, the Terps have scored double-digit goals in every game.
During the previous two seasons, the Terps’ attack was not quite as dominant despite reaching consecutive national championships. They averaged 10.21 goals per game in 2015 and 11.6 goals per game in 2016. This year, they’ve progressed to 13.2 goals per contest.
“We’ve been a lot more unselfish,” long pole Nick Brozowski said. “We’ve just got a lot of guys that love to push the ball in transition, and I think just in terms of our offense, it’s a really complete unit.”
Brozowski, who entered the season with just one goal between high school and college, has gained an attacking edge from Maryland’s rapid passing. With the attackmen looking to find others, even players not recognized for their scoring abilities have made an offensive impact.
Through five games this year, Brozowski has scored three goals on three shots. Meanwhile, defender Tim Muller found the back of the net for the first time ever against then-No. 8 Yale on Feb. 25.
When Muller’s shot flew past Bulldogs goalkeeper Phil Huffard, Heacock ran to embrace his teammate, emphasizing the way Maryland’s top attackmen have celebrated the involvement of less-touted scorers.
“When I’m down there [on offense] I’m not always thinking, ‘Score, score, score,'” Brozowski said. “But at the same time, I’m ready. I know our offensive guys are going to garner a lot of attention so I’ve got to … understand the ball could come to me in a split second.”
