Coach John Tillman’s recruiting is a key reason Maryland men’s lacrosse has the most NCAA tournament wins since he took over in 2011.

There’s one unit in particular that Tillman uses a special approach in forming: his short stick defensive midfielders.

Maryland seeks players with diverse skills — often with offensive backgrounds — and tells recruits they could play at defensive midfielder to not surprise them if they spend time there. Tillman prioritizes players who are willing to assume multiple roles.

“Finding guys with good feet that can be on the ball, but also can process and play team defense and slide and recover,” Tillman said. “The stick work, the ground balls, the ability to be an offensive threat … it’s pretty hard to find those guys. You need a more diverse skill set than almost any other position.”

The two-time national champion coach compared a defensive midfielder’s impact to a football cornerback’s. If the short stick wins a matchup, the rest of the defense doesn’t have to rotate. If they lose, defensive midfielders try to divert ball handlers to help defenders. The Terps’ gameplan is based on an opponent’s habits, such as if they’re more comfortable with one hand or prefer to shoot from a specific area.

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While defensive midfielders have played a vital role in Maryland’s second-ranked scoring defense, their impact extends to the other side of the ball.

The Terps encourage short sticks to push in transition with quick decisions and under pressure, stressing that only scoring against set defenses is unsustainable. Tillman believes players with offensive backgrounds have an easier time navigating on the run.

“If a guy is a straight up [defensive midfielder] in high school, you know, you don’t get a guy coming in with some of those natural instincts,” Tillman said. ”If we can get a guy that can do both, I think it’s a lot more valuable.”

Defensive midfielder George Stamos led his team in goals during his senior year of high school as a long pole, making him a coveted option, Tillman said. He switched to short stick for Maryland during his sophomore campaign, learning footwork and dodging to compensate for a shorter stick.

[No. 2 Maryland men’s lacrosse rebounds from loss, defeats No. 7 Penn State, 13-8]

Stamos now feels natural playing short stick. But his background as a long pole is still useful in a system that encourages all players to push the pace.

The junior scored to beat Syracuse last season when he snuck open in the middle of the field. He had a pair of assists against Penn State last week, including one leading a breakaway and finding a wide open attacker against an unset defense.

“The offense just trusts [defensive midfielders]. If you’re in the right spot you can make a play, and sometimes you make the right play, sometimes you don’t,” Stamos said. “You live with that.

Tillman’s knack for finding versatile pieces to fill the unit is key to Maryland’s success, and is one of his most impressive abilities as a recruiter.

“Those guys don’t grow on trees,” Tillman said. “They’re hard to find.”