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Q&A With Coach Breschi Carolina Men's Lacrosse UNC Athletic Communications: We're here talking with head coach Joe Breschi about the upcoming 2012 UNC lacrosse season. Let me just ask you some general questions about the season. Talk to me a little bit about your impressions of fall ball. We'll start there and then we'll go a little bit position-by-position on the field. Joe Breschi: Well, in fall ball, I think the overall experience was terrific. I think this is probably, if you take a broad look at our team in the fall, it's probably the deepest offensive group we've had since we've been here as a coaching staff, and I think that's depth on attack and midfield, which is a first and we're certainly excited about that. I think from a face-off standpoint any time you have two solid face-off guys and have some experience back I think that's a big thing for us and it's exciting. I think defensively we were young this fall, but we have a lot of guys coming back from injuries so I think we'll be deeper in the spring. I think we'll be, once everybody gets back healthy, I think we'll be pretty solid at the defensive end and Steven Rastivo will be a veteran guy in the cage. So overall, just a broad look at our team, it's as good an offense as we've had since we've been here — as good and as deep an offense as we've had, which is exciting. I think in the middle of the field we'll be solid, from a defensive midfield viewpoint to offensive middies, and then close defense is where we've got to continue to find the right match-ups and the right people to start and play. And I think in the goal we'll be pretty sound there as well. UNC Athletic Communications: So basically you covered what would be perceived as your strengths, the areas you may need to work on and the fact that you're going into the season with what looks like a situation where you will be pretty solid and also have some depth in the cage. Joe Breschi: Yeah, I think if you look at the strength of our team it's definitely going to be at the offensive end, starting out, which is unique because usually the offense takes time to catch up. But I think the addition of two veteran transfers and another recruiting class has added tremendous depth to our group. So I think we've been building to this point in recruiting and certainly with the addition of two All-America caliber players who know the game as well as they do, it's without a doubt that the offensive end is our strength. You know in another area, the faceoff acts as a strength for us and continues to be. I think what we have to work on and continue to work on, we've got a long way to go across the board, but we've got to work on the defensive end of the field and who fits in with some younger guys in there. Although we're deeper than we've been, we've got to find the right chemistry down there. Athletic Communications: One thing you've talked about in years past is I think you've used the phrase "managing the season." You're sitting here late in the fall, what have you thought about how you might want to manage the season? B: Well I think, first and foremost, it's playing more people and now we have the opportunity to play more people because I think we're deeper. We're more talented depth wise, so you're not going to lose much based on a pretty smooth substitution pattern. We know it's a long season, so I think for us it's to have Page 2 faith and trust in the guys who are coming off the bench to play. I think we have that now. I think a big part of managing the season is playing more guys and keeping guys healthy. We have a new strength coach who's added a lot to the program as well and Jason Beaulieu, he's been tremendous. Our stretching, our flexibility and our conditioning are improved and every player is adding tremendous strength right now, which is big. So I think from our standpoint, it's doing a good job of not overdoing it early, but managing the season so we get stronger throughout. Playing more guys will help that and avoid injuries. Another idea is managing practices better. Maybe have practices that are not as long but instead stage more intense, shorter practices. Athletic Communications: Talk to us a little bit about the schedule you've set up. It's a monster. Joe Brechi: It is a monster schedule. I love it. Athletic Communications: But it seems like this year's schedule, if you thought back on when you were hired here, this would be the kind of schedule you would want four years in. Joe Breschi: I think so. We have two of our own recruiting classes here. I think it's about 27 or 28 guys this staff has brought in based on transfers and the past two recruiting classes. That's not to take anything away from the guys that were already here because they've worked their tails off. But I think we tried to build the schedule up to where we're playing great teams and we have more depth and more strength at both 2012 Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-Americas First-Team Nicky Galasso, Attackman Third-Team Marcus Holman, Midfielder Honorable Mention Charlie McComas, Defenseman Jimmy Dunster, Midfielder R.G. Keenan, Midfielder Mark Staines, Defenseman 2012 Face-Off Yearbook Preseason All-ACC Selections Nicky Galasso, Attackman Charlie McComas, Defenseman 2011 USILA Postseason All-America Selections Second-Team Billy Bitter, Attackman Ryan Flanagan, Defenseman Third-Team Nicky Galasso, Attackman R.G. Keenan, Midfielder Honorable Mention Jimmy Dunster, Midfielder Marcus Holman, Midfielder 2011 ACC Selections Nicky Galasso, Attackman Billy Bitter, Attackman Ryan Flanagan, Defenseman 2011 ACC Postseason Awards Nicky Galasso, Freshman of the Year 2011 Inside Lacrosse All-Freshman Team Nicky Galasso, Attackman R.G. Keenan, Midfielder Jordan Smith, Defenseman