To start every quarter and to resume play following every goal, lacrosse fans are treated to one of the most pure athletic struggles in all of sport. In the midfield circle for all the world to see, two men engage in personal warfare, combining size, speed, strategy and surprise to achieve their goal: gaining possession of the ball.
"It's tough because you can't really hide out there -- it's just you and the other guy," junior faceoff specialist Jack deVillers said.
This naked combat requires such sufficient expertise that men's lacrosse teams generally designate just one or two faceoff specialists who take all of their team's draws for the season. DeVilliers is that man for the Cavaliers, having taken 88.8 percent of Virginia's faceoffs this year and last and 62.5 percent of the draws for Virginia as a freshman.
This craftsman learned his trade in high school, citing the fact that he was originally "the bigger kid" and soon developed a knack for his niche in the sport of lacrosse.
"I wound up doing really well in high school, and as a freshman [at Virginia] it gave me a chance to get onto the field right away," deVilliers said of his commitment to the faceoff.
Though the outside observer might claim that the outcomes of faceoffs are the result of mere chance or simple bullying, deVilliers can attest to the great dexterity and skill required.
"My technique is probably to be quicker than to make it a ground ball and to use more finesse than brute strength," he said.
On any given Saturday, deVilliers employs three distinct moves. The first is a quick clamp forward to try and pick up the ball and get a quick fast break. The second is a quick rake scooping of the ball out to the side -- a move he used regularly and successfully against Syracuse two weeks ago, winning 19 of his 32 draws.
The third move, a reverse clamp often referred to as "the laser," is a bit more daring.
"That's my last reserve," deVilliers said. "If I'm not winning with the other two, I'll go after a laser and see how that works."
The faceoff is first and foremost a one-on-one venture, though each team sports two wing men who rush in to aid their man.
"As a faceoff guy, you always want to try and get it yourself -- that's the main aspect of the game," deVilliers said. "I use Nathan [Kenney] a lot to try and get the ground ball if I can get it out to him quick enough."
Junior midfielder Nathan Kenney and sophomore defender Mike Culver have been Virginia's go-to wing men thus far this year. They too have their own strategies to fight off opponents and help capture a loose ball.
"You want to get a good start on the faceoff real quick and box the guy out using your hips and your stick," Kenney said.
DeVilliers, however, remains the star on the faceoff stage despite struggling in his freshman campaign, winning only 110 of his 230 draws for a .478 winning percentage. But deVilliers bulked up 20 pounds that offseason and proceeded to lead the country with 204 wins as a sophomore. His .588 success rate was good for ninth in the NCAA and earned him a preseason second-team All-American accolade for the 2004 season.
He capped the season with a miracle postseason run that mirrored the success goalie Tillman Johnson enjoyed in the cage. DeVilliers won 23 of 38 draws in Virginia's two Final Four matches, including all three faceoffs in the fourth quarter of the national championship game.
"Jack was our most improved player last year," coach Dom Starsia said. "I think from his freshman year to his second year, he probably made as big a difference in our winning the championship as anything."
Though deVilliers has slipped this year back to a .500 win percentage (49 of 98), his play and those of his faceoff comrades will continue to dictate the momentum of flow every game. If you don't have the ball, you can't score.
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