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Some of the most impactful offensive strategies we’ve seen in the inaugural WLL season include a two-player game in some capacity.
Whether that be a classic pick-and-roll, two players using each other to set screens in the middle to get open for a cut, or any of the other countless ways a two-player game can be installed in an offense, we as lacrosse fans know that it works.
The most successful WLL teams are utilizing the two-player game the most and are simply executing it better in their offensive game plan. But why is the two-player game so effective in the WLL? We’re here to dissect that.
Fewer players = More room to operate
The WLL has provided a great look at the 10v10 field game, as opposed to the NCAA, which plays 12v12. This ultimately means that there are fewer players in a settled WLL set, with only six offensive players marked up against six defenders.
When we watch the WLL, we see the two-player game used often because of how much space is created by removing those two extra bodies. Two-player games can be executed on the wings (often where we see it most), up top where there is a lot of dodging room, inside for cuts, and at X to work through defensive switches. Space is so important because it creates longer slides for the defense.
Picture the New York Charging offense. We see Izzy Scane and Sam Smith working through the two-player game on the right wing. At the same time, you likely have Kori Edmondson and Allison Reilly on the left side while Erin Coykendall and Emily Hawryschuk are below the goal line.
All four of these other players are occupying their defenders, looking to provide the next option and holding their space while they let Scane and Smith go to work. A slide coming from Reilly’s defender on the low left wing is likely going to be late getting all the way across the field to a full-speed Scane coming off a great Coykendall pick.
Now, if we add one more attacker and one more defender to that mix, the scene starts to get a little too crowded. That is exactly why we see the benefit of the two-player game multiply in the WLL’s 10v10 format.
Two-player tactics in the WLL vs. the PLL
Why do we typically see the two-player game in the PLL? Most of the time, it’s utilized for big-littles and switching those matchups: an attacker with a long pole defending him working with one of his teammates through picks to get the short-stick defender mismatched against that attacker. Long poles are more difficult to dodge against with their reach and additional physicality with their sticks.
In the WLL, there are no long poles. Every player has a standard-sized stick. Yet the two-player game is still used for switching matchups.
But there are many other reasons it’s used. If the two-player game happens on-ball, meaning one of the offensive players already has the ball, then matchup switches are a possible goal, but so is the general objective of getting the defense to miscommunicate and open up an easier lane to the cage off a dodge or a pass.
Additionally, teams use the two-player game off-ball, looking to jumble defenders and open a cutting lane for a feed coming from another teammate. Two-player schemes can also be used to help get a certain player the ball if they are being marked extra tightly by their defender, or to get two players to occupy space and their defenders while they’re away from the ball. If you look closely, you can see the two-player game utilized almost everywhere on the offensive end of a WLL game.
Two-player power rankings
1. Sam Apuzzo and Brigid Duffy
These two Maryland Charm teammates have truly clicked as the season progressed, showcasing their Team USA connection and providing some highlights on the high right wing.
Apuzzo is the sport’s best competitor, always showing up in big-game moments and displaying her versatility as both a goal-scorer and a facilitator. She rarely makes a mistake. Duffy, meanwhile, is a heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year. With her shiftiness and next-level ability to read a play, she has been a fantastic sidekick to Apuzzo’s playmaking ability.
2. Izzy Scane and Erin Coykendall
Scane and Coykendall became a famous duo during their Northwestern careers due to their proficiency in the two-player game. Many people talk about chemistry in sports, and these two have a special amount of it.
Coykendall has eyes in the back of her head and can hit Scane on a no-look pass if she draws both defenders. Scane is a force to be reckoned with when she catches those passes coming off a pick-and-roll with space (hence the nickname “Scane Train”). These two set each other up for success every single time.
3. Sam Smith and Izzy Scane
Another Northwestern duo that knows how to accentuate each other’s strengths. Smith is sneaky in her pick play, knowing when to roll or slip and allow Scane the dodging angle, but can also finish with flair herself.
4. Emma LoPinto and Sam Geiersbach
Two California Palms players who work well together from behind the cage and the low wings. This duo initiates a two-player game where the ball exchanges from the lefty (Geiersbach) to the righty (LoPinto) through screens, slips and give-and-gos. Geiersbach plays well off a screen to get her hands free for one of her classic lefty topside shots, and LoPinto’s eyes are always up to draw slides and create the one-more pass.
California’s two-way midfielders have been their biggest strength, but the double-edged sword of LoPinto and Geiersbach could be the difference maker if they advance to the WLL Championship. Looking ahead to that likely matchup against Maryland, the Charm will be prepared for the Palms in transition, making California’s attack duo a key to success.
The two-player game is a classic across all versions of lacrosse, from collegiate to professional, indoor and Olympic Sixes. The best offenses utilize it when it works best for their unit, and it has been on full display this summer in the WLL.
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