Schwarzenbek played a big role in the Blue Devils’ success a season ago and with the experience he gained, as well as working in the summers playing for Tri-State, he may be looked upon to be one of the leaders defensively this season. As a sophomore, he recorded 45 ground balls, while tallying a goal that came vs New Providence. He does a great job of staying active in the clearing game as an outlet and takes care of the ball with a high lacrosse IQ and good communication, while also showing the flexibility to play either LSM or close D. He stays aggressive at the point of attack, riding his matchup down the alley and stays on the gloves to force tough passes. Schwarzenbek moves well laterally, utilizing a smooth drop-step to match his opponents and then closing the gap to apply pressure.

Last Sunday, Schwarzenbek was an absolute ground ball machine. In traffic or open space as well as on the face off wing, Schwarzenbek relentlessly pursued and then secured GBs like it was his job. Once he had possession, Schwarzenbek did an outstanding job of rolling to open space and then firing an outlet pass upfield or distributing back to a fellow pole. Schwarzenbek also legged out a few clears on his own. In addition to his GB skills, this athletic and rangy pole demonstrated he could provide tenacious on-ball defense at both LSM and close. His ability to work through or over screens was noteworthy, too. Plus, Schwarzenbek did a fantastic job of helping his defensive unit stay connected via his constant communication.