Syracuse defender Nick Mellen didn’t want to admit that his four-year teammate, Andrew Helmer, was right: That Mellen takes getting beat one-on-one personally.

“Andrew knows me pretty well,” Mellen said. “So, I would never come out and just say that, but yeah, that’s pretty accurate.”

 A week prior, Helmer attributed Mellen’s play to his mindset. He gets angry when an attacker gets behind him. So mad that it doesn’t happen often.

 “It’s that same ‘kill-or-be-killed’ mindset that I’ve always kind of came up with,” Mellen said. “For me, Helmer hit it right on the head: I do not like getting beat. At anything, for that matter.”

Mellen’s parlayed that subtle rage, his “freak” athleticism and immense skill set into a role as No. 11 Syracuse’s (6-3, 1-2 Atlantic Coast) lockdown defender. Every week this season, Mellen has latched onto the opponent’s main ball handler, constricting their space, options and in part, slows down an entire offense. Tuesday night in the Carrier Dome against No. 10 Cornell (7-3, 2-2 Ivy League), the defender head coach John Desko called a “luxury” will hound Jeff Teat, the Big Red’s top threat and help stymie one of the country’s best offenses.

Teat currently ranks seventh in assists per game (2.89) and ninth in points per game (5.11). A native of Ontario, Canada, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Teat brings a skillset common of Canadian attackers who grew up playing box lacrosse — the ability to make highlight-reel passes while blanketed by defenders.

Desko marveled at Teat’s ability to lead fellow attackers with passes, something rarely seen in lacrosse. He also noted Teat sees the field better than most. Thus, in 41 career games at Cornell, the junior has 130 assists, more than three a game. He tied the record for fastest player to 100 points (18 games). And in the last three games, he’s totaled 20 points — including a five-goal, three-helper outing on Sunday.

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Despite historic success, though, Teat’s numbers in three games against Syracuse, and two against Mellen, are below his averages. Though he notches three assists a game against the Orange, Teat’s only scored four goals against SU in his career and just two when defended by Mellen.

“Nick has, I think, done fairly well against him in the past,” Desko said. “He’s been able to put the ball on the ground. We’ve shut him off at times with Nick so he can’t get the ball and see what the other five players on offense will do.”

 Leaving a facilitator as little space as possible, Mellen said, is one of his main focuses in defending against them. Against Teat, specifically, Mellen said he’ll need to “stay on his hands,” trying to keep his stick physically against Teat’s gloves as much as possible.

Because Mellen overmatches Teat physically, Cornell will likely set frequent picks to get him free. If Mellen keeps Teat nearby maneuvering around the picks, he can try to dispossess Teat. Mellen, who played Teat into four turnovers in April 2018, can knock the ball free, for a ground ball opportunity or swipe the ball from Teat’s stick, taking possession himself

“It’s very difficult,” Helmer said of dispossessing opponents while simultaneously taking possession. “He’s obviously one of the few guys in the country that can probably do that.”

Mellen studies all his matchups on film, sneaking in clips outside of team film sessions. During pregame warmups, Mellen takes free moments to wander the middle of the field, observing his mark like a circling hawk. He analyzes them — looking for something he hasn’t seen on film, things that can only be gauged then and there.  

“I love watching my opponent in pregame warm-ups,” Mellen said. “Seeing how he’s moving, feeling his body language out.”

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The mental game is what sets Mellen apart. He knows his opponent and their tendencies, and has practiced them so thoroughly that he can go step-for-step. More than anything, Mellen simply can’t stand losing.

When Mellen lets up a goal, he gets “pissed off,” he said. He tries to internalize his anger, barking to teammates and coaches that he won’t allow it to happen twice. 

“In my head I’m trying to compose all those emotions, but at the same time I’m so frustrated and so heated that I physically and mentally will not let that happen again because I’m that pissed,” Mellen said.

Mellen’s squad is 0-2 against Cornell with Teat on the Big Red. Despite slowing the top-tier attacker, Cornell eked out enough offense to down the Orange both times. And the 2019 version of the Big Red has been more potent and multifaceted.

Two of Teat’s teammates, John Piatelli and Clarke Petterson, are top-10 in the country in goals per game — they score nearly seven a game combined. Cornell is No. 2 in all of college lacrosse with 25 points per game.

But all season, Mellen’s shutout, silenced and stifled opponent’s top options. Army’s Brendan Nichtern, Duke’s Joe Robertson and Hobart’s Chris Aslanian were befuddled by Mellen. So, when Teat and Mellen meet on Tuesday, their matchup might decide more than Mellen’s temperament after the game.

“He’s from Canada, he knows those box rules,” Mellen said. “And no matter how tight you’re on him, he’s still good enough to make something happen.

“So, you can definitely expect a good matchup.”

Published on April 8, 2019 at 12:31 am

Contact Andrew: aegraham@syr.edu | @A_E_Graham