Schaller pursued two sports in high school, the other being hockey. And watching him early in his career at Maryland, it wasn’t hard to see the influence on the sport he left behind.
As Maryland eased him into a reserve role as a freshman, there were times when the sort of physicality that is generally encouraged on the ice might get a penalty in lacrosse. Those with a keen old-school mentality might point out that a generation ago, some of those plays might not have drawn a flag a generation ago.
But from the Terps’ perspective, it was much more appealing to refine Schaller’s aggression than to try to coax it out of him.
“Hockey guys probably don’t get paid as much as guys in the NFL and NBA and Major League Baseball, yet they’re probably some of the toughest cats out there,” Bernhardt said. “They definitely play for the love of the game and the passion and all that kind of stuff, and I think Will has a lot of those attributes.”
Tillman said he can’t remember a player collecting so many hustle plays in a season, especially since they have a penchant for being timely. One of Schaller’s more remarkable efforts was scrambling back after a failed clear to deflect a transition shot in a March 1 game against Notre Dame.
But he also sealed the victory that day by sprawling out to cover a ricocheted shot as it scooted out of bounds to secure possession in the final 30 seconds. It doesn’t look as pretty as denying a goal, but it was just as vital.
“When you watch him play, you see a hockey player in a lot of ways,” McDonald said. “People line up to shoot, and he’s the first one to jump in front of a shot that’s going a hundred miles an hour. It’s pretty fearless. He brings a physicality to the game that not a lot of people in college lacrosse do. If you run through the middle, you know that Will Schaller will be there.”
Maryland and Schaller both had the luxury of time — to an extent — early in his career. Schaller got into the end of a handful of games in his first season, at least until Zappitello suffered a broken hand in April.
Just like that, Schaller was starting for the final quarter of the season and defending the likes of Johns Hopkins’ Jacob Angelus, Rutgers’ Shane Knobloch and Army’s Reese Burek. It was an education on the fly, and there were definitely times when Schaller’s lack of experience was evident.
“That was definitely a blessing in disguise in the long run,” Schaller said. “The experience when you’re a young guy and a sponge and impressionable is invaluable. It happens at all different stages in all different aspects, but getting that as a freshman, it was huge in my development. Sometimes the best way to learn is to be thrown into the deep end of the pool.”
Just how much he learned was clear by the end of last season. Schaller earned more regular playing time as a sophomore, especially with Maryland committed to using a four-man rotation at close defense.
When Jackson Canfield was banged up against Duke in the quarterfinals, it was Schaller who was summoned to cover Blue Devils star Brennan O’Neill — and helped keep him to one goal over the final three quarters as the Terps rallied for a 14-11 victory.
With Zappitello graduating — a year after Brett Makar, who anchored Maryland’s defense the previous two seasons — Schaller was a logical candidate to fill a larger role this season.
McDonald said there wasn’t much concern about replacing Zappitello, since the Terps had some veteran options who played cohesively at that end of the field. At the same time, no one is complaining about how this season worked out.
“We always knew there was something there,” Bernhardt said. “That alpha male in him, it was just a matter of time that once he could harness that and we could refine some technique things. In certain ways, I’d say I’m pleased and happy with the process he took and the progress he’s made because we’ve been the beneficiaries of it. But not really surprised just because of the type of person he is.”
Schaller doesn’t believe anything particularly remarkable happened. His preparation is the same as ever, and he is quick to credit the consistency of teammates who have helped make his job easier.
Sure, there was a need for someone to emerge and take on greater responsibility. But it hasn’t necessarily felt different.
“It’s not like I became a new person,” Schaller said. “It’s always been inside of me. It’s been a matter of, it’s going to come out and it’s going to come out at the right time. I’m very big on the dials versus the switch. You don’t just switch it on or switch it off. It’s always there inside of you, whatever it is. It’s understanding that you dial it in and dial it back.”
Perhaps it’s best to ascribe Schaller’s impact this season to an intersection of ability, preparation and competitiveness. His focus, listening skills and maturity remind Tillman of some of the players he coached at Navy who went on to become SEALs.
“Even in the recruiting process, he took notes, he was very logical, he had questions,” Tillman said. “He wasn’t going to be BS’d by the gear you had or fluffy stuff. It was really about substance and culture.”
Which, come to think of it, may well be why Schaller’s instincts led him to Maryland in the first place.
It may not have been easy to fully explain at the time, but it makes plenty of sense — especially with Schaller thriving as part of the Terps’ latest title contender.
“When you get some time to reflect and sit back, you realize the reward of feeling like you made the right decision is a special one,” Schaller said. “That’s something I hope everyone gets to feel at some point in their life, whether it’s a job they make or picking a significant other or whatever it may be. Just that rewarding feeling that you’re in the right place with the right people at exactly the right time is super special.”
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