Griffin leads Jumbo attack into conference playoffs

Sophomore attacker Bryan Griffin is a scoring powerhouse on the men's lacrosse team. Last year's NESCAC and New England Rookie-of-the-Year has already racked up 89 points in his career, with 59 goals and 30 assists. That statistic is certainly a running total, though, as Griffin is not even half way through his Tufts career.

According to coach Michael Daly, several coaches in the league, including some who play professional lacrosse, have made comments that Griffin "plays the game the way it should be played."

"I couldn't agree more," Daly said.

Already this season, Griffin has netted 29 goals in 12 games, along with notching 16 assists for a total of 45 points. About two weeks ago, he recorded a career high in points in one game with seven; scoring twice and assisting on five other goals against Colby. It was the second time in his career that Griffin had gone off against Colby. Last year, he brought the Jumbos back from behind to win by scoring three goals in the last quarter.

"Those two breakout games really gave me a lot of confidence," Griffin recalled.

A natural competitor, Griffin loves to win. He also said that he thrives off of the "constant excitement" of lacrosse.

"Every time you step onto the field you know you're going to have 60 minutes of creating opportunities for yourself and your teammates, and you get to watch the defense make plays," Griffin said. "Just the whole time, it's an exciting game."

Griffin is well respected by his coaches and teammates at Tufts as well as in the greater NESCAC league.

This respect is something Griffin has fought to earn ever since he began playing lacrosse as a fifth grader in West Islip, New York. All over his native Long Island, lacrosse is hugely popular and play gets competitive at a young age. Griffin said he started the game late, and as a result was forced to work even harder.

"I'd say I was kind of looked over all through my high school career, and I had to work my way to the top," Griffin said. "It makes me proud that I'm not the person who's been looked at and recognized the whole time, but by improving myself, I've gotten to be like that."

As he's grown and matured as a player, Griffin's hard work and skill have pushed him from the shadows and into the spotlight. His coach praised the attacker for his intensity.

"Bryan is just a worker, plain and simple. He continues to improve every day as a lacrosse player," Daly said. "His work ethic has also made him one of our more skilled players. He routinely shoots for hours per day so that his game is always at the highest level possible. Shots he makes in the games never surprise me because I watch him practice them over and over again."

Daly said that Griffin demonstrates his dedication to the game not only when he is playing, but off the field as well.

"He is a lacrosse junkie who loves the game, loves to improve, and isn't afraid to get dirty to achieve it all," Daly said. "He spends so much time watching film of the best players in the game today and he is always learning. He listens to coaching and it is an honor to coach him and be around him."

As the Jumbo's leading scorer two years in a row, Griffin is clearly well suited for his position. He said that as an attacker, he relies on "quick bursts of speed" in order to get the ball and create scoring opportunities. He has also worked with his coaches to improve his defensive game, and Griffin said he is happy with the progress he has made in that area. Daly also expressed satisfaction with Griffin's improvements on defense..

"Bryan is also our hardest working 'rider' and he is tenacious at getting loose balls back," Daly said. "He is our best player and he is such a competitor, we sometimes have to keep him out of practice because he only knows one speed -- full speed."

As such an integral force on the team, Griffin's health and conditioning are important concerns for the athlete and his coach.

"Getting hit and checked, your body takes a real beating," Griffin said. "You have to take care of yourself so you can get up and play to the best of your ability every game."

Daly echoed similar thoughts when he said that he'd like to see Griffin continue conditioning in the weight room, to help avoid any possible future injuries.

"Other that that, we just want him to remain Bryan Griffin, the kid who competes every second of the game and the guy who loves lacrosse," Daly said. "I wish I could capture those two qualities about Bryan and pass them along to our younger guys."