Field lacrosse goalies are human fly swatters trying to catch a miniature cannonball. Little padding is provided. Bravery is a must.
One look at University of Denver goalie Ryan LaPlante shows he is a glutton for punishment. He is exposed. No leg pads, nothing on the arms. Bruises waiting to happen. Even the padded parts of his body are in pain.
“Thumbs are the worst,” LaPlante said. “I don’t know one goalie who hasn’t broken a thumb.”
LaPlante, like most NCAA and professional outdoor goalies, refuses to protect himself with arm or leg pads, though he is trying to stop a 5½-ounce ball coming at him at speeds of 80 to 100 mph. The senior has suffered broken knuckles and thumbs, a cracked rib and shin splints from continually getting hit in the front of the legs while at DU. He wears a chest protector and plastic throat protector, but not much else to protect himself.
“Less padding is seen as better,” LaPlante said. “Which is crazy to think about. But I’ll never wear shin pads, because they’ll aim there. Or just hit you for having them on and give you a hard time. If I were to wear shin pads, I would get heckled the whole time.”
Goalies for the indoor game, meanwhile, are heavily padded, much as in hockey.
LaPlante doesn’t wear any arm pads because of mobility concerns and refuses to wear below-the-belt hockey protection because it limits his running ability. Lacrosse goalies are taught to have two hands on the stick, leaving their waist area vulnerable.
A four-year starter who grew up in Fort Collins, LaPlante can do more than play great defense. He drove end to end and produced a shot on net last Saturday in DU’s 13-9 victory over Providence. The fifth-ranked Pioneers are 10-2 overall and 4-0 in the Big East Conference heading into their regular-season finale at Marquette on Saturday.
“Some people consider us crazy,” said Tanner Jaillet, a freshman goalie for the DU hockey team. “But these guys are insane. I can’t even see that ball when they throw it, and these guys are getting hit with it with hardly any gear on.”
Jaillet has never played goalie in lacrosse. “And I don’t have any desire,” he said. “It’s insane.”
LaPlante’s backups include sophomore Ryan Purcell, who was also a hockey goalie while growing up in New York.
“When I was playing ice hockey, I felt pretty invincible because I was suited up head to toe,” Purcell said. “In lacrosse, it’s more reaction to protect myself. It’s definitely crazy. It’s not my first recommendation for people trying to start playing lacrosse. You have to be a little sick in the head to jump in there.”
Purcell sometimes forgets which sport he is playing. On a kick save in hockey, the puck bounces off a goalie’s big leg pads. With no pads in lacrosse, the same move means pain.
“I do it all the time,” Purcell said, “and always regret it.”
LaPlante still appreciates the skills of his hockey counterpart.
“Those guys have way more padding, but they have to be way more flexible than we do,” he said. “It’s a completely different position. But we both like the pressure, being the one person you can count on there, and not afraid to take the shots.”
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or
No pain, no gain
Denver post reporter mike chambers lists his five most dangerous mainstream sports:
1. Mixed martial arts (MMA)
2. Open-wheel auto racing
3. Field lacrosse goalie
4. Boxing
5. Running back or slot receiver in football
