The 13-member senior class has been the core of the No. 3 men's lacrosse team this year, and nowhere has this been more evident than on defense. Greg Ehrnman is one of the integral parts of this senior defense, providing the Blue Devils with skill, strength, and leadership.
Ehrnman started his Duke lacrosse career in full swing, playing in 10 games and picking up 14 ground balls during his freshman year. In the 1995 and 1996 seasons, he played in every game, notching one goal and two assists and leading the Blue Devils in ground balls. This season, Ehrnman has been one of the mainstays of the Duke defense despite a pulled hamstring and a groin injury.
"Greg has exceeded my expectations from his freshman year to today," Duke coach Mike Pressler said. "He's one of our most athletic players on the field. There's no player on our team who's bigger, stronger or faster than Greg.... He's one of the top defensive players in the country, and there's no one more determined out there."
The Vienna, Va., native has become the Blue Devils' defensive stopper this season. In Saturday's matchup with No. 2 Virginia, Ehrnman faced the daunting task of guarding first-team All-American attackman Doug Knight. Such challenges have become routine for Ehrnman, who has been assigned to guard his opponents' best attackers in every game.
"You can put Greg on the other team's best player, and he'll take him out of the game one-on-one," Pressler said. "He combines athleticism and agility with size and strength. He accentuates the physical aspects of the game, but he has the skills of the game as well."
Ehrnman is often considered to be Duke's enforcer-his teammates look to him to play aggressively and come up with the hard hits against opposing players. In 1995 and 1996 he led the Blue Devils in hits and is well on his way to doing the same this year.
While Ehrnman is always willing to make opposing attackmen regret taking shots, he does not see himself as Duke's strong-arm man. His teammates, on the other hand, appreciate his physical play and are confident in his ability to back them up.
"Sophomore and junior year, other teams were like, 'Stay away from Greg Ehrnman,'" senior defenseman Tyler Hardy said. "Number one, he's hard to go by, and number two, he's one of the toughest players around. If you're trying to take a shot on our goal, he's not going to be afraid to take the ball away from you-he's going to hit you.
"If someone goes by me, it's reassuring to know he's behind me. It makes playing defense a lot easier to know that if someone goes by me, Ernie'll slice his head off."
Ehrnman has been a key to the Blue Devils' success not only because of his play during games but also because of his advance preparation. Before each game, Ehrnman studies the strengths and weaknesses of the attackman he will defend. When the clock starts running, he uses this knowledge to minimize his opponents' strengths and exploit their weaknesses. According to Pressler, Ehrnman's level of preparation brings an aspect of professionalism to the game.
Although Ehrnman has played a crucial role in Duke's successes this season, he considers himself to be just one small part of the equation. Ehrnman gives much of the credit for Duke's accomplishments this season to his fellow senior defensemen, Hardy, David Stilley and Patrick Doyle, and senior goalkeeper Joe Kirmser. He believes that the seniors rely on each other on and off the field drawing confidence and inspiration from this sense of unity.
"It's such a good feeling when you know that the guys next to you and the guy in the cage know what you're going to do," Ehrnman said. "After all these years of playing together, they know how to make up for your shortcomings if it comes to that... It's such a confidence buildup-instead of being nervous, you know you're playing with these really quality players. You're really excited because you know that it's not just you; it's all of your teammates putting in their best, and their best is better than a lot of other people's."
Perhaps one of Ehrnman's greatest contributions to the squad is his intensity during games and practices. Ehrnman often plays the role of a catalyst, sparking his teammates when morale is low and stepping up everyone's level of motivation.
"Ernie is the guy who's always ready to play," sophomore defenseman Tim Knowles said. "For every practice, he's excited to be there. He jump starts the whole team-if you're tired, you can feed off his energy.... He's definitely been a role model for me."
Ehrnman has seen Duke lacrosse through three memorable seasons, with its highest NCAA Tournament finish in 1994, its first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship in 1995 and its efforts to rebuild a young team in 1996. This season has the potential to be the Blue Devils' most successful ever, and they will call on Ehrnman to help carry them to a victorious conclusion.
Ehrnman hopes that as his senior season draws to a close, he will be able to rely on his teammates just as they rely on him and come away with one last season of which to be proud.
"I really want us to continue to play strong as a team," Ehrnman said. "If we play as a team, with everyone confident, knowing that the guy standing to his right and to his left are going to play just as hard as he is, we'll go far. ... Win or lose we'll still feel confident in ourselves and feel that we've had a great year."
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