She shuffles her feet, lining up at the halfway mark of the field, glances up to see the face of the opposing player, positions her stick horizontally so the back pocket touches her opponent’s stick. The referee walks over and places the ball between the two sticks. She waits for the whistle. When the referee gives it, a rapid sequence of events occur. She and her opponent simultaneously quickly pull their sticks away in a swift, upward motion, flinging the ball into the air beyond their reach. She boxes out her opponent and runs toward the ball, along with two of her teammates who were waiting to rush in and help alongside the center circle. A mad scramble for the ball ensues as bodies and sticks tangle and collide, each fighting for control, fighting for possession, fighting for the ball.
That is the life of a draw specialist in women’s lacrosse day in and day out. It is a battle sophomore MJ Santa Barbara fights each game for the Elon lacrosse team.
The draw is an important aspect of women’s lacrosse as it takes place at the start of each half and after each goal. It occurs after each goal, making it a critical part of the game because as it determines which team gets possession of the ball. A team that wins the draw can dominate a game. They can score at will and maintain possession each time; they control the pace of the game by dominating the possession of the ball. On the other hand, a team that struggles at the draw and consistently loses it, will find a hard time getting opportunities to score or even securing possession of the ball as they have to now exclusively rely on their defense. As Santa Barbara calls it, the draw specialist is akin to a quarterback.
Santa Barbara is coming off a spectacular freshman campaign where she was one of the best draw specialists in the country. She was named the Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year after breaking school and conference records with 151 draw controls on the season. She also broke Elon’s single-game draw control record with 15. The Guilford, Connecticut, native was ranked seventh in the country with 8.88 draw controls per game — which was the highest average for a freshman in the country. She was recently named an honorable mention preseason All-American, the first Elon player to earn preseason All-America status since 2018.
Santa Barbara said last season was an incredible experience and enjoyed growing close with her teammates around the center circle that would assist with the draw. She said that it wasn’t always possible to win the ball to herself, so she had to rely on the players around the circle.
“I think being connected to the girls on the circle was just a really special thing, and it was just really special all around to see how hard work can just really pay off,” Santa Barbara said. “When you go at it every single day and you trust your teammates, it can create something really awesome.”
Her position is arguably the most important one on the field as making sure her teammates get the ball trickles down to every aspect of the game, she said. Her position brings more pressure as the entire offense relies on her to get possession of the ball. Santa Barbara, however, relishes the opportunity to take on extra responsibility.
“I just have to know that I’m a leader on the field, and to have that trust that I can take that big responsibility,” Santa Barbara said. “I love the pressure because it can test you, but I think it’s important to stay as cool as you possibly can. Of course there’s a bit of pressure, but I think pressure makes diamonds.”
Assistant coach Kelly Dowd, who works with the draw control group, said some players could crack under that pressure, but Santa Barbara succeeds under it because she makes it a part of her game. Dowd praised Santa Barbara’s IQ on the draw but said her passion for it is the primary reason for her consistent success.
“Her passion for it just speaks volumes because if you’re not passionate about that position, it’s definitely not going to go well,” Dowd said. “She’s just always hungry for more. She just gets it, and she knows what she’s good at, and she just keeps learning. She’s just always ready for what’s next and she never stands down from something that’s tough or challenging her. So then she just keeps leveling up, which is awesome to see and that’s what you want out of a player.”
Although Santa Barbara has not played the first several games of the season due to injury, she is expected to return to the circle soon.
“There’s definitely an expectation now coming back after my freshman year, but, I just hope to come back better than I was last year, and I just want to continue to work with my teammates and the girls on the circle, to create that same impact and generate more offense for our team,” Santa Barbara said.
As a result of her dominance last year, Santa Barbara decided to work on aspects of the draw beyond the fundamentals in the offseason. She said she emphasized working on where anything could be thrown at her, including how to handle the pressure and physicality that it is required to withstand defenders after she wins the draw; in her words, she gets “clobbered” after winning the draw to herself. Dowd said they have worked on trying to create more options for her at the draw, such as getting the ball out to the attacking side.
Santa Barbara being sidelined in the first portion of the season has allowed her to take up a new role: coaching. She has stepped into a coaching role, helping the draw control group scout and read up on the opponent and has helped impart knowledge of her own. Senior Sammy Fisher praised Santa Barbara’s ability to adjust and take up a new responsibility.
“She stepped into a different role this year, being hurt, and she’s been awesome coaching us up and helping us through that,” Fisher said after the team’s loss to Virginia Tech on Feb. 18. “It is definitely a change and difficult from last year but she’s been great coaching us and helping us through each play.”
Coaching from the sidelines has allowed Santa Barbara to see the game from a wider lens and has given her a new perspective, but she is primarily focused on getting back on the field.
“Helping my teammates is an awesome thing to do because I’m also learning new things as I’m watching more,” Santa Barbara said. “But my entire motivation is just picturing and looking forward to my first game back.”
Dowd is excited for Santa Barbara’s return, which is expected to be sometime in the next few games. She believes it will provide a huge spark for the team.
“Possession is everything,” Dowd said. “So, it’s really important and I think that her being back will be huge for us. And I know she’s ready.”