John Glesener
Attack
Army
Bio: 6’3, 214 pounds
2014 stats: 57 points, 43 goals 13 assists, USILA Third Team All-American and First Team All-Patriot League for the second-consecutive year
2015: Inside Lacrosse Second Team Preseason All-American, enters 2015 on a 28-game point streak
Recapping 2014:
John Glesener was an absolute, bonafide stud for Army last season. Glesener was one of the best scorers in the nation last season as his 43 goals ranked him 15th in the nation. He was a matchup nightmare for any defense because of his size and strength. He could not be outmuscled from getting to his spot and he was just as agile as well. His combination of size and speed made him a one man wrecking crew for Army.
What made him even more dangerous is his cannon of a shot. Glesener was a threat from anywhere on the field to shoot as he alawys had the green light. Normally defenses will live with a guy taking a shot from 12-15 yards out, especially on their goaltenders but Glesener is an exemption to that rule.
His best game, and the one in which he showcases the complete package that he is, was his six goal and one assist effort against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament. Check out the clip here
Hopefully you can get through him talking but if you watch the highlights, he is hitting those shots from up top while on the run on low angle shots down the alley. From an experience of a lacrosse goalie, those are shots that defenses want to give up for obvious reasons and he still finds a way to score.
Finally, what makes Glesener so appealing is the fact that he is a converted midfielder. He played midfield in his freshman year where he recorded 33 points and then switched to attack after his sophomore season. Not only he is a threat to dodge and score from behind the cage but he is also very comfortable bringing his defenseman up top and attacking from there. That doesn’t seem like a big deal but most low defensemen aren’t used to playing guys from up top.
Outlook for 2015:
Glesener will again be the focal point on offense as defenses will use their No. 1 defenseman on him every game and they will be quick to slide early so as to get the ball out of his stick. However, Army will also be dangerous this season as they return their entire offense and bring in John’s brother Ted Glesener who is reportedly better than John.
Outlook for the MLL:
His game will translate well to the MLL, especially for the Cannons if he is able to play. Glesener has a fast enough shot to stretch the defense from up top which is a huge plus. He has already shown the ability to hit shots from the two-point arc so teams will be wary of that. Since he is a converted midfielder and the Cannons have Will Manny, Ryan Young and Matt White on attack, Glesener could come out of the box on offensive possessions and work in some invert opportunities behind or take advantage of either a short or long stick matchup from up top.
I hope Glesener is able to split time between his Army commitment and the MLL because he really is a fun player to watch and the Cannons could use help in replacing Paul Rabil at the midfield.
