(Photo: Jodi Vosika/ASU Lacrosse)
There are a lot of aspects that make the sport of lacrosse special, but a player’s “flow” is what makes a player stand out. For the Arizona State Sun Devils, the flow helped them reach the national championship game last year and they look to return, even with the flow experiencing a down year.
The flow is not what it used to be. Some of the seniors and few underclassmen have come back from the offseason with a less lax but more professional haircut. Seniors such as Billy Mayne, captain Dan Davis and co-captain Ryan Berns have returned from the offseason with less lettuce to cascade from their helmets.
“It’s really depressing,” Berns said. “I was jealous of the rest of the flow on the team. I know the real world doesn’t like the lax flow as much as the rest of us.”
However, long locks are not for every lacrosse player, like face-off specialist Zack Handy. A question that has often perplexed and reportedly haunted the dreams of many ASU lacrosse fans: why doesn’t Handy have flow?
“It just turns into an afro, it doesn’t turn out the way I like it.” Handy said. “Not having flow makes me feel less top heavy, makes me lighter and ready to feel the wind through my hair.”
Handy’s short hair has worked in his advantage by making him quicker and more aerodynamic. Handy nearly perfected those qualities and was awarded MCLA First Team All-America face-off specialist and SLC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014.
Flow helped the Sun Devil’s reach the national championship last year, but since then the percentage of the team with flow has decreased, causing some concern.
“We don’t have bad flow this year,” Berns said. “But it’s not up to snuff as it was before. We are getting a little more serious.”
With players now reverting to shorter hairstyles leaves a whole with the team that can only be filled with flow. Luckily for ASU they some players on the team have stepped up and filled the role nicely.
Junior midfielder Henry Archie was voted runner-up for the best flow on the team with his thick and wavy golden locks. It hasn’t been easy for the Connecticut-bred hair, and since his freshman year he has worked on it.
“Henry has come a long way,” Burns said. “He had the straight crew-cut freshman year, now it’s looking good. He’s got some nice lettuce.”
However the award for best flow was unanimously given to freshman face-off specialist Zac Mathien. With chestnut brown hair about 12 to 14 inches long that grazes the back of his shoulders, Mathien ran away with the title of best flow on the team.
