Playing goalie in lacrosse is one of the hardest positions to play in any sport. Wearing minimal padding and having offensive players firing a ball at you upwards of 80 mph doesn’t make it any easier. For Fairfield University Men’s Lacrosse goalie Tyler Behring ‘17, this has become a cake walk. Behring’s .572 save percentage and 11.71 saves per game from last season were ranked top 10 in the country. His 9.19 goals against average and 199 total saves in a single season both ranked 7th all-time in program history. I sat down with the goalie from Little Silver, N.J. to discuss a wide range of topics.
Q: Do you have any pregame superstitions?
A: I usually listen to the song “Shipping Off to Boston” right before I play to get me in the zone and get me excited.
Q: On the contrary, do you have any in-game superstitions? I know I’ve seen a lot of goalies hit the pipes with their stick when they are on the field.
A: I do hit the pipes. I do a triangle (left, right and above my head) a couple times in a row.
Q: Do you have any hidden talents that no one knows about?
A: That’s a tough one. I can crack my jaw, which is kind of weird. Not many people can do that.
Q: What were your thoughts on being named to the Preseason All-New England Team?
A: I was definitely happy about it, but I try not to think about it going into the season because I feel like it puts pressure on you to do well. I try and just let it go and just play my game.
Q: You had nine saves in a tough loss on Saturday against Richmond, what adjustments does the team need to make moving forward?
A: I think we just need to work harder in practice and pay attention to the small details in order to get things back on track. I think this week we have really done a good job of starting to do that. Hopefully we can continue that.
Q: When did you first want to play goal and why?
A: It actually started in 7th grade. Our goalie quit for our team and I played defense. Everyone looked at me and I was like, alright I’ll try it. I ended up really liking it and stuck with it through high school.
Q: What are your goals for this season?
A: First and foremost, getting the team back on track and getting our first win of the season under our belt. That way we can build confidence and hopefully that will lead us to making the tournament and winning the [Colonial Athletic Association].
Q: What would you like to do after Fairfield?
A: If I were to get drafted (in the Major League Lacrosse Draft) that would be great; I would probably give it a shot. I would not be discouraged if I didn’t get drafted or didn’t get to play in the MLL. I think I’ve definitely had a good four years here so we’ll see.
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