In an utterly dominant 20-1 victory against Cary High School, Green Hope lacrosse captain Chase Dean (‘27) secured his 500th career face-off win. Dean already set the school record for face-off wins, reaching 324 in March against Athens Drive, with many more surely to come for the junior.
In just his two years on the varsity lacrosse team, Dean boasts a 64.2% face-off win rate. Considering that Dean began playing lacrosse competitively only three years ago, his improvement is certainly notable and was mentioned by Coach Daniel Nolan when discussing Dean’s latest achievement and his contribution to the team: “Over the last two years, you know, he’s been good, he’s been great, but this year, we’ve seen a level of dominance that’s just been kind of mind-blowing.” From his first to his 500th face-off, Dean has blossomed into a new player with a bright future ahead of him, looking forward to his senior year.
Dean’s improvement and consistent performances are a testament to his character and determination to improve on and off the field. Nolan said, “My favorite thing about coaching Chase is his work ethic. You know, I don’t have to show up to practice and motivate Chase.” He continued, saying, “Chase is self-motivated to an extent that I’m learning about what hard work looks like in a player and what kind of effect individual hard work could have on the team and the program overall.” Showing up to practice ready to work and putting in extra hours outside of practice have molded Dean into a face-off powerhouse. Dean himself credits his training outside of school as a significant part of his success, saying, “I take reps every day, and every Sunday or Monday, I go to this place called Face Off Academy (FOA) Carolina, which is the single best place to learn face-offs anywhere in the nation.”
In addition to his training, Dean also emphasizes his mental fortitude on the field as well. “I try to remain as calm as possible. [Face-offs] are always after a goal, so while my team gets excited, I try to settle down and make sure I’m focusing on the whistle.” Through his calm nature and physical dominance at the X, Dean has proved to be a valuable weapon on the team. Nolan spoke on the importance of his work on the field, saying, “More face-off wins mean more possessions. So, more opportunities to score and fewer opportunities for the other team to score. Right now, we’re really benefiting from Chase’s just incredible performance so far.” Nolan also compared the lacrosse face-off to a tip-off in basketball, putting into perspective just how important winning back the ball is after every point.
For Dean personally, hitting that milestone of 500 face-off wins was a huge moment, saying, “It felt great. It was a big team moment for me. My wings constantly support me, and I was very excited to make that milestone with my team.” While Dean is at the center of the face-off, having wings to support any loose balls is just as beneficial. As per the rest of his junior season, Dean looks forward to hopefully making the state tournament and winning a playoff game, while in his senior year, Dean hopes to continue to build the program and leave behind an even better team.
With an already impressive career thus far, the future is bright for Green Hope’s all-time leading face-off winner, and the Falcons can’t wait to see what else is to come.
