Bucknell University Athletics
Former Walk-On Clarke Exceeds X-Pectations
4/8/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 8, 2009
From Lacrosse Magazine (Apr. 8, 2009), by Andy Krauss
Jake Clarke's school record 20-for-21 performance Tuesday might have only underscored Bucknell's inability to capitalize on Penn State's Drew Adams in a 9-8 loss, but it punctuated the sophomore's rise among the best faceoff specialists in the nation.
Consider the Patriot League on notice.
Prior to Penn State, Clarke went 13-for-17 in an 8-6 victory over Army that moved the Bison to 4-0 in the conference a year after falling just short of a championship.
This is nothing new for Clarke and the Bison -- he's been doing it all season. His record-setting performance Tuesday pushed him past North Carolina's Shane Walterhoefer for the top faceoff percentage (.661) in Division I men's lacrosse.
These accomplishments are impressive for faceoff men, like Walterhoefer, who have been perfecting their craft for years, but Clarke doesn't fall into that category. In fact, Clarke hadn't taken a faceoff since eighth grade.
If you think that's a head-turning feat, prepare to have your neck broken.
Prior to enrolling at Bucknell in the fall of 2007, Clarke didn't even have a spot on the team.
Clarke had a standout prep career Greenwich High School in Cos Cob, Conn. He was named all-state and All-Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference as he captained the team to a state runner-up finish.
While his current teammates were doing their best to impress college recruiters at camp during the summer, Clarke was taking it easy. "I was so busy during the school year, that I felt the summer was my time off," said Clarke. "By the time senior year came and it was time to figure where I'd play lacrosse, it was too late."
Clarke was not a complete unknown, however. Bucknell head coach Frank Fedorjaka came to Greenwich to watch Clarke compete in a playoff game during his junior season. Unfortunately, Fedorjaka got to the game in the second quarter and was unaware that Clarke had hurt his quadriceps muscle already after scoring two quick goals. By the time his future coach had arrived, Clarke was not at 100 percent.
Although Clarke was accepted to Bentley College to play football, he opted enroll at Bucknell, major in economics and walk on to the lacrosse team, of which he was told there were no spots for short-stick midfielders.
That spot quickly became available.
During the first day of fall practice, Clarke posted the fasted time on the team in the 40-yard dash, 1.5-mile run and t-shuttle drill. "We immediately said, 'We've got to find a spot for this guy,'" said Fedorjaka, who gave Clarke a spot on the team by the end of the fall.
In his freshman season, Clarke saw action in just eight games, but his time increased when a starting defensive midfielder broke his wrist.
This past offseason, Fedorjaka knew he needed to make an addition to put the Bison over the top. The Bison won just 44 percent of their faceoffs in 2008, so Fedorjaka brought in Eric Genova, who had volunteered at Cornell, to fix the situation.
The quick fix was Clarke.
Genova and Fedorjaka realized that Clarke's speed and aggressiveness would make for a difference-making faceoff man.
"I knew he'd be quick off the ball, but didn't realize that he'd have the distance control he has to win faceoffs and create opportunities," said Fedorjaka.
Clarke had the opportunity to try out his skills right away in the opener. He won eight of 14 faceoffs that day against then sixth-ranked Duke in an 11-7 loss. From there, his prowess in the circle has taken off.
"It's a weird feeling to look back and see what has unfolded since last season started," said Clarke. "My attitude is the reason for my success."
