Scarlet Spotlight on Chris O'Dougherty
Apr 16 | Men's Lacrosse
By Tom Szieber
Chris O'Dougherty's favorite Scarlet Knights' lacrosse memory is the victory his team earned over Massachusetts last season that took the Minutemen out of the playoffs.
But it is one of his greatest failures that the junior defensemen credits with making him one of the Eastern College Athletic Conference's most feared defensemen.
"My freshman year (2006) against Syracuse I gave up a goal in overtime," O'Dougherty said, "That made me want to succeed even more, and looking back it helped make me the player I am today."
That player, an Inside Lacrosse Third-Team All-American, has becomes one of the best defensive players in the country, consistently matched up with the best attacker on the opposing team. His emergence, however, did not happen overnight.
O'Dougherty has been dedicated to mastering his craft since elementary school.
"My brother gave me a stick when I was in the fifth grade," he said. "I started playing and I've loved it ever since."
O'Dougherty spent his scholastic career at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J., where he led the Pirates to two Group IV finals appearances and one title. He chose to attend Rutgers during his senior year, and immediately embraced representing his home state.
"I'm just proud to be [at Rutgers]," O'Dougherty said. "I am here for a reason: I want to help make Rutgers a lacrosse powerhouse and we're close right now. We just have to keep working hard in practice and we have some big opportunities to turn it around."
The defenseman has certainly been doing his part in that turnaround lately. He has scooped 20 ground balls this season and consistently shuts down the other team's top scoring threat. He will need to continue playing with that same level of productivity as the Scarlet Knights have improved their schedule each and every year. With bringing in higher quality opponents, O'Dougherty's assignments will continue to get more difficult.
"Guarding the other team's No. 1 guy helps get me prepared, and now that I have experience I feel like sometimes they're worried about me, too," he said. "I try to focus even harder in practice now, because if I control my guy it gives us a better opportunity to win."
It is that demeanor and outlook that has allowed O'Dougherty to assume a leadership role for the Scarlet Knights and to set an example for the youth-laden squad that follows. Knowing that he has just one more season of Rutgers lacrosse ahead of him, he is trying to make every game count, and to get the most out of his teammates.
"I guess now I have a greater sense of urgency, being a junior," he said. "I have tried to step it up ' especially in the offseason ' to set a standard the whole team can follow."
Despite individual accolades he may attain, O'Dougherty has remained levelheaded and focused. His main goal, he says, is team achievement. To him, success equals an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
"I want us to finish this season strong," he said. "We have a great deal of talent on this team and a lot of young guys. The future is bright here and I expect for Rutgers to be in post season play for years to come."
