Are the Redwoods playing Ricky Miezan at the wrong position?
Published
When the California Redwoods signed Ricky Miezan, it was one of the most intriguing acquisitions of the offseason.
Miezan further built on an already percolating buzz after an impressive 2024 Championship Series, where his athleticism popped. However, it wasn’t just his athleticism that earned the former Stanford linebacker a regular-season contract.
His offensive capabilities were also noteworthy. Miezan scored two goals in his first game before finishing the Championship Series with three points (2G, 1A) after going down with an injury.
“The first goal he scored in his first game where he caught that low pass and smashed that thing low-to-high, I was like, ‘Done,’” Redwoods head coach and general manager Nat St. Laurent said after the ink dried on Miezan's contract.
But despite his demonstrated goal-scoring ability, California has deployed Miezan as a short-stick defensive midfielder in his first PLL season. In his two appearances for the Woods, he’s touched the ball just four times and attempted one shot.
While Sixes doesn’t directly translate to full-field lacrosse, the current offensive output from the Woods midfield is unsustainable and a big reason why they’re last in the Western Conference with a 1-4 record.
“We’ve got to take a long, hard look at what we’re doing, what we’re asking of guys, what they’re capable of doing and what they’re willing to do,” St. Laurent said in the press conference after the Woods’ latest 15-8 loss to the Utah Archers.
If role refinement is occurring on the Redwoods roster, one option that may be worth considering is playing Miezan as an offensive midfielder instead of at SSDM.
Reassessing Ricky Miezan's Role
Ryder Garnsey, Wes Berg, Chris Gray and Rob Pannell have accounted for 58.8% of the 51 Redwoods scores this season.
More concerning is that of the seven other players who have spent significant time in the offensive zone, only rookie Garrett Degnon is shooting over 25% this season.
Barring a drastic roster move, like a trade, the Redwoods are running out of lineup changes they can make to invigorate this offense. Bumping Miezan to take some offensive runs is a relatively low-risk move that can add a more explosive dodger to the midfield.
It's important to note the differences for those who think that his defensive background on the gridiron translates better to playing defense on a lacrosse field. A linebacker’s role differs from a defensive back, where that argument might make more sense.
A DB excels at backpedaling at high speeds. In contrast, Miezan’s 123 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss in college highlight his ability to pursue and shed blocks — skills that translate better to downhill dodging than to matching feet with opposing middies.
Miezan’s athleticism makes him an intriguing prospect, but his offensive prowess during his year at Virginia (seven goals in 16 games in 2023) and in the Championship Series suggests he’s worth a look on that side of the ball.
With the midfield struggling as mightily as it is and the Redwoods at a critical juncture in their season heading into their Homecoming weekend, giving Miezan an opportunity in the offense could be a game-changer.