Stealth's Sorensen has a 'calming influence'

EVERETT -- Take a look at the roster of the 2012 Washington Stealth and several names stand out.

Paul Rabil. Rhys Duch. Lewis Ratcliff.

Amid the collection of all-stars, 25-year-old defenseman Kyle Sorensen is easy to overlook. Especially since the five-year National Lacrosse League veteran missed nearly the entire 2011 campaign with a torn knee ligament.

Now back to full strength -- and in the best shape of his career -- Sorensen is one of the Stealth's unsung heros.

How important is it for the Stealth to have a healthy Sorenson back?

"It's as big as big can get," Stealth general manager Doug Locker said.

Locker said Sorensen's lacrosse ability mixed with his leadership skills make him one of the anchors of the Stealth defense.

"I think it's his presence, his mannerisms, his knowledge, he is just so lacrosse savvy," Locker said. "And as a player, he is an exceptional player."

Sorensen is quick to point out he doesn't think he is the anchor of the defense, just another piece to the puzzle.

"The anchor? No," Sorensen said. "Our defense is 10 guys and I think we each kind of bring something to the team. When I came back last year, it was kind of nice to see us kind of get on a roll, the goals (against) kind of dropped. I don't know if it was just me or everybody just kind of put that on me. But to call me the anchor, that's nice to hear, but I feel that each person has their strength and something different that they bring to the team and think we are all kind of a piece to the final outcome."

Sorensen returned from injury near the end of the 2011 season and his impact was felt immediately. The Stealth, who struggled to an 8-8 record in the regular season, reeled off two straight victories in the playoffs to reach the NLL Champion's Cup for the second consecutive year. Sorensen's return helped a defensive unit that had struggled all season settle into lockdown mode in the postseason.

"Not having Sorensen is like taking (Sidney) Crosby away from the power play on the (NHL's) Pittsburgh Penguins," said assistant coach Art Webster, who is filling in for head coach Chris Hall while Hall undergoes treatment for throat cancer. "It's like taking away the quarterback off the Green Bay Packers. Kyle Sorensen is a calming influence on our whole team from the front door all the way back to the back door."

Despite his impact on the unit, Sorenson was not completely healed during last year's playoff run.

"I'd say 65-70 (percent), if I'm being totally honest," he said. "Compared to now, if I am 100 percent, I would say, yeah, probably 65-70."

Even at "65-70 percent" having Sorensen on the floor was a benefit, so having him completely healthy figures to be a major boon for the Stealth.

"I feel like I am able to do more stuff on the floor," Sorensen said. "When I'm running around with a bad knee, I'm almost delegating things that I want to get done that I can't get done. So now that I'm healthy, I might be able to pick up a loose ball, or push somebody out of the way."

Grabbing a loose ball or delivering a hit is much better than what Sorensen experienced last season when he watched many of the Stealth's games on the internet.

"It was difficult," Sorensen said. "I was lucky enough I got to go to a few games, come up for a few games. It was tough to watch those games. I think it's even tougher (watching on the internet) because you don't really see what's going on. You only see what the video cameras show. So not knowing what's going on on the bench, not knowing what's going on in the room after -- that was almost the toughest part for me."

But the tough part is over. Now it's back to business for Sorensen and the rest of his teammates. It won't be easy. There is plenty of parody in the NLL this season and the Stealth already trail Western Division-leading Calgary by 1½ games after their season opening 13-10 loss to the Roughnecks last Saturday.

But the goal remains the same for Sorensen and his teammates.

"I think it's pretty obvious what we want to accomplish," he said. "Seeing what we did two years ago -- not last year because I missed so much time and I didn't really see the process -- but two years ago, our first year in Everett, we probably had one of the most skilled teams. But now that we are healthy and two years stronger, two years mentally stronger … it's pretty scary to think about the things that we are capable of doing."

Aaron Lommers covers the Washington Stealth for The Herald, read his live blogs at www.heraldnet.com/blog34, follow him on twitter @aaronlommers and contact him at alommers@heraldnet.com.