Lining up in the face-off spot ignites the competitive spirit in Sam Kury.

He loves the challenge of one-on-one battles in lacrosse.

Very similiar to what he experienced as an all-state wrestler at Montville High School.

"It's just like wrestling," Kury said. "It's one-on-one and it's all on you. I just like how it's so competitive and so fun to do because of competitiveness."

So much fun that Kury is now a face-off specialist for No. 2 Le Moyne College, a Division II power located in Syracuse, N.Y.

If not for a good friend's father introducing him to the sport, Kury probably wouldn't have gone down the lacrosse path. 

As an eighth grader, Kury picked up a stick and took some face-offs in the backyard of a good friend, Nick Tibbetts, who's now a long snapper for the Yale football team. Tibbett's father, Mark, encouraged Kury to give it a go.

"He wanted me to try face-offs because he heard how wrestlers could make decent face-off guys," Kury said. "So I was just messing around in his backyard and found I really enjoyed the competitiveness of it."

On Saturday, the former two-sport standout at Montville will play in his first NCAA tournament game with Le Moyne (15-2), which hosts Mercy College on Saturday.

"I'm really excited," said Kury, who won the Class S state title at 145 pounds as a junior at Montville. "It's crazy that we're actually here."

A 5-foot-10, 170-pound freshman, Kury is enjoying a terrific first season. He's won a team best 59.8 percent of his face-offs and ranks third in ground balls with 46 while appearing in 16 games.

The Northeast-10 Conference named Kury to the all-conference third team and all-rookie team.

His significant contributions exceeded his expectations entering college.

"Honestly, when I first got here, I wasn't sure if I would be playing much," Kury said. "I was okay with that. I was willing to just help our face-off guys get better. I've been fortunate to have chances to go out there and play. It's been an awesome experience."

"It's been really eventful and fun. I'm really glad I came to this school. I've loved every second of it."

Le Moyne coach Dan Sheehan first spotted Kury on the recruiting circuit while attending a tournament in Albany, N.Y.

"He certainly caught our eye, not just from winning face-offs but the way he was winning them," Sheehan said. "Typically, guys win (face-offs) for themselves and turn and play. The focus is really on individual play; Kids are trying to get noticed.

"With Sam, not only did he catch my eye individually but he was also getting his wing guys involved. ... Sam was able to do a little bit of everything."

A conversation with Sheehan and a campus visit convinced Kury to attend Le Moyne. It's been a great academic and athletic fit so far, he said.

Kury was forced to adjust on the fly to the faster, physically-demanding college game while playing a difficult schedule that featured nine ranked teams. On the way to winning the program's 14th Northeast-10 Conference tournament title last week, Le Moyne outbattled No. 5 Merrimack 12-11 in the semifinals and No. 2 Adelphi 11-9 in the championship.

"Sam is blessed with just really quick hands," Sheehan said. "And his face-offs, it is kind of a simple style. I think the part that he had to adjust to when he got here was the physical nature. Winning the face-off is one thing, but what you do with it once you pick up a ground ball at a high school level is way different than the college level. And Sam needed some time to understand how to play once he picked up the ball."

Kury regularly studies video of his face-off opponents and mixes up his moves so not to be too predictable. He credits his teammates and coaching staff for constantly pushing him to improve.

His wrestling background has helped immensely.

"It's huge," Kury said. "Basically in a face-off there's a lot of movements that would be in a wrestling match, so a lot of times before I face off I think about what I'm going to do and I have to basically use some of those wrestling movements within a face-off."

Exams end on Monday for Kury but he hopes to stick around with his teammates for awhile.

Le Moyne, the top seed, has the talent to go far.

The postseason experience will benefit Kury in the long run.

Sheehan looks forward to coaching Kury the next three seasons.

"He's a fantastic young man," Sheehan said. "We've actually had a couple of conversations. Sam, off the field, is a really generous kid, always smiling. Sam, on the field, when he buckles his chin strap, we'd like him to get a little bit more nasty. Get a little bit more dirty. We're working on that.

"A lot of that just comes with confidence. Every face-off he takes this year as a freshman is going to turn out to help him twofold when he comes back as a sophomore."

g.keefe@theday.com