CARTHAGE — You don't have to listen closely to hear Dave Gallagher coming.

Take a typical road game for the Carthage boys lacrosse team. As soon as the Comets' bus pulls into the parking lot, a definitive yell echoes onto the field. Opponents suddenly realize that Gallagher has arrived, and he's bringing his teammates with him.

Rarely has a defenseman contributed the way Gallagher, a senior long pole and captain, does for Carthage. An aggressive defender with a physical presence and a capable shot, he's one of the most intimidating players in the Frontier League.

"If Dave plays and he is on point, totally focused, everybody buys in," Comets coach Kirk Ventiquattro said. "His intensity level is so high. I've had other coaches tell me that other players fear him."

It starts with those boisterous howls as the team begins its steady march in a single-file line down to the field. Gallagher roars a few more times before the opening faceoff, and even tosses in a couple more during the game.

"I think it kind of relaxes (the team) and pumps them up at the same time," Gallagher said. "I think they know when they hear me screaming, they know I'm ready."

Ventiquattro said it took time to get warmed up to Gallagher's swagger. But he should've noticed the confidence while coaching a summer camp seven years ago. When Ventiquattro asked the grade-school campers if anyone wanted to try defense, Gallagher was the first to come forward.

"Everyone raised their hands for attack and midfield, but no one ever wanted to play defense," Gallagher said.

Since then, Gallagher hasn't dropped the long defenseman's stick, and his league foes wish he had. He generally shadows a team's top attacker, which has resulted in Carthage holding opponents to five goals or less in seven games this season.

"When Dave's covering the best, they rarely get a shot off, to be honest," said Kyle Gaebel, the Comets' senior goalie. "When they do get a shot off, it kind of surprises me. But if they do, it's 12 to 15 yards out."

Gallagher said he recognized the impact he has on Carthage's success when they dropped their lone game of the year on April 24 at Canton. He didn't play due to disciplinary reasons, and he watched from the sidelines as Golden Bears senior standout Sam Bradman picked the Comets apart. Bradman tallied seven points in the final frame, and Canton won, 15-13.

Gallagher knows he missed the opportunity to cover one of the area's top attackers, and he's vowed to never miss another game this season. He's too integral to the Comets' faceoff unit — playing the role of long-stick midfielder in that scenario — and he even gets off a few shots on breaks in transition. He also wants to erase the memory of surrendering 20 goals in a Section 3 Class B semifinal loss to Cortland last year.

"We're trying to make guys realize that this chance doesn't come around very often," Gallagher said. "I hate to lose, doesn't matter how or where."

With five games left in the regular season, Gallagher is letting everyone know that Carthage is prepared for another shot at a sectional championship.

And in case you haven't heard him, just bend an ear toward the field.