All eyes were on the center of the floor when the Albany FireWolves visited the Philadelphia Wings on January 15. In a sport typically highlighted by electrifying goals, the most intriguing battle of the night came at the faceoff X.

That monster duel between Albany’s Joe Nardella and Philadelphia’s Trevor Baptiste was a signal of a changing of the guard. American faceoff specialists have become the most formidable in a league predominantly made up of Canadians.

Baptiste and Nardella enter Week 10 of the National Lacrosse League season as the only players with faceoff win percentages above 70 percent, with Nardella leading the pack at 70.4 percent and Baptiste close behind at an even 70 percent. Their fellow countryman, Toronto rookie TD Ierlan, ranks fifth among players who have taken at least 75 draws.

The trio, who built a reputation as some of the best faceoff specialists ever in the outdoor game, have shown their skills translate well to the NLL.

“Every faceoff guy or even young lacrosse player in the States needs to think about getting involved in box as early as possible,” Nardella said. “It should be on everybody’s radar at this point.”

Faceoff specialists arguably have the easiest transition of any position when it comes to a move indoors. That doesn’t mean adjustments aren’t necessary. It starts with the eyes, as NLL players typically watch the referee instead of focusing on the ball. The line is also thicker, creating a larger distance between the head of your stick and the ball. And when the whistle is blown, there are twice as many players flying in from the wings.

“You definitely have to be way better off the ground and way better in tight spots,” Ierlan said.

The minutia of an indoor draw made for plenty of homework when Nardella was originally looking to crack the New England Black Wolves roster. He studied the top faceoff specialists in the NLL, Baptiste among them, and then tried to put his spin on what seemed to work for them.

“The strategy is just different in terms of how you place the ball, how you utilize your guys,” Nardella said. “For me, it’s been more about getting my teammates involved and popping the ball, whereas in outdoor, I’m really trying to win it to myself because there’s a lot more space.”

Yet the biggest change comes after the draw is won. NLL squads can’t afford to use one of their limited roster spots on someone who can only take faceoffs. There is no faceoff, get off in this circuit. Now, you’ve got to play defense, too.

Baptiste and Nardella both got a test run out the back door at the amateur level, with Baptiste suiting up in the Colorado Collegiate Box Lacrosse League and Nardella in the Boston Box Lacrosse League.

“Still, there is no indoor league that is at the level of the NLL,” Baptiste said. “There’s still a lot of learning. I still am learning every single week and every single day.”

Nardella, Baptiste and Ierlan all expressed excitement about getting an opportunity to have an impact in other aspects of the game. It’s a throwback to their youth days when players weren’t nearly as specialized.

But there’s no hiding out there given the talent the NLL boasts. Ierlan’s first ever defensive assignment was Matt Rambo. It is easy to feel a bit lost at first.

“Oh yeah, oh yeah,” Baptiste said. “The way these guys zip the ball around, I’m like, ‘What is going on, man?’ And the picking, it is so physical. And directing yourself toward the boards. Even the defense I played when I was young at a low level, you’re always defending the goal, so you’re angled to defend the net. Defense in box, it is completely different angles.”

In time, the reps hone skills that make them more dynamic players outdoors, too. Premier Lacrosse League defenders now understand Baptiste and Nardella are both dangerous with the ball in their sticks.

“That just goes back to on defense clearing the ball, playing transition, shooting in indoor in such a smaller space on a smaller net with a bigger goalie,” Baptiste said. “It really opens things up for you. It gives you more perspective and more skills.”

Ierlan, the newest member of this American faceoff crew, didn’t get the luxury of easing into the box game like Baptiste and Nardella did. An injury suffered during the PLL season held him out of the Toronto Rock’s training camp, so the rookie’s first ever box game came in Week 3.

Fittingly, Baptiste stood across from him in his debut.

“My first game, I didn’t realize you actually have to watch the refs,” Ierlan said. “I think I lost every single clamp the first game. I was like, ‘Oh boy, I could be in for a pretty long haul here.’”

Now five games in, he’s started to find a groove. With a 52.8 percent success rate, only Baptiste, Nardella, Jake Withers and Tyrell Hamer-Jackson have fared better among players with triple-digit draws this season.

A Victor, New York, native, Ierlan’s prior indoor experience was largely limited to attending Rochester Knighthawks games growing up. He’d played on a box surface before, but he admits it was more like playing field in a confined space than actual box lacrosse.

“I didn’t really expect to be drafted,” Ierlan said. “Then the draft came along. I hadn’t spoken anything to Toronto at all. And then it was the second round, and I didn’t even recognize any of the names that were coming off the board. I was like, ‘Alright, there’s simply no chance I’m getting drafted. I remember I was just showering or eating dinner when somebody texted me, ‘Yo, congrats.’ I was like, ‘What?’”

While he didn’t participate, Ierlan was in town for the Rock’s camp. That experience was enough to convince him it was worth giving indoor a shot.

A second-round pick may have seemed high for a player with zero box experience, but the Rock were aware of the previous success stories. The more American faceoff specialists who carve out a niche in the league, the more opportunities there are for others to follow.

“I work with a ton of guys who work under our Faceoff Factory branch that would love to play in the PLL,” Nardella said. “They’re asking me for advice, and I’m like, ‘Fellas, there’s more opportunity for you in the indoor game right now. Yes, you’re going to have to find a team that’s committed to teaching you and growing with you on the defensive end, but if you can get in the right spot, there’s more opportunity long-term to play our game of professional lacrosse indoor with more teams.’”

Ierlan is also steering young players he works with indoors.

“It’s going to be kind of a scary transition at first, and you’re going to feel a little bit lost,” Ierlan said. “It is a very different game, but it is still lacrosse. … After playing, I’ve really encouraged a lot of guys that I know coming up through, if they’re saying, ‘What’s the best thing I can do to get ready for college? As a faceoff guy, what do you recommend?’ I try to push them to the box program in Rochester now.”