OrangeXtreme
The Mayor of Dewitt
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What to watch for: North Carolina vs. Syracuse
North Carolina (8-5) used a stirring comeback on Saturday in Chapel Hill to down Notre Dame 17-15. The Heels have been hot or cold this season, losing games to UMass and Hofstra while beating Johns Hopkins, Duke and Notre Dame. You never know what to expect. Last week, they showed grit and belief.
Led on offense by attackmen Steve Pontrello (36G, 12A), Luke Goldstock (23, 19) and Chris Cloutier (24,11), the midfielders have great speed. Patrick Kelly (23, 5), Michael Tagliaferri (22, 5) and Shane Simpson (7, 12) provide the scoring punch. Face-off man Stephen Kelly has been a key catalyst, winning 60% of his draws while scooping up 92 groundballs. He has set the tone.
The defense is long and rangy with the strength being the defensive midfield position. Jake Matthai, Tate Jozokos, Brett Bedard and Timmy Gehlbach form one of the country's top units. Goaltending has been an issue — Carolina netminders have made just 47 percent of the stops.
This is a rematch of a game that the Orange won 13-7 on April 16 in the Dome. Syracuse won 16-of-24 face-offs thanks to wing play taking nine of the 11 50-50 grounders and held the Heels to 16 shots on goal. That's where this game is won and lost.
After getting pummeled in the Dome by Notre Dame and losing an overtime game to Cornell, Syracuse (8-4) has rebounded with wins over Carolina and Binghamton. A goalie change to Evan Molloy, who is an outstanding communicator, and a re-focused defense have been apparent. The Orange has focused in slide and recovery fundamentals.
Syracuse stands for star power on the offensive end of the field. Dylan Donahue (21, 27), UMass transfer Nick Mariano (29, 6) and Sergio Salcido (21, 13) are its explosive scorers. The defensive tandem of Brandon Mullins and Nick Mellen can be disruptive. Face-off ace Ben Williams, who's leading McEwen's Face-Off Ratings, can suffocate opponents by dominating possessions.
The main stumbling block has been closing out games. The Orange is three overtime losses away from being 11-1. With an RPI of No. 14, another loss would put the Orange on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Syracuse is proudly celebrating its 100th year of lacrosse. The 11-time NCAA champions have qualified for the tournament every year but one since 1983. They have only appeared in Championship Weekend once since winning the title in 2009. The ACC Tournament represents an opportunity for the Orange to win themselves back into the national conversation.
http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/quint-previewing-jhu-md-brown-uva-and-the-acc-tourney/34952
North Carolina (8-5) used a stirring comeback on Saturday in Chapel Hill to down Notre Dame 17-15. The Heels have been hot or cold this season, losing games to UMass and Hofstra while beating Johns Hopkins, Duke and Notre Dame. You never know what to expect. Last week, they showed grit and belief.
Led on offense by attackmen Steve Pontrello (36G, 12A), Luke Goldstock (23, 19) and Chris Cloutier (24,11), the midfielders have great speed. Patrick Kelly (23, 5), Michael Tagliaferri (22, 5) and Shane Simpson (7, 12) provide the scoring punch. Face-off man Stephen Kelly has been a key catalyst, winning 60% of his draws while scooping up 92 groundballs. He has set the tone.
The defense is long and rangy with the strength being the defensive midfield position. Jake Matthai, Tate Jozokos, Brett Bedard and Timmy Gehlbach form one of the country's top units. Goaltending has been an issue — Carolina netminders have made just 47 percent of the stops.
This is a rematch of a game that the Orange won 13-7 on April 16 in the Dome. Syracuse won 16-of-24 face-offs thanks to wing play taking nine of the 11 50-50 grounders and held the Heels to 16 shots on goal. That's where this game is won and lost.
After getting pummeled in the Dome by Notre Dame and losing an overtime game to Cornell, Syracuse (8-4) has rebounded with wins over Carolina and Binghamton. A goalie change to Evan Molloy, who is an outstanding communicator, and a re-focused defense have been apparent. The Orange has focused in slide and recovery fundamentals.
Syracuse stands for star power on the offensive end of the field. Dylan Donahue (21, 27), UMass transfer Nick Mariano (29, 6) and Sergio Salcido (21, 13) are its explosive scorers. The defensive tandem of Brandon Mullins and Nick Mellen can be disruptive. Face-off ace Ben Williams, who's leading McEwen's Face-Off Ratings, can suffocate opponents by dominating possessions.
The main stumbling block has been closing out games. The Orange is three overtime losses away from being 11-1. With an RPI of No. 14, another loss would put the Orange on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Syracuse is proudly celebrating its 100th year of lacrosse. The 11-time NCAA champions have qualified for the tournament every year but one since 1983. They have only appeared in Championship Weekend once since winning the title in 2009. The ACC Tournament represents an opportunity for the Orange to win themselves back into the national conversation.
http://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/quint-previewing-jhu-md-brown-uva-and-the-acc-tourney/34952
