The thing this team really missed this year

[GoSU96]

was the true end to end player.

No Matt Abbott, Jovan Miller, Joel White who could flip the field. Focus was on patterned settled six on six instead of breaks and early offense.

You would have thought that Grimm would be that guy but he wasn't green lighted and it appeared that when he stayed on the offensive end they were hesitant to pass to him.

Of the top teams this year, SU was not the best athletically, not even close. Guile, execution, crisp stick skills in close, and extra possessions from face offs. They were not great one on one.

 

[cuseguy]

was the true end to end player. No Matt Abbott, Jovan Miller, Joel White who could flip the field. Focus was on patterned settled six on six instead of breaks and early offense. You would have thought that Grimm would be that guy but he wasn't green lighted and it appeared that when he stayed on the offensive end they were hesitant to pass to him. Of the top teams this year, SU was not the best athletically, not even close. Guile, execution, crisp stick skills in close, and extra possessions from face offs. They were not great one on one.

Lecky should have been that type of player, but he never showed much improvement.

 

[jr4750]

Lecky should have been that type of player, but he never showed much improvement.

never understood why they didn't make Lecky a SSDM who could stay on and create mismatches. His shot was just too inconsistent for 1st midfield but athletically he dominated. Plus, he would gobble up the poles as a transition two way player creating a shortie on Schoonie/ Galasso.

 

[JeremyCuse]

never understood why they didn't make Lecky a SSDM who could stay on and create mismatches. His shot was just too inconsistent for 1st midfield but athletically he dominated. Plus, he would gobble up the poles as a transition two way player creating a shortie on Schoonie/ Galasso.

If you saw him give that game winning goal against ND this year you know why he wasn't made a SSDM, his defense is as bad as his shot accuracy. So much talent he could just nevet put it all together. One of the more frustrating players that I can remember.

 

[jr4750]

If you saw him give that game winning goal against ND this year you know why he wasn't made a SSDM, his defense is as bad as his shot accuracy. So much talent he could just nevet put it all together. One of the more frustrating players that I can remember.

Yeah I know that play didn't scream defensive ability, but while it was poorly played on his part, it was also misplayed by Mullins who should have picked him up. That withstanding having his primary position having been SSDM I would imagine he would have been at the very least serviceable. With the athletes we have, I just can't see why we don't have strong SSDM play. I wasn't thrilled with how Firman played this year either, especially as a wing. Where is the next Sam Basset?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

We recruit a ton of middies every year. I don't know how many are strictly "defensive specialists", and how many guys get converted just to get them on the field.

 

[longtimefan]

While this year's frosh were not highly rated, they were all red-shirted, and I remember a quote from Desko in the fall to the effect that the newbies were a big, strong group. At the very least, that should yield some SSDM's.

Increasing the overall size and athleticism of the squad should be a goal, as our players were pushed around more than a few times this past season.

 

[PhatOrange]

lecky couldve been coached up to play defense though. a kid with that much lateral quickness can (and should be) be a defensive stopper. gotta a 'want to' though and i'm not sure lecky had the cajones. comes off as soft.

frankly he should've been warned about continuing to shoot high and then benched for it to get the message across. kid could've been a better matt abbott two way player though.

 

[longtimefan]

lecky couldve been coached up to play defense though. a kid with that much lateral quickness can (and should be) be a defensive stopper. gotta a 'want to' though and i'm not sure lecky had the cajones. comes off as soft.

frankly he should've been warned about continuing to shoot high and then benched for it to get the message across. kid could've been a better matt abbott two way player though.

There might not be a better 2-way player in the world than Matt Abbott.

 

[GoSU96]

If you saw him give that game winning goal against ND this year you know why he wasn't made a SSDM, his defense is as bad as his shot accuracy. So much talent he could just nevet put it all together. One of the more frustrating players that I can remember.

I was going to post the same thing. Every time he got stuck on defense there were issues.

 

[CuseIsInTheHouse]

lecky couldve been coached up to play defense though. a kid with that much lateral quickness can (and should be) be a defensive stopper. gotta a 'want to' though and i'm not sure lecky had the cajones. comes off as soft.

frankly he should've been warned about continuing to shoot high and then benched for it to get the message across. kid could've been a better matt abbott two way player though.

Lacrosse isn't basketball. Lateral quickness doesnt mean you can body anyone up. You can't teach defense to a guy that can't absorb a shoulder. Bull dodge all day on him. His speed rarely created mismatches on offense, as it should have.

 

[PhatOrange]

Lacrosse isn't basketball. Lateral quickness doesnt mean you can body anyone up. You can't teach defense to a guy that can't absorb a shoulder. Bull dodge all day on him. His speed rarely created mismatches on offense, as it should have.

lacrosse defense is fundamentally the same as basketball defense especially at the midfield. besides is how many players can actually bull dodge?

 

[PhatOrange]

There might not be a better 2-way player in the world than Matt Abbott.

i'd disagree as Joel White is better but nevertheless it took Abbott a couple of years before he became an offensive threat, junior year.

 

[longtimefan]

i'd disagree as Joel White is better but nevertheless it took Abbott a couple of years before he became an offensive threat, junior year.

But White used the pole. If he had been allowed to play the same position as Abbott, he may have proved his superiority. But Abbott was already being Abbott.

As an aside--during the world championships last summer, the 2 announcers opined during one of the USA's games that Abbott is presently the best all-around player in the world. He was badly under-utilised by by the USA coaching staff.

 

[MadisonCuse]

I was going to post the same thing. Every time he got stuck on defense there were issues.

I was on the sidelines for that as soon as I saw Lecky playing defense I knew we were screwed, I turned to the person next to me and said we are screwed. The kids has all the physical talent in the world but the mental make-up just is not there.

 

[GoSU96]

lecky couldve been coached up to play defense though. a kid with that much lateral quickness can (and should be) be a defensive stopper. gotta a 'want to' though and i'm not sure lecky had the cajones. comes off as soft.

frankly he should've been warned about continuing to shoot high and then benched for it to get the message across. kid could've been a better matt abbott two way player though.

Lecky never had the stick skills. Abbott was STRONG with the ball in his stick, a ground ball machine, and decisive. Lecky was anything but in all three.

 

[jr4750]

lecky couldve been coached up to play defense though. a kid with that much lateral quickness can (and should be) be a defensive stopper. gotta a 'want to' though and i'm not sure lecky had the cajones. comes off as soft.

frankly he should've been warned about continuing to shoot high and then benched for it to get the message across. kid could've been a better matt abbott two way player though.

Yes, the shot he took late in the 4th that was from deep and high, and an easy save for Schneider was beyond terrible. We had just turned the corner momentum wise.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Yeah I know that play didn't scream defensive ability, but while it was poorly played on his part, it was also misplayed by Mullins who should have picked him up. That withstanding having his primary position having been SSDM I would imagine he would have been at the very least serviceable. With the athletes we have, I just can't see why we don't have strong SSDM play. I wasn't thrilled with how Firman played this year either, especially as a wing. Where is the next Sam Basset?

I would be shocked if the team didnt at least try him there in practice. The few times he got stuck there in transition he looked completely lost and you could tell they wanted to get him out of there as soon as possible. Lecky was the kind of player who showed just enough to keep him on the starting line but in reality should have been on the second mid line at best. Kid had freakish athletic skills and even dodged better in his last few years but his shot accuracy was so poor it made him a liability most games out there.

I agree on Firman as well thought he wasn't nearly as good as he looked as a Frosh. May have hit the Sophmore wall a little bit. I look for him to play a big role next year but your right he was no great on the wings at all. I would like to see the staff completely revamp that going into next year. There will be a lot of young hungry players on the roster who could excel at the wings.

 

[jr4750]

I would be shocked if the team didnt at least try him there in practice. The few times he got stuck there in transition he looked completely lost and you could tell they wanted to get him out of there as soon as possible. Lecky was the kind of player who showed just enough to keep him on the starting line but in reality should have been on the second mid line at best. Kid had freakish athletic skills and even dodged better in his last few years but his shot accuracy was so poor it made him a liability most games out there.

I agree on Firman as well thought he wasn't nearly as good as he looked as a Frosh. May have hit the Sophmore wall a little bit. I look for him to play a big role next year but your right he was no great on the wings at all. I would like to see the staff completely revamp that going into next year. There will be a lot of young hungry players on the roster who could excel at the wings.

Yep, I guess its kinda of a waste of time to discuss Lecky at this point. Unfortunately he didn't quite turn into the player he could have been. You're right, I would imagine they did try him at SSDM in practice. The coaches aren't stupid. Probably didn't have the chops for it, and most likely dominated offensively in practice. He had those games, Virginia in 2014, etc., where you just thought he was gonna turn the corner, and just never did.

Also, for next year, I hope they use some of those 6'2 200lbs athletes they have on the wings. Messina has a ton of heart and played well this year, but is small. So for the most part is Grimm. Schoonie had his moments too on the wings. I like McCartney a lot and think he played well this year. Hope we have someone to take his place next year!

 

[PhatOrange]

Lecky never had the stick skills. Abbott was STRONG with the ball in his stick, a ground ball machine, and decisive. Lecky was anything but in all three.

nothing wrong with lecky's stick and abbott playing defense had many more GB opportunities. but understand these are projections. lecky had the athletic ability to be great. matt abbott did not step on campus great, he became great, it was his junior year when he really took off.

and you have to admit lecky was very decisive. decisive that when it was his turn to shoot gd it he was gonna shoot and shoot high.

 

[PhatOrange]

Another thing I hate about the way the game has changed is the faceoffs at the end. Why with a minute left do we go with offensive wing players on the faceoff? Which by the way worked. Schoonie is a decent groundballer, probably better than what we trot out there every game. For the love of god will a mike leach type please coach lacrosse again and not automatically punt on a faceoff? I can understand throwing a pole on the faceoff, but how about the short stick winger being an offensive kid – 1st or 2nd line mid. Please go back to the days when teams looked to play O off the faceoff and not play D.

 

[GoSU96]

nothing wrong with lecky's stick and abbott playing defense had many more GB opportunities. but understand these are projections. lecky had the athletic ability to be great. matt abbott did not step on campus great, he became great, it was his junior year when he really took off.

and you have to admit lecky was very decisive. decisive that when it was his turn to shoot gd it he was gonna shoot and shoot high.

He gave up the ball to easily and he would manage to get himself tripled teamed because he was indecisive carrying the ball.

 

[cuseguy]

He gave up the ball to easily and he would manage to get himself tripled teamed because he was indecisive carrying the ball.

Since we're trashing Lecky, his instincts were awful. I usually expected the worst.

Schoonie was also bad with the ball in traffic.

Neither are a huge loss.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Yep, I guess its kinda of a waste of time to discuss Lecky at this point. Unfortunately he didn't quite turn into the player he could have been. You're right, I would imagine they did try him at SSDM in practice. The coaches aren't stupid. Probably didn't have the chops for it, and most likely dominated offensively in practice. He had those games, Virginia in 2014, etc., where you just thought he was gonna turn the corner, and just never did.

Also, for next year, I hope they use some of those 6'2 200lbs athletes they have on the wings. Messina has a ton of heart and played well this year, but is small. So for the most part is Grimm. Schoonie had his moments too on the wings. I like McCartney a lot and think he played well this year. Hope we have someone to take his place next year!

I expect Firman to move into that role and have a pretty effortless transition. Firman actually was the one who shut Myles Jones down the first game in the Dome and he has shown the ability to play at a high level. I would be shocked if he wasnt the starter at LSM from day 1 in the fall.

I like Messina but again it could be an addition by subtraction because he was just to limited physically against upper echelon teams. He also struggled mightily to scoop groundball on the wings. For the life of me I dont know why we didnt put Lecky on the wings and just let him run around like a mad man.

 

[wallacecuse]

Since we're trashing Lecky, his instincts were awful. I usually expected the worst.

Schoonie was also bad with the ball in traffic.

Neither are a huge loss.

My thoughts too; Lecky's deficiencies have been explained ad nauseum, but Schoony was simply better as a JR, and regressed this year.

Much has been made about having to replace the entire 1st midfield, but the real loss will be Galasso - the other 2 are neglible at best.