You're only as strong as your weakest link

[sulax]

First time starting a thread on this forum, so please take it easy on me!

I think the phrase 'You're only as strong as your weakest link' really applies to the SU lacrosse team currently. Although the Hopkins final score is shocking, it was interesting to watch the game over again.

The interesting thing about nearly all of the goals scored on us, in which it was an error on our part (vs superior offense), was that the vast majority were scored on our Short Stick D Middies. By my count, Tyler Ford accounted for 5 goals and Murphy accounted for 3 goals (plus Partamian and Schwasnik each both lost their men accounting for goals; a few were scored on Dami but I think the Dom should have stopped 1 of them and the other was a great shot by a great player with his off-hand). I think at least 12 of their 17 goals were done against our SSDMs!

Like the Towson playoff game last year, where Gillis got shredded over and over, the SU lacrosse weakest link is our short stick d-middies. I'm sure that's the case for most teams, but for it to be such a glaring weakness on our team and to get exposed over and over is a bit shocking.

Hopkins just did a simple pick play behind the cage over and over and over again, so that they could get a switch, and then isolate the player they wanted against the short stick middie they wanted to attack. The pick plays look simple but they're surgical (just like what the Towson did in the playoff game last year and the Maryland playoff game the year before).

To lose a game that badly is discouraging, but the good news is that our long stick Defenders actually played a solid game! I actually think we could have had Pat McCabe, Rick Beardsley, and Brandon Mullins out there, and we still may have lost.

So, my question to you guys, is what can we do about it?! How about:
1. don't be so quick to switch, unless it's absolutely necessary
2. we have to help out early when our short stick D-middies are getting inverted and being attacked from behind the cage (however, we shouldn't slide too early to slide when they're attacking our long stick defenders)
3. keep Helmer playing with a short stick (I think Dami has the tools be a really good D-middie, so these tough lessons will pay off for him/us later)
4. maybe even switch another long stick defender to short stick d-middie (the loss of Fernandez really hurts us and makes us thin though; anyone hear a confirmation that it is an ACL tear?)
(5. On the offensive side, why don't we do more pick plays to free up our best players against their short stick D-middie?! Desko's motion offense works well in man-up, and it worked when we had superior athletes and talent, but those days are done. It's time to start coaching and to get on board with what every other team is doing in order to get an advantage)

I do see why some people are encouraged though, especially with the thought of having a few years of Tordevic (and his great feet and great shot with either hand) and Trimboli (and his alley dodge on either side) in the midfield line, Rehfuss' excellent vision and hopefully Staats goal scoring ability in the attack line (we should all pray that Austin Staats comes to SU next year; we need him a lot more than he needs us... and not just for his talent but also to help us in recruiting other native talent; also I wouldn't be surprised if we have great offensive talent riding the pine right now), and having Mellen and Kennedy as lock down defenders. If we can then recruit/get a transfer for the face-off and goalie positions, and improve our SSDMs, who knows, maybe we could be back in the final four pretty soon.

Thanks guys

 

[laxsummit]

Welcome aboard SUlax. Good take. Im not here long enough to be a voice of negative thinking and my bi polar medications leaves me with an even keel attitude to the most disheartening of losses . Disclaimer: I did not play this game as lacrosse was just something that rich spoiled kids from Long Island and Connecticut did assuming they couldn't make their baseball teams so do understand that my views are rather uninformed as most though some do have knowledge that they unwisely share.

Aka, I think your observations are pretty spot on so let me dwell on the positives that are surfacing and leave the discussion on present failings to others. According to another , this team has forty frosh and sophs which seems to be a unusually huge number . Seniors and vets are few , they contribute both on and off the field but this is clearly a team in transition . The present season should be discussed and dissected for what it will be but also placed fairly in its context .

We are not bereft of talent .This squirrelly fella Quint from Inside Lacrosse said last week that we are a potential Final Four team next year and I doubt he will quickly reverse that opinion simply because he sees what we have in place going forward.

We have a good goalie allowing a good stockpile of talent to properly prepare. Two of our lead attackman will return, we already have several excellent players manning our 1st line and second lines, both offensive units are backed by more kids awaiting their turn as well as a good recruiting class of offensive talent coming in. On the defensive side, we have a plethora of good young poles and every single defender returns. Some are star quality, many are good. SSDM is a difficult position , we have plenty of depth and options and time will sort that out.

The one thing that is evident this season is that there is more parity than ever and upsets have been a weekly occurrence outside the very few. We are obviously not a upper echelon team right now and that disturbs many given our tradition of excellence. My biggest worry is that bad losses suffered can be deflating, impact harmony and possibly retention of talent if not guided well through a difficult schedule. Thankfully we have a mature staff in place that have experience down cycles only to reboot and win championships again.

Again, welcome . May you bring us good luck and fortune .

 

[PhatOrange]

"that they unwisely share"

huh?

 

[sulax]

Does anyone think that Quint Kessenich actually reads these posts? For those of you that aren't local or just watched the game on tv, he literally said the title of my discussion during the broadcast against Notre Dame today. He also repeatedly pointed out the struggles that our SSDMs have had this year. Kind of strange, right?

Anyways, back-to-back wins against solid opponents. Solid, but not great opponents. Neither Notre Dame without Brendan Gleason or Duke passed my 'Final Four Team Eye Test' (To me: Albany and Maryland look head and shoulders above everyone else, then Johns Hopkins looked great in the dome at least, and then we'll see how good Yale really is in a few weeks when they play Albany).

Regardless, Solomon's sick swim move on Duke's All American Defender Van Raaphorst late in the 4th was like his coming-out moment and I think the moment our season changed (he's playing with so much more confidence now), our young guys are maturing so fast on offense and defense (so strange and refreshing to see Desko playing his best talent, regardless of their age), Kennedy is a stud, Mellen is clearly our MVP (and he deserves more attention nationally), Madonna has been phenomenal (poor guy, he may be the best goalie ever with a 46% save percentage, because so many of the goals were lay ups that Tillman Johnson wouldn't have stopped), and, most importantly, I think we finally found a SSDM answer with Murphy, Hutchings, and Helmer (and early slides)!

Face-off performance still makes me nervous though, but otherwise, I think we now look like a pretty balanced team. If we can make it to the playoffs and then not get dominated at the X and have solid SSDM performance, then I think it could be an interesting post-season.

It's great to have SU lax excitement and expectations back again. Regardless of rankings, for me, it's been a while since I felt we could really make a run for a chip.

Lastly, college lacrosse is so clearly the greatest sport in the world (to play and to watch), and although it's growing, it's still shocking to me that it's not watched by millions.