2021 Lineup Predictions

[Powellfan]

With the news of potential suspensions/transfers behind us, I figured it would be a good time to try and predict what Syracuse's starting lineup would be this spring. This is an extreamly unique year given the fifth year players and most positional groupings have a lot of players coming back, but there are still plenty of question marks and playing time up for grabs. I am not as close to the program as others on this board, so I would appreciate any feedback. I'll start with the offense and face-off and then move onto the defense in a separate post.

Attack: Griffin Cook, Chase Scanlan, Stephen Rhefuss
This unit returns all three starters, but the biggest question mark the offense faces is how to get freshmen phenom Owen Hiltz on to the field. If things were "normal", I have to imagine the plan was for him to slot into Rhefuss' spot on the left side of the attack. But Rhefuss, who led the team in assists last year is back. Cook was the lowest performing member of the unit last year with 5 goals and 4 assists, but he was a beast on the ride and, incredibly, led the team in caused turnovers. Plus, in terms of tactics, it makes sense to have a player like Cook, who is comfortable at X, play with two predominate wing players like Hiltz and Scanlan. And while Rhefuss was named All-American, he scored the bulk of his points in just two games. I have a hard time seeing Rhefuss benched after everything, but he probably will give some time away to Hiltz, as will Cook. Scanlan was a star in his first year for the Orange, leading the team in scoring, he's not leaving the field. Desko is more than comfortable replacing starters with guys who are more talented (biggest example is Randy Staats over Derek Maltz), so this unit might look different from the beginning of the season to the end. The question of the offseason was should the Orange bring in more offensive firepower at attack, via transfer? I think there is pressure on Hiltz to put that question to rest.

First Midfield: Brendan Curry, Tucker Dordevic, Jamie Trimboli
The best midfield in the country returns intact with three All Americans. What is dangerous about this unit is all three starters are so different from each other - Curry has incredible speed and is most effective sweeping in front of the goal daring his defender to keep up; Dordevic enjoys drawing defenders in close and then juking them out of the cleats; and Trimboli is the master technician who has perfect fundamentals. All three demand the attention of the long stick middie, so defenses have to play whack-a-mole. I'm sure with all the hype they got this year they will see different looks, double, or even triple poling, or more zone defense, so the attack will have to step up more than they did last year (no more 0-fers like they had in the Army game).

Second Midfield: Jacob Buttermore, Lucas Quinn, Owen Seebold
I do not have the most confidence in picking this trio, but I played it safe by basing it off playing time last year. SU has to replace David Lipka who saw starters minutes two seasons ago, but they should have the depth to do so. Buttermore is the only sure thing of this group, though he struggled last year with just four goals after scoring 20 in 2019. Quinn is as inconsistent as they come, he seems to garner encouraging words from Desko every offseason and then things seem to fall apart. He is a good shooter and has a tough bull dodge, but he makes some head scratching decisions and has more than his fair share of turnovers. Seebold ended up taking Quinn's spot in the Hopkins game and looked pretty good considering he was a backup attackman to start the year. He's a good dodger with size but has been snakebitten a bit with his shooting. Given the talent of the first unit, this group is in a tough spot as they won't see much playing time. But if they aren't performing there are a number of guys who fans have been wanting to see, including two Under Armor AA's in Matt Magnan and Peter Fiorini. Also Max Rosa looks like a kid who should see time.

Extra Man Offense:
This unit was comprised of the starting lineup the last two years. Desko has mentioned that given Hiltz is a lefty, that gives him a better chance to be on the field since he can balance things out - a good place could be the Man Up. He is supposed to be a great shooter with vision so that seems custom made for a man up spot. My guess is he takes Cook's spot here. The unit was only 5-12 last year, which while a small sample size, needs work.

Face-off: Jakob Phaup, Danny Varello
Wings: Peter Dearth, Brandon Aviles, Mitch Wykoff
Phaup and Varello had incredible seasons last year before things getting shut down, winning 68% and 63% of the their matchups. They did not face the stiffest of competition so some questions still remain. The biggest question however is how they react to the new face-off rules, especially with no fall-ball scrimmages. I think a good sign of things to come is both led the team in groundballs last year, so you know they are not just about winning the clamp, which the new rules are trying to place less of an emphasis on. Dearth and Aviles were the main short sticks on the wing last year and both are pretty good and have tons of athleticism. SU has to of course replace Jared Fernandez, and I think they'll turn to the DIII transfer to get that done. Groundballs seem to be his speciality - he had 37 in six games last year, Fernandez had 14 in five. Overall this should be a good unit. They'll need to develop a backup LSM for Wykoff, and I'm not sure who that will be.

 

[Powellfan]

Thanks for reading, I'll continue with the defense.

Short Stick Defensive Midfielders: Peter Dearth, Brandon Aviles, Dami Oladunmoye
An incredibly deep unit, they have one of the best in the country in Dearth, who brings size, athleticism and offensive ability to the most underrated position on the lacrosse field. Aviles looked to be on his way to becoming a future star at SU last year - not as big as Dearth but he sticks to his guy like glue and can cause turnovers. Dami is also a great athlete and after struggling with his positioning some his freshmen year, he seems to have made a lot of strides. This group is deep as players like Brett Barlow and Spencer Small will also see time. I am also intrigued by freshmen Caelin Lewis and Marshall McGuire as they both stand over 6'3 and weigh over 230.

Long Stick Midfield: Landon Clary, Mitch Wykoff, Michael Page
I'll be honest here and say I do have any idea who will start at LSM for the Orange in 2021. They not only have to replace Fernadez, but also Andrew Helmer who played a lot of minutes last year. Clary and Page seemed to be getting groomed for more playing time, but I do not know if they'll be ready. The coaching staff must have thought they'd have Fernandez for another year, so they might not have been totally prepared to replace him. Wykoff is listed as a close defender on the roster, though he played the wings for Gettsyburg and was tasked with guarding opponents' best player, regardless of position. Since things are pretty unsettled here, I could see a darkhorse emerging - the staff likes playing young defensemen if they have the talent. Desko mentioned Tommy Drago in his fall press conference, so that is a name to watch.

Close Defense: Brett Kennedy, Grant Murphy, Nick DiPietro
Syracuse brings back all three of their starters (post Nick Mellen injury) and they have a solid group. Kennedy is the headliner, and I am sure there are those that will clamor for him to be back at LSM, but he's too important, with the number of elite attackmen SU will face, for him to move. He had some rough moments last year against Brenden Nictern of Army and Eric Holden of Hobart, but he figured things out in the second half of both matchups and shut things down. He's fast and aggressive. Murphy is a physical force who took over for Mellen last year after playing SSDM his first couple of years at SU. DiPietro is solid who doesn't make a lot of mistakes and has good size. Not a flashy unit, and they gave up some big point totals last year to Hobart and Colgate, but I think they have the potential to be a good unit. The question hanging over the starters is why did Desko bring in three transfers during the offseason? Nick Hapney, Cole Horan and Wykoff (if he isn't at LSM) were additions. Will any of the three see time at close? There are also guys on the bench that have talent including Jerry Staats, Jack Kennedy and Zach Lee. Wonder how long the staff will give the starters if they struggle?

Goalie - Drake Porter
SU has one of the best in the game in Porter, who is the best goalie since John Galloway. He can't clear like the former legend but he's still very good at it. Great at stopping the ball, he seems to excel when everything around him has come crashing down. It is huge to have him back for an extra year. Interesting to see who his backup is now that Luke Strange has moved on. Harrison Thompson I beleive is the heir apparent but that is not set in stone. Whoever is would have to be considered the front runner for the spot in 2022.

Again thanks for reading and please let me know if I missed anything. This is a super talented lineup but there are questions - how does Hiltz fit in? Who plays LSM? How do Phaup and Varello adapt to face-off rule changes? Can the defense hold up against these other ACC super teams? Its an exciting year for the Orange and I hope all games are played and none of the student athletes are put in danger because of this. Best wishes for a safe and fun lacrosse season!

 

[W'boro'Cuse315]

I agree with everything you wrote except for the starting attack. As I’ve previously posted, I think Hiltz is just too good not to start. Hiltz on the left & Scanlan on the right could prove to be one of the best wing attack tandems in the nation. I remain VERY high on Cook & would actually love to see him run QB with these 2 this year but Rehfuss has earned the 1st opportunity. Regardless of how Rehfuss performs, I see Cook spelling him & providing a change-of-pace for periods while the other 2 remain, especially since Rehfuss has shown a tendency to “disappear” for extended periods of games during his 4 years. Cook is the 4th attack & understudy at QB this year before taking the reins for his final 2 years (COVID year included).

 

[ohmilax34]

Yeah, as usual, PF, I agree with what you wrote. I think they'll bring Hiltz along a little slowly, so I don't think he'll start right away.

I'm curious if any of defensive transfers can be lock down 1v1 defenders. If one can do that, we might see Kennedy back at lsm. Cole Horan may be a guy to look out for. He started a bunch of games for Furman. Nick Hapney started a bunch of games for Utah, so they each have experience.

Also, not much talk here about the other Furman transfer Tenaglia. He's a lefty too I think. Maybe he makes a run for the second middie line?

Not much else to add. Maybe a few glimpses of Birtwhistle and Ferris...

 

[Whitey23]

Weird dynamic at attack. Hope Hiltz doesn’t become Wisnauskas 2.0 and end up in the portal.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Yeah, as usual, PF, I agree with what you wrote. I think they'll bring Hiltz along a little slowly, so I don't think he'll start right away.

I'm curious if any of defensive transfers can be lock down 1v1 defenders. If one can do that, we might see Kennedy back at lsm. Cole Horan may be a guy to look out for. He started a bunch of games for Furman. Nick Hapney started a bunch of games for Utah, so they each have experience.

Also, not much talk here about the other Furman transfer Tenaglia. He's a lefty too I think. Maybe he makes a run for the second middie line?

Not much else to add. Maybe a few glimpses of Birtwhistle and Ferris...

Staff is high on Tenaglia but I believe he is dealing with an injury.

 

[ivorytower]

Pt taken on Hiltz

17' attack got production from Bomberry, Evans and Solomon with Refhuss coming off bench. Make no mistake, Cuse knew Winaskaus was a serious talent as Hiltz is but didnt want to waste a year of his eligibility so red shirted with best interests in mind, a decision that Maryland ultimately benefitted from. He's a legit star, his leaving still irks . Cuse tried their best to retain but he simply wanted to go home.

 

[ohmilax34]

Weird dynamic at attack. Hope Hiltz doesn’t become Wisnauskas 2.0 and end up in the portal.

2017 was a strange year. SU had Evans, Voigt, Rehfuss and Mariano all lefties all got some time at attack. Mariano finally settled into midfield and really thrived. Rehfuss came on in April and made an impact.

I think Hiltz will be playing right away, maybe not starting, but getting good minutes.

 

[Powellfan]

Yeah, as usual, PF, I agree with what you wrote. I think they'll bring Hiltz along a little slowly, so I don't think he'll start right away.

I'm curious if any of defensive transfers can be lock down 1v1 defenders. If one can do that, we might see Kennedy back at lsm. Cole Horan may be a guy to look out for. He started a bunch of games for Furman. Nick Hapney started a bunch of games for Utah, so they each have experience.

Also, not much talk here about the other Furman transfer Tenaglia. He's a lefty too I think. Maybe he makes a run for the second middie line?

Not much else to add. Maybe a few glimpses of Birtwhistle and Ferris...

Thanks for the feedback! I had completely forgot about Tenaglia, it sounds like he would have pushed for playing time had he not gotten hurt. And I’m excited about Birstwistle and Farris but I figured given the huge roster it would be pretty surprising if they saw much time. I’m guessing they both get redshirted. I thought it was interesting that Birstwistle is listed as a middle on the roster.

SU certainly had an interesting transfer strategy in the offseason. I think their success in 2020 hindered who they could bring in, but it’s not something we should complain about. But I think they bought low on some of these guys with little downside. Obviously bringing in a Sowers or a Morrill would have been huge but those guys on the next tier may have thrown things off a bit. Instead they’ve gotten what looks to be some good players who may have flown under the radar on bad teams, or in Wykoff’s situation a DIII team. Furman and Utah both had bad seasons last year but Tenaglia was a leading scorer and Horan was their top cover guy. I am less familiar with Hapney but he sounds promising as well. They are probably coming in with low expectations themselves so if they don’t see a lot of playing time, or see the ball a lot it’s not a distraction. The Furman guys are probably just happy to be on a team. Plus outside of Wykoff they all have more than one year of eligibility left.

Agee on Hiltz, I’m guessing he’ll start before the season is over if he produces. In 2013, when he was a freshman, Dylan Donahue rotated quarters on attack with Billy Ward. I could see something similar with Hiltz and Cook or Rhefuss.

 

[ivorytower]

Very unusual year for many programs given the additional year of eligibility. Outside of certain Ivies, top layer has returned to many.

View from outside that Cuse got everyone back is wrong. We return much talent but did lose four very good contributors as mentioned by Powell , two grads didnt return while two decided to transfer . A couple of decent futures departed as well..

Cuse did participate some in portal but remains to be seen if personnel losses of significance are offset by step ups by depth and/or additions. Fall practice didnt led to much conclusion on that front.

Still optimistic on season given known talents but also green eyed that several contenders significantly bolstered their squads via portal. Latest developments on Bernhardt ,Aiken and Ierlan have been somewhat enervating for me. Hoping that resumption of practice with positive views emanating out will rekindle and reinforce my belief that this is a FF team but will opine that path has become more challenging than last year .

Glad Refhuss is out of portal and believe he will have a good season .First two regular season games will be telling about that and somewhat reveal how Hiltz will be used.

 

[sholokov2]

Yeah, as usual, PF, I agree with what you wrote. I think they'll bring Hiltz along a little slowly, so I don't think he'll start right away.

I'm curious if any of defensive transfers can be lock down 1v1 defenders. If one can do that, we might see Kennedy back at lsm. Cole Horan may be a guy to look out for. He started a bunch of games for Furman. Nick Hapney started a bunch of games for Utah, so they each have experience.

Also, not much talk here about the other Furman transfer Tenaglia. He's a lefty too I think. Maybe he makes a run for the second middie line?

Not much else to add. Maybe a few glimpses of Birtwhistle and Ferris...

good point about Tenaglia.

 

[Troughin']

I agree with everything you wrote except for the starting attack. As I’ve previously posted, I think Hiltz is just too good not to start. Hiltz on the left & Scanlan on the right could prove to be one of the best wing attack tandems in the nation. I remain VERY high on Cook & would actually love to see him run QB with these 2 this year but Rehfuss has earned the 1st opportunity. Regardless of how Rehfuss performs, I see Cook spelling him & providing a change-of-pace for periods while the other 2 remain, especially since Rehfuss has shown a tendency to “disappear” for extended periods of games during his 4 years. Cook is the 4th attack & understudy at QB this year before taking the reins for his final 2 years (COVID year included).

Could not agree more. I know I'm in the minority, but I was actually disappointed to see Rehfuss returning. The line of Scanlon, Cook, and Hiltz could be something to behold. Not only do I think Cook will be a perfect QB for those 2, but you just can't discount the unique weapon he brings to the table- he will give goalies fits with his insane ride skills- having him in the back of their minds the whole time could really change the dynamic of the game.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Could not agree more. I know I'm in the minority, but I was actually disappointed to see Rehfuss returning. The line of Scanlon, Cook, and Hiltz could be something to behold. Not only do I think Cook will be a perfect QB for those 2, but you just can't discount the unique weapon he brings to the table- he will give goalies fits with his insane ride skills- having him in the back of their minds the whole time could really change the dynamic of the game.

I dont know if cook has the vision and feeding ability of rehfuss. The rehfuss to scanlan connection last year was something to behold. Having Rehfuss feeding to a disgusting shooter like Hiltz as well as Scanlan should be even better. My main problem with Cook is his finishing ability/shot in general. He doesn't have a lot of range on his shot and often seems to get over excited when he gets an opportunity to score coming around GLE. I have seen him get stuffed or miss close shots quite a few times. Hiltz with his indoor background should be a major improvement in that category and he can without question snipe from outside at a higher level than Cook. I think Cook has the potential to be the best dodger of the 4 and as you mentioned he is a serious threat on the ride. I just see both hiltz and Rehfuss as being better in every other area.

 

[ivorytower]

Second line mids: Some teams have sizable bigs that wear down defenders .Hoping Seebold picks up where he left off. His talents are apparent, he is actually the most capable dodging attackman but could be a weapon on inverts . Fiorini is progressing nicely. Combine the size of those two with the bulk of Buttermore n Quinn and you have a physical second line that could further soften up defenses for our athletic first line

 

[JeremyCuse]

With the news of potential suspensions/transfers behind us, I figured it would be a good time to try and predict what Syracuse's starting lineup would be this spring. This is an extreamly unique year given the fifth year players and most positional groupings have a lot of players coming back, but there are still plenty of question marks and playing time up for grabs. I am not as close to the program as others on this board, so I would appreciate any feedback. I'll start with the offense and face-off and then move onto the defense in a separate post.

Attack: Griffin Cook, Chase Scanlan, Stephen Rhefuss
This unit returns all three starters, but the biggest question mark the offense faces is how to get freshmen phenom Owen Hiltz on to the field. If things were "normal", I have to imagine the plan was for him to slot into Rhefuss' spot on the left side of the attack. But Rhefuss, who led the team in assists last year is back. Cook was the lowest performing member of the unit last year with 5 goals and 4 assists, but he was a beast on the ride and, incredibly, led the team in caused turnovers. Plus, in terms of tactics, it makes sense to have a player like Cook, who is comfortable at X, play with two predominate wing players like Hiltz and Scanlan. And while Rhefuss was named All-American, he scored the bulk of his points in just two games. I have a hard time seeing Rhefuss benched after everything, but he probably will give some time away to Hiltz, as will Cook. Scanlan was a star in his first year for the Orange, leading the team in scoring, he's not leaving the field. Desko is more than comfortable replacing starters with guys who are more talented (biggest example is Randy Staats over Derek Maltz), so this unit might look different from the beginning of the season to the end. The question of the offseason was should the Orange bring in more offensive firepower at attack, via transfer? I think there is pressure on Hiltz to put that question to rest.

First Midfield: Brendan Curry, Tucker Dordevic, Jamie Trimboli
The best midfield in the country returns intact with three All Americans. What is dangerous about this unit is all three starters are so different from each other - Curry has incredible speed and is most effective sweeping in front of the goal daring his defender to keep up; Dordevic enjoys drawing defenders in close and then juking them out of the cleats; and Trimboli is the master technician who has perfect fundamentals. All three demand the attention of the long stick middie, so defenses have to play whack-a-mole. I'm sure with all the hype they got this year they will see different looks, double, or even triple poling, or more zone defense, so the attack will have to step up more than they did last year (no more 0-fers like they had in the Army game).

Second Midfield: Jacob Buttermore, Lucas Quinn, Owen Seebold
I do not have the most confidence in picking this trio, but I played it safe by basing it off playing time last year. SU has to replace David Lipka who saw starters minutes two seasons ago, but they should have the depth to do so. Buttermore is the only sure thing of this group, though he struggled last year with just four goals after scoring 20 in 2019. Quinn is as inconsistent as they come, he seems to garner encouraging words from Desko every offseason and then things seem to fall apart. He is a good shooter and has a tough bull dodge, but he makes some head scratching decisions and has more than his fair share of turnovers. Seebold ended up taking Quinn's spot in the Hopkins game and looked pretty good considering he was a backup attackman to start the year. He's a good dodger with size but has been snakebitten a bit with his shooting. Given the talent of the first unit, this group is in a tough spot as they won't see much playing time. But if they aren't performing there are a number of guys who fans have been wanting to see, including two Under Armor AA's in Matt Magnan and Peter Fiorini. Also Max Rosa looks like a kid who should see time.

Extra Man Offense:
This unit was comprised of the starting lineup the last two years. Desko has mentioned that given Hiltz is a lefty, that gives him a better chance to be on the field since he can balance things out - a good place could be the Man Up. He is supposed to be a great shooter with vision so that seems custom made for a man up spot. My guess is he takes Cook's spot here. The unit was only 5-12 last year, which while a small sample size, needs work.

Face-off: Jakob Phaup, Danny Varello
Wings: Peter Dearth, Brandon Aviles, Mitch Wykoff
Phaup and Varello had incredible seasons last year before things getting shut down, winning 68% and 63% of the their matchups. They did not face the stiffest of competition so some questions still remain. The biggest question however is how they react to the new face-off rules, especially with no fall-ball scrimmages. I think a good sign of things to come is both led the team in groundballs last year, so you know they are not just about winning the clamp, which the new rules are trying to place less of an emphasis on. Dearth and Aviles were the main short sticks on the wing last year and both are pretty good and have tons of athleticism. SU has to of course replace Jared Fernandez, and I think they'll turn to the DIII transfer to get that done. Groundballs seem to be his speciality - he had 37 in six games last year, Fernandez had 14 in five. Overall this should be a good unit. They'll need to develop a backup LSM for Wykoff, and I'm not sure who that will be.

Good post, hard to really disagree with any of that to be honest. Going to try and give some quick thoughts and include some dark horse guys at a few of the positions.

Attack - Scanlan, Rhefuss, Hiltz - Cook and ? - It might not happen right away but I expect Hiltz to take over the third attack spot from either Cook or Rhefuss depending on the matchup and who maybe struggling at the time. Hiltz just answers to many questions at the attack unit for SU to not see major minutes. That leaves Cook or Rhefuss as your 4th attack which is a great problem to have. I remain sky high on Cook but he needs to take his offensive game up another notch, the riding and hustle is there but the O game is still lacking from his pedigree and HS results. Fifth attackmen is completely unknown at this point. I expect Seebold to see time a middie so I won't include him here. I had heard real good things about Birtwistle but SU has him listed as a Mid. Could be they feel he has an easier track to PT there. Assuming he is now a middie I will go with Ferris as my dark horse and Berkman as the logical choice.

Middie - 1st line - Trimbo, Dordevic, Curry - No comments needed, best midfield in the country and its not even close though there a few other really good mid lines out there.
2nd line - Buttermore, Seebold (assuming staff will really play him here if not then Quinn) Max Rosa
3rd Line - Fiorini, Magnan, Quinn or McGuire
As noted no comments needed for the 1st line. As for the 2nd line as Powell noted the only sure thing is Buttermore and he didn't look like himself last year, although I am thrilled he ended up coming back as there were some rumblings. If your a middie this is your chance to make a move and get on that second line because with Lipka gone and the Kim Twins at Rutty there are spots to be had. I assume the staff will give Seebold the first crack at it but I could be wrong. I put Quinn down but to be honest it's hard to have any real faith he can stick. Were in year four now with him and while he flashed early last year he started making the same mistakes (bad shot selection and turnovers) and his playing time waned by the time of the Hop game. I am certainly not giving up on him by any stretch but you get the feeling this spring is make or break for him. Rosa is my dark horse here, guy the staff likes and played well in the fall scrimmages in 2019, keep an eye on him. As for the the third line I went with two highly regarded guys who ahven't gotten much run yet in Fiorini and Magnan. I was real high Magnan but so far he hasn't shown much in limited PT. Fiorini got some run with the third line his frosh year but then only saw pt in one game like Magnan last year when SU rolled with the 1 line a lot. I wouldn't put them in the same spot as Quinn as far as a last go but the clock is ticking on both. McGuire is my dark horse and I thought about Birtwistle here to. A young middie usually comes out of no where to see some PT albeit in the third line each year, I beleive the staff likes both of these guys. I think Tenaglia could have pushed for PT on the 2nd line but I believe hes hurt and not expected to play.

EMO Group - To me this is where Desko/March need to think outside the box a little bit. SU has been going with all starters for several years now and I think this is a bit of a mistake. A guy like Buttermore is perfect for the man up unit. I would love to see him out there in place of say Cook. Gives you 4 (really 5 with Scanlans mid background) deadly shooters. I really hope the staff gives him a look. If we know about a media session I will try and see if we can get one of the reporters to ask about it.

FOGO - Phaup/Varello/Savage - Great 1-2 punch and I think Savage is the third guy as I have heard nothing but good stuff on him. Not a lot say here to be honest, Phaup was outstanding last season and Varello looked like a different guy. The new rules on grip could cause some issue but those three a great trio to have.

Wings - Wykoff, Drago, Page, Dearth, Aviles, Barlow,
Plenty of options here for SU and with Dearth and Aviles they have two great options for the short stick player. Aviles who I was sky high on last year was better then advertised, he looked like a RS Jr out there not a true frosh. He's just putting it together, watch out, he has the potential to be a lot like a certain two way middie from 08 and 09. Fernandez is definitely a loss on teh wings but Wykoff is a groundball machine and a veteran of playign the wing, were in good shape there. I went with Drago and Page as SU likes to run LSM's as the pole guy and they both have speed and size. In a perfect world Kennedy would get some run but we can't risk him blowing out a knee on a FOGO scrum.

Will try and get to the defense tomorrow.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Exciting to hear about Rosa! Seems like one of those athlete-first type of recruits we like who naturally has some upside on his athleticism alone. Somewhat recently we did have voigt on man up when he wasn’t a starter but yes, we almost never seem to drift into the bench there recently. I would be shocked if Hiltz is not somewhere on the left side on man up.

 

[CuSeLaX]

I’m less interested in whose on the 2nd line midfield as much as I am interested to see how much they play. I would prefer we trot out MD1 90% of the time. With D mids, and not many playing both ways now, the midfield really gets a better rest than the attack because they can get water.

I love me some Griffin Cook. He gets absolutely everything he can out of his athletic ability, but if Hiltz is as good as they say, he has to start. I think it’s very clear offensively Rehfuss is better than Cook. I would prefer Cook if it’s even close, but Rehfuss destroys short sticks when the midfield is double poled. Cook represents everything I would want in a lacrosse player, he just isn’t as physically gifted and hasn’t found how to compensate for his lack of elite athleticism yet.

 

[Orangelax]

I’m less interested in whose on the 2nd line midfield as much as I am interested to see how much they play. I would prefer we trot out MD1 90% of the time. With D mids, and not many playing both ways now, the midfield really gets a better rest than the attack because they can get water.

I love me some Griffin Cook. He gets absolutely everything he can out of his athletic ability, but if Hiltz is as good as they say, he has to start. I think it’s very clear offensively Rehfuss is better than Cook. I would prefer Cook if it’s even close, but Rehfuss destroys short sticks when the midfield is double poled. Cook represents everything I would want in a lacrosse player, he just isn’t as physically gifted and hasn’t found how to compensate for his lack of elite athleticism yet.

The one thing about Cook that can't be overlooked is the fact that he lead the team in Caused Turnovers last year. Hiltz might be better offensively, but Cook rides as well as anyone in the country.

 

[ivorytower]

Never seen Hiltz play ,just seen old video and heard the positive buzz . Told he can be a X factor that boosts attack unit. Gonna be a step up in play off a longer than usual layoff.
March likely employs a attack rotation with 3 rotating so Hiltz could get good minutes from start . Take it from there, composition and p/t could vary to opponent and game.
Re Cook, he came in hyped which can be a burden and make the game unnecessarily faster given pressures to match expectations. Signs of growth .Season was only five games in , would have settled and made further strides. His rides not only caused to's but raised the effort in that facet of a few others.

 

[Powellfan]

Good post, hard to really disagree with any of that to be honest. Going to try and give some quick thoughts and include some dark horse guys at a few of the positions.

Attack - Scanlan, Rhefuss, Hiltz - Cook and ? - It might not happen right away but I expect Hiltz to take over the third attack spot from either Cook or Rhefuss depending on the matchup and who maybe struggling at the time. Hiltz just answers to many questions at the attack unit for SU to not see major minutes. That leaves Cook or Rhefuss as your 4th attack which is a great problem to have. I remain sky high on Cook but he needs to take his offensive game up another notch, the riding and hustle is there but the O game is still lacking from his pedigree and HS results. Fifth attackmen is completely unknown at this point. I expect Seebold to see time a middie so I won't include him here. I had heard real good things about Birtwistle but SU has him listed as a Mid. Could be they feel he has an easier track to PT there. Assuming he is now a middie I will go with Ferris as my dark horse and Berkman as the logical choice.

Middie - 1st line - Trimbo, Dordevic, Curry - No comments needed, best midfield in the country and its not even close though there a few other really good mid lines out there.
2nd line - Buttermore, Seebold (assuming staff will really play him here if not then Quinn) Max Rosa
3rd Line - Fiorini, Magnan, Quinn or McGuire
As noted no comments needed for the 1st line. As for the 2nd line as Powell noted the only sure thing is Buttermore and he didn't look like himself last year, although I am thrilled he ended up coming back as there were some rumblings. If your a middie this is your chance to make a move and get on that second line because with Lipka gone and the Kim Twins at Rutty there are spots to be had. I assume the staff will give Seebold the first crack at it but I could be wrong. I put Quinn down but to be honest it's hard to have any real faith he can stick. Were in year four now with him and while he flashed early last year he started making the same mistakes (bad shot selection and turnovers) and his playing time waned by the time of the Hop game. I am certainly not giving up on him by any stretch but you get the feeling this spring is make or break for him. Rosa is my dark horse here, guy the staff likes and played well in the fall scrimmages in 2019, keep an eye on him. As for the the third line I went with two highly regarded guys who ahven't gotten much run yet in Fiorini and Magnan. I was real high Magnan but so far he hasn't shown much in limited PT. Fiorini got some run with the third line his frosh year but then only saw pt in one game like Magnan last year when SU rolled with the 1 line a lot. I wouldn't put them in the same spot as Quinn as far as a last go but the clock is ticking on both. McGuire is my dark horse and I thought about Birtwistle here to. A young middie usually comes out of no where to see some PT albeit in the third line each year, I beleive the staff likes both of these guys. I think Tenaglia could have pushed for PT on the 2nd line but I believe hes hurt and not expected to play.

EMO Group - To me this is where Desko/March need to think outside the box a little bit. SU has been going with all starters for several years now and I think this is a bit of a mistake. A guy like Buttermore is perfect for the man up unit. I would love to see him out there in place of say Cook. Gives you 4 (really 5 with Scanlans mid background) deadly shooters. I really hope the staff gives him a look. If we know about a media session I will try and see if we can get one of the reporters to ask about it.

FOGO - Phaup/Varello/Savage - Great 1-2 punch and I think Savage is the third guy as I have heard nothing but good stuff on him. Not a lot say here to be honest, Phaup was outstanding last season and Varello looked like a different guy. The new rules on grip could cause some issue but those three a great trio to have.

Wings - Wykoff, Drago, Page, Dearth, Aviles, Barlow,
Plenty of options here for SU and with Dearth and Aviles they have two great options for the short stick player. Aviles who I was sky high on last year was better then advertised, he looked like a RS Jr out there not a true frosh. He's just putting it together, watch out, he has the potential to be a lot like a certain two way middie from 08 and 09. Fernandez is definitely a loss on teh wings but Wykoff is a groundball machine and a veteran of playign the wing, were in good shape there. I went with Drago and Page as SU likes to run LSM's as the pole guy and they both have speed and size. In a perfect world Kennedy would get some run but we can't risk him blowing out a knee on a FOGO scrum.

Will try and get to the defense tomorrow.

Good stuff as always Jeremy - I look forward to your thoughts on the defense. I like the addition of a dark horse for each group, I agree Desko always seems to throw something unexpected in there at the start of every season, and this season there might be even more surprises considering it doesn't look like we will get any scrimmages.

You mention some freshmen getting time and I'm curious how much time many of them will see - they didn't get much, or any of a senior season and are now trying to break into the one of the best college teams in the county. Not sure if the staff will try and bring them along more slowly than a typical year or not. Think a redshirt for some of these kids might be a tough sell if they are close to seeing time, but considering the depth it might be a good idea. Again, he mentioned Drago in his press conference in the spring, so the layoff might not matter.

I too would like to see some fresh blood on the second midfield line - maybe instead of a full third line (which I don't think they'll do as that takes runs away from the first line), they roll out a four or five man second line, with players rotating in alongside Buttermore. I think Quinn gets first bite of the proverbial apple, Desko mentioned his name also in that press conference from the spring, but I'm curious how long of a leash he gets.

I’m less interested in whose on the 2nd line midfield as much as I am interested to see how much they play. I would prefer we trot out MD1 90% of the time. With D mids, and not many playing both ways now, the midfield really gets a better rest than the attack because they can get water.

Would love to see the first line play 90%, but that is a lot of running around for one group of middies. Other teams have played their first line exclusively (thinking of that Duke team with Myles Jones and Deemer Class), but I still want the top guys to be relatively fresh in the fourth quarter. Plus a number of times the offensive middies got caught on defense last year, and they'll need a breather after that. I got the sense that Desko was playing the first line more than in past years - they'd occasionally get back to back runs, and played most of the fourth quarter in close games. Of course Ryan Powell wanted them run the whole game as well, and think he knows what he's talking about more than I do.

 

[ctlax]

Don't you think 90% for the 1st midfield is a bit much. Would like to save them somewhat for playoffs & reduce their chance for injury.

 

[SDCuse114]

I hope Stephen is more aggressive and shoots at the goal more this season like his first three seasons. I know he’s turning into more of a facilitator but he only had 3 shots on goal through all five games last year but I also noticed his shooting% has been going down every year too.

 

[ivorytower]

Overuse of first mid line is counterproductive, have to keep legs fresh ( in games AND practice ) or quality will decline on both ends and increase injury risk. In this age of specialists, plenty of times dms n lsm aren't able to get on especially when facing a team that transitions well. Some teams dont defined first and second lines but rotate top five despite disparate abilities as long as coordinated to keep all fresh. Some discussion of pros and cons of having your best three om's on the same line instead of a 2-1 n 1-2 arrangement.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

Never seen Hiltz play ,just seen old video and heard the positive buzz . Told he can be a X factor that boosts attack unit. Gonna be a step up in play off a longer than usual layoff.
March likely employs a attack rotation with 3 rotating so Hiltz could get good minutes from start . Take it from there, composition and p/t could vary to opponent and game.
Re Cook, he came in hyped which can be a burden and make the game unnecessarily faster given pressures to match expectations. Signs of growth .Season was only five games in , would have settled and made further strides. His rides not only caused to's but raised the effort in that facet of a few others.

It’s actually rather easy to distribute equal playing time to four players over three spots. They each play three quarters or 75% of the game. Plenty of run for everyone.

Whether that’s the goal, only the staff knows. But it is easy to achieve. The hard part is deciding which three you want on the field in the tight moments when they need a goal or three.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

Don't you think 90% for the 1st midfield is a bit much. Would like to save them somewhat for playoffs & reduce their chance for injury.

It should be at most 67% of the time, unless something is really working with one line or another. Run 1 then 1 then 2. Something like that. Keep the 1s fresher and let other kids play. Why have a 60-man roster if only 15-18 kids get to play?