2022 Season Lookahead

[Powellfan]

I find the best way to move past a dissapointing season is to look ahead to the next. That's the beauty of sports. Xtreme astutely pointed out that its hard to look ahead to next season when there are so many questions remaining about who is coming, who is going, not to mention the 2021 NCAA lacrosse season isn't over yet. But I wanted to take a look at where things stand from a personnel point, at the start of the offseason, mostly to help process what we can expect next season. There are lots of questions about the coaching staff, though I think that will be better served in a different thread. I'll start with the offense and move onto the face-offs/defense in a separate post. I hope to post an update at the start of fall ball when the roster is more settled. Things are complicated by the fact that every 2020 player got an extra year of availability. For simplicities sake, I am assuming every player who walked at Senior Day is moving on, and those with eligibility left, who didn't walk, are coming back. That of course could change - guys who walked could very easily come back and guys who didn't could just as easily decide to move on. Also there will definitely be transfers out, and hopefully high impact transfers in, so again this will probably (hopefully for the better) look a lot different in the fall. I'll do a list of players Returning, Departing, and Incoming. As always please feel free comment, I am sure there will be lots in here to disagree with. Some positions are kind of up in the air, midfielders moved to attack, LSMs to close defense - I made an educated guess with most.

Attack
Returning: Owen Hiltz, Owen Seebold, Griffin Cook, Mikey Berkman, Basil Aburn, Liam Ferris, Brett Tenaglia, Blake Erlbeck
Departing: Stephen Rhefuss, Chase Scanlan
Incoming: Matteo Corsi, Finn Kelly
The Orange return a potential superstar in Owen Hiltz. He is an excellent shooter and a very good passer, who has tremendous vision and feel for the game. If he had to improve something, it would be his dodging, but he looked to get more comfortable as the season went on in that department. He really should be the focal part of the offense next season. Seebold moved to attack after the Scanlan suspension and did a very admiral job, with 14 points in four games. He brings size and an extra dodging component to the attack. I really hope he comes back for fifth year.

The big question for the offseason is who gets the third open spot? I think it is absolutely imperative that the Orange mine the transfer portal for player here - given that two high impact fifth years are already in the portal before the season has ended (Lully and Khan) has to mean that a lot more difference making players will enter. The Orange can't afford to let that sort of opportunity get past them, especially with so many question marks after the first two starters. I was high on Ferris, but he really struggled with extended playing time. Tenaglia was hurt for the year but had an impressive freshman year for Furman, though I think the Orange will need more. Looking at the names, its a deep position, but I just don't see any sure things. Corsi and Kelly come in as freshmen, but I'd be surprised if those guys were four year starter types.

As to the transfer Syracuse should target - the good thing is that I don't think they have to be picky in terms of what skill set they should focus on. Both Hiltz and Seebold bring diverse skill sets to the position, so you don't need any one particular thing. The offense would be best served with a quarterback type (a natural replacement for Rhefuss), as that would allow Seebold to focus on being a dodger, and Hiltz as a shooter. But again, those two can both pass, and they can dodge, so if a strong dodger is the guy, that is okay too. I would shy away from a "finisher". Again, I can't stress this enough, this should be a big focus of the offseason.

Midfield
Returning: Tucker Dordevic, Brendan Curry, Lucan Quinn, Matt Magnan, Peter Fiorini, Caelin Lewis, Jackson Birtwhistle, Nick Papa, JT Stripe, Marshall McGuire,
Departing: Jamie Trimboli, Jacob Buttermore
Incoming: Aiden Kelly, Carter Rice, Blake Borges, Barrett White
The midfield did not live up to exceptions this season. Its hard to determine what went wrong for the unit, but they never seemed to click they way they did in 2020. Curry looked very good to start the year, with a seven point game against UVA and a five point game against Stony Brook. But defenses keyed on him and assigned the pole, and things went downhill from there. He never had more than three points after the game against the Seawolves. You would think that Dordevic would have benefited from this change as he started seeing short sticks consistently the rest of the year, but frankly he looked lost. I think he tried too hard to become a jack of all trades, but became master of none. I didn't see his electric burst for most the season. If these two can regain their form from 2020, the team's prospects rocket upwards. Replacing Trimboli will be a tall task - my money (if he comes back) would be on Quinn and I think he'd be a good producer on the first line. He had 10 goals and two assists this year, which doesn't jump out, but he didn't play much after the Scanlan suspension since the second line was basically sidelined. Desko (if he is back) clearly loves him and his hard shot would stretch defense. Dordevic and Curry are dodging threats, so having an offball type wouldn't be a bad thing. If a high impact transfer was interested in SU, I wouldn't let Quinn hinder that, but I would focus my transfer capital more on the attack and defense.

The wildcard to the unit is Buttermore - he of course had 20 goals as a second line member in 2019 but had a rough start to 2020 and didn't produce much this year before getting injured. He walked at Senior Day so I assume he's gone, but I had always penciled him in for Trimboli's spot and now that is open. If he could get back to that 2019 form, it would be huge, but again, I guess that's not likely to happen. The second unit as of now looks like a mess. Cook of course got a lot time and didn't produce much of anything. Which makes you wonder about the guys who couldn't unseat him. There are a lot of names in the "returning" category, but again, if they couldn't beat out a guy who scored three points this year, then how do we have faith in them next year? Birtwhistle, Lewis and McGuire all redshirted last year, so they might have a leg up on other returners. Rice, White and Borges all have really good size and look athletic, so hopefully at least one of those three can contribute. And maybe if Ferris gets a full offseason to focus on midfield, he could be productive from that spot. Lastly, this might be a spot for Tenaglia. I am not sure what to do with Cook - I moved him back up to attack since he just looked lost on midfield. Jeremy says he thinks he'll move on, but until that's official I'll list him at his natural position.

Offensive Summary
I think the offense has the potential to be very good next season, but there are some big "ifs" floating around. The March led offense took a step back in 2021, with a big drop off from the midfield. Dordevic and Curry need to get back on track. Hopefully an offseason coming off of disappointment will light a fire. The attack has a big hole and will need to replace Rhefuss, who had a very good season. Right now there isn't anyone on the roster who really jumps out. And that third midfield spot needs to get filled, but I think they have a good option with Quinn. That said, there isn't much depth on the midfield anymore and the second line might be filled with some very unproven players. On a more positive note, you have to think with a full fall ball and offseason Hiltz will come back even better next season and I think Seebold compliments him very well. Lastly, seeing all the names listed out, it strikes me how big this roster is. What stings is, and maybe I am being unfair, but there are a good amount of names I don't expect much from. I know the fifth year thing is going to make rosters bigger than normal, but it would really be nice to see the "glut" of this team addressed. It would be unfair for me to list names, but I have to imagine it's just not manageable to have a roster this large.

Next up, face-offs and defense, where real change needs happen.

 

[Powellfan]

The 2022 Season Lookahead continues with the focus turning from offense to defense. I am far less hopeful about the Syracuse Orange on the defensive side of the ball in 2022, but that doesn't mean things can't change, and impact players can't emerge. Let's dive in.

Face-off
Returning: Jakob Phaup, Jack Savage, Gavin Kline, Luke Talego
Departing: Danny Varello, Nate Garlow
Incoming: Jack Fine
Face-offs were a big and frankly confusing issue for the Orange in 2021. Confusing because in games when Phaup played well, he played really well, and in games where he didn't, it was almost automatic for opposing teams. The coaching staff didn't have much of a backup plan when Phaup struggled, and the teams inability to win face-offs were a big reason why they suffered not just losses, but blow out losses. In games he did well in (all wins except for UVM), Phaup won 71%. In losses (including UVM), he went just 30%. It's really hard to know how to feel about this position next year with numbers like that. Clearly the team needs Phaup to perform better. Will he improve in the offseason, with a year of the new rules under his belt? The ACC should be stacked again with elite FOGOs, this team can't afford another year of struggles. We all thought Savage might be a savior for the unit, but he didn't perform well against Notre Dame and didn't see much time after that. Fine comes in as a four star recruit, the highest rated recruit at this spot since Varello. Is that enough for the Orange to rely on? Bringing in a transfer here might be a good call for competition sake, but with the entrenched starter in place, it might be a hard sell.

Shortstick Defensive Midfield
Returning: Brendan Aviles, Dami Oladunmoye, Shaffer Woody, Max Rosa, Saam Olexo
Departing: Peter Dearth, Johnathan Partamian, Spencer Small
Incoming: Nate Levine
What I thought would be a real area of strength for the Orange last season was a very big problem. Opposing defenses picked on Orange short sticks all season. There were issues with Covid protocols and injuries, but this unit really struggled. On top of that they lose their leader in Dearth. Dami and Aviles should be the top two next year. Dami still gets beat too often, and Aviles had some really bad performances before turning things around mid-year, only to get injured. In general I think this unit plays hyper aggressively, and with little to no backup, they get beat early and often. I thought Olexo looked like he could be a good player in the future, and Levine comes in as a freshmen who specialized at SSDM in high school, and has good size. Still, this unit returns a lot but also needs a lot of work. Rosa, Woody and Olexo were all young last year, so a year of improvement could really help.

Long Stick Midfield
Returning: Landon Clary, Tommy Drago, Michael Page
Departing: Brett Barlow, Sam Schlutter
Incoming: Dominic Rottura, Kyle Gonsiorek
I am assuming that Brett Kennedy will move to close defense, hence him not being included here. Clary looked pretty strong before his injury early in the year, though he is a hard prospect to judge since he got hurt so early. Drago, according to Jeremey should be ready for significant playing time next year and got a shout out from Desko last fall. Overall not a very deep group of players, but if Clary can stay healthy and Drago lives up to expectations it should be a strong unit. Rottura looks like he could be a contributor to face-off wings early on. I also thought a number of close defenders that came in as freshmen this year would be LSMs, including Frankie Hapney and Caden Kol. Maybe they get moved around.

Close Defense:
Returning: Brett Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, Cole Horan, Nick Hapney, Jack Witherspoon, Zach Lee, Caden Kol, Frankie Hapney
Departing: Nick DiPietro, Grant Murphy, Mitch Wykoff, Jerry Staats
Incoming: Kyle McCarthy, Nick Caccamo (transfer)
The close defense, while being pretty good on man-to-man for most of the season, really struggled off ball and did a poor job sliding all year. To me, for this unit, its not so much about the personnel that needs a revamp, but the system in general. According to Jeremy it's possible that either DiPietro or Murphy could come back. If I could choose I thought DiPietro was a stronger defender, and that Murphy, while very good at picking off passes and backing up shots, really struggled with slides. I have to assume Kennedy will move down to close to be the alpha defender. I like him better at LSM, but looking at the roster right now I have no idea who would fill that role, other than him. Also according to Jeremy, it looks like the transfer from Yale, Caccomo will get an early look for playing time - he had his entire high school senior year taken away, then lost out on another year by going to an Ivy League. His tape looks really good but he'll have some catching up to do. After that I'm not really sure who is in line. Horan did not impress as a replacement for DiPietro, Nick Hapney struggled when given early playing time. Frankie Hapney and Caden Kol redshirted, so again maybe they get an early look at playing time.

Goalie:
Returning: Harrison Thompson, Shae Katchadurian, Patrick Duffy
Departing: Drake Porter, Nate McPeak
Incoming: Kyle Rolley
What I thought would be big shoes to fill this offseason, didn't really turn out to be the case. Hard to know who takes the bulk of the responsibility for defensive struggles, but Porter didn't have a great year - a GAA of 14 and save percentage of 48% are pretty bad. He was hung out to dry most of the season, but there are still saves I thought he should have made. Thompson seems to be the front runner as of now, he looked okay against Notre Dame in mop up duty. Desko was very high on Thompson and Katchadurian to start the year. I do hope they avoid a goalie battle and one of them takes the reins early. Porter really announced himself in mop up duty the year before he became a full year starter, and this year there isn't that certitude. Rolley looks like a promising recruit.

Defensive Summary
I am sure everyone on here is well familiar with the bad defensive numbers this team put up this year. It was a very frustrating year and even Desko finally acknowledged this side of the field needs to be examined. It never felt like the players were playing as a unit - slides were bad, communicaitons was bad, individual defense was bad. There could be a lot of players to replace, especially if the entire close defense is gone. That said, and it pains me to say, it might be a good thing. I hope there is a focus on transfers (they already have one), but there needs to be more than that. Face-offs will be a real question mark as well this offseason, with Phaup being so unpredictable.

Overall Summary
So where do things stand going into the offseason? This team has some talent, but it needs definite work. It doesn't help that I think each unit could use help from the transfer market. Obviously a lot hinges on who the coach will be for this team. If it is indeed Desko, then he has to know things are desperate, and hopefully a lot effort is given to the portal. The face-off quandary is a real head scratcher and I am not sure the best way to address it. Obviously getting a top flight proven guy would be the best outcome, but those don't grow on trees. As things stand I think this team could get to the quarterfinals on the playoffs next year, but a lot would have to go right. If they don't fix the defense and if Phaup continues to struggle with face-offs, it could be worse than 2021. The ACC should once again be stacked and the Ivy League will be back. Elite teams have very few flaws and unfortunately, the Orange has a lot to address this offseason. I hope the disappointment of this season fuels a better outcome for the next.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

The face off requires some pure athleticism and better stick skills. Even when Phaup and Varello would win the draw to themselves, it was an absolute adventure before the ball ended up settled one way or the other. Varello was a disaster with the ball in his stick because of how athletic the other teams’ face off guys and wings were. They’d just run him down.

And I can tell you that the 2022 faceoff kid coming in after next season, Gavin Gibbs, is nowhere close to being an elite athlete. Great on the draw, but not the level of athlete Cuse needs there.

 

[Cuse All-In]

The 2022 Season Lookahead continues with the focus turning from offense to defense. I am far less hopeful about the Syracuse Orange on the defensive side of the ball in 2022, but that doesn't mean things can't change, and impact players can't emerge. Let's dive in.

Face-off
Returning: Jakob Phaup, Jack Savage, Gavin Kline, Luke Talego
Departing: Danny Varello, Nate Garlow
Incoming: Jack Fine
Face-offs were a big and frankly confusing issue for the Orange in 2021. Confusing because in games when Phaup played well, he played really well, and in games where he didn't, it was almost automatic for opposing teams. The coaching staff didn't have much of a backup plan when Phaup struggled, and the teams inability to win face-offs were a big reason why they suffered not just losses, but blow out losses. In games he did well in (all wins except for UVM), Phaup won 71%. In losses (including UVM), he went just 30%. It's really hard to know how to feel about this position next year with numbers like that. Clearly the team needs Phaup to perform better. Will he improve in the offseason, with a year of the new rules under his belt? The ACC should be stacked again with elite FOGOs, this team can't afford another year of struggles. We all thought Savage might be a savior for the unit, but he didn't perform well against Notre Dame and didn't see much time after that. Fine comes in as a four star recruit, the highest rated recruit at this spot since Varello. Is that enough for the Orange to rely on? Bringing in a transfer here might be a good call for competition sake, but with the entrenched starter in place, it might be a hard sell.

Shortstick Defensive Midfield
Returning: Brendan Aviles, Dami Oladunmoye, Shaffer Woody, Max Rosa, Saam Olexo
Departing: Peter Dearth, Johnathan Partamian, Spencer Small
Incoming: Nate Levine
What I thought would be a real area of strength for the Orange last season was a very big problem. Opposing defenses picked on Orange short sticks all season. There were issues with Covid protocols and injuries, but this unit really struggled. On top of that they lose their leader in Dearth. Dami and Aviles should be the top two next year. Dami still gets beat too often, and Aviles had some really bad performances before turning things around mid-year, only to get injured. In general I think this unit plays hyper aggressively, and with little to no backup, they get beat early and often. I thought Olexo looked like he could be a good player in the future, and Levine comes in as a freshmen who specialized at SSDM in high school, and has good size. Still, this unit returns a lot but also needs a lot of work. Rosa, Woody and Olexo were all young last year, so a year of improvement could really help.

Long Stick Midfield
Returning: Landon Clary, Tommy Drago, Michael Page
Departing: Brett Barlow, Sam Schlutter
Incoming: Dominic Rottura, Kyle Gonsiorek
I am assuming that Brett Kennedy will move to close defense, hence him not being included here. Clary looked pretty strong before his injury early in the year, though he is a hard prospect to judge since he got hurt so early. Drago, according to Jeremey should be ready for significant playing time next year and got a shout out from Desko last fall. Overall not a very deep group of players, but if Clary can stay healthy and Drago lives up to expectations it should be a strong unit. Rottura looks like he could be a contributor to face-off wings early on. I also thought a number of close defenders that came in as freshmen this year would be LSMs, including Frankie Hapney and Caden Kol. Maybe they get moved around.

Close Defense:
Returning: Brett Kennedy, Jack Kennedy, Cole Horan, Nick Hapney, Jack Witherspoon, Zach Lee, Caden Kol, Frankie Hapney
Departing: Nick DiPietro, Grant Murphy, Mitch Wykoff, Jerry Staats
Incoming: Kyle McCarthy, Nick Caccamo (transfer)
The close defense, while being pretty good on man-to-man for most of the season, really struggled off ball and did a poor job sliding all year. To me, for this unit, its not so much about the personnel that needs a revamp, but the system in general. According to Jeremy it's possible that either DiPietro or Murphy could come back. If I could choose I thought DiPietro was a stronger defender, and that Murphy, while very good at picking off passes and backing up shots, really struggled with slides. I have to assume Kennedy will move down to close to be the alpha defender. I like him better at LSM, but looking at the roster right now I have no idea who would fill that role, other than him. Also according to Jeremy, it looks like the transfer from Yale, Caccomo will get an early look for playing time - he had his entire high school senior year taken away, then lost out on another year by going to an Ivy League. His tape looks really good but he'll have some catching up to do. After that I'm not really sure who is in line. Horan did not impress as a replacement for DiPietro, Nick Hapney struggled when given early playing time. Frankie Hapney and Caden Kol redshirted, so again maybe they get an early look at playing time.

Goalie:
Returning: Harrison Thompson, Shae Katchadurian, Patrick Duffy
Departing: Drake Porter, Nate McPeak
Incoming: Kyle Rolley
What I thought would be big shoes to fill this offseason, didn't really turn out to be the case. Hard to know who takes the bulk of the responsibility for defensive struggles, but Porter didn't have a great year - a GAA of 14 and save percentage of 48% are pretty bad. He was hung out to dry most of the season, but there are still saves I thought he should have made. Thompson seems to be the front runner as of now, he looked okay against Notre Dame in mop up duty. Desko was very high on Thompson and Katchadurian to start the year. I do hope they avoid a goalie battle and one of them takes the reins early. Porter really announced himself in mop up duty the year before he became a full year starter, and this year there isn't that certitude. Rolley looks like a promising recruit.

Defensive Summary
I am sure everyone on here is well familiar with the bad defensive numbers this team put up this year. It was a very frustrating year and even Desko finally acknowledged this side of the field needs to be examined. It never felt like the players were playing as a unit - slides were bad, communicaitons was bad, individual defense was bad. There could be a lot of players to replace, especially if the entire close defense is gone. That said, and it pains me to say, it might be a good thing. I hope there is a focus on transfers (they already have one), but there needs to be more than that. Face-offs will be a real question mark as well this offseason, with Phaup being so unpredictable.

Overall Summary
So where do things stand going into the offseason? This team has some talent, but it needs definite work. It doesn't help that I think each unit could use help from the transfer market. Obviously a lot hinges on who the coach will be for this team. If it is indeed Desko, then he has to know things are desperate, and hopefully a lot effort is given to the portal. The face-off quandary is a real head scratcher and I am not sure the best way to address it. Obviously getting a top flight proven guy would be the best outcome, but those don't grow on trees. As things stand I think this team could get to the quarterfinals on the playoffs next year, but a lot would have to go right. If they don't fix the defense and if Phaup continues to struggle with face-offs, it could be worse than 2021. The ACC should once again be stacked and the Ivy League will be back. Elite teams have very few flaws and unfortunately, the Orange has a lot to address this offseason. I hope the disappointment of this season fuels a better outcome for the next.

I think Thompson has some real potential in goal but hasn't had the opportunity to show it. The coaches do a lousy job every year of developing the next goalie. Thompson and Shahe should have been in more this year to spell off Porter. As for Porter's stats, they are only meaningful in the context of team performance. Do ya think that maybe his stats were impacted by 5 blowouts for which he was certainly not fully responsible? You don't just quote stats as though they are his alone. Just like his stats were no doubt higher when he had Mellen, Bomberry and Cunningham in front of him. The defense and the coaches collectively take reponsibility for the stats.

In my experience, goalies get too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don't. But that's what a goalie signs up for and why it is a crazy position to play.

Regardless, there should be a deliberate plan to get the number 2 and number 3 goalies some meaningful playing time each year.

 

[ivorytower]

Writing off 2021 as a year of abnormal circumstances. Wont be surprised if 22 team exceeds expectations because there is still talent and portal could fill or supplement needs as targeted.

 

[Cuse All-In]

I find the best way to move past a dissapointing season is to look ahead to the next. That's the beauty of sports. Xtreme astutely pointed out that its hard to look ahead to next season when there are so many questions remaining about who is coming, who is going, not to mention the 2021 NCAA lacrosse season isn't over yet. But I wanted to take a look at where things stand from a personnel point, at the start of the offseason, mostly to help process what we can expect next season. There are lots of questions about the coaching staff, though I think that will be better served in a different thread. I'll start with the offense and move onto the face-offs/defense in a separate post. I hope to post an update at the start of fall ball when the roster is more settled. Things are complicated by the fact that every 2020 player got an extra year of availability. For simplicities sake, I am assuming every player who walked at Senior Day is moving on, and those with eligibility left, who didn't walk, are coming back. That of course could change - guys who walked could very easily come back and guys who didn't could just as easily decide to move on. Also there will definitely be transfers out, and hopefully high impact transfers in, so again this will probably (hopefully for the better) look a lot different in the fall. I'll do a list of players Returning, Departing, and Incoming. As always please feel free comment, I am sure there will be lots in here to disagree with. Some positions are kind of up in the air, midfielders moved to attack, LSMs to close defense - I made an educated guess with most.

Attack
Returning: Owen Hiltz, Owen Seebold, Griffin Cook, Mikey Berkman, Basil Aburn, Liam Ferris, Brett Tenaglia, Blake Erlbeck
Departing: Stephen Rhefuss, Chase Scanlan
Incoming: Matteo Corsi, Finn Kelly
The Orange return a potential superstar in Owen Hiltz. He is an excellent shooter and a very good passer, who has tremendous vision and feel for the game. If he had to improve something, it would be his dodging, but he looked to get more comfortable as the season went on in that department. He really should be the focal part of the offense next season. Seebold moved to attack after the Scanlan suspension and did a very admiral job, with 14 points in four games. He brings size and an extra dodging component to the attack. I really hope he comes back for fifth year.

The big question for the offseason is who gets the third open spot? I think it is absolutely imperative that the Orange mine the transfer portal for player here - given that two high impact fifth years are already in the portal before the season has ended (Lully and Khan) has to mean that a lot more difference making players will enter. The Orange can't afford to let that sort of opportunity get past them, especially with so many question marks after the first two starters. I was high on Ferris, but he really struggled with extended playing time. Tenaglia was hurt for the year but had an impressive freshman year for Furman, though I think the Orange will need more. Looking at the names, its a deep position, but I just don't see any sure things. Corsi and Kelly come in as freshmen, but I'd be surprised if those guys were four year starter types.

As to the transfer Syracuse should target - the good thing is that I don't think they have to be picky in terms of what skill set they should focus on. Both Hiltz and Seebold bring diverse skill sets to the position, so you don't need any one particular thing. The offense would be best served with a quarterback type (a natural replacement for Rhefuss), as that would allow Seebold to focus on being a dodger, and Hiltz as a shooter. But again, those two can both pass, and they can dodge, so if a strong dodger is the guy, that is okay too. I would shy away from a "finisher". Again, I can't stress this enough, this should be a big focus of the offseason.

Midfield
Returning: Tucker Dordevic, Brendan Curry, Lucan Quinn, Matt Magnan, Peter Fiorini, Caelin Lewis, Jackson Birtwhistle, Nick Papa, JT Stripe, Marshall McGuire,
Departing: Jamie Trimboli, Jacob Buttermore
Incoming: Aiden Kelly, Carter Rice, Blake Borges, Barrett White
The midfield did not live up to exceptions this season. Its hard to determine what went wrong for the unit, but they never seemed to click they way they did in 2020. Curry looked very good to start the year, with a seven point game against UVA and a five point game against Stony Brook. But defenses keyed on him and assigned the pole, and things went downhill from there. He never had more than three points after the game against the Seawolves. You would think that Dordevic would have benefited from this change as he started seeing short sticks consistently the rest of the year, but frankly he looked lost. I think he tried too hard to become a jack of all trades, but became master of none. I didn't see his electric burst for most the season. If these two can regain their form from 2020, the team's prospects rocket upwards. Replacing Trimboli will be a tall task - my money (if he comes back) would be on Quinn and I think he'd be a good producer on the first line. He had 10 goals and two assists this year, which doesn't jump out, but he didn't play much after the Scanlan suspension since the second line was basically sidelined. Desko (if he is back) clearly loves him and his hard shot would stretch defense. Dordevic and Curry are dodging threats, so having an offball type wouldn't be a bad thing. If a high impact transfer was interested in SU, I wouldn't let Quinn hinder that, but I would focus my transfer capital more on the attack and defense.

The wildcard to the unit is Buttermore - he of course had 20 goals as a second line member in 2019 but had a rough start to 2020 and didn't produce much this year before getting injured. He walked at Senior Day so I assume he's gone, but I had always penciled him in for Trimboli's spot and now that is open. If he could get back to that 2019 form, it would be huge, but again, I guess that's not likely to happen. The second unit as of now looks like a mess. Cook of course got a lot time and didn't produce much of anything. Which makes you wonder about the guys who couldn't unseat him. There are a lot of names in the "returning" category, but again, if they couldn't beat out a guy who scored three points this year, then how do we have faith in them next year? Birtwhistle, Lewis and McGuire all redshirted last year, so they might have a leg up on other returners. Rice, White and Borges all have really good size and look athletic, so hopefully at least one of those three can contribute. And maybe if Ferris gets a full offseason to focus on midfield, he could be productive from that spot. Lastly, this might be a spot for Tenaglia. I am not sure what to do with Cook - I moved him back up to attack since he just looked lost on midfield. Jeremy says he thinks he'll move on, but until that's official I'll list him at his natural position.

Offensive Summary
I think the offense has the potential to be very good next season, but there are some big "ifs" floating around. The March led offense took a step back in 2021, with a big drop off from the midfield. Dordevic and Curry need to get back on track. Hopefully an offseason coming off of disappointment will light a fire. The attack has a big hole and will need to replace Rhefuss, who had a very good season. Right now there isn't anyone on the roster who really jumps out. And that third midfield spot needs to get filled, but I think they have a good option with Quinn. That said, there isn't much depth on the midfield anymore and the second line might be filled with some very unproven players. On a more positive note, you have to think with a full fall ball and offseason Hiltz will come back even better next season and I think Seebold compliments him very well. Lastly, seeing all the names listed out, it strikes me how big this roster is. What stings is, and maybe I am being unfair, but there are a good amount of names I don't expect much from. I know the fifth year thing is going to make rosters bigger than normal, but it would really be nice to see the "glut" of this team addressed. It would be unfair for me to list names, but I have to imagine it's just not manageable to have a roster this large.

Next up, face-offs and defense, where real change needs happen.

I strongly disagree with your conclusion. The offense was inconsistent in 2021 and under-achieved big time. I think March has demonstrated that he has no clue what he is doing and wasted the talent. His claim to fame - his job at Princeton - was no doubt due to Michael Sowers and not him. There was no flow or freedom to the offense for many stretches and they could not score in the clutch.

Without Hiltz and Rehfuss, it would have been a disaster. The continued playing of Cook was simply inexcusable and reason for coaches' termination in and of itself.

 

[Cuse All-In]

I am extremely worried about 2022 and beyond. I have no confidence in any improvement over what I saw happen in 2021 without major changes at the coaching level.

Let's be honest - even if you buy the argument that our seniors were "overrated" and did not perform as well against the best teams, no one should believe that we were as bad as the repeated painful, excruciating blowouts. The coaching was abysmal - plain and simple.

If they are looking to hire a head coach, look no further than Toomey at Loyola who consistently gets his teams to overperform their talent level and display excellence.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I think Thompson has some real potential in goal but hasn't had the opportunity to show it. The coaches do a lousy job every year of developing the next goalie. Thompson and Shahe should have been in more this year to spell off Porter. As for Porter's stats, they are only meaningful in the context of team performance. Do ya think that maybe his stats were impacted by 5 blowouts for which he was certainly not fully responsible? You don't just quote stats as though they are his alone. Just like his stats were no doubt higher when he had Mellen, Bomberry and Cunningham in front of him. The defense and the coaches collectively take reponsibility for the stats.

In my experience, goalies get too much credit when things go well and too much blame when they don't. But that's what a goalie signs up for and why it is a crazy position to play.

Regardless, there should be a deliberate plan to get the number 2 and number 3 goalies some meaningful playing time each year.

We tried the two goalie rotation a few years ago and it was a failure.

Unless we have a comfortable lead in the 4th quarter, the opportunity for bench minutes isn't there.

And it's just not fair to throw someone in there when we're getting pounded.

 

[Cuse All-In]

We tried the two goalie rotation a few years ago and it was a failure.

Unless we have a comfortable lead in the 4th quarter, the opportunity for bench minutes isn't there.

And it's just not fair to throw someone in there when we're getting pounded.

I hear you. It speaks to how poorly the team performed this year that we weren't blowing out Vermont, Albany etc in order to get more time for Thompson and Shahe.
But Desko has rarely demonstrated the desire to change goalies let alone get more time for backups. I guess he has had that luxury for most of his career when the team was always strong enough to break in a new, untested keeper.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I hear you. It speaks to how poorly the team performed this year that we weren't blowing out Vermont, Albany etc in order to get more time for Thompson and Shahe.
But Desko has rarely demonstrated the desire to change goalies let alone get more time for backups. I guess he has had that luxury for most of his career when the team was always strong enough to break in a new, untested keeper.

Galloway came in as a true freshman, won the starting job in Fall Ball, and never looked back. And that was starting on a team which went 5-8 the previous year.

Somebody will stand out above the rest.

 

[Powellfan]

I strongly disagree with your conclusion. The offense was inconsistent in 2021 and under-achieved big time. I think March has demonstrated that he has no clue what he is doing and wasted the talent. His claim to fame - his job at Princeton - was no doubt due to Michael Sowers and not him. There was no flow or freedom to the offense for many stretches and they could not score in the clutch.

Without Hiltz and Rehfuss, it would have been a disaster. The continued playing of Cook was simply inexcusable and reason for coaches' termination in and of itself.

You seem to really have it out for the offense. Are you related to one of the defenders on the team? I don't really think it serves much of a purpose to argue over which unit for the Orange was worse - but the defense was really bad this year. The Georgetown game was close at 3-2 before the Hoyas went on a 6 goal scoring run and the offense never saw the ball. Yes, face-offs play a huge part in this, but how in the world is it their fault when they have to try and come back from an 8-2 deficit and they never touch the ball? The defense has to make a stop there.

They did themselves no favors this year - good teams don't always win the face-off battle, but they have a good defense that can weather the storm. Syracuse didn't have it this year. Of course the offense is going to play rushed and scattered, they have to try and erase six goals and have no idea when they might see the ball again!

I don't think the offense was great this year, but March is a better coach then you are giving him credit for, he put up good numbers at Vermont and led the best offense in the MLL two summers ago. He's much more than a guy who rode Sowers' coattails.

 

[Cuse All-In]

You seem to really have it out for the offense. Are you related to one of the defenders on the team? I don't really think it serves much of a purpose to argue over which unit for the Orange was worse - but the defense was really bad this year. The Georgetown game was close at 3-2 before the Hoyas went on a 6 goal scoring run and the offense never saw the ball. Yes, face-offs play a huge part in this, but how in the world is it their fault when they have to try and come back from an 8-2 deficit and they never touch the ball? The defense has to make a stop there.

They did themselves no favors this year - good teams don't always win the face-off battle, but they have a good defense that can weather the storm. Syracuse didn't have it this year. Of course the offense is going to play rushed and scattered, they have to try and erase six goals and have no idea when they might see the ball again!

I don't think the offense was great this year, but March is a better coach then you are giving him credit for, he put up good numbers at Vermont and led the best offense in the MLL two summers ago. He's much more than a guy who rode Sowers' coattails.

I do not "have it in" for the offense. I simply made the point that the offense was ineffective in the game and struggled to score until the 4th quarter. The offense turned the ball over repeatedly.
The defense's problems have been well documented for the past 7 games or so. What was lost in that IMO is that the offense often was held to single digits which was due in part to lack of possessions, but was due also to poor offensive strategy. In other words, I think there is more to be improved here than just the defense.

 

[wvlax]

PF that is one helluva comprehensive 2022 lookahead. Thank you.

 

[SUbear]

You seem to really have it out for the offense. Are you related to one of the defenders on the team? I don't really think it serves much of a purpose to argue over which unit for the Orange was worse - but the defense was really bad this year. The Georgetown game was close at 3-2 before the Hoyas went on a 6 goal scoring run and the offense never saw the ball. Yes, face-offs play a huge part in this, but how in the world is it their fault when they have to try and come back from an 8-2 deficit and they never touch the ball? The defense has to make a stop there.

They did themselves no favors this year - good teams don't always win the face-off battle, but they have a good defense that can weather the storm. Syracuse didn't have it this year. Of course the offense is going to play rushed and scattered, they have to try and erase six goals and have no idea when they might see the ball again!

I don't think the offense was great this year, but March is a better coach then you are giving him credit for, he put up good numbers at Vermont and led the best offense in the MLL two summers ago. He's much more than a guy who rode Sowers' coattails.

I am not sure whether it was coaching or players, however the offense was poor this year.
I have not been impressed by the offensive coaching.
Team had too many unforced turns, and that is probably not coaching but players.

 

[Orangello]

Porter was really bad this year. 54 and 55 out of 61 D1 goalies in save % and GAA is putrid. You can lay some of that off on the defense as a whole but not all of it. Your goalie has to be able to make saves. He just did not seem to see the ball well this year. We need a big step up here next year.

 

[ivorytower]

Yes, great writeup Powell. Started a dm with slightly different takes but lost and dont have the emotional stamina to do over right now. Rewatched 1h and though both o and d were fine for most part. Should not have been behind by 6 late in 2q .

For SUbear, offense was efficient for most part but disrupted itself at times by forced passes and unforced drops . Adjustment to having a attack that could suddenly score was at times disjointed. Believe that would have been smoothed with a full fall . Also needed to get the ball upfield quicker on change of possession, easier to score on a good d when they are somewhat unsettled.

 

[ivorytower]

Desko has remarked that both Katchurian and Thompson are good young tenders . Quick hands and reflexes plus both capable of quickly turning a save into a pass upfield . Our schedule makes it tough to sub in depth other than late minutes in blowouts. Practice is not the same as game experience, having the usual fall ball scrimmages will be helpful.

 

[MD Cuse Fan]

While the defense was certainly the glaring hole this season I think we can all agree the team needs to improve in every facet. Also while I think it would be helpful to grab a couple of guys in the portal that can help next year, based on roster size as PF mentioned I really hope we have guys already here that are ready to step up and contribute.

 

[Stealth4785]

You seem to really have it out for the offense. Are you related to one of the defenders on the team? I don't really think it serves much of a purpose to argue over which unit for the Orange was worse - but the defense was really bad this year. The Georgetown game was close at 3-2 before the Hoyas went on a 6 goal scoring run and the offense never saw the ball. Yes, face-offs play a huge part in this, but how in the world is it their fault when they have to try and come back from an 8-2 deficit and they never touch the ball? The defense has to make a stop there.

They did themselves no favors this year - good teams don't always win the face-off battle, but they have a good defense that can weather the storm. Syracuse didn't have it this year. Of course the offense is going to play rushed and scattered, they have to try and erase six goals and have no idea when they might see the ball again!

I don't think the offense was great this year, but March is a better coach then you are giving him credit for, he put up good numbers at Vermont and led the best offense in the MLL two summers ago. He's much more than a guy who rode Sowers' coattails.

Schematically speaking, the offense floundered when it turned into iso-ball and the offense flourished when it was based on ball movement. We need more willing passers on offense as well as better off ball players. Winning or losing, I turned games off when consecutive offensive possessions turned into watching subpar dodgers and unwilling passers drag their guy to X and fail to dodge. The Virginia game was the lone exception to this, as Curry feasted on his matchup and proved to be a willing passer. Inserting Seebold into the offense provided a better balance as he is a better dodger and passer than Scanlan. Cook is clearly outmatched, not necessarily physically, but mentally - he gets to space and is afraid to move the ball. I feel his confidence has been shattered, ala Jordan Evans - ironically both out of JD.

 

[Cuse All-In]

Porter was really bad this year. 54 and 55 out of 61 D1 goalies in save % and GAA is putrid. You can lay some of that off on the defense as a whole but not all of it. Your goalie has to be able to make saves. He just did not seem to see the ball well this year. We need a big step up here next year.

Agree to disagree. 15 saves against Georgetown is not putrid. 4 of 18 goals scored late in 4th when team frustration boiled over. Did u stop to think how someone who played well for 2 years suddenly becomes so bad?? Stats are only as useful as the situations and variables behind the stats.

The goalie stats and the team stats were a tale of 2 seasons - horrible losses to ND, UNC, Army and Georgetown. Many of the shots in the ugly games were wide open by the ACC's best shooters. The other games - Duke, UVA, Vermont etc - stats much better. I think you can and should lay a lot of the stats on systems and lack of experience on D, not on the individual D personnel.

I'm sure Porter is glad to be moving on after being hung out to dry and will be thrilled not to deal with the superficial analysis in your comments.

 

[CuseNHouse]

Porter was not bad , he was awful. He got blitzed on heat with clear open lanes from the outside and could never make the surprising one on one doorstep stops the elite goalies are making this season - Adler, Enteman , Krieg etc

Yes, he was hung out to dry , but you’ve got to come up with the ball on some of those -especially the long range stick side high shots .. he just didn’t see the ball this year

 

[WoodyUK]

I like Thompson in goal he looks like a good one and should win the job next fall.

He will be pushed when McCool comes in 22. He’s an elite goalie.

Def is deffo the weak point next year but Coccomo will help

 

[Cuse All-In]

Porter was not bad , he was awful. He got blitzed on heat with clear open lanes from the outside and could never make the surprising one on one doorstep stops the elite goalies are making this season - Adler, Enteman , Krieg etc

Yes, he was hung out to dry , but you’ve got to come up with the ball on some of those -especially the long range stick side high shots .. he just didn’t see the ball this year

I thought your elite goalies Adler, Krieg and Entenmann played well this season, The comparison with them highlights the enormous disadvantages Cuse and Porter had this season. Entenmann had 3 Media AAs on D (Kielty, Thornton etc), 2 strong fogos who consistently won possessions and a Tewaaraton stud in Kavanagh. Adler had a stiff named JT Giles-Harris in front of him among others, Naso at fogo and an all-star offense. Krieg had AA Bowen on D, Tucci at fogo and a guy named Gray with the leagues best offense. So those goalies had fewer shots, more time to rest due to possessions, had offenses that could go on big runs and were rarely trailing in a game. I think its fair to say that each of those teams was better coached by a wide margin. Porter and Cuse had none of those. These differences are not my opinion but clearly observable facts.

All this to say that there will need to be huge improvements in all those areas next year or it will be a long and ugly year for whoever is between the pipes.

 

[Troughin']

The face off requires some pure athleticism and better stick skills. Even when Phaup and Varello would win the draw to themselves, it was an absolute adventure before the ball ended up settled one way or the other. Varello was a disaster with the ball in his stick because of how athletic the other teams’ face off guys and wings were. They’d just run him down.

And I can tell you that the 2022 faceoff kid coming in after next season, Gavin Gibbs, is nowhere close to being an elite athlete. Great on the draw, but not the level of athlete Cuse needs there.

Perfectly said. Also- is it me or does Phaup somehow end up on the ground and out of the play EVERY SINGLE TIME?

 

[sutomcat]

Watch out for Mikey Berkman at attack. That is my one and only lacrosse tidbit.