This is something I typically do when re-watching the games. It essentially assigns "blame" so to speak for goals scored against. It isn't meant to be with malice as in "X player lost us the game", it simply is my brief analysis of what went wrong on each goal. This is a very rough version since I'm not usually sharing it or documenting it, but if there is some interest I may try to clean things up if I continue.
Some caveats:
There are often many things that go wrong on a goal against. There is rarely a simple X player did this wrong. It can often be X player did this wrong because Y player positioned wrong because Z player communicated poorly. Due to the complexity and my desired time spent there will be many over simplifications.
We can't see or hear what is communicated on the field. There may be plays where a player doesn't slide because the game plan explicitly says to not slide in that scenario or communication on field told him not to. Players my be erroneously tagged for a lack of slide or similar due to this.
Sometimes it can be hard to delineate where an actual breakdown begins. For example: An offensive player gets his hands free from Defender X on an relatively harmless play, he then makes a pass to a player left wide open by Defender Y, who scores. Depending on the play this might be place on either or both players.
This is only the opponents goals not all attempts. Therefore, a defender may be targeted 15 times with a dodge over the course of a game. They might get scored on 3 times and by the highlights one might say "Wow he got killed today". When in reality they were solid for a majority of the game.
I am by no means some analytical defensive expert. This is all for fun, but if I miss anything or you have any feedback or suggestions I would greatly appreciate it.
Explanation of Columns:
Column A | Video | This is the time-stamp in the video in which the sequence starts.
Column B | # | Refers to the order the goal was scored.
Column C | Score | Refers to the total score after the goal was scored
Column D | Scorer | Player who scored
Column E | Diff. | See below, but briefly the level of "pressure" on the play shooting.
Column | 1° Defender | Player(s) involved in the initial breakdown of the coverage. This can be two or more players.
Column G | How? | Categorized breakdown (see below)
Column H | 2° Defender | In the case of a slide or help, there may be a second group of player or players involved in the breakdown.
Column I | How? | Categorized breakdown (see below)
Under Table | Context | Brief write up of how the goal happened
Explanation of Diff. or "Shot difficulty":
#
Category
Explanation
1
Hands free / uncontested
Shooter has time and space. No defender affecting hands, body, or release. Clean vision and clean shooting motion.
2
Late pressure / soft contest
Defender is nearby or closing, but not meaningfully disrupting the shot. Shooter’s hands are mostly free.
3
Contested release
Defender is actively pressuring with stick or body position. Shooter can still get hands through, but release angle, timing, or comfort is affected.
4
Heavy pressure
Defender is tight and clearly disrupting the shot with stick checks, body contact, or forced balance/angle. Shooter has limited space but still gets the shot off.
5
Cuffed / smothered
Shooter’s hands and body are in physical contact with the defender. Hands are tied up or crowded, release is severely restricted, and the shot is forced through contact.
Explanation of "How?":
These could use some work I think some are overly specific or not specific enough or duplicative. The communication one's are hard as mentioned above. This could use some suggestions.
Physical
Physical | Beat Dodge
Defender gets cleanly beat with no obvious faults.
Physical | Bad Approach
Defender gets beat with a clear bad approach to dodger.
Physical | Overplay
Defender gets beat with an bad attempt at poke checking, crowbarring, etc.
Physical | Picked/Screened
Defender gets phsyically caught by pick or slow to get around pick.
Physical | Lost Contact
Defender can't maintain adequate contact with offensive player.
Physical | Cuffed but Beaten
Defender played soundly but offensive player still scored.
Mental
Mental | Ball-Watching
Defender lost coverage watching ball or dodge.
Mental | Lost Man
Defender lost visual coverage of his man or position.
Mental | Late Recognition
Defender was in position to make play but recognized breakdown too late.
Mental | Overhelp
Defender furthered breakdown by sliding to help when not needed.
Mental | Bad Positioning
Defender was positioned too far from his assignment.
Mental | No Slide
Defender was positioned and had time to make slide but did not.
Mental | Late Slide
Defender was positioned and had time to make slide but did so too late.
Mental | No Second Slide
Defender did not adequately second slide to player covered by initial slide
Mental | Late Second Slide
Defender did slide to player left open by initial slide but was too late.
Mental | No/Slow Recover
Defender did not adequately recover to an open player when he switched off his coverage.
Communication
Communication | Pick/Switch Error
Defender(s) did not adequately communicate a pick or switch.
Communication | Assignment Confusion
Defender(s) did not adequately communicate assignment switch.
Notre Dame 2026 Used the highlight video from NCAA Lacrosse Highlights on Youtube
Video
#
Score
Scorer
Diff.
1° Defender
How?
2° Defender
How
0:17
1
1-0
Miller
2
Dwan/Bowen
Communication | Pick/Switch error
-
2:23
2
2-1
Maheras
1
Spallina
Physical | Bad Approach
-
3:59
3
3-2
Yago
1
Spallina
Physical | Bad Approach
Beck
Mental | No Slide
5:49
4
4-2
Busenkel
2
Figueiras/Bowen
Communication | Pick/Switch Error
Beck
Mental | Late Slide
7:35
5
5-3
Miller
1
Beck
Mental | Ball-Watching
-
12:36
6
7-6
Angrick
2
Bowen/Figueiras
Mental | Overhelp
Kuczynski
Mental | Late Recognition
12:53
7
7-7
Yago
5
Figueiras
Physical | Cuffed but Beaten
Dwan/McCool(?)
Mental | Overhelp
15:00
8
8-8
Maheras
1
McCarthy
Physical | Beat Dodge
Kuczynski
Mental | Late Slide
15:50
9
9-8
Faison
2
Bowen
Physical | Failed Check
McCarthy/Beck
Mental | No Slide
18:45
10
10-8
Lally
2
Beck
Communication | Pick/Switch Error
-
20:20
11
11-8
Busenke
2
Bowen
Physical | Beat Dodge
-
21:30
12
12-8
Jeffries
2
Bolognino
Physical | Bad Approach
-
22:50
13
13-11
Behrman
2
Beck
Mental | Overhelp
Spallina
Mental | Late Second Slide
26:30
14
14-11
Angrick
2
Hahn/Bowen
Communication | Pick/Switch Error
Dwan
Mental | Late Recognition
27:40
15
15-11
Miller
2
Dwan
Mental | Ball-Watching
-
30:00
16
16-11
Busenkel
1
Spallina (Joey)
Mental | Bad Positioning
-
From X Luke Miller runs through a pick. Syracuse switches Bowen as primary defender. Bowen gets beat by a roll and runs upfield. Dwan attempts to double and is too late on hands.
Maheras catches receives a pass inside the top left restraining line. Spallina is slow to approach plants both his feet allowing Maheras to run free with minimal contact. Maheras runs down alley and takes uncontested shot on the run.
Yago initiates from just above center restraining line. Spallina takes bad approach and is immediately beat to his right. Beck hedges but does not slide allowing wide open shot.
Lally spin cycles Figueiras near pick by Busenkel. Bowen switches to Lally and Figueras doesn't/can't retake Lally. Bowen pursues as Lally goes around the crease but cannot reach him. Beck slides but is too slow/too late.
Gets hypnotized by Donovan running down field. Begins to float upfield and doesn't react fast enough after Chuck picks up Donovan. Leaving Miller wide open near crease.
Maheras runs down alley with Bowen defending. Figuerias slides to help maybe without it being necessary at that time. Kittleberger second slides to the man Fig left leaving space open. Angrick runs to fill the space. Bowen is slow to recover to Angrick because he fell and Chuck is hesistant to pickup Angrick.
Yago runs through Fig who is holding him with his stick. McCool attempts to body check Yago leaving cage open for hard shot but easy goal.
McCarthy just gets cleanly run by. Kucyznski slides but it is already too late at that point (no fault).
Bowen attempts a poke check which leaves him in a vulnerable postion. Faison takes advantage and runs around him. McCarthy kind of watches this develop starts to slide but doesn't. Beck does too but notices later than McCarthy and probably wouldn't have been in position to reach him.
From behind cage Lally gets a step on Beck from a noticeably ILLEGAL moving pick by Busenkell. Runs around crease and upfield before scoring.
From X Bowen is baited by a stutter step and overplays his right side. Busenkell cleanly runs and upfield and scores on the run.
From near center restraining line, Jeffries takes advantage of a bad approach by Bolognino and runs down the right alley. Scores on a right handed shot on the run.
Play starts with a pick for Maheras. Kuczynski and Hahn getting tangled at the pick. Beck starts to hedge from the top of the crease, even though Hahn I think is maintaining enough contact. His man fades to the spot left open and Spallina is late with the second slide to pick him up.
Pick play with Lally/Angrick. Hahn and Bowen do not communicate the switch and Angrick fades off the pick. Receives a pass for a wide open step down. Dwan closes out on a slide but does not make substantial contact.
Kuczynski gets beat on a dodge leading to a slide by Beck. Dwan is directing traffic and drifts away from his man who fades to an open space.
Odd situation, Fig is coming up for the double and Spallina positions for it which just leaves Busenkel with a open lane to shoot on goal.
And finally points are assigned as follows, this isn't always fair based on how the plays happen but its the most complex I'm willing to think through lol. For Primary Defender(s) 1 point or .5 if split between two players. For Secondary Defender(s) .5 points or .25 if split between two players.
