Harvard Gameday…

[Powellfan]

 

[karhre2003]

These game day threads are pure gold. I don't usually read them until after the game and the H0T Takes and instant reactions to what's going on from play to play / goal to goal reads like a bi-polar case study. Keep it up lady's and gentlemen. One of my favorite parts of game day.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[DomeHolmes]

As someone that doesn’t understand lacrosse like many of you, it was an exciting and uplifting win. Tough loss for Harvard but what a win for SU. Was the final play a set play for Hiltz?

It was not a set play according to Hiltz. But if you watch the replay, you can see what he’s talking about. The defender glances away for just a second and that’s all he needed to get a step. If the defender was playing Hiltz tighter, the opportunity wouldn’t be there. It was just good awareness by Hiltz to cut and Spallina find him.

 

[CuseBlood44]

Wow that surprises me. Great crowd but I thought it would be a closer number to the ND game earlier this season. But hard to tell on tv obviously.

it was a picture perfect day / weekend, first time in months that it finally feels like summer and people have off work. Can’t really blame anyone for not wanting to sit indoors. Crowd was loud and electric during the comeback, those who make it to every game will have to chime in here but I bet the number of times that environment of crowd engagement has occurred in the sport can be counted on one hand

 

[Shenexon]

It was not a set play according to Hiltz. But if you watch the replay, you can see what he’s talking about. The defender glances away for just a second and that’s all he needed to get a step. If the defender was playing Hiltz tighter, the opportunity wouldn’t be there. It was just good awareness by Hiltz to cut and Spallina find him.

Thanks…

 

[Powellfan]

 

[Delmar]

This probably isn’t a good time to start another thread about doing away with the faceoff, is it?

 

[DomeHolmes]

What…a…game! Wow. What a horrible first half and what a great second half!

“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky then good”. I wouldn’t say that we were ‘lucky’, but without those penalties on Harvard, which led to our 4 man up goals (especially the non-releasable penalty in the 4th against Spallina in which we scored 3 man-up goals!) and without Mullen dominating at face-offs, then we lose this game. Harvard was actually the better team today, but whatever.

The bad:
-the 20 turnovers! Considering that we’re #3 in the country in fewest turnovers per game (interestingly, Princeton is #2) and even though English and Hiltz are #1 and #2 on our team in turnovers, even for them, today their turnovers were atrocious (6 for English and 5 for Hiltz)
-Harvard beat us badly in their 1v1 matchups, on both offense and defense. Teams have attacked and beaten our SSDMs all season, but today was the first time all season that all of our long poles got beaten badly (worst game of the year for our long poles on defense; obviously the 2 goals by our long poles on offense were huge though)
-our 1st half clearing was frustrating to watch
-McCool struggled (but he still had some great 2nd half saves)
-our 6v6 offense was really bad. We need more players that can win a 1v1 matchup

The good:
-Spallina’s passing is brilliant (he can’t dodge, he’s a subpar shooter, and his only move of posting up on the crease and doing the behind-the-back shot hasn’t worked in a long time, but if we can get him by himself, then his vision is elite)
-Rhoa’s outside shooting was amazing today. He’s been literally MIA for over a month now, but he picked a great time to finally show up again
-Mullen was a beast
-Our offense cannot dodge, but if you give us a man up, then our passing is brilliant. Our man up team/our box lacrosse team passes it beautifully, and it won this game for us today (in addition to Mullen). Coach Gait coaches our man up team, too, so congratulations to him!

Unfortunately, if our offense has this many turnovers and cannot score in 6v6, if our long poles get beaten in 1v1s this badly again, and if McCool struggles again, then our season ends next week. Princeton is a similar but better team then Harvard (a great offensive team, they actually have the #1 man up team in the country, and they have one of the best goalies in the country, but they’re also vulnerable at face-offs and their defense is just ok) so if we can limit our turnovers and missed clears, dominate the face offs, draw some penalties and score in man up, play better 1v1 D, and play better in goal, then we can make it a game! Go Cuse!

I’m not so sure Harvard was the better team. Our defense did get beat a few times. Sometimes with the usual inexplicable slides. However, we had (I believe) seven more shots on goal than they did. (Usually a good sign of how well you’re playing, not necessarily how you’re scoring)

We hit three or 4 pipes, Elijah Brown missed a wide open goal, and their goalie made three ridiculous saves, while our goalie was unusually bad.

Basically, they were about as “fortunate” as they could be with their goalkeeping, and we were about as unfortunate as we could be.

 

[36'sq.]

The Mother's Day Miracle...good lord

In my sports fandom career I don't think I've seen a more confusing team. After a sample size of 17 games I still don't know if we're good or not...Are we good? Whenever I think we've figured things out we regress. McCool looked lost in the first half tonight - shocking considering how well he'd been playing.

I knew it was going to be rough game when I saw Gait sporting that tie dye, baby blue golf shirt on the biggest game of the year. To go from wearing a suit...to the coach's equivalent of a Hawaiian shirt? My man looked like he knew an L was coming and already booked a flight to Cancun tomorrow morning.

Your 3rd paragraph here, I don't know what to say. Incredible analysis, I don't know if I thought while rewatching the '89 Championship on VHS with Leif telling us about the rules on shots/retaining possession 78 times as a kid...I'd ever read this about Gary Gait. Or see it! Amazing.

 

[SUlax88-09]

I’m not so sure Harvard was the better team. Our defense did get beat a few times. Sometimes with the usual inexplicable slides. However, we had (I believe) seven more shots on goal than they did. (Usually a good sign of how well you’re playing, not necessarily how you’re scoring)

We hit three or 4 pipes, Elijah Brown missed a wide open goal, and their goalie made three ridiculous saves, while our goalie was unusually bad.

Basically, they were about as “fortunate” as they could be with their goalkeeping, and we were about as unfortunate as we could be.

I’m not trying to argue with you, seriously, but if the face-offs are equal and if both teams have the same amount of penalties, then you really think we win that game? I definitely don’t. I don’t think it would even have been close. We couldn’t stop them, at all, and we had a very hard time scoring in our non-man up (6v6) offense. McCool had some ridiculous saves, too. Regardless, exciting game and great win

 

[FloridaCuse]

Hiltzy writes with his right hand?

 

[FloridaCuse]

 

[FloridaCuse]

 

[FloridaCuse]

Cardiac Cuse Strikes Again With Syracuse Pulling Off An Insane 2nd Half Comeback To Advance To The NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinals

It was 8-2. Eight to two. The Harvard Crimson were up big on Syracuse, and they were already thinking about how great that party on the bus ride back to Cambridge was going to be. Harvard has already ...

www.barstoolsports.com

 

[Laxfanshutt]

Harvard vs Syracuse NCAA Lacrosse Tournament Highlights

 

[MSOrange]

it was a picture perfect day / weekend, first time in months that it finally feels like summer and people have off work. Can’t really blame anyone for not wanting to sit indoors. Crowd was loud and electric during the comeback, those who make it to every game will have to chime in here but I bet the number of times that environment of crowd engagement has occurred in the sport can be counted on one hand

Understand totally. I was just surprised at the announced number compared to ND, as it appeared to be close to me. But after looking back at the ND game, I can now see where there were more and my memory was a bit faulty.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[PhatOrange]

Again just my opinion, but I have coached at the HS level for this generation on a competitive travel team - they’re a whole different breed

I concur and agree 100% with your previous post about structure prep and motivation. It's a way different breed than 'back in the day'.

 

[cuseguy]

Just my two cents, but the more I think about the more I think SU was flat to start the game. Many will say how can you say that be after losing to Harvard earlier this season? But it’s human nature to have some type of hangover after winning a league title. SU just looked slow and a little uninspired until it got behind by several goals. Harvard’s ride, of course was a menace we had trouble solving and its defense was well prepared 6 on 6. But we were flat and Harvard came out inspired, and we had to dog ourselves a huge hole before we could find our intensity.

 

[MD Cuse Fan]

Just my two cents, but the more I think about the more I think SU was flat to start the game. Many will say how can you say that be after losing to Harvard earlier this season? But it’s human nature to have some type of hangover after winning a league title. SU just looked slow and a little uninspired until it got behind by several goals. Harvard’s ride, of course was a menace we had trouble solving and its defense was well prepared 6 on 6. But we were flat and Harvard came out inspired, and we had to dog ourselves a huge hole before we could find our intensity.

Well hopefully they come out of the gate more inspired next weekend because Princeton is better than Harvard and I'm not so sure they will be as forgiving if we decide to spot them a 6 goal lead in the 1st half.

 

[tech37]

Well hopefully they come out of the gate more inspired next weekend because Princeton is better than Harvard and I'm not so sure they will be as forgiving if we decide to spot them a 6 goal lead in the 1st half.

They need to play like they did in first ND game. And game management needs to improve.

 

[GoSU96]

Just my two cents, but the more I think about the more I think SU was flat to start the game. Many will say how can you say that be after losing to Harvard earlier this season? But it’s human nature to have some type of hangover after winning a league title. SU just looked slow and a little uninspired until it got behind by several goals. Harvard’s ride, of course was a menace we had trouble solving and its defense was well prepared 6 on 6. But we were flat and Harvard came out inspired, and we had to dog ourselves a huge hole before we could find our intensity.

Harvard was much faster and more aggressive the whole first half. Really noticeable in person.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Just my two cents, but the more I think about the more I think SU was flat to start the game. Many will say how can you say that be after losing to Harvard earlier this season? But it’s human nature to have some type of hangover after winning a league title. AFTER GRADUATION PARTIES

FIFY

 

[OrangeXtreme]