LAX TV/Streaming for Feb 10-15

[LaxAddict38]

It was, would have been interesting to see how that year played out had Covid not hit. I think 2021 showed it may not have ended in a title but that team definitely was rolling and you never know. Though defensively I think they may have gotten a bit exposed later in the season and the attack while good had a dodging hole (shocking I know). Still that has to be a major what if of the last 20+ years that and the Staats Rice Galasso Senior year team that should have won a title.

Disagree. Under-rated losses to Syracuse and changes to college lacrosse landscape took place after 2020 going into 2021:

- Nick Mellen, Andrew Helmer, Jared Fernandez, and David Lipka were all major pieces that didn't return and the replacements were not at the same level. Defense was significantly worse in 2021 and the 2nd line very much missed David Lipka who thrived in a similar role at ND.

- Dominant FOGO Jake Phaup went from 60%+ at the X to struggling with the rule change in the 2020-2021 off-season and hovering at or below 50% for much of 2021 (before bouncing back in 2022).

- Every other top school was also able to load up on portal additions / quality freshmen to bolster their roster in 2021. Duke had just lost to Air Force in 2020 and had little offensive fire power, then added Sowers via portal and O'Neill as a freshman. UVA had just lost to Brown in 2020 and appeared to be struggling, then added Bertrand via portal and Shellenberger as a freshman (was redshirting in 2020).

- Other schools were very good but playing true freshmen, which can be hard. Would Maryland's McNaney or Notre Dame's Entenmann and Kavanagh have been as dominant as true freshmen in 2020 as they were with another year under their belt in 2021? This is the one area I would be willing to concede, maybe they were just that good, regardless. These 2 teams, looking back, would have been Final 4 contenders, no doubt.

I don't know if Syracuse would have won the championship in 2020 or dudded out of the first round, major what if. But I don't think using the 2021 season to make the argument that 2020 was over-rated makes much sense. Completely different Syracuse team and completely different college lax landscape, imo.

 

[cuselaxss26]

Little off topic only bring it up cause nick mellon came up. But the year we played loyola in playoffs n lost. Think could been year to actually make it. Even tho psu team next would been tough for sure, n yale with td of course. One thing i always knocked desko for was having nick mellon on spencer that game. Specially after spencer bodied him brutally. I never understood why didn’t switch to bomberry who was bigger n way more physical defender. Spencer was big not super fast but not slow. But thought made so much more sense to have tyson on him then nick.

Nick was def best cover guy for sure. The height difference tho vs spencer was clear n spencer took advantage of it. As said just saw nicks name n made me think of that game. Think could been diff game if we switched that matchup.

 

[LaxAddict38]

Little off topic only bring it up cause nick mellon came up. But the year we played loyola in playoffs n lost. Think could been year to actually make it. Even tho psu team next would been tough for sure, n yale with td of course. One thing i always knocked desko for was having nick mellon on spencer that game. Specially after spencer bodied him brutally. I never understood why didn’t switch to bomberry who was bigger n way more physical defender. Spencer was big not super fast but not slow. But thought made so much more sense to have tyson on him then nick.

Nick was def best cover guy for sure. The height difference tho vs spencer was clear n spencer took advantage of it. As said just saw nicks name n made me think of that game. Think could been diff game if we switched that matchup.

Agreed, was insane to have 5'9 Mellen on a future NBA player. He ended up with 9 points and could've had more, they put Mellen in a horrible spot. Should've put Kennedy or Bomberry on him. Mellen would have matched up well with Ament, IMO. He was great against small speedsters like him or Sowers.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Disagree. Under-rated losses to Syracuse and changes to college lacrosse landscape took place after 2020 going into 2021:

- Nick Mellen, Andrew Helmer, Jared Fernandez, and David Lipka were all major pieces that didn't return and the replacements were not at the same level. Defense was significantly worse in 2021 and the 2nd line very much missed David Lipka who thrived in a similar role at ND.

- Dominant FOGO Jake Phaup went from 60%+ at the X to struggling with the rule change in the 2020-2021 off-season and hovering at or below 50% for much of 2021 (before bouncing back in 2022).

- Every other top school was also able to load up on portal additions / quality freshmen to bolster their roster in 2021. Duke had just lost to Air Force in 2020 and had little offensive fire power, then added Sowers via portal and O'Neill as a freshman. UVA had just lost to Brown in 2020 and appeared to be struggling, then added Bertrand via portal and Shellenberger as a freshman (was redshirting in 2020).

- Other schools were very good but playing true freshmen, which can be hard. Would Maryland's McNaney or Notre Dame's Entenmann and Kavanagh have been as dominant as true freshmen in 2020 as they were with another year under their belt in 2021? This is the one area I would be willing to concede, maybe they were just that good, regardless. These 2 teams, looking back, would have been Final 4 contenders, no doubt.

I don't know if Syracuse would have won the championship in 2020 or dudded out of the first round, major what if. But I don't think using the 2021 season to make the argument that 2020 was over-rated makes much sense. Completely different Syracuse team and completely different college lax landscape, imo.

Well to be fair I didn't say SU was overrated in 2020, not sure where you got that from. I said 2021 showed that it wasn't a lock the team would have won a title had it not been COVID. I do agree that the D took some major losses from 20 to 21 including Mellen, Helmer and Fernandez (when healthy). I disagree on Lipka, good player but don't think he was going to make or break the season.

I think the 2020 team had a chance to go far but Cornell and PSU were also pretty loaded, hard to say on Maryland. I don't think SU would have lost in the 1st round but as Phaup was on a role and that Midfield was really good but the Army game that year showed their were issue that I think may have eventually caught up.