Maryland Gameday...

[Stealth4785]

Hilts needs to come off those picks and look to shoot rather than pass. He needs to be a threat to shoot so he can make that spectacular pass.

 

[FloridaCuse]

Why are we saying we were unprepared there? I think someone just lost their man. Why is it always the coaches? It was a dead ball for an eternity it’s not like everyone was scrambling around looking confused. Someone lost their man

I'll go back and look at it again, but it looked like Rice came onto the field late, maybe through the box. If so, why wasn't he already there when play started back up. We should have gotten a break by the stoppage for the review and the officials restarting play back by our goal inside of where Md was when they blew the whistle. But it appeared we still weren't ready. Carc even said that.

 

[FloridaCuse]

I'll go back and look at it again, but it looked like Rice came onto the field late, maybe through the box. If so, why wasn't he already there when play started back up. We should have gotten a break by the stoppage for the review and the officials restarting play back by our goal inside of where Md was when they blew the whistle. But it appeared we still weren't ready. Carc even said that.

Beside, any chance Gary would admit he made a mistake?

 

[DoctahLexus]

I'll go back and look at it again, but it looked like Rice came onto the field late, maybe through the box. If so, why wasn't he already there when play started back up. We should have gotten a break by the stoppage for the review and the officials restarting play back by our goal inside of where Md was when they blew the whistle. But it appeared we still weren't ready. Carc even said that.

There is no way we were still making substitutions as the play began. The dead ball even after it was confirmed no goal was an extremely long time. Someone clearly screwed up but it’s not like we were still in the officials ear instead of preparing for the clear. It was a long as hell dead ball

 

[MD Cuse Fan]

I have major concerns about the attack beyond Joey. Mule was close to non existent last night. If he can't dodge were in major trouble. Team misses Kirst immensely. Anderson coming in next year seems like a near lock to play attack SU needs a second dodger desperately.

Jeremy I know it's early but do you think they ever consider putting Leo down at attack since that's he natural position? I'm sure they love having him getting a short stick match-up right now (although that coud change going forward), but it feels like he is someone who could beat his man consistently.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Jumping to Gait is silly to me. We had everything we needed to win this game. One blown assignment by a player on a clear does not mean he suddenly sucks. We had already moved on to the next play before they blew the whistle to review. I thought we made good decisions with personnel throughout. I don’t mind leaving Thomson in to attempt and work through it, but was glad to see they put Rhoa in his place on the final offensive possession. I liked the look with zone when md came out of the timeout with a low shot clock. We lost a heartbreaker to a good team.

 

[OttosDad]

Assuming u mean Mule wasn't impressive. Mike had a great game and he played attack in HS. So in theory yes he could be moved, however, he's an enormous part of the 1st midline with English playing so/so and Thomson in a horrific funk. Can't see moving him at this point, would be robbing Peter to pay Paul.


Elijah-Brown isn't redshirting and I highly doubt he would have had success yesterday but would like to see him get a few runs for Mule, see what he can do with the 1s.


Hiltz is a great player but hes not a dodger, just isn't a part of his game. Need him to be more effective seemed to get it going late but need more from him.

Correct meant Mule. I hear you on moving Leo, but ultimately I think he is a top 3 offensive player for this team. He has attack skills, I think you consider the move against Utah for a quarter or two and see how it works. Utes came into the year with some expectations but that seems like a game Cuse should win comfortably. Would be nice to experiment a bit before Army.

 

[nyclax]

rice wasn't late coming on the field...he was there protecting the substitution box side. but maryland cleared it up the other side so he was just out of the play, and they left the middle of the field wide open. it was just a bungled ride. not sure how it happened exactly. the spacing was all jacked

 

[Cuse4455]

I would love to see Elijah Brown get some run, he doesn't have Finns athleticism but from watching his OCC tape and the two shots he had this year he has a different style shot that might help us... Just a thought lol

 

[JeremyCuse]

Correct meant Mule. I hear you on moving Leo, but ultimately I think he is a top 3 offensive player for this team. He has attack skills, I think you consider the move against Utah for a quarter or two and see how it works. Utes came into the year with some expectations but that seems like a game Cuse should win comfortably. Would be nice to experiment a bit before Army.

I dont disagree on Leo but keep in mind he's drawing a shorty almost 100% of the time. You move him to attack hes now drawing each teams #2 close defender, enormous difference. Your also really weakening the 1st midline with Thomsons immense struggles and English still finding himself. You could bump Birtwistle to the 1st line but Mule isn't really an option at midfield.

To me the better idea would be to run Birtwistle or Elijah-Brown at attack with Joey and Hiltz and see what happens.

 

[Cuse All-In]

Didn't see the game yesterday but as pointed out before Thomson is shooting 10% on the year 2/21. But good to see SU is a top ten team now

Thomson's numbers have been horrible for a player with his skills. I would expect the coaches to give him another crack at it against Utah. If there is any pattern here, his box game may not translate well to field or he's jut having difficulty adjusting to the bright lights of D1 lacrosse. Great players do have slumps but he hasn't proven himself at this level yet so hard to know how much slack to give him.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Jeremy I know it's early but do you think they ever consider putting Leo down at attack since that's he natural position? I'm sure they love having him getting a short stick match-up right now (although that coud change going forward), but it feels like he is someone who could beat his man consistently.

Hey, ya on Leo its a tough call because the second you bump him the 1st mid line is weakened and now he's drawing a #2 pole. You also have to now run Mule at midfield which seems like it would end very badly. Your point about him drawing a poll at middie sooner rather then later is a good one but teams will be hesitant because then your freeing up English and Thomson with shorties which creates a whole other set of problems.

SU does need someone else drawing a pole at mid or attack who can beat their man. Now who that is or if SU has said player is open for debate. I keep coming back to it but to mean the answer lies with Birtwistle. He's a converted attackmen we know can fill it up. Think he has to be option 1 at either attack or 1st midline. I'd be curious to see how Elijah-Brown does if given a few runs with the 1s. Enormous jump from OOC but when u put up those stats your a player.

 

[ForCuseSake]

rice wasn't late coming on the field...he was there protecting the substitution box side. but maryland cleared it up the other side so he was just out of the play, and they left the middle of the field wide open. it was just a bungled ride. not sure how it happened exactly. the spacing was all jacked

This.

Disappointing that the coaching staff didn’t tell the middies to just pack it in on the ride to eliminate a fast break or unsettled situation off the clear.

I liked Odierna’s zone D call late in the fourth out of a TO. Thought he might’ve done the same if the call was upheld by review.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

Jumping to Gait is silly to me.

I assume it’s everywhere, but my experience here is that poster’s are far too hard on coaches.

Some of these kids have been in the program three or more years and still exercise little situational awareness. Thomson blowing a 2 minute unreleasable. Olexxo getting back doored twice. Etc.

I played a sport in college. There was very little in game coaching. We had game plans and were expected to execute. Eventually the kids need to make some winning plays.

I think the good news is that faceoffs look good, ssdm is better than anticipated (Rice was really good yesterday except for a couple mental errors) and the kids are playing really hard.

Rather than say top five, I’d say we seem squarely in the second tier right now. (Duke, ND, UVA are tier) Last year we were third tier. Progress is being made. Maryland, JHU, Army, Cornell are second tier and UNC and Delaware are third. Winning the majority of those games makes the season.

 

[cuselaxss26]

to be fair mule really didn’t try to dodge much from what i saw. Few times he went to start with ball joey ran over or called for it right away. I agree with using joey like we did i thought he had to play as feeder / decoy kinda way which would free up other guys. But also guys didn’t look in sync like normal like they all wanted to feed no one looking for ball to shoot. Hiltz few times running cross top thought had chance to shoot but didn’t. Also we had 40 shots compared to maryland 20 or something. So clearly we were getting chances yes i’d say least 10-15 tops of those were not great shots but still more then maryland if just buried our shots we win def. Thompson needs to forget this game and show up next two games. He never changed levels or plains just kept shooting high to high or low to low right into goalies stick. I’d like for them to see how mule can do qb at times also but seem wanted joey to handle it mostly. Very impressed by defense mean maryland had to make some pretty back door passes for goals. Also mark as good as he is has to stop outside or low angle shots. He needs to stop dropping low even dudes stick isn’t even low he’s giving them up high n their getting it. Also would like to use both our fogos more saving them from some ware and tare. But sad bout loss but as said i just wanted us to compete all game and we did which is huge step forward from last year. Now next step is finishing n winning the close games.

 

[cuselaxss26]

We have to beat everyone we should n id say out of the army hopkins cornell and acc games winning 3-4 of them gets us in playoffs. Army cornell hopkins unc prob the ones we need to win or will say better chance of winning compared to duke uva dame. But one game at time and they need to keep playing with hustle heart head

 

[cuselaxss26]

But overall was impressed. We barely lost ground all battle was md 30 cuse 28 which normally we get blown out by gbs. We had less turnovers than maryland which good. But 1-3 on man up has to be better. Also mark made 1 save each in 1st and 4th qtr which can’t have that either. This team can’t look past utes weds ither. They have to come out and take care of business. Need to win weds and then get ready for army who is whole other diff kind of beast. Army is always team who will play hard fast and tough.

 

[RF2044]

But overall was impressed. We barely lost ground all battle was md 30 cuse 28 which normally we get blown out by gbs. We had less turnovers than maryland which good. But 1-3 on man up has to be better. Also mark made 1 save each in 1st and 4th qtr which can’t have that either. This team can’t look past utes weds ither. They have to come out and take care of business. Need to win weds and then get ready for army who is whole other diff kind of beast. Army is always team who will play hard fast and tough.

Yeah -- I mean, just two years ago when we played that strong Maryland team, they ran us off the field.

We've come a long way. Disappointing outcome in overtime, but we were right there with them. Quite a difference from two years ago.

 

[tbonezone]

will mark woke up the second half. he plays like that we can play with anybody.
personally i hate it when the refs decide the game and not the players any sport. end of any game (and esp OT) you swallow the whistle on close (not blatant) calls and let them play. so it's a 50/50 call was he pushed by #47 ? certainly looked like it to me. SU goal game over. to wave off an OT goal on something close you need frame by frame replay to establish...kiss my butt.

 

[0.2 YNdeeR]

The current rules allow a review to determine if he's in the crease or not. They can't review how he got there. They can't assess a penalty for pushing after the fact if one wasn't originally called.

It would be like the NFL reviewing a play to determine if a DB had an interception or not, while ignoring the blatant PI the DB committed in the first place.

That's why the rule needs changing. There's no reason a push penalty should be a condition to review a crease violation. All they have to do is change the rule so that they can determine - and review - whether the crease violation resulted from contact by the defense. It doesn't have to be contact sufficient to constitute a push penalty, just enough contact to cause the violation.

 

[GoSU96]

disappointing result but the team is definitely better than it has been the last couple of years. Solid on, offense, defense, goal, and fogo.

you can fixate on the first quarter, but SU held Maryland to a 20 minute drought of their own. Gave up the two goal lead too quickly at the end.

Thompson might be very talented but his shooting killed a number of possessions.

 

[Bayside44]

disappointing result but the team is definitely better than it has been the last couple of years. Solid on, offense, defense, goal, and fogo.

you can fixate on the first quarter, but SU held Maryland to a 20 minute drought of their own. Gave up the two goal lead too quickly at the end.

Thompson might be very talented but his shooting killed a number of possessions.

Thompson had a shot on goal that looked like something that gets saved in U-11 lax.

Losing that faceoff so fast after 11-9 was brutal. Those are the margins at the highest levels.

 

[Orangello]

Thompson needs to sit. His shot selection and decision making were complete crap. Give somebody else a chance.

Same with Hiltz. We're not playing box. Stop with the tricky shovel passes. Shoot the GD ball, facilitate or sit down.

Change up the O lines

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[SUlax88-09]

I question Gary Gait’s vision of ball movement lacrosse, because I’m just not sold on its results against the top teams. Ball movement is great in man-up and against lesser trams, but what about the rest of the game and against good teams? All SU great teams and all Final Four teams have multiple players that can beat their man 1 on 1 and then score or draw a slide and create a scoring opportunity for someone else. When has ball movement been enough to get to the Final Four? The irony is that Gary Gait’s playing style was all about beating his defender 1 on 1.

I gave my impression of the SU team after the first game against Vermont last year, and (as always happens in this forum) I got killed for my thoughts, which actually again turned out to be correct (we went 1-5 in the ACC and had no postseason). I also said at that time that Spallina was too slow to win 1 on 1 match ups (top D1 defenders will not allow him to overpower them), and you guys killed me for that, too. Spallina’s passing is elite, absolutely, and he may end up being the all-time SU leading scorer (and he also seems like a great kid), but if he can’t consistently beat top tier defenders, then, sorry, he’s not leading us to a Final Four. Gait didn’t even have enough confidence to even give him the ball in overtime…

Rhoa and Leo can both dodge and shoot, and their 1 on 1 skills saved us yesterday (in addition to Kohn), but our Attack, as a unit, stunk. Although why would Tillman keep short stick defenders on Rhoa and Leo?! Glad he did, or else we would have been blown out. However, don‘t expect other good teams to make the same mistake. Relying on ball movement to score without having a single attackman that win a 1 on match-up is not a good recipe (obviously we don’t need all of our attackmen to be dodgers, because we need a finisher). But Mule is not a dodger, Hiltz (the biggest disappointment on the team) is not a dodger, and Spallina doesn’t have the speed to dodge (can’t they get him to work with track coaches to improve his speed?), so who initiates the offense for us on attack? What about playing Trey Deere on attack? At least give him a chance? Or maybe just keep doing pick plays for Spallina to free him up? Is there any other attackman on the bench that dodge? We saw what a good dodger can do against us, because Erksa was clearly the best player on the field yesterday.

I’m not really seeing a Final Four attack unit here, sorry. Beating up on lesser teams or in our man-up opportunities with beautiful ball movement is great (and I do appreciate the great passing vision of so many of our players), but how can we get back to the Final Four with only having 2 players (both middies) that can beat their defenders and score 1 on 1? It’s been 11 darn years since we made a Final Four… so let’s go!