JeremyCuse
Renowned lacrosse analyst
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John Desko should send a fruit basket to Jim Boehiem and Coach Q because without those two teams making a great to the final four the back to back meltdowns of the lacrosse team the last few weeks would have been front and center.
I have to admit that the success of the other two programs especially the Mens incredible run has lessened the effects of the last two weeks but it hasn't changed the outcome.
Looking back it SU could now easily be 7-0 ranked most likely #1 or 2 and headed for a showdown with ND. Instead its 5-2 and staring 5-3 in the face as their on the cusp of facing the most complete team to date. There is a golden opportunity on Saturday to right the wrong of the last two weeks but make no mistake ND is the best team SU will have faced all year and a third straight collapse would be devastating for this teams morale moving forward. So what has caused these problems lets identify a few issues.
The main thing to note in both losses was that the SU team collapsed as a whole on all three sides: offense, defense, and at X. The Hopkins game was more an issue of second half ineptness offensively and a horrific late turnover by Cifferi where Duke was a collapse across the board. To me a few things are evident:
1. Desko and staff have failed to make adjustments in the second half of games especially from an offensive standpoint. Look at the goals SU put up in the first half against JHU and Duke and then the second, its night and day. SU scored 11 first half goals against Duke and then managed only 4 in the second. The offense seemed unstoppable in the 1st half basically scoring at will from all parts of the field and then in the second couldn't even pass the ball or catch it cleanly without an issue. Also Class had 7 goals, 6 of which came from the spot on the field, how many times do you see that happen before you make an adjustment?
2. Ben Williams is either exhausted at the end of games or his nerves take over because he becomes a shell of himself in the 4th quarter. There is no bigger Williams fan then me but its clear he has struggled late in games and at this point has to be about 0-10 on must win faceoffs late in games. Its hard to fathom how a guy so dominant earlier in games can fall off so quickly late. As someone else noted it seems a lot of the other higher end faceoff guys struggle early with him but after the mystique and reputation wear off they seem to figure him out. Desko is going to have to look at getting Cal Paduda some more run or having Williams leave some tricks in the bag until the second half as he lost the clamp almost every draw to Rowe last weekend in the second half.
3. SSDM's are a complete mess. Outside of Grimm this position is clearly in crisis mode. Ciferri has been a disaster and #14 the kid from Cali is simply not strong enough to go up against Div 1 middies, he was getting moved out of there like he was a rag doll. D'Agostino should be moved to the position full time and we need to move one or two of the 20 offensive midfielders on the roster to the position as well. With Grimm and the Other Senior gone after this season I shudder to think what kind of shape that position will be in considering the issues its having now.
4. Veterans have to play better. From Hill to Donahue to Williams the late game play of our veteran players has been wanting at best. I don't put it all on Hill because some of the shots the last few weeks no one was stopping but Hill had a chance to stop the bleeding the last two weeks and couldnt' come up with a couple big league saves. Give him credit though he did make stops on both initial shots in OT. Williams we addressed already and Donahue is struggling to overcome drawing every teams top defender. I dont' have the answer how but this team needs him to be more involved in games especially the second half. He tried last week after Duke tied the game but he took about 4 or 5 shots none of which were anywhere close to the cage. He needs Piroli back desperately.
5. Lastly changes need to be made. The Jordan Evans experiment should come to a merciful end. Kid tries hard but its clear hes not the same player after the knee injuries and he has no ability to dodge at this point and his confidence is totally shot. Twice late in the game last week he actually made a move and had his man beat coming from X but hesitated and couldn't pull the trigger. Desko needs to start Piroli on Saturday and move Evans to middie even though I don't think he profiles there all that well. No more shadow games with Piroli guy has been cleared for two + weeks now, PLAY THE KID. I have no idea why he hasn't been out on the field. Also its time to pick two mid lines and go with them. I am all about depth and appreciate the staff trying different personnel groupings but this team has no need for a third mid line at this point and we need to stop resting the 1st line so dame much. The substitution patterns the last two weeks have been baffling. Desko has been subbing the mid lines like were up 15 against Siena or its 88 degrees in late May. Duke basically rode its first mid line into the ground and our guys are struggling to play back to back possessions. Salcido, Dejoe, Mariano are hot right now lets keep those guys out there and ride the wave for a bit.
I am very interested to see what if any changes/adjustments Desko and staff make for Saturday. This is a huge game for SU as falling to 5-3 with tough road games against rival teams coming up. A win here would give SU some breathing room, the alternative is must win games against Cornell and Hobart, both of whom are sure to give SU all it can handle.
Depth is starting to show with Weston and the frosh attack from Georgia scoring on Saturday. Staff needs to make the necessary adjustments and this team needs to hold on for a win before the wheels are completely off on this season.
I have to admit that the success of the other two programs especially the Mens incredible run has lessened the effects of the last two weeks but it hasn't changed the outcome.
Looking back it SU could now easily be 7-0 ranked most likely #1 or 2 and headed for a showdown with ND. Instead its 5-2 and staring 5-3 in the face as their on the cusp of facing the most complete team to date. There is a golden opportunity on Saturday to right the wrong of the last two weeks but make no mistake ND is the best team SU will have faced all year and a third straight collapse would be devastating for this teams morale moving forward. So what has caused these problems lets identify a few issues.
The main thing to note in both losses was that the SU team collapsed as a whole on all three sides: offense, defense, and at X. The Hopkins game was more an issue of second half ineptness offensively and a horrific late turnover by Cifferi where Duke was a collapse across the board. To me a few things are evident:
1. Desko and staff have failed to make adjustments in the second half of games especially from an offensive standpoint. Look at the goals SU put up in the first half against JHU and Duke and then the second, its night and day. SU scored 11 first half goals against Duke and then managed only 4 in the second. The offense seemed unstoppable in the 1st half basically scoring at will from all parts of the field and then in the second couldn't even pass the ball or catch it cleanly without an issue. Also Class had 7 goals, 6 of which came from the spot on the field, how many times do you see that happen before you make an adjustment?
2. Ben Williams is either exhausted at the end of games or his nerves take over because he becomes a shell of himself in the 4th quarter. There is no bigger Williams fan then me but its clear he has struggled late in games and at this point has to be about 0-10 on must win faceoffs late in games. Its hard to fathom how a guy so dominant earlier in games can fall off so quickly late. As someone else noted it seems a lot of the other higher end faceoff guys struggle early with him but after the mystique and reputation wear off they seem to figure him out. Desko is going to have to look at getting Cal Paduda some more run or having Williams leave some tricks in the bag until the second half as he lost the clamp almost every draw to Rowe last weekend in the second half.
3. SSDM's are a complete mess. Outside of Grimm this position is clearly in crisis mode. Ciferri has been a disaster and #14 the kid from Cali is simply not strong enough to go up against Div 1 middies, he was getting moved out of there like he was a rag doll. D'Agostino should be moved to the position full time and we need to move one or two of the 20 offensive midfielders on the roster to the position as well. With Grimm and the Other Senior gone after this season I shudder to think what kind of shape that position will be in considering the issues its having now.
4. Veterans have to play better. From Hill to Donahue to Williams the late game play of our veteran players has been wanting at best. I don't put it all on Hill because some of the shots the last few weeks no one was stopping but Hill had a chance to stop the bleeding the last two weeks and couldnt' come up with a couple big league saves. Give him credit though he did make stops on both initial shots in OT. Williams we addressed already and Donahue is struggling to overcome drawing every teams top defender. I dont' have the answer how but this team needs him to be more involved in games especially the second half. He tried last week after Duke tied the game but he took about 4 or 5 shots none of which were anywhere close to the cage. He needs Piroli back desperately.
5. Lastly changes need to be made. The Jordan Evans experiment should come to a merciful end. Kid tries hard but its clear hes not the same player after the knee injuries and he has no ability to dodge at this point and his confidence is totally shot. Twice late in the game last week he actually made a move and had his man beat coming from X but hesitated and couldn't pull the trigger. Desko needs to start Piroli on Saturday and move Evans to middie even though I don't think he profiles there all that well. No more shadow games with Piroli guy has been cleared for two + weeks now, PLAY THE KID. I have no idea why he hasn't been out on the field. Also its time to pick two mid lines and go with them. I am all about depth and appreciate the staff trying different personnel groupings but this team has no need for a third mid line at this point and we need to stop resting the 1st line so dame much. The substitution patterns the last two weeks have been baffling. Desko has been subbing the mid lines like were up 15 against Siena or its 88 degrees in late May. Duke basically rode its first mid line into the ground and our guys are struggling to play back to back possessions. Salcido, Dejoe, Mariano are hot right now lets keep those guys out there and ride the wave for a bit.
I am very interested to see what if any changes/adjustments Desko and staff make for Saturday. This is a huge game for SU as falling to 5-3 with tough road games against rival teams coming up. A win here would give SU some breathing room, the alternative is must win games against Cornell and Hobart, both of whom are sure to give SU all it can handle.
Depth is starting to show with Weston and the frosh attack from Georgia scoring on Saturday. Staff needs to make the necessary adjustments and this team needs to hold on for a win before the wheels are completely off on this season.
