NCAA Quarterfinal Games for May 21-22 | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

NCAA Quarterfinal Games for May 21-22

Whelp. MD is as big a problem as you will ever see. Hard to just blame it on things like faceoffs and goalies, although they were a part of what made it so lopsided. What really stood out today for me was the D. Shellenberger and Moore were both finding steps on their man last year in the finals. Nowhere to be found this time around. They were able to get away with/disciplined enough to commit very few unnecessary slides. MDs D took a big step up this year and last year compared to how they looked in 2019 and the shortened 2020 season. Puglise and Higgings just take on whatever comes there way, whether it is speedy guys or canadian style bull dodge guys. UVA had a couple plays that where they didn't take care of the ball and payed dearly for it, dooming any chance of keeping it close. This years MD team only perfection will give you a shot and they were far from it today. Moore Dickson and Shellenberger were taking some weak shots early in the shot clock too. Murphy is a psycho as well. His shooting today was unreal.
 
Maryland was incredibly impressive almost to the point of being boring. Tillman and his staff have done a brilliant job of providing a system that works while the players look to play "freely" and with tremendous poise. Yes they have great players but there simply is no weakness and there seems to be a flow to their game which is different from other teams I've watched the past few years. Unless something strange happens, the championship is over.

One other observation - every team I watched this weekend including Delaware had a well coached D. Scary just how bad Cuse D has been for 2 years compared to these other teams.
 
Honestly give Maryland the trophy now it's over. The dominance over UVA was stunning and none of the 3 teams left have any sort of shot beating them zero.
 
ND and Duke were stronger teams than UVA at year end but Maryland is special.
Watching these games , Cuse is not that far away, can't forget losing 14-10 to Maryland and in OT to Cornell besides several other winnable games despite injuries to keys , lack of usual depth and mediocre goaltending Golden age for tending with many victories marked by high save totals . Get that goaltending and anything is possible Cuse participating in portal players for bridge. Need that fogo . Under the radar addition of Bolea from Kenyon besides and good first line mids mean snuff good pieces in place with Hiltz and Spalling for double digit wins and a return to tourney.
 
Championship weekend feels like an impending dud. MD fans will have fun... that's about it. Tillman will have won his second championship if it comes to fruition... feels like they have won more, which is obviously because they have been runner up 5 times since 2011.
 
I swear there was a time when the #1 seed always got the first game, and that's the way it should be.
As a Maryland fan, I have accepted Maryland getting the 2nd game because they were the lower seed in the past. This year they are the top seed, and Maryland still gets the 2nd game. I just don't understand that. It appears that the NCAA is being biased against Maryland.
 
As a Maryland fan, I have accepted Maryland getting the 2nd game because they were the lower seed in the past. This year they are the top seed, and Maryland still gets the 2nd game. I just don't understand that. It appears that the NCAA is being biased against Maryland.

I mean it does appear that way based on how many times Maryland has had the second game in the last 10 years. I'm trying to find information on when the NCAA changed the old format in which the #1/#4 game was always first. I do think Maryland is so good this year it won't matter.
 
Maryland is as complete a team as I’ve ever seen. Just so many weapons, smart and very disciplined. Machine like. That said, they also have as good a goalie as there is and without the goaltending that team loses games this year.
 
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I mean it does appear that way based on how many times Maryland has had the second game in the last 10 years. I'm trying to find information on when the NCAA changed the old format in which the #1/#4 game was always first. I do think Maryland is so good this year it won't matter.
If Maryland wins, it will get swept under the rug. If Maryland loses on Monday, it could cause a lot of complaining.

Is the rationale that Maryland is the more popular team, and they want that game later in the afternoon? Is that a reasonable rationale? Syracuse is also a pretty popular team, so if that is the rationale, it could happen to you someday.
 
If Maryland wins, it will get swept under the rug. If Maryland loses on Monday, it could cause a lot of complaining.

Is the rationale that Maryland is the more popular team, and they want that game later in the afternoon? Is that a reasonable rationale? Syracuse is also a pretty popular team, so if that is the rationale, it could happen to you someday.

Maryland could be playing at Midnight on Sunday and it wouldn't matter, this a dream final four for them. Maryland has already dusted Rutgers twice (Maryland is an awful matchup for them) and Cornell has no chance defensively against a team like Maryland. Unless Princeton somehow pulls a massive upset (I don't see it) its over.
 
Maryland could be playing at Midnight on Sunday and it wouldn't matter, this a dream final four for them. Maryland has already dusted Rutgers twice (Maryland is an awful matchup for them) and Cornell has no chance defensively against a team like Maryland. Unless Princeton somehow pulls a massive upset (I don't see it) its over.

I'm thinking Princeton has the only chance but that's probably a pipe dream.
 
Princeton and Maryland played earlier this year, Maryland won 15-10. That said, Princeton was down to their third string FOGO, who won only 9-29 face-offs and Wierman scored two goals. If Princeton can do a little better than that they might have a chance to pull the upset. They also got 19 saves from their goalie, which will be hard to replicate.

I like the Tigers this year, their offense is very unselfish and they move the ball really well. I was perplexed by UVA yesterday, a lot of hero ball from Shellenberger and Moore that led to easy saves by McAnaney. Princeton won't do that. Their issue is they aren't very deep. Seven of their top scorers have 20+ points but the eighth only has eight.

If I had to choose of course I would take the Terps, but this Tiger team probably has the best chance at defeating them. I think if Maryland advances to Monday, that game will be over very early and the time of the Saturday games won't matter much. Cornell really isn't deep enough and Maryland has already proven that Rutgers doesn't pose any kind of threat.
 
Princeton and Maryland played earlier this year, Maryland won 15-10. That said, Princeton was down to their third string FOGO, who won only 9-29 face-offs and Wierman scored two goals. If Princeton can do a little better than that they might have a chance to pull the upset. They also got 19 saves from their goalie, which will be hard to replicate.

I like the Tigers this year, their offense is very unselfish and they move the ball really well. I was perplexed by UVA yesterday, a lot of hero ball from Shellenberger and Moore that led to easy saves by McAnaney. Princeton won't do that. Their issue is they aren't very deep. Seven of their top scorers have 20+ points but the eighth only has eight.

If I had to choose of course I would take the Terps, but this Tiger team probably has the best chance at defeating them. I think if Maryland advances to Monday, that game will be over very early and the time of the Saturday games won't matter much. Cornell really isn't deep enough and Maryland has already proven that Rutgers doesn't pose any kind of threat.

I agree but to me this Maryland team is on a mission. That dismantling of UVA told me this year will be different. Now clearly this uVA team isn't as good as last year (something does feel off with them) but if they can clamp down on UVA defensively like that I am not sure anyone else stands a chance. I could certainly see Princeton keeping it close but unless Wierman gets hurt or another major injury I just don't see it.

I also agree that Sat is essentially the national champ game, I can't see any scenario where Cornell or Rutgers can keep it competitive into the 4th quarter less beat them. I know Rutty fans will be salty over that but I watched their first two games, it was over by the 2nd quarter.
 
I agree but to me this Maryland team is on a mission. That dismantling of UVA told me this year will be different. Now clearly this uVA team isn't as good as last year (something does feel off with them) but if they can clamp down on UVA defensively like that I am not sure anyone else stands a chance. I could certainly see Princeton keeping it close but unless Wierman gets hurt or another major injury I just don't see it.

I also agree that Sat is essentially the national champ game, I can't see any scenario where Cornell or Rutgers can keep it competitive into the 4th quarter less beat them. I know Rutty fans will be salty over that but I watched their first two games, it was over by the 2nd quarter.

Your first sentence is spot on. Maryland has mostly beaten every opponent comfortably and yet I don't recall them ever coming out flat or not ready to play (maybe their game against OSU?). They just seem so focused on the end goal that they only team beating them is them.
 
I was trying to find a longer clip of this Maltz goal from yesterday. There's not enough here to appreciate it, but the way they worked VA's shorties was ridiculous.

 
I was trying to find a longer clip of this Maltz goal from yesterday. There's not enough here to appreciate it, but the way they worked VA's shorties was ridiculous.

1. Nightmarishly bad defense from #34 and 49 there.
2. I would call that an assisted goal. Don't think he did enough to make it unassisted.
 
1. Nightmarishly bad defense from #34 and 49 there.
2. I would call that an assisted goal. Don't think he did enough to make it unassisted.
The play developed I think from the opposite side and the shorty over there couldn't decide whether he wanted to be in front of the net or behind it, and he ended up ridiculously out of position.
 
Maryland is as complete a team as I’ve ever seen. Just so many weapons, smart and very disciplined. Machine like. That said, they also have as good a goalie as there is and without the goaltending that team loses games this year.
Just my opinion but I don't see the goalie being that important for Maryland. McNaney is solid but their D is so good at limiting quality shots, it doesn't really matter who is in net. Also, MD's offense is so strong that they are typically building up an early lead and takes pressure off of D.
 
I was trying to find a longer clip of this Maltz goal from yesterday. There's not enough here to appreciate it, but the way they worked VA's shorties was ridiculous.


Simple pass down pick down, the SSDM was asleep. What was he doing.
 
Just my opinion but I don't see the goalie being that important for Maryland. McNaney is solid but their D is so good at limiting quality shots, it doesn't really matter who is in net. Also, MD's offense is so strong that they are typically building up an early lead and takes pressure off of D.

For some reason I’ve watched a lot of their games and McNany always seem to be on fire. Maybe caught him at the right time but other teams would get good shots and he’d just eat them up.

He is sixth nationally in save percentage
 
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Griffin Schutz had a couple of nice goals in the game yesterday. He finished with 23 goals and 7 assists on the season, but he did mostly play midfield, so those look like decent numbers.

The announcers were mentioning Schutz moving to attack next year. It will be interesting to see if that happens. Virginia does have the highly touted freshman Truitt Sunderland, who is a feeder, showing up.
 

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