Next Year - Will it Be Different?

[OrangeinBoston]

1. Goal: Lamolinara is gone. There is a highly regarded RF on the roster and OCC's goalie coming in. I doubt Wardwell sees the field again. Evaluation: Big PLUS +

2. Defense: With the exception of Mullins, the defense was largely a mess. There are incoming LSMs, defensemen and middies. To make and impact as a freshman at a pole, you have to be really, really good. Hopefully, some of the incoming middies are DMids and will shore up this area of weakness. Evaluation: Question Mark ?

3. FOGO: Yes, after 3 1/2 years Daddio finally figured out the X...to an entent. Because of his non-existent stick skills, even when he won a face-off, it was an adventure. SU struggles at wing play. Evaluation: Going out on a limb and saying that one of the 4, count them 4, incoming FOGO guys will pan out and place less stress on wing play. Evaluation: Plus +

5. Offense: The offense was rounding into shape nicely when they ran into Bryant's zone and gave the impression of never having seen one before. Will the staff coach them effectively to face zones? Will they find someone with a cannon of an outside shot to foil the zone? Evaluation: Question Mark ?

Thoughts?

 

[WoodyUK]

I hope the staff take auditions for all the positions without prejudice! I think right now we are playing a lot if players out of position! With exception of Mullins, Rice and Lecky I think all spots should be up for grabs!

We need to find a face off guy quickly whether that's a freshman or not, Vaughn Harris from OCC could be who they are looking to!

We will have Hayes McGinley back who looked good in the fall and JT Forkin a highly touted Freshman!

I was very impressed with firman at LSM he looked like a man amongst boys but will he shift to close? We have tried others and don't think we have the answers there!

Warren Hill is really one of the best I have ever seen at world or college level and have high hopes for him I just hope the coaches don't try to change too much. Wardwell will still be in the mix with Parker Ferrigan!

Anyway this year finished abruptly,however this teammates not have won a championship but have left behind some great performances and games some will live long in the memory! Thanks to all the Srs!

 

[JeremyCuse]

1. Goal: Lamolinara is gone. There is a highly regarded RF on the roster and OCC's goalie coming in. I doubt Wardwell sees the field again. Evaluation: Big PLUS +

2. Defense: With the exception of Mullins, the defense was largely a mess. There are incoming LSMs, defensemen and middies. To make and impact as a freshman at a pole, you have to be really, really good. Hopefully, some of the incoming middies are DMids and will shore up this area of weakness. Evaluation: Question Mark ?

3. FOGO: Yes, after 3 1/2 years Daddio finally figured out the X...to an entent. Because of his non-existent stick skills, even when he won a face-off, it was an adventure. SU struggles at wing play. Evaluation: Going out on a limb and saying that one of the 4, count them 4, incoming FOGO guys will pan out and place less stress on wing play. Evaluation: Plus +

5. Offense: The offense was rounding into shape nicely when they ran into Bryant's zone and gave the impression of never having seen one before. Will the staff coach them effectively to face zones? Will they find someone with a cannon of an outside shot to foil the zone? Evaluation: Question Mark ?

Thoughts?

1. Fully expect Hill to start barring some sort of academic or injury issue, he is one heck of a player. I suspect Wardwell will pull out all the stops over the summer but unless he isnt eligible I dont see how Hill doesn't start.

2. Defense will be a big topic in the fall and winter. I suspect Firman will bump down to close with Mullins and Young. That leaves McCartney at LSM. We will need to develop some depth there and or hope Tait and McDermott develop because they appeared to really struggle this year. Could this be the year Palasek breaks out? An unknown incoming transfer here wouldnt be surprising. SSDM needs a complete overhaul Jenkins is gone and Messina and Grimm really struggled for most of the year. They have Cifieri (spelling) but hes built like the two other guys. Need some guys 6 feet and taller with some size to be effective against ACC offesnses. Expect some new faces there.

3. Lots of options next year for the X including Demarco, Vaughn Harris (if he makes it here), and Max Parker from FL. To be honest I am way more concerned about the wing play then the actual X guy. there will be so much depth at the X itself someone will emerge. The wings need a total revamp. I would put Lecky out there probably with Firman. Hope we take a look at one or two of the incoming frosh as well, we need some new blood on the wings, what we have now isn't working.

4. Offense - Should be loaded to the brim with not only talent but stars. Rice (Sr), Staats (Sr) Donahue (Jr) and Dylan Maltz (Soph) at attack with Lecky (SR) Schoonie (SR) Galasso(SR) Evans (Soph) Westin (Soph) McGinley (redshirt Frosh) Forkin(True Frosh) Tim Barber (Juco All american) at Middie. The issue really is the same that we saw in the Bryant game, most of the skill sets those guys have are lacking in one area; long range shooting ability. McGinly or Barber may be able to add that skill set and Galasso with an injury free season under his belt may also be back 100% to his old self. Still if I were dekso I would work my ass off to get Walters and Dejoe ready to be the snipers for next year and to also start grooming a third guy as Walters will be a SR. Dejoe looked horrific against Bryant and Walters spent the game on the bench for some unknown reason. Also the entire team with maybe the exception of Dylan Donahue need to work on shot accuracy and shot placement, we struggled to get shots on cage against Bryant less picking corners or varying shooting angles ie high to low or low to high.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Syracuse men's lacrosse will bring back loaded roster next season (PS; Carlson)

Here's a position-by-position and player-by-player breakdown of what the Orange return in 2015. It does not factor in the presence of recruits like faceoff specialist Max Parker, goaltender Nolan Callahan or SU's two Inside Lacrosse Top 50 commitments Bradley Voigt and Bradley McKinney.

Attack: The Orange returns its starting unit. The group will likely be the country's best.

Gone
Derek Maltz: Syracuse loses its fourth option at the position. Maltz was good around the cage but his 14 goals and nine assists won't be difficult to replace.

Returning
Kevin Rice: Syracuse's playmaker from behind the cage and around the crease. He'll be the country's second-leading returning point scorer.
Dylan Donahue: Finished fourth in the country in shooting percentage, burying 52.9 percent of his shots. An ideal complement for Rice's feeding.
Randy Staats: The most exciting player on the field for Syracuse. The only question is how much better he can make this unit as a full-time starter and with a second-year together.
Dylan Maltz: Saw some playing time as a true freshman and could slide into the fourth spot for his older brother.

Midfield: Syracuse faces the most departures in the midfield. It's also the area where the Orange was deepest.

Gone
Billy Ward: Syracuse's top scoring midfielder and most versatile option, he also showed an ability to lead and deliver clutch goals.
Scott Loy: Loy provided a physical presence on the top line but his numbers were underwhelming for a player picked in the MLL Draft.

Returning
Nicky Galasso: Syracuse's top shooter from distance, Galasso got better as the season went on. He's likely the team's top invert threat and an ideal candidate to replace Ward.
Hakeem Lecky: The tantalizing Lecky gets open at will but struggles to finish (28.3 shooting percentage) or find open teammates (15 goals, two assists). The redshirt junior will have one more season to correct his weaknesses.
Henry Schoonmaker: Athletic enough that he did shifts on the wing to solve Syracuse's faceoff issues. He'll likely replace Loy's size and physicality.
Jordan Evans, Nick Weston, Hayes McGinley: The core of this season's recruiting class, which was ranked No. 2 in the country by Inside Lacrosse. Evans and Weston saw playing time as true freshmen and McGinley might have been just as good if he hadn't missed the year due to injury.

Defense: Returns two of three starters and options with experience in the third spot.

Gone
Matt Harris: Solidified the backline by moving to close defense after Syracuse rotated through a number of options at its third spot.

Returning
Brandon Mullins: Emerged as a shut-down defender who limited many of the country's top players over the course of the season. He was first team All-ACC.
Sean Young: Steady force, especially around the cage, returns as a senior and is a strong No. 2.
Jay McDermott: Filled in for Harris multiple times when the senior struggled.That puts him a small step ahead in the competition to be the No. 3 starter.
Ryan Palasek, Bobby Tait, Josh Pulver: Palasek and Tait weren't ready to start this season and Pulver redshirted. All should compete for the No. 3 job.

Long-stick midfield: Desko thought it was his deepest position this year. The key ones return.

Returning
Peter Macartney: Solidified Syracuse's wing play once he was given the freedom to attack the ball on faceoffs.
Scott Firman: Syracuse's most impressive true freshman. He had a pair of critical groundballs in big games.

Defensive midfielders: This group could use an upgrade. At times Syracuse opted for Jordan Evans, a player known for his offense, at this spot.

Gone
Drew Jenkins: Third among the defensive short sticks with seven groundballs.

Returning
Tom Grimm: Led defensive midfielders with 18 groundballs.
Mike Messina: Finished with 13 groundballs.

Goalkeeper: Desko said he "wasn't unhappy" with his goaltender play this season. Statistically, though, it wasn't a great year.

Gone
Dom Lamolinara: A calming presence and solid leader but Lamolinara stopped just 48.6 percent of opposing shots.

Returning
Bobby Wardwell: Wardwell led Syracuse in save percentage (51.3 percent) while taking the second half of games in a timeshare situation. He's the heavy favorite to take the job next year.
Parker Ferrigan: Desko raved about him before the season started but Ferrigan wasn't quite good enough to stay in the competition when it was pared down to two.

Faceoff specialist: After being criticized for much of the season, Chris Daddio now becomes the most difficult player to replace.

Gone
Chris Daddio: Despite all the doubt, Daddio's departure does leave Syracuse with some concerns. He finished the year winning a respectable 50.4 percent.

Back
Joe DeMarco: His 38.5 percent was second to Daddio on the team this season. He'll return as a sophomore
Cal Paduda: Considered a potential to challenger to Daddio entering the season, he'll be back after missing this year due to injury. He won 42.3 percent in 2013.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Syracuse men's lacrosse will bring back loaded roster next season (PS; Carlson)

Here's a position-by-position and player-by-player breakdown of what the Orange return in 2015. It does not factor in the presence of recruits like faceoff specialist Max Parker, goaltender Nolan Callahan or SU's two Inside Lacrosse Top 50 commitments Bradley Voigt and Bradley McKinney.
Attack: The Orange returns its starting unit. The group will likely be the country's best.

Gone
Derek Maltz: Syracuse loses its fourth option at the position. Maltz was good around the cage but his 14 goals and nine assists won't be difficult to replace.

Returning
Kevin Rice: Syracuse's playmaker from behind the cage and around the crease. He'll be the country's second-leading returning point scorer.
Dylan Donahue: Finished fourth in the country in shooting percentage, burying 52.9 percent of his shots. An ideal complement for Rice's feeding.
Randy Staats: The most exciting player on the field for Syracuse. The only question is how much better he can make this unit as a full-time starter and with a second-year together.
Dylan Maltz: Saw some playing time as a true freshman and could slide into the fourth spot for his older brother.

Midfield: Syracuse faces the most departures in the midfield. It's also the area where the Orange was deepest.

Gone
Billy Ward: Syracuse's top scoring midfielder and most versatile option, he also showed an ability to lead and deliver clutch goals.
Scott Loy: Loy provided a physical presence on the top line but his numbers were underwhelming for a player picked in the MLL Draft.

Returning
Nicky Galasso: Syracuse's top shooter from distance, Galasso got better as the season went on. He's likely the team's top invert threat and an ideal candidate to replace Ward.
Hakeem Lecky: The tantalizing Lecky gets open at will but struggles to finish (28.3 shooting percentage) or find open teammates (15 goals, two assists). The redshirt junior will have one more season to correct his weaknesses.
Henry Schoonmaker: Athletic enough that he did shifts on the wing to solve Syracuse's faceoff issues. He'll likely replace Loy's size and physicality.
Jordan Evans, Nick Weston, Hayes McGinley: The core of this season's recruiting class, which was ranked No. 2 in the country by Inside Lacrosse. Evans and Weston saw playing time as true freshmen and McGinley might have been just as good if he hadn't missed the year due to injury.

Defense: Returns two of three starters and options with experience in the third spot.

Gone
Matt Harris: Solidified the backline by moving to close defense after Syracuse rotated through a number of options at its third spot.

Returning
Brandon Mullins: Emerged as a shut-down defender who limited many of the country's top players over the course of the season. He was first team All-ACC.
Sean Young: Steady force, especially around the cage, returns as a senior and is a strong No. 2.
Jay McDermott: Filled in for Harris multiple times when the senior struggled.That puts him a small step ahead in the competition to be the No. 3 starter.
Ryan Palasek, Bobby Tait, Josh Pulver: Palasek and Tait weren't ready to start this season and Pulver redshirted. All should compete for the No. 3 job.

Long-stick midfield: Desko thought it was his deepest position this year. The key ones return.

Returning
Peter Macartney: Solidified Syracuse's wing play once he was given the freedom to attack the ball on faceoffs.
Scott Firman: Syracuse's most impressive true freshman. He had a pair of critical groundballs in big games.

Defensive midfielders: This group could use an upgrade. At times Syracuse opted for Jordan Evans, a player known for his offense, at this spot.

Gone
Drew Jenkins: Third among the defensive short sticks with seven groundballs.

Returning
Tom Grimm: Led defensive midfielders with 18 groundballs.
Mike Messina: Finished with 13 groundballs.

Goalkeeper: Desko said he "wasn't unhappy" with his goaltender play this season. Statistically, though, it wasn't a great year.

Gone
Dom Lamolinara: A calming presence and solid leader but Lamolinara stopped just 48.6 percent of opposing shots.

Returning
Bobby Wardwell: Wardwell led Syracuse in save percentage (51.3 percent) while taking the second half of games in a timeshare situation. He's the heavy favorite to take the job next year.
Parker Ferrigan: Desko raved about him before the season started but Ferrigan wasn't quite good enough to stay in the competition when it was pared down to two.

Faceoff specialist: After being criticized for much of the season, Chris Daddio now becomes the most difficult player to replace.

Gone
Chris Daddio: Despite all the doubt, Daddio's departure does leave Syracuse with some concerns. He finished the year winning a respectable 50.4 percent.

Back
Joe DeMarco: His 38.5 percent was second to Daddio on the team this season. He'll return as a sophomore
Cal Paduda: Considered a potential to challenger to Daddio entering the season, he'll be back after missing this year due to injury. He won 42.3 percent in 2013.

The fact that he didnt include Hill in that assessement is mindnumbing. One thing he did mention was Paduda, I had high hopes for him prior to the injury, will be interesting to see what we get from him next year, I suspect he will be involved heavily. I know a lot of people are high on Voight next year but finding him PT is going to be next to impossible barring some sort of rash of injuries.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The fact that he didnt include Hill in that assessement is mindnumbing. One thing he did mention was Paduda, I had high hopes for him prior to the injury, will be interesting to see what we get from him next year, I suspect he will be involved heavily. I know a lot of people are high on Voight next year but finding him PT is going to be next to impossible barring some sort of rash of injuries.

He only mentioned some of the "returning" players, not incoming recruits.

 

[JeremyCuse]

He only mentioned some of the "returning" players, not incoming recruits.

True but you cant state Wadwell is the odds on favorite to win the goalie position and not mention Hill. At least with incoming Frosh he listed them at the beginning of the article. He probably doesn't even realize Hill is committed here.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

True but you cant state Wadwell is the odds on favorite to win the goalie position and not mention Hill. At least with incoming Frosh he listed them at the beginning of the article. He probably doesn't even realize Hill is committed here.

He's no Dave Rahme.

 

[JeremyCuse]

He's no Dave Rahme.

God I miss his lax coverage.