Notre Dame Game... | Page 13 | Syracusefan.com

Notre Dame Game...

This is my personal opinion but I think from my experience Americans hate to lose to a fault, with British sport always based on soccer, being a low scoring game you can win lose or draw any game, we see the benefit of losses the lessons you learn and the grounding it provides, it can be beneficial if you allow it.

Syracuse will Learn from this and be back to prominence in due course as long as we recruit the right players which is becoming much more difficult as the great players come from all around the country. I love to see a team rebuild and the new players that emerge, that is the most interesting part of the game for me!

Wether it is with the current coaching staff or without or with the current players or not we will be back.
 
Random voice after that last goal. "You have to admit man this is getting ridiculous". This might be rock bottom for the program

and Wildhack will still allow Desko to roll the ball out.
 
Random voice after that last goal. "You have to admit man this is getting ridiculous". This might be rock bottom for the program

I also heard that...as well as a lot of laughing at one point from what seemed to be the ND bench ...similar to he UNC game ..
 
Innovation and coaching lax used to be a Syracuse tradition; as a program, we must get back to that. My question is, can the current staff become innovators or is a new staff necessary to move back in that direction? This innovation must include O & D.
 
Other than Rehfuss - can anyone tell me what starters are as good or better than they were last year ?

- Porter - No
- Trimbo - No
- Curry - No
- Phaup - No
- Kennedy - No
- Dordevic - No
- Murphy - No
- Avilles - No

Think about that . There is not a single starter or 5th year guy who is as good or better than they were in the past - I’d say Dipietro and Dami and Cook are the same which is average

on the positive side - second line guys Seebold (now first ) and Quinn got better

but to have that many guys step back is killer
While it was enormously frustrating to watch yesterday's ugly game, I have another take on the assessment of the starters. It seems very strange to me that all of these players are not performing as well at the same time. An alternative and more plausible scenario is that some combination of factors (coaching systems, lack of possessions, Scanlan saga, lack of getting big-time transfers like Duke and ND) has impacted the entire team. The season has included 4 major demolitions - Army, ND twice and UNC. Those 4 games have destroyed team and individual stats and likely shaken the confidence of the entire team. As many other posts have noted, this goes well beyond individual players in my opinion. I do not believe that our starters and backups are as bad as those 4 games.

I would also add that the one huge addition to the starters - Hiltz - has no doubt benefitted Rehfuss. Hiltz has played like a senior both mentally and skill-wise and I'm sure Rehfuss, who is a very smart player, has loved playing with Hiltz.

Desko repeatedly talks about ND's historically strong defense. The obvious implication is that the ND coaching staff has brought new players into the same system every year with the same great results. Which begs the question about Cuse.
 
Agree / very little talk about that, but they both looked great .

Porter was awful. he’s been mediocre at best this season. One of the Parents of a player told me that he was disappointed about not getting drafted by PLL...based on what grounds - pre season hype?

ND goalie was able to make stops on the doorstep several times. Porter couldn’t stop an obvious outside shot .
I'm not an expert on goalies but I think it is fair to say that things like team defense, shot quality, shot accuracy and time and room to shoot all come into play. ND's offense was extremely sharp yesterday and exploited every opening. Cuse defense was back on their heels from the 2nd quarter on with little time to rest or collect their thoughts. Cuse offense struggled from the 2nd quarter on against maybe the best defense in the country. Our shots were off target and rhythm disrupted due to lack of possessions, defensive pressure and turnovers.

Entenmann was not asked to do a lot yesterday. That's usually the case when you play behind a very strong defense. While Entenmann has generally played well, he gave up 6 straight goals to Duke at the end of their game a week and a half ago. Sowers, Montgomery and Mule overpowered him and came back from down 12-7 to win 13-12. That's what happens when star players shoot accurately and are given repeated possessions against a good goalie.
 
I'm not an expert on goalies but I think it is fair to say that things like team defense, shot quality, shot accuracy and time and room to shoot all come into play. ND's offense was extremely sharp yesterday and exploited every opening. Cuse defense was back on their heels from the 2nd quarter on with little time to rest or collect their thoughts. Cuse offense struggled from the 2nd quarter on against maybe the best defense in the country. Our shots were off target and rhythm disrupted due to lack of possessions, defensive pressure and turnovers.

Entenmann was not asked to do a lot yesterday. That's usually the case when you play behind a very strong defense. While Entenmann has generally played well, he gave up 6 straight goals to Duke at the end of their game a week and a half ago. Sowers, Montgomery and Mule overpowered him and came back from down 12-7 to win 13-12. That's what happens when star players shoot accurately and are given repeated possessions against a good goalie.

Agree / very little talk about that, but they both looked great .

Porter was awful. he’s been mediocre at best this season. One of the Parents of a player told me that he was disappointed about not getting drafted by PLL...based on what grounds - pre season hype?

ND goalie was able to make stops on the doorstep several times. Porter couldn’t stop an obvious outside shot .
As for Porter and the PLL, that's for the PLL coaches to evaluate this season, together with his previous seasons where his stats were better and team meltdowns were fewer. Trimboli was drafted based on his body of work and clearly not on this season alone.

I can understand a kid who has had a solid career will be disappointed.

Given the Scanlan situation, I think dumping on the players, captains and everyone else is very disappointing and not worthy of further comments IMO.
 
I'm not an expert on goalies but I think it is fair to say that things like team defense, shot quality, shot accuracy and time and room to shoot all come into play. ND's offense was extremely sharp yesterday and exploited every opening. Cuse defense was back on their heels from the 2nd quarter on with little time to rest or collect their thoughts. Cuse offense struggled from the 2nd quarter on against maybe the best defense in the country. Our shots were off target and rhythm disrupted due to lack of possessions, defensive pressure and turnovers.

Entenmann was not asked to do a lot yesterday. That's usually the case when you play behind a very strong defense. While Entenmann has generally played well, he gave up 6 straight goals to Duke at the end of their game a week and a half ago. Sowers, Montgomery and Mule overpowered him and came back from down 12-7 to win 13-12. That's what happens when star players shoot accurately and are given repeated possessions against a good goalie.

That's why I'm not quick to rag on Porter. Something may be off with him this season, as it appears with a lot of players but he's playing behind a poor defense while facing essentially super teams in the ACC. I mean how many goals in the UNC/ND games did their shooters just have time to stare him down? It'd be nice if he could come up with a few more stops in some of these games but after some of the runs these teams go on he looks shell-shocked. Then yesterday in that one sequence he may a nice stop but gives up a rebound that Kavanaugh smacks in hockey style. It's been that kind of season.
 
Similar to my earlier comments, I think the 1st midfield is too talented to have "struggled" this year. Whatever system is in place seems to lack consistency and isn't designed to best utilize their skills. Dordevic and Curry are explosive, highlight reel athletes and should be freed up to do their thing. I think our 1st middies would be lighting it up every week if they were part of a UNC or ND offense. The fact that their playing time was 50/50 with the 2nd line during most of the season is puzzling. I could understand if were winning every game but you have to go with your best guys in critical situations.

And finally, how do you not get Varello and Savage into the game much earlier yesterday. We seem to be the only team that does not alternate fogos in the first half when the going gets tough. I can only imagine being a player and asking the same questions as I fight to keep my job.
 
Surprising stat is that opponent s.o.g. per game are only two higher than in both 19 and 20 despite a stiffer schedule , personnel change and much more time spent on defense which tires all including goalie. Drop-off of 9% in save percentage is likely due to increased opportunities inside as well as some off games when not seeing ball well. Happens to all tenders at times, thought a change could have been made sooner yesterday . Goalie backups not as known as Strang but team fortunately does have two very good young stoppers going forward. Anyway , Cuse should be in playoffs if they win Friday and then it's a brand new season. Both Porter and Phaup/Varello have shown they can be ON in any game and that could quickly change the tune here. Perhaps deluding myself but still believe that Cuse could beat anyone outside ND and UNC. If we were to face either then adjustments would obviously be needed .We've seen both sides of the spectrum the last two weeks. Hopefully this team can fully concentrate without disruptions as has been the case since late fall.
 
Similar to my earlier comments, I think the 1st midfield is too talented to have "struggled" this year. Whatever system is in place seems to lack consistency and isn't designed to best utilize their skills. Dordevic and Curry are explosive, highlight reel athletes and should be freed up to do their thing. I think our 1st middies would be lighting it up every week if they were part of a UNC or ND offense. The fact that their playing time was 50/50 with the 2nd line during most of the season is puzzling. I could understand if were winning every game but you have to go with your best guys in critical situations.

And finally, how do you not get Varello and Savage into the game much earlier yesterday. We seem to be the only team that does not alternate fogos in the first half when the going gets tough. I can only imagine being a player and asking the same questions as I fight to keep my job.
I'm not sure what he answer is, but agree that there is something "systematically wrong" which is impacting player potential.

When we think back to each of these players individually two years ago, they could all take over or get separation at will and were much more creative...playing loose. Something just seems off...

To be fair, the 1st line has been heavily scouted now, sharing time with the 2 group and ACC super teams are much stronger this year than the past, but back to the point, this Vaunted first midfield group has really not produced as expected,,,actually they have been disappointing as much as I wish it were not the case

I'm hoping can get a dominant W vs. Bobby Mo and end with some restored confidence ,,,but that is not guaranteed,,,they would like a piece of the action here too
 
Similar to my earlier comments, I think the 1st midfield is too talented to have "struggled" this year. Whatever system is in place seems to lack consistency and isn't designed to best utilize their skills. Dordevic and Curry are explosive, highlight reel athletes and should be freed up to do their thing. I think our 1st middies would be lighting it up every week if they were part of a UNC or ND offense. The fact that their playing time was 50/50 with the 2nd line during most of the season is puzzling. I could understand if were winning every game but you have to go with your best guys in critical situations.

And finally, how do you not get Varello and Savage into the game much earlier yesterday. We seem to be the only team that does not alternate fogos in the first half when the going gets tough. I can only imagine being a player and asking the same questions as I fight to keep my job.D
Dordevic and also Trimboli to my surprise have gotten their fair share of shots. Curry however has seen a significant drop-off with only 40 shots taken in eleven games compared to 38 in five games in 2020 and 91 shots in 14 games in 2019. For comparison, Quinn who is playing well has taken just two less shots than Curry with much fewer minutes .

Bit perplexing .My guess it is combo of scheme, getting poled more often , a bit of unselfishness and greater involvement of others such as Refhuss and Hiltz which certainly has been beneficial in overall pic. .

Offense has been beautiful when hitting on all cylinders and getting its fair share of possessions but times when spacing seems off and some head shaking drops stifle flow.
 
Dordevic and also Trimboli to my surprise have gotten their fair share of shots. Curry however has seen a significant drop-off with only 40 shots taken in eleven games compared to 38 in five games in 2020 and 91 shots in 14 games in 2019. For comparison, Quinn who is playing well has taken just two less shots than Curry with much fewer minutes .

Bit perplexing .My guess it is combo of scheme, getting poled more often , a bit of unselfishness and greater involvement of others such as Refhuss and Hiltz which certainly has been beneficial in overall pic. .

Offense has been beautiful when hitting on all cylinders and getting its fair share of possessions but times when spacing seems off and some head shaking drops stifle flow.

I think I’ve come to the realization that last year’s team was probably a bit overrated, especially the offense. I was in denial for the offseason but last year’s opponents, especially defensively, we’re really pretty poor. Colgate gave up 20 to almost every one they played, Syracuse regularly empties the bench against Binghamton, Hobart had a very electrifying offense but not a good defense and Hopkins fired their coach after playing the Orange. The only good defense Syracuse faced off against was Army and they didn’t break double digits and the attack didn’t register a single point. I feel like if this iteration of the Orange had played last year’s schedule they would put up similar to better numbers. We all got a false sense of security.

Also the faceoff and defense play into this too - Notre Dame and UNC went on huge scoring runs and the offense simply didn’t see the ball because Syracuse couldn’t win a faceoff, then couldn’t get a stop, or if they did get a stop they couldn’t clear. SU was winning over 60% of their faceoffs last year and playing poor defenses, covering up for an underwhelming defense which has been ruthlessly exposed this year. That 5-0 start I think was fools gold and whether through poor recruitment of proper transfers, or not the right motivation in the offseason, the team is paying for it now.
 
I went back to look at some of the game stats from the glory years of 2008-2010. Cuse rarely lost the face-off battle - in their very few losses, they typically did. Opposing teams never got anywhere near the total shots or shots on goal that happened in our blowouts this year. Part of this reflects the game today with shot clock etc but the numbers are staggering comparing say 2009 with 2021:

2009 - 18 games: Opponents total shots/shots on goal - 442/317

2021 - only 11 games: Opponents total shots/shots on goal - 471/289

If you extrapolate the 2021 numbers for 18 games: Opponents total shots/shots on goal - 771/473

With these shot statistics, there is enormous pressure on the stamina and composure of the D and the efficiency and execution of the O. Sort of what our eyes have been telling us!
 
the first sequence is odd to reference as there was a guy subbing from the box and why rosa didn't have a man to pick up. why they're switching there in the first place is the question.

the rest are tough to watch. the pick action is abysmal. m-to-m sliding off crease to non-threats. no support to an isolated shorty behind with 3 d on the crease. zone losing guys inside and not shading to ball side cutters but back side. a mess. going zone won't be the answer.
recognizing real/not real threats on and off ball (and handling picks more assertively) is.
 
Zone in sports is most effective when you have great length and size. Scratch my head why UVA doesn't play it more often. Teams have to practice zone as extensively to understand positioning . Smart being up so high on non threat wing when in zone made no sense. Only so many minutes at practice and unlikely deeper depth called upon is totally versed. Cuse m2m is actually a strength but coordination on slides is not especially after the second. At dm, it's been Dearth and then unsettled most of yr . Aviles injury happened as he was coming off his best two games

On other post,. facing greater possessions by opponent definitely factors in number of shot numbers and d endurance but also have changes since glory days shot clock has increased pace and shot numbers and offensive talents in acc as high as ever. I falso ollow UVA closely, they've allowed 357 shots on goal in 14 games, an avg of 25.5 sog per vs Cuse 26.2 despite Savio winning 70% agaisnt anyone other than Phaup. Just as side note, UVA beat RMU 14-12 so expecting a competitive game on Friday
 

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