Notre Dame Gameday...

[SUlax88-09]

Are you saying you’d sit Spillina?

Yes, I realize how it sounds, but I would. We need 1 right handed finisher, 1 left handed finisher, and 1 dodger. Anderson is our best dodger (our only one on attack), Hiltz is our best left handed finisher (maybe the best in the country), and Thomson is our best right handed finisher (maybe one of the best in the country). So, yes, when Thomson comes back, then I’d sit Spallina. I’d play him on man up though because of his elite passing. Just remember what I wrote when we’re having a hard time scoring again in the Elite 8 game…

 

[orange79]

Yes, I realize how it sounds, but I would. We need 1 right handed finisher, 1 left handed finisher, and 1 dodger. Anderson is our best dodger (our only one on attack), Hiltz is our best left handed finisher (maybe the best in the country), and Thomson is our best right handed finisher (maybe one of the best in the country). So, yes, when Thomson comes back, then I’d sit Spallina. I’d play him on man up though because of his elite passing. Just remember what I wrote when we’re having a hard time scoring again in the Elite 8 game…

 

[LAcuse]

View attachment 250972

 

[DMVCuseLax]

Yes, I realize how it sounds, but I would. We need 1 right handed finisher, 1 left handed finisher, and 1 dodger. Anderson is our best dodger (our only one on attack), Hiltz is our best left handed finisher (maybe the best in the country), and Thomson is our best right handed finisher (maybe one of the best in the country). So, yes, when Thomson comes back, then I’d sit Spallina. I’d play him on man up though because of his elite passing. Just remember what I wrote when we’re having a hard time scoring again in the Elite 8 game…

Give it a rest. Someone got some bad gummies.

 

[DMVCuseLax]

Thomson for McCarthy on 2nd line and let him play first when English needs a break.

 

[Powellfan]

Thomson for McCarthy on 2nd line and let him play first when English needs a break.

I think I’d make Thomson a second liner full time, and use McCarthy for English when he needs a rest. McCarthy is more like for like with English and can carry the ball when he’s out there. Thomson would mesh well with carriers like Cordes and Hottle.

Question for me is who takes crunch time minutes? Seems harsh to leave out Thomson who’s been a starter for three years. If Rhoa keeps struggling I feel like he would need to see less minutes. Just don’t want to destroy his confidence either. Tough decisions ahead.

 

[DMVCuseLax]

I think I’d make Thomson a second liner full time, and use McCarthy for English when he needs a rest. McCarthy is more like for like with English and can carry the ball when he’s out there. Thomson would mesh well with carriers like Cordes and Hottle.

Question for me is who takes crunch time minutes? Seems harsh to leave out Thomson who’s been a starter for three years. If Rhoa keeps struggling I feel like he would need to see less minutes. Just don’t want to destroy his confidence either. Tough decisions ahead.

Very tough but I can guarantee Joey isn’t in the conversation. Lmao

 

[OttosDad]

Feel like if there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s that Anderson needs to be getting significant time at attack. He’s just a difference maker for our offense.

Take away his offensive abilities, just his speed size and hands were valuable in ground ball scrums yesterday.

 

[GoSU96]

Yes, I realize how it sounds, but I would. We need 1 right handed finisher, 1 left handed finisher, and 1 dodger. Anderson is our best dodger (our only one on attack), Hiltz is our best left handed finisher (maybe the best in the country), and Thomson is our best right handed finisher (maybe one of the best in the country). So, yes, when Thomson comes back, then I’d sit Spallina. I’d play him on man up though because of his elite passing. Just remember what I wrote when we’re having a hard time scoring again in the Elite 8 game…

Uh, yeah, that ain’t gonna happen .

 

[JYCUSE12]

Give it a rest. Someone got some bad gummies.

Ultimate troll job, Connor Buczek must have an account on here!!

 

[DoctahLexus]

You have to actively ignore about a zillion plays to think that Hiltz and Spallina are only useful as offball finishers this season. The reason things are working now is because they are also having a serious impact as dodgers and feeders as well. Hiltz has been using his speed to draw slides and find the open man all year, as well as take it to the rack 1v1. Had a very nice assist off the dodge yesterday. Spallina still draws slides taking the body and getting a step when defenders take a wrong approach, and he is without question one of the most skilled feeders in the country. He was close to a couple assists and goals of the dodge yesterday too, along with the great offball plays. Great game from Anderson, but he is not the only reason we were cooking yesterday.

 

[Powellfan]

My worry about Anderson after the first few games was that he was not fitting in with the rest of the offense. He seemed disjointed and a little unsure of himself. Even his goal against Utah, by my recollection, Spallina almost had to yell at him to go to the goal.

That was not the case against Notre Dame. Anderson looked like he had been playing with this offense for years. Two nice assists and a really nice skip pass that should have given him a third. Also, he didn’t force things, he worked within the framework of the offense. He always seemed to know when to take his chances.

Perhaps most impressively, I don’t think he had a turnover yesterday. Given the physicality with which he plays, that’s really something. He switches hands so well, he’s always in control. Here’s hoping he keeps this up!

 

[JeremyCuse]

Feel like if there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s that Anderson needs to be getting significant time at attack. He’s just a difference maker for our offense.

Take away his offensive abilities, just his speed size and hands were valuable in ground ball scrums yesterday.

I do worry this staff may go back to Thomson when healthy. Nothing against Fimn he's been really really good this year but Anderson bring a skillset that simply no other attackmen brings that's currently on the roster. That size speed and most of all dodging ability is a game changer for this offense.

 

[JeremyCuse]

You have to actively ignore about a zillion plays to think that Hiltz and Spallina are only useful as offball finishers this season. The reason things are working now is because they are also having a serious impact as dodgers and feeders as well. Hiltz has been using his speed to draw slides and find the open man all year, as well as take it to the rack 1v1. Had a very nice assist off the dodge yesterday. Spallina still draws slides taking the body and getting a step when defenders take a wrong approach, and he is without question one of the most skilled feeders in the country. He was close to a couple assists and goals of the dodge yesterday too, along with the great offball plays. Great game from Anderson, but he is not the only reason we were cooking yesterday.

Hiltz and Joey have improved as dodgers but having an upper level dodging threat on the field has and will completely open up their games especially for a guy like Joey. It's no coincidence he had a monster game yesterday with Anderson starting. It allowed him to not have to play that X spot behind the cage and try to dodge an elite pole that only a guy like Kirst and maybe 1 or 2 others can beat 1 on 1 occasionally. Instead he got to play all over including off ball, X, GLE, etc. When Spallina can freelance he can be Powell level good, to many times though we've not moved him around and asked him to be QB/dodging Mike Powell, that's not his game.

Hiltz is now drawing essentially a teams 3rd long pole which will open things up more and more as the season goes on. His time and room looks should also go up.

Anderson on the field totally changes how coaches have to game plan and defend Syracuse. Tiffany noted it in his post-game comments last week which were a fascinating listen. That 1st goal against ND was a move we haven't seen in a while from an SU attackmen.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Hiltz and Joey have improved as dodgers but having an upper level dodging threat on the field has and will completely open up their games especially for a guy like Joey. It's no coincidence he had a monster game yesterday with Anderson starting. It allowed him to not have to play that X spot behind the cage and try to dodge an elite pole that only a guy like Kirst and maybe 1 or 2 others can beat 1 on 1 occasionally. Instead he got to play all over including off ball, X, GLE, etc. When Spallina can freelance he can be Powell level good, to many times though we've not moved him around and asked him to be QB/dodging Mike Powell, that's not his game.

Hiltz is now drawing essentially a teams 3rd long pole which will open things up more and more as the season goes on. His time and room looks should also go up.

Anderson on the field totally changes how coaches have to game plan and defend Syracuse. Tiffany noted it in his post-game comments last week which were a fascinating listen. That 1st goal against ND was a move we haven't seen in a while from an SU attackmen.

Dont get me wrong, he has been great and earned his time at attack, but if he is an upper level dodger then so are Hiltz and Spallina. It is an additional upper level dodging threat, not the only one.

Anderson is certainly doing enough to draw the longpole but he is not drawing slides at a rate that much different than what we get out of hiltz and Spallina. He draws slides and attention, but so do the other two. The fact he is getting the type of attention they do is fantastic(!!) but he is not already way ahead of the other guys. Having that third longpole guaranteed on an attack is huge and I doubt we change up the line going forward.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Dont get me wrong, he has been great and earned his time at attack, but if he is an upper level dodger then so are Hiltz and Spallina. It is an additional upper level dodging threat, not the only one.

Anderson is certainly doing enough to draw the longpole but he is not drawing slides at a rate that much different than what we get out of hiltz and Spallina. He draws slides and attention, but so do the other two. The fact he is getting the type of attention they do is fantastic(!!) but he is not already way ahead of the other guys. Having that third longpole guaranteed on an attack is huge and I doubt we change up the line going forward.

Joey and Hiltz are both decent dodgers and have improved the last few years especially Hiltz who wasn't a great dodger when he arrived. But neither are upper level dodgers. Look at the dodge Anderson had for a goal against UVA and then again yesterday.

Those are the type of dodges missing from this offense that Joey and Hiltz can't replicate. Not a shot at them thats not their games. I think both have had outstanding years but Anderson has that ability (not yet fully harnessed) to be an elite D1 dodging attackmen and add an element this O hasn't had in a long time.

The other huge aspect of Anderson at attack is that the days of double polling SU are over. If ND didn't do it with Ramsey nobody is. Anderson certainly isn't better then Joey or Owen right now but he's the perfect addition to this offenses one real weakness. Doesn't mean he won't struggle or that a Denver situation won't happen again but boy this offense has the potential to go from really good/great to elite

 

[DoctahLexus]

Joey and Hiltz are both decent dodgers and have improved the last few years especially Hiltz who wasn't a great dodger when he arrived. But neither are upper level dodgers. Look at the dodge Anderson had for a goal against UVA and then again yesterday.

Those are the type of dodges missing from this offense that Joey and Hiltz can't replicate. Not a shot at them thats not their games. I think both have had outstanding years but Anderson has that ability (not yet fully harnessed) to be an elite D1 dodging attackmen and add an element this O hasn't had in a long time.

The other huge aspect of Anderson at attack is that the days of double polling SU are over. If ND didn't do it with Ramsey nobody is. Anderson certainly isn't better then Joey or Owen right now but he's the perfect addition to this offenses one real weakness. Doesn't mean he won't struggle or that a Denver situation won't happen again but boy this offense has the potential to go from really good/great to elite

Put it this way, I think it would be a pretty bold move to try and short stick Anderson at this point, but it would be an even more bold move to do that with Spallina or Hiltz. They do not dodge in the same way maybe, but it is an equally strong threat, and then you add what they create as passers and you can forget about the short stick.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Put it this way, I think it would be a pretty bold move to try and short stick Anderson at this point, but it would be an even more bold move to do that with Spallina or Hiltz. They do not dodge in the same way maybe, but it is an equally strong threat, and then you add what they create as passers and you can forget about the short stick.

There's no D1 D coordinator with a half a brain whose gonna short Joey or Owen, zero. I doubt anyone would argue different. If it's Finn or Deere then yes even though Finn has punished teams for doing so this year for the most part. Anderson guarantees 100% no one will even try it

 

[DoctahLexus]

There's no D1 D coordinator with a half a brain whose gonna short Joey or Owen, zero. I doubt anyone would argue different. If it's Finn or Deere then yes even though Finn has punished teams for doing so this year for the most part. Anderson guarantees 100% no one will even try it

I agree that we should keep this good thing going and roll with Anderson at attack going forward. His threat off the dodge is too useful. I just don’t think he has necessarily surpassed the other two with the ball in his stick just yet. I think that is not giving Hiltz and Spallina enough credit for what they do off the dodge, despite teams fully planning around them. They are upper level without question.

 

[SULAXAHOLIC]

I’m not anywhere near as high on Anderson as most. He is an option but hasn’t exactly dominated. He has had flashes of showing his dodging abilities but he still isn’t pulling teams top pole or piling up points. If I’m Gait I take a lesson from Desko and rotate the attack the way they did in 09 with Jamieson Desko and Daniello

 

[JeremyCuse]

I’m not anywhere near as high on Anderson as most. He is an option but hasn’t exactly dominated. He has had flashes of showing his dodging abilities but he still isn’t pulling teams top pole or piling up points. If I’m Gait I take a lesson from Desko and rotate the attack the way they did in 09 with Jamieson Desko and Daniello

Andersons value isn't necessarily in dominating or racking up pts. His value is adding a skill set this offense doesn't have and in freeing up both Joey and the 1st mid line. With Anderson on the field the midfield is only going to draw 1 pole, the LSM.

It allows Joey to not have to play from X 90% of the possessions and allow him to play off ball be it off the crease or GLE or even rotating up top.

Anderson as a freshman isn't gonna pull a teams top pole with Joey out there but he's already pulling each teams 2nd pole and that's opening up Hiltz even more. He's essentially played 2 and a half games at attack, to expect him to be dominating already and racking up pts is a bit ridiculous.

Also on 09 there was only a rotation because Jamieson was out 90% of the season getting academically cleared. Once he finally got on the field he played a majority of the game.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I agree that we should keep this good thing going and roll with Anderson at attack going forward. His threat off the dodge is too useful. I just don’t think he has necessarily surpassed the other two with the ball in his stick just yet. I think that is not giving Hiltz and Spallina enough credit for what they do off the dodge, despite teams fully planning around them. They are upper level without question.

Anderson hasn't surpassed Spallina or Hiltz in any aspect offensively even dodging, that's not my argument or I hope anyones, lol. What Anderson does have is the ability to dodge against poles that Spallina or Hiltz don't have. His size and speed allow him to make the kind of dodge we saw yesterday and against UVA that Joey and Hiltz aren't really built for. Doesn't take anything away from them it's just the skill set that Anderson possesses that makes him so valuable. It's scary to think where this offense can go with these three on attack with their skill sets.

 

[cuselaxss26]

All i gotta say is “if it anit broke don’t fix it “

 

[ColdAnger]

The best, most complimentary six is usually a recipe for offensive success. I think Anderson at attack allows Hiltz to play either the low wing (with Anderson at X) or rotate to the top to be a facilitator and stretch shooter. Similarly, it allows Spallina to play either X or rotate above GLE (with Anderson at X).

The middies can then play off of those guys or initiate down the alleys depending on their skillset. Think English finishing on the inside or Leo scoring on alley dodges Yesterday. I think that Thompson moves back to Middie and plays the role English has been playing within the offense. 1st or 2nd line doesn’t matter but not paired with English to create that complimentary piece on both midfield lines.

 

[DomeHolmes]

Right now, to me the most logical way to get Thompson on the field is getting 1/2 Rhoas minutes, (and maybe a few for English when he needs a blow). I get that players are up and down, and I have liked his game, but Rhoa is forcing way too many bad shots for my liking. (I think like 0 for 15 the last two games or something like that, almost all of them poor quality).

that way, neither is “benched” and if one is playing better they get more time. And one can always get good time on the second line Too