Possession is 9/10 of Lacrosse

[SWC75]

...and we just couldn't get it. As the local guys said on the post game show, SU had been able to overcome the face-off problems vs. lesser opponents but not against Duke. The defense was pretty good early but as in other sports, if you have to play it every minute, you get tired and our guys were running on empty in the fourth quarter. First senior class to graduate without a title since 1982 but a good comeback year after a couple of off-years and maybe the guys coming back can pick it up from there.

Now after an afternoon of feeling the tension and pain that comes with really caring who wins, I will resume my spring.

 

[AccuRater]

"The defense was pretty good early but as in other sports, if you have to play it every minute, you get tired and our guys were running on empty in the fourth quarter."

I hear that all the time, particularly regarding football. My question is: Why doesn't the offense for the team controlling the ball get tired and run out of gas?

 

[SWC75]

"The defense was pretty good early but as in other sports, if you have to play it every minute, you get tired and our guys were running on empty in the fourth quarter."

I hear that all the time, particularly regarding football. My question is: Why doesn't the offense for the team controlling the ball get tired and run out of gas?

I think the defense has to cover more territory, trying to shut off all the options. Also, in football, when the offense is functioning well, they are physically attacking the defense. It's more strenuous to take hits than to deliver them.

 

[Flacusian]

The thing I learned over the weekend was the importance of the faceoff. Holy cripes! It sets the tone for the entire game. It just seemed like Duke had possession 90% of the game. It seems like someone would work on developing an faceoff monster of some type who like Dukes player would win pretty much every faceoff. To me it just seems incredulous that Syracuse would have such a glaring deficiency in such a critical aspect of the game. All that aside, a really great season for Syracuse Lax and this team with it's grit and determination gave us much to be proud of.

As mentioned by SWC75, this gives us something to build off of for next year. Thanks to all the coaches and players who give it their all and for making us proud of "Cuse" Lax!

 

[riskylogic]

It just seemed like Duke had possession 90% of the game. It seems like someone would work on developing an faceoff monster of some type who like Dukes player would win pretty much every faceoff.

Actually, it was only about 80%. The Duke faceoff guy, Brendan Fowler got admitted to Duke as a walk-on football player. He wasn't recruited for lacrosse at all. Although he is listed as a linebacker, current thinking is that maybe he should play nose guard and try to snatch the ball away during the snap.