Quick Post game thoughts

[JeremyCuse]

Kudos to the team for responding after an abysmal few minutes to end the second and start the third. Hobart got within one 7-6 and then SU reeled off 6 straight after Molloy made a couple great saves.

A lot of bright spots but some continued issues as well. Tried to outline them briefly below.

Thought Evans had a chance to parlay his success on Saturday into tonight and he did it in spades. 4 goals and I thought he really played within himself and the offense. He did have his obligatory couple of baffling turnovers but he had a couple of really nice goals and also dodged for a goal in the second half when SU really needed a score. Congrats to him hope he can keep it up.

Thought Molloy was good, did look shaky at times as someone pointed out but all in all was good. Hard to get a true reading as Hobart is limited offensively but he made a few nice saves including 2 or 3 in the mid third that saved SU from getting tied or even down. I suspect he will get the start vs Cornell.

Thought the D overall played well save for that one stretch mentioned SSDM rebounded from an awful performance and Mellen and Mullins were again excellent. You did see some of the communication miscues leave guys open a few times that Hobart either failed to take advantage of or Molly made a save. Really Really have to clean that up against better teams.

Williams rebounded nicely and really dominated most of the second half. Had a shot saved again and a few violations but all in all was the Ben that we have come used to seeing. Wing play was a disaster but more on that later.

Thought Barber should have been more agressive, he usually get a goal early and then disappears for 2 quarters. He can dodge and shoot and with SU's offensive woes he needs to play a more prominent part.

A few other bright spots I am sure I missed but hopefully others will add on. As for the negatives there were unfortunately a few.

Offensively this team can be so Jekkly and Hide its hard to watch. After scoring 5 goals in the first 8 minutes or so the offense fell of the face of the earth for 10 +minutes. This team with a big lead just loses all focus and starts playing differently. Almost as if they let up and start relaxing for a few minutes looking for the great play versus just getting more goals on the board, very odd.

The second mid line again had some issues. They managed only one goal/point which was Lane on a rebound to himself. I love Lane's size but he is really struggling right now, all three are really. I coach Desko needs to infuse new talent on the second line, guys like Voight, Shewell/Thorpe or even Ford or Mckinney to try and find a lineup that can consistently produce.

Not to be outdone the Wing play tried its best to match the second line of ineptness. Slow, never in position, unable to get a ground ball, you name it they have it. I love Scott Firman but Desko has to get him out of there hes making zero impact and doesn't look comfortable there . Dekso did turn to Schwanick late it the game which I thought was a good call added some new blood and fresh legs out there. Would like to see Cunningham or maybe Fusco on the Wing. As for SSDM its a risk but I would love to see Donahue once or twice a quarter out there, guy is a groundball machine. I really hope the staff uses the next 6 days off to try something different there.

Hard to get on the offense but with 40+ shots you would like to see a few more goals. SU hit 6+ pipes and Jackson made a couple real nice saves but SU had many opportunities to run it up and couldn't capitalize.

Thought the staff blew an opportunity to get Solomon/Shewell and or Thorpe some run at the 3rd attackmen with Evans playing well and bumping Barber to 1st mid line. Those guys have shown some flashes this year and with Evans finally playing well it could really open things up for that 3rd attackmen.

Lastly felt bad for Piroli he had a few runs in the first half but was pretty invisible, moved fairly well but didnt seem to have a burst. Hope an additional six days off can really help him. Ditto for Grimm.

 

[OttosDad]

Agree with the Piroli statement, they need him to get healthy and ready for the ACCT. He could be a big time feeder/distributor for this offense, should help Donahue. He is also a capable goal scorer, and this team desperately needs help at 2nd line middie. DeJoe will slide to second line once Piroli is back and Barber will move from attack to first-line.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Agree with the Piroli statement, they need him to get healthy and ready for the ACCT. He could be a big time feeder/distributor for this offense, should help Donahue. He is also a capable goal scorer, and this team desperately needs help at 2nd line middie. DeJoe will slide to second line once Piroli is back and Barber will move from attack to first-line.

It really is a shame because in the pre-season scrimmages and the 1st game Piroli looked excellent and this offense was really clicking. I hate to say it but he's probably going to be hobbled for the rest of the year as were now nearly 2 months from the original injury and hes still not back too 100%. He does seem to be making progress so perhaps with a few more weeks he can get close to 100% but it might be to little to late by then. I think the Cornell game next Tuesday will tell a lot. He has essentially 6 days off prior to that game after getting a few minutes in both the ND and Hobart game, if he can't get more run then its a bad sign.

 

[OttosDad]

It really is a shame because in the pre-season scrimmages and the 1st game Piroli looked excellent and this offense was really clicking. I hate to say it but he's probably going to be hobbled for the rest of the year as were now nearly 2 months from the original injury and hes still not back too 100%. He does seem to be making progress so perhaps with a few more weeks he can get close to 100% but it might be to little to late by then. I think the Cornell game next Tuesday will tell a lot. He has essentially 6 days off prior to that game after getting a few minutes in both the ND and Hobart game, if he can't get more run then its a bad sign.

Do we even know what the injury is? I thought I heard calf, can anyone confirm?

 

[JeremyCuse]

Do we even know what the injury is? I thought I heard calf, can anyone confirm?

Believe its the knee, he has a history of knee problems.

 

[CreaseRat]

Believe its the knee, he has a history of knee problems.

Yes it is a knee injury, hence the knee brace he wears.

Jeremy, I get it that you have a dislike for a certain player on the team but do you always have to go out of your way to put him down? I get that it's an election year and campaign smears are all the rave but give it a rest. How many career games have the 2nd middies played in and in those games, how many shifts/minutes have they played? It's a rebuilding year and there are going to be bumps along the road. Give kids a chance to get comfortable in their new positions and roles.

Do you have any ties to the team? Do you have any insight on what the coaches want from certain players? Do you know what the defensive slide packages are? Do you have an understanding of the offensive set? These are college athletes, not paid professionals, your overall negativity about the current state of SU lacrosse can be toned down.

 

[orange79]

Yes it is a knee injury, hence the knee brace he wears.

Jeremy, I get it that you have a dislike for a certain player on the team but do you always have to go out of your way to put him down? I get that it's an election year and campaign smears are all the rave but give it a rest. How many career games have the 2nd middies played in and in those games, how many shifts/minutes have they played? It's a rebuilding year and there are going to be bumps along the road. Give kids a chance to get comfortable in their new positions and roles.

Do you have any ties to the team? Do you have any insight on what the coaches want from certain players? Do you know what the defensive slide packages are? Do you have an understanding of the offensive set? These are college athletes, not paid professionals, your overall negativity about the current state of SU lacrosse can be toned down.

And yet, it's an internet sports forum. Opinions are voiced. If you don't agree, state why. Rebut what he said. Jeremy is very knowledgeable about lacrosse. And let's face it - the 2nd mids have not exactly set the world on fire this year.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Yes it is a knee injury, hence the knee brace he wears.

Jeremy, I get it that you have a dislike for a certain player on the team but do you always have to go out of your way to put him down? I get that it's an election year and campaign smears are all the rave but give it a rest. How many career games have the 2nd middies played in and in those games, how many shifts/minutes have they played? It's a rebuilding year and there are going to be bumps along the road. Give kids a chance to get comfortable in their new positions and roles.

Do you have any ties to the team? Do you have any insight on what the coaches want from certain players? Do you know what the defensive slide packages are? Do you have an understanding of the offensive set? These are college athletes, not paid professionals, your overall negativity about the current state of SU lacrosse can be toned down.

First off let me be clear I don't have any dislike for any player on the team. I firmly believe each player on the roster is a D1 athlete and that Syracuse offered them because they felt they could play at this level. I have nothing against any player and root for each of them. Many players on this board are consistently praised and lauded by many posters including myself.

Secondly this is Div 1 Mens lacrosse at the highest possible level, the pinnacle of the sport. The expectations are high and so is the pressure. If your looking for nothing but positive ra ra comments I suggest the Div 3 forum over at lax power.

In regards to your other questions I am assuming your referring to Lane and along with him the second mid line itself. I certainly don't go out of my way to put him or that line down but at some point you have to call a spade a spade. All three of the second mid fielders have been in the program for three years now were not talking about a true freshmen or somebody seeing the field for the first time as a redshirt frosh or something like that. The team has played 9 games now, I think were past the point where players are still trying to learn the position especially when all three played midfield last season.

The second midlines play this year has been underwhelming and I think that's probably being kind. No one's saying they should be dropped from the team or placed on the scout team but when any unit isn't performing people are going to look for a change. When the second line struggles game after game with the same people out there inevitably people are going to look for changes. I feel for Lane as I think he's playing out of position, he's an attackmen trying to play midfield and it just isn't working. No one blames him, its extremely difficult to play Div 1 mens lacrosse period less excel at it. That being said this is an SU lacrosse message board sometimes the review and comments are positive sometimes there not. Players have taken a beating here at times whether it be Jordan Evans, Hill, Williams by some and even Coach Desko himself, it comes with the territory when you play at a school like SU.

As for your other questions yes I do have some knowledge of the Lax program but of course I have no day to day information and clearly I am not at practice or privileged enough to the coaches thoughts and what they want from each player. I think its clear Coach Desko and his staff know a hell of a lot more about Lax then me or anyone on this board save for Woody. Myself and a few others have followed the program long enough where we see the motion offense and some of the intricacies and how the midfield and attacks are utilized be it from dodging or off ball movement etc etc. What do I know is that the second mid line has struggled to put up any consistent production and often has a point or less in most games. That isn't sustainable at Syracuse whether its a rebuilding year or not. I think everyone wants those guys to succeed and doesn't question the effort but the results simply aren't there.

To your last point about overall negativity I guess you missed the first part of my post where I outlined about a half dozen positive aspects of the game or the dozens of other similar posts I have had this year where I have specifically praised the work of Mellen, Mullins, Salcido (many times), Dejoe, Donahue, Barber, Grimm, etc.

Based on your post its clear your probably a relative or the parent of a player. Please know its nothing personal but its part of the process when your at this level. If you think that was bad I would avoid the Virginia lax board over on the Sabre or some of the threads on Laxpower, because they make this look like shangra la. Best advice I can give you is to stay away from these boards, things are said in the passion of the game that can be hurtful as a parent. Just know that everyone on here who is a Syracuse fan is rooting for each player on the team and for them to be successful. I would love to see the second line score 6 goals next Tuesday at Cornell with Lane leading the way, here's to hoping it happens.

 

[WoodyUK]

I have been on most boards over the years and this is easily the best, keep the faith and keep together as fans, I dislike Duke but they never panic look at most seasons that they have won a championship, play for May that's what it's about.

I feel for Hill but respect the Coaches for changing it up, do you go with your starter and stand by him and hope he works it out or make the change and hope that your depth chart prevails. Molloy deserved a chance and made a difference will he finish the season who knows but it will make both goalies push each other, competition is healthy.

We have all the parts we need to be successful but it seems that we can't put it together in the same game, do they give up? Hell no! we have games left, we have time and as we have seen this season we have seen some crazy results, some teams will burn out so let's hope we can last the course and make a run at it at the right time.

We are weaker than I thought at SSDM but with our depth we can find an answer!

I am so pleased for Jordan Evans he's took a beating on the forums and people doubting him, he's grinded it out, kept his head down and played his game and getting his reward, this is a parallel to the team itself and where we are at right now, we've lost three games, two by one goal? So what! get on with it, play the game you love! the season isn't three games and it's set out like that for reason! It's a process that you can better yourself at every stage,make a dip and get punished but do that in May your going to the Lake earlier than expected.

Cuse are built on Head Heart and Hustle and so should there fans, let's push them to the final 4!

Mullins, Mellen, Mariano, Salcido, Williams, Fusco, Firman, Barber, Evans, Donahue sounds like a team I'd like to Coach!

 

[allcuse1]

As people, "fans", continue to trash the 2nd midfield line perhaps you would be well served to look to see what line was on the field for 7 of 13 goals last night. Also, you may want to remember that this line has significantly less time on the field than the first line. Remember you can always walk on in the Fall, lift and train 4 hours a day and show us all how you can do it better.

 

[WoodyUK]

I think the 2nd line has been slow to get going this year after showing a lot of promise last season. I love Weston, Simmons and Lane they are talented just wanted to see a little more from them this year! I hope they can continue to grow though this season!

 

[orange79]

As people, "fans", continue to trash the 2nd midfield line perhaps you would be well served to look to see what line was on the field for 7 of 13 goals last night. Also, you may want to remember that this line has significantly less time on the field than the first line. Remember you can always walk on in the Fall, lift and train 4 hours a day and show us all how you can do it better.

OK, let's nip this in the bud right now. This, as said above, is a sports message board. This isn't varsity tryouts. Just because a poster did/didn't play does not mean his/her opinion is any more/less valid. It's an opinion.

We welcome everyone here (well, not if you're a JHU fan ) and value all opinions. Hopefully you can add some insight, as you did in your first paragraph above. But please leave the "Let's see YOU do it" stuff at home.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I think the 2nd line has been slow to get going this year after showing a lot of promise last season. I love Weston, Simmons and Lane they are talented just wanted to see a little more from them this year! I hope they can continue to grow though this season!

Agree Woody, if we could get more consistency out of the second line it would go along way to help this team offensively as its prone to long scoring droughts especially in the second half of games.

 

[JeremyCuse]

OK, let's nip this in the bud right now. This, as said above, is a sports message board. This isn't varsity tryouts. Just because a poster did/didn't play does not mean his/her opinion is any more/less valid. It's an opinion.

We welcome everyone here (well, not if you're a JHU fan ) and value all opinions. Hopefully you can add some insight, as you did in your first paragraph above. But please leave the "Let's see YOU do it" stuff at home.

Agreed were getting off track here and into a weird area. I went ahead and edited my original post as we don't need any infighting among the SU lacrosse fan base and I have enough problems, lol. Let's hope the second line has a great last quarter of the season and helps this team make a great run in the ACC and NCAA tourney.

 

[ThruWayWest]

Not to beat a dead horse...I enjoy Jeremy and others honest first takes on the game. My girlfriend bless her heart goes to most of the games with me but sometimes has no idea who has the ball...nevermind what line is having a lack of production. She basically enjoys Ben Williams because he starts from a standstill So I come here to read what the folks here have to say. I also like to talk to the guys in my section.

I have stated this before...I used to live in other places and went to D1 lax games. The knowledge of our crowd/fans incredible. Last weekend at the Dome at the start of the game when Mellon was running tight with Kavanaugh the crowd went nuts. This happened early on in the game when it was still close. The crowd recognized that at that moment... a true freshman was staying with a Senior all world player. He did not throw a take away check, body check, or intercept a pass. It was just solid defensive play and it was rewarded by the 10k in attendance. You would be hard pressed to get that kind of reaction at many other venues.

The crowd yells out for timer-on calls, substitutions, loose ball pushes, etc. Sure some negative stuff is directed at Desko calling for time outs or strategy. Most of it is in his direction. No one was booing Warren Hill or any of the players.

It is just a passionate fan base. So we come here to vent a bit. I am glad this option is available.

 

[CreaseRat]

And yet, it's an internet sports forum. Opinions are voiced. If you don't agree, state why. Rebut what he said. Jeremy is very knowledgeable about lacrosse. And let's face it - the 2nd mids have not exactly set the world on fire this year.

The 2nd line has two RS Sophs who until this year didn't see the field in meaning full minutes and we are currently seeing the same with the 3rd middie line. So the question becomes, what kind of development/attention are the players getting when they spend a year or two on the scout team? If players are slow to develope after a year or two in the program, isn't that a coaching problem? Agreed that the second line needs to have more of an impact but I also watch the off ball play while they are in the game. They second line was on the field for 6 goals in a 6v6 situation be Hobart, that's a positive for a line that sees 10 or less runs a game.

Are you looking for 30 or 40 percent rate with goals scored when they are on the field? Are you looking for that 30-40% to be direct results from them?

How many points did the second line put up last year?

Any knowledgeable fan should be able to tell the impact of certain players when they are on field. If not, pay attention to the off ball defenders and how quickly/slowly they slide off their man. If a player occupies the LSMs attention, allowing others to dodge the SSDM and move freely, it's not a negative. The nice thing about the Cuse offense is how the goal scored is b/c of a simple alley dodge, feed to X and find a cutter to finish. But it starts with the alley dodge and how the defense slides

 

[orange79]

The 2nd line has two RS Sophs who until this year didn't see the field in meaning full minutes and we are currently seeing the same with the 3rd middie line. So the question becomes, what kind of development/attention are the players getting when they spend a year or two on the scout team? If players are slow to develope after a year or two in the program, isn't that a coaching problem? Agreed that the second line needs to have more of an impact but I also watch the off ball play while they are in the game. They second line was on the field for 6 goals in a 6v6 situation be Hobart, that's a positive for a line that sees 10 or less runs a game.

Are you looking for 30 or 40 percent rate with goals scored when they are on the field? Are you looking for that 30-40% to be direct results from them?

How many points did the second line put up last year?

Any knowledgeable fan should be able to tell the impact of certain players when they are on field. If not, pay attention to the off ball defenders and how quickly/slowly they slide off their man. If a player occupies the LSMs attention, allowing others to dodge the SSDM and move freely, it's not a negative. The nice thing about the Cuse offense is how the goal scored is b/c of a simple alley dodge, feed to X and find a cutter to finish. But it starts with the alley dodge and how the defense slides

Totally agree with the bolded statement. It may be an issue.