The second line does look dysfunctional to me right now, especially compared to the first. I think one issue is that all three guys are very similar, they won't blow by you with blazing speed, but rather try to shoot through defenses by using their brute strength. Buttermore is the best at this but he is getting most of the attention with the long stick. The offense has looked better when Lipka inverts, he scored a nice goal last week against Army doing so and set up Buttermore this week doing the same. I wish there was a "speed" guy for this unit that could do a better job of drawing a slide to free up Buttermore and Lipka, as I don't think these three really compliment each other. Only problem is I don't know who else on the roster (besides first liners) ho would fit this description.
I think right now, what the coaching staff tells themselves, is, they'd rather attack a defense's fifth or even sixth best defender with one of their first or second best dodgers - Curry or Dordevic against a shorty just doesn't seem fair. And right now defenses are playing that game, which seems odd to me, to be honest. I think they want to keep the same strategy with the second line, but Lipka and Quinn aren't as dynamic as the fist line guys. I think the "problem" with Quinn is his usage rate is so high, he's taken 20 shots, the same as Cook, and has the second most turnovers on the team (at 5). I think the unit would be more effective if the attack did more of the initiating, and they could focus more on step down shooting, which they are all very good at. I worry that the attack, primarily Cook and Rhefuss (who has only nine shots the entire season!) are getting forgotten about a bit. Obviously the offense should exploit mismatches, but they still need to keep everyone engaged. When the second line is in, I think it would make for a good opportunity for the attack to facilitate more often.
