Quint's Top 20: Rejoice! Play Has Returned

[OrangeXtreme]

Quint's Top 20: Rejoice! Play Has Returned

We rejoice in the return to play. The healing characteristics of lacrosse — the physical and mental health benefits for the

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4. Syracuse The Orange play Army on Feb. 21 in the Carrier Dome.

3. Duke Dino’s Devils outscored Denver 8-2 in the second half to win 12-10 on Friday after in Durham. 25-year-old lefty goalie Turner Uppgren came off the pine to spark the comeback. Nine different players scored. The last seven goals by Brennan O’Neill, Sean Lowrie, Owen Caputo, Nakeie Montgomery, Cam Badour, Caputo and Reilly Walsh was a show of offensive depth. The debuts of Michael Sowers and O’Neill was just one of the headlines — a return to play for two nationally elite programs led by Hall of Fame coaches. It was a lovely day. This Duke team is still very much a work in progress, whether it be team defensive schemes, facing off, goaltending and defining offensive rolls and rhythm… there’s a lot of work to be done and chemistry to be built. They are just scratching the surface — a clod of wet clay.

Duke didn’t look great in a Super Bowl Sunday game with RoMo. Down 5-1 early, they went back to goalie Mike Adler and clawed into the contest with a 5-0 run before halftime. Depth of scoring is a team strength. They just continually roll fresh options onto the field, proven goal-scorers, playmakers and best supporting actor nominees like Lowrie, Walsh, Joey Manown, Badour, and Caputo. Tyler Carpenter and JT Giles-Harris both played well last weekend. I love the ArkG ETF, but I'm not as sold on the Duke shorties and the other poles yet. Devils host Mercer on Saturday at 1 p.m.

2. North Carolina Wow. The Heels put on a show, running away from Denver 24-13 on Super Bowl Sunday. They forced 15 turnovers. UNC led 14-2 before halftime. Chris Gray went 6 & 1. Ten different players scored goals, a show of uncommon depth. The 10-man ride was tenacious with double-teams and midline traps. It forced numerous turnovers that led to transition the other way. Defender Will Bowen was outstanding off the ground. The Heels welcomed the return of defender Evan Egan, and their shorties appeared stouter than in 2020. Carolina was 7-0 in 2020 when the season got shut down; Gray and Co. have taken off from where they left off.

1. Virginia The Wahoos looked impressive topping Towson on Saturday, 20-11. They used a seven-goal second quarter to pull away. Payton Cormier scored six times, Connor Shellenberger added seven points in his collegiate debut, and Charlie Bertrand found the net four times in his first game as a Cav. Towson played a strong first quarter, and then the wave of pressure from Virginia became overwhelming. The Cavs’ offense took 42 shots in the first three quarters. They finished plus-21 in the groundball department. Their nine- and 10-man rides injected chaos into the contest. Virginia plays at Loyola on Feb. 20, although they are still looking for a potential opponent for Feb. 13.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

Way to mail it in Quint.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

Another highlight...he has to write a disclaimer as to why Hopkins is not included

Johns Hopkins An on campus outbreak caused a temporary pause to their preseason practice schedule. That, combined with a 2-4 2020 and no fall in the wake of a new coaching staff's arrival, prevent the Jays from being included in the Top 20.