Stony Brook Game Preview (3/12/21, 1pm)

[Powellfan]

The Syracuse Orange come off a tough game against Vermont, and with just six days rest must regroup to face a talented Seawolves team. Stony Brook comes in at just 2-2, but I think that record is a bit deceiving. They have an explosive offense which will certainly give the Orange a challenge. Also, hard to know how SU will respond to a strange game time (1 pm on a Friday), I don't think I've ever seen a game scheduled at that time for as long as I've been watching SU.

Stony Brook has a very good offense, averaging almost 16 goals a game. They are led by Maryland transfer Dylan Pallonetti, who has scored 14 goals and 6 assists this year. But it's not just him, they have six players with at least 10 points, and fellow attackmen Cory VanGinhovan and Tom Haun are right behind him with 15 and 13 points respectively. It does appear that Pallonetti is the focal point of their offense, he leads the team with 41 shots (next highest is 25). It does not look like they have a stereotypical quarterback, as no one has more than six assists, but they do share the ball as six players have four or more helpers on the year. Don't know enough about the Seawolves to say who will guard who, outside of Wykoff most likely taking Pallonetti. The only size matchup problem is midfielder Matt DeMeo who stands 6'4 190. Again, SU defense will be really tested here.

Defense is not a place where the Seawolves look to thrive, and SU should be able to put points up on the board. The Stony Brook goalie Anthony Palma is a first year starter and is giving up 11.5 goals a game and saving the ball at just 48% clip. Not great, but those numbers might be inflated by a really bad game against Hofstra, he gave up 20 goals and made just 8 saves. If you take the game out, his save percentage jumps to 57%. It looks like they have two main FOGOS in Austin Deskewicz and Renz Conlon. Deskewicz has the higher winning percentage at 58% to 35%, but Conlon has taken more face-offs, 65 to 55. Strange. Obviously a big thing to watch for Orange fans is Jakob Phaup's bounce back ability. Hard to tell how good the Seawolves unit is and I'm not going to make any grand pronouncements after last week's struggles against UVM. But needless to say hopefully Phaup and co do much better this Friday.

Overall I think the Orange should win this game, but they'll have to play good defense and do better at the face-off. I'm hoping to see the short sticks improve this Friday most of all. Stony Brook looks deep enough that they could give SU trouble at that spot. Don't like calling guys out but Brandon Aviles had a rough game against Vermont, got beat a few times, lost his man in coverage a few times, just not like him. Last year he played mostly lockdown defense and was causing turnovers. Hasn't looked like that player yet this season, hopefully he finds a spark. Offensively, just have to keep playing like they have been the last two weeks, with good ball movement and unselfish behavior. Would like to get Buttermore going, but its been good to see Seebold and Quinn contribute the last two weeks on the second line. And if I had to nitpick, I am with Woody, Dordevic could really take his game to the next level if he developed his passing - teams are going to catch on to his rollback and he's got to make them pay for quick doubles and slides.

Stony Brook is coming off a two game losing skid, one of those losses an offensive shootout (20-17 to Hofstra) and an overtime upset to UMBC. But they do have a big 14-8 win over Bryant who beat UVM, who of course just gave SU a game. Hard to know where their heads will be but SU has to be ready for a dangerous team. This is not a game where Syracuse can afford to slip up, and hopefully they aren't too focused on the Seawolves recent struggles.

 

[ivorytower]

Great writeup as always by Powell. Didnt realize game was Fri afternoon, wife will be pleased. lol.
Sure SB had circled this game on calendar but 4ot loss could affect emo and a quick start by Cuse could suppress. Off day for one dm but good player .Woody the player provided some decent mins and Small is available iif Barlow needed as second pole. Blast me for this foolish question as a good friend did but could Cook play ssdm in certain games, small but sturdy with good feet.
Prep was short, Dordevic will refine catches and passes. His shot has been very accurate coming off those shakes. As with UVM, expect another competitive game but our dm n fogos will bounce , team will remember to remove wrap from lax heads and likely see the same offensive efficiency however spread.. To reach ff ,team needs to be whole , not be overly reliant on mids nor Porter having a very good game.. Clear progress on first, still open on second.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Good job as usual Powellfan, I am not as bullish on the Brook as you are but they definitely have a very potent offense with a very good attack unit that can put up points in a hurry. Also not a fan at all of the start time, I know Brook plays on Sunday, but 1pm on a Friday is brutal.

There isn't a ton out there on Stony Brook as far as game footage. There full game vs Bryant ( a nice win) is really it. For some unknown reasons Stony Brooks athletic dept doesn't post highlights of their games (not a good sign) but I did get highlights from Hofstra and UMBC that I watched. Now both were all positive highlights for Hofstra an UMBC but I was able to at least see SB's offense in the UMBC one as they showed about a half dozen + saves from the UMBC goalie.

Stony Brooks offense from the Bryant game and what I have been able to watch is more of a ISO and free wheeling offense ala Virgina, then the set 18,000 picks and screens of Army and Vermont. They didn't appear shy to shoot (even from distance) and all 3 attackmen appeared capable of dodging and doing it effectively. I suspect SB will be doing a lot of dodging from X trying to score on wrap arounds and dodges or looking to pass up top for step down looks. Wycoff will again be key here, he kept his man without a goal against Vermont and I think will surely draw Pallonetti. VanGinhoven seems like a Murphy matchup and then Dipetro on Haun. The SB midfield is an all upper class group that is solid. McCannell has been the most consistent and prolific but was held to just an assistant at UMBC on zero shots this past Saturday. Interesting choice to see if SU poles him or DeMeo assuming McCannell didn't get hurt as the zero shots seems a bit odd. Kennedy will likely draw one of those two. We need to be better defending the midfield, Vermont's big midfielder had 3 or 4 goals and we again struggled to stop a face dodge from up top. Were developing a bad habit of trying to stop the up top dodges with sticks versus actually sliding.

As Powellfan noted, the SSDM were not good this past week. Aviles seems a bit out of sorts and Dami is becoming to much feast or famine. Bad vs Army, really good against UVA and then back down again. Aviles struggles are especially troubling after how good he looked last year, could be the rust is still being shook off but we need to get him right sooner rather then later. Barlow has experience playing shorty but if Clary is hurt he will likely be the back up pole. Speaking of Clary, hopefully he is ready to go on Sat, we struggled at LSM when Kennedy was out versus UV. i expect Stony Brook to put up points for sure but SU has faced several potent attack units already this year in Army and UVA and even Vermont to an extent, they really should be up to the challenge. SU also was the victim of probably 3 or 4 bad break goals against Vermont. Weird rebound bounce, gb misses and a bad turnover. The overall D performance for sure wasn't great but it wasn't Army where we just got beat like we stole something.

Offensively its hard to see how Stony Brook slows down SU. They appeared to struggle to contain inverts or really dodging in general from the footage I watched. Dordevic and Curry should have a field day dodging. This would be a great game to get Buttermore going as well, he's drawing the LSM every game and a lot of attention from opposing defenses. Their goalie Palma is under 50% and has seen a deluge of shots, just about 40 a game on average. Hofstra the best team they have seen so far put up 20 which you would tend to think is a good omen for SU. SB did hold Bryant to 8 which is impressive but you have to think that's probably the outlier. Interested to see if SU tries to throw some depth at SB especially with them coming off that 4 OT loss. I thought Vermont held up pretty well but they also had an enormous Faceoff advantage, not sure SB can count on getting anything close to that win %. SU was so efficient last week its hard to really have points to make beyond just continuing the pace and hoping guys continue to play within the system and spread the wealth. Dordevic got a little into "time to get mine" in the second half a few times but beyond that the SU offense was again very good. I will say that we continue to get stoned on the crease or in close way to often for my comfort. Was better against Vermont but still at least 2-3 doorstep saves that SU needs to convert. I would also like to see more of Ferris, was disappointed he didn't see at least a few runs against Vermont. Feel for Cook but at this point I don't think SU knows what to do with him. Had a nice GB late but also had another brutal turnover and was stoned late on a dodge when we were running off clock. Its surprising to me he hasn't been able to put it together more, extremely talented player but it just hasn't worked out offensively. Hiltz is showing why myself and others wanted him starting from Day 1 at attack, everything just seems so effortless. He reminds me a lot of Dylan Donahue on open looks, almost automatic to the point that your shocked when he doesn't score. He's just scratching the surface of his potential at this point and Rehfuss is the perfect guy for him to play with at this point, he has also been excellent this year.

One thing to keep an eye on is that teams are turning the ball over at a ridiculous rate against Brook. Now some of this maybe the layoff from last year as SB has 23 caused turnovers but in 4 games total teams have turned it over 77 times or over 19 game, that is very high. UMBC turned it over as ludicrous 26 times (including 5 in the 4 overtimes). If your looking for a path to a SB win, it definitely involves SU turning it over a lot, probably in the high teens.

Will do a separate post on the FOGO situation.

 

[CuseAlum87]

In regards to Buttermore, and I may have mentioned this last season, he doesn't seem comfortable in March's offense. With the old offense, the middies would ally dodge and if the shot wasn't there turn and pass back up top where Buttermore could take a step down shot which is his wheelhouse. Now, the middies wing dodge, sweep, and roll back. No pass back up top, no step down for Buttermore. Just some thoughts I've had watching his play.

 

[DoctahLexus]

A couple people have mentioned it now, but I did not see what about Dami’s performance amounted to a bad game. Thought he looked good in all aspects, especially in 1v1 situations. Maybe a couple moments of slow reaction in team defense situations, but nothing glaring, and certainly nothing that cost us a goal, unlike Aviles who was partially responsible for at least 4 or 5 goals. Thought Dami and dearth separated themselves as the true starters. Both big and strong enough to avoid anything like what Owen Seebold does to short sticks. Both know how to position themselves and use their strength to push a guy off his intended path, even if it’s a guy with serious speed.

 

[ivorytower]

Thought same . Lewandowki shook Dami on early move but then solid. Penalty on him was b.s.

 

[Gone]

Great write-ups by everyone! I watched a couple of SB's games - Hofstra and Sacred Heart. Offense looked impressive even though against mediocre to weak teams. Tierney ran wild on their D and exposed their goalie Palma who struggled, particularly on low shots. I would be starting their backup goalie if I were SB but happy if Palma remains .

You can see why Maryland committed to Pallonetti. Can't blame him for transferring as tough to crack that lineup. He has a rocket shot similar to Buttermore and very athletic. The O seems to really feed off him so as pointed out above, he is "the" guy to control. Others are good but not as dominant.

Should be similar to Vermont in that they will get some goals but our O should dominate their D and goalie. I hope Garlow and Savage get some time at FO - particularly if we are running up the score. We may need them to step up against the ACC later.

 

[DoctahLexus]

Thought same . Lewandowki shook Dami on early move but then solid. Penalty on him was b.s.

Yes and he was shaking everybody too. Had the shot to go along with it. Wish he stayed at Cuse!

 

[Powellfan]

In regards to Buttermore, and I may have mentioned this last season, he doesn't seem comfortable in March's offense. With the old offense, the middies would ally dodge and if the shot wasn't there turn and pass back up top where Buttermore could take a step down shot which is his wheelhouse. Now, the middies wing dodge, sweep, and roll back. No pass back up top, no step down for Buttermore. Just some thoughts I've had watching his play.

You might be onto something here, given that he seems to be "struggling" since last year. I will say that Buttermore wasn't a one-trick pony in his breakout season in '19, I remember him inverting some, and in general he could dodge and didn't need much space to get off a shot. He wasn't just a finisher. I am struck by the fact that he's only taken 2 shots this year, and both were against Army. As I've said, at least he's keeping the pole off his other running mates, and they are producing. I have been surprised the times I see Cook take his spot on the line, I would think they'd want him on the field as much as possible. Maybe he's dealing with an injury?

I have to say I didn't notice Clary leaving the game with an injury, I thought they were just trying to rotate guys in on defense to keep fresh. Re-watching highlights though you realize how important he is. Page got one run and got scored on pretty quickly, not giving up much of a fight. Hope he gets back soon, I think he's a very solid #2. He's bulked up quite a bit since arriving on campus.

As to Dami, its really hard to asses SSDMs. The ones who get attention usually get it for their transition game and not the actual defense they play. They don't defend the opponents best player, but they can be picked on mercilessly if they aren't up to snuff. And of course not a lot of actual SSDMs play the role in high school so its a brand new position for most. I think Dami has been pretty solid for most of the season, but like most of the defense I'd like to see him play a little better. He still seems to plant his feet too much which puts him at a disadvantage.

 

[CuseAlum87]

You might be onto something here, given that he seems to be "struggling" since last year. I will say that Buttermore wasn't a one-trick pony in his breakout season in '19, I remember him inverting some, and in general he could dodge and didn't need much space to get off a shot. He wasn't just a finisher. I am struck by the fact that he's only taken 2 shots this year, and both were against Army. As I've said, at least he's keeping the pole off his other running mates, and they are producing. I have been surprised the times I see Cook take his spot on the line, I would think they'd want him on the field as much as possible. Maybe he's dealing with an injury?

I have to say I didn't notice Clary leaving the game with an injury, I thought they were just trying to rotate guys in on defense to keep fresh. Re-watching highlights though you realize how important he is. Page got one run and got scored on pretty quickly, not giving up much of a fight. Hope he gets back soon, I think he's a very solid #2. He's bulked up quite a bit since arriving on campus.

As to Dami, its really hard to asses SSDMs. The ones who get attention usually get it for their transition game and not the actual defense they play. They don't defend the opponents best player, but they can be picked on mercilessly if they aren't up to snuff. And of course not a lot of actual SSDMs play the role in high school so its a brand new position for most. I think Dami has been pretty solid for most of the season, but like most of the defense I'd like to see him play a little better. He still seems to plant his feet too much which puts him at a disadvantage.

I think that Buttermore can dodge and create his own shot, but that wasn't his role. Lipka would initiate with the dodge. When Buttermore ran with the first midfield it was Trimboli and Curry that would initiate. I don't think it's an injury. Honestly, I don't get it I think he is a very good player with a good handle, good size, and a wicked shot with either hand. I've been waiting for him to break out.

 

[JeremyCuse]

One interesting note about Stony Brook is that unlike most D1 lax teams they do have a stand alone lacrosse board like UVA, us, Albany etc. Unfortunately 98% of the posts are from one gentlemen. It's the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. Its as if myself or Powellfan or OrangeExtreme were the only ones to post on the lax board. This guy does it all to including recruiting updates. I might join over there just so he can have some back and forth this week.

SBU Men's Lacrosse

SBU Men's Lacrosse

sbufan.createaforum.com

 

[CuseAlum87]

One interesting note about Stony Brook is that unlike most D1 lax teams they do have a stand alone lacrosse board like UVA, us, Albany etc. Unfortunately 98% of the posts are from one gentlemen. It's the most bizarre thing I have ever seen. Its as if myself or Powellfan or OrangeExtreme were the only ones to post on the lax board. This guy does it all to including recruiting updates. I might join over there just so he can have some back and forth this week.

SBU Men's Lacrosse

SBU Men's Lacrosse

sbufan.createaforum.com

As long as he's not answering his own posts and having conversations with himself it's ok, sad, but ok.

 

[JeremyCuse]

As long as he's not answering his own posts and having conversations with himself it's ok, sad, but ok.

Lol very true, I do want to encourage our fans to go over and join and interact a bit this week and get some activity going on over there.

 

[CuseAlum87]

Lol very true, I do want to encourage our fans to go over and join and interact a bit this week and get some activity going on over there.

I looked, and you're right it was bizarre

 

[orange79]

The Chairman has been busy.

Lonely, but busy.

 

[ivorytower]

My two most agreeable conversations are with my dog and bathroom mirror.

 

[JeremyCuse]

The Chairman has been busy.

Lonely, but busy.

View attachment 197631

I can see that being me in another universe. Actually its not to far off to how the lax board was about a decade ago. There was a handful of us that posted a lot and would do game threads, although it would fluctuate a bit. Now we have dozens of posters posting on a daily/weekly basis and thousands viewing.

 

[DoctahLexus]

I can see that being me in another universe. Actually its not to far off to how the lax board was about a decade ago. There was a handful of us that posted a lot and would do game threads, although it would fluctuate a bit. Now we have dozens of posters posting on a daily/weekly basis and thousands viewing.

That guy has my full respect and support. If he’s lurking here he is most welcome.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The Chairman has been busy.

Lonely, but busy.

View attachment 197631

Does he ever ban himself for 24 hours after a loss?

 

[CuseAlum87]

That guy has my full respect and support. If he’s lurking here he is most welcome.

Agreed.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[JeremyCuse]

Less then optimal

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[sholokov2]

Watched Duke vs High Point last night. Remember Shane Lowery and Quigley, both of whom played on the first middie line a couple years ago? They are now in their gray beard senior and grad years on the mop up fourth or fifth line. Duke annihilated HP with about 25 first half goals. Lost count. They were down to the club team freshmen who never made the team by the third quarter.
Whoa Charley!!!!!