Tiring schedule

[ivorytower]

Really wish Cuse had a break in schedule, would have been helpful to play a #50 squad this week . Noticed our 4 lead mids primarily used in JHU game which must be tiring .Dearth, Helnmer and Kennedy likely sprinted several miles as well. Hard to play your best when tired, know Hopkins game was important to go above .500 but Rutgers contest will be as well to stay above that mark before facing a powerful Duke.

The wear and tear of one tough game after another will eventually accumulate to detriment of performance so have to guard against that and tap into depth soon.. Need mids Carlin and Magnan to start providing quality minutes , certainly capable but perhaps staff might also consider running Seebold there some . Good quality at lsm can be juggled. Also will eventually need Barlow and Smart to play increased minutes at some point if Murphy is out for any extended time, both are capable of delivering solid performances. Dearth and Helmer been great but they will also need the occasional blow. Attack and CD also need reliable fourth to rotate to help. . Having two good fogos is big plus in so many ways.

Returning to original point, a game this weekend vs a Bingy, Sienna, would likely afford a good chance for some to rest and our next layer of talent to be used heavily which advances both development and spirit. Also would help maintain mental freshness and focus. Hard not to look forward to Duke. Simply can't with top fifteen Rutgers who beat us solid last year . Easier said than done.. Shame there is no time to appreciate a needed victory as gotta jump right back into preparing for next top twenty opponent.
Trust that staff and trainers are doing their best to keep players fresh. One saving grace so far is string of home games tr but that ends soon enough .Being forced out of Dome for Duke game would be a bummer for both teams as well as fans.

 

[ivorytower]

In fairness to Rutgers, they play Lehigh on Tuesday but the gist of my thread remains, our unrelenting schedule offers no break.

... and moving the Duke game out of Dome should somehow be addressed along the lines that Jeremy suggests. Dont know other venues but sure both teams would like to play in front of 5k plus fans

 

[Powellfan]

I too wish SU had scheduled more games throughout the season, especially as you noted some "breathers". However, as I've said before, I think Desko is obsessed with RPI (it played a big factor in 'Cuse getting a home game in the tournament last year) and I think scheduling games like Binghampton and Siena would hurt the old RPI.

Also, I hate to say it but SU also will start the season with 7 home games, which is kind of unheard of. Not going to get a lot of sympathy for that.

I do agree with you on the fatigue factor. Every game I am wondering how Dearth is still standing at the end. And in recent years Desko has been very liberal rotating more players in and out, this year it seems like he is running his shortest bench in sometime. Not that I disagree with it! Last year he was rotating DiPietro in and out of the lineup to give breathers and he ran a lot more midfielders. Now if he needs a backup defender for man-down or injuries, he hands a SSDM a long stick. Not sure if he is more comfortable with the vets this year or he saw something last year he didn't like. So far I think his strategy is working. I think he is also very careful to schedule games a week a part for optimal rest.

 

[Delmar]

11 of our opponents are in the top 25 in the coach's poll this week--including Colgate and Hobart. There's no break in this schedule.

 

[JeremyCuse]

This whole thread sounds awfully familiar

 

[ivorytower]

Hobart got a top fogo and alot of O , Cuse will be favored but know Hoborts will be sky high to take down Cuse. Not a breather by any means .

Being a bit over dramatic but liken schedule to holding your breath under water till you need air and then repeating for extra three seconds on every rep. Even Aquaman needs the occasional break.

Dropped Siena,, Binghampton, St Johns . I do understand Powell's point about RPI and do realize some other top squads play arduous schedules as well . Colgate is improved but do wish we had played them later in season.

Yes, this thread is repetitive lol

 

[ivorytower]

Losing to Colgate and the UVA fade changed alot imo since cuse lost room for error. Rekindled the scheduling topic but perhaps the real discussion is about the quality and readiness of our depth.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Hobart got a top fogo and alot of O , Cuse will be favored but know Hoborts will be sky high to take down Cuse. Not a breather by any means .

Being a bit over dramatic but liken schedule to holding your breath under water till you need air and then repeating for extra three seconds on every rep. Even Aquaman needs the occasional break.

Dropped Siena,, Binghampton, St Johns . I do understand Powell's point about RPI and do realize some other top squads play arduous schedules as well . Colgate is improved but do wish we had played them later in season.

Yes, this thread is repetitive lol

I couldn't agree more and as you know I have been beating this drum for months but I don't think most posters (not saying you) understood how daunting this would be until we actually got into teh schedule and now that were in it and Gate and Hobart are better then we thought it really is a murders row from start to finish. I have tried to get the local media guys who go to the press conferences to ask about the schedule and if the team will lighten up on it next year but so far no one has asked Dekso that I can see. Hopefully Kramer or someone else reads the board and can ask Desko.

As Powellfan noted in this thread and I did in the beginning of the season Desko's obsession with RPI (after SU got screwed a few years ago) seems to be playing a big role here. I certainly understand it and the idiotic change to the ACC schedule forced our hand on Bingo but SU should have looked at easing up on the schedule. First off they should have talked with Navy and Rutty and moved one of the two games to next year. Second Bingo should have been added as a mid week game in the later part of the schedule on a Wed night. We did this a few years ago without any sort of issue. Third we should have picked up a Siena, Canisius, St. Bonnies or someone else as the replacement for either Navy or Rutty. This would have given us a 13 game schedule instead of 12 and featured 2 for sure cupcake wins in Bingo and say Bonaventure which gives SU a breather for two games and allows us to get some PT for some of the young guys buried on the Depth Chart.

I don't have any issue playing an arduous schedule, Cornell, Albany, Hopkins, Duke all play tought schedules but they are also balanced out with some near lock wins, SU has zero of those games save for what appeared to be Gate on paper and we know how that turned out.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

I'd like to see the ACCT pushed back to the last weekend (instead of the last two weekends), and that could free up a Tuesday for a cupcake.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Losing to Colgate and the UVA fade changed alot imo since cuse lost room for error. Rekindled the scheduling topic but perhaps the real discussion is about the quality and readiness of our depth.

Going into the season it appeared we had quality depth throughout, some of that has held up and some has not. With Dordevic and Quinn out injured the mid field has really taken a hit. Desko has gone to the Duke style of midfield subbing where you run 5 guys on a mixed 1st line versus playing 2 separate lines. They did this a lot the last two season they had Myles Jones. Carlin hasn't looked overally impressive in limited time and Magnan took a DNP against Hopkins. We need to get Quinn back on the field and another middie to emerge whether that is Mangnan or Fiorini or a guy like O'Sullivan.

To me the UVA game is the one that really hurts. As bad as the Colgate game was we were outplayed the entire time, UVA we blew two leads (with the help of some god awful officiating) with some bad decisions down the stretch. This team at 4-1 right now would have some wiggle room that simply doesn't exist at 3-2 especially when you look at the rest of the schedule and having to play Duke at ND and at Hobart (with a weeks rest) after Rutty. That's a daunting task.

 

[JeremyCuse]

I'd like to see the ACCT pushed back to the last weekend (instead of the last two weekends), and that could free up a Tuesday for a cupcake.

Whoever thought of that change should be fired, it screws up everyone's schedule and if your the 5 seed an lose that opening game your season ends like two weeks before the rest of the NCAA. Idiotic.

 

[JeremyCuse]

One thing ivorytower mentioned was the fact that Rutgers is playing Lehigh tomorrow at 7pm while SU doesn't have a midweek game. The one good thing about this schedule is that SU has had at least 6 days between games so far this season and doesn't play its first mid week game for another 3 weeks. Rutgers is dealing with some guys trying to play through injuries including their best O player in Mullins and their already missing their #1 FOGO and had 2 d players leave due to injury this past Saturday. Lehigh is a tough physical team and the game between these two guys got chippy last year. Couldn't think of a potential worse mid week game for them prior to play a team like us. Unsure if we want Rutty to win or not but I think their in big trouble at the X and Lehigh is starting to get most of the guys that were out back.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

One thing ivorytower mentioned was the fact that Rutgers is playing Lehigh tomorrow at 7pm while SU doesn't have a midweek game. The one good thing about this schedule is that SU has had at least 6 days between games so far this season and doesn't play its first mid week game for another 3 weeks. Rutgers is dealing with some guys trying to play through injuries including their best O player in Mullins and their already missing their #1 FOGO and had 2 d players leave due to injury this past Saturday. Lehigh is a tough physical team and the game between these two guys got chippy last year. Couldn't think of a potential worse mid week game for them prior to play a team like us. Unsure if we want Rutty to win or not but I think their in big trouble at the X and Lehigh is starting to get most of the guys that were out back.

Root for 3-4 OTs.

 

[ivorytower]

Thank you JC and others for the good info and discussion. Ill be rooting for Rutgers in 4 to's as they have numerous Jersey boys and their RPI being higher is likely best for us. later Gents

 

[SDCuse114]

Why doesn’t SU schedule 1-2 more games? Is that Desko’s decision? UVA and Duke have 14 games scheduled. UNC has 13, and Notre Dame is the same as us with 12. Like you all said, those games could be filled in with weaker N.Y. teams.

 

[sholokov2]

I think the issue raised in this discussion is attrition. How much energy, determination, efficiency are left in a team after 13 games, half at home, half on the road, with a couple of patsies(not sure there are any) thrown in, versus 11 games, 7 at home w/o any softies. I am guessing it's a wash. All teams lose players over the course of a season. I believe these losses are not a function of the difference in the type of schedule you guys are talking about. Were I to bet, I would bet on the side of the 11 game, 7 at home team being fresher over the course of a season. But I would not bet much. So far I like the progress and pep of this SU team over the first five games. I like the spirit, the grit and the effort and I forgive the sloppiness. I think that the progress has benefitted from a steady diet of competent opponents. Seven games at home is a big advantage, one I would take over a couple easy games. Travel is tiring in itself. Improvement in the ssdm position, FO position, offensive middies and perhaps goal tending has become apparent against tough opposition. And I could watch Kennedy and Fernandez play 2 against ten and love it.

 

[Delmar]

This whole thread sounds awfully familiar

It does. Although I much prefer this schedule to our short stint in the Big East. Those Providence games were torture to watch.

 

[CuseAlum87]

It does. Although I much prefer this schedule to our short stint in the Big East. Those Providence games were torture to watch.

Agree and just wish the ACC would get a sixth team and the AQ. On that note, Georgia Tech has a club team as does Florida State--someone can go varsity.

 

[HtownOrange]

Going into the season it appeared we had quality depth throughout, some of that has held up and some has not. With Dordevic and Quinn out injured the mid field has really taken a hit. Desko has gone to the Duke style of midfield subbing where you run 5 guys on a mixed 1st line versus playing 2 separate lines. They did this a lot the last two season they had Myles Jones. Carlin hasn't looked overally impressive in limited time and Magnan took a DNP against Hopkins. We need to get Quinn back on the field and another middie to emerge whether that is Mangnan or Fiorini or a guy like O'Sullivan.

To me the UVA game is the one that really hurts. As bad as the Colgate game was we were outplayed the entire time, UVA we blew two leads (with the help of some god awful officiating) with some bad decisions down the stretch. This team at 4-1 right now would have some wiggle room that simply doesn't exist at 3-2 especially when you look at the rest of the schedule and having to play Duke at ND and at Hobart (with a weeks rest) after Rutty. That's a daunting task.

I agree with much of what you said, the schedule is grueling, little breathing room. I worry less about the separate lines so long as the guys keep up the pace. Speed is one thing SU can use to beat other teams, with few exceptions. Our depth tends to be better than most teams, run opponents into the ground with a fast pace transition game. Nothing keeps kids excited about playing time than opportunity and a fast pace gives more opportunity to kids getting field time and opportunities to score. The slower pace is more like a chess game than a game that relies on the skills AND game intelligence of the kids playing the game.

A side effect of mixing up the lines is to let the twos get time with the ones, which makes them step up or fall off, which, with our talent levels, I am not generally concerned about kids falling off.

Another facet of the fast paced game is the mind game, knowing you have to run with SU (like the glory years of the 80s and 90s) plays havoc with opponents' minds.

I agree that SU cannot look past the next opponent, but if Desko continues the trend of letting kids play, I am confident he pulls off a great feat.

Anyway, I don't say t his enough, but Thanks for your analysis (and thanks to all the others, too). I learn a lot from you guys and you make me enjoy the game more. I did not get to play lacrosse - and I lived in CNY!, but I love SU lacrosse.

 

[Orangelax]

Agree and just wish the ACC would get a sixth team and the AQ. On that note, Georgia Tech has a club team as does Florida State--someone can go varsity.

Florida State, Clemson, Wake Forest, and NC State also have club teams. NC State's club is usually pretty good in the MCLA.

 

[Abclaxfan]

Florida State, Clemson, Wake Forest, and NC State also have club teams. NC State's club is usually pretty good in the MCLA.

I believe BC is ranked pretty high in the MCLA and is in somewhat of a hotbed. They could get good pretty fast

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Agree and just wish the ACC would get a sixth team and the AQ. On that note, Georgia Tech has a club team as does Florida State--someone can go varsity.

Florida State, Clemson, Wake Forest, and NC State also have club teams. NC State's club is usually pretty good in the MCLA.

Figure a way around Title IX.

If you add 12.6 Men's scholarships, you now have to add an additional Women's sport to remain in compliance.

 

[SkyTopBus44]

BC and NC State were both D1 at one point. Seems very unlikely that they would bring it back. For many of the reasons that you state it is so hard to add with title IX. A school can only add Women's crew once so there are few other teams that could be added that have that large amount of scholarship allotments. It is so unfair that there is not a women's sport equivalent with 85 scholarships. They really should make an exception for football to make it easier. For all I know they already do. The ACC also has this all sports rule which does not apply to Notre Dame. It would be nice if we could add another school as a lacrosse only but it is also my understanding that this is not permitted by the league.

 

[CuseAlum87]

I understand the issues with Title IX. That said, the new program does not have be fully funded( all 12.6 scholarships) in the first year. They can build up over 3 or 4 years and do the same on the women's side thereby lessening financial impact. Also, state schools like FSU and NC State can get creative by offering in-state tuition to out of state athletes. My point being, there is money in the ACC and opportunity to add a sixth team (at least). Both BC and NC State used to have varsity programs.

 

[Hoo's That]

I understand the issues with Title IX. That said, the new program does not have be fully funded( all 12.6 scholarships) in the first year. They can build up over 3 or 4 years and do the same on the women's side thereby lessening financial impact. Also, state schools like FSU and NC State can get creative by offering in-state tuition to out of state athletes. My point being, there is money in the ACC and opportunity to add a sixth team (at least). Both BC and NC State used to have varsity programs.

Va Tech had a varsity, too. In their last year as a varsity we beat them 27-0. All the ACC schools have club teams in one of the club leagues. The ones in the MCLA are pretty good with Ga Tech making a couple of their Final Fours. It will be difficult for BC and Va Tech to start men's teams because they use their women's teams for Title IX purposes. The stories I've heard are:

FSU has a Sugar Daddy who will fund both lacrosse teams if they can get their Title IX numbers to work.

BC had a terrible AD who constantly said, "I'll start a {pick a sport they don't have} team when Florida State starts a hockey team." He's retired. (He's also the guy who fired Jeff Jagodzinski and Al Skinner.) IIRC, the guy who replaced him was all but fired. The newest guy is trying to get their financial house in order.

There were rumors last year that Pitt was going to start teams. Nothing has developed since the rumors.

For the two Techs and NCSU, it's about money. As STEM schools, they have decent Title IX numbers, but Va Tech is already using its women's team for its Title IX count.