UNC Gameday...

[PAcuse]

That was Gary's excuse in the post-game presser: we haven't played on grass and we haven't practiced on grass. A number of us commented that is Gary again not taking responsibility.

Daily Orange Staff Writer:

This should be a fireable offense. He can't have the team pratice on grass????
We complain when football HCs leave time outs on the table, this is waaaaay worse.
What a joke.

 

[SULAXAHOLIC]

Do you live anywhere in NY there isn’t a grass field anywhere in NY that would come close to mimicking Dorance field. Most fields here are underwater we had a large snowpack melt followed by heavy rain all week. Syracuse was in Carolina for 24 hours not a week

 

[nocohalo]

Do you live anywhere in NY there isn’t a grass field anywhere in NY that would come close to mimicking Dorance field. Most fields here are underwater we had a large snowpack melt followed by heavy rain all week. Syracuse was in Carolina for 24 hours not a week

The easiest solution is to just not say anything about the field. All it does is make the coach and program a punchline to everyone else and gives needless negative attention. These are the things that add up for the fans who are sick of the BS from the coaching staff. These dumb excuses combined with 5 years of failing to address ANY of the same problems makes the fans' patience wear very thin very quick.

 

[PhatOrange]

Do you live anywhere in NY there isn’t a grass field anywhere in NY that would come close to mimicking Dorance field. Most fields here are underwater we had a large snowpack melt followed by heavy rain all week. Syracuse was in Carolina for 24 hours not a week

some of this stuff is a little overblown. grass fields in upstate are loose right now. Pics from Tully a week ago is mud fest. I can't think of a more perfect field to play on yesterday, but that said nothing in NY mimics at a golf course green even in the best of conditions. If the ground was hard under that short grass you can understand guys slipping but I didn't see Carolina guys slipping. How many different cleats are out there. Seems like they're all molded but I don't know what the college teams have.

 

[PAcuse]

Do you live anywhere in NY there isn’t a grass field anywhere in NY that would come close to mimicking Dorance field. Most fields here are underwater we had a large snowpack melt followed by heavy rain all week. Syracuse was in Carolina for 24 hours not a week

He's commits where bush league at best.
You can find a damn field, no way all of NY is that way. I know I'm 5 hours away but I could throw a stone and hit 7 fields to pratice on.
These guys where they TOP class when they came in and are now Seniors...how the hell can't they play on grass fields...Gait is a joke for that commit.

 

[Shrmdougluvr]

He's commits where bush league at best.
You can find a damn field, no way all of NY is that way. I know I'm 5 hours away but I could throw a stone and hit 7 fields to pratice on.
These guys where they TOP class when they came in and are now Seniors...how the hell can't they play on grass fields...Gait is a joke for that commit.

I've got to assume you went to SU. Maybe it was awhile ago. I can assure you that we haven't gotten close to spring yet in upstate new york and schools are using grass fields sparingly if at all. At this point, they'd be more of an injury risk for the team than something that actually helps them prepare for a game. And regardless, the grass is completely different up here than it is in the Carolinas.

I can only speak for Section 2, but pretty much all of the high level schools/programs are playing on turf right now. Ballston Spa and Averill Park are the only two high schools I know of without a turf field that play lacrosse at a decent level.

The easiest solution is to just not say anything about the field. All it does is make the coach and program a punchline to everyone else and gives needless negative attention. These are the things that add up for the fans who are sick of the BS from the coaching staff. These dumb excuses combined with 5 years of failing to address ANY of the same problems makes the fans' patience wear very thin very quick.

What are you so concerned about? No one cares. We've lost to arguably the two best teams in the country and played an absolute stinker of a game and only lost by one in terrible weather on the road. Our RPI speaks for itself. Gait's never going to trash kids or coaches publiclly the way hardos want. People will always troll Syracuse.

I’m gonna take another bite from this apple. I understand your point. But, as a Methodist, ND is just another catholic school. I respect their brand but that’s as far as it goes. As for Duke, if they were located north of the mason dixon line, they’d just be another leafy expensive private northeastern school. No better, no worse. And if I may quote Bruce Hornsby, “some things will never change. That’s just the way it is”.

Have a wonderful Easter

I think the bolded is what you are taking much lighter than lacrosse recruits and their families. Lacrosse is one of two sports dominated by the upper middle class. The hot beds are Long Island, New England prep schools [Metro Boston and Connecticut Gold Coast], Mainline Philly, MIAA, and DC Metro. These are families with wealth, are wealth adjacent, value education, and even more so value the connections that can be made through attending elitist educational institutions.

In no other college sport (maybe hockey) do Ivy's and Military Academies recruit on par with Power 5 type schools. There's a reason the top of D3 is mostly dominated by NESCAC, Liberty, and Centennial school. And that schools from those conferences top to bottom would work over all but a couple/handful of D2 schools.

Syracuse, in addition to just being a worse value proposition, doesnt have the same connections to Wall Street, and the best MBA, Law, and Med Schools as the schools we are losing recruits to.

What does Syracuse offer that other schools can't:

1. We have a real lacrosse culture that does not exist anywhere else. These top recruits going to Duke, Carolina, etc., are going to play glorified high school ball.

2. The program is legendary and coached by a legend. That mattered to Joey Spallina. Maybe it'll matter to others? Seems is '26 and '27 we are pulling more kids from Georgia and Texas where our name recognition probably matters as much as the rich kid stuff cited above.

3. We play a pretty fast and free flowing style where you don't get you ear chewed off for going behind the back (a simple play for kids these days), one handed, etc.

 

[Bayside44]

I've got to assume you went to SU. Maybe it was awhile ago. I can assure you that we haven't gotten close to spring yet in upstate new york and schools are using grass fields sparingly if at all. At this point, they'd be more of an injury risk for the team than something that actually helps them prepare for a game. And regardless, the grass is completely different up here than it is in the Carolinas.

I can only speak for Section 2, but pretty much all of the high level schools/programs are playing on turf right now. Ballston Spa and Averill Park are the only two high schools I know of without a turf field that play lacrosse at a decent level.



What are you so concerned about? No one cares. We've lost to arguably the two best teams in the country and played an absolute stinker of a game and only lost by one in terrible weather on the road. Our RPI speaks for itself. Gait's never going to trash kids or coaches publiclly the way hardos want. People will always troll Syracuse.



I think the bolded is what you are taking much lighter than lacrosse recruits and their families. Lacrosse is one of two sports dominated by the upper middle class. The hot beds are Long Island, New England prep schools [Metro Boston and Connecticut Gold Coast], Mainline Philly, MIAA, and DC Metro. These are families with wealth, are wealth adjacent, value education, and even more so value the connections that can be made through attending elitist educational institutions.

In no other college sport (maybe hockey) do Ivy's and Military Academies recruit on par with Power 5 type schools. There's a reason the top of D3 is mostly dominated by NESCAC, Liberty, and Centennial school. And that schools from those conferences top to bottom would work over all but a couple/handful of D2 schools.

Syracuse, in addition to just being a worse value proposition, doesnt have the same connections to Wall Street, and the best MBA, Law, and Med Schools as the schools we are losing recruits to.

What does Syracuse offer that other schools can't:

1. We have a real lacrosse culture that does not exist anywhere else. These top recruits going to Duke, Carolina, etc., are going to play glorified high school ball.

2. The program is legendary and coached by a legend. That mattered to Joey Spallina. Maybe it'll matter to others? Seems is '26 and '27 we are pulling more kids from Georgia and Texas where our name recognition probably matters as much as the rich kid stuff cited above.

3. We play a pretty fast and free flowing style where you don't get you ear chewed off for going behind the back (a simple play for kids these days), one handed, etc.

This is a fantastic post. I'd like it 100x if I could.

 

[wgdsr]

Joey took 3 shots yesterday. March has to do a better job of having a plan when Joey is being double teamed. We have been out schemed in the Princeton and UNC game.

only saw the 2nd half. what i saw re: the offense AND spallina:
- lot of initiation (and shots), largely from distance or poor angles, from the midfield. and then some clowning around there on ball handling, gbs, turnovers.
- spallina was hesitant to work in as part of the offense in between that.
- maybe the biggest component -- when spallina did dodge, his high wing/up top adjacent just refused to give him much room. stationary, too high for a shot. so his mark just sat there as a hedge and spallina didn't have much room to operate. as he didn't get a step on the dodge, he had few options other than try to get some kind depth on the island and inside roll, but it wasn't enough room or angle.
queue some forcing bad angle looks or not even that.
no clearing thru, few picks. even saw thomsen several times come over to set his patented pick @ gle for him but then slip out early.

it was odd to see them keep going back to the well at midfield. attack i think i saw had 12 shots. ball and people are just not moving unless those 3 are piling up assists.

clear thru/replace/set picks... something off ball.

 

[PAcuse]

I've got to assume you went to SU. Maybe it was awhile ago. I can assure you that we haven't gotten close to spring yet in upstate new york and schools are using grass fields sparingly if at all. At this point, they'd be more of an injury risk for the team than something that actually helps them prepare for a game. And regardless, the grass is completely different up here than it is in the Carolinas.

I can only speak for Section 2, but pretty much all of the high level schools/programs are playing on turf right now. Ballston Spa and Averill Park are the only two high schools I know of without a turf field that play lacrosse at a decent level.



What are you so concerned about? No one cares. We've lost to arguably the two best teams in the country and played an absolute stinker of a game and only lost by one in terrible weather on the road. Our RPI speaks for itself. Gait's never going to trash kids or coaches publiclly the way hardos want. People will always troll Syracuse.



I think the bolded is what you are taking much lighter than lacrosse recruits and their families. Lacrosse is one of two sports dominated by the upper middle class. The hot beds are Long Island, New England prep schools [Metro Boston and Connecticut Gold Coast], Mainline Philly, MIAA, and DC Metro. These are families with wealth, are wealth adjacent, value education, and even more so value the connections that can be made through attending elitist educational institutions.

In no other college sport (maybe hockey) do Ivy's and Military Academies recruit on par with Power 5 type schools. There's a reason the top of D3 is mostly dominated by NESCAC, Liberty, and Centennial school. And that schools from those conferences top to bottom would work over all but a couple/handful of D2 schools.

Syracuse, in addition to just being a worse value proposition, doesnt have the same connections to Wall Street, and the best MBA, Law, and Med Schools as the schools we are losing recruits to.

What does Syracuse offer that other schools can't:

1. We have a real lacrosse culture that does not exist anywhere else. These top recruits going to Duke, Carolina, etc., are going to play glorified high school ball.

2. The program is legendary and coached by a legend. That mattered to Joey Spallina. Maybe it'll matter to others? Seems is '26 and '27 we are pulling more kids from Georgia and Texas where our name recognition probably matters as much as the rich kid stuff cited above.

3. We play a pretty fast and free flowing style where you don't get you ear chewed off for going behind the back (a simple play for kids these days), one handed, etc.

We are one of the top programs in the country, why would he make an excuse like that and not own the loss?
Why can't he take ownership for the loss?
That's what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure a bunch of folks here care that our coach was not taking ownership and he has basically not changed how sloppy this team is in four years.

 

[DoctahLexus]

We are one of the top programs in the country, why would he make an excuse like that and not own the loss?
Why can't he take ownership for the loss?
That's what I'm talking about. I'm pretty sure a bunch of folks here care that our coach was not taking ownership and he has basically not changed how sloppy this team is in four years.

Fun fact of the day - we turn the ball over less than every team in the country except 2. We were top 10 in fewest TOs per game the last two seasons as well. Yes there was some sloppy play this weekend but people on this board act like that is somehow exclusive to us and not something literally every team besides a small handful does at a worse level. It's extremely tough to play clean lacrosse for four quarters every game of the season. That is even more true with a schedule as tough as ours. The way this board acts you would think every other team in the country had figured it out.

Wish he did not make the comments about the grass, but overall I do not get the obsession with his press conference statements. Care a lot more about how we respond on the field after this loss. We were on a 6 game win streak before this loss. When we lost to this team last year we won the ACC tourney and went to our first final 4 in 12 years. If Gait and co. continue to respond on the field like they have before then I could care less about him not giving some phony optics-oriented statement about how it was all his fault.

 

[PAcuse]

Fun fact of the day - we turn the ball over less than every team in the country except 2. We were top 10 in fewest TOs per game the last two seasons as well. Yes there was some sloppy play this weekend but people on this board act like that is somehow exclusive to us and not something literally every team besides a small handful does at a worse level. It's extremely tough to play clean lacrosse for four quarters every game of the season. That is even more true with a schedule as tough as ours. The way this board acts you would think every other team in the country had figured it out.

Wish he did not make the comments about the grass, but overall I do not get the obsession with his press conference statements. Care a lot more about how we respond on the field after this loss. We were on a 6 game win streak before this loss. When we lost to this team last year we won the ACC tourney and went to our first final 4 in 12 years. If Gait and co. continue to respond on the field like they have before then I could care less about him not giving some phony optics-oriented statement about how it was all his fault.

I 100% agree if they keep winning he can give his interveiws shirtless.
My statement is simply why can he not own the loss.
Yes the team has madesome great plays and games but are still having some what the heck moments they should not have.

 

[swish7]

only saw the 2nd half. what i saw re: the offense AND spallina:
- lot of initiation (and shots), largely from distance or poor angles, from the midfield. and then some clowning around there on ball handling, gbs, turnovers.
- spallina was hesitant to work in as part of the offense in between that.
- maybe the biggest component -- when spallina did dodge, his high wing/up top adjacent just refused to give him much room. stationary, too high for a shot. so his mark just sat there as a hedge and spallina didn't have much room to operate. as he didn't get a step on the dodge, he had few options other than try to get some kind depth on the island and inside roll, but it wasn't enough room or angle.
queue some forcing bad angle looks or not even that.
no clearing thru, few picks. even saw thomsen several times come over to set his patented pick @ gle for him but then slip out early.

it was odd to see them keep going back to the well at midfield. attack i think i saw had 12 shots. ball and people are just not moving unless those 3 are piling up assists.

clear thru/replace/set picks... something off ball.

Good analysis & it basically applies to the 2nd quarter as well.

We traded goals in the 1st quarter. I was hoping we'd keep that up the whole game and basically repeat the Duke game.

The wheels fell off in the 2nd quarter, after a particularly bad TO led to points the other way about 7 seconds later.

At one point I felt we'd lose by 10. Somehow the scoring slowed and that didn't happen.

 

[JustSayin]

Maybe it's just me, but I have never been interested in what "any" coach had to say to the public at press conferences or other interview venues. Coaches are asked dumb questions and in return they give vague non-answers. To me, what is more important, is what the coach says to the players.

 

[MadNY3]

I think the bolded is what you are taking much lighter than lacrosse recruits and their families. Lacrosse is one of two sports dominated by the upper middle class. The hot beds are Long Island, New England prep schools [Metro Boston and Connecticut Gold Coast], Mainline Philly, MIAA, and DC Metro. These are families with wealth, are wealth adjacent, value education, and even more so value the connections that can be made through attending elitist educational institutions.

In no other college sport (maybe hockey) do Ivy's and Military Academies recruit on par with Power 5 type schools. There's a reason the top of D3 is mostly dominated by NESCAC, Liberty, and Centennial school. And that schools from those conferences top to bottom would work over all but a couple/handful of D2 schools.

Syracuse, in addition to just being a worse value proposition, doesnt have the same connections to Wall Street, and the best MBA, Law, and Med Schools as the schools we are losing recruits to.

You are so dead on.

As a resident of the, I guess, Gold Coast, Syracuse is not aspirational throughout FCIAC and at Brunswick. Bear is an outlier in that he was not from the area.

I would think we would do well with Canadians and top players in Georgia, Texas, Colorado. We are for the outlier, alpha superstar kid that doesn’t conform a la the Brunswick and Lawrenceville grads.

In the ACC, we are by far the lowest-rated academic school. So in a world of AI and self-made creators, we have a better show at getting a kid who wants to be the next Paul Rabil (Loves lax, has an entrepreneurial itch) or Mitchell Pehlke ( see SU’s Center of Creator Economy.)

 

[Powellfan]

Not terribly upset about how the UNC game unfolded. The Tar Heels are clearly very good, their athleticism clearly sets them apart from other teams. Obviously not happy about it, but a loss like this is less frustrating to me than the Harvard slip up, or the Princeton game where they just looked totally unprepared. Just got out played by a better team. Flush it and move on. Hopefully the Tar Heels get upset in the tourney, which isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Random thought I've been having, is that maybe this team, and it's group of seniors is just burnt out? I know we all believe that the team with the most senior talent leads their team to the top of the mountain most years, but this is a group that has played a lot of lacrosse over the years. Thomson, Spallina, Leo, Rhoa have all been four year starters. Dwan and Figeuerias have played a lot of lacrosse. And obviously they've played with a lot of weight on their shoulders. They climbed a huge mountain to get to the Final Four last year, which was a huge accomplishment.

Obviously this year, despite their high preseason ranking, they don't just end up back in the Final Four this year. They have to earn it. I'm probably not explaining this well, and it's a lot of projection, but they sort of look like a team that just wants to fast forward to where they were last year. I was hoping, given how many players are playing their last year, they would come out with their hair on fire. They've had moments, but I think they are kind of waiting to "turn it on".

That was a hall mark of old Syracuse teams (look at some of the mystifying losses the Mike Powell led teams suffered). But of course those teams had players like Mike Powell. This team doesn't have that, despite how good they are. Hopefully these bad habits they've shown are things they can throw off when the serious games start, but in my experience, it's hard to unlearn things like that. Here's hoping they can pull it off.

 

[cuselaxss26]

Not terribly upset about how the UNC game unfolded. The Tar Heels are clearly very good, their athleticism clearly sets them apart from other teams. Obviously not happy about it, but a loss like this is less frustrating to me than the Harvard slip up, or the Princeton game where they just looked totally unprepared. Just got out played by a better team. Flush it and move on. Hopefully the Tar Heels get upset in the tourney, which isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Random thought I've been having, is that maybe this team, and it's group of seniors is just burnt out? I know we all believe that the team with the most senior talent leads their team to the top of the mountain most years, but this is a group that has played a lot of lacrosse over the years. Thomson, Spallina, Leo, Rhoa have all been four year starters. Dwan and Figeuerias have played a lot of lacrosse. And obviously they've played with a lot of weight on their shoulders. They climbed a huge mountain to get to the Final Four last year, which was a huge accomplishment.

Obviously this year, despite their high preseason ranking, they don't just end up back in the Final Four this year. They have to earn it. I'm probably not explaining this well, and it's a lot of projection, but they sort of look like a team that just wants to fast forward to where they were last year. I was hoping, given how many players are playing their last year, they would come out with their hair on fire. They've had moments, but I think they are kind of waiting to "turn it on".

That was a hall mark of old Syracuse teams (look at some of the mystifying losses the Mike Powell led teams suffered). But of course those teams had players like Mike Powell. This team doesn't have that, despite how good they are. Hopefully these bad habits they've shown are things they can throw off when the serious games start, but in my experience, it's hard to unlearn things like that. Here's hoping they can pull it off.

To kinda what ya said going back to unc game. The offense just seem to not start how they normally do or even how did last week at duke. They normally start 4 guys high outside box to start offense. Also would invert middies at times like hottle n anderson but seem we didn’t do any of it much at all. I almost feel like they tried a completely different way to offense n was thinking why do that. Then all the talks bout possible meeting them not once more but maby twice more it hit me. What if they wanted to try just have midfield win game n play this style just case meet again on a much bigger stage rhey don’t have film or even ready for the switch up. Almost like playing the long game. Now crazy to think that he case or even gait is good enough (prob not best use of words) to play those mind games. Maby tho but doubtful but had me thinking.

Either way they need to def be way more composed n not rush when down n plenty of time. Need to score yes but also need the ball. We def have the chances n ball enough 18turnovers to make it a game or close. We just failed to do so. They def got out hustled. But would like to see few things specially come playoffs besides just 6v6. Play the sub game more. Try to create numbers when subing. Maby try running joey out of box at times create mismatch or even for D little confusion. Try more there’s a lot more can do specially when O in funk. I just hope they ready this weekend. Beside it’s a big game n acc tounry in or not on line. But also going up to this game n be nice to leave with a win.

 

[DMVCuseLax]

Not terribly upset about how the UNC game unfolded. The Tar Heels are clearly very good, their athleticism clearly sets them apart from other teams. Obviously not happy about it, but a loss like this is less frustrating to me than the Harvard slip up, or the Princeton game where they just looked totally unprepared. Just got out played by a better team. Flush it and move on. Hopefully the Tar Heels get upset in the tourney, which isn't out of the realm of possibility.

Random thought I've been having, is that maybe this team, and it's group of seniors is just burnt out? I know we all believe that the team with the most senior talent leads their team to the top of the mountain most years, but this is a group that has played a lot of lacrosse over the years. Thomson, Spallina, Leo, Rhoa have all been four year starters. Dwan and Figeuerias have played a lot of lacrosse. And obviously they've played with a lot of weight on their shoulders. They climbed a huge mountain to get to the Final Four last year, which was a huge accomplishment.

Obviously this year, despite their high preseason ranking, they don't just end up back in the Final Four this year. They have to earn it. I'm probably not explaining this well, and it's a lot of projection, but they sort of look like a team that just wants to fast forward to where they were last year. I was hoping, given how many players are playing their last year, they would come out with their hair on fire. They've had moments, but I think they are kind of waiting to "turn it on".

That was a hall mark of old Syracuse teams (look at some of the mystifying losses the Mike Powell led teams suffered). But of course those teams had players like Mike Powell. This team doesn't have that, despite how good they are. Hopefully these bad habits they've shown are things they can throw off when the serious games start, but in my experience, it's hard to unlearn things like that. Here's hoping they can pull it off.

Burnt out and teams are starting to pick up on tendencies. Like Leo — he drops low and usually shoots low. Joey creates space by using his body and initiating contact, especially going to his right. When he goes left, it’s almost always a behind-the-back shot.

Offensively, we’ve got to adjust and take advantage of Joey drawing so much attention. When we move the ball quickly away from his side, we get great looks and make the goalie shift. Also feels like we’re carrying too much — if you dodge, go once, maybe one re-dodge, but after that the goalie is dialed in and it’s tough to score.

Defensively, communication has to be at an overload level — constant talk, especially with picks and switches, because that’s been killing us. Close defense needs to stay locked on their matchups, no drifting. Dwan needs to be more aggressive on ball and apply pressure. Bowen’s been struggling a bit with recovery and rotations when he gets slid to — a step slow finding his guy and getting back, and it’s costing us.

 

[DMVCuseLax]

To kinda what ya said going back to unc game. The offense just seem to not start how they normally do or even how did last week at duke. They normally start 4 guys high outside box to start offense. Also would invert middies at times like hottle n anderson but seem we didn’t do any of it much at all. I almost feel like they tried a completely different way to offense n was thinking why do that. Then all the talks bout possible meeting them not once more but maby twice more it hit me. What if they wanted to try just have midfield win game n play this style just case meet again on a much bigger stage rhey don’t have film or even ready for the switch up. Almost like playing the long game. Now crazy to think that he case or even gait is good enough (prob not best use of words) to play those mind games. Maby tho but doubtful but had me thinking.

Either way they need to def be way more composed n not rush when down n plenty of time. Need to score yes but also need the ball. We def have the chances n ball enough 18turnovers to make it a game or close. We just failed to do so. They def got out hustled. But would like to see few things specially come playoffs besides just 6v6. Play the sub game more. Try to create numbers when subing. Maby try running joey out of box at times create mismatch or even for D little confusion. Try more there’s a lot more can do specially when O in funk. I just hope they ready this weekend. Beside it’s a big game n acc tounry in or not on line. But also going up to this game n be nice to leave with a win.

Would love to see them run Joey out of the box and run more 5 v 5 when Mullen wins the FO. We did that a lot last year and had some success.