I’m well aware of the history of Syracuse lacrosse, unfortunately, I’ve been down to too many Final 4’s down in Maryland in the past ...I will be stunned if we win, I actually think we’re going to get hammered, but it’s just funny how before each game you kind of set it up in your posts so that if we do lose you already have something there lol...all good brother!
Men’s Lax vs Lehigh GAME THREAD
- Thread starter AreYouNUTS
- Start date
I’m well aware of the history of Syracuse lacrosse, unfortunately, I’ve been down to too many Final 4’s down in Maryland in the past ...I will be stunned if we win, I actually think we’re going to get hammered, but it’s just funny how before each game you kind of set it up in your posts so that if we do lose you already have something there lol...all good brother!
We definitely lack that. I think it's partially just being so young and in new systems. Lotta thinking going on out there. We can't rely on Edlemann having the game of his life every game. We go through flashes where you see it come together, than it fades. It all happens quickly, and at this level, you can't take plays off.
Tonight our biggest issue was midfield defense. it wasn't faceoffs, it were our d mids getting abused. We were getting roasted all game long and it was affecting slide packages and the looks Edlemann was getting. Again, not having Christiano tonight was a major loss. Kudos to Lehigh. Cassesse is a smart coach. He recognized it and exploited it very quickly.
Daninger is going to be a very nice player for us and has already made big plays, but tonight he looked like a freshmen. Tough spot to learn from.
On offense, we didn't finish like we need to and our middie shooting continues to be a huge concern.
I love the switch of Coyne to midfield and Gallagher to attack. Both are much more effective in those spots.
This was always going to be a tough game. Anyone saying otherwise doesn't understand lacrosse. But it was one you'd like to have considering it would be a next step in evolution.
I'll make a prediction- Lehigh beats Loyola and wins the Patriot League championship.
I am a realist. I know what I am looking at and watch a lot of lacrosse. I could predict we'd win every game and be pissed when we don't, but I understand the game and know too much to do that.
Syracuse was get able earlier in the year. They look better now and are at home. There are very few teams that are going in there and getting a W. We should compete. If we win, it will be an upset. That's just reality. But it sports and this is why we play.
I'd be surprised, after tonight, if they don't go up there and make a game of it.
Oh I know...It’s your way of saying things without saying things, I get it, I’m just busting your chops a little bit. Trying to lighten the mood because I know none of us are happy right now.
They are correctable. We are better than we were against Army. Have you compared our clearing numbers to then and now? They were corrected, which is what i was talking about.
I agree, we need to out play our ranking sometimes. Hopefully we can do that Sat. Going to be a tough couple days of practice.
I hear you. I am not happy right now. I know the squad and Brian are even less so.
This isn't an excuse. We lost today. But one thing I would like to see is a full week after the Princeton game. So much goes into that I think it's an extra hard turn around. Especially for a young squad. I'd like to see Tuesday game moved to another week.
The problem is, when we spend time correcting the little things it takes away from everything else and it’s showing. Just so frustrating
That’s sports.
Looking at the stats, outside of our midfield D, the other biggest issue was painfully obvious. Shooting. Now, their goalie had a career day. 17 saves. But our shots were not good. We got off 45 shots to their 34. We turned them over 10 more x. We out ground balled them. They won 5 more faceoffs.
If I saw these stats outside of the save numbers, I’d say we won this game 16-10.
We must get better shooting the ball at all levels, especially midfield.
Looking at the stats, outside of our midfield D, the other biggest issue was painfully obvious. Shooting. Now, their goalie had a career day. 17 saves. But our shots were not good. We got off 45 shots to their 34. We turned them over 10 more x. We out ground balled them. They won 5 more faceoffs.
If I saw these stats outside of the save numbers, I’d say we won this game 16-10.
We must get better shooting the ball at all levels, especially midfield.
2 plays that killed us IMHO were the breakaway FO’s, right up the middle, that resulted in very weak shots and giving the ball right back to Lehigh.
Agree we are taking way too many bad angle shots or playing catch with the goalie. Also I noticed a few times last night and even in Princeton game our midfielders will be running down the alley and force the ball in the middle where even if the guy on the crease catches it, he gets hammered. I think we need to run more of our offense through X and look to draw and dump to middies for step down shots. I know it is easier said than done.
I can live with those. Fogos aren’t great shooters, often times their sticks are out of shape from the fade off so it’s hard to shoot accurately, but this is D1 lax. You shoot those 10 out of 10 x.
I have a bigger problem with the low angle high to high midfield shots.
this. back to my point earlier, I saw 2 things that happened repeatedly yesterday. you called out one of them above. and it cost us badly on several key possessions.
the other was no help sliding over (mostly by the middies but it happened a few times with our defenders also). and it wasn't a communication thing...it seemed to be an effort thing. it happens 1 or 2 times...chalk it up to miscommunication. it happens multiple times and you have to wonder wtf is going on, and why aren't they addressing it (I thought for sure that's why BB called the early TOs...but the team came right out and did the same dang thing. WTF.
I can live with the youth thing...players (no matter how talented) sometimes have to figure things out...but Lehigh was exposing this badly and we had no answer.
I am deeply troubled by yesterdays performance...not because we lost. but because - to me - it exposes glaring coaching weaknesses.
Our staff is highly respected and experienced. It’s legit.
I hate calling the kid out because he is a freshmen and made big plays for us throughout the season. It wasn’t all on him as our slides and second slides were slow or didn’t happen. Some of that is by design. We don’t slways slide, counting on one on one d. Sliding creates offense for teams that move the ball well. Lehigh does. But, that means you can’t get beat one on one.
We were missing Christiano at d midfield yesterday. Freshmen Daninger played a much bigger role because of it. He got beat for 3 goals yesterday one on a very questionable effort by their fogo of people. That simply can’t happen at this level. He will be a good player for us but yesterday he liked like a kid who just came from high school. It happens.
The bigger issue is Christano. That kid is a lock down shirt stick defender who creates transition through clearing and shoots it well. He is irreplaceable. Let’s hope we get him back for Sat.
I hate calling the kid out because he is a freshmen and made big plays for us throughout the season. It wasn’t all on him as our slides and second slides were slow or didn’t happen. Some of that is by design. We don’t slways slide, counting on one on one d. Sliding creates offense for teams that move the ball well. Lehigh does. But, that means you can’t get beat one on one.
We were missing Christiano at d midfield yesterday. Freshmen Daninger played a much bigger role because of it. He got beat for 3 goals yesterday one on a very questionable effort by their fogo of people. That simply can’t happen at this level. He will be a good player for us but yesterday he liked like a kid who just came from high school. It happens.
The bigger issue is Christano. That kid is a lock down shirt stick defender who creates transition through clearing and shoots it well. He is irreplaceable. Let’s hope we get him back for Sat.