WLAX @ Penn St. 3/22 7PM BTN
- Thread starter Alvious
- Start date
Every year is different. Berkery was glue on defense. Rhatigan was special on offense. Both have graduated and neither have been adequately replaced…yet.
Do you think the Berkery factor is that fundamental to the defensive decline? To me, Laliberty just seems off this year. Not sure i have seen her make a stick save in the handful of games i’ve watched vs. last year when she made some over-the-top stick saves. Not sure if she is seeing the ball come off the shooter’s stick at all as there is barely any physical reaction.
Anyways, just gonna have to sit back and enjoy the season and hope both the O and the D chemistry comes together. Draw controls have improved and other players are emerging. That may help take a bit of the pressure off of Corkendall and Skane, letting them play more relaxed.
The other factor may be the new green card rules that inhibit an aggressive ride, which was a specialty of the team last year.
I appreciate the responses of those with more experience than me; I'm a casual observer and certainly not down in the weeds. I'm confident (or at least hopeful!!!) that they will figure it out, they usually do. And I mean it's not like doom and gloom or anything. But the consistency just really isn't there yet. Hoping it comes!
Come to mention it, you are right. I’ve missed those oppressive rides from EC and IS et al that we saw all to frequently last year. I am not at all up to speed on any of the rule changes instituted this year. Even the calling of shooting space violations seems a bit different.
When skane drove the field in OT and found herself on a breakaway into the 8, i expected her to take a shot and score. Instead she danced around with 3 PennSt defenders collapsing on her. Even though it looked like she was going to shoot and get the call, none materialized and i think she eventually lost the ball or she pulled the ball out to run a set offense. Anyways, seemed like a missed opportunity to get a point blank shot on goal with lots of defenders obscuring the goalie’s view.
My question would be whatever happened to Sammy White? She was a terrific defender who could also score, had excellent speed, lead the 'Cats in various defensive categories, was first team All Big Ten and Second team All American last year. To my knowledge, she hasn't played this year. Where is she?
That's a big loss. Any idea what the injury is? Don't remember seeing any stats at all for her this year.
