Syracuse 2024

[Bananas4Laxx]

This is an issue with lacrosse. People get so upset about criticism. Spallina was the #1 recruit in the country and was believed to be one of the top recruits in the last decade. He’s a very good player. But very overrated as well. Both can be true.

If the #1 recruit in the country in basketball or football came in and underperformed in big games would they be fairly criticized? Yes.

Spallina is an unbelievable unsettled player and is as good as it gets in transition for an attackmen. When it comes to a 6v6 set he really struggles to generate any offense. It’s a big flaw in his game that he needs to either improve on or Syracuse needs to opt to play faster and take more chances in transition/early offense to play to his strengths

[masondixonlax]

Would a good comparison be Matt Rambo? Big, kinda bully ball.

[PulpExposure]

Would a good comparison be Matt Rambo? Big, kinda bully ball.

No, because Rambo could bully a pole. Spallina doesn't have that kind of straight power bull dodge in his game.

[Wheels]

Gee, thanks for lettin' me know what kind forum this is, fellas. It's also the Cuse thread that trolls are coming on to tear #22 apart like they have since before he ever stepped foot on a D1 field and have ever since at every given opportunity. Nice attempt at a soft back pedal though.
Big game coming up v Cornell in the (predicted) rain and cold tomorrow. Any insight or anything to say about that? Both teams coming off loses, both kind of need to win this one.

Noting the point splits between ranked and unranked opponents is "tearing him apart"?

Wow.

[DMac]

Gee, thanks for lettin' me know what kind forum this is, fellas. It's also the Cuse thread that trolls are coming on to tear #22 apart like they have since before he ever stepped foot on a D1 field and have ever since at every given opportunity. Nice attempt at a soft back pedal though.
Big game coming up v Cornell in the (predicted) rain and cold tomorrow. Any insight or anything to say about that? Both teams coming off loses, both kind of need to win this one.

Noting the point splits between ranked and unranked opponents is "tearing him apart"?

Wow.

Noting the point splits between ranked and unranked opponents is just more scrutiny to show us all he's not good enough cuz he wears #22.

[Wheels]

Gee, thanks for lettin' me know what kind forum this is, fellas. It's also the Cuse thread that trolls are coming on to tear #22 apart like they have since before he ever stepped foot on a D1 field and have ever since at every given opportunity. Nice attempt at a soft back pedal though.
Big game coming up v Cornell in the (predicted) rain and cold tomorrow. Any insight or anything to say about that? Both teams coming off loses, both kind of need to win this one.

Noting the point splits between ranked and unranked opponents is "tearing him apart"?

Wow.

Noting the point splits between ranked and unranked opponents is just more scrutiny to show us all he's not good enough cuz he wears #22.

Personally, I don't care about the #22. As someone who watches and reads about a lot of lacrosse, the hype around him is pretty high given those point splits. I think he's a good player. As many have noted, he's got a great stick, great lacrosse IQ, and great shooting skills. If Cuse wants to bestow that jersey to him, that's fine by me. If the lacrosse media and All-American voters want to bestow high honors to him, well, I don't think that's warranted given those splits. Hop16 put it best. The program shined this spotlight on him, and the media has intensified it. Commenting about his play comes with that spotlight, and no one is tearing the guy apart.

[DMac]

Yup, comes with the territory and he's been under the microscope since game one (after which many did indeed tear the freshman experiencing his first D1 level of competition apart). As noted by many, turns out he's a pretty darn good player. Keep us up on those splits though.

[joewillie78]

Good luck to Syracuse tonight here at the Kopf.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast is horrendous, so for those that sometimes have negative things to say about the Cuse's schedule and all the home games, well I think this Cornell fan would have rather taken the 1 hour trek up to the Dome, rather than sit at my beloved Schoellkopf field, in the pouring rain, and temperatures hovering in the upper 30's.

Anyway, it should be a great game and in reality, we talk about who the game "means more" to and I'm struggling with that.

Cornell, in my opinion, will probably have 1 avenue to the NCAA tournament and that's winning the ILT.

Syracuse probably has already done enough to qualify for the NCAA.

So while both teams obviously want to win this game, and it would look great on the resume, each team I think needs this game equally, if that makes sense.

Now, I have to head to my closet to see how many waterproof garments I have for tonight.

Gobigred
Joewillie78

[lorin]

Good luck to Syracuse tonight here at the Kopf.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast is horrendous, so for those that sometimes have negative things to say about the Cuse's schedule and all the home games, well I think this Cornell fan would have rather taken the 1 hour trek up to the Dome, rather than sit at my beloved Schoellkopf field, in the pouring rain, and temperatures hovering in the upper 30's.

Anyway, it should be a great game and in reality, we talk about who the game "means more" to and I'm struggling with that.

Cornell, in my opinion, will probably have 1 avenue to the NCAA tournament and that's winning the ILT.

Syracuse probably has already done enough to qualify for the NCAA.

So while both teams obviously want to win this game, and it would look great on the resume, each team I think needs this game equally, if that makes sense.

Now, I have to head to my closet to see how many waterproof garments I have for tonight.

Gobigred
Joewillie78

That is good to hear about Cuse being in NCAA, so that means Army is in also.

[Finster]

Good luck to Syracuse tonight here at the Kopf.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast is horrendous, so for those that sometimes have negative things to say about the Cuse's schedule and all the home games, well I think this Cornell fan would have rather taken the 1 hour trek up to the Dome, rather than sit at my beloved Schoellkopf field, in the pouring rain, and temperatures hovering in the upper 30's.

Anyway, it should be a great game and in reality, we talk about who the game "means more" to and I'm struggling with that.

Cornell, in my opinion, will probably have 1 avenue to the NCAA tournament and that's winning the ILT.

Syracuse probably has already done enough to qualify for the NCAA.

So while both teams obviously want to win this game, and it would look great on the resume, each team I think needs this game equally, if that makes sense.

Now, I have to head to my closet to see how many waterproof garments I have for tonight.

Gobigred
Joewillie78

Too bad about the weather. Argh.

I agree that both teams need this game, but I think Cornell needs it a little more.

In cold rain, leadership counts for more than usual. When you see a captain going all out on a ground ball, a bench comes alive. Should be an interesting match.

[DMac]

Right back at you, Joewillie. Fans don't get any better than you, hard core only in the Crescent this evening.
Tough game for both teams, both coming off loses, both are going to want that W pretty badly. Think this is
going to be a tough battle in the puddle for both teams. Gotta figure the Big Red have a bit of an edge with
home pool advantage. Let the games begin...and end with no injuries. GK play going to be tough, I'm bouncing
shots in on this day.
Wlaxers meeting at 3 today too (yup, gonna rain ALL DAY), that's a tough one too, Big Red gals really going to be
looking to knock those Cuse girls off. Scary game.

[Laxitup21]

Pretzel logic -- the above is the definition of

Don’t be mad he won’t crack top two teams of AA. He’s just a finisher. Can’t dodge as we know. Don’t think you’re disagreeing.

I guess this is just a bad troll job by you? Or you don’t know how statistics work? Or you don’t know anything about lacrosse? Either way it’s embarrassing.

The stats are:
-1 goal on 7 shots vs UMD
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Army
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Duke
-1 goal on 4 shots vs ND
-2 goals on 7 shots vs Hopkins

Nice player, not really at that elite level yet of the Shelly's, pKav, etc. Again, you have no argument except trolling.

[LadiesLaxFan]

Pretzel logic -- the above is the definition of

Don’t be mad he won’t crack top two teams of AA. He’s just a finisher. Can’t dodge as we know. Don’t think you’re disagreeing.

I guess this is just a bad troll job by you? Or you don’t know how statistics work? Or you don’t know anything about lacrosse? Either way it’s embarrassing.

The stats are:
-1 goal on 7 shots vs UMD
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Army
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Duke
-1 goal on 4 shots vs ND
-2 goals on 7 shots vs Hopkins

Nice player, not really at that elite level yet of the Shelly's, pKav, etc. Again, you have no argument except trolling.

Don't really post on here. More of an observer. Although I am mainly interested in the women's game. I do like watching the men's game as well. Part of the problem with hype also has to do with his dad. He hypes all of his kids and uses his influence as a college coach to "promote" his kids.

[GaitsRightHand]

Pretzel logic -- the above is the definition of

Don’t be mad he won’t crack top two teams of AA. He’s just a finisher. Can’t dodge as we know. Don’t think you’re disagreeing.

I guess this is just a bad troll job by you? Or you don’t know how statistics work? Or you don’t know anything about lacrosse? Either way it’s embarrassing.

The stats are:
-1 goal on 7 shots vs UMD
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Army
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Duke
-1 goal on 4 shots vs ND
-2 goals on 7 shots vs Hopkins

Nice player, not really at that elite level yet of the Shelly's, pKav, etc. Again, you have no argument except trolling.

4 goals on 30 shots is good, right?

[HopFan16]

Pretzel logic -- the above is the definition of

Don’t be mad he won’t crack top two teams of AA. He’s just a finisher. Can’t dodge as we know. Don’t think you’re disagreeing.

I guess this is just a bad troll job by you? Or you don’t know how statistics work? Or you don’t know anything about lacrosse? Either way it’s embarrassing.

The stats are:
-1 goal on 7 shots vs UMD
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Army
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Duke
-1 goal on 4 shots vs ND
-2 goals on 7 shots vs Hopkins

Nice player, not really at that elite level yet of the Shelly's, pKav, etc. Again, you have no argument except trolling.

He had 4 turnovers against Army, Hopkins, and Notre Dame as well.

I wish people would separate out production vs. top teams from games against everyone else not just with Spallina, but with everyone when evaluating how good they actually are. Brennan O'Neill (who's been criticized just as much if not more than Spallina this season) has been similar — total ghost against Penn and Cuse, pretty good against Princeton and Denver, dominant against the Bellarmines and Jacksonvilles of the world (although he has turned it over far less often than Spallina).

It's a valid thing to point out, but shouldn't be reserved just for one guy. And I bet Spallina cares a lot less about it than some people in this thread do. If Cuse didn't want fans to scrutinize his every move, they should have approached his matriculation differently. O'Neill has received pretty much the same treatment and he wasn't even conferred a historic jersey. There are people out there saying his legacy will be tarnished if Duke doesn't win a title this year. That's the way it goes.

[Powellfan22]

Pretzel logic -- the above is the definition of

Don’t be mad he won’t crack top two teams of AA. He’s just a finisher. Can’t dodge as we know. Don’t think you’re disagreeing.

I guess this is just a bad troll job by you? Or you don’t know how statistics work? Or you don’t know anything about lacrosse? Either way it’s embarrassing.

The stats are:
-1 goal on 7 shots vs UMD
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Army
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Duke
-1 goal on 4 shots vs ND
-2 goals on 7 shots vs Hopkins

Nice player, not really at that elite level yet of the Shelly's, pKav, etc. Again, you have no argument except trolling.

You are cherry picking numbers, which isn't surprising.

2 assists vs Maryland
2 assists vs Army
2 assists vs Duke
0 assists vs Notre Dame
3 assists vs Hopkins

Those aren't great numbers, though no one is saying it is. My argument has never been that they've been good, it's that he's not "just a finisher", which you've been babbling about for weeks. But you come on here labeling him "just a finisher", (only when they lose mind you, you never come on here when they win), then completely leave out his passing numbers. Again, you are a person who pushes a certain agenda and picks things to fit your argument. It's tiring and boring. I call you a troll, and your best come back is to call me a troll. Astounding stuff.

[Antonio114]

Pretzel logic -- the above is the definition of

Don’t be mad he won’t crack top two teams of AA. He’s just a finisher. Can’t dodge as we know. Don’t think you’re disagreeing.

I guess this is just a bad troll job by you? Or you don’t know how statistics work? Or you don’t know anything about lacrosse? Either way it’s embarrassing.

The stats are:
-1 goal on 7 shots vs UMD
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Army
-0 goals on 6 shots vs Duke
-1 goal on 4 shots vs ND
-2 goals on 7 shots vs Hopkins

Nice player, not really at that elite level yet of the Shelly's, pKav, etc. Again, you have no argument except trolling.

You are cherry picking numbers, which isn't surprising.

2 assists vs Maryland
2 assists vs Army
2 assists vs Duke
0 assists vs Notre Dame
3 assists vs Hopkins

Those aren't great numbers, though no one is saying it is. My argument has never been that they've been good, it's that he's not "just a finisher", which you've been babbling about for weeks. But you come on here labeling him "just a finisher", (only when they lose mind you, you never come on here when they win), then completely leave out his passing numbers. Again, you are a person who pushes a certain agenda and picks things to fit your argument. It's tiring and boring. I call you a troll, and your best come back is to call me a troll. Astounding stuff.

Vs top 10 teams, and I will spare him the assist numbers, which are worse than Spallinas:

Pat Kav stats:
MD 1 goal on 7 shots
Cuse 2 goals on 9 shots
GTown 1 goal on 3 shots

Shelley

MD 2 goals on 4 shots
Hop 4 goals on 9 shots but they were all either open shots off ball or broken plays. None dodging against a long pole and Spallina finished with one less total point against Hop.

Those are their stats against top 10 teams this season. And I am pretty darn sure nobody here was even claiming he was on Shellenberger and Pat Kavs level! Like even if it mattered how one player in our offense is doing he would still not be saying anything worthwhile. I do not think Spallina is a Pat Kav or Shell level player, but the reality is that against top opponents, it is often the midfield and secondary attack that picks up the slack in scoring, while the star attack deals with an elite longpole matchup draped on them. If you have a Zappitello or a Scott Smith on you, only the best of the best of the best are still going to be drawing slides or scoring goals off the dodge on a regular basis. Nobody has done it against those match ups this season. Guys like Boehm at Mich and Erksa at MD hardly did anything against ND and UVA. Even dodging nightmares like Oneill and Kirst have been inconsistent at best against top defenders.

The dude is just a troll so I am more saying this just to say it. I do not even view Spallina as our big star. More like a quality piece of the puzzle in a lethal offense. But I thank him for bringing this topic up. If his definition of a stud attack is how they do against top teams/long poles, he is going to have to find one who has actually consistently gone off in those match ups this season. I don't think he can.

[joewillie78]

When was the last time IL'S #1 recruit lived up to the incredibly high expectations or miraculously exceeded those expectations? I would dare say (as a Cornell homer) JEFF TEAT.

Who by the way, I now consider at ANY level, the best lacrosse player on the planet.

Given that moniker immediately puts added pressure on the player, even though it shouldn't.

By the way, do we know who is the #1 recruit for the next cycle?

Gobigred
Joewillie78

[Powellfan22]

When was the last time IL'S #1 recruit lived up to the incredibly high expectations or miraculously exceeded those expectations? I would dare say (as a Cornell homer) JEFF TEAT.

Who by the way, I now consider at ANY level, the best lacrosse player on the planet.

Given that moniker immediately puts added pressure on the player, even though it shouldn't.

By the way, do we know who is the #1 recruit for the next cycle?

Gobigred
Joewillie78

Matthew Jeffery, midfielder from CT going to Notre Dame.

[joewillie78]

When was the last time IL'S #1 recruit lived up to the incredibly high expectations or miraculously exceeded those expectations? I would dare say (as a Cornell homer) JEFF TEAT.

Who by the way, I now consider at ANY level, the best lacrosse player on the planet.

Given that moniker immediately puts added pressure on the player, even though it shouldn't.

By the way, do we know who is the #1 recruit for the next cycle?

Gobigred
Joewillie78

Matthew Jeffery, midfielder from CT going to Notre Dame.

Thank you PF22, and good luck tonight.

Gobigred
Joewillie78