RIT vs Tufts

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

RIT

Tufts

[Matnum PI]

I'm not going to say the current vote count so as not to influence other voters but 11 have voted and... Interesting.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

I'm not going to say the current vote count so as not to influence other voters but 11 have voted and... Interesting.

Might be due to their meeting earlier in the year. I voted RIT, my thinking is they are slightly more balanced overall as a team. Like the RIT coach in this spot. Wild card is regnery a very special player

[Laxattackjack]

meeting earlier. and seeing how tufts had trouble with a southern team. RIT had a lot more weapons than w&l.

oh. and let’s not forget, RIT is the first team tufts will face that wasn’t an upset

stevenson upset Union
SJF upset St Lawrence
W&L upset Salisbury.

and before the tufts cult has a conniption, i am not blaming tufts for who they played. just saying, the best team Tufts has faced to make it to the tourney, was a mid teens ranked W&L. none of the others were even ranked.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

meeting earlier. and seeing how tufts had trouble with a southern team. RIT had a lot more weapons than w&l.

oh. and let’s not forget, RIT is the first team tufts will face that wasn’t an upset

stevenson upset Union
SJF upset St Lawrence
W&L upset Salisbury.

and before the tufts cult has a conniption, i am not blaming tufts for who they played. just saying, the best team Tufts has faced to make it to the tourney, was a mid teens ranked W&L. none of the others were even ranked.

talented team but seems to have carried a target on their back. There are a handful of teams that can run with them. I do think they struggle unless they have a significant lead, definitely a front runner type team. I think RIT has a slight advantage. If there is one large question mark and potential difference maker for the Jumbo’s is Regenery he’s fast becoming one of the top players in all of D3

[The12lov3]

meeting earlier. and seeing how tufts had trouble with a southern team. RIT had a lot more weapons than w&l.

oh. and let’s not forget, RIT is the first team tufts will face that wasn’t an upset

stevenson upset Union
SJF upset St Lawrence
W&L upset Salisbury.

and before the tufts cult has a conniption, i am not blaming tufts for who they played. just saying, the best team Tufts has faced to make it to the tourney, was a mid teens ranked W&L. none of the others were even ranked.

Interesting in that W&L beat Salisbury who everyone was crowning champion for the last 12 weeks and then Tufts takes them down and that seem to become insignificant. RIT lost to RPI twice who I will remind you lost to not one but two NESCAC teams that Tufts beat so why is RIT being put up on a pedestal. They met earlier in the season and RIT won. Has no bearing on the outcome of this game. Everyone that RIT played to get to the championship, Tufts beat. Not that it matter but at the end of the day, these two teams are fairly evenly matched.

FYI - I would not say that Tufts had trouble with W&L. W&L had. big run and after that Tufts squashed them. They got outscored 15 to 6 in the last three quarters of the game.

[richard]

[quote=Laxattackjack post_id=554797 time=<a href="tel:1716245371">1716245371</a> user_id=4907]
meeting earlier. and seeing how tufts had trouble with a southern team. RIT had a lot more weapons than w&l.

oh. and let’s not forget, RIT is the first team tufts will face that wasn’t an upset

stevenson upset Union
SJF upset St Lawrence
W&L upset Salisbury.

and before the tufts cult has a conniption, i am not blaming tufts for who they played. just saying, the best team Tufts has faced to make it to the tourney, was a mid teens ranked W&L. none of the others were even ranked.

Interesting in that W&L beat Salisbury who everyone was crowning champion for the last 12 weeks and then Tufts takes them down and that seem to become insignificant. RIT lost to RPI twice who I will remind you lost to not one but two NESCAC teams that Tufts beat so why is RIT being put up on a pedestal. They met earlier in the season and RIT won. Has no bearing on the outcome of this game. Everyone that RIT played to get to the championship, Tufts beat. Not that it matter but at the end of the day, these two teams are fairly evenly matched.

FYI - I would not say that Tufts had trouble with W&L. W&L had. big run and after that Tufts squashed them. They got outscored 15 to 6 in the last three quarters of the game.
[/quote]

This last part is the stupidest shyt I’ve ever read.

[ah23]

Eh, saying that W&L should have been favored in the semis is up there.

[The12lov3]

[quote=Laxattackjack post_id=554797 time=<a href="tel:1716245371">1716245371</a> user_id=4907]
meeting earlier. and seeing how tufts had trouble with a southern team. RIT had a lot more weapons than w&l.

oh. and let’s not forget, RIT is the first team tufts will face that wasn’t an upset

stevenson upset Union
SJF upset St Lawrence
W&L upset Salisbury.

and before the tufts cult has a conniption, i am not blaming tufts for who they played. just saying, the best team Tufts has faced to make it to the tourney, was a mid teens ranked W&L. none of the others were even ranked.

Interesting in that W&L beat Salisbury who everyone was crowning champion for the last 12 weeks and then Tufts takes them down and that seem to become insignificant. RIT lost to RPI twice who I will remind you lost to not one but two NESCAC teams that Tufts beat so why is RIT being put up on a pedestal. They met earlier in the season and RIT won. Has no bearing on the outcome of this game. Everyone that RIT played to get to the championship, Tufts beat. Not that it matter but at the end of the day, these two teams are fairly evenly matched.

FYI - I would not say that Tufts had trouble with W&L. W&L had. big run and after that Tufts squashed them. They got outscored 15 to 6 in the last three quarters of the game.

This last part is the stupidest shyt I’ve ever read.
[/quote]

You are entitled to your opinion. The facts are that W&L got beat 15 to 6 in the last three quarters of the game. I have the utmost respects for W&L and the outcome might have been different if they played a few days later and not after playing Salisbury.

[richard]

After reading about a 23-7 prediction after W&L had just beaten the #1 undefeated Salisbury I said that W&L is a better team than tufts. I stand by that statement still despite yesterdays game. Certainly not as stupid as saying that yesterdays game was not even close.

[The12lov3]

Eh, saying that W&L should have been favored in the semis is up there.

I am not saying W&L should be favored. What I am saying is W&L is a good team. I would put them on par with CNU and/or Bowdoin. I have lots of respect for those programs. I think at times they underachieved during the regular season but those teams are capable of upsetting anyone.

The point I am trying to make in all of this is that anyone can beat anyone else on any given day, SJF, W&L, and Bowdoin are proof of that considering they beat the #1, #2, #4, and #5 team in the country. Not a bad showing from #13 and #14. and an unranked team.

[ah23]

Eh, saying that W&L should have been favored in the semis is up there.

I am not saying W&L should be favored.

That was a light dig at richard

[The12lov3]

Eh, saying that W&L should have been favored in the semis is up there.

I am not saying W&L should be favored.

That was a light dig at richard

Got it. Thanks for the clarification.

No matter who win next week, I just want to see a great game like we have seen this past few weeks.

[MVPiccoli]

I've watched both teams three times. With one being their H2H. Toss up IMO. Whoever has it that day. As much as I appreciate the consistency and greatness of Salisbury, it does feel refreshing when they aren't in the final. Hoping for a shoot out.

[ah23]

Went with RIT for two pretty simple reasons:
1. I think they are a better team than Tufts
2. I think their ability to play multiple styles means they can make Tufts uncomfortable in a way that almost no other team can

As much as RIT can put teams in a blender on offense (see: second half avalanches against Babson, CNU, and Bowdoin), they also are comfortable being deliberate and hunting for the best possible shot without feeling pressured by the clock. Possessions like that drive defenses nuts, and that's especially true for teams that want to get out in transition and speed their opponents up. Maybe Tufts goes bizarro mode and turns into a methodical defensive team next Sunday. Maybe Casey D'Annolfo coaches the game in Crocs. Anything is possible!

Can Tufts win? Obviously. Any team that gets to championship weekend is good enough to win a title, underdog or not. Beyond that, they have a ton of talent and their best looked like they could play with anyone. With that said - their most dominant lacrosse (against high-level teams) arguably was played relatively early in the season, and I think it's fair to argue that this Tufts team hasn't looked as good as any of their teams from 2021-2023. Their margin for error is going to be almost nonexistent. If they get off to a slow start or let RIT go on a big mid/late game run...are they really going to be able to lock the Tigers down for an extended stretch and respond with a run of their own? The 9-2 run Tufts went on in the middle of last year's national semifinal defined that game, but it's hard to see it happening again...especially given how their matchup at the Mustang Classic went. Tufts got up 2-0, RIT went on a 9-1 run over the next quarter and a half, and Tufts never got closer than a field goal the rest of the way. Games against Joe Perry aside, the Tigers just don't go through many bad stretches. They're too talented and too-well coached.

RIT is fun to watch (on mute), a nightmare to defend, and on the cusp of bagging three titles in four seasons after knocking on the door for so many years. Bottom line: I think D-III lacrosse now runs through somewhere other than Salisbury for the first time in 25+ years. Crazy to think about.

RIT 18
Tufts 13

[D2fan]

Went with RIT for two pretty simple reasons:
1. I think they are a better team than Tufts
2. I think their ability to play multiple styles means they can make Tufts uncomfortable in a way that almost no other team can

As much as RIT can put teams in a blender on offense (see: second half avalanches against Babson, CNU, and Bowdoin), they also are comfortable being deliberate and hunting for the best possible shot without feeling pressured by the clock. Possessions like that drive defenses nuts, and that's especially true for teams that want to get out in transition and speed their opponents up. Maybe Tufts goes bizarro mode and turns into a methodical defensive team next Sunday. Maybe Casey D'Annolfo coaches the game in Crocs. Anything is possible!

Can Tufts win? Obviously. Any team that gets to championship weekend is good enough to win a title, underdog or not. Beyond that, they have a ton of talent and their best looked like they could play with anyone. With that said - their most dominant lacrosse (against high-level teams) arguably was played relatively early in the season, and I think it's fair to argue that this Tufts team hasn't looked as good as any of their teams from 2021-2023. Their margin for error is going to be almost nonexistent. If they get off to a slow start or let RIT go on a big mid/late game run...are they really going to be able to lock the Tigers down for an extended stretch and respond with a run of their own? The 9-2 run Tufts went on in the middle of last year's national semifinal defined that game, but it's hard to see it happening again...especially given how their matchup at the Mustang Classic went. Tufts got up 2-0, RIT went on a 9-1 run over the next quarter and a half, and Tufts never got closer than a field goal the rest of the way. Games against Joe Perry aside, the Tigers just don't go through many bad stretches. They're too talented and too-well coached.

RIT is fun to watch (on mute), a nightmare to defend, and on the cusp of bagging three titles in four seasons after knocking on the door for so many years. Bottom line: I think D-III lacrosse now runs through somewhere other than Salisbury for the first time in 25+ years. Crazy to think about.

RIT 18
Tufts 13

RIT.

Tufts defense usually comes out and pressures. If that doesn’t work, they drop into zone. 2 things that RIT’s ball movement torches.

Last year Kohn went 14/19 and Tufts won 60% of the faceoffs. I have a tough time seeing that happen this year.

If Tufts wants to pull this out, Garzone will have to come up with close to 25 saves.

[nelaxman]

To beat Tufts, you need to keep their first group of midfielders and #20 out of the middle of the field. Tufts loves hard hesitation dodge to the middle from #20 and dodge-and-redodge moves from other midfielders for their own shots from the top middle. Protect the middle of the field, or at least have a slide ready to go. The other option play zone to limit their opportunities. They don’t have a big-time feeding presence from behind; everything is off picks from the wings or speed dodges to the middle.

RIT is a good zone team, so this should affect Tufts. RIT defense is very good at closing out shots, often preventing the ball from reaching the goalie. Grace should be able to handle Ragnary.

There is no way Tufts can stop RIT's offense. Their disorganized zone can be beaten with lots of ball movement, something W&L did not do at all. I don’t think W&L had any plan except for their #20 ripping it from 18 yards outside the cage. Horrible plan. RIT can carve up a zone pretty easily. Tufts' SSDMs are just average in man-to-man, so RIT should be okay dodging and drawing slides.

RIT 19
Tufts 14

[valaxfan]

meeting earlier. and seeing how tufts had trouble with a southern team. RIT had a lot more weapons than w&l.

oh. and let’s not forget, RIT is the first team tufts will face that wasn’t an upset

stevenson upset Union
SJF upset St Lawrence
W&L upset Salisbury.

and before the tufts cult has a conniption, i am not blaming tufts for who they played. just saying, the best team Tufts has faced to make it to the tourney, was a mid teens ranked W&L. none of the others were even ranked.

Interesting in that W&L beat Salisbury who everyone was crowning champion for the last 12 weeks and then Tufts takes them down and that seem to become insignificant. RIT lost to RPI twice who I will remind you lost to not one but two NESCAC teams that Tufts beat so why is RIT being put up on a pedestal. They met earlier in the season and RIT won. Has no bearing on the outcome of this game. Everyone that RIT played to get to the championship, Tufts beat. Not that it matter but at the end of the day, these two teams are fairly evenly matched.

FYI - I would not say that Tufts had trouble with W&L. W&L had. big run and after that Tufts squashed them. They got outscored 15 to 6 in the last three quarters of the game.

Generals won the odd quarters, 12-9, Tufts won the even quarters 10-1, that sums up the 19-13 win for Tufts. Had Tufts not gone to the zone in the 4h, maybe a closer game but in the end, Tufts was a better team. But just like Salisbury, sometimes the better team loses because the other team plays a better game. That did not happen in this game, unfortunately.

My Pick RIT 17 - Tufts 15

valaxfan

[ah23]

RIT.

Tufts defense usually comes out and pressures. If that doesn’t work, they drop into zone. 2 things that RIT’s ball movement torches.

Last year Kohn went 14/19 and Tufts won 60% of the faceoffs. I have a tough time seeing that happen this year.

If Tufts wants to pull this out, Garzone will have to come up with close to 25 saves.

Agreed, have a hard time seeing Tufts stopping RIT straight up. If Tufts goes zone against them yet again...woof. If they can't tilt the field at the X and steal goals on defense, RIT will go on runs that Tufts can't match.

Venuto and Perry both were head and shoulders above their counterparts when RPI beat RIT in the LL final, and Petty may have had the single best game of any goalie this season in their regular season matchup. Tough to bank on that, but...hey, it's something.

[The12lov3]

Everyone wrote off W&L against Salisbury so you never know. I would not be surprised if they did something different against RIT. These teams are fairly evenly matched in my opinion. Those are the top three scoring offense. Not sure why people are putting RIT in a pedestal here. I know they are a great team but so is Tufts.

1 Salisbury 19.09
2 Tufts 20 18.75
3 RIT 23 18.39