Northwestern Wildcats

[DMac]

Some of you who haven't been following too closely might see this as a bottle of wine.
Others might recognize it for what it really is, batch #3, The Chuck-Halle variety.
It rocks, is of gorgeous color, and is ever so tempting and inviting. Berries from the
gods! Mac's the name, mulberries the game.

Mulberries look good, but the lacrosse ball looks like a serious greaser.

looks like a field hockey ball!

I like the purple Haudenosaunee string in the crosse.

Yes sir, that's what you get from Alfie, he's the right hand man of the Creator himself.
You also get the life of the hickory tree in the wood and the spirit of the game in the crafted masterpiece.
Alfie's a living god.
Super cool person to be able to just sit around and BS with. Just the best.

[Cletus]

[DMac]

Katrina Dowd's mom was a long time poster at LP, a sweetie of a gal who straightened me out pretty quickly when I became too much of an aszwhole. Sure would like to see what she'd have to say the first time you wrote about her daughter choking, under performing, or not giving the game an honest effort.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxPFh6F74mo

[Cletus]

Isabelle Rae Scane had a great goal scoring year, but she also showed she can chip in some helpers, and some of the "dirty work" stats (GB's, CTO's and DC's). I think Hiller started putting Izzy on the draw circle at some point during the season. That can only benefit the Cats next year.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Nice shot of Lindsey McKone. One of two Wildcats currently on the Team USA 36 player roster. I think McKone's playing days at the collegiate level are done, but she was one nifty player to have on a team. She will be missed in Purpleland.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Attacker Dylan Amonte will begin her junior year in 2022 for the Wildcats. With some seniors moving on, I'm guessing she'll get more time on the field. She showed flashes of brilliance last season in relation to the slapshot like power of her missiles on goal. She gets that from her dad, no doubt. Nice to have genes from the Amonte's with coach Kelly being her aunt and her dad a former NHL player of some goal scoring repute. She played sparingly last year but I think '22 will be a good indication of how far along she is in her development. Seems many players bust out in their junior year. I hope that is the case for Dylan.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Very cool...

https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/ ... -cubs-game

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Looks like the Wildcats have scaled down their roster, unless many more will be added before the start of ‘22. Only 38 on this list.

https://nusports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/2022

[Bart]

Looks like the Wildcats have scaled down their roster, unless many more will be added before the start of ‘22. Only 38 on this list.

https://nusports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/2022

They had 37 last year............ MId upper 30's seems to be the sweet spot here. I just went back a few years.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Looks like the Wildcats have scaled down their roster, unless many more will be added before the start of ‘22. Only 38 on this list.

https://nusports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/2022

They had 37 last year............ MId upper 30's seems to be the sweet spot here. I just went back a few years.

Interesting. I guess the reputation they have for carrying around 50 is outdated.

[wlaxphan20]

Looks like the Wildcats have scaled down their roster, unless many more will be added before the start of ‘22. Only 38 on this list.

https://nusports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/2022

They had 37 last year............ MId upper 30's seems to be the sweet spot here. I just went back a few years.

Interesting. I guess the reputation they have for carrying around 50 is outdated.

I may have overshot my guestimates a bit, regardless of the actual number, they do typically carry rosters that are larger than the average size.

38 in 2019
40 in 2018
an odd 31 in 2017
37 in 2016
40 in 2015

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Looks like the Wildcats have scaled down their roster, unless many more will be added before the start of ‘22. Only 38 on this list.

https://nusports.com/sports/womens-lacrosse/roster/2022

They had 37 last year............ MId upper 30's seems to be the sweet spot here. I just went back a few years.

Interesting. I guess the reputation they have for carrying around 50 is outdated.

I may have overshot my guestimates a bit, regardless of the actual number, they do typically carry rosters that are larger than the average size.

38 in 2019
40 in 2018
an odd 31 in 2017
37 in 2016
40 in 2015

39 in '20
37 in '21

Oh well--you nailed Syracuse though. That's a dang good batting average in any league.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

As far as I can tell, these are some if not all of the significant players who have graduated and/or won't be returning for '22.
Megan Kinna; Sammy Mueller; Lindsey McKone; and defenders Kate and Carson Copeland.
I don't know anything about the incoming first years, but the Wildcats are returning some very key players in Scane, Gilbert, Coykendall, et al. They have stellar talent returning though they will miss McKone for all she did for the team, as they missed Kinna last year.

They will have to figure out how to get over the NCAA semifinal hump if they want to add an eighth national title. Their last two showings were dismal and embarrassing. I'm still puzzled by last years performance vs Syracuse when they shot themselves in the foot with yellow cards throughout the entire game (8 total--5 in the 2nd half). Did coach ever say this to her team?



Maybe she did but they ignored her? I think that's unlikely. The coaching staff needs to pick up their game for '22. I think the manner in which the team lost to Syracuse is rightly laid at their feet.

Will the Wildcats continue their recent dominance in the Big 10 in '22? I'm sure Maryland will be more focused than ever in their game(s) vs Northwestern next season, but I don't know if they have the muscle to resist the offensive power the Cats possess. Definitely a story within a story for next year.

[seacoaster]

NU has a 2022 roster up (no freshmen), which shows not only Gilbert, but Pinzone, Girardi, Palermo and Dwyer back as graduate students. With Dwyer, they will get possession of the ball, and with Gilbert and Scane and Holmes and Coykendall, they will score goals. But I don't know much about defense, and the loss of the Copelands complicates that, right?

At this point, I would expect NU will be the same as 2021: scoring 46 goals a game to win, while letting their opponents score 12 or 15. They'll be good, but I'm not sure they will be improved enough to punch through those last two games in May.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

NU has a 2022 roster up (no freshmen), which shows not only Gilbert, but Pinzone, Girardi, Palermo and Dwyer back as graduate students. With Dwyer, they will get possession of the ball, and with Gilbert and Scane and Holmes and Coykendall, they will score goals. But I don't know much about defense, and the loss of the Copelands complicates that, right?

At this point, I would expect NU will be the same as 2021: scoring 46 goals a game to win, while letting their opponents score 12 or 15. They'll be good, but I'm not sure they will be improved enough to punch through those last two games in May.

I can’t find anything to disagree with you on. Great point on the defense. Who really knows how good they are? I guess we’ll get an idea if NU plays BC, NC and ND the way they typically do.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

NU has a 2022 roster up (no freshmen), which shows not only Gilbert, but Pinzone, Girardi, Palermo and Dwyer back as graduate students. With Dwyer, they will get possession of the ball, and with Gilbert and Scane and Holmes and Coykendall, they will score goals. But I don't know much about defense, and the loss of the Copelands complicates that, right?

At this point, I would expect NU will be the same as 2021: scoring 46 goals a game to win, while letting their opponents score 12 or 15. They'll be good, but I'm not sure they will be improved enough to punch through those last two games in May.

If memory serves, you coached at one point, right? What’s your assessment on the number of (purple) yellow cards from last year‘s semifinal game? What degree of accountability do you assign to the head coach?

[LarryGamLax]

As far as I can tell, these are some if not all of the significant players who have graduated and/or won't be returning for '22.
Megan Kinna; Sammy Mueller; Lindsey McKone; and defenders Kate and Carson Copeland.
I don't know anything about the incoming first years, but the Wildcats are returning some very key players in Scane, Gilbert, Coykendall, et al. They have stellar talent returning though they will miss McKone for all she did for the team, as they missed Kinna last year.

They will have to figure out how to get over the NCAA semifinal hump if they want to add an eighth national title. Their last two showings were dismal and embarrassing. I'm still puzzled by last years performance vs Syracuse when they shot themselves in the foot with yellow cards throughout the entire game (8 total--5 in the 2nd half). Did coach ever say this to her team?



Maybe she did but they ignored her? I think that's unlikely. The coaching staff needs to pick up their game for '22. I think the manner in which the team lost to Syracuse is rightly laid at their feet.

Will the Wildcats continue their recent dominance in the Big 10 in '22? I'm sure Maryland will be more focused than ever in their game(s) vs Northwestern next season, but I don't know if they have the muscle to resist the offensive power the Cats possess. Definitely a story within a story for next year.

ONW...you are freakin amazing! You have some big ones on you!(sarcasm dripping)
BC has won ONE NC and now you're putting up clips of AWW telling her team something and questioning if KAH and her staff are smart and on top of things like you think the BC staff is. And you have video to prove it! Prove what?
In the last 10 years here's what the NC breakdown looks like...Maryland 4, Northwestern 2 , UNC 2, JMU 1 and BC 1. My math says 4 beats 1.
I get that you support BC and you're excited about winning. Great, but being over-the-top and, frankly, obnoxious about it is no way to win friends and influence people. Telling us about how great the BC recruits are going to be, compared to other recruits, really is a wait and see kind of thing.
AWW has a ways to go before she can get in the neighborhood that Timchal, Amonte Hiller, and Reese are living in.

My point is really simple: Temper your excitement with practicality. Think JMU as a great example.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

As far as I can tell, these are some if not all of the significant players who have graduated and/or won't be returning for '22.
Megan Kinna; Sammy Mueller; Lindsey McKone; and defenders Kate and Carson Copeland.
I don't know anything about the incoming first years, but the Wildcats are returning some very key players in Scane, Gilbert, Coykendall, et al. They have stellar talent returning though they will miss McKone for all she did for the team, as they missed Kinna last year.

They will have to figure out how to get over the NCAA semifinal hump if they want to add an eighth national title. Their last two showings were dismal and embarrassing. I'm still puzzled by last years performance vs Syracuse when they shot themselves in the foot with yellow cards throughout the entire game (8 total--5 in the 2nd half). Did coach ever say this to her team?



Maybe she did but they ignored her? I think that's unlikely. The coaching staff needs to pick up their game for '22. I think the manner in which the team lost to Syracuse is rightly laid at their feet.

Will the Wildcats continue their recent dominance in the Big 10 in '22? I'm sure Maryland will be more focused than ever in their game(s) vs Northwestern next season, but I don't know if they have the muscle to resist the offensive power the Cats possess. Definitely a story within a story for next year.

ONW...you are freakin amazing! You have some big ones on you!(sarcasm dripping)
BC has won ONE NC and now you're putting up clips of AWW telling her team something and questioning if KAH and her staff are smart and on top of things like you think the BC staff is. And you have video to prove it! Prove what?
In the last 10 years here's what the NC breakdown looks like...Maryland 4, Northwestern 2 , UNC 2, JMU 1 and BC 1. My math says 4 beats 1.
I get that you support BC and you're excited about winning. Great, but being over-the-top and, frankly, obnoxious about it is no way to win friends and influence people. Telling us about how great the BC recruits are going to be, compared to other recruits, really is a wait and see kind of thing.
AWW has a ways to go before she can get in the neighborhood that Timchal, Amonte Hiller, and Reese are living in.

My point is really simple: Temper your excitement with practicality. Think JMU as a great example.

I have one specific question – do you assign any culpability to the head coach of Northwestern for the teams eight yellow cards in last year‘s semi finals? That’s all. I’m not trying to make a statement that BC is better or that Northwestern has no recruits coming in. Very simply – did the Northwestern coaching staff fail to address their teams physicality in last years semi final loss vs Syracuse.

[seacoaster]

NU has a 2022 roster up (no freshmen), which shows not only Gilbert, but Pinzone, Girardi, Palermo and Dwyer back as graduate students. With Dwyer, they will get possession of the ball, and with Gilbert and Scane and Holmes and Coykendall, they will score goals. But I don't know much about defense, and the loss of the Copelands complicates that, right?

At this point, I would expect NU will be the same as 2021: scoring 46 goals a game to win, while letting their opponents score 12 or 15. They'll be good, but I'm not sure they will be improved enough to punch through those last two games in May.

If memory serves, you coached at one point, right? What’s your assessment on the number of (purple) yellow cards from last year‘s semifinal game? What degree of accountability do you assign to the head coach?

Coaching high school lacrosse is a long, long, long way from the rarified air you are talking about here: a national semifinal between two very athletic, tough and well-coached teams. But it is just a fact that coaches stand on the sidelines; they can and should make adjustments in defenses, offensive sets, re-defend strategies, and the like. But they don't, in the end, influence the actual play on the field at the granular level you are asking about. I hope this makes sense. Cards happen when kids make a mistake (stick check just too close, stick sliding from shoulder up to neck, etc) or when they are not under control or are frustrated. Coaches can only counsel the players to take care. I am certain -- repeat, certain -- KAH and Scott asked their kids to be aggressive, but avoid the cards. I thought then and still think that the reality in that game was that Syracuse was a better team across nearly the entire field, and that the cards hurt NU, but that the cards were a result of the superiority of Syracuse between the 30s, at defense, and in goal.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

NU has a 2022 roster up (no freshmen), which shows not only Gilbert, but Pinzone, Girardi, Palermo and Dwyer back as graduate students. With Dwyer, they will get possession of the ball, and with Gilbert and Scane and Holmes and Coykendall, they will score goals. But I don't know much about defense, and the loss of the Copelands complicates that, right?

At this point, I would expect NU will be the same as 2021: scoring 46 goals a game to win, while letting their opponents score 12 or 15. They'll be good, but I'm not sure they will be improved enough to punch through those last two games in May.

If memory serves, you coached at one point, right? What’s your assessment on the number of (purple) yellow cards from last year‘s semifinal game? What degree of accountability do you assign to the head coach?

Coaching high school lacrosse is a long, long, long way from the rarified air you are talking about here: a national semifinal between two very athletic, tough and well-coached teams. But it is just a fact that coaches stand on the sidelines; they can and should make adjustments in defenses, offensive sets, re-defend strategies, and the like. But they don't, in the end, influence the actual play on the field at the granular level you are asking about. I hope this makes sense. Cards happen when kids make a mistake (stick check just too close, stick sliding from shoulder up to neck, etc) or when they are not under control or are frustrated. Coaches can only counsel the players to take care. I am certain -- repeat, certain -- KAH and Scott asked their kids to be aggressive, but avoid the cards. I thought then and still think that the reality in that game was that Syracuse was a better team across nearly the entire field, and that the cards hurt NU, but that the cards were a result of the superiority of Syracuse between the 30s, at defense, and in goal.

Thanks very much. I found your explanation most edifying. I appreciate you taking the time to explain.