Yale 2024

[10stone5]

Brandau could surpass 100 points in regular season play
which would be astounding,

I’m don’t believe even Lyle Thompson accomplished that.

I was curious about this as well. According to the U Albany website, below are Lyle Thompson's seasons as an upperclassman at Albany:

2015: 121 points
2014: 128 points
2013: 113 points

If Brandau maintains his average from the past 5 games (8 points/game), and plays 2 regular season, 2 ILT games and 2 NCAA rounds, he'd end up with 134 points. He'd need to average 7 points per game for 6 games to tie Lyle Thompson's record. A tall order in many ways.

To add a little more to the above, Albany played 18 games in 2014 and 19 in 2015. Yale has played 12 games to date in 2024.

It's almost impossible to do it in regulation time,
'course once tournament time comes around - the great ones accumulate a lot of points.

But Brandau may do it - he's like a machine, no wasted motion.

[bearlaxfan]

Brandau could surpass 100 points in regular season play
which would be astounding,

I’m don’t believe even Lyle Thompson accomplished that.

I was curious about this as well. According to the U Albany website, below are Lyle Thompson's seasons as an upperclassman at Albany:

2015: 121 points
2014: 128 points
2013: 113 points

If Brandau maintains his average from the past 5 games (8 points/game), and plays 2 regular season, 2 ILT games and 2 NCAA rounds, he'd end up with 134 points. He'd need to average 7 points per game for 6 games to tie Lyle Thompson's record. A tall order in many ways.

To add a little more to the above, Albany played 18 games in 2014 and 19 in 2015. Yale has played 12 games to date in 2024.

It's almost impossible to do it in regulation time,
'course once tournament time comes around - the great ones accumulate a lot of points.

But Brandau may do it - he's like a machine, no wasted motion.

Ask Lars Tiffany whether he would keep Dylan Molloy in a game again, up 10 goals with 4 mins left, so he could have a chance to break Lyle's record. Eyes on the prize.

[The Orfling]

Friday night (7 pm, ESPN+) out-of-conference game on 3 days rest after a Saturday/Tuesday combo. Lots of interesting storylines. Two teams playing well; Yale has won 6 straight and Albany has won 5 out of its last 7. Two Tewaaraton nominees to watch: One of this season's brightest offensive stars and the current national ppg leader, Matt Brandau, looks to add to his 86 points, while the breakout defensive player of the year, Albany LSM Jake Piseno, will challenge Yale to handle him not just as a defensive disruptor (2nd in the country in caused turnovers) but as huge transition threat (9 goals! in 11 games).

On a more Yale-specific front: Can a beat up Yale faceoff unit bounce back against Albany's star FOGO? If Albany dominates at X, can Yale limit transition opportunities? Will Hugh Conrad get some platoon time in goal as he did against Hofstra? Will first-year midfielder Cole Cashion build on a second-half hat trick against Hofstra? How much gas in the tank will Yale's rope unit have after playing 3 games in 6 days?

And of course . . . will the announcers be able to keep Pisano and Piseno straight?

This one could be a tough nut to crack for Yale; at least they'll be in the "friendly confines" of Reese Stadium. Go Bulldogs!

[FannOLax]

...
On a more Yale-specific front: Can a beat up Yale faceoff unit bounce back against Albany's star FOGO? If Albany dominates at X, can Yale limit transition opportunities? Will Hugh Conrad get some platoon time in goal as he did against Hofstra? Will first-year midfielder Cole Cashion build on a second-half hat trick against Hofstra? How much gas in the tank will Yale's rope unit have after playing 3 games in 6 days?

And of course . . . will the announcers be able to keep Pisano and Piseno straight?

And why did they they schedule this for a Friday evening when CT freeways will still be as thick and slow as molasses with rush-hour traffic? Two years ago, this was a Sunday afternoon game; much better. I suppose this year's scheduling gives Yale an extra day to rest and prepare for the Princeton game.

[The Orfling]

Nice win for the Bulldogs -- seventh straight! After a tight first half, ending in a 6-6 tie, and being down by 1 early in Q3, Yale went on a 9-1 run to pull away from Albany, outscoring them 11-4 in the second half. Big take-aways:

• Another virtually mistake free game from the Bulldogs -- only SEVEN turnovers all game (while scoring 17 goals) and a 91% clearing percentage;

• Mr. Unselfish, Matt Brandau, beat his points per game average -- 7.17 coming into the game and he got 8 points on 3G, 5A, while matched up with Albany's Jake Piseno for much of the game. Brandau's day included a first-half hat trick when the goals were hard to come by -- and all three goals were highlight worthy.

• Good news on 2 face-off fronts: (1) #19 had a much better showing than against Hofstra, winning 11 out of 26 faceoffs including a couple of very clean wins and going 50% (5 for 10) during Yale's big third quarter run; and (2) the announcers said Mac R was dressed on the sidelines and warming up. So we may see him back against Princeton next week.

• Conrad played the second half in goal and looked good (7 saves, 4 GA). The announcers commented that #38 looked so good that Coach Shay may have some decisions to make down the stretch.

• On the other side of the ball, Yale's ride looked very good (Albany had 7 failed clears) and the Bulldogs had 9 caused turnovers led by Patrick Pisano with 3 (one more than his defensive doppelganger Piseno!).

• And last but not least, TWO EMO GOALS! Yale was 2 for 3 on EMO, with Johnny Keib and Thomas Bragg, The Human Howitzer, getting man-up goals. To put the icing on the cake, Yale held Albany 0 for 2 on its EMO, including on a two-minute non-releasable.

Nice win for the Bulldogs. Congrats to the team for such a crisp, confident effort.

[Brownlax]

Nice win Eli’s!!

I think it’s CRAZY that people don’t think Matt Brandau is the best player in the country. He just lit up a 1st team AA for 3g and 5 assts.

Love watching him play. He is a gamer.

[keno in reno]

Nice win Eli’s!!

I think it’s CRAZY that people don’t think Matt Brandau is the best player in the country. He just lit up a 1st team AA for 3g and 5 assts.

Love watching him play. He is a gamer.

What people? Who thinks it's CRAZY that Brandau isn't the best player in the country? Is it really CRAZY for others to think that Shellenberger or O"Neill could be the best player? They're all great players, no? Or is that CRAZY?

[FannOLax]

Matt Brandau scored 6 goals in Yale's 2019 Ivy opener against Cornell, a 16-11 Yale home win. He'd scored a few goals for Yale before that, but I think that's when people really sat up and took notice of him as a college player; I know I did.

In 2024, an injury-riddled Eli team is now 11-2, which seems almost too good to be true considering the absences. Yes, Brandau has been an important part of Yale's success, but it's a team sport and the likes of Christian Johnson, Jack Stuzin, Jack Ocken, Patrick Pisano, David Anderson, Cole Cashion, Peter Moynihan and captain Patrick Hackler deserve full credit. Is sophomore Hugh Conrad now challenging junior Jared Paquette for the starting goalie position? I can't recall Shay ever having gone with a 50/50 goalie rotation in the regular season as he has done these last two games. Yale was playing its fifth game in 13 days, and the Bulldogs won all five. "We did it for a reason," said Andy Shay. "We wanted to see if we could play games on short rest, and I'm very pleased with the result." Anthony Annuziatta has battled hard these last two games, but it also seems that Mac Rodriguez is likely to be back for the Princeton game and subsequent contests. Good. What a season, for Brandau and for the entire team, including Michael Garchitorena.

[The Orfling]

Nice win Eli’s!!

I think it’s CRAZY that people don’t think Matt Brandau is the best player in the country. He just lit up a 1st team AA for 3g and 5 assts.

Love watching him play. He is a gamer.

What people? Who thinks it's CRAZY that Brandau isn't the best player in the country? Is it really CRAZY for others to think that Shellenberger or O"Neill could be the best player? They're all great players, no? Or is that CRAZY?

Not presuming to put words in the mouth of Brownlax, but as a longtime sports fan (eg NFL), there can be a difference between "best player in the country" and "player having the best season." Where we are today, in the regular season, I think there's a strong argument that Matt Brandau is the offensive* player (because in the context of the Tewaaraton, as we know it really seems to be an offensive* award in all but name) who is having the best best season so far. "Best season" depends on a lot of factors, many external, including whether the player is injury free, how the team is playing over all, what kind of schedule the team has, who is playing around him, etc. So far, Brandau has had eye-popping numbers; he's the #1 factor in keeping Yale's offense elite (#2 in the country even though 2 starting attackmen who had a combined 102 goals/34 assists were out with injury all year); and he's had some notable performances like 11 points against BU, 13 points against Colgate, and an 8 point game vs. Albany matched up against one of the best poles in the country.

If you are arguing "best player" as in "most talented" -- hard to argue against O'Neill or Shellenberger. But to date Brandau's season has been better -- even against common opponents (O'Neill had 8 points combined against Penn, Denver, and BU and Brandau had 21; Shelly had 2 points against Harvard, Brandau had 8). Is that partly because Yale needs Brandau to dominate whereas UVA and Duke have more elite weapons on attack and the "star of the game" shifts more game to game? Yes, certainly so. But that's often the case in sports.

To end where I started, in focusing on "offensive player having the best season," the season isn't over -- there are still a few big regular season games and then conference tournaments -- and then the NCAAs. As we all also know, because the Tewaaraton winner is selected after the NCAA, if a Shellenberger/PKav/O'Neill/Kirst/Malone heats up and takes his team on a big run, that may seal the deal. If O'Neill plays the rest of the season like he played against UVA, if PKav produces the rest of the season like he did against Duke, if Kirst plays the rest of his season like he played against Notre Dame, if Shelly dominates on a run through the ACC tournament and the NCAAs -- any could win and he would be more than deserving.

[The Orfling]

In 2024, an injury-riddled Eli team is now 11-2, which seems almost too good to be true considering the absences. Yes, Brandau has been an important part of Yale's success, but it's a team sport and the likes of Christian Johnson, Jack Stuzin, Jack Ocken, Patrick Pisano, David Anderson, Cole Cashion, Peter Moynihan and captain Patrick Hackler deserve full credit. Is sophomore Hugh Conrad now challenging junior Jared Paquette for the starting goalie position? I can't recall Shay ever having gone with a 50/50 goalie rotation in the regular season as he has done these last two games. Yale was playing its fifth game in 13 days, and the Bulldogs won all five. "We did it for a reason," said Andy Shay. "We wanted to see if we could play games on short rest, and I'm very pleased with the result." Anthony Annuziatta has battled hard these last two games, but it also seems that Mac Rodriguez is likely to be back for the Princeton game and subsequent contests. Good. What a season, for Brandau and for the entire team, including Michael Garchitorena.

Great to put the spotlight on all of these guys.

• Besides forcing key turnovers, playing on the wing on faceoffs and even taking a few, Jack Stuzin's inverted pole goal last night was breathtaking: https://x.com/LacrosseNetwork/status/17 ... 1488725394

• Monfort and Johnson's importance not just on defense but in the clearing and transition game can't be overstated -- Yale's growing confidence and competence in clearing owes a lot to the two of them, and having a healthy Ocken back in the shorty rotation has been so important to that unit;

• Patrick Pisano and Mikey Alexander are both playing good individual defense, are great off the ground, and Pisano has been a force with caused turnovers;

• Cole Cashion and Peter Moynihan as first-years have added great midfield depth and stretch shooting to Yale's arsenal and had some key goals in close wins (most recently, Yale probably doesn't beat Hofstra without Cashion's hat trick);

• Patrick Hackler is just a warrior as a 2-way middie -- huge force in the ride; legitimate offensive threat; one-man clear; and a great on-field leader.

And there are so so many more -- the "Special K" brigade of Krevsky, Keib, and Kuhl; David Anderson's breakout season as a finisher; Paquette and Conrad both with great performances; Eric Platten stepping into the Close D line-up after an injury; Garchitorena coming back from injury and playing great ball; all three FOGOs (Ramsey, Rodriguez, Annunziata) with big performances at the X in different games.

This is such a great TEAM to watch. Coach Shay and staff know how to find and develop great team players and we as fans are the beneficiaries.

[10stone5]

Kuhl made some very nice plays.
Anderson, I’d been wondering why he was sitting the past year.
Brandau is so efficient in his style of play.
Albany was very much going for the upset.

[The Orfling]

Kuhl made some very nice plays.
Anderson, I’d been wondering why he was sitting the past year.
Brandau is so efficient in his style of play.
Albany was very much gunning for an upset.

Glad you watched the game. Kuhl has been huge for Yale this year -- he played midfield for his first two seasons and to play attack this year and produce like he has (second on the team in points) has been crucial. Re: Anderson, he's probably not a guy you could play at attack or midfield -- he's really an attacker with an elite Canadian box pedigree so more of a finisher. Yale generally sticks with three attackmen in the line-up and doesn't rotate, and Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons had two great seasons in '22 and '23 alongside Brandau, so it took injuries for Anderson to get his chance and he's really made the most of it. Assuming (and fervently hoping) that Johnson and Lyons make full recoveries, I could imagine a line-up for Yale next year with Johnson as the QB, Lyons as the #1 dodging threat; Anderson as the finisher and Kuhl on the #1 midfield line.

Albany is an interesting team and was playing hard; if they had had fewer turnovers in the first half and had been able to get out to a big lead against Yale (I think 2 goals was their biggest lead) it might have had a different outcome. Albany might need another sharpshooter or two on offense but they have a solid chance to get an AQ.

[Finster]

Kuhl made some very nice plays.
Anderson, I’d been wondering why he was sitting the past year.
Brandau is so efficient in his style of play.
Albany was very much gunning for an upset.

Glad you watched the game. Kuhl has been huge for Yale this year -- he played midfield for his first two seasons and to play attack this year and produce like he has (second on the team in points) has been crucial. Re: Anderson, he's probably not a guy you could play at attack or midfield -- he's really an attacker with an elite Canadian box pedigree so more of a finisher. Yale generally sticks with three attackmen in the line-up and doesn't rotate, and Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons had two great seasons in '22 and '23 alongside Brandau, so it took injuries for Anderson to get his chance and he's really made the most of it. Assuming (and fervently hoping) that Johnson and Lyons make full recoveries, I could imagine a line-up for Yale next year with Johnson as the QB, Lyons as the #1 dodging threat; Anderson as the finisher and Kuhl on the #1 midfield line.

Albany is an interesting team and was playing hard; if they had had fewer turnovers in the first half and had been able to get out to a big lead against Yale (I think 2 goals was their biggest lead) it might have had a different outcome. Albany might need another sharpshooter or two on offense but they have a solid chance to get an AQ.

Just watched the highlights. Brandau was robbed of some goals by a very hot Albany goalie that first half.

First time I’ve watched a full Yale highlight reel. I actually was most impressed (besides Brandau) by Johnny Keib: great dodging, hard shot, great field awareness.

One possible issue for Yale is your goalie. Maybe he had a soft evening, but he let in some long bombs that I don’t believe a goalie like Entenmann would let in. Food for thought.

Brandau took it upon himself to right the ship when Yale found itself in a 3-1 hole.

[Gobigred]

Nice win Eli’s!!

I think it’s CRAZY that people don’t think Matt Brandau is the best player in the country. He just lit up a 1st team AA for 3g and 5 assts.

Love watching him play. He is a gamer.

What people? Who thinks it's CRAZY that Brandau isn't the best player in the country? Is it really CRAZY for others to think that Shellenberger or O"Neill could be the best player? They're all great players, no? Or is that CRAZY?

You can't seem to grasp reality, but I give you some credit for persistence. They're all very good players, but the player having the best 2024 season to date is undoubtedly Brandau.

[The Orfling]

Kuhl made some very nice plays.
Anderson, I’d been wondering why he was sitting the past year.
Brandau is so efficient in his style of play.
Albany was very much gunning for an upset.

Glad you watched the game. Kuhl has been huge for Yale this year -- he played midfield for his first two seasons and to play attack this year and produce like he has (second on the team in points) has been crucial. Re: Anderson, he's probably not a guy you could play at attack or midfield -- he's really an attacker with an elite Canadian box pedigree so more of a finisher. Yale generally sticks with three attackmen in the line-up and doesn't rotate, and Leo Johnson and Chris Lyons had two great seasons in '22 and '23 alongside Brandau, so it took injuries for Anderson to get his chance and he's really made the most of it. Assuming (and fervently hoping) that Johnson and Lyons make full recoveries, I could imagine a line-up for Yale next year with Johnson as the QB, Lyons as the #1 dodging threat; Anderson as the finisher and Kuhl on the #1 midfield line.

Albany is an interesting team and was playing hard; if they had had fewer turnovers in the first half and had been able to get out to a big lead against Yale (I think 2 goals was their biggest lead) it might have had a different outcome. Albany might need another sharpshooter or two on offense but they have a solid chance to get an AQ.

Just watched the highlights. Brandau was robbed of some goals by a very hot Albany goalie that first half.

First time I’ve watched a full Yale highlight reel. I actually was most impressed (besides Brandau) by Johnny Keib: great dodging, hard shot, great field awareness.

One possible issue for Yale is your goalie. Maybe he had a soft evening, but he let in some long bombs that I don’t believe a goalie like Entenmann would let in. Food for thought.

Brandau took it upon himself to right the ship when Yale found itself in a 3-1 hole.

Yes, Johnny Keib has really emerged down the stretch -- it's been great to see. Shay and company have done a nice job identifying tough, fast, athletic offensive midfielders and I think Yale has a bunch right now: Captain Patrick Hackler (a 2-way middie); Thomas Bragg, Max Krevsky, Johnny Keib, Carson Kuhl (playing attack this year), Cole Cashion, and Logan Soelberg (excellent player with tough injury luck over his career). And that's not even counting Brad Sharp, 1st team All-Ivy last year but out for the season with an injury, and Peter Moynihan, playing midfield for Yale this year and doing very well in his first year but who seems like long-term might be more of an attackman.

From your other posts, Finster, you've shown yourself to have a good analytic eye and re: the goalie situation, Yale's starter, #28, has been splitting time in the past three games with a sophomore tender, #38, who has done well in this more limited action but hasn't played against the tougher offensive challenges that the starting tender has faced (e.g. Cornell #3 scoring offense; Harvard #6 scoring offense; Penn State #12 scoring offense; BU #16 scoring offense). But it does seem like the coaching staff is exploring depth at the GK position.

[FannOLax]

We're edging toward the weekend, and Senior Day Saturday for Yale men's lacrosse. It's definitely a big game for Princeton, who by winning would control its own fate and make the ILT whatever the result of the Brown @ Harvard game. Although Yale has already clinched a spot in the ILT, the regular-season Ivy title is on the line and I'd really like to see the Elis play good lacrosse and also extend the seven-game winning streak and improve its chances for the NCAA tourney (first round home game? etc). The tea leaves have seemed to indicate that Mac Rodriguez will be back in FOGO action, and it will be interesting to see about Nicholas Ramsey. Like Rodri, Ramsey has been out injured; the roster lists Ramsey as a senior, but I'm not sure if he's taken a semester or two off to preserve Yale eligibility. Rodriguez is a junior, and fingers crossed (knocking on wood, etc) that he's back and healthy for the remainder of the Bulldogs' 2024 games.

[The Orfling]

Yale fans who have been to Reese recently (I think it's been 10 years for me (!) although I've gotten to see Yale play on the road and in the NCAAs a fair amount over that time). Any advice on ticketing? I'm going to attend Senior Day (also Alumni Day) with some alum teammates and take in the double-header, men's game at noon, women's game at 3:30 pm.

Looks like tix are available in the central section below the press box -- any sense of whether for better sight lines I should go for higher up (rows K-L) or lower down (row D)?

https://imgur.com/EKNvWZV

[FannOLax]

Yale fans who have been to Reese recently (I think it's been 10 years for me (!) although I've gotten to see Yale play on the road and in the NCAAs a fair amount over that time). Any advice on ticketing? I'm going to attend Senior Day (also Alumni Day) with some alum teammates and take in the double-header, men's game at noon, women's game at 3:30 pm.

Looks like tix are available in the central section below the press box -- any sense of whether for better sight lines I should go for higher up (rows K-L) or lower down (row D)?

I personally prefer the sight lines from the upper rows at Reese. Either way, press-box-side stands are more elevated than those on the Coxe-shaded side. You might want your sunglasses for the press-box side. You might already know that the women's team is having a good season, so the doubleheader sounds good. That being said, my wife has made Saturday evening plans for us that mean I won't be staying for game two.

[The Orfling]

Yale fans who have been to Reese recently (I think it's been 10 years for me (!) although I've gotten to see Yale play on the road and in the NCAAs a fair amount over that time). Any advice on ticketing? I'm going to attend Senior Day (also Alumni Day) with some alum teammates and take in the double-header, men's game at noon, women's game at 3:30 pm.

Looks like tix are available in the central section below the press box -- any sense of whether for better sight lines I should go for higher up (rows K-L) or lower down (row D)?

I personally prefer the sight lines from the upper rows at Reese. Either way, press-box-side stands are more elevated than those on the Coxe-shaded side. You might want your sunglasses for the press-box side. You might already know that the women's team is having a good season, so the doubleheader sounds good. That being said, my wife has made Saturday evening plans for us that mean I won't be staying for game two.

Thanks, Fann. Looking forward to two good games for all the Yale laxers this weekend.

[The Orfling]

The tea leaves have seemed to indicate that Mac Rodriguez will be back in FOGO action, and it will be interesting to see about Nicholas Ramsey. Like Rodri, Ramsey has been out injured; the roster lists Ramsey as a senior, but I'm not sure if he's taken a semester or two off to preserve Yale eligibility. Rodriguez is a junior, and fingers crossed (knocking on wood, etc) that he's back and healthy for the remainder of the Bulldogs' 2024 games.

I believe that before the season Ramsey -- along with Patrick Hackler and Jack Monfort -- put his name in the portal, which indicates that this is his 8th semester and he'll be graduating and possibly playing his final season of eligibility at another school in 2025. He's a fine FOGO and there's generally a strong transfer "market" (so to speak) for FOGOs -- UVA for example brought in 3 this past season. Here's hoping he'll heal up be able to take more faceoffs for Yale this year before an excellent career comes to a close.