Dartmouth 2024

[mdk01]

Good first win for Coach!

Hope the freshman netminder keeps it up…was not surprised to see coaches make this move. Promising potential.

Great to see Zappitello breakout.

Nice to see Williamson's debut. Although playing a different position it would be great if Zappitello could contribute anything close to what his brother does for Maryland.

A little concerned about cohesion of the close D but the absence of LaTorre probably explains it to a degree.

[Voyuer]

Nice first win. Great start to game. Problems vs Ivy League level opponents I foresee are to many one handed middies, who can be scouted and stopped by over playing strong hand with good athletes. SSDM’s need to improve greatly, and D still not sliding as a unit. To much time between first slide and second and third. Teams with better stick work than HC will easily find the open man. Man down wing shooters were left with time and space but HC couldn’t take advantage of it. Great job by rookie GK…keep the momentum..GBG

[faircornell]

Dartmouth looking very good against Lehigh. Leading 5-3 at half. The Big Green defense has made things very difficult for the Mountain Hawks. Both sides goalies have been solid. Dartmouth looks like they have a first have face-off advantage.

Lehigh opened-up in the third quarter, similarly to their game against Cornell. Lehigh has an extremely explosive offense, and Scott Cole of Lehigh is a tremendously good shooter (he scored 5 goals). Dartmouth's defense was generally good, and in goal they ended just under 50%. Meyers won 58% of the face-offs. Lehigh's goalie had 14 saves for 70%. While the loss must be disappointing, I'd credit the Big Green for being both poised and capable.
Final 11-6 Lehigh.

[Unknown Participant]

Dartmouth looking very good against Lehigh. Leading 5-3 at half. The Big Green defense has made things very difficult for the Mountain Hawks. Both sides goalies have been solid. Dartmouth looks like they have a first have face-off advantage.

Lehigh opened-up in the third quarter, similarly to their game against Cornell. Lehigh has an extremely explosive offense, and Scott Cole of Lehigh is a tremendously good shooter (he scored 5 goals). Dartmouth's defense was generally good, and in goal they ended just under 50%. Meyers won 58% of the face-offs. Lehigh's goalie had 14 saves for 70%. While the loss must be disappointing, I'd credit the Big Green for being both poised and capable.
Final 11-6 Lehigh.

Kirwan has been acclaimed as an O savant, but Dmouth's offense was brutal v Lehigh. He and I are alums of the same school so lot's of respect there. Plus, I have watched several Kirwan lax tutorials/zooms/ etc. on offensive play that were solid. And I have watched VA win lots of games and championships when he was OC. Why the heck can't Dmouth execute a simple play? Are the athletes that bad?

[faircornell]

Dartmouth looking very good against Lehigh. Leading 5-3 at half. The Big Green defense has made things very difficult for the Mountain Hawks. Both sides goalies have been solid. Dartmouth looks like they have a first have face-off advantage.

Lehigh opened-up in the third quarter, similarly to their game against Cornell. Lehigh has an extremely explosive offense, and Scott Cole of Lehigh is a tremendously good shooter (he scored 5 goals). Dartmouth's defense was generally good, and in goal they ended just under 50%. Meyers won 58% of the face-offs. Lehigh's goalie had 14 saves for 70%. While the loss must be disappointing, I'd credit the Big Green for being both poised and capable.
Final 11-6 Lehigh.

Kirwan has been acclaimed as an O savant, but Dmouth's offense was brutal v Lehigh. He and I are alums of the same school so lot's of respect there. Plus, I have watched several Kirwan lax tutorials/zooms/ etc. on offensive play that were solid. And I have watched VA win lots of games and championships when he was OC. Why the heck can't Dmouth execute a simple play? Are the athletes that bad?

Personally, I thought that they faced a "hot" goalie who took a lot of risks that paid off. I'd characterise this as a much improved Dartmouth squad with more to go. Dartmouth's top producers looked a bit rattled in the second half, I'm not sure why. Also (while I can't verify this) it seemed like Lehigh held possession a lot longer in the second half.

[youthathletics]

Dartmouth looking very good against Lehigh. Leading 5-3 at half. The Big Green defense has made things very difficult for the Mountain Hawks. Both sides goalies have been solid. Dartmouth looks like they have a first have face-off advantage.

Lehigh opened-up in the third quarter, similarly to their game against Cornell. Lehigh has an extremely explosive offense, and Scott Cole of Lehigh is a tremendously good shooter (he scored 5 goals). Dartmouth's defense was generally good, and in goal they ended just under 50%. Meyers won 58% of the face-offs. Lehigh's goalie had 14 saves for 70%. While the loss must be disappointing, I'd credit the Big Green for being both poised and capable.
Final 11-6 Lehigh.

Kirwan has been acclaimed as an O savant, but Dmouth's offense was brutal v Lehigh. He and I are alums of the same school so lot's of respect there. Plus, I have watched several Kirwan lax tutorials/zooms/ etc. on offensive play that were solid. And I have watched VA win lots of games and championships when he was OC. Why the heck can't Dmouth execute a simple play? Are the athletes that bad?

It happens. I’ve coached HS kids that could not run a simple single mumbo to one side. It is really hard to teach spacing and concepts to players that may have never played hoops or other sports, and may have only been on teams to orchestrated sets designed for certain players.

[mdk01]

Dartmouth looking very good against Lehigh. Leading 5-3 at half. The Big Green defense has made things very difficult for the Mountain Hawks. Both sides goalies have been solid. Dartmouth looks like they have a first have face-off advantage.

Lehigh opened-up in the third quarter, similarly to their game against Cornell. Lehigh has an extremely explosive offense, and Scott Cole of Lehigh is a tremendously good shooter (he scored 5 goals). Dartmouth's defense was generally good, and in goal they ended just under 50%. Meyers won 58% of the face-offs. Lehigh's goalie had 14 saves for 70%. While the loss must be disappointing, I'd credit the Big Green for being both poised and capable.
Final 11-6 Lehigh.

Kirwan has been acclaimed as an O savant, but Dmouth's offense was brutal v Lehigh. He and I are alums of the same school so lot's of respect there. Plus, I have watched several Kirwan lax tutorials/zooms/ etc. on offensive play that were solid. And I have watched VA win lots of games and championships when he was OC. Why the heck can't Dmouth execute a simple play? Are the athletes that bad?

Personally, I thought that they faced a "hot" goalie who took a lot of risks that paid off. I'd characterise this as a much improved Dartmouth squad with more to go. Dartmouth's top producers looked a bit rattled in the second half, I'm not sure why. Also (while I can't verify this) it seemed like Lehigh held possession a lot longer in the second half.

You're right. Dartmouth controlled the pace in the first half, not the 2nd.

[mdk01]

Also, slid early on Cole in the 1st and shut him out. More unsettled situations and they always to find him, hence 5 goals.

[BigTom5]

Dartmouth looking very good against Lehigh. Leading 5-3 at half. The Big Green defense has made things very difficult for the Mountain Hawks. Both sides goalies have been solid. Dartmouth looks like they have a first have face-off advantage.

Lehigh opened-up in the third quarter, similarly to their game against Cornell. Lehigh has an extremely explosive offense, and Scott Cole of Lehigh is a tremendously good shooter (he scored 5 goals). Dartmouth's defense was generally good, and in goal they ended just under 50%. Meyers won 58% of the face-offs. Lehigh's goalie had 14 saves for 70%. While the loss must be disappointing, I'd credit the Big Green for being both poised and capable.
Final 11-6 Lehigh.

Kirwan has been acclaimed as an O savant, but Dmouth's offense was brutal v Lehigh. He and I are alums of the same school so lot's of respect there. Plus, I have watched several Kirwan lax tutorials/zooms/ etc. on offensive play that were solid. And I have watched VA win lots of games and championships when he was OC. Why the heck can't Dmouth execute a simple play? Are the athletes that bad?

Personally, I thought that they faced a "hot" goalie who took a lot of risks that paid off. I'd characterise this as a much improved Dartmouth squad with more to go. Dartmouth's top producers looked a bit rattled in the second half, I'm not sure why. Also (while I can't verify this) it seemed like Lehigh held possession a lot longer in the second half.

You're right. Dartmouth controlled the pace in the first half, not the 2nd.

Sure did look that way. I originally thought the overall sloppiness was due to both teams playing on short rest but on second look noticed that this was Lehigh’s first game in 9 days. Probably part of the reason they were able to wear them out in the 2nd half.

[Dosadi]

A tale of two halves. mdk01 and faircornell are spot on regarding control of pace of play in the 2 halves.

And BigTom5 is absolutely correct on the impact the difference in rest in between games can have - as well as the difference in preparation available to each team.

There are some interesting nuggets in the general games stats, as follows:

1 - After two games where over half the Dartmouth goals were assisted - there were zero assists against Lehigh. In contrast, there were 11 assists vs HC

2 - Penalties were roughly even.

3 - Lehigh turned the ball over 5 more times than did Dartmouth.

4 - Dartmouth won the F/O battle 11 to 9.

5 - After two games of high shooting percentages (.406 and .368), Dartmouth shooting percentage was .188. Note - that's really double plus ungood, but supports faircornell's astute observation that they ran into a hot goalie last night.


Positives:

A) Dartmouth continues to win/tie the F/O battle.

B) The first half showed a team defense that was much more "in tune" - meaning players moved together, as one. EDITED - DELETED Comment. My error and thanks to Sportin’ Life - I could have swore I saw him out there last night. But my error

C) Goalie play by the First Year Williamson continued to be predictable and strong. Same with play of Will Cohen - his athleticism and IQ are significant advantages for the Big Green.

D) Henry Bonnie is thriving in the new offense. 4/1 and a .333 shooting percentage in first 3 games. Colin McGill's shooting percentage is a whopping .467 - another player making the most of the opportunities available to him. And Emmett Paradine's shooting percentage is likewise very efficient, especially for a middy, at .444 on 7 shots on goal (4G/1A).

Concerns:

A) I really think that they miss Tommy Rogan on offense. I'm presuming he's injured. I watched the YouTube highlights from last year, and he provided such high level feeding/shooting from the Attack position. Could he be the "Shellenberger"-type of player this offense needs? And free up Davis to play at midfield? And allow Hopper to attack #2 poles as he matures into that role for next year?

B) Efficient offenses arise from assisted goals. I think it's hard to win a D1 game without assisted goals. Zero assists in a game is a concern. It's not like the offense was being selfish - passes were made, but shots were missed/saved/or passes made to small windows and missed. UVA makes those passes into small windows look easy. So will this team - it just takes time to make throwing/catching/shooting in those small windows a repeatable habit.

C) SSDM auditions must continue. Last year, #34 Thomas Vandenberg appeared in 12 games, and had 13 GB's and 3 caused TO's. Haven't seen him on the score sheet yet. Curious of his availability. Could he help?

D) I'd like to see Quinn Moore and Emmett Paradine hunt more opportunities to make an impact - observing UVA, there are distinct roles that both could fill in the Dartmouth version of same. Each is an outstanding player that I think is feeling his way out within the new offenses and will feel more comfortable very soon.


*************************

All in all, I'm quite positive about the direction of the team. Bucknell and Lehigh are dramatically better opponents than were scheduled in the first 5 games last year (go look at both's scores - Bucknell vs Harvard and Lehigh vs Rutgers/Cornell - these are very good teams). The Dartmouth
team is attempting to institute many new and different sets/ideas/concepts/values, and while they had fall and a few practices upon their return, this is still the beginning of a long term process. I'm giving the team a lot of time, and I'm very confident it will turn out exceptionally well.

[Sportin' Life]

Unfortunately LaTorre didn't play last night. He had 2 GBs and 2 CTs vs Bucknell and hasn't seen the field since, which leads me to believe that he may be injured. I don't believe he or Rogan dressed for the game so they may be in the same boat.

[Dosadi]

More Cameron Brown on offense please… Game ball to the FO unit…. After going down 5-0, out scored Siena by 12-6. Good mental toughness win

[Sportin' Life]

Gritty comeback win. Strong offensive contributions by Zap, Ventarola, McGill and Brown, whose emergence this season has been timely as Moore seems to have taken a step back. The D looked a lot more comfortable in 6 v 6 today. As mentioned by Dosadi, Myers and Gandolfo provided a huge edge for the Big Green.

[MDlaxfan76]

It's nice to get these sorts of "expected" wins; gritty was good term.

Keep improving.

[Sportin' Life]

Based on the live scoring and recaps, it seems the Big Green and Sea Wolves played an entertaining back and forth game last night at Avon Old Farms. McGill (4,1), LaPina (2, 2), Brown (2, 1) and Bonnie (1, 2) led the way offensively. Understandably, the D had trouble containing Dylan Pallonetti (4, 3). Williamson only made three saves in the first half before he yielded to Morel in cage. Dartmouth will need consistent contributions from Paradine (2 assists last night), Zap (appears not to have played) and Ventarola (no points last night) with the most challenging portion of the schedule coming up.

[MDlaxfan76]

Based on the live scoring and recaps, it seems the Big Green and Sea Wolves played an entertaining back and forth game last night at Avon Old Farms. McGill (4,1), LaPina (2, 2), Brown (2, 1) and Bonnie (1, 2) led the way offensively. Understandably, the D had trouble containing Dylan Pallonetti (4, 3). Williamson only made three saves in the first half before he yielded to Morel in cage. Dartmouth will need consistent contributions from Paradine (2 assists last night), Zap (appears not to have played) and Ventarola (no points last night) with the most challenging portion of the schedule coming up.

ugh; a winnable game albeit not an easy win.

I think Paradine had 2 goals on 3 shots; like to see him be as active in pushing opportunities as he reasonably can, though the Siena game with 8 shots 0 goals may have given him pause...conversely, Nate Davis had 1 on 8 shots which needs to improve. Keep shooting guys, but make sure to get to good spots and put them on net.

Tough day for the freshman tender. Hope he rebounds or Morel steps up successfully as he did last night. Critical.

[Sportin' Life]

My mistake and right you are MD - Paradine registered two goals not two assists. I too hope that Williamson bounces back. It's tough enough to be consistent game in and game out while logging major minutes as a freshman in the IL and even more so at goalie, as you know.

[MDlaxfan76]

My mistake and right you are MD - Paradine registered two goals not two assists. I too hope that Williamson bounces back. It's tough enough to be consistent game in and game out while logging major minutes as a freshman in the IL and even more so at goalie, as you know.

Yes, I certainly didn't have smooth sailing every day!
Indeed, a whole lot of days were a struggle.

And the reality is that whatever is going on with biorhythms or whatever, sometimes the ball just looks bigger and slower and easy, while others it seems hard to catch up...

Being a goalie today is much harder, IMO, as way more guys on opposing teams can sling it accurately, harder, faster, and from more angles. So, let's hope the tenders, whoever gets the call, plays their best when called. And support one another when not on the field. It's a tough gig as it is.

[GaitsRightHand]

Dartmouth up 7-1 on Vermont with 11 mins still left in the 2nd quarter. Green's looking pretty good. G-Town and then conference play. If they stay strong and win this, it'll be a good momentum booster.

Tommy Rogan is making his season debut. He has 2 goals. Guessing he was injured. He looks sharp.

[mdk01]

Dartmouth up 7-1 on Vermont with 11 mins still left in the 2nd quarter. Green's looking pretty good. G-Town and then conference play. If they stay strong and win this, it'll be a good momentum booster.

Tommy Rogan is making his season debut. He has 2 goals. Guessing he was injured. He looks sharp.

9-4 at the half. Rogan with 3. Vermont defense was lousy in the 1st, giving up hands free shots from the wing from 8-10 yards out. UVM pulled the goalie but it wasn't really his fault