Johns Hopkins 2020

[HopFan16]

If one were to draw any inference from the IL article - a dangerous practice I admit - but a reasonable one might be that Petro is not standing pat this year and he is shaking up the defense - and Rapine's role may have been changing - maybe so far as splitting time or actually competing for his job.

The Faceoff Yearbook preview says as much. Spots had to be earned on defense this year—there were no incumbents. Started from scratch, basically. You can read between the lines and have a decent idea of what transpired.

Next man up. Calnan, McManus, Gomez, Ruddy, Fox, Rodgers, Keneally—someone's time has come.

[Sagittarius A*]

One of the worst defenses in the country last year just got even worse.
Rome is burning.

Here we go. These are the posts that drive me nuts. Why exactly? While I harbor not one crumb of ill will toward the young man and it certainly is conspicuous to have a 3 year starter up and voluntarily leave the program in agreement with the coach - maybe you should let the team actually play 2 or 3 games before offering that opinion. For example, what if one of the freshmen is Tucker Durkin 2.0 - I am not saying for a second one of them is - but what if? Who would you rather play? - that player or Rapine if it came down to those two?

If one were to draw any inference from the IL article - a dangerous practice I admit - but a reasonable one might be that Petro is not standing pat this year and he is shaking up the defense - and Rapine's role may have been changing - maybe so far as splitting time or actually competing for his job.

And why - like a certain poster back in the days of Laxpower - do I get the feeling that if Hopkins were to beat Towson 10-4 and Rapine's replacement played well - all of a sudden your take would be that we would have an AA on our hands. Jack who?

It's never good to lose your #1 defenseman just before the season starts.
Last year's defense gave up 13 Goals per game with Rapine and Foley.
Without those two will they now give up 15-16 GAA?
How will the offense possibly compensate for that?

Colwell will now be covering the opponent's top D man with two inexperienced starters behind him. Maybe Reinson bumps down but his experience is mostly at LSM. Top attack units might just shred this group now. You're dreaming if you think a magic superstar will emerge from a freshman class with no top ten or top twenty players.

The only reason I'm going to the games this year is to see Epstein play. I'm fully expecting a dumpster fire defense. Playoffs are now very iffy.
If you don't like reality, you can always re-watch Game of Thrones.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

Well, this doesn’t bode well for whoever starts in goal.

Each score is going to ring the bell inside the goalie’s head.

For whom the bell tolls? It tolls for thee to get yanked.

[jhu06]

-Appreciate everything Rapine did, we'll see who else won't get the same role this year this year. we were 8-8 last year and inconsistent most of the season despite not losing many guys to big injuries. Hard to make an argument the status quo is necessary.
-They gave up 86 goals in their last 6 games last year and 35 in the first 2 with a defense featuring long term starters at 5 positions.
-Experience is overrated in college as players get 4 years max and probably 2 or 3 at best of starting roles. You either get it and tweak 2-3 things as season goes on or you're just not ready to rock at that level.
-I'm not a subscriber but the atlantic has an article up on what a few of you mentioned on getting rid of legacy admissions preference. It's a fake pr move as the school will still devote inordinate resources as all elite schools do to recruiting nyc private schools and new england boarding schools. They're sending a message to younger alumni like me that we're not interested in you and your children and a tradition of a Hopkins experience.

[johnnyonthegunpowder]

The image of Hopkins as a lacrosse school speaks too much to tradition and history. The school no longer wants its traditional image, which is why there has been no accountability in regards to he lacrosse program shortcomings. The sooner lacrosse completely fails at the Hopkins, the better for Hopkins.

[HopFan16]

Colwell will now be covering the opponent's top D man with two inexperienced starters behind him.

I would not necessarily assume this.

You're dreaming if you think a magic superstar will emerge from a freshman class with no top ten or top twenty players.

He doesn't have to be a superstar. There are plenty of good—even elite—D1 defenders who did not sniff the top 20 coming out of high school. And on the flip side, Rapine was a top 20 guy, and look what happened. This is Johns Hopkins—there are like 10 poles just sitting there itching to get on the field. I'm sure one of them can play. This situation is far from ideal and not what I'd have hoped for but it can be salvaged and goaltending is still the larger area of concern IMO.

For what it's worth, I always thought Reinson was a little out of position playing LSM. I think he could be a very good close D guy. I'd move him there so that you only have to start one completely inexperienced guy down low instead of two, and then roll the dice on Blondell and one of the other freshmen at LSM.

[jhu06]

we know about darby, colwell, hubler, reinson that's 4 names out of 20 on the roster for an entire half of the field and none proven against top threats. Who else can play?

[Laxrat]

Put the starting 3 attackmen on EMO. Put bigger bodies at ssdm. They will need slides, but at least don’t let teams just back them down. Play Zinn a lot on offense and let him run between the lines.

[51percentcorn]

we know about darby, colwell, hubler, reinson that's 4 names out of 20 on the roster for an entire half of the field and none proven against top threats. Who else can play?

You have 7 underclassmen listed at Defense - many of them "ranked" as recruits You have another 4 listed as LSM - That's 11 underclassmen. ELEVEN. If Rapine could start every game as a freshman, as Foley did and Colwell played in every game as a frosh - why can't some of these kids? Rodgers for example - switching schools 3 times and PGing - he is very likely close to or actually 20 years old. And again, the silver lining to all this is when they line up in 2021 - only Colwell, Hubler and maybe Giacalone will be gone from the defense. The sky has not fallen. To be clear - the sky was not bright and sunny to begin with - lots of holes to fill on offense and defense.

Blondell is the perhaps the defensive player I am most interested to see if he has made the leap - monster athletic ability

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

We need Winston Churchill.

[steel_hop]

I wish him the best.

I don't have a problem with Petro saying all positions are open in the fall and the best 13 will start along with the supporting LSM, SSDM, etc. If Rapine isn't one of that group of guys then so be it. Saying that I do have an issue with him leaving the program. No matter how you slice it, it doesn't look good for the program on some level. A 3 year starter leaves the program a month before his last season is to start. If he left because he was beat out that is certainly a concern but at some point during the season, he would be needed. I hope that was conveyed to him. Hey, maybe he was tired of being yelled at and learning and over complicated defensive scheme, which is pure conjecture on my part.


Maybe it was some type of injury that means he's not playing this year and he's already decided to not come back next year anyway. I can see the logic in that. Though even then I'd want him around the team.

Anyway, good luck to him.

[Sagittarius A*]

we know about darby, colwell, hubler, reinson that's 4 names out of 20 on the roster for an entire half of the field and none proven against top threats. Who else can play?

You have 7 underclassmen listed at Defense - many of them "ranked" as recruits You have another 4 listed as LSM - That's 11 underclassmen. ELEVEN. If Rapine could start every game as a freshman, as Foley did and Colwell played in every game as a frosh - why can't some of these kids? Rodgers for example - switching schools 3 times and PGing - he is very likely close to or actually 20 years old. And again, the silver lining to all this is when they line up in 2021 - only Colwell, Hubler and maybe Giacalone will be gone from the defense. The sky has not fallen. To be clear - the sky was not bright and sunny to begin with - lots of holes to fill on offense and defense.

Blondell is the perhaps the defensive player I am most interested to see if he has made the leap - monster athletic ability

You can certainly make the case that the future is brighter, given less losses on D for 2021, and given that McDermott, Grimes, and Smith are coming in, but for right now, replacing most of the defense is pretty concerning. It's not hard to envision three losses in the first five games to Loyola, UNC, and Syracuse while the new faces on D learn to play together. Then you've got the midweek game at Delaware that's a big trap. Then they hit the BIG schedule. Again, another three losses to UMD, PSU, and OSU/Rutgers are very possible. Not sure this team makes the NCAA's at 7-6. Could be a long season.

[HopFan16]

No matter how you slice it, it doesn't look good for the program on some level. A 3 year starter leaves the program a month before his last season is to start.

At surface level, no it certainly doesn't look good. But based on what I know, it's probably better for the long run.

There has been a significant change in team culture this year under this group of captains. There might be some growing pains at first.

It's not hard to envision three losses in the first five games to Loyola, UNC, and Syracuse while the new faces on D learn to play together. Then you've got the midweek game at Delaware that's a big trap. Then they hit the BIG schedule. Again, another three losses to UMD, PSU, and OSU/Rutgers are very possible. Not sure this team makes the NCAA's at 7-6. Could be a long season.

How about we start with Towson and work our way from there?

[Sagittarius A*]

No matter how you slice it, it doesn't look good for the program on some level. A 3 year starter leaves the program a month before his last season is to start.

At surface level, no it certainly doesn't look good. But based on what I know, it's probably better for the long run.

There has been a significant change in team culture this year under this group of captains. There might be some growing pains at first.

It's not hard to envision three losses in the first five games to Loyola, UNC, and Syracuse while the new faces on D learn to play together. Then you've got the midweek game at Delaware that's a big trap. Then they hit the BIG schedule. Again, another three losses to UMD, PSU, and OSU/Rutgers are very possible. Not sure this team makes the NCAA's at 7-6. Could be a long season.

How about we start with Towson and work our way from there?

If this team doesn't beat Towson in the home opener it's in big trouble.
But beating Loyola at Ridley is going to be very tough. They are a very well coached team and they play inspired at home.
UNC has our number at Homewood. SU just has our number period.
Starting the season 2-3 is scary but unfortunately a strong possibility right now.

[HopFan16]

Loyola

UNC

SU

Not doing a great job of focusing on Towson...

SU just has our number period.

Where exactly are you getting this from? Hopkins and Syracuse have essentially alternated wins for 5 years now. It wasn't even two years ago when the Jays won by 11 on the road at the Carrier Dome. Last year's game was quite close until Cuse pulled away at the end. Hop had the lead going into the 4th quarter and never trailed until Cuse went on that run. The two games before that were both decided in overtime, with each team winning one. There is absolutely no data to support the claim that "SU just has our number period."

2019: Loss 10-14
2018: Win 18-7
2017: Loss 7-8 OT
2016: Win 11-10 OT
2015: Win 16-15 (NCAA tourney)
2015: Loss 10-13

[houndace1]

No matter how you slice it, it doesn't look good for the program on some level. A 3 year starter leaves the program a month before his last season is to start.

At surface level, no it certainly doesn't look good. But based on what I know, it's probably better for the long run.

There has been a significant change in team culture this year under this group of captains. There might be some growing pains at first.

It's not hard to envision three losses in the first five games to Loyola, UNC, and Syracuse while the new faces on D learn to play together. Then you've got the midweek game at Delaware that's a big trap. Then they hit the BIG schedule. Again, another three losses to UMD, PSU, and OSU/Rutgers are very possible. Not sure this team makes the NCAA's at 7-6. Could be a long season.

How about we start with Towson and work our way from there?

If this team doesn't beat Towson in the home opener it's in big trouble.
But beating Loyola at Ridley is going to be very tough. They are a very well coached team and they play inspired at home.
UNC has our number at Homewood. SU just has our number period.
Starting the season 2-3 is scary but unfortunately a strong possibility right now.

being a fan of both teams, y'all really have to give yourselves a lot more credit. Hopkins reloads with their classes year in year out, they have a next man up mentality. Maybe this new lineup will play well, who knows. In the 5 games at Ridley, you've played extremely competitive in all of those except 2018 with bad miscues. 2020 Hopkins will be fine for the game on February 15th. Both teams have question marks. I'm no PB who is ecstatic about the team for 2020, but both schools will experience success and some lumps in this coming year.

[jhu06]

-we were 58th in scoring d nationally, gave up 17.5 goals a game in the first 2 and last 2 and 20 against penn state, 59th in saves, bottom half of the conference in every category except man down. It was a dumpster fire and aside from foley I'm not sure what we're really losing. Go back and watch the game tapes-they're on youtube in full and it's hard to see how the status quo or change could be worse. Hopkins/maryland, an acc program you're supposed to have waves of talent to be able to find solutions within if the top guys can't go.
-Larry Quinn was brought in years ago and it's hard to see the difference on the field the way we saw it when jameson came on.
-Still not clear to me what happend to connor disimone last year. He was supposed to be the new stud midfielder and he took a step back in a year when most guys make a huge jump forward, let's hope zinn doesn't suffer the same fate.
-lm should have our preview tomorrow with a lineup although I'm not sure how much info stevens has from having spent the winter covering college hoops. Quint had us 13th today.

[Sagittarius A*]

"For 2020, there are unnerving questions." - QK
No kidding Quint.
Who starts at third attack?
Who plays on the First Midfield?
Who plays on the Second Midfield?
Who plays ssdm?
Who plays close defense?
Who starts in goal?
??????

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

"For 2020, there are unnerving questions." - QK
No kidding Quint.
Who starts at third attack?
Who plays on the First Midfield?
Who plays on the Second Midfield?
Who plays ssdm?
Who plays close defense?
Who starts in goal?
??????

And who’s the Head Coach?

And where do the effing AD and former AD stand on this?

[Chuckman]

"For 2020, there are unnerving questions." - QK
No kidding Quint.
Who starts at third attack?
Who plays on the First Midfield?
Who plays on the Second Midfield?
Who plays ssdm?
Who plays close defense?
Who starts in goal?
??????

For those that have followed Hopkins a long time. Has there been a year like this before when so much has been in doubt including the coach ! Besides a couple of attack spots and maybe a Midfielder, all spots are open for the taking. Going to be an interesting and exciting first game aginst Towson.