Picks and Predictions

[seacoaster]

I think there are five teams that have a shot at Memorial Day Weekend: North Carolina, Maryland, Syracuse, Northwestern & Notre Dame (in no particular order.

If I were to pick a team to win it all, I'd say UNC has the best shot just given how they did last year and with a lot of players coming back (plus two goalies in Hennessy and Moreno who are excellent goalies). Maryland will Maryland and I don't believe for a second all the talk about this being a rebuilding year. I've seen way too many seasons where everyone talks about the Terps losing several players and they wind up back on the final weekend. Notre Dame has a lot of experience coming back and some very good freshmen. I'd say losing Giacolone in goal is a big loss and that could make or break them. Northwestern has some real scoring talent coming back despite losing Lasota. Losing Weisse in goal hurts, but Krupnick is pretty good.

As an SU fan, I think the Orange have probably their best chance for a title since 2012 (2014 was good, but up against a crazy good Maryland squad that dive-bombed them in the final). They've got the experience and depth for a big run. The biggest issue for them will be consistency as they were very Jekyll and Hyde last year. When they were on, they could beat anyone in the country, but they often had very long streaks in games where they couldn't generate any offense. That'll need to change this year, if they want to have a chance for a national title.

On a side note, I think BC will do better than most people think.

Given CNR's track record, it is sure pretty hard not to anticipate Maryland in the final four -- but I think there is a pretty good chance that this is the year they fall in the quarterfinals. And much depends on Colson's health and the maturation of the freshmen. I'm not anti-Terp; I just love the way they play. But this won't be their year. TL, peace.

I think the teams to beat, as you say LOBW, are Cuse and UNC, and not in that order. UNC lost Hennessy to graduation...and I think that's going to be a good thing for Moreno. She is just an outstanding goalie and a great athlete. Putting the mantle on her and her alone, in her senior year, may well bring out the greatness in her. Much focus has been on Ortega and Hoeg; understandable. But the midfield (Mastro, Hillman, Growney, Neuman) and other attackers (Warhime (sp?)) are very very able players. I'm not a Carolina fan (pretty far from it) but you really have to like their chances if they stay healthy. I am assuming Hillman has recovered from the knee thing that hobbled her in the U19 World Championships.

As you say, this is the Cuse's year if they can stay healthy, win draws, and play an entire game of defense. They have to win more draws than last year, they have to redefend better than last year, and the freshmen of last year must play better and contribute more than they did last year. They return almost everyone, save for Nicole Levy. Sydney Pirecca is a new assistant.

I think Northwestern loses a lot in Lasota, and just don't know its personnel well enough to prognosticate. They'll be good, but I'm not sure they will be as good as last year. I didn't realize that Weisse graduated, That'll hurt through the season until they get someone up to speed.

Finally, I agree that Notre Dame has the kids. I love Aldave's game. I think Howe is an excellent and fierce player. I like Buchanan, who I think had an off year as a junior. But -- candor alert -- every time I watch them I question decisions by the coaching staff, from personnel to strategy.

[Dr. Tact]

But -- candor alert -- every time I watch them I question decisions by the coaching staff, from personnel to strategy.

I too wonder about this...ND recruiting is within reach of UNC and MD. So far, they have done less....

[ILLaxParent]

Krupnick was the first-position goalie for parts of the last two seasons, so the curve may not be that big. Assuming Krupnick is going to be the starter. KAH’s goalie choices are a bit opaque.

[laxorangebookworm]

seacoaster,

Oops, you're right about Hennessy. I thought she had another year, but I goofed.

[seacoaster]

Krupnick was the first-position goalie for parts of the last two seasons, so the curve may not be that big. Assuming Krupnick is going to be the starter. KAH’s goalie choices are a bit opaque.

Forgot about this. Good point.

[lovelax]

Krupnick was/is a very athletic aggressive goalie. Weiss stayed in the crease more. I don't know if that had any impact in playing time over the last two years? I think the senior is a lock to play a majority of the time in cage.

[wlaxnut]

Krupnick was/is a very athletic aggressive goalie. Weiss stayed in the crease more. I don't know if that had any impact in playing time over the last two years? I think the senior is a lock to play a majority of the time in cage.

Krupnick was the starting goaltender for NU the first part of the season last year. They seemed to find another gear however when they put Weiss in as the starting goaltender for the rest of the season. Weiss was in cage for the huge win over Maryland for the Big Ten title.

[Lax247]

https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/college/w ... 020-season

Should make Dr. Tact happy

[Lax247]

Also will be interesting what they do at BC re goalie
I believe Hall played a lot in fall. Maybe they will split time.

[LaxGuy17]

Also will be interesting what they do at BC re goalie
I believe Hall played a lot in fall. Maybe they will split time.

Never a bad thing to have goalie competition. Over the years you never know when a goalie will get on a hot streak or when one style (righty/lefty, Good high or good low, clears better, etc) will be better than another. Somebody above talked about KAH being opaque about goalie choices, but she’s playing matchups.

[Laxfan500]

Also will be interesting what they do at BC re goalie
I believe Hall played a lot in fall. Maybe they will split time.

Never a bad thing to have goalie competition. Over the years you never know when a goalie will get on a hot streak or when one style (righty/lefty, Good high or good low, clears better, etc) will be better than another. Somebody above talked about KAH being opaque about goalie choices, but she’s playing matchups.

Agree. It's a good problem to have.

[Dr. Tact]

Skillful kid. Charlotte North, BC.

https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/college/w ... trick-shot

[wlaxnut]

This is pretty much verbatim (minus all the sickening hyperbole) from the US Lacrosse Magazine article on Ms. North's trick shot clip. It puts Much, if not All, into perspective. She didn't post it. It wasn't her idea. It was taken 4 months ago by a teammate. It made it onto the internet in a completely organic way. I have no more doubts about her or the team and am more inclined to believe now that a group of entitled brats are the ones whispering and spreading discontent in the ranks (and the outside world, if you will). She obviously has the full support of her coach. The matter is closed as far as I'm concerned. Let the games begin!

Regarding ‘“the five-second clip Carcaterra tweeted on Tuesday of Boston College junior attacker Charlotte North of Dallas, Texas.
It also wasn’t a one-time occurrence. 

"That was not lucky," Boston College head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein said. "She practices stuff like that all the time, and we want her to do that. We encourage it.”

“I was completely shocked by the reaction it got,” North said this morning in a telephone interview after her Italian class and before an Eagles practice. “I was so awed and humbled not only by the number of views, but the nice things great players and people in the lacrosse world were saying. I love that it's giving more attention for the girls' game.”

Over the holidays, Carcaterra was speaking with Boston College freshman midfielder, Ryan Smith — who’s a family friend — when she pulled up some highlights of her new teammate. Carcaterra noticed that North already followed him on Instagram. In her stories labeled with a lacrosse stick emoji, he found the now viral clip. It was taken 19 weeks ago in September at BC’s new Fish Field House. North and a couple teammates were shooting around after practice. Rachel Hall, a sophomore transfer from Oregon who led the country in saves last season, was in the goal. She’s also North’s roommate.  
Maggie Casey, a junior midfielder, had her phone pointed at the cage. 
“Do something crazy,” she told North. 

“Wow, this is next level,” Carcaterra thought when he watched it. He sent North a direct message on Tuesday asking if she could send him the original clip and if it was OK for him to share it on social media. 
“I told him of course,” North said. 

While most of the comments ranged between bewilderment and amazement, some doubted whether such a sequence was possible with a girls stick and its shallow pocket. “My stick was legal,” North said with a laugh when asked about the comments. “That’s my game stick.” 

“She has the potential to be the most exciting player in the game,” Walker-Weinstein said. In a meeting on Wednesday with North, she told her just as much. “We told her we believe in her and want her to take her game and women's lacrosse to the next level,” Walker-Weinstein said. “I hope that she does it. I know she will.” While North doesn’t have a name for the sequence, don’t be surprised if you see more highlights when the Eagles’ season starts on Feb. 8th against UMass. “I hope so,” North said when asked about the possibility of pulling off something similar in a game. “We'll see. If the moment calls for it, definitely, but it depends on the situation. I want to be prepared for anything to help my team accomplish our goals.’”

https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/college/w ... trick-shot

Emphasis in bold mine

[DMac]

Well imagine that, just a girl having fun with her stick and seeing what limits she can take it to, seems to me as if that's what most lacrosse people do. The most creative, imaginative, and talented ones elevate the game, it's not long before others learn how to do this stuff too. How long ago was it when it was rare to see behind the back passing and shooting in the girl's game? Frankly, I've always been surprised by the conservative stickwork in the wlax game, I know you can do as much with today's wlax sticks as you could with the 80s era mlax sticks (look at what the Gaits did with them), it's been the mentality of how the game is played that has kept the stickwork conservative, IMO. That said, I agree with Mr. seacoaster's statement from another thread:

seacoaster wrote
Influence of the men's game is, in my view, basically a bad thing for women's lacrosse. And women's lacrosse can start working against the deep crosse pockets now, instead of lamenting it in ten years.

The sticks are giving the O pretty much the same imbalance in the wlax game as what has happened in the mlax game, the D is at a huge disadvantage given that no contact or the kind of stick checking that is allowed in the men's game isn't allowed in the wlax game. Quite a dilemma in wlax.
A number of years back I asked quite a number of young wlaxers if they had the choice of playing mlax rules v wlax rules, which one would they choose. The vast majority of those girls chose the mlax rules. I posted that at the old LaxPower (I hated the wlax game at that point) and was blasted by heavy artillary (when there were more and very knowledgeable people playing on this playground) and set straight about what the girl's game is all about...mlax and wlax are really two different games, a huge difference in the mentality and how the game is played (I didn't realize that at the time). Trouble is, the more you can do with the sticks, the bigger, stronger, faster, and better these girls get, the closer to the men's game wlax is going to become...especially when you have people like Gary Gait and Regy Thorpe (he was one tough and aggressive Dman, loved watching him play) who don't have the same respect/appreciation for the wlax game as the purists do, wlax is going to creep closer and closer to the mlax game. JMHO.

[wlaxnut]

...the bigger, stronger, faster, and better these girls get, the closer to the men's game wlax is going to become...especially when you have people like Gary Gait and Regy Thorpe (he was one tough and aggressive Dman, loved watching him play) who don't have the same respect/appreciation for the wlax game as the purists do, wlax is going to creep closer and closer to the mlax game. JMHO.

https://youtu.be/9-3E6OLflIk

Oh, and may it never be so!

[wlaxnut]

The sticks are giving the O pretty much the same imbalance in the wlax game as what has happened in the mlax game, the D is at a huge disadvantage given that no contact or the kind of stick checking that is allowed in the men's game isn't allowed in the wlax game. Quite a dilemma in wlax.

https://youtu.be/PPTztd3zFbg

Would this stick check fall into the category you refer to? Or are you referring to cross-checking type stick work?

[LaxGuy17]

...the bigger, stronger, faster, and better these girls get, the closer to the men's game wlax is going to become...especially when you have people like Gary Gait and Regy Thorpe (he was one tough and aggressive Dman, loved watching him play) who don't have the same respect/appreciation for the wlax game as the purists do, wlax is going to creep closer and closer to the mlax game. JMHO.

https://youtu.be/9-3E6OLflIk

Oh, and may it never be so!

Unfortunately the genie is out of the bottle on the evolution of the game and proximity to the men’s game. We don’t need to go back, just enforce the rules around dangerous shots and charges. Those two things will balance things out a bit more.

[wlaxnut]

Unfortunately the genie is out of the bottle on the evolution of the game and proximity to the men’s game. We don’t need to go back, just enforce the rules around dangerous shots and charges. Those two things will balance things out a bit more.

It's going to be interesting to see if the sport does indeed crack down on the illegal stick work this year. The rules committee did issue an exhortation to officials and coaches regarding cross checking this offseason.

(see page 8)

http://www.ncaapublications.com/product ... /WLC20.pdf

[wlaxnut]

From article regarding Virginia's chances and outlook for this upcoming season in US Lacrosse magazine:

"They are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I think they’re going to be one of those, ‘Oh, wow, they’re in the Final Four’ teams."

-- an unnamed rival coach

The last time Virginia made the final four was 2014. Since then they have either been one and done, or win one and done in both the ACC championship and The Tournament. Somehow, in spite of all the talent and big wins Virginia has come up with during the regular season, they seem to have no fire in the postseason. One could say they have been underachieving for the last five years. Maybe the success of the men's team on campus will stoke the ol' fire in the belly for the women. Not holding my breath on that though.

[seacoaster]

From article regarding Virginia's chances and outlook for this upcoming season in US Lacrosse magazine:

"They are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I think they’re going to be one of those, ‘Oh, wow, they’re in the Final Four’ teams."

-- an unnamed rival coach

The last time Virginia made the final four was 2014. Since then they have either been one and done, or win one and done in both the ACC championship and The Tournament. Somehow, in spite of all the talent and big wins Virginia has come up with during the regular season, they seem to have no fire in the postseason. One could say they have been underachieving for the last five years. Maybe the success of the men's team on campus will stoke the ol' fire in the belly for the women. Not holding my breath on that though.

Of course you never know, but I thought last year -- with Jackson and Shoemaker as Seniors -- was the year they might break back into the final four. But, nope. I think they need a better, more innovative offensive coordinator. I just feel like other offenses have left UVA behind a bit. Virginia will be good, and they play a daunting schedule. But I don't see them making a long run.