Yale 2020

[Matnum PI]

5 — @YaleLacrosse
3 — @OhioStateMLAX
3 — @DukeMLAX
2 — @NDlacrosse and @UNCMensLacrosse
1 — UVA, Maryland, Hopkins, Michigan, Denver, Princeton, Navy, Lehigh, G'town

16 of the 24 call New York or Maryland home

[calourie]

From the Nova thread, Villanova over Rutgers 17-11 in today's scrimmage (14-8 after 3 quarters). Bulldogs better be thinking about getting ready for a season that starts against the Wildcats in only three weeks with only two weeks of full team practice between now and then. Next weekends scrimmage versus Syracuse after only one day of practice will likely reveal much about the team's preparedness, but there is nothing like a game that counts to really sort things out. Working in two new assistants could slow the process, but the Bulldogs will likely have to gel quickly to get the most out of what looks to be a somewhat heavily front loaded schedule.

[Mid-Lax]

Yep, this is the yearly first game against a very good 'Nova team with a significant head start on the season. No easy answer here except to do everything possible to be ready. Looking for the midfield to significantly contribute to the scoring.

Calourie, wow, the first three games are: Nova, Penn State, and Massachusetts and are all away. Then Michigan (not at Reese), and Cornell in Ithaca. Tough, tough start.

[FannOLax]

I believe the Michigan game will be played in Costa Mesa, California, meaning that the first five regular-season games for Yale will be on the road.

[Mid-Lax]

FannOLax, thanks (will make slight correction). I didn't see 'at Michigan' on the schedule so assumed it was at home. So, five away games, wow, wow.

[FannOLax]

From the Cuse board, it looks like the Orangemen were dominant in their scrimmage against Hofstra. Less than a week to official, full practices and a scrimmage at Syracuse. Could insert a comment here on the anachronistic Ivy rule about the date when practices can officially begin.

[notentitled]

What is wrong with starting later? Perhaps it is good to let students adjust to class schedules before practice. Ivy football starts later as well. Not following the pack is not the worst choice in the world.

[calourie]

What is wrong with starting later? Perhaps it is good to let students adjust to class schedules before practice. Ivy football starts later as well. Not following the pack is not the worst choice in the world.

I don't presume to say it is wrong, even if an obvious disadvantage from an early season competitive standpoint. I submit that the Ivy insistence on being somewhat more restrictive as regards athletic involvement than NCAA rules permit provides a form of assurance that the kinds of athletes the league attracts will be students more inclined to put scholarship on a more equal footing with athletics than tends to happen elsewhere. What ends up happening at Ivy schools is the graduation rate among their athletes is repeatedly among the highest in the country, a meaningful trade off if you ask me. As I mentioned in an earlier post ( IIRC on another thread) I also think that the lacrosse program that Andy Shay has installed puts a lot of emphasis on player driven accountability which has helped to insure that the players show up day one in superb shape and having taken advantage of whatever types of practices that Ivy rules do permit. This is what has allowed the Bulldogs recently to compete with the likes of Syracuse in scrimmages a day after Ivy practices are allowed to start up, as well as the likes of Maryland and last year's Penn State team in early season contests. Guess we will just have to wait and see if the same results will occur this year.

[calourie]

https://yalebulldogs.com/news/2020/1/27 ... tlook.aspx

Pretty good write up on the Yale lacrosse site mentioning all the players and their prospective positions that Shay and staff will have at their disposal this season. Can't wait to see how things pan out starting this Sunday in Syracuse.

[hens62]

https://yalebulldogs.com/news/2020/1/27 ... tlook.aspx

Pretty good write up on the Yale lacrosse site mentioning all the players and their prospective positions that Shay and staff will have at their disposal this season. Can't wait to see how things pan out starting this Sunday in Syracuse.

Crazy that Yales "third" attackman is a former NCAA MOP... this team is DEEP

[The Orfling]

https://yalebulldogs.com/news/2020/1/27 ... tlook.aspx

Pretty good write up on the Yale lacrosse site mentioning all the players and their prospective positions that Shay and staff will have at their disposal this season. Can't wait to see how things pan out starting this Sunday in Syracuse.

Thanks for the heads-up about this good article, calourie. Here are a few not-daring-at-all personnel predictions:

• I wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of the season, Weitzel is playing more at LSM -- where he's been terrific -- and we see Alexander and/or DeMuth joining Hynes and Fake at close D;

• I think Burlace will be an impact LSM;

• I think Hackler will make an impact on the first or second (how's that for not going out on a limb) midfield line -- he's got a hybrid Danigellis/Alessi vibe, I think. Big midfield losses but having Hackler and Monfort enter as first-years to bolster the likes of Tevlin, Cotler, Kuttin, Cabrera and Cropp is encouraging.

The depth on this squad is impressive.

Also, USLacrosse Magazine's preview of Yale as the #3 is out: https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/college/m ... 3-yale-men

The run-down of where Yale finished nationally in various categories is striking. Number 1 in face-offs? No surprise. Nor with number 2 in offense -- high octane last year! But finishing 37th in defense, 44th in caused turnovers, and 69th in man down defense show three areas in which meaningful improvement could go a long way to balancing out any diminution in offense due to the graduation of the 1st midfield line.

[FannOLax]

The depth on this squad is impressive.

Also, USLacrosse Magazine's preview of Yale as the #3 is out: https://www.uslaxmagazine.com/college/m ... 3-yale-men

The run-down of where Yale finished nationally in various categories is striking. Number 1 in face-offs? No surprise. Nor with number 2 in offense -- high octane last year! But finishing 37th in defense, 44th in caused turnovers, and 69th in man down defense show three areas in which meaningful improvement could go a long way to balancing out any diminution in offense due to the graduation of the 1st midfield line.

Interesting focus of the article: how the gritty determination of the class of 2019 guys ("“That 11-man class [of 2019] was a collection of psychopaths, [in terms of] how much they wanted it. Some of those guys would crawl over broken glass to get to practice”) were the perfect foil for Ben Reeves' skill to win the 2018 championship.

Yes, the defense last year was a weakness. I believe Yale has the young men (Fake and Hynes come instantly to mind, but there are others) capable of improving those defensive stats. In my opinion, one aspect that was missing in 2019 was a strong senior defensive leader, ala Chris Keating in 2018, Michael Quinn in 2016.

Not so many years ago, the Bulldogs were teams built of unheralded young men, largely over-looked by the IL HS player rankings, players with chips on their shoulders and something to prove. Now Yale is getting highly-rated talent, and hopefully they have that same gritty determination (that Shay treasures) even though they were not overlooked in HS. This 2020 team would appear to have plenty of talent, and I for one am looking forward to seeing how this group develops and plays the game.

[Mid-Lax]

Did I see right that not a single regular season Yale game will be on the ESPN cable stations? Wow.

[lefty1]

I think you saw it right, Mid-Lax.
All the more reason to head to Reese, for those March games. Ughhhhh.

Fairfield first.

[calourie]

I think you saw it right, Mid-Lax.
All the more reason to head to Reese, for those March games. Ughhhhh.

Fairfield first.

The Yale lacrosse site indicates all but the first 4 away games will be aired on ESPN+ ( costs something ). As for the early away games, I can't find any indication anywhere that Villanova will be streaming the Yale or any other game, Penn State-Yale will be on the Big Ten Network which I'm wondering if can be signed-up on a game by game or short term basis, UMass-Yale will be shown on Laxsportsnetwork (again costs something ) and the West Coast shootout vs. Michigan will likely be aired somewhere as it has been in the past.

[Drcthru]

I think you saw it right, Mid-Lax.
All the more reason to head to Reese, for those March games. Ughhhhh.

Fairfield first.

The Yale lacrosse site indicates all but the first 4 away games will be aired on ESPN+ ( costs something ). As for the early away games, I can't find any indication anywhere that Villanova will be streaming the Yale or any other game, Penn State-Yale will be on the Big Ten Network which I'm wondering if can be signed-up on a game by game or short term basis, UMass-Yale will be shown on Laxsportsnetwork (again costs something ) and the West Coast shootout vs. Michigan will likely be aired somewhere as it has been in the past.

BTN+ can be purchased for one month and for a single team to keep cost down.
https://www.btnplus.com/packages?type=0

[calourie]

Thanks, Doc.

[Mid-Lax]

So, basically, unless we do Saturday drives or a long weekend flight, the home or tv season (ESPN$) won't really start until the first Ivy League game mid-late March vs Cornell. Hmmm. Exception might be Penn State: says BTN not BTN+ so hoping this is on as part of my regular service.

[calourie]

https://twitter.com/CuseMLAX

Looks like the Bulldogs held their own against a strong Syracuse team yesterday, according to the twitter feed cited. A more thorough evaluation is likely to come soon ( perhaps on Collegecrosse.com tomorrow) as Cuse' coach Desko is usually quite quickly forthcoming. Andy Shay is likely to make some comments on his weekly email as well. Up by three at the half, one after three, and down four at the end. Should be plenty for the gang to work on as they enter their first full week of practice in preparation for this Saturday's scrimmage against old friend and now new foe Andrew Baxter and his Fairfield Stags.

The follow up article on Cuse.com indicates that the starters played most of the first three quarters, and the Orange had a 50-50 day at the face off X versus Ierlan and company.

[Ox77]

Game recap from Syracuse.

https://cuse.com/news/2020/2/2/mens-lac ... -yale.aspx

Don’t get excited if you are an Eli fan. Not a single mention of Yale play overall or players outside of TD.