Cornell 2020

[faircornell]

17-10 final. Long and Piatelli top two scorers. From Towson Twitter feed, looked like Towson had a few nice plays. Jeff Teat was 1-1.

From Towson thread, Koby Smith (2nd team AA) covered Teat. I don't know if it was a faceguard or simply tight coverage. It does build the argument that shutting off JT51 isn't the best solution given Cornell's depth on offense.

[ICGrad]

Very solid early-season road win against a team with their backs against the wall. Defense looked suspect in the first half, and goalie play too, but Cornell put the game away with an 11-2 run starting late in the 2nd that lasted nearly 30 minutes of game time.

This team is loaded on offense, the FO looks better than last year, and the defense needs work. Interested to see what happens when they go up against a really good FOGO.

[RedIvy]

Good “convincing win”. Nice ball movement, good ground ball battle and good FO.

Considering time of possession we gave up a lot of goals. If we want to compete at the top 8 level and win, this needs to change. I don’t think it’s as much of a man to man issue but more team defense and today goalie not seeing the ball (which I think is the first time I could say this for Irelan).

Great to see Long with a big game and gain confidence, this takes pressure of JT.

Our offense can score a lot however our defense can give up a lot and quickly.

[WestVillCornell]

Agree with the team defense comment. Something is off - communication? General discipline? It’s concerning.

Offense is scary good. And I like how FOs are progressing.

Tough day for Chayse but confident he’ll be fine.

[RedIvy]

Usually there is the smart defensemen who understands the defensive slide package and leads on team defense. I don’t think we have that. As good as an individual player as Salvatore is, he is also lacking here.

Happy for the convincing win and it’s only game 2 but todays performance will not beat a top 8 team.

[ChairmanOfTheBoard]

agreed on the team defense comments but it's the Ivy and it's early.

and for whatever this is worth- it looked like the sun was directly in Ierlan's eyes in that first quarter, at least on film...

[VeryRustyRed]

Principle observations:
-As I commented after the Fall MD scrimmage and UAlbany games, this team definitely has improved overall team speed and quickness. No substitute for these attributes in high level team sports (I haven't seen the numbers yet, but they were great off the ground again today - though the overall numbers may not look as lopsided due to a number of Towson F/O wins after Petrakis/Raz won clamps).
-When you are winning 60+% of the face-offs, If nothing else, the defensive numbers are going to look so much better than last season.
-I disagree with those commenting on the defense's lack of cohesiveness. Towson's first 3 goals were ALL in transition, the result of lack of focus in the middle of the field. Another was an EMO goal. At least 2 others were solely on the shorties. Yes, there's work to do, but split second decision making mistakes will happen in and up and down the field game. I'm sure the boys will watch tape. The good news is, so far Duggan and Bardwell look pretty solid. Buczik and Blake not so much.
-The starting O will be a match up problem for most teams. Who to put a shortie on? When they put a ss on Fletcher, he scores on an alley dodge. Same for Telesco. And after watching Long today, I'd pole him as well. The offense is extremely well balanced.
Other:
-I'm really pleased with how advanced Petrakis is. Not easy for a freshman coming off surgery. He's great on the clamp; must have great hand/eye coordination, quickness, and strength. Towson did better when they opted to play for the strip, post-clamp. Though several pushes were not called.
-I love Fletcher and Telesco complementing one another. Besides their big frames, they are so much more effective because they go left and right.
-I'm sure Coach M will have Lombardi continue to invert. Didn't score on any x-dodges today, but several great looks. Almost as if he can get a good look from there every time.
-Coach M doing a good job keeping people involved: he rotated Coyle/Lobardi/Wolf on the 2nd line with Licciardi as a constant. And is adding Blake and Boccafola into the mix gradually.
"Other-Other":
-Best hit of the day: Telesco's bull dodge on a sideline clear. 'Memories of Max S. (and both #42) in the 1st minute of the Cornell-Duke semi in 2007.
-Donville looked like he was dinged up several times.
-The Raz-Petrakis combination has been great so far, but the only way to describe UAlbany's and Towson's F/O game is "dreadful."
-Sunday: Could be a tough one, at least on paper. High Point is well rested, has scouted Cornell up close and personal, and Cornell is playing their second game in three days, on the road. I'd go zone if I were them.
-After High Point, the boys step up in class, big time.

[faircornell]

Asher Nolting of Highpoint will be the first big time offensive threat that Cornell has faced so far. Nolting was Second Team AA and a Tewaaraton Nominee. Some argued that he should have been a Finalist.

[Farfromgeneva]

Nanticoke?

[joewillie78]

You guys are killing me here. We beat a team that has been to the tournament like every year. Towson is not some community college that just took up Lax, and it was on the ROAD and they were never really in the game, and some people are acting like we struggled.

Wow, has our bar gotten that high?

Come on guys, in the SHOT CLOCK ERA to give up 10 goals and 3 or 4 were when the game was in hand?

I am THRILLED with this team. They have weapons EVERYWHERE. LONG was a beast tonight. Look, teams can shut off Teat all they want, and then how do you stop Long, Piatelli, Telesco, Fletcher, Donville, Lombardi, Liccardi, Coyle and on and on.

In the SHOT CLOCK ERA, offense is where the money is and this offense is scary, and with Raz and Petrakis, great Fogos like Lerlan, Gallagher and Arceri etc, dont scare me as much as they used to. With this offense, hold your own on the X, and we are an incredible force.

I know you guys are like Joewillie is the ultimate optimist, but come on guys, Albany and Towson are respected programs and we obliterated them on the ROAD. Can we get a little love from you guys?

Asher Nolting up next, and he is an incredible talent, but this CORNELL team literally goes 10-12 deep.

If you want ANYTHING negative? Sorry, this cornell fan is pumped, and we are a force.

GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

[faircornell]

My sense Joe Willie, FWIW, is that Big Red fans are nervous about the upcoming OSU, PSU, Yale, Penn gauntlet. And, about Cuse.

Personally, I agree that the team looks great. And, I agree with your comments about Towson. My personal concern is the talent gap between a "top 10" team that Cornell clearly is, and the "top 5" type teams that we'll need to beat to get to the NCAA tournament.

I hope that this isn't viewed as a negative comment. As some have noted, this is the best team we've had since 2013... Possibly better.

[ICGrad]

Come on guys, in the SHOT CLOCK ERA to give up 10 goals and 3 or 4 were when the game was in hand?

I was thrilled with the win. As I said, a convincing win against a good team who had their backs against the wall...no issues with that.

It's early and there was some sloppiness that still needs to be cleaned up. Some big tests coming up; won't have the same margin for error against PSU and Yale.

[joewillie78]

My sense Joe Willie, FWIW, is that Big Red fans are nervous about the upcoming OSU, PSU, Yale, Penn gauntlet. And, about Cuse.

Personally, I agree that the team looks great. And, I agree with your comments about Towson. My personal concern is the talent gap between a "top 10" team that Cornell clearly is, and the "top 5" type teams that we'll need to beat to get to the NCAA tournament.

I hope that this isn't viewed as a negative comment. As some have noted, this is the best team we've had since 2013... Possibly better.

FC,
Great obsevations and I dont know about better than 2013, but I do believe DEEPER. I agree, OSU, PSU. YALE, PENN, monstrous games, but like I said, bring it on. If we think we are great (and I do), then lets prove it.

Look, whar more could we do than beat two great programs on the ROAD, and before we get to OSU, Asher Nolting and High Point are just waiting, so lets concentrate on that game and forget the rest.

Talent gap? Maybe but TEAT was ranked #1 coming out and Lombardi and Long were both 5 star recruits. Petrakis was the #1 rated FOGO and Lerlan was one of the top rated goalies. Pete, has talent everywhere and takes a back seat to no one.

Lets play it on the field and see how our talent stacks up? OK?

GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

[faircornell]

My sense Joe Willie, FWIW, is that Big Red fans are nervous about the upcoming OSU, PSU, Yale, Penn gauntlet. And, about Cuse.

Personally, I agree that the team looks great. And, I agree with your comments about Towson. My personal concern is the talent gap between a "top 10" team that Cornell clearly is, and the "top 5" type teams that we'll need to beat to get to the NCAA tournament.

I hope that this isn't viewed as a negative comment. As some have noted, this is the best team we've had since 2013... Possibly better.

FC,
Great obsevations and I dont know about better than 2013, but I do believe DEEPER. I agree, OSU, PSU. YALE, PENN, monstrous games, but like I said, bring it on. If we think we are great (and I do), then lets prove it.

Look, whar more could we do than beat two great programs on the ROAD, and before we get to OSU, Asher Nolting and High Point are just waiting, so lets concentrate on that game and forget the rest.

Talent gap? Maybe but TEAT was ranked #1 coming out and Lombardi and Long were both 5 star recruits. Petrakis was the #1 rated FOGO and Lerlan was one of the top rated goalies. Pete, has talent everywhere and takes a back seat to no one.

Lets play it on the field and see how our talent stacks up? OK?

GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

Sounds great!

[CU77]

Pre-Towson-game interview with Donville on LSN:

https://www.ftfnext.com/videos/1582246699031-c-24

I couldn't find a game replay yet (for those of us who couldn't watch live …)

[faircornell]

LSN Instagram and Twitter and Towson Men's Lacrosse Twitter have game highlights.

[Mr3Putt]

I’m a Towson person. Cornell’s offense can hang w anyone. My question would be how good is the defense? I don’t know. This team can make a run. They pass the ball as well an anyone. Looking at the early polls this team should be ranked in the top10.

[RedIvy]

My sense Joe Willie, FWIW, is that Big Red fans are nervous about the upcoming OSU, PSU, Yale, Penn gauntlet. And, about Cuse

Exactly right, I think the team is doing well with nice improvements from last year.

Also note that even great “programs” have up and down years, my guess is this is more of a down year for Towson and Albany and we should therefor be careful about benchmarking to much with these last two games.

All the best to these teams for the rest of the season.

[DMac]

Agree, RI, while I thought Cornell looked good (really nice looking offense/attack) I also thought Towson's D looked lost and confused, was anything but impressive. Cornell had way too much room to operate in all day. That said, at one point in the game I believe Cornell was 9-0 at the face off X and possessed the ball darn near all of the time, but the score was 5-4. Gonna have to be more efficient than that against better teams. It's still February though, plenty of time for improvement.

[CU77]

Full replay of the Towson game:

https://www.ftfnext.com/videos/cornell- ... s-lacrosse