Johns Hopkins 2021

[Catbird]

Kirson actually did better than normal, but not enough. Whatever you think of him, it is clear though he hasn't dont anything to solidify the position for next year. Agreed it is time to see if any of the other guys like Marcille can catch lightning and failing that hope Jack Webb can take the job next year. He is an exciting prospect if you've followed him at all.

As for the offense; too many of the guys out there still can't shoot; no velocity and poor placement. Kneese stole a bunch in the second half, but several others were stick side high to high or hit him square in the chest. Epstein seemed to think he needed to be the hero late because no one else could get it done, took some shots from poorly advised location... Overall not good.

[runrussellrun]

Has anyone ever asked why Ross Blumenthal didn’t end up in a Blue Jays uniform? Dad is a Doctor at the school, rabid supporter and booster and his son is an absolute wall for Drexel. Seems like pretty serious miss on recruiting.

He's 43% this year, was 47% last year and 48% the year before that against schedules far easier than ours...God knows we've struggled in goal lately but I'm not sure there was a serious miss there.

The recruit we got coming in next year, Webb, local kid at Loyola-Blakefield whom 51 refers to as Sgt. Friday (which will be an amazing nickname for years to come), is the first "late bloomer"/relative unknown we've had at the position in quite some time. Perhaps he can reverse the trend.

you talking about







U Z I I 8

[Farfromgeneva]

Maybe fattylax piling on after a loss is enough but I am wondering if we will hear questions about Milligan here before year end. What would the odds be in Vegas on this?

[HopFan16]

Maybe fattylax piling on after a loss is enough but I am wondering if we will hear questions about Milligan here before year end. What would the odds be in Vegas on this?

From anyone other than 06, zero.

From him and him alone...probably 50-50.

Took a glance at the stats—we somehow won GBs 39-35 despite getting destroyed on faceoffs. Also won the turnover battle and cleared it well. Difference, as I mentioned, was goalie play and faceoffs. Tilted the field toward PSU and was just too much to overcome. I thought the defense played fine. A couple slow slides but in general they played good enough to win. Reinson and Delaney in particular continue to play well. Offense was shaky again but they didn't get a whole lot of opportunities especially in that second quarter.

Degnon is such a good player—I would not mind at all if he played some attack at this point. Starting at first midfield was a step in the right direction. He should be taking at least 6-8 shots per game, not 4.

An at-large bid is virtually impossible at this point so why not play around with lineups? Let's see some Scott Smith at LSM and the Canadians get more run at middie. Why not? Worst case you get a better sense of what you have next year. Best case maybe these younger guys are more comfortable by season's end and you go on a miraculous run to win the conference tourney.

[primitiveskills]

Maybe fattylax piling on after a loss is enough but I am wondering if we will hear questions about Milligan here before year end. What would the odds be in Vegas on this?

Ridiculous. Other than trolls, the chance of this is zero.

[molo]

I give credit to the coach for adjusting the lineup. Unlike some, he does not decide who will play regardless of performance. Rebuilding is tough, but having watched UVA try to do it after letting things deteriorate for too long, it can be done fairly quickly with the right coach.

[Sagittarius A*]

Even though they were beaten badly on faceoffs, the team was still in the game until they got the one minute non-releasable penalty at the end.
Kirson was doing fine but he couldn't stop wide open shots from #3, especially on EMO. OKeefe is a pro-level shooter.
I think the problem was more the offense taking awful shots and hitting the goalie over and over again.
Low angle shots are not going to go consistently against a hot goalie.
I would think that with the hotshot pro attackmen coaching the offense that the team could shoot better.
They need to stop what they're doing and practice shooting. Just everyone shoot the ball and try not to hit the goalies.
Number one rule for a shooter: DON'T HIT THE GOALIE.
The ground ball play improved, but the offense only scored 8 goals and made the goalie look like an All-America.
Note to PM or whoever reads this board: PRACTICE SHOOTING. You can't win unless you can score goals. Right?
And I agree with HopFan that It's time to give the young guns a chance. There's nothing left to play for this year. Might as well develop something for 2022. This is a free year. Use it.

[primitiveskills]

I give credit to the coach for adjusting the lineup. Unlike some, he does not decide who will play regardless of performance. Rebuilding is tough, but having watched UVA try to do it after letting things deteriorate for too long, it can be done fairly quickly with the right coach.

Agree with this post. You can see the week-by-week tinkering, trying to find the right spots for players while evaluating what he has and doesn't have in the current squad. Some deficiencies are pretty obvious, like the lack of elite shooters. Degnon might be the only one on the squad. Finding playable SSDM and LSM combos is obviously a focus and I give the staff credit for not being afraid to figure that out in games. The only really tricky part is the freshmen. I think the simple fact is that the lack of fall and spring practices will mean that there are guys on the roster who will be contributors/ stars in the future who simply aren't ready to see the field this year. And if they are clearly not ready, you're not doing them any favors throwing them to the wolves. This is not just a Hopkins problem; the number of impact freshmen this year is much smaller than previous years. Hopkins problem is that, unlike others, they can't paper over it with high profile transfers. At least not this year. That will change.

[primitiveskills]

Even though they were beaten badly on faceoffs, the team was still in the game until they got the one minute non-releasable penalty at the end.
Kirson was doing fine but he couldn't stop wide open shots from #3, especially on EMO. OKeefe is a pro-level shooter.
I think the problem was more the offense taking awful shots and hitting the goalie over and over again.
Low angle shots are not going to go consistently against a hot goalie.
I would think that with the hotshot pro attackmen coaching the offense that the team could shoot better.
They need to stop what they're doing and practice shooting. Just everyone shoot the ball and try not to hit the goalies.
Number one rule for a shooter: DON'T HIT THE GOALIE.
The ground ball play improved, but the offense only scored 8 goals and made the goalie look like an All-America.
Note to PM or whoever reads this board: PRACTICE SHOOTING. You can't win unless you can score goals. Right?
And I agree with HopFan that It's time to give the young guns a chance. There's nothing left to play for this year. Might as well develop something for 2022. This is a free year. Use it.

Practice always helps, but this team's problem is that there is only one guy (Degnon) who is a threat beyond 10 yards. And that's where it becomes more about physical ability; you've either got it or you don't. People rightfully criticize the previous staff's focus on loading up on relatively small guys who played attack in high school. This is direct fall-out from that.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

Learn from our Navy colleagues:

Don’t Give Up The Ship!

Every team makes the B1G tourney this year, so every team has a non-zero probability shot at the AQ.

Keep fighting, adjusting, learning from adversity.

Fight until the last whistle’s chirp fades to oblivion.

This year, guarantee it, Hopkins’ final whistle will either be in the B1G tournament or the NC$$.

Patience. Fight. Learn. Have fun. Play as many games as you can, until the final whistle chirps for thee.

Build a foundation. The present and future depend on today’s efforts.

And by all means:

DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!

[DocBarrister]

Learn from our Navy colleagues:

Don’t Give Up The Ship!

Every team makes the B1G tourney this year, so every team has a non-zero probability shot at the AQ.

Keep fighting, adjusting, learning from adversity.

Fight until the last whistle’s chirp fades to oblivion.

This year, guarantee it, Hopkins’ final whistle will either be in the B1G tournament or the NC$$.

Patience. Fight. Learn. Have fun. Play as many games as you can, until the final whistle chirps for thee.

Build a foundation. The present and future depend on today’s efforts.

And by all means:

DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!

I agree. Blue Jays didn’t play a bad game. Their defense was solid, and the effort was there. The motion offense flashed occasional signs of brilliance.

Arceri and Kneese played lights out, and that was the difference in the game.

Blue Jays will need to win the B1G AQ to make the tournament this season. At this point, that’s an almost impossible task ... almost. Milliman and his young men want to win now ... don’t ever doubt that. Even so, this is a rebuilding year and the most realistic hope is that Hopkins improves each week, building a solid foundation for seasons to come.

DocBarrister

[jhu06]

We're onto 2022
-Defense collapsed in the first half, offense did nothing all game, faceoff unit couldn't rediscover formula from a few weeks ago and these veterans who've come up short for years showed that a new staff couldn't right an old narrative.
-Milliman would probably lose the lockerroom if he benched reinson deso and williams, but he has a longterm contract and it's time to use the next 5 games and 15+practicees as a spring 2022 season fallball. Give heavy reps and minutes to guys he's evaluating to see if they can fit and who needs to go shopping for on the transfer market/recruiting. Curtail the pt of brandon shure for martin and anyone else he think could play ssdm. Bench Baskin, give longer lsm minutes to younger players,

[Dip&Dunk]

Learn from our Navy colleagues:

Don’t Give Up The Ship!

Every team makes the B1G tourney this year, so every team has a non-zero probability shot at the AQ.

Keep fighting, adjusting, learning from adversity.

Fight until the last whistle’s chirp fades to oblivion.

This year, guarantee it, Hopkins’ final whistle will either be in the B1G tournament or the NC$$.

Patience. Fight. Learn. Have fun. Play as many games as you can, until the final whistle chirps for thee.

Build a foundation. The present and future depend on today’s efforts.

And by all means:

DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!

You forgot the last entry: Accept mediocrity while softly playing "Glory Days" in the background

[courtdog]

Ranked 37th in the country in Offensive Efficiency out of 66 teams. Ranked 41st in the country in Defensive Efficiency. FO and Goalie play are not the issues. Just not going to win many games with numbers like that and be anywhere near the top 20, never mind the top 5 which is where this program wants to be every year. Everyone wanted JHU to play faster and complained Petro hamstrung without letting them play? They are 51st in Offensive Pace.

[steel_hop]

Can't expect to win with only 5 of 23 faceoffs and a goalie who saves precisely nothing above his knees.

Probably time to see some more shakeups to the lineup. #29 and #13 need more time at SSDM. #1 shouldn't be getting midfield runs over #20, #33, or #51. And wouldn't mind seeing if Marcille can show you anything in goal. Time for some more experimenting/tinkering with things to see what you've got in 2022 IMO.

Yup. The offense needs a ton of work. If you are only scoring barely over 10 goals a game in this age you are going to have problems. The offense looked stagnant. As soon as PSU went to a zone, Hopkins had no clue what to do. As others have noted, not having anyone that can't really bomb it from outside (an issue for several years since Frazier). Pressing on shots didn't help.

Not sure if some of the defensive issues are all on Kirson. Some of those shots were absolute lazars from 10 yards out...can't leave guys like O'Keefe that wide open. The 7th goal was particularly noteworthy as Hopkins left two guys wide open on the goalies right side about 8 yards out. No one was even in the screen for Hopkins.

I did like the decision to move guys around. As I said, you can't get 2 points out of a starting attackman in Grimes. The other issue with Grimes, and someone can maybe correct me, but he hasn't really played any competitive lacrosse in 2+ years. Last year was wiped out and wasn't he hurt the year before. Maybe he hasn't overcome the rust...or, and this isn't good, maybe he is just another ER that doesn't pan out. Not like Hopkins hasn't known a bunch of those guys before in the Petro era.

But, also agree, it was time play the young guys now it is even more important to play those guys. Millman didn't recruit these kids so he needs to know what he's got and who can play. That way he can start winnowing down the team to a more manageable level. It took years for Petro to screw up this program, it is going to take more than a season with no fall ball and minimal spring practice to get back to being competitive.

[HopFan16]

Ranked 37th in the country in Offensive Efficiency out of 66 teams. Ranked 41st in the country in Defensive Efficiency. FO and Goalie play are not the issues. Just not going to win many games with numbers like that and be anywhere near the top 20, never mind the top 5 which is where this program wants to be every year. Everyone wanted JHU to play faster and complained Petro hamstrung without letting them play? They are 51st in Offensive Pace.

This is probably true in general but for this most recent game, goalie and to an even greater degree faceoff play were absolutely the chief issues. What were PSU's rankings in those same efficiency categories? In a game that is tied in the fourth quarter with an eventual 3-goal final margin, an 18-5 faceoff deficit and a 16-9 save deficit is the difference in the game. The Jays were tied or ahead in virtually every other stat.

The other thing that could have made things worse but didn't was fouling—Jays fouled 5 times but only allowed 1 EMO goal. That said, I thought at least a few of those fouls were of the soft variety, especially the "push" on McManus going out of bounds. Never liked that rule for a player who is clearly already heading out of bounds with his back turned to the field of play. Any contact whatsoever and they call a push to bail out the player. It's an unwinnable position for a defender.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

Learn from our Navy colleagues:

Don’t Give Up The Ship!

Every team makes the B1G tourney this year, so every team has a non-zero probability shot at the AQ.

Keep fighting, adjusting, learning from adversity.

Fight until the last whistle’s chirp fades to oblivion.

This year, guarantee it, Hopkins’ final whistle will either be in the B1G tournament or the NC$$.

Patience. Fight. Learn. Have fun. Play as many games as you can, until the final whistle chirps for thee.

Build a foundation. The present and future depend on today’s efforts.

And by all means:

DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP!

You forgot the last entry: Accept mediocrity while softly playing "Glory Days" in the background

I’m all for trying to find more hidden talent on the roster, but the team could have gone 0-10 and still made the B1G and possibly NC$$ tourneys.

What I despise is giving up. Quitting doesn’t cut it.

[LaxPundit07]

Given the circumstances, Pete has done a good job with this squad. He is tinkering and trying to find the best way to execute JGJ's offense with the personnel he has. This personnel was clearly not born to run this style of offense.

A few random thoughts on yesterday:

How many times was Epstein going to take a low angle shot and hit the goalie right in the chest/gut? Regardless of JGJ's style, Epstein seems to be underperforming (in relation to all the hype over him coming out of Landon). I have watched them play 2-3 times this year and he looks like just another guy.

Kirson was solid low, but that could also be a result of how much he drops low on nearly every shot. He has good hands and attacks the ball well. It is frustrating to watch an accomplished goalie essentially concede the top third of the cage on every shot. If the coaching staff isn't recognizing this on film, it is negligent on their part. If I am an opponent, I am dropping my stick to my hip or three quarters and shooting high every time.

[smoova]

That said, I thought at least a few of those fouls were of the soft variety, especially the "push" on McManus going out of bounds. Never liked that rule for a player who is clearly already heading out of bounds with his back turned to the field of play. Any contact whatsoever and they call a push to bail out the player. It's an unwinnable position for a defender.

Watching it live, I felt like McManus got baited into this foul since it looked like the PSU player settled his feet before the push. If that's what happened, the push created a clear advantage (possession) for JHU and an easy call for the official.

[51percentcorn]

Wierd game - unfortunately - I had a feeling. Clearly the difference was Arceri and Kneese. Kirson is rounding up to 41% - not good enough. I did not think the Hopkins defense collapsed in the second quarter except for one play really. Penn State's 7th goal was a defensive disaster - the others - not so much - one thing you have to give Penn State some credit for - shooting off stick low paid dividends. Penn State obviously did a better job on DeSimone and this was not one of Epstein's better games. The shot after Degnon tied it that hit Kneese in the stomach with 50 seconds left on the shot clock that led to a run out was not located well - if he had pulled it high.... Epstein was 2 for 11 - 18%. Hopkins 20% overall. I think I have been leading the charge that Hopkins has no outside shooters - no Peshko yesterday - 23 saw the field.