THE 2019 Hopkins Lacrosse Fallout Shelter (44, we want more!)

[primitiveskills]

Dear Admin,
Think it might be a good idea to call 911 for this thread.
Am pretty sure some folks here are going to need some help.
Concerned,
DMac

Nah. I think most realistic fans saw this coming after game one. Now, it is reasonable to ask how many realistic fans are on this board!

[DocBarrister]

What was Jack Keough thinking taking that long-range shot with all that time left on the clock?!? I have never seen a Pietramala-coached team make so many poor decisions.

Some really poor shooting and yet another epic defensive collapse ruined a fine start.

Pretty clear that the Blue Jays will need to win the B1G regular season title or the AQ to ensure a spot in the tournament.

Good spirited comeback by Ohio State.

DocBarrister

[Wheels]

That's a bad loss.

Don't know the B1G tiebreakers but having to beat PSU or MD to get to 3 B1G wins...tough.

[HopFan16]

Man down D was outstanding, but 6 on 6 went from great in the first half to something looking like the Towson game in the second half. Inexplicable.

Pretty simple. Ohio State made adjustments. We didn't. Been the story of this staff's tenure last several years. Constantly reacting to changes the other teams make.

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Even if we get into the conference tournament at 2-3 due to the tiebreaker, that means we'd be 6-7 and would need to win the tourney just to finish at or above .500 to be eligible for an at-large bid. So unless they pull off a miracle one of these next two weeks, the season is pretty much over. Again.

[primitiveskills]

Man down D was outstanding, but 6 on 6 went from great in the first half to something looking like the Towson game in the second half. Inexplicable.

Pretty simple. Ohio State made adjustments. We didn't. Been the story of this staff's tenure last several years. Constantly reacting to changes the other teams make.

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Even if we get into the conference tournament at 2-3 due to the tiebreaker, that means we'd be 6-7 and would need to win the tourney just to finish at or above .500 to be eligible for an at-large bid. So unless they pull off a miracle one of these next two weeks, the season is pretty much over. Again.

OSU just stuck with a simples pairs game once they discovered Hopkins couldn't defend it. Why they couldn't is a great question. Also, transition D is comically bad. I love that Marr is busting his ass to get back on D, but why is this happening multiple times per game? Basic stuff.

[tech37]

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Umm, perhaps OSU shooting? A lot of those goals were bullets. Too much time and space for Buckeye shooters too...can't kill your goalie as reason.

Who was called for the illegal stick for HOP?

[primitiveskills]

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Umm, perhaps OSU shooting? A lot of those goals were bullets. Too much time and space for Buckeye shooters too...can't kill your goalie.

Who was called for the illegal stick for HOP?

Desimone

[Hoponboard]

DeSimone was called for the illegal stick.

[Big Dog]

Also, transition D is comically bad.

Little speed, so our guys our last down the field.

[primitiveskills]

Also, transition D is comically bad.

Little speed, so our guys our last down the field.

Also has to do with the fact that none of the middies (well, at least the ones that they run out at that end) are outside shooters, so Marr has to be rotated up top, which destroys field balance.

[viper]

Well, my only hope is that the pattern of games and seasons over recent years is a byproduct of excessive early recruiting and not because the coaches are running certain players into the ground or failing to make adjustments in response to the oppositions adjustments, or any of the other criticisms I see about them, etc. In the case of early recruiting, at least we may see improvement in the coming years as the new recruiting rules settle in.

I don't see drastic changes to anything else coming down the line. I agree that National Championship expectations have to evolve with that of the sport, however it seems the "rational expectations" on this team keep waning to the point where we are just hoping to make a tournament (B1G or NCAA) and see what happens. It seems just a matter of time before just finishing 500 will be a goal.

Every school has recruiting advantages and disadvantages. While there are some schools that may have very nice selling points, I am not convinced that Hopkins has become a place where lacrosse players don't want to go anymore. I thinks its somewhat comparable to a school like Yale in terms of academics, urban location, cost, etc and Yale seems to have become and remain competitive as Hopkins slips backward.

[tech37]

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Umm, perhaps OSU shooting? A lot of those goals were bullets. Too much time and space for Buckeye shooters too...can't kill your goalie.

Who was called for the illegal stick for HOP?

Desimone

Oh right, he didn't return did he? Petro with some choice words about player after ref's called that penalty.

[viper]

Also, transition D is comically bad.

Little speed, so our guys our last down the field.

Also has to do with the fact that none of the middies (well, at least the ones that they run out at that end) are outside shooters, so Marr has to be rotated up top, which destroys field balance.

This is a great point. I have pointed out Hopkins lack of outside shooting was a glaring weakness, but I never extrapolated that to the increased likelihood of attackmen (Marr) ending up on defense. The synergy's of the game are many and right now Hopkins is suffering in many ways.

[primitiveskills]

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Umm, perhaps OSU shooting? A lot of those goals were bullets. Too much time and space for Buckeye shooters too...can't kill your goalie.

Who was called for the illegal stick for HOP?

Desimone

Oh right, he didn't return did he? Petro with some choice words about player after ref's called that penalty.

He did return. Played every shift with the firsts. Seems set in stone.

[tech37]

Can someone explain Darby's drop-off after halftime? It happens in every game. He has a GREAT first half and then he comes out of the locker room after halftime and is suddenly Stevie Wonder.

Umm, perhaps OSU shooting? A lot of those goals were bullets. Too much time and space for Buckeye shooters too...can't kill your goalie.

Who was called for the illegal stick for HOP?

Desimone

Oh right, he didn't return did he? Petro with some choice words about player after ref's called that penalty.

He did return. Played every shift with the firsts. Seems set in stone.

If so, my bad...didn't see him later in game.

[HopFan16]

DeSimone and Baskin played the entire game. The "Baskin invert strategy" was a disaster. Foreseeable after the first attempt but they stuck with it for reasons unknown. Zero production out of that alignment. Zero. It amounted to absolutely nothing.

I love how Epstein scores two awesome goals in a row, making his defender trip over himself both times, and then the next possessions are some variation of Smith dodging from up top to nowhere, Baskin dodging from X to nowhere, or "waste 40 seconds getting your subs on, start playing offense with 20 seconds left, and before you know it you have to force a bad shot because the shot clock is about to run out." That last one is my favorite set.

That being said, tough to blame the offense when they put up 13.

Interesting strategy to have what is very likely your best midfield shooting threat play SSDM instead. Great use of everyone's talents.

Ohio State was a perfect 21-21 on clears. Colwell and Foley both had nice games. I can't explain the second half defensive collapse. Last I checked it was the same players who held the other team to 3 goals in the first half.

[lilax]

Pretty simple adjustment made by OSU. They attacked the SSDM to the middle of the field instead of attacking the alleys like they did in the first half. When the adjacent defenseman slid, Leclaire and Reid slipped to the wing for time and room shots. When no slide came, Jasinski, and the other middies walked to the middle of the field and canned their shots. It was pick your poison.

Darby wasn't the problem, once again the SSDMs were picked on.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

Set Condition Zebra

[DocBarrister]

Well, my only hope is that the pattern of games and seasons over recent years is a byproduct of excessive early recruiting and not because the coaches are running certain players into the ground or failing to make adjustments in response to the oppositions adjustments, or any of the other criticisms I see about them, etc. In the case of early recruiting, at least we may see improvement in the coming years as the new recruiting rules settle in.

I don't see drastic changes to anything else coming down the line. I agree that National Championship expectations have to evolve with that of the sport, however it seems the "rational expectations" on this team keep waning to the point where we are just hoping to make a tournament (B1G or NCAA) and see what happens. It seems just a matter of time before just finishing 500 will be a goal.

Every school has recruiting advantages and disadvantages. While there are some schools that may have very nice selling points, I am not convinced that Hopkins has become a place where lacrosse players don't want to go anymore. I thinks its somewhat comparable to a school like Yale in terms of academics, urban location, cost, etc and Yale seems to have become and remain competitive as Hopkins slips backward.

If you didn’t notice, the kid who committed to Hopkins before he ever played a high school lacrosse game had 3 goals and 2 assists against Ohio State, and is already the best player on the team as a freshman. Recruiting hasn’t been a problem.

Hard to recall a Hopkins team that was so consistently inconsistent. Upperclassmen have underperformed as a group this year.

Season is hardly over, but the Blue Jays will need to be nearly perfect for the remainder of the season if they want to salvage this campaign.

DocBarrister

[steel_hop]

If anyone wants to make an argument that Petros defense is too complex or the players dont know what to do watch the 11th OSU goal and tell me if Danny Jones knows what he is doing there or Rapine. That goal demonstrations the defense is too complex.

If this season isnt the nail in this staff's coffin not sure what does. Staff was completely outcoached and Buckeyes out worked Hopkins pure and simple. The longer they remain, the harder it will be too correct.