US Lax Mag All Americans

[Wheels]

They way Cornell used Adler in the title game was something I can't recall ever seeing before. Adler literally shifted all over the field to take on whoever got hot for Maryland. Started on Wisnauskas, moved to Khan, took on Malever, bumped up to the midfield to guard DeMaio, shifted over to Long...and on and on. It didn't happen by happenstance or on switches. It was clearly intentional. He might have been the best player on the entire field during the title game.

As for Zappitello and Makar, it doesn't make any sense to even call them 1A or 1B or whatever. They're both top cover guys who have really good athleticism. Makar is definitely more aggressive on- and off-ball, and Zappitello's footwork is elite. Shutting out Shellenberger speaks for itself. Because they're both so good, it allows Tillman and Bernhardt to mix and match assignments to throw opponents off.

But no one is going to put 2 defensemen from the same team on the first-team AA list, so ties goes to the elder!

[10stone5]

So we’re back to Bowen, Adler, Makar as the leading defenseman of the year candidates.

In addition to Zappitello, I’d also add Owen Grant to the mix of
great 4th, 5th year defensemen — can do shut down coverage,
great on transition offense.

[jrn19]

Those are the Top 5. You could argue for any one of the 5 to be the best, though I think Adler was p clearly the best last year

[jff97]

List is online
https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/ ... -americans

[Wheels]

John Geppert is always criminally underrated.

[10stone5]

I can see Kirst or Myers beating out O’Neill for 1st team
attack.

[Laxguy703]

John Geppert is always criminally underrated.

I agree that Geppert is extremely underrated and never talked about enough, but realistically... who would you take out of the teamer LSM's to replace Geppert with?

Meyer had 80 GB's/60 CT's
Carpenter 67 GB's/17 CT's
Rall with 52 GB's/30 CT's

I know stats don't tell the whole stories but those guys were the heart and soul of their defense. Without them those defenses abilities drop tremendously.

Again, I think Geppert is a beast and I love the story of him going from High School top 100 Middie to LSM in college, but I just don't think you could put him ahead of any of those guys.

[OSVAlacrosse]

Each has the favorites for different reasons I think two snubs are:

Sam Cambere LSM Utah and Dalton Young A Richmond.

[lorin]

Each has the favorites for different reasons I think two snubs are:

Sam Cambere LSM Utah and Dalton Young A Richmond.

IMO , Kirst over O’Neil , Kirst can score and pass, Zawada is going to have a big year.

[rolldodge]

Nice to see Georgetown midfielder Declan McDermott finally getting some recognition.

[jrn19]

John Geppert is always criminally underrated.

I agree that Geppert is extremely underrated and never talked about enough, but realistically... who would you take out of the teamer LSM's to replace Geppert with?

Meyer had 80 GB's/60 CT's
Carpenter 67 GB's/17 CT's
Rall with 52 GB's/30 CT's

I know stats don't tell the whole stories but those guys were the heart and soul of their defense. Without them those defenses abilities drop tremendously.

Again, I think Geppert is a beast and I love the story of him going from High School top 100 Middie to LSM in college, but I just don't think you could put him ahead of any of those guys.

I think you could make a solid argument he's better than Carpenter. GB/CTs slightly favor Carpenter but I think Geppert is better at pushing transition and MD was incredibly dominant in that phase last year.

Meyer is far and away the best. Rall also probably Rutgers best on ball defender and that was a very good defense last year

[10stone5]

Strange on Myer,

odd,
he was consensus 1st team at LSM last year,
and then they consign him to 3rd team this year.

[jrn19]

Him being anything other than 1st is preposterous. 80 GBs and 60 CTs is utter insanity

[Wheels]

John Geppert is always criminally underrated.

I agree that Geppert is extremely underrated and never talked about enough, but realistically... who would you take out of the teamer LSM's to replace Geppert with?

Meyer had 80 GB's/60 CT's
Carpenter 67 GB's/17 CT's
Rall with 52 GB's/30 CT's

I know stats don't tell the whole stories but those guys were the heart and soul of their defense. Without them those defenses abilities drop tremendously.

Again, I think Geppert is a beast and I love the story of him going from High School top 100 Middie to LSM in college, but I just don't think you could put him ahead of any of those guys.

Fair enough question, and defensive analytics aren't nearly as developed as offensive (props to Zack at LaxRef for really doing great things on team and offensive metrics). It's impossible know how Geppert would perform in Rutgers's scheme or how Meyer would perform in Maryland's scheme. Having seen Maryland blowtorch Rutgers's defense in every way possible over the past two years, I sometimes don't know how to view what someone like Rall does over the course of year. Maryland certainly didn't shy away from attacking him over and over with its first and second midfield lines.

Carpenter...I kinda view a lot of Duke players the same way. Lots of hype. ESPN guys love him. Would have loved to see him play another game against UVA last year, but the ACC's unbalanced schedule didn't allow it.

As for Meyer, I was really excited to see him play in the NCAA Tournament, and BU got dismantled in every way possible. So I don't know what to think about Meyer. Does he feast on lower quality opponents? He's certainly active. Is he as disruptive playing against an ACC slate of opponent? Or B1G opponents? Like Rall, he's not the biggest of guys. Geppert might not be the 6'3", 210 pounds that Maryland lists him at...but he's not far off from that.

IMO, Geppert's the best LSM in the college game. Big enough to handle mack trucks that UVA runs through its midfield, athletic enough to handle attack men when he's switched on to them, a terror on the face-off wings and in transition (his gb scoop at the midfield line in the QF was absurd), and smart enough to QB a defense from up top.

[HopFan16]

Meyer is electric off the ground, on the FO wings, and in the open field, but the knock on him is he's not a great 1v1 defender. He is absolutely not a shutdown cover guy. LSMs don't necessarily need to be, but there are better *defensemen* in this group of poles.

Carpenter is worth the hype, IMO. He does everything well and occasionally bumps down to play close D because he can. Makes a ton of impact plays and is so smooth off the ground. I'd put him #1, Geppert #2.

[jff97]

https://usalaxmagazine.com/college/men/ ... f-the-year
Preseason Player of the Year: Sam Handley
Attackman of the Year: Connor Shellenberger
Midfielder of the Year: Handley
Defender of the Year: Will Bowen
Goalie of the Year: Liam Entenmann

[FannOLax]

https://usalaxmagazine.com/college/men/ ... f-the-year
Preseason Player of the Year: Sam Handley
Attackman of the Year: Connor Shellenberger
Midfielder of the Year: Handley
Defender of the Year: Will Bowen
Goalie of the Year: Liam Entenmann

This seems even sillier than pre-season rankings and such (no offense intended to jff97 for posting this). I could mention Gavin Adler, but that might make me just as silly as US Lax Mag, and the main thing is that we're less than a month away from actual lacrosse games.

[1766]

John Geppert is always criminally underrated.

I agree that Geppert is extremely underrated and never talked about enough, but realistically... who would you take out of the teamer LSM's to replace Geppert with?

Meyer had 80 GB's/60 CT's
Carpenter 67 GB's/17 CT's
Rall with 52 GB's/30 CT's

I know stats don't tell the whole stories but those guys were the heart and soul of their defense. Without them those defenses abilities drop tremendously.

Again, I think Geppert is a beast and I love the story of him going from High School top 100 Middie to LSM in college, but I just don't think you could put him ahead of any of those guys.

Fair enough question, and defensive analytics aren't nearly as developed as offensive (props to Zack at LaxRef for really doing great things on team and offensive metrics). It's impossible know how Geppert would perform in Rutgers's scheme or how Meyer would perform in Maryland's scheme. Having seen Maryland blowtorch Rutgers's defense in every way possible over the past two years, I sometimes don't know how to view what someone like Rall does over the course of year. Maryland certainly didn't shy away from attacking him over and over with its first and second midfield lines.

Carpenter...I kinda view a lot of Duke players the same way. Lots of hype. ESPN guys love him. Would have loved to see him play another game against UVA last year, but the ACC's unbalanced schedule didn't allow it.

As for Meyer, I was really excited to see him play in the NCAA Tournament, and BU got dismantled in every way possible. So I don't know what to think about Meyer. Does he feast on lower quality opponents? He's certainly active. Is he as disruptive playing against an ACC slate of opponent? Or B1G opponents? Like Rall, he's not the biggest of guys. Geppert might not be the 6'3", 210 pounds that Maryland lists him at...but he's not far off from that.

IMO, Geppert's the best LSM in the college game. Big enough to handle mack trucks that UVA runs through its midfield, athletic enough to handle attack men when he's switched on to them, a terror on the face-off wings and in transition (his gb scoop at the midfield line in the QF was absurd), and smart enough to QB a defense from up top.

I would disagree with the Rall/Maryland assessment. I don't recall them attacking him at all. Where they did attack was from behind, and short sticks.

I love watching our rope unity play so play particular interest. The amount of times I saw Rall get beat last year could be counted on one hand.

[Ezra White]

They way Cornell used Adler in the title game was something I can't recall ever seeing before. Adler literally shifted all over the field to take on whoever got hot for Maryland. Started on Wisnauskas, moved to Khan, took on Malever, bumped up to the midfield to guard DeMaio, shifted over to Long...and on and on. It didn't happen by happenstance or on switches. It was clearly intentional. He might have been the best player on the entire field during the title game.

As for Zappitello and Makar, it doesn't make any sense to even call them 1A or 1B or whatever. They're both top cover guys who have really good athleticism. Makar is definitely more aggressive on- and off-ball, and Zappitello's footwork is elite. Shutting out Shellenberger speaks for itself. Because they're both so good, it allows Tillman and Bernhardt to mix and match assignments to throw opponents off.

But no one is going to put 2 defensemen from the same team on the first-team AA list, so ties goes to the elder!

Adler also defends in a way I've never seen a defender play before. Most defenders mark their man and try to prevent them from shooting, making a pass, or beating the defender. They also slide to help out teammates. In other words, they react to the attack. In contrast, Adler actively attacks the attackers. If you're an attackman, for example, you have to defend from Adler causing a turnover.

I think it's fair to say most player on offense aren't used to this style of defense.

[Gobigred]

They way Cornell used Adler in the title game was something I can't recall ever seeing before. Adler literally shifted all over the field to take on whoever got hot for Maryland. Started on Wisnauskas, moved to Khan, took on Malever, bumped up to the midfield to guard DeMaio, shifted over to Long...and on and on. It didn't happen by happenstance or on switches. It was clearly intentional. He might have been the best player on the entire field during the title game.

As for Zappitello and Makar, it doesn't make any sense to even call them 1A or 1B or whatever. They're both top cover guys who have really good athleticism. Makar is definitely more aggressive on- and off-ball, and Zappitello's footwork is elite. Shutting out Shellenberger speaks for itself. Because they're both so good, it allows Tillman and Bernhardt to mix and match assignments to throw opponents off.

But no one is going to put 2 defensemen from the same team on the first-team AA list, so ties goes to the elder!

Adler also defends in a way I've never seen a defender play before. Most defenders mark their man and try to prevent them from shooting, making a pass, or beating the defender. They also slide to help out teammates. In other words, they react to the attack. In contrast, Adler actively attacks the attackers. If you're an attackman, for example, you have to defend from Adler causing a turnover.

I think it's fair to say most player on offense aren't used to this style of defense.

Staub defended that way at Garden City. Whether he can continue that in Division I remains to be seen.