Live Game Action

[Kleizaster]

If I'm facing Maryland and have the athletes to do it, I'm playing zone until they figure out how to score against it.

Was Cordingly that good? watching her play on team Canada maybe she was but what happened to Maryland's offense?? Completely lost out there. Zero flow. Flat. Time to panic.

[ultravisitor]

Well, last month was “It’s just February. The Terps always improve over the course of the season…”

[Dr. Tact]

Butt checks and attempted butt checks drive me absolutely nuts. More specifically, how inconsistently they are called. Not even sure why it bothers me so much.

Cause they are a lazy check instead of moving ones feet?

Yes haha, exactly. Lazy and also illegal. I think my frustration lies mostly with the officiating though. It’s much more black and white than cross-checking. Just call them, all of them, so players stop trying to do it as much.

Phan, correct me if I am wrong. I dont think that the act of hitting the butt end of a stick is illegal. It does open up the rule book for check to the body or causing the stick to hit the body, but I dont see where it is prohibited. Rule #2,5 and 6 are in play...

. Illegal Use of the Stick: Using the stick in a dangerous and/or intimidating
manner. For example:
1. Directly poking or waving the stick near an opponent’s face;

2. Roughly or recklessly checking an opponent’s stick. Any part of a stick
may be checked in a direction toward the body if the check is controlled.
No player’s stick may hit or cause an opponent’s stick to hit an opponent’s
body;

3. Making a sweeping check from behind that contacts an opponent’s body;

4. Reaching across an opponent to check the stick when one is level with or
behind their opponent;

5. Using the webbed area of one’s stick to hook the bottom end of an
opponent’s stick; or

6. Any other action with the stick that, in the official’s opinion, amounts to
dangerous or intimidating play.


I agree with you that it is a lazy play.

[Madlax59]

Well, last month was “It’s just February. The Terps always improve over the course of the season…”

And don’t forget they are “Defender U””
I mean UNC. (Defending natty champ) gave up 5 to BC Friday but by all means let’s laud Maryland with cover last month . Please

[wlaxphan20]

Well, last month was “It’s just February. The Terps always improve over the course of the season…”

I mean it is only March 5th....but the fact that there has barely been any change, and we keep seeing the same flat, sad play on attack is getting a little alarming. They have been making last ditch pushes late in games to come back, but even that play is just "less flat", and those pushes are often too little too late.

I'm still really scratching my head thinking WTH was Leubecker doing after she won that ball back with 0:21 left. She's a 2 year starter and 2 time All-American and she looked panicked like a deer in headlights.

[jff97]

If I'm facing Maryland and have the athletes to do it, I'm playing zone until they figure out how to score against it.

Was Cordingly that good? watching her play on team Canada maybe she was but what happened to Maryland's offense?? Completely lost out there. Zero flow. Flat. Time to panic.

Given I've only watched the Syracuse game and didn't play the sport, I feel like MD's biggest problem (and this was the case at times last year) was trying to play too perfect. Sometimes you need to be aggressive and make a play happen. Clevenger's production from behind the cage has been fine, but she doesn't go to goal as much as Cordingley so she doesn't cause as much trouble for a defense. Plus if you pack it in, then you take away a lot of what May does so well. So at that point you really only need to worry about Leubecker, who probably should go to goal more considering how quick her first step is. Nobody else has really emerged as a big threat.
And I think this team really misses Grace Griffin's steadiness and leadership. She may not have reached the level of some of MD's past 2-way middies, but she was a three-time captain, stepped into the 2-way role basically from day one, and was the last big contributor left from the 2019 title team. She was not going to be easy to replace.

[Kleizaster]

Edmondson looked good today. I'm conflicted about that last shot she took but seemed to me like she decided to go for it in hopes of drawing a foul. Wasn't a great shot. The offense is what it is. really bad. Maryland doesn't have creative or high IQ feeders or players with vision. The defense was alot better today. They can still hang on that and Edmondson.

Shannon Smith, who couldn't get a game at UNC and was 3rd or 4th in the depth chart in her position is a starter for Maryland. That's all you need to know.

[njbill]

I thought the Denver fans sounded louder than the Maryland fans. Perhaps a lot of the women on the Denver team are from the East Coast and this game gave family and friends a really good opportunity to see them without having to get on an airplane.

The football field venue is nowhere near as “friendly” as the little band box field.

Maryland had a couple of good opportunities to at least tie this game up. Championship teams buckle down and tighten up and elevate their play in “winning time” at the end of a close game. The Terps just were unable to do so. Yes, they were playing against a very tough defense, but it seemed to me that they had finally started figuring out how to attack the Denver rover defense. But at the very end, they just bumbled and stumbled.

Denver is a really good team. How good would they be if they had, say, two hammer attackers and a stud goalie?

I had Maryland beating Boston College in the national championship game before the season started. I think I need to have my head examined.

[wlaxphan20]

Butt checks and attempted butt checks drive me absolutely nuts. More specifically, how inconsistently they are called. Not even sure why it bothers me so much.

Cause they are a lazy check instead of moving ones feet?

Yes haha, exactly. Lazy and also illegal. I think my frustration lies mostly with the officiating though. It’s much more black and white than cross-checking. Just call them, all of them, so players stop trying to do it as much.

Phan, correct me if I am wrong. I dont think that the act of hitting the butt end of a stick is illegal. It does open up the rule book for check to the body or causing the stick to hit the body, but I dont see where it is prohibited. Rule #2,5 and 6 are in play...

. Illegal Use of the Stick: Using the stick in a dangerous and/or intimidating
manner. For example:
1. Directly poking or waving the stick near an opponent’s face;

2. Roughly or recklessly checking an opponent’s stick. Any part of a stick
may be checked in a direction toward the body if the check is controlled.
No player’s stick may hit or cause an opponent’s stick to hit an opponent’s
body;

3. Making a sweeping check from behind that contacts an opponent’s body;

4. Reaching across an opponent to check the stick when one is level with or
behind their opponent;

5. Using the webbed area of one’s stick to hook the bottom end of an
opponent’s stick; or

6. Any other action with the stick that, in the official’s opinion, amounts to
dangerous or intimidating play.


I agree with you that it is a lazy play.

No you're right, there's no rule specifically stating that "hitting" the butt end of a stick is illegal, I was mostly referring to #4. And I agree, I think 99.9% of the time, butt checking falls under 2, 5, or 6 (and sometimes 4). There's probably really one, maybe two, very specific ways/directions to check the stick butt so that doesn't fall under illegal use of the stick. I just think at that point, it should just be considered against the rules. There's almost no way to do it correctly. But play is dictated much more by what officials allow than what the rule book says.

[wlaxphan20]

Edmondson looked good today. I'm conflicted about that last shot she took but seemed to me like she decided to go for it in hopes of drawing a foul. Wasn't a great shot. The offense is what it is. really bad. Maryland doesn't have creative or high IQ feeders or players with vision. The defense was alot better today. They can still hang on that and Edmondson.

Shannon Smith, who couldn't get a game at UNC and was 3rd or 4th in the depth chart in her position is a starter for Maryland. That's all you need to know.

Shannon Smith? Not a single kid from her class was a starter their freshman year in 2021. Do you know how many kids from her class saw the field regularly off the bench? 1, Wurzburger. Smith played in 8 games, 4th most in her class of 10 (Long played 9 and Little played 14). She transferred after her freshman year and became a starter for a Maryland team that made the NCAA semi finals with a healthy, well-rounded stat line:

25G 11A 22GB 13CT 63DC

And do you know how many current UNC starters were right there with Smith, just as low on the depth chart in 2021? Take a look. I don't think you're making the point you think you are.

[wlaxphan20]

I agree.

Wow, has Md. gotten a lot of iffy calls in their favor at the end of this game. Just wow.

Iffy calls to go with iffy play. Shooting is a huge problem, IMO. They look like they've got the yips. Libby May took 8 shots and only 2 of them were on goal. It's definitely a team-wide issue, but May's numbers just stood out to me. Clevenger had a tough day, too. Some credit goes to the Denver defense as well

[jff97]

Edmondson looked good today. I'm conflicted about that last shot she took but seemed to me like she decided to go for it in hopes of drawing a foul. Wasn't a great shot. The offense is what it is. really bad. Maryland doesn't have creative or high IQ feeders or players with vision. The defense was alot better today. They can still hang on that and Edmondson.

Shannon Smith, who couldn't get a game at UNC and was 3rd or 4th in the depth chart in her position is a starter for Maryland. That's all you need to know.

Shannon Smith? Not a single kid from her class was a starter their freshman year in 2021. Do you know how many kids from her class saw the field regularly off the bench? 1, Wurzburger. Smith played in 8 games, 4th most in her class of 10 (Long played 9 and Little played 14). She transferred after her freshman year and became a starter for a Maryland team that made the NCAA semi finals with a healthy, well-rounded stat line:

25G 11A 22GB 13CT 63DC

And do you know how many current UNC starters were right there with Smith, just as low on the depth chart in 2021? Take a look. I don't think you're making the point you think you are.

There was no real point. Most of that person's post are just to play up UNC's current dominance and punch down anyone who dares to question it. And lead the new chorus of posters rooting on MD's demise now that ONW has disappeared for the time being.

[Seacoaster(1)]

So, I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I thought Terps might go 1-2 over these three games after the Cuse shelling. But I thought they’d beat JMU and lose to Florida and Denver. In any case, a lot of work ahead of them.

[jff97]

So, I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I thought Terps might go 1-2 over these three games after the Cuse shelling. But I thought they’d beat JMU and lose to Florida and Denver. In any case, a lot of work ahead of them.

My predictions would've been a Florida and JMU loss, but Denver win. And I don't expect the team to quit. Not sure if it will get better, but they'll keep working.

[Essexfenwick]

So, I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I thought Terps might go 1-2 over these three games after the Cuse shelling. But I thought they’d beat JMU and lose to Florida and Denver. In any case, a lot of work ahead of them.

My predictions would've been a Florida and JMU loss, but Denver win. And I don't expect the team to quit. Not sure if it will get better, but they'll keep working.

The terp defense is good and getting better.

The offense is incoherent

[Puck Swami]

I thought the Denver fans sounded louder than the Maryland fans.

Denver's roster is mostly from the east coast, with few others from other places. Almost 20 of them are from Maryland or Va., so I would expect at least 100-200 Denver fans on the road for most east coast games, if not more. DU at home typically draws around 300-500 total people for most games.

[Dr. Tact]

No you're right, there's no rule specifically stating that "hitting" the butt end of a stick is illegal, I was mostly referring to #4. And I agree, I think 99.9% of the time, butt checking falls under 2, 5, or 6 (and sometimes 4). There's probably really one, maybe two, very specific ways/directions to check the stick butt so that doesn't fall under illegal use of the stick. I just think at that point, it should just be considered against the rules. There's almost no way to do it correctly. But play is dictated much more by what officials allow than what the rule book says.

I agree with you

[Bart]

Eastern Michigan gets the programs first win 12-7 over Delaware State.

[Fischer]

Wagner is getting steamrolled. Good god they can’t maintain any kind of possession. It’s painful

[UO22]

So, I don’t mean to be a jerk, but I thought Terps might go 1-2 over these three games after the Cuse shelling. But I thought they’d beat JMU and lose to Florida and Denver. In any case, a lot of work ahead of them.

My predictions would've been a Florida and JMU loss, but Denver win. And I don't expect the team to quit. Not sure if it will get better, but they'll keep working.

The terp defense is good and getting better.

The offense is incoherent

Offense is a dumpster fire. D is good. Honestly thought they would be better. It will be interesting to see how they do against NW. Terps Not in love with their FOGO either. Pads her stats against mid competition.