Syracuse v. Boston College 5:30 pm 5/26/2023

[Madlax59]

Composure is the word.
I will say again, Belle Smith not being a Tewarraton finalist is a travesty. She didn't light up the scoreboard but she is everywhere.

Well, you are focusing on the latter part of the season. I don’t know if she was injured or what in the first part of the year, but she was not playing like we have seen her play when she is at the top of her game earlier in the year. When she is playing her best, she is without a doubt a Tewaaraton finalist. Even today she didn’t do much until that hugely important check that possibly prevented a tying goal.

I’m not sure that she played at a finalist level over the course of the entire season.

But she will have another chance next year. Unfortunately, for her, she will be up against Scane again.

I will agree to disagree. The rest of the team and staff were figuring it out beginning of the season. She is consistently involved in every facet of the game and her team is still standing at the end. I'm just saying she should have been in final 5.

Scane is a force and will deserve it if (when) she gets the award.

BC Loves the FG. Will they put one on Scane?

[Wheels,Wheels!]

KT and the vaunted Cuse offense mind trust get out coached down the stretch. 0-3!! Nothing new, the ghost of Gary still hanging around. As always over hyped. But I don’t want to be rude. Go get your shine box!

New coach, same mistakes. However this was KT’s second season and they were the #1 team for at least 60% of the season. I think she’ll get her ring eventually but it may be 6-7 years

I hear Gary Gait Blues on the B side of this record! They were the better team for 60% tonight. So what

[Nigel]

BC Loves the FG.

Blue Horseshoe loves Anacott Steel.

[user1020]

KT and the vaunted Cuse offense mind trust get out coached down the stretch. 0-3!! Nothing new, the ghost of Gary still hanging around. As always over hyped. But I don’t want to be rude. Go get your shine box!

New coach, same mistakes. However this was KT’s second season and they were the #1 team for at least 60% of the season. I think she’ll get her ring eventually but it may be 6-7 years

I hear Gary Gait Blues on the B side of this record! They were the better team for 60% tonight. So what

I agree and I wanted BC to win but Cuse will get that title eventually (maybe?)

[user1020]

Composure is the word.
I will say again, Belle Smith not being a Tewarraton finalist is a travesty. She didn't light up the scoreboard but she is everywhere.

Well, you are focusing on the latter part of the season. I don’t know if she was injured or what in the first part of the year, but she was not playing like we have seen her play when she is at the top of her game earlier in the year. When she is playing her best, she is without a doubt a Tewaaraton finalist. Even today she didn’t do much until that hugely important check that possibly prevented a tying goal.

I’m not sure that she played at a finalist level over the course of the entire season.

But she will have another chance next year. Unfortunately, for her, she will be up against Scane again.

I will agree to disagree. The rest of the team and staff were figuring it out beginning of the season. She is consistently involved in every facet of the game and her team is still standing at the end. I'm just saying she should have been in final 5.

Scane is a force and will deserve it if (when) she gets the award.

BC Loves the FG. Will they put one on Scane?

Maybe but I feel Scane is more aggressive than Tyrrell. Cuse is a balanced offense and Tyrrell trusted her teammates to win. NU will look to Scane more and she will try harder to get open. This will result in more shots for Scane but also more forced
chances by Scane

[thedisciple516]

What a choke job by Syracuse. How the hell do you let the same team humiliate you in the exact same way they did just a few weeks ago?

This was the year for them to win it all. Best offense in the country (talent wise), defense and goaltending much better than expected, down years for UNC and Maryland. Recruiting doesn't seem to be knocking it out of the park either compared to the BC, Marylands UNC's of the world either.

I don't know if Trainor has "it" as a coach like Acacia-Walker does. Even as a Syracuse fan I'm so impressed by how her teams play. SU was the (slightly) better team today but BC won on hustle, determination, and never say die attitude. The way they harrassed Syracuse all over the field had a huge impact on the game.

Syracuse two MVPs also failed miserably today. A little freshman faceguarding you shouldn't be able to completely take Meghan Tyrell out of one of the most important (and potentially last) game of her career. Sweitzer was useless in goal and couldn't see anything. Her only saves (like 3 of them) came from shots right at her. Newsflash... the primary job of a goaltender is to stop shots not galivant up the field on clears.

Again so impressed by BC's intangibles and ability to overcome adversity. I don't think this Syracuse team has that in them. Go beat Northwestern for the ACC I guess.

[TNLAX]

BC's 6th straight national championship appearance and they've won the 6 Final Four games to get there by a combined SEVEN goals. What an absurd stat.

This is a crazy stat. They’ve struggled in the championship game but this team has so much experience on this stage I think it maybe help. Also helps they’re not playing UMD or UNC who they have struggled against in championship games. Also very interesting that BC never seems to be the #1 seed but is always in the championship game. Credit to AWW for building a great program of late

Also a lot of credit to Jennifer Kent, she is an outstanding associate head coach!

[Can Opener]

I'll say 13-12 Syracuse.

Cuse has the edge on the draw, offense, and goalie. I give BC an edge on defense, though it may depend on which Syr defense shows up. Assessing the coaching edge is next to impossible, given all the interconnections, familial and otherwise. But let's say edge to BC based on experience.

The "what have you done for me lately" factor is also somewhat hard to judge. Syr went into a (not a death) spiral at the end of the season, but has pulled out of it nicely in the NCAAs. BC had a bang up end to its season, but then (arguably) almost lost to Penn before trouncing ND (who's your daddy?). I'm calling this a wash.

BC has been money in semifinal games of late (credit to the coaching staff for getting them ready and up for these games), but has (except once) crashed and burned in the finals (blame to staff?). Whether blame or not, we are talking semifinal here so BC gets an edge for big (semifinal) game readiness.

Syracuse is the better team and the better team usually wins. Usually.

Sorry sea. I know you'd prefer me to trash the Orange and pick the Eagles. Reverse karma as it were.

I do not agree with your assessment that BC has “crashed and burned in the finals.” That term means “to have a spectacular failure or fall from grace.” BC was an underdog in each of their runner-up performances. Other than Maryland, every team in America would trade their record for BC’s over the past seven years. BC also produced three of the five Tewaaraton winners since 2017. Here is a quick recap of BC’s performances in the championship game.

2017 - Unseeded BC (17-7) lost 16-13 to #1 seed Maryland (23-0)
2018 - #4 seed BC (22-2) lost 16-15 to #3 seed JMU (22-1). (Some people regard that JMU season as a little fluky, but they beat UNC twice when the Heels were ranked in the top 5 nationally.)
2019 - #2 seed BC (22-2) lost 12-10 to #1 seed Maryland (22-1)
2021 - #4 seed BC (18-3) won 16-10 over #3 seed Syracuse (17-4)
2022 - #3 seed BC (19-4) lost 12-11 to #1 seed UNC (22-0)
2023 - #3 seed BC (19-3) vs. #1 seed Northwestern (20-1)

Overall, not a bad track record for a team forced to rely on hype, high school facilities and hogging the ball.

[njbill]

Boston College has a great record in the semifinals but a poor (is that word OK with you?) record in the finals. If you are going to give the coaching staff credit for winning semifinal games, then isn’t it fair to give them at least some blame for losing in the finals?

In any event, congratulations to your Eagles for their win yesterday. Hopefully it will be an excellent game tomorrow.

[Seacoaster(1)]

What a choke job by Syracuse. How the hell do you let the same team humiliate you in the exact same way they did just a few weeks ago?

This was the year for them to win it all. Best offense in the country (talent wise), defense and goaltending much better than expected, down years for UNC and Maryland. Recruiting doesn't seem to be knocking it out of the park either compared to the BC, Marylands UNC's of the world either.

I don't know if Trainor has "it" as a coach like Acacia-Walker does. Even as a Syracuse fan I'm so impressed by how her teams play. SU was the (slightly) better team today but BC won on hustle, determination, and never say die attitude. The way they harrassed Syracuse all over the field had a huge impact on the game.

Syracuse two MVPs also failed miserably today. A little freshman faceguarding you shouldn't be able to completely take Meghan Tyrell out of one of the most important (and potentially last) game of her career. Sweitzer was useless in goal and couldn't see anything. Her only saves (like 3 of them) came from shots right at her. Newsflash... the primary job of a goaltender is to stop shots not galivant up the field on clears.

Again so impressed by BC's intangibles and ability to overcome adversity. I don't think this Syracuse team has that in them. Go beat Northwestern for the ACC I guess.

Respectfully (and sorry in advance; I said all this before to a troll who once occupied these threads like the dusty cobwebs in Miss Havisham's old house), I just don't really see the world of sports -- particularly college sports involving young people -- in this way. I didn't see a "choke" by Syracuse, and the notion that this "was the year for them to win it all" is pretty close to ludicrous given the regular season win by BC when they met head to head the first time. Syracuse occupied rarified air, for sure, and it is one of the top three or four teams in the country in 2023. BC was and is the better team: better defense, better between the thirties, and with enough octane and composure to score and win on a day when things weren't necessarily clicking. In my view, BC's magic is that composure, which emanates from its excellent coaching staff and astounding level of big game experience among its core group of players. Syracuse didn't choke; it was beaten on a neutral field by a team that was a little bit better than it, a little more composed than it, and a team that deserved this win. The "Syracuse choke job" narrative only really diminishes the achievement of BC, and I won't sign up for that.

And the "little freshman face-guarding" MT? This also diminishes that kid's performance. It is clear, to anyone watching BC over the last few weeks, that this freshman is a terrific athlete, with excellent foot-speed and footwork, world class speed, composure, and very good skills with the stick. Her single job was to remove MT from any impact on the game. Why not give her the credit she is due, rather that diminish her with this childish moniker?

[DMac]

Unsurprisingly, very well said Sc. Yup, you'll get the usual chair and couch athletes criticisms, to be expected.
Am beyond bummed about the outcome of this one. This Cuse group has been nothing short of
incredible the last couple years when considering the hurdles they've had to get over with injuries
to key players. They over performed when a whole lot of people counted them out. This was another
terrific season but when you come up a bit short the critics feast.
I didn't watch this game because I was afraid of the outcome and just didn't want to see it. You have
to tip your hat to BC and the coaches, they're a mighty tough team to deal with in the post season.
Watched the first few minutes of it this morning. Adamson, GOAL!! Ward, Goal!! Ward, GOAL!!!
Cuse up 3-0. I turned it off at that point. Hard to believe that unit put up only 4 more goals
the rest of the way.

[Lax101]

What a choke job by Syracuse. How the hell do you let the same team humiliate you in the exact same way they did just a few weeks ago?

This was the year for them to win it all. Best offense in the country (talent wise), defense and goaltending much better than expected, down years for UNC and Maryland. Recruiting doesn't seem to be knocking it out of the park either compared to the BC, Marylands UNC's of the world either.

I don't know if Trainor has "it" as a coach like Acacia-Walker does. Even as a Syracuse fan I'm so impressed by how her teams play. SU was the (slightly) better team today but BC won on hustle, determination, and never say die attitude. The way they harrassed Syracuse all over the field had a huge impact on the game.

Syracuse two MVPs also failed miserably today. A little freshman faceguarding you shouldn't be able to completely take Meghan Tyrell out of one of the most important (and potentially last) game of her career. Sweitzer was useless in goal and couldn't see anything. Her only saves (like 3 of them) came from shots right at her. Newsflash... the primary job of a goaltender is to stop shots not galivant up the field on clears.

Again so impressed by BC's intangibles and ability to overcome adversity. I don't think this Syracuse team has that in them. Go beat Northwestern for the ACC I guess.

Respectfully (and sorry in advance; I said all this before to a troll who once occupied these threads like the dusty cobwebs in Miss Havisham's old house), I just don't really see the world of sports -- particularly college sports involving young people -- in this way. I didn't see a "choke" by Syracuse, and the notion that this "was the year for them to win it all" is pretty close to ludicrous given the regular season win by BC when they met head to head the first time. Syracuse occupied rarified air, for sure, and it is one of the top three or four teams in the country in 2023. BC was and is the better team: better defense, better between the thirties, and with enough octane and composure to score and win on a day when things weren't necessarily clicking. In my view, BC's magic is that composure, which emanates from its excellent coaching staff and astounding level of big game experience among its core group of players. Syracuse didn't choke; it was beaten on a neutral field by a team that was a little bit better than it, a little more composed than it, and a team that deserved this win. The "Syracuse choke job" narrative only really diminishes the achievement of BC, and I won't sign up for that.

And the "little freshman face-guarding" MT? This also diminishes that kid's performance. It is clear, to anyone watching BC over the last few weeks, that this freshman is a terrific athlete, with excellent foot-speed and footwork, world class speed, composure, and very good skills with the stick. Her single job was to remove MT from any impact on the game. Why not give her the credit she is due, rather that diminish her with this childish moniker?

This is an incredible post and I agree with everything that was said. I've talked about the collective grit of BC several times and their ability to clamp down on teams and execute down the stretch in the biggest of moments. It just amazing
to watch and should be acknowledged and celebrated.

[Brownlax]

One thing I was surprised at was Cuse’s final timeout was taken with over 5 minutes to go in the 4th.

[user1020]

A lot bc BCs shots were hip height off stick side. Not sure if this was a good scouting report by BC coaching or Medjids favorite spot to shoot.

[user1020]

BC stats show no CTs for Belle Smith but she had the biggest of the game with under a minute to go. This play has had tons of attention but no credit for the CT. Shows the inconsistency and poor reliability of stats in women’s lax.

[TNLAX]

BC stats show no CTs for Belle Smith but she had the biggest of the game with under a minute to go. This play has had tons of attention but no credit for the CT. Shows the inconsistency and poor reliability of stats in women’s lax.

+1000

[njbill]

A big miss, indeed.

I just rewatched the play to see if, by chance, Syracuse had gotten the ball back, which would have meant Smith would not get credited with a caused turnover. But that isn’t what happened. BC got possession, so Smith absolutely should be credited with a caused turnover. Obviously her coaches and teammates know.

Keeping stats on the fly is next to an impossible task. Some of the stats, such as goals, they get right 100% of the time. Others, not so much.

In the NFL, some organization reviews game films and corrects any statistical errors. I’m sure there just isn’t enough person power in wlax to do something similar.

[Womenslaxxfan]

What a choke job by Syracuse. How the hell do you let the same team humiliate you in the exact same way they did just a few weeks ago?

This was the year for them to win it all. Best offense in the country (talent wise), defense and goaltending much better than expected, down years for UNC and Maryland. Recruiting doesn't seem to be knocking it out of the park either compared to the BC, Marylands UNC's of the world either.

I don't know if Trainor has "it" as a coach like Acacia-Walker does. Even as a Syracuse fan I'm so impressed by how her teams play. SU was the (slightly) better team today but BC won on hustle, determination, and never say die attitude. The way they harrassed Syracuse all over the field had a huge impact on the game.

Syracuse two MVPs also failed miserably today. A little freshman faceguarding you shouldn't be able to completely take Meghan Tyrell out of one of the most important (and potentially last) game of her career. Sweitzer was useless in goal and couldn't see anything. Her only saves (like 3 of them) came from shots right at her. Newsflash... the primary job of a goaltender is to stop shots not galivant up the field on clears.

Again so impressed by BC's intangibles and ability to overcome adversity. I don't think this Syracuse team has that in them. Go beat Northwestern for the ACC I guess.

Respectfully (and sorry in advance; I said all this before to a troll who once occupied these threads like the dusty cobwebs in Miss Havisham's old house), I just don't really see the world of sports -- particularly college sports involving young people -- in this way. I didn't see a "choke" by Syracuse, and the notion that this "was the year for them to win it all" is pretty close to ludicrous given the regular season win by BC when they met head to head the first time. Syracuse occupied rarified air, for sure, and it is one of the top three or four teams in the country in 2023. BC was and is the better team: better defense, better between the thirties, and with enough octane and composure to score and win on a day when things weren't necessarily clicking. In my view, BC's magic is that composure, which emanates from its excellent coaching staff and astounding level of big game experience among its core group of players. Syracuse didn't choke; it was beaten on a neutral field by a team that was a little bit better than it, a little more composed than it, and a team that deserved this win. The "Syracuse choke job" narrative only really diminishes the achievement of BC, and I won't sign up for that.

And the "little freshman face-guarding" MT? This also diminishes that kid's performance. It is clear, to anyone watching BC over the last few weeks, that this freshman is a terrific athlete, with excellent foot-speed and footwork, world class speed, composure, and very good skills with the stick. Her single job was to remove MT from any impact on the game. Why not give her the credit she is due, rather that diminish her with this childish moniker?

I agree this was a very BC like performance. I thought bc would win and said so in this forum for the same reasons others have cited which is more talent at more positions and an uncanny ability as a team to dig deep when they have to. Cuses top end players on offense I thought were better than bcs. But cuses game plan was to play 6 v 6 without meg tyrell, and when you take her off the board, I think you lose some of the magic that Syracuse can produce.
And as far as the faceguard, tyrell didn’t test it. This was not a case of a facegusrd covering someone who was working like crazy to get open on back cuts and pick plays. It was someone ata ding next to her while she literally stood still for 55 minutes of the game. Not a knock on the BC player. She did what she was told to do. But anyone who has watched Charlotte north lose her faceguard can see that Tyrell was doing none of that. And I just don’t understand why cuse would choose to do that….

[Womenslaxxfan]

Don’t know what happened on that last post. I wrote the last paragraph. Seacoaster wrote the rest…

[hsllax]

I’ve wondered if cuse was a victim of their own offensive success yesterday. Their scoring was so balanced this season that there was no 90 goal scorer. Carney was their best scorer with 60 goals on the season. Lots of players with a high point total but almost too much balance between goals and assists. They needed someone to put the team on their back yesterday and score 5 goals like Medjid did for BC. On that last cuse possession I didn’t know who would take it goal and it seems that neither did they. Adamson is excellent but on that team with that offense, she’s not who I would’ve picked. M. Tyrrell has been that player the past 2 seasons but she didn’t need to be this year because of the talent around her.