Cornell 2024

[faircornell]

"The indoor field will accommodate NCAA men’s and women’s lacrosse competitions;"

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/1 ... -meinig-61

During Covid, the informal information going around was that the cost of the indoor facility had doubled. These numbers seem to confirm that estimate.

[Laxfax52]

Monster Trucks are coming to the JMA Wireless Dome on April 6th (Sat).

LOL

Of course, the game is at Cornell.

[Velvet.Fog]

It's been a while for me - but what better way to return to the forum than a look ahead to the upcoming 2024 season in the context of last night's scrimmage v Maryland. Obviously, replacing players like Adler, Coyle and Ierlan is a tall task - but based on the scrimmage last night there is plenty of reason for optimism. Want to be careful not to read too much into a scrimmage - but both teams played with energy and toughness. Let's go through the squad by position.

First however - I have good notes through only 3 quarters last night. After Q3, the teams subbed liberally. And keep in mind each team was without some key players. I did not see Owen Murphy or Logan McNaney (at a minimum, I'm sure there were others) for Terps - and for Cornell there was no Long/Lombardi/Singer/K Smith/Graham. Reports are that all of these Cornell players will be back at full strength in the spring. Team Scores: End of Q1 Cor 4-UMD 3; End of Q2 UMD 7-Cor 5; end of Q3 Cor 10-UMD 9. In the last 2 additional quarters the Cornell reserves got the better of the Terp reserves by a good margin - and several of the Red newcomers looked sharp. Unofficial stats for Red: Kirst (4G), Goldstein (3G,1A), Piatelli (1G), Kelleher (1G), Caddigan (1G). Single assists by Cascadden, Wirtheim and Perfetto.

The main overall surprises from the first 3 quarters for Red was the play of Goldstein and Firth. Goldstein came out flying with (3G, 1A) all in Q1. His first goal was a fluke but his next two were beauties. Sprint/razor pick dodges from X with great shots - one righty and one lefty from just above GLE. Big time speed moves. He had some bad turnovers and an unnecessary penalty as well - but those should be things that can be improved with focus by coaches. He will certainly compete for substantial time at attack (more below). Firth - wearing #51 and playing left wing - was almost eerily similar looking to Jeff Teat. Firth is very smooth and has great instincts. Many also thought he was slightly quicker than Jeff at a similar age. He certainly did not exhibit the passing vision of Teat (who can?) - but he is very talented and will get plenty of PT. One dodge from left wing ended with an underhand runner in a tight space that scored through the 5-hole. Made it look ordinary! The other key highlight was Cornell goalkeepers! Knust played the first 2Qs and was outstanding. Then Tully played a good amount and was similarly great! Clearing was an issue for Cornell all night and the goalies/Def/SSDMs need to improve in that area - but the stopping ability is very high for each goalie.

Attack. A deep and talented group. If possible - Kirst looks bigger, stronger and more talented than before. He got a ton of attention from Terps (e.g., doubles) and even missed his first 5-6 shots from close in - and still was the best player on the field by a good margin. Just a generational talent that should have a monster year. The next key will be Long's return. Rumors are he is feeling strong after off season fix for lower body issue. Does he go back to X with the potential emergence of Goldstein? Can he play right side if Goldstein can handle X? Plenty of choices here and if Long can return to being an impact player - this unit is scary good. With Kirst on the left side, and Long/Goldstein at X - the big question will be the right wing attack spot? Another lefty (Firth?) is not really an option. Maybe Caddigan? Nikolac? My sense is that coaches will figure this out and Long will return in a big way somewhere. Others that looked sharp included Caddigan (very good righty shooter), Perfetto (fast and tough from X - looked really good).

Midfield. Not a lot of production last night from the mids - but still plenty to be excited about. The big boys here will be Kelleher, Blake, Wirtheim, Lombardi - with Sheehan, Holmes, Dalton and Nikolic being the other key contributors. Also look for Firth to run some middie O. Luzzi, Topouzis, Gilmartin and Lamb are in contention. Kelleher had a nice goal on a simple alley dodge where he snuck the ball inside the far pipe. He tends to be predictable at times (freight train dodge from midfield) and is developing a bad habit (a sidearm, low angle righty shot as he loses his angle down the right alley - Ugh) - but he is still a physical force. Blake didn't do much but he looked quick. A good sign if his legs are strong. If he can get his burst back he will also be a force. Wirtheim is going to consistently get a shortie and has to exploit that matchup every time. It is a very important aspect of the offense. Nikolic is expected to make an impact with the middie group and had a nice shot early off the pipe. The middies will be fine. Not as much of a strength as the attack but still a strong D1 group.

Defense/LSM. The close D group was Follows, Staub and Dooley. This very well could be the close D group in game 1. Singer was missing - and he can play both close and LSM. Rayhill looked to be the top pole - with Wallace a close second. The group looked strong overall. Maryland plays smart balanced offense and can make teams look silly sometimes - and they had a couple of goals like that. But no defender lost his indiv matchup and slides were aggressive. We were also good off the ground. JK Kelly has reportedly had a very good fall and was the fourth pole in the game. He looked good. Clearing was an issue for everyone on the Cornell side. Cornell was also man down for a good part of Q2 - including at one point being 3 men down! The LSMs played well. Boccafola was third man in that group. Apparently Lohnes has impressed and may get some looks at close. We will certainly miss Adler at key times - but again, plenty to feel good about here.

SSDM. The top 3 remain Davis, Bozzi and Box. Lamb and Gilmartin apparently the top two frosh here. This group was solid. A few misses that Maryland exploited - but then that is to be expected from such a strong well-coached offense. Terps are always very talented. This group needs to stay healthy and develop some additional young players. But like the close D group - this is now an experienced group that can play against very good offensive players. They also looked tenacious on the FO wings last night - a good sign.

Goalies. As noted, both Knust and Tully were great. Knust started the first 2 quarters. Stopped a lot of shots including when we were 2-men down and then 3-men down! Clearing for everyone was spotty. Tully very much the same. Stopped some really good shots. Looked confident and athletic. They are both top tier goalies. Cornell in very good shape on this front.

That's a long summary - but fun to do. As mentioned at the end of last year - the current coaches very much seem to have the program going in the right direction and playing at a high level. This crop of freshman are very strong and will contribute for years. Hopefully this spring Cornell can reach its potential - which might allow a deep playoff run. Hope the Cornell fans enjoy this read! Non-Cornell fans should simply go to some other forum/topic!

GBR!

VF

[faircornell]

Thanks, Velvet Fog! Great recap.

[CU88a]

Sharing from [email protected]


Schedule Preview: Cornell
Analyzing the 2024 schedule for Cornell, it's clear that the team is primed for an exciting drama-filled season. The schedule is a solid mix of challenging and manageable games that should give the team ample opportunities to make their case for the post-season. An initial simulation of the 13-game schedule projects an average of 9.5 wins and 3.5 losses. This projection, based on the final LaxElo ratings from 2023, places Cornell's RPI in the 5 - 10 range in 50% of simulations. Likewise, Cornell's Strength-of-Record ranking, which gives more weight to significant wins and losses, falls in the 7 - 12 range in 50% of the runs. Having a Strength-of-Record that looks likely to lag the RPI ranking suggests the possibility of a perception penalty come selection time. Strength-of-Record is not an official selection criteria (I think it should be), but it does seem to align with how the committee evaluates two teams with similar RPI ratings.

Comparatively, the 2024 schedule aligns closely with the previous year's, with 10 of the 13 opponents being the same (4 of the 7 non-conference opponents are back). However, the introduction of Syracuse (projected Cornell win probability: 88%), Denver (projected WP: 54%), and Notre Dame (projected WP: 47%) this season adds an edge to the non-conference schedule, making it significantly more challenging than the previous year's. The team will need to strategize effectively to navigate these new additions successfully to have a shot at an at-large.

Looking at the average LaxElo team strength ranking of all their scheduled opponents, Cornell's schedule projects as the 7th toughest nationally, a strong position that indicates a challenging, yet manageable, schedule. The non-conference Strength-of-Schedule rating is 8th, indicating a balance in the difficulty level of both conference and non-conference games.

In terms of the schedule's layout, the toughest 4-game stretch for Cornell is set to be from March 9th to March 30th, where they'll face off against Penn State, Princeton, Yale, and Penn. The simulations returned an average win total of 2.5 victories for this stretch. Conversely, the easiest 4-game stretch is projected to be from February 27th to March 16th, with games against Hobart, Ohio State, Penn State, and Princeton, where the expected win total rises to 3.1 W's.

The start of the season, from February 17th to March 2nd is the most intense period, with 4 games scheduled within 15 days. This period will test the team's depth and endurance.

All in all, the 2024 schedule for Cornell is definitely one that 'could' produce a solid post-season resume. It also has the potential to produce too many losses for the team to put together a tournament-worthy set of wins and losses. That'll be the drama around Cornell this year. One thing that is certain: the increased difficulty in the non-conference schedule compared to last year is certainly going to give Big Red fans a steady stream of enjoyable and highly-anticipated matchups.

[mfp]

Great scrimmage review and season prognostication above. Thank you.

Pictures from the scrimmage (not mine; I wasn't there): https://www.richbarnesphotography.com/2 ... ll-102123/

Roster so you can figure out who's who: https://cornellbigred.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/roster

The pictures are great but you can't read too much into them. Some quick observations though:

• Lots of shots of CJ Kirst. No surprise. I worry about overuse injury since he seems to play non-stop. Heck, he celebrates so hard that I worry he's going to hurt himself!

• Hugh Kelleher looks huge. He was already a big kid but he has clearly spent a lot of time in the weight room.

• Good to see some new numbers/names on the field. Several freshmen got playing time. There are new numbers 77 and 51. No pressure. ;^)

[Typical Lax Dad]

Sharing from [email protected]


Schedule Preview: Cornell
Analyzing the 2024 schedule for Cornell, it's clear that the team is primed for an exciting drama-filled season. The schedule is a solid mix of challenging and manageable games that should give the team ample opportunities to make their case for the post-season. An initial simulation of the 13-game schedule projects an average of 9.5 wins and 3.5 losses. This projection, based on the final LaxElo ratings from 2023, places Cornell's RPI in the 5 - 10 range in 50% of simulations. Likewise, Cornell's Strength-of-Record ranking, which gives more weight to significant wins and losses, falls in the 7 - 12 range in 50% of the runs. Having a Strength-of-Record that looks likely to lag the RPI ranking suggests the possibility of a perception penalty come selection time. Strength-of-Record is not an official selection criteria (I think it should be), but it does seem to align with how the committee evaluates two teams with similar RPI ratings.

Comparatively, the 2024 schedule aligns closely with the previous year's, with 10 of the 13 opponents being the same (4 of the 7 non-conference opponents are back). However, the introduction of Syracuse (projected Cornell win probability: 88%), Denver (projected WP: 54%), and Notre Dame (projected WP: 47%) this season adds an edge to the non-conference schedule, making it significantly more challenging than the previous year's. The team will need to strategize effectively to navigate these new additions successfully to have a shot at an at-large.

Looking at the average LaxElo team strength ranking of all their scheduled opponents, Cornell's schedule projects as the 7th toughest nationally, a strong position that indicates a challenging, yet manageable, schedule. The non-conference Strength-of-Schedule rating is 8th, indicating a balance in the difficulty level of both conference and non-conference games.

In terms of the schedule's layout, the toughest 4-game stretch for Cornell is set to be from March 9th to March 30th, where they'll face off against Penn State, Princeton, Yale, and Penn. The simulations returned an average win total of 2.5 victories for this stretch. Conversely, the easiest 4-game stretch is projected to be from February 27th to March 16th, with games against Hobart, Ohio State, Penn State, and Princeton, where the expected win total rises to 3.1 W's.

The start of the season, from February 17th to March 2nd is the most intense period, with 4 games scheduled within 15 days. This period will test the team's depth and endurance.

All in all, the 2024 schedule for Cornell is definitely one that 'could' produce a solid post-season resume. It also has the potential to produce too many losses for the team to put together a tournament-worthy set of wins and losses. That'll be the drama around Cornell this year. One thing that is certain: the increased difficulty in the non-conference schedule compared to last year is certainly going to give Big Red fans a steady stream of enjoyable and highly-anticipated matchups.

Any word on the change to the weekly order of the Ivy League schedule?

[ChadCascadden]

It's been a while for me - but what better way to return to the forum than a look ahead to the upcoming 2024 season in the context of last night's scrimmage v Maryland. Obviously, replacing players like Adler, Coyle and Ierlan is a tall task - but based on the scrimmage last night there is plenty of reason for optimism. Want to be careful not to read too much into a scrimmage - but both teams played with energy and toughness. Let's go through the squad by position.

First however - I have good notes through only 3 quarters last night. After Q3, the teams subbed liberally. And keep in mind each team was without some key players. I did not see Owen Murphy or Logan McNaney (at a minimum, I'm sure there were others) for Terps - and for Cornell there was no Long/Lombardi/Singer/K Smith/Graham. Reports are that all of these Cornell players will be back at full strength in the spring. Team Scores: End of Q1 Cor 4-UMD 3; End of Q2 UMD 7-Cor 5; end of Q3 Cor 10-UMD 9. In the last 2 additional quarters the Cornell reserves got the better of the Terp reserves by a good margin - and several of the Red newcomers looked sharp. Unofficial stats for Red: Kirst (4G), Goldstein (3G,1A), Piatelli (1G), Kelleher (1G), Caddigan (1G). Single assists by Cascadden, Wirtheim and Perfetto.

The main overall surprises from the first 3 quarters for Red was the play of Goldstein and Firth. Goldstein came out flying with (3G, 1A) all in Q1. His first goal was a fluke but his next two were beauties. Sprint/razor pick dodges from X with great shots - one righty and one lefty from just above GLE. Big time speed moves. He had some bad turnovers and an unnecessary penalty as well - but those should be things that can be improved with focus by coaches. He will certainly compete for substantial time at attack (more below). Firth - wearing #51 and playing left wing - was almost eerily similar looking to Jeff Teat. Firth is very smooth and has great instincts. Many also thought he was slightly quicker than Jeff at a similar age. He certainly did not exhibit the passing vision of Teat (who can?) - but he is very talented and will get plenty of PT. One dodge from left wing ended with an underhand runner in a tight space that scored through the 5-hole. Made it look ordinary! The other key highlight was Cornell goalkeepers! Knust played the first 2Qs and was outstanding. Then Tully played a good amount and was similarly great! Clearing was an issue for Cornell all night and the goalies/Def/SSDMs need to improve in that area - but the stopping ability is very high for each goalie.

Attack. A deep and talented group. If possible - Kirst looks bigger, stronger and more talented than before. He got a ton of attention from Terps (e.g., doubles) and even missed his first 5-6 shots from close in - and still was the best player on the field by a good margin. Just a generational talent that should have a monster year. The next key will be Long's return. Rumors are he is feeling strong after off season fix for lower body issue. Does he go back to X with the potential emergence of Goldstein? Can he play right side if Goldstein can handle X? Plenty of choices here and if Long can return to being an impact player - this unit is scary good. With Kirst on the left side, and Long/Goldstein at X - the big question will be the right wing attack spot? Another lefty (Firth?) is not really an option. Maybe Caddigan? Nikolac? My sense is that coaches will figure this out and Long will return in a big way somewhere. Others that looked sharp included Caddigan (very good righty shooter), Perfetto (fast and tough from X - looked really good).

Midfield. Not a lot of production last night from the mids - but still plenty to be excited about. The big boys here will be Kelleher, Blake, Wirtheim, Lombardi - with Sheehan, Holmes, Dalton and Nikolic being the other key contributors. Also look for Firth to run some middie O. Luzzi, Topouzis, Gilmartin and Lamb are in contention. Kelleher had a nice goal on a simple alley dodge where he snuck the ball inside the far pipe. He tends to be predictable at times (freight train dodge from midfield) and is developing a bad habit (a sidearm, low angle righty shot as he loses his angle down the right alley - Ugh) - but he is still a physical force. Blake didn't do much but he looked quick. A good sign if his legs are strong. If he can get his burst back he will also be a force. Wirtheim is going to consistently get a shortie and has to exploit that matchup every time. It is a very important aspect of the offense. Nikolic is expected to make an impact with the middie group and had a nice shot early off the pipe. The middies will be fine. Not as much of a strength as the attack but still a strong D1 group.

Defense/LSM. The close D group was Follows, Staub and Dooley. This very well could be the close D group in game 1. Singer was missing - and he can play both close and LSM. Rayhill looked to be the top pole - with Wallace a close second. The group looked strong overall. Maryland plays smart balanced offense and can make teams look silly sometimes - and they had a couple of goals like that. But no defender lost his indiv matchup and slides were aggressive. We were also good off the ground. JK Kelly has reportedly had a very good fall and was the fourth pole in the game. He looked good. Clearing was an issue for everyone on the Cornell side. Cornell was also man down for a good part of Q2 - including at one point being 3 men down! The LSMs played well. Boccafola was third man in that group. Apparently Lohnes has impressed and may get some looks at close. We will certainly miss Adler at key times - but again, plenty to feel good about here.

SSDM. The top 3 remain Davis, Bozzi and Box. Lamb and Gilmartin apparently the top two frosh here. This group was solid. A few misses that Maryland exploited - but then that is to be expected from such a strong well-coached offense. Terps are always very talented. This group needs to stay healthy and develop some additional young players. But like the close D group - this is now an experienced group that can play against very good offensive players. They also looked tenacious on the FO wings last night - a good sign.

Goalies. As noted, both Knust and Tully were great. Knust started the first 2 quarters. Stopped a lot of shots including when we were 2-men down and then 3-men down! Clearing for everyone was spotty. Tully very much the same. Stopped some really good shots. Looked confident and athletic. They are both top tier goalies. Cornell in very good shape on this front.

That's a long summary - but fun to do. As mentioned at the end of last year - the current coaches very much seem to have the program going in the right direction and playing at a high level. This crop of freshman are very strong and will contribute for years. Hopefully this spring Cornell can reach its potential - which might allow a deep playoff run. Hope the Cornell fans enjoy this read! Non-Cornell fans should simply go to some other forum/topic!

GBR!

VF

FACEOFF coverage?
Maybe it doesn’t matter at this point if the season?…

[ChadCascadden]

It's been a while for me - but what better way to return to the forum than a look ahead to the upcoming 2024 season in the context of last night's scrimmage v Maryland. Obviously, replacing players like Adler, Coyle and Ierlan is a tall task - but based on the scrimmage last night there is plenty of reason for optimism. Want to be careful not to read too much into a scrimmage - but both teams played with energy and toughness. Let's go through the squad by position.

First however - I have good notes through only 3 quarters last night. After Q3, the teams subbed liberally. And keep in mind each team was without some key players. I did not see Owen Murphy or Logan McNaney (at a minimum, I'm sure there were others) for Terps - and for Cornell there was no Long/Lombardi/Singer/K Smith/Graham. Reports are that all of these Cornell players will be back at full strength in the spring. Team Scores: End of Q1 Cor 4-UMD 3; End of Q2 UMD 7-Cor 5; end of Q3 Cor 10-UMD 9. In the last 2 additional quarters the Cornell reserves got the better of the Terp reserves by a good margin - and several of the Red newcomers looked sharp. Unofficial stats for Red: Kirst (4G), Goldstein (3G,1A), Piatelli (1G), Kelleher (1G), Caddigan (1G). Single assists by Cascadden, Wirtheim and Perfetto.

The main overall surprises from the first 3 quarters for Red was the play of Goldstein and Firth. Goldstein came out flying with (3G, 1A) all in Q1. His first goal was a fluke but his next two were beauties. Sprint/razor pick dodges from X with great shots - one righty and one lefty from just above GLE. Big time speed moves. He had some bad turnovers and an unnecessary penalty as well - but those should be things that can be improved with focus by coaches. He will certainly compete for substantial time at attack (more below). Firth - wearing #51 and playing left wing - was almost eerily similar looking to Jeff Teat. Firth is very smooth and has great instincts. Many also thought he was slightly quicker than Jeff at a similar age. He certainly did not exhibit the passing vision of Teat (who can?) - but he is very talented and will get plenty of PT. One dodge from left wing ended with an underhand runner in a tight space that scored through the 5-hole. Made it look ordinary! The other key highlight was Cornell goalkeepers! Knust played the first 2Qs and was outstanding. Then Tully played a good amount and was similarly great! Clearing was an issue for Cornell all night and the goalies/Def/SSDMs need to improve in that area - but the stopping ability is very high for each goalie.

Attack. A deep and talented group. If possible - Kirst looks bigger, stronger and more talented than before. He got a ton of attention from Terps (e.g., doubles) and even missed his first 5-6 shots from close in - and still was the best player on the field by a good margin. Just a generational talent that should have a monster year. The next key will be Long's return. Rumors are he is feeling strong after off season fix for lower body issue. Does he go back to X with the potential emergence of Goldstein? Can he play right side if Goldstein can handle X? Plenty of choices here and if Long can return to being an impact player - this unit is scary good. With Kirst on the left side, and Long/Goldstein at X - the big question will be the right wing attack spot? Another lefty (Firth?) is not really an option. Maybe Caddigan? Nikolac? My sense is that coaches will figure this out and Long will return in a big way somewhere. Others that looked sharp included Caddigan (very good righty shooter), Perfetto (fast and tough from X - looked really good).

Midfield. Not a lot of production last night from the mids - but still plenty to be excited about. The big boys here will be Kelleher, Blake, Wirtheim, Lombardi - with Sheehan, Holmes, Dalton and Nikolic being the other key contributors. Also look for Firth to run some middie O. Luzzi, Topouzis, Gilmartin and Lamb are in contention. Kelleher had a nice goal on a simple alley dodge where he snuck the ball inside the far pipe. He tends to be predictable at times (freight train dodge from midfield) and is developing a bad habit (a sidearm, low angle righty shot as he loses his angle down the right alley - Ugh) - but he is still a physical force. Blake didn't do much but he looked quick. A good sign if his legs are strong. If he can get his burst back he will also be a force. Wirtheim is going to consistently get a shortie and has to exploit that matchup every time. It is a very important aspect of the offense. Nikolic is expected to make an impact with the middie group and had a nice shot early off the pipe. The middies will be fine. Not as much of a strength as the attack but still a strong D1 group.

Defense/LSM. The close D group was Follows, Staub and Dooley. This very well could be the close D group in game 1. Singer was missing - and he can play both close and LSM. Rayhill looked to be the top pole - with Wallace a close second. The group looked strong overall. Maryland plays smart balanced offense and can make teams look silly sometimes - and they had a couple of goals like that. But no defender lost his indiv matchup and slides were aggressive. We were also good off the ground. JK Kelly has reportedly had a very good fall and was the fourth pole in the game. He looked good. Clearing was an issue for everyone on the Cornell side. Cornell was also man down for a good part of Q2 - including at one point being 3 men down! The LSMs played well. Boccafola was third man in that group. Apparently Lohnes has impressed and may get some looks at close. We will certainly miss Adler at key times - but again, plenty to feel good about here.

SSDM. The top 3 remain Davis, Bozzi and Box. Lamb and Gilmartin apparently the top two frosh here. This group was solid. A few misses that Maryland exploited - but then that is to be expected from such a strong well-coached offense. Terps are always very talented. This group needs to stay healthy and develop some additional young players. But like the close D group - this is now an experienced group that can play against very good offensive players. They also looked tenacious on the FO wings last night - a good sign.

Goalies. As noted, both Knust and Tully were great. Knust started the first 2 quarters. Stopped a lot of shots including when we were 2-men down and then 3-men down! Clearing for everyone was spotty. Tully very much the same. Stopped some really good shots. Looked confident and athletic. They are both top tier goalies. Cornell in very good shape on this front.

That's a long summary - but fun to do. As mentioned at the end of last year - the current coaches very much seem to have the program going in the right direction and playing at a high level. This crop of freshman are very strong and will contribute for years. Hopefully this spring Cornell can reach its potential - which might allow a deep playoff run. Hope the Cornell fans enjoy this read! Non-Cornell fans should simply go to some other forum/topic!

GBR!

VF

FACEOFF coverage?
Weirman vs Cascadden?!?
The physically biggest FO athletes in college lax slugging it out (6’2”215 vs 6’3” 225) and there’s NO feedback? Maybe it doesn’t matter to you at this point of the season but how is that not material enough to not report about? Possession is 9/10’s the law. W/o it nothing else matters. NOTHING! I’m a football guy clearly but what I do know about lax is if you don’t control possession, you are done. Where’s the appreciation for possession?



Love everything here. Thanks for putting up with papa bear.

[mfp]

Love this, Papa Bear Cascadden! :-) I was a rower (not cool enough for lax or football) though so I barely understand the concept of possession.

Seriously, though, that matchup sounds amazing! What’s the inside report on how it went?

[another fan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD6OcabZpi8&t=234s

[VeryRustyRed]

Some interesting reading in an IL article today on Cornell's prep leading up to it's FallBall scrimmage with MD.

A few of (Terry Foy) the author's observations stood out for me:
-He talked about traditional vs. modern practice methodologies - half field sets vs. what Cornell was doing ...spent some time on more what I'll call sideline stuff with small groups/units. Part of me has to believe that some of this may simply be a function of the roster size. I believe it's 57. Going exclusively with half-field stuff, the great majority of the team would be standing around watching.
-Foy also commented on the possibility of using Kirst and Firth to create big-little situations. But as he points out, both are lefties. I've assume that at least this season as a freshman, Firth would be hard-pressed to see the field given that he's also a lefty.
-Last but not least - I was pleased to read that the boys are working on "how to cover the screener." Can't spend too much time on this.
The replay of Michigan's last two offensive sets behind the cage in OT still goes through my mind like a YouTube video.

[ohmilax34]

Some interesting reading in an IL article today on Cornell's prep leading up to it's FallBall scrimmage with MD.

A few of (Terry Foy) the author's observations stood out for me:
-He talked about traditional vs. modern practice methodologies - half field sets vs. what Cornell was doing ...spent some time on more what I'll call sideline stuff with small groups/units. Part of me has to believe that some of this may simply be a function of the roster size. I believe it's 57. Going exclusively with half-field stuff, the great majority of the team would be standing around watching.
-Foy also commented on the possibility of using Kirst and Firth to create big-little situations. But as he points out, both are lefties. I've assume that at least this season as a freshman, Firth would be hard-pressed to see the field given that he's also a lefty.
-Last but not least - I was pleased to read that the boys are working on "how to cover the screener." Can't spend too much time on this.
The replay of Michigan's last two offensive sets behind the cage in OT still goes through my mind like a YouTube video.

There are more and more very skilled and athletic lefties in lacrosse, and a lot of them play attack, which might be a function of them being one of the few lefties on their youth/MS/HS/Club teams, so their coach put them at attack. Teams should be able to figure out how to play two lefties simultaneously and effectively. I imagine Buczek, with his experience in the PLL, would be open minded about getting two skilled lefties on the field at the same time. Kirst looked great this summer playing in the OLL Jr. A circuit. That should help his ability to play with another lefty on that side of the field. Obviously Firth has a lot of experience doing that.

[faircornell]

Thanks for the heads up on the IL piece VRR. Nice article.

[ohmilax34]

Today my memory was jogged and I remembered the Fanlax discussion, maybe after the 2018 season, about how Cornell responded to teams shutting off Teat. Will Kirst see a lot of shutoffs/face-guarding in 2023? Is he/the team equipped to handle it well?

[VeryRustyRed]

I believe the game in which Teat was first locked off was the last or next to last game of the season. My belief at the time was the coaching staff could have reacted somewhat better. He was also locked off in the first ILT game, I believe against Brown. There were times when Teat actually stood right next to the sideline (next to the benches)...making it appear that the coaches were totally willing to go 5 on 5. I also recall when there were times when they didn't even use Teat to inbound in the attack zone, to at least put the ball in his hands. Cornell did seem cohesive when he was locked off the next season.
A risk when scheming against a lock off is that the player being locked tries to do too much and forces things.
Kirst is a whole different animal that Teat. Totally different physique and game. Needless to say, he can play through contact (catch his quads and calves - they're huge). Also, I recall when an opponent first tried to lock him off last year, he was vey patient. Didn't try to do too much and seemed content looking for the open man, especially since 5 on 5 play negates normal slide packages. There were times however, when he was aggressively doubled or locked off that he clearly got a bit frustrated/antsy. Regardless, he's got great IQ, physical tools, etc. The coaches and the boys will be prepared.

[faircornell]

As Teat grew physically, the face guarding strategy became less effective. If you look at film of the 2020 Penn State game, or some of the footage from his international or pro play, it would be very difficult to face guard him now.

Kirst is a much larger player whose physical dynamism is significant. Personally, I think that he'd be a very difficult person to face guard. Having watched his films and having met him in person, I think that he's larger than his reported roster size of 6'1" and 190 lbs.

Another key difference is depth of the team. In Teat's last NCAA playoff appearance, Maryland had four or five players in primary or secondary coverage of Teat according to Coach Tillman. Between returning offensive players and high powered recruits, a similar focus on Kirst would free up some very potent scoring threats.

[CHRLAX]

Teat is also basically one handed. Much easier to shut someone off who can only break one way to catch the ball or get open. CJ is much more two handed. We will see I suppose.

[Ezra White]

I'd add that Teat is a generational passer and team quarterback. If you shut him off, you change the entire look & feel of Cornell's offense.

OTOH, Kirst certainly is a good passer, but this aspect of his game is not in the same class as Teat's. But as Faircornell points out, Kirst is a bigger, more physical direct scoring threat. Deprive Cornell of this one asset, and the rest of the team is not affected as much as when you shut off Teat.

Cornell has had some great scoring threats: Seibald, Panell, Buczek, Kirst, etc. All of them made their teammates better. But Teat added another dimension to the entire attack.

[Ivyman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD6OcabZpi8&t=234s

I sent this clip to my son, a former Yale SSDM and asked if he could tell what happened on the Cornell goal at about 1:18. His analysis:

"Great offense followed by great defense followed by great luckfense... 
For which ...
there is no defense."