Yeah, decent effort but needed to be better on the defensive end. I don't Downs was bad in net but he needed to be at his best. The defense around him was bad at times in the first and third quarters. Too many open players near the crease. Mikey definitely needs help. Personally, I'd like to see more of Alex Roussel at first midfield, Webber is very fast and could beat most mid-major defenders, but he's not a shooter. Roussel is quick and a good passer. Not a bad shooter. Guessing that Mauer can't play midfield assuming Schrier returns shortly (not sure when). Chop had two goals today, but probably should have had at least four. Passing was great in the first half and then UVa started taking away Mikey and DeMaio's left hand and forced the others to beat them. I'd like to see them move Villagomez around. He just stands there on that left wing and sometimes backs guys in. Put him near the crease, behind the net. He's so long and I know he's not quick, but I'd like to see different looks when they are struggling to score.sc lax wrote: ↑Sat Mar 09, 2024 9:50 pm Well it was a good game today, until it wasn't. Looked like the Tigers wanted to match UVA's quick pace and it ultimately led to things getting out of hand. The first half was encouraging for sure, hopefully playing these elite elite teams will pay dividends in late april/may. Offensively, Mikey needs some more help on his midfield line but he is a stud. Downs was solid too, but the defense got caught ball watching on a handful of UVA's goals. Onto CAA play
Despite saying that, I think Matt Musci has done an excellent job this season at OC. It helps to have a rising star in Mikey and the fact that DeMaio is playing unselfish. Defense is still a work in progress. They faced some absolute studs and superstars today and didn't get the job done. Nick has 21 assists in 7 games. Spencer Ford had 53 assists in 1999, which was the second-most all-time and most D1 assists for a season. He's got a long ways to go to break that record, but he's come a long way since he took the most shots in a season (157) in 2022.