National Championship — Northwestern vs. Boston College

[laxinallthetime]

NJBill. It did not hit her shin. WHILE IN MID AIR, she throws her foot out to try to make the stop and she does. If you think the ball just so happened to hit her, you don’t know goalkeeping. Sorry. I know you are admittedly disappointed at the result, but nothing about that save is lucky.

All I saw was an unbelievable kick save - No shin involved. #88 played a fantastic game today!

[Relax77]

How is shea dolce still in game now? Looks even more lost than last year.

This one didn’t age well.

No one? OK, it'll have to be me. BC 15-14.

This one did. Close.

[Big Dog]

Fun game, but these women's rules need to change. Way too many stoppages of play. This game took nearly 3 hours. Made calls that a newer fan has no idea what happened. Action that is a a penalty in the middle of the field, but a play-on inside the restraining line? Huh?

That was a new one for all of us this year. IMO it hasn’t been all that well received, so we’ll see if it sticks around.

It was just a dumb idea to begin with. Sure, the way to increase the flow of the offense is to call a penalty for every hip check in the middle of the field.

[DMac]

Anyone think BC can win this?

No one? OK, it'll have to be me. BC 15-14.

Doesn't get a whole lot closer than that, very well done.

[Womenslaxxfan]

Anyone think BC can win this?

No one? OK, it'll have to be me. BC 15-14.

Doesn't get a whole lot closer than that, very well done.

Kudos to seacoaster for sure.

[Seacoaster(1)]

Anyone think BC can win this?

No one? OK, it'll have to be me. BC 15-14.

Doesn't get a whole lot closer than that, very well done.

Kudos to seacoaster for sure.

If only I believed it myself, when I made the prediction!!

Another great season; it really is -- for all of our caviling about the rules, Dolce's foot or shins, broadcast/commentator quality, and everything else -- just a fantastic game.

[Can Opener]

NJBill. It did not hit her shin. WHILE IN MID AIR, she throws her foot out to try to make the stop and she does. If you think the ball just so happened to hit her, you don’t know goalkeeping. Sorry. I know you are admittedly disappointed at the result, but nothing about that save is lucky.

All I saw was an unbelievable kick save - No shin involved. #88 played a fantastic game today!

+1

[lacrossemwj]

I mentioned in a different thread how Martello was left off every all American list. How can that be? She’s such a huge game changer for them.

[2004wrongisland]

NJBill. It did not hit her shin. WHILE IN MID AIR, she throws her foot out to try to make the stop and she does. If you think the ball just so happened to hit her, you don’t know goalkeeping. Sorry. I know you are admittedly disappointed at the result, but nothing about that save is lucky.

All I saw was an unbelievable kick save - No shin involved. #88 played a fantastic game today!

+1

It can be viewed from multiple angles on ESPN.com. It was an outrageous kick save on a one on one to save the National Championship. It’s the greatest save in the history of lacrosse.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

ONW WHAT HAPPENED???

Boston College played an overall better game. Much better game in crunch time. They kept focus. Whereas I felt Northwestern changed how they were going about their business and started to try to get cute after running up the 6-0 lead. Either NU eased off the gas a little or BC made great adjustments. Either way--gotta say NU choked a little. Gotta say it. But all credit to BC. For them to have kept their head and continued to work single minded the way they did--all credit to them. No one can deny they are THE current dynasty in women's lacrosse.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

This game took nearly 3 hours.

2:36. Not bad for a championship game. How many other sports can broadcast their final title game in under 3 hours?

[forthelaxofit]

ONW WHAT HAPPENED???

Boston College played an overall better game. Much better game in crunch time. They kept focus. Whereas I felt Northwestern changed how they were going about their business and started to try to get cute after running up the 6-0 lead. Either NU eased off the gas a little or BC made great adjustments. Either way--gotta say NU choked a little. Gotta say it. But all credit to BC. For them to have kept their head and continued to work single minded the way they did--all credit to them. No one can deny they are THE current dynasty in women's lacrosse.

Let me start by saying I don’t support either team – don’t like the portal and grad school / covid “super” senior approach of either school. I also know how vocal Northwestern fans are and this will upset them. But, while KAH is a strong coach getting the team ready, developing players, etc., she has gotten outcoached during big games. The loss a couple years ago to UNC when up 14-7 in the 4th was brutal example. Now once again yesterday got out to 6-0 lead and it slipped away. BC was making adjustments in game that worked. When BC was on a run in 2nd quarter scoring 5 goals in final 5 minutes before half, no timeout, no adjustment. Two equal teams on the field, the team with the better coach won.

[Seacoaster(1)]

Agreed; I think AWW and Staff outcoached KAH and Staff yesterday. I know it is a game of runs, no lead is safe, etc. But a 6-0 cushion after the First Quarter should be enough to protect for a team of that level of skill and that level of experience. Why did BC win the rest of the game 14-7? BC's staff made what appeared to this untrained eye several adjustments, chief among them the immediate doubling of defense whenever 27 or 25 had the ball. BC defenders didn't "time their slides;" they went to help at the first touch of the ball by Scane and Taylor -- an acknowledgement of the skills of both of those players and a statement by BC that other NU players would have to help NU win the game. Scane and Taylor had 8 goals combined yesterday, Coykendall had two, and the rest of the offense contributed three. The entire second half Izzy was doubled, and her goals late in the game are a testament to her skill, power and desire.

On offense, BC played better, more fluid offense after Q1. BC's ball movement was something a lot like spectacular; they rotated NU's defense back and forth the entire second half, creating the spaces for Martello in particular and her considerable finishing skills (68 goals, eight assists, 51% shooting in tight spaces, against that schedule -- and not an AA; W.T.F.?). I think the staff probably told them, you have the skill, you are the underdog, so have fun moving the ball and finding the shots we need, and the kids delivered.

Finally, I am pretty sure that Smith and Weeks played nearly every minute, offense and defense, which I thought was a heroic display of grit and strength. It'll be weird watching a BC team that doesn't feature a Weeks kid, and the gutsiness that comes with it.

BC is not my team, but the way they played was beautiful, and they deserved the championship.

[Bystanders]

Well, I guess we are back to square one. We disagree.

Yes, it was an athletic move to kick her leg out after it was clear the shot had beaten her stick. That was the “good” part of the save. But she was also lucky the ball hit her shin.

The bottom line is she made the save. Whether you think it was 100% skill or I think it was more lucky than good doesn’t really matter.

The ball stuck to David Tyree’s helmet because he was “lucky” and “skillful”. Either way they still show the highlights 17 years later. That save in that situation is the same. Or at least X currently thinks so!

[LaxUpstate]

Well, I guess we are back to square one. We disagree.

Yes, it was an athletic move to kick her leg out after it was clear the shot had beaten her stick. That was the “good” part of the save. But she was also lucky the ball hit her shin.

The bottom line is she made the save. Whether you think it was 100% skill or I think it was more lucky than good doesn’t really matter.

The ball stuck to David Tyree’s helmet because he was “lucky” and “skillful”. Either way they still show the highlights 17 years later. That save in that situation is the same. Or at least X currently thinks so!

They mentioned that “Save” a couple of times on the broadcast for the men’s championship today. Something along the line of the greatest save, men’s or women’s, on championship weekend ever. I guess it was all luck though

[Can Opener]

Well, I guess we are back to square one. We disagree.

Yes, it was an athletic move to kick her leg out after it was clear the shot had beaten her stick. That was the “good” part of the save. But she was also lucky the ball hit her shin.

The bottom line is she made the save. Whether you think it was 100% skill or I think it was more lucky than good doesn’t really matter.

The ball stuck to David Tyree’s helmet because he was “lucky” and “skillful”. Either way they still show the highlights 17 years later. That save in that situation is the same. Or at least X currently thinks so!

They mentioned that “Save” a couple of times on the broadcast for the men’s championship today. Something along the line of the greatest save, men’s or women’s, on championship weekend ever. I guess it was all luck though

Quint Kessenich, two-time winner of the Ensign C. Markland Kelly Jr. award as the nation’s best goalie, described it this way: “ The save that Shea Dolce made in that game for Boston College — the best save at a championship game pivotal moment that I have ever seen, men’s or women’s.”

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

It's SO OBVIOUS Dolce MOVED HER LEG to make the save. Ridiculous--utterly ridiculous to allege she was lucky. Just Asinine. (And probably jealous, too.)

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7euZIzx ... x0ejY5dXhm

[lacrossemwj]

Can't it be both...skill and luck? She made the smart move, went in the right direction, and by virtue of both skill and luck, her shin/foot was in the right spot to make the save. A lot of things in sports (and life) are combinations of skill and luck.

[njbill]

Exactly. If I chip in from the fairway, I have hit a very skilled shot, but it is still lucky the ball rolls into the hole.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

Can't it be both...skill and luck? She made the smart move, went in the right direction, and by virtue of both skill and luck, her shin/foot was in the right spot to make the save. A lot of things in sports (and life) are combinations of skill and luck.

Nope--if she moved her leg, she gets full credit for a skilled save. The fact that luck was even brought up after getting a clear look at the replay is mind boggling. Either a jaundiced eye or an uninformed eye saw that save as luck.