Cornell 2023

[wahoomurf]

Cascadden not only controlled the face-offs but took over what was a close game early in the 3rd quarter with two goals and an assist. It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff figures a way to get his athleticism on the field assuming he’s not the primary FOGO next season.

Cascadden is the same size as Hugh K. Under Buczek tutelage, Kelleher's transformation into a scoring threat has, IMHO, been dramatic. I'm sure those 2 can make Cascadden a more consistent scorer.

[Ezra White]

Ryan Goldstein (Tim's son) led Radnor to a state championship. He is doing a pg year before Cornell. This is long, but worth a look when you have time. It switches over to assists a little past 8 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H13NlJ7KUhI

Thanks. He's very, very impressive.

I watched a highlight video of Charlie Box and, while he is fast, athletic, skilled, and a monster defending, I couldn't help but notice how much he favors his right hand and going to the right. Were I to coach him, I would want him to spend maybe 75% of his time this summer working on his left-hand shot and going to the left. (Maybe I'm being unfair. It was only one brief video.)

But I noticed nothing of the sort with Goldstein. He seems equally comfortable going left or right, shooting with either hand, running through forests of poles from the X (again, either from left or right), shooting mid-range lasers from high, passing up shots in favor of feeding teammates in better position, etc., etc., etc. Of course this is a highlight reel, so this assessment may be overly positive. Nonetheless, one can easily see he has elite lacrosse sense and abilities.

Watching Ryan's highlights I was also impressed by teammates #15 (Mason Montrella) & (to a lesser degree) #11 (Colin French).

[Ezra White]

From Inside Lacrosse:

Cornell commit Brendan Staub led Garden City to an incredible defensive display en route to winning the Class "B" New York state championship, 8-1, against Canandaigua at Hofstra's Shuart Field in Hempstead, New York on Saturday.

[laxjuris]

Here’s a link to a short highlight package for our ‘23 recruit, midfielder TJ Lamb.

https://youtu.be/jufIU8aoDUw

Impressive player. Great shot from both sides, excellent field vision as evidenced by some clever assists, and plenty of physicality in his game. To my eyes he fits the bill of a high caliber D1 middie

[another fan]

Here’s a link to a short highlight package for our ‘23 recruit, midfielder TJ Lamb.

https://youtu.be/jufIU8aoDUw

Impressive player. Great shot from both sides, excellent field vision as evidenced by some clever assists, and plenty of physicality in his game. To my eyes he fits the bill of a high caliber D1 middie

Yes, a very good prospect-- I think he will fill out some, becoming even more physical and dangerous. Lamb, Nicolik, Schwartz, and Goldstein are all on the Philly UA underclass team. Hughes is on the NJ team-- I don't know if Waldman tried out, but would be surprised if he did, but was not selected.

[Ezra White]

Here’s a link to a short highlight package for our ‘23 recruit, midfielder TJ Lamb.

https://youtu.be/jufIU8aoDUw

Impressive player. Great shot from both sides, excellent field vision as evidenced by some clever assists, and plenty of physicality in his game. To my eyes he fits the bill of a high caliber D1 middie

A guy named Dick Lamb played lacrosse for Cornell during the 1960s. I wonder if there's any relation.

[another fan]

His father, Travis Lamb, played for Cornell in the early 90s-- don't know whether there is a relationship before then.

[another fan]

Three nice goals by Matt Perfetto in the state championship game:

https://www.hudl.com/profile/14098690/Matt-Perfetto

[PulpExposure]

Looks like you guys got your replacement for Piatelli potentially.

https://twitter.com/TheKyleDevitte/stat ... P3GccYIuaQ

Ben Abladian from Bryant transferring in. 42 goals last year as a sophomore.

As to the conversation about Waldman, he plays on the same club team as my son (though Ryan's a 23, and my son is a 24). Waldman is quiiiiiick.

[Velvet.Fog]

Wanted to take a little bit of a deeper dive into the likely 2023 roster by position. In general, I think the feeling is that the future is indeed bright in Ithaca - with next year looking like Cornell could have some of the top returning players in the country and one of its strongest team in years. But while there are certainly headline players - and the attack, mids and defense look particularly strong as position groups - there are so many intangibles that go into the makings of a great team. Those intangibles are elusive and will be the primary question facing next year's team.

This discussion only accounts for returning players (and one known transfer) - not any incoming freshman. There has been a good bit written about some potential impact players arriving as freshman in the fall - and I for one am very hopeful that several of the frosh can make an immediate impact - but I would rather save those thoughts for those message strings for now.

Attack:
Long
Kirst
Caddigan
B Piatelli
Graham
Ben Abladian (just announced transfer from Bryant)

Analysis: the production of J Piatelli will be impossible to replace with one player. A legendary career for sure. The return of Long and Kirst is very promising. What more can be said about Kirst? He was electric all year long in so many facets of the game. He will remain as a fixture on the left side and will be a primary originator for his entire career. He will get plenty of attention now from all defenses - but this is nothing new for him. The sky remains the limit for 15. Long played hurt the entire year - I'm told at various times both serious shoulder and leg issues. To put up 66 points while injured and missing 2-3 games is very impressive. What is even more impressive are the showings late in the season - notably against Princeton, Yale and Rutgers, etc. He was the best player on the field at many times in games that we had to win. He is as underrated as anyone in the game now - not even an HM for All-Ivy? That is ridiculous when you look at the ivy scoring lists and consider his play. He will continue to QB our offense - with the main question being whether he will play more from in front of the cage next year? I do not envision him trying to replicate the dodging style of 41 from the right wing - but he can be effective in many places. The third option at attack? Hard to know - although the emerging news on Abladian joining the team brings a true righty dodger/finisher into the mix. If he is able to replicate his production in his first two years at Bryant - this attack group will again be very scary. B Piatelli and Caddigan are certainly possibilities - and Graham has unfortunately not had a chance yet to play due to injury. Graham's challenge is that I believe he is a lefty. I think the overall preference is not to move Coyle or Lombardi to attack as the midfield is very strong with them there. Bottom line: Cornell is very solid here next year at a minimum and can maybe be great again.

Midfield:
Blake
Kelleher
Coyle
Lombardi
Wirtheim
Holmes
Sheehan
Dalton

Analysis: What a difference a year makes! Had you posted this list before the 2022 season - one would have reasonably concluded that this is a serious area of need for 2023. But after the 2022 season, things are much more positive! The top 7 names above played considerable minutes in 2022 and all made valuable contributions in big spots. All of them can contribute significant minutes in 2023. Kelleher's year speaks for itself. In addition to his raw production - big #27 just sets a physical tone that the Big Red midfield deserves serious attention. Kelleher and Blake are AA level players and will carry the load in 2023. Blake was robbed of a magical year but he will be back stronger than before. With 27 and 2 dodging downhill at max speed the Cornell mids bring serious heat. And to have players of the caliber of Coyle and Lombardi to round out a first midfield is a huge benefit. Coyle had an excellent year and is another very underrated player. Lombardi was poised to explode before his injury - he brings a level of toughness and scoring ability that will round out the group. Wirtheim looks ready to step up into a legit D1 midfield role and is a matchup problem with his dodging and shooting ability. Holmes as well. Tall and fast and good decision maker. Sheehan is smart and showed a knack for playing well in big spots. Ton of upside on all fronts. Dalton saw time late in the year on the wings. I think he will get a chance this fall to work back into the offensive rotation, but this is a big hill to climb. So much promise in this group for 2023. I don't see any of them (eg, 11 and 44) moving back to attack as some have written - as the Abladian transfer looks to be a very specific move to fill a specific need.

LSM/SSDM:
Bozzi
Davis
K Smith
Chabot
Boccafola
Parker
Cook
Newman (also DEF)
Singer (also DEF)

Analysis: This will be the primary area of need in 2023. Bardwell and Bartolotto will be sorely missed. Two vets that logged a ton of valuable minutes. Our SSDMS in 2023 should be very good. Davis/Smith/Bozzi made huge strides in the last 3-4 games of the season. A group that looked lost in the Army and Brown games did a complete "about face" and became a very strong group by year end. Credit to Coach Stevens. Davis played on a badly hobbled knee at times - and can be a bona fide star at the college level. LSM is a big question mark. 34 has shown promise and will be the veteran of the group, but has to play with more consistency. Singer and Newman are serviceable but each lacks the speed to be impact players. Hopefully reinforcements at LSM can be developed or found in the freshman class. Maybe the frsoh from last year from Taft can return and make a difference. More questions than answers at LSM.

Defense:
Adler
Follows
Stramanak
Fields
Singer
Newman
Kephart
Ciniglio

Analysis: Adler is the headliner here - and deservedly so. He will be a unanimous preseason AA and Tewy candidate - for good reason. He can cover anyone and do just about anything he wants. The heart and soul of the defense (along with 22) will carry the team a long way. Follows is another star in the making. His return to the team last year was enormous - and really set up the entire playoff run from a defensive standpoint. The defense was complete when he played and the results speak for themselves. Singer and Newman both got valuable minutes and can be called upon to start if needed. The real wild card here is Fields. He was hurt before the season started. He has the ability to emerge as a strong third option here - and maybe allow both Singer and Newman to play LSM. It will be fun to see what he can do. Kephart and Ciniglio have a lot of promise but must stay healthy. Stramanak is a solid player but mobility (at a D1 level) has been a concern for him. Very solid group that can also be great next year.

Goal:
Ierlan
Knust
Wallace
Martin

Analysis: Chayse's return is excellent news. He was great down the stretch in big moments and will again lead the team in 2023. Strong showings by Knust give us hope beyond 2023 and if needed in a tough spot next year. We are very solid here with a decent look into the future.

Faceoff:
Petrakis
Psyllos
Graham

Analysis: Angelo is another who made big strides late in the year. Look for him to come back strong in 2023. Psyllos provided a spark at times and will get more chances. A lot has been written about the incoming kid from GC - but FO is another position of relative strength in 2023 as currently constructed.

All in all it looks like the Big Red can field a strong team in 2023. Likely to be a Top 5 preseason pick in many polls. But games are not won on chat boards or polls. We have a great coaching staff that will only get better - but we will not sneak up on anybody next year. It's hard to play as the favorite - so we will need to develop some strong leadership on the team. Looking forward to it. GBR!!!

VF

[Ezra White]

Great post, Velvet. Thanks!

[VeryRustyRed]

VF - agreed - a great "read." It's been too long!
I concur with (almost) every point you made.
Here some misc. thoughts on a few of your insights.
1) Attack
-Can't agree more on how difficult Piatelli will be to replace. Not just his goal scoring (60+!), but his toughness (willingness to do anything to get to the net), effectiveness on GBs, and leadership. Coach B will identify a replacement, but 41's total package will not be replicated.
-Long - more than just banged up all year. I don't think he ever got completely healthy after his Fall injury. Great season...considering what he played through.
-I've been an advocate of considering Lombardi. Great skill set as an x dodger and intermediate range shooter. Tough kid, plays bigger than his height. And since the team played without him for most of '22, one can rationalize that moving him may not weaken the middies.
-Coyle - yes, he's a natural attackman, but leave him where he is and benefit from his ability to invert and play off ball. He should also be far more effective with Blake returning, thereby having two first line big shooters (2 and 27), rather than looking for Coyle to force some of the shots he did vs. MD.
-Graham - from his HS film, I think he's a lefty.
2) Middies
-IMO, the team started '22 with 5 front line middies (and that includes one (27) who had never played a D1 game and another (2), who had played 5 games, primarily as a ss. Who would have thought that Wirtheim and Homes would have developed like they did. Bottom line - the two mid field lines should be as strong as they've been in years. One question - depth. Can't have too much. My benchmark is now last season's Maryland team which was so deep it moved Bubba Fairman, a 4 year starter to ss.
3) Defensive Mid-Field
-Davis and Smith were so unexpectedly solid. And you are correct about Davis; he was so hobbled that by the end of the season he seemed to limp off the field after every defensive possession. My only issue is that a) Bardwell, now graduated, seemingly never came off the field and b) neither Davis or Smith possess Bardwell's speed or motor. Bozzi held up pretty well, especially for a freshman, former o-middie. He will get better.
-You are correct - LSM will be the big question mark. Bartolotto was excellent; there will likely by a fall-off with whoever replaces him (I view Boccafola as the backup...speed is not his forte). The only way I could 46 being replaced one-for-one is by moving Follows from close. However, no way does Stevens want to do that. I thought Follows was superb once he returned from injury. Though not as fast or experienced as Bartolotto, I thought that Singer might get a look at playing LSM.
3) Goal & FOGO - certainly agree with your assessment.
4) Bottom Line: On paper, the 2023 team looks very strong. But - games are played on the field, not on paper. Consider:
-In 2022, with the exception of losing Lombardi and Blake, all front line players stayed on the field. Who knows what will happen in '23? Everything else seemed to go right - e.g., caught Penn State and Syracuse in very down years, a very young Yale team early in the season, losing in the 1st round of the ILT (no joke), playing their best against OSU and Rutgers, Georgetown ((?-overrated) losing to Delaware, and being on the other side of the bracket from Maryland.
-Lots of very tough competition. There are so many terrific D1 players. Everything has to come together to make a deep run. In 2023, Yale and Princeton who were VERY young offensively in '22 will be very tough, as will Penn. All even money games. Syracuse has to be better.

VF - again, thanks for providing the lacrosse "fix."
LGR

[Ezra White]

Thanks VRR. Very thoughtful and insightful, as usual.

Earlier I posted my tentative opinion about Charlie Box. IMHO, he has great potential as an ssom, but because he lacks the size of someone like Kelleher, he has to rely on his quickness and skill. Currently he's too one-dimensional to do this in the college game because he favors his right-handed shot and blows by people almost always by going to his right.

This said, he's an anachronism in that he plays as a 2-way middie. (Tho, 2-way middies seem to be coming back.) If I were the coach, I'd encourage him to work on diversifying his attacking skills, and in the meantime give him playing time as a ssdm. (Or maybe even lsdm.) Who knows, he's about the same size as Gavin Adler, and if you watch him on film, he's an attacking defender very much like Adler. Perhaps he could become the Adler of our midfield (but with the upside of being a major scoring threat). We could do a lot worse.

What do others think?

(Oh, one other thing. Syracuse supposedly has the #1 recruiting class coming in next year. Hopefully we'll play them early, before their new recruits gain maturity.)

[another fan]

Thanks VRR. Very thoughtful and insightful, as usual.

Earlier I posted my tentative opinion about Charlie Box. IMHO, he has great potential as an ssom, but because he lacks the size of someone like Kelleher, he has to rely on his quickness and skill. Currently he's too one-dimensional to do this in the college game because he favors his right-handed shot and blows by people almost always by going to his right.

This said, he's an anachronism in that he plays as a 2-way middie. (Tho, 2-way middies seem to be coming back.) If I were the coach, I'd encourage him to work on diversifying his attacking skills, and in the meantime give him playing time as a ssdm. (Or maybe even lsdm.) Who knows, he's about the same size as Gavin Adler, and if you watch him on film, he's an attacking defender very much like Adler. Perhaps he could become the Adler of our midfield (but with the upside of being a major scoring threat). We could do a lot worse.

What do others think?

(Oh, one other thing. Syracuse supposedly has the #1 recruiting class coming in next year. Hopefully we'll play them early, before their new recruits gain maturity.)

Your premise that Charlie Box is one handed is not really accurate. Check out the highlights against Crestwood where he had 5 goals, 2 with his off hand that showed a smooth release and good velocity. He is smaller, but plays bigger and is a good prospect for time as an offensive or defensive mid.

https://www.hudl.com/profile/11186590/Charlie-Box

[another fan]

Staub and Cascadden on the Newsday All Long Island first team. Staub named defensive player of the year. Brian Luzzi is on the second team.

https://www.newsday.com/sports/high-sch ... 2-w24w7bh8

[faircornell]

As reported, two Cornell players have been named to the Canadian U-21 National Team. Andrew Dalton at midfield and Jack Follows at defense.

The Covid created increase in the age limit from U-19 to U-21 will really increase the quality and competitiveness of the U-21 World Championships in Ireland.

As quick examples on the US side, below are a few notable players as well as their university affiliations:

1) Pat Kavanaugh: Notre Dame
2) Cole Kirst: Lehigh
3) Quentin Matsui: Virginia
4) Brennan O'Neill: Duke
5) Jared Paquette: Yale
6) Alex Slusher: Princeton
7) Lance Tillman: UNC

There are surely high profile players whom I've missed. The games should be fun to watch.

[Typical Lax Dad]

As reported, two Cornell players have been named to the Canadian U-21 National Team. Andrew Dalton at midfield and Jack Follows at defense.

The Covid created increase in the age limit from U-19 to U-21 will really increase the quality and competitiveness of the U-21 World Championships in Ireland.

As quick examples on the US side, below are a few notable players as well as their university affiliations:

1) Pat Kavanaugh: Notre Dame
2) Cole Kirst: Lehigh
3) Quentin Matsui: Virginia
4) Brennan O'Neill: Duke
5) Jared Paquette: Yale
6) Alex Slusher: Princeton
7) Lance Tillman: UNC

There are surely high profile players whom I've missed. The games should be fun to watch.

I am not sure the competitiveness of the tournament will be increased. I was thinking it would be more lopsided. The USA vs Canada should be excellent but I don’t know the Canadian roster this cycle. I am happy these guys are getting the chance to play. I will definitely watch.

[faircornell]

As reported, two Cornell players have been named to the Canadian U-21 National Team. Andrew Dalton at midfield and Jack Follows at defense.

The Covid created increase in the age limit from U-19 to U-21 will really increase the quality and competitiveness of the U-21 World Championships in Ireland.

As quick examples on the US side, below are a few notable players as well as their university affiliations:

1) Pat Kavanaugh: Notre Dame
2) Cole Kirst: Lehigh
3) Quentin Matsui: Virginia
4) Brennan O'Neill: Duke
5) Jared Paquette: Yale
6) Alex Slusher: Princeton
7) Lance Tillman: UNC

There are surely high profile players whom I've missed. The games should be fun to watch.

I am not sure the competitiveness of the tournament will be increased. I was thinking it would be more lopsided. The USA vs Canada should be excellent but I don’t know the Canadian roster this cycle. I am happy these guys are getting the chance to play. I will definitely watch.

I guess that by "competitive" I meant a higher quality of lacrosse than U-19. Man for man, I'm sure that the USA has more aggregate talent. Canadian teams have a way of making "the whole greater than the sum of the parts". It will be interesting to see what happens.

[Typical Lax Dad]

As reported, two Cornell players have been named to the Canadian U-21 National Team. Andrew Dalton at midfield and Jack Follows at defense.

The Covid created increase in the age limit from U-19 to U-21 will really increase the quality and competitiveness of the U-21 World Championships in Ireland.

As quick examples on the US side, below are a few notable players as well as their university affiliations:

1) Pat Kavanaugh: Notre Dame
2) Cole Kirst: Lehigh
3) Quentin Matsui: Virginia
4) Brennan O'Neill: Duke
5) Jared Paquette: Yale
6) Alex Slusher: Princeton
7) Lance Tillman: UNC

There are surely high profile players whom I've missed. The games should be fun to watch.

I am not sure the competitiveness of the tournament will be increased. I was thinking it would be more lopsided. The USA vs Canada should be excellent but I don’t know the Canadian roster this cycle. I am happy these guys are getting the chance to play. I will definitely watch.

I guess that by "competitive" I meant a higher quality of lacrosse than U-19. Man for man, I'm sure that the USA has more aggregate talent. Canadian teams have a way of making "the whole greater than the sum of the parts". It will be interesting to see what happens.

Yes. For the USA and probably Canada for sure. Not sure what to make of the Iroquois team this cycle.

[another fan]

Looks like Hugh Kelleher joined the Oakville Buzz JR. A team a few weeks ago. Henry and Jack Follows also play for the Buzz, as do Michael and incoming Brian Jackman. Lombardi joined them in a past year.
https://www.oakvillebuzz.com/roster22.php