Northwestern v. Boston College, High Noon 5/28/2023

[njbill]

Don’t know why, but I just thought of slides2. Long time posters from the Laxpower days may remember him. He was (is) a Northwestern fan and one of the best posters on the board. It is our loss that he apparently never came over to fanlax. Anyway, I’m sure he’s thrilled with yesterday’s result. Congratulations to him as a tried-and-true longtime Wildcats fan.

[Kleizaster]

Congrats to NW! Had questions about their offensive depth but they got stronger as the year went on and proved me wrong. Ofcourse having Izzy Scane isn't a bad thing. I think BC just ran out of gas. and overall they didn't match up well with NW athletically. Cuse and UNC are the only two teams who could've given the wildcats a game IMO and both chose the worst time to play their worst games of the year. lacrosse can be cruel.

[intheknow247]

Time for Northwestern to clear the bench. Give some of the subs a chance to say they played in a national championship game.

Ha - that would require something that just doesn’t happen in our sport. Coaches not running up the board, coaches thinking about every player on the team, coaches thinking about experience for next year, coaches rewarding some seniors who work their tail off. That ain’t happening.

[intheknow247]

77 living up to her reputation with that shot at the end

No doubt…embarrassing.

[intheknow247]

KAH has always had that killer mentality. The announcers talking about her MMA inspiration only reinforced that mercy was not going to be shown.

Hence lies the issue…

[hsllax]

I don’t fault KAH for not clearing the bench. She played 30 players against Loyola and Denver. This was the national championship game against a team with a proven ability to come back from large deficits. I’d bet that UNC semi last year still haunts them. I wouldn’t have risked it either.

BC was chippy and rough for the back half of the game and Rhatigan in particular spent the a lot of the second half being frisked and roughed up by her defender.

[ultravisitor]

77 living up to her reputation with that shot at the end

No doubt…embarrassing.

If the ball had been in BC's possession and in their offensive end, I expect that most people would have no problem with them scoring even though they still would have lost. Hell, I'm guessing people would expect them to try and score one more time. "Play to the end" everyone says. Well, if playing to the end means that BC's offense can be expected to shoot and score all the way up to the final whistle, then I'm pretty sure it also means their defense can also be expected to defend all the way up to the final whistle. I'm not sure why anybody expected NU to just lie down while BC had turned up the defensive pressure.

If you don't want your offense to ever give up, then do you not also want your defense to never give up? If you don't want the ball to go in the goal, then make the save.

If I ever had a sister or a daughter or a friend who worked hard and sacrificed a lot over the course of her life in order to achieve a far fetched dream, and then I saw her make that dream happen, I hope I would not be so small as to criticize her for the way she celebrated the happiness of that moment. If I wouldn't want to be or want anyone else to be critical of my own sister or daughter or friend like that, then I would have to be willing to extend that same grace to other young women who might be in that situation.

Remember that Hailey Rhatigan is also someone's sister or daughter or friend. All of her years of hard work and sacrifice paid off. She made her dream come true, and people are criticizing her because she wasn't expressing her joy in the moment the way they thought she should. People expect that she should experience the happiness of that moment of her life on their terms. That's what I find embarrassing.

[WaffleTwineFaceoff]

Good post, ultra.

[ultravisitor]

- two sets of sisters got to celebrate with their siblings today in winning a national championship - what a fabulous experience for them.

What I think is cool is that Elle and Jane Hansen's cousins are Meredith and Alex Frank. Both sets of sisters in that Northwestern lacrosse family played major roles on incredible national championship teams.

[intheknow247]

77 living up to her reputation with that shot at the end

No doubt…embarrassing.

If the ball had been in BC's possession and in their offensive end, I expect that most people would have no problem with them scoring even though they still would have lost. Hell, I'm guessing people would expect them to try and score one more time. "Play to the end" everyone says. Well, if playing to the end means that BC's offense can be expected to shoot and score all the way up to the final whistle, then I'm pretty sure it also means their defense can also be expected to defend all the way up to the final whistle. I'm not sure why anybody expected NU to just lie down while BC had turned up the defensive pressure.

If you don't want your offense to ever give up, then do you not also want your defense to never give up? If you don't want the ball to go in the goal, then make the save.

If I ever had a sister or a daughter or a friend who worked hard and sacrificed a lot over the course of her life in order to achieve a far fetched dream, and then I saw her make that dream happen, I hope I would not be so small as to criticize her for the way she celebrated the happiness of that moment. If I wouldn't want to be or want anyone else to be critical of my own sister or daughter or friend like that, then I would have to be willing to extend that same grace to other young women who might be in that situation.

Remember that Hailey Rhatigan is also someone's sister or daughter or friend. All of her years of hard work and sacrifice paid off. She made her dream come true, and people are criticizing her because she wasn't expressing her joy in the moment the way they thought she should. People expect that she should experience the happiness of that moment of her life on their terms. That's what I find embarrassing.

Replay the last seconds of the game:

- NU has ball between the 30s
- Scane has it in her stick and throws the ball up in the air for celebrating
- Players are starting to run on the field
- And as everyone ignores the ball or watches it fly knowing the game is over, Rhatigan grabs it out of the air and then races to goal to score as time expires

That is much different than playing until the "last" whistle. Congrats to her for her hard work paying off - she is still showing her sportsmanship or lack thereof, which has carried with her for her career.

[njbill]

I must have watched the same replay, which was on in the past couple of days.

I agree it looks like Scane was simply throwing the ball up in the air in celebration. But a BC player was tracking it, much like a cornerback on a Hail Mary pass. The Northwestern player simply outplayed the BC defender and caught the ball. The BC goalie was still in the cage. So the NU player had to not only make an excellent catch of a high, long pass while being defended, but then also had to beat the goalie who was trying to make a save.

With the benefit of several months hindsight, I think the play was much ado about nothing.

[DMac]

And as everyone ignores the ball or watches it fly knowing the game is over, Rhatigan grabs it out of the air and then races to goal to score as time expires

That is much different than playing until the "last" whistle. Congrats to her for her hard work paying off - she is still showing her sportsmanship or lack thereof, which has carried with her for her career.

Not everyone ignored the ball. The defender, with stick up and watching the ball flying right to her as she's standing right next to Rhatigan went up in the air and tried to catch it, or keep Rhatigan from catching it. Rhatigan outplayed her and made the catch and yes, went to the cage and put the ball past the GK. I saw nothing wrong with her taking the shot when it happened, still don't.
Know nothing about Rhatigan's sportsmanship, or lack thereof, but this play on that day would not go on my list of plays that exhibit poor sportsmanship.
Do you consider the 17th goal a display of poor sportsmanship as well? Coykendall puts it in an open net from "Steph Curry range", the game was over at that point too.
Absolutely much ado about nothing, IMO.

[intheknow247]

And as everyone ignores the ball or watches it fly knowing the game is over, Rhatigan grabs it out of the air and then races to goal to score as time expires

That is much different than playing until the "last" whistle. Congrats to her for her hard work paying off - she is still showing her sportsmanship or lack thereof, which has carried with her for her career.

Not everyone ignored the ball. The defender, with stick up and watching the ball flying right to her as she's standing right next to Rhatigan went up in the air and tried to catch it, or keep Rhatigan from catching it. Rhatigan outplayed her and made the catch and yes, went to the cage and put the ball past the GK. I saw nothing wrong with her taking the shot when it happened, still don't.
Know nothing about Rhatigan's sportsmanship, or lack thereof, but this play on that day would not go on my list of plays that exhibit poor sportsmanship.
Do you consider the 17th goal a display of poor sportsmanship as well? Coykendall puts it in an open net from "Steph Curry range", the game was over at that point too.
Absolutely much ado about nothing, IMO.

Correction, the defender and goalie both watched the ball but clock was ticking down, so they just WATCHED IT. The surprise by them, and everyone in the stands and field, by Rhatigan to go up and make that play as time was expiring showed enough - because you don't do that. And if you see nothing wrong with the play, there that is where the issue lies...

Why do you think Dolce nearly jumped at her in disgust???

And there is a difference between 17th goal with 1:25 left (still have to play lacrosse) and scoring with 0:00 left on the clock.

[DMac]

Sure not seeing what you're seeing. Both Rhatigan and the defender are playing the ball, the defender just misjudges it and Rhatigan plays the ball better and comes up with the catch. The GK is looking right at the whole thing and sees what's happening. She gets beat by Rhatigan too. Again, I see absolutely nothing wrong with this play.
Up 10 with 1:20 left....don't really have to be playing much lacrosse at that point.
Dolce had a rough day, undoubtedly very frustrated, that was just the final straw.
Was a bit of a display of poor sportsmanship, no?
I've got to figure you've got a dog in this hunt, or an axe to grind with someone, I don't. Think I'm seeing it more objectively.
Click on this at the 1:55:00 mark, freeze frame it at the 1:55:03 mark and look at what these three are doing and where they're looking. The BC players got outplayed on this play, plain and simple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB7OiWZXGBo

[wgdsr]

And as everyone ignores the ball or watches it fly knowing the game is over, Rhatigan grabs it out of the air and then races to goal to score as time expires

That is much different than playing until the "last" whistle. Congrats to her for her hard work paying off - she is still showing her sportsmanship or lack thereof, which has carried with her for her career.

Not everyone ignored the ball. The defender, with stick up and watching the ball flying right to her as she's standing right next to Rhatigan went up in the air and tried to catch it, or keep Rhatigan from catching it. Rhatigan outplayed her and made the catch and yes, went to the cage and put the ball past the GK. I saw nothing wrong with her taking the shot when it happened, still don't.
Know nothing about Rhatigan's sportsmanship, or lack thereof, but this play on that day would not go on my list of plays that exhibit poor sportsmanship.
Do you consider the 17th goal a display of poor sportsmanship as well? Coykendall puts it in an open net from "Steph Curry range", the game was over at that point too.
Absolutely much ado about nothing, IMO.

they're just being silly. or have an axe to grind.

question/observation as i'm more novice... girls lax puts it on teams without worry and keeps starters in to the end essentially, more broadly, then the mens.

boston college as my 1st look to confirm did it the entire year.

[DMac]

I don't know if it's more so than the men's game. They do seem to leave a lot of starters in long after you figure the game is in hand including the DC specialists which makes me as crazy as it does when the mlax coaches keep sending their FOGO out to just keep getting beat up.
What's not being taken into consideration here is the bad taste of a very bitter pill Northwestern had to swallow the year before when they got knocked out of the race by UNC in the semi-final game in one of the most unbelievable comebacks you'll ever see.
Northwestern was up 7 (I think) with about 10 min to go in the game and lost it. I'm sure this comes into play down the stretch here, these girls were going to put every nail in the coffin they could. Can't say as I blame them.

[wgdsr]

I don't know if it's more so than the men's game. They do seem to leave a lot of starters in long after you figure the game is in hand including the DC specialists which makes me as crazy as it does when the mlax coaches keep sending their FOGO out to just keep getting beat up.
What's not being taken into consideration here is the bad taste of a very bitter pill Northwestern had to swallow the year before when they got knocked out of the race by UNC in the semi-final game in one of the most unbelievable comebacks you'll ever see.
Northwestern was up 7 (I think) with about 10 min to go in the game and lost it. I'm sure this comes into play down the stretch here, these girls were going to put every nail in the coffin they could. Can't say as I blame them.

i believe they were up more than that late 3rd. i was there.

the kvetching is on the very late goals, which wouldn't apply to that scenario. but again... what it seems most teams participate in regardless. norms.

[DMac]

12-4 with 3 to go in the 3rd. 13-6 at the end of 3.
You picked a mighty good one to go to, crazy comeback.
I'm bettin' this game was on those gals' minds, they were
leaving no room for chance whether there be 59 minutes
to go or 59 seconds.

[ultravisitor]

And as everyone ignores the ball or watches it fly knowing the game is over, Rhatigan grabs it out of the air and then races to goal to score as time expires

That is much different than playing until the "last" whistle. Congrats to her for her hard work paying off - she is still showing her sportsmanship or lack thereof, which has carried with her for her career.

Not everyone ignored the ball. The defender, with stick up and watching the ball flying right to her as she's standing right next to Rhatigan went up in the air and tried to catch it, or keep Rhatigan from catching it. Rhatigan outplayed her and made the catch and yes, went to the cage and put the ball past the GK. I saw nothing wrong with her taking the shot when it happened, still don't.
Know nothing about Rhatigan's sportsmanship, or lack thereof, but this play on that day would not go on my list of plays that exhibit poor sportsmanship.
Do you consider the 17th goal a display of poor sportsmanship as well? Coykendall puts it in an open net from "Steph Curry range", the game was over at that point too.
Absolutely much ado about nothing, IMO.

Correction, the defender and goalie both watched the ball but clock was ticking down, so they just WATCHED IT. The surprise by them, and everyone in the stands and field, by Rhatigan to go up and make that play as time was expiring showed enough - because you don't do that. And if you see nothing wrong with the play, there that is where the issue lies...

Why do you think Dolce nearly jumped at her in disgust???

And there is a difference between 17th goal with 1:25 left (still have to play lacrosse) and scoring with 0:00 left on the clock.

The solution is really quite simple: if Dolce didn’t want her to score the goal—for whatever reason—then she should have dropped it. That is her job, isn’t it? I guess that was the problem during the game.

And I’m not sure anyone engaging in negative gossip about Hailey Rhatigan has much room to talk about sportsmanship.

[njbill]

Usually teams that are well ahead simply throw the ball around and don’t go to goal at the very end. Sometimes they do, however. The defenders and goalie, of course, are entitled to defend and try to keep the team from scoring.

I don’t see it as a big deal frankly.

Didn’t BC do something similar the year before to Loyola, that is, score a meaningless goal at the very end of a playoff game? I guess what goes around comes around.