LaxPower Back-Up Stick

islander wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 6:24 pm

Dehuntshigwa’es wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:51 pm

JBFortunato wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:23 pm

Dehuntshigwa’es wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 3:11 pm Bridgewater!!!! Great game winning it with a goal with about 1 minute left only to be waived off for a crease violation not by the shooter????? I didn’t see anyone near that crease but I’m sure the ref saw someone before the shot was taken. Noke wins in with 11 seconds. Great game by Bridgewater

Tough getting jobbed by the refs on your home field. Bwater had at least three goals called off, but that last one was about as mysterious as I’ve ever seen.

Is Roanoke the next Washington College ?

Is W&L the next Washington College? WAC was in the final four not too long ago. How many other programs can say that? Salisbury, Tufts, RIT and a few other one-offs. Only 1 ODAC school can claim anything that successful in the last 10 years.

You need to stop with this stuff. You've done this on two different threads. There's more kids playing HS ball then ever, which means plenty of talent to go around. Two teams that were BRAND NEW 10 years ago have caught up. If you think Bridgewater and SVU are bad teams, you haven't been paying attention and maybe way too stuck in the past. Lacrosse aint reserved for the W&Ls and Middelbury's of the world anymore. It's a good thing for the game of lacrosse. Heck, CNU is less than 20 years old as a varsity program and look where they are! Widen the lense a little bit.

End rant - time to be positive - thanks for always driving the conversation around ODAC lax. You keep this place alive and have a ton of great insight and passion for W&L / ODAC lax. Keep it up!

ODAC Rankings:
1- Lynchburg
2- HSC
3- W&L
4- Noke
5- Bridgewater
6-RMC

big drop off for the rest.

7/8/9 - Guilford/Shenandoah/VWC
10- Ferrum
11- Randolph

Hindsight is 20/20 but it would be great to add SVU instead of Averett.

I appreciate your point of view. In reality I know all too well how fragile the life is of a successful lacrosse program. What once were icons of the sport have often times become yesterday’s news ie, Hopkins in D1, Hobart Middlebury D3. So I agree with you programs are either rising or falling. WAC might be done, it’s 7 years since they’ve been”good.” ODAC needs a strong Roanoke, I do think they are struggling, you don’t recruit a kid by saying we won the conference 8 years ago . Lynchburg has dominated the ODAC the past 10 years. The other big 3 grab a title occasionally just enough to keep them relevant. I did not see SVU coming, but I’m not ready to say they are going to be a perennial too 20 or 25 team. I have commented about York and CNU for years as a team to watch. I was surprised W&L struggled with Roanoke although that’s a game where a teams record doesn’t mean much, it’s a huge rivalry. As a fan I’m always concerned W&L is about to fall off a cliff, it happens quick and it can be very very difficult to resurrect a program once it’s slipped for the very reasons you’ve given. Talent today resides everywhere. Good luck the rest of the way.

1000% in agreement which is why I made sure to tie it in. Dehunt is the driving force behind ODAC lax on these forums and has been for a while. I wasn't intending to be disrespectful but it something I felt needed to be addressed. There's no need to bash a program for having a few down years (WAC, Noke, etc). Naz, Wac, Midd were all dominant forces at one point but the likes of Stevenson, Cabrini, CNU and more have rotated up while others have rotated down. It's all cyclical and reallllllly hard to have sustained success year in and year out.

It is also not fair to the coaches who work their tails off to build new programs and battle the established teams to the last second, maybe grab that first big win, and blame the incumbent for being on a downward slide. Just think there needs to be credit where credit is due.

Speaking of Dehunt - I'm still waiting for his commentary on the Noke game. Tell us what happened! A W&L/Noke 1 goal game sounds like the best possible way a rivalry game could be played.

islander wrote: ↑Sun Mar 21, 2021 7:50 pm 1000% in agreement which is why I made sure to tie it in. Dehunt is the driving force behind ODAC lax on these forums and has been for a while. I wasn't intending to be disrespectful but it something I felt needed to be addressed. There's no need to bash a program for having a few down years (WAC, Noke, etc). Naz, Wac, Midd were all dominant forces at one point but the likes of Stevenson, Cabrini, CNU and more have rotated up while others have rotated down. It's all cyclical and reallllllly hard to have sustained success year in and year out.

It is also not fair to the coaches who work their tails off to build new programs and battle the established teams to the last second, maybe grab that first big win, and blame the incumbent for being on a downward slide. Just think there needs to be credit where credit is due.

Speaking of Dehunt - I'm still waiting for his commentary on the Noke game. Tell us what happened! A W&L/Noke 1 goal game sounds like the best possible way a rivalry game could be played.

Dehunt is in denial, that game wasn't close because it's a rivalry game, it was close because those two teams are very evenly matched. Lot of talent on both squads, sometimes shaky execution, particularly on offense.

Roanoke found the right combination of defenders with the right scheme, and their goalie continues to be excellent. W&L won a few more faceoffs, got one more groundball and took a few more shots. W&L turned the ball over three more times than 'Noke. The only significant differential was penalties, W&L had seven penalties to Roanoke's three, but 'Noke only cashed in one.

It was 5-5 going into the fourth, and 'Noke had their chances at the end of the game to tie it up. It could have gone either way. Both teams played tough, it was a very competitive game. I could see either one of these teams peaking at the end of the season and going on a run.

I think Roanoke's demise has been overstated in these parts btw. In 2018 they lost in the ODAC championship game and made NCAA's, in 2015 they lost in the ODAC championship game and made NCAA's (losing 6-3 to Salisbury), in 2013 they won the ODAC championship and won a game in NCAA's, and in 2011 they won the ODAC championship and got to the Final Four, losing to Salisbury. That's a better track record than most D3 programs over the last 10 years.

Any predictions for this weekend’s matchups? This should be a telling weekend for the ODAC.

Lynchburg v. CNU rematch
H-SC v. W&L
R-MC v. BWater

Dehunt is very insightful and does drive the ODAC thread. Keep on keepin on!

R-MC will handle Bwater

Hard to beat a team a 2nd time in another close one. LYN at home this time (I don’t believe CNU have ever visited Shellenburger Field). They should be more prepared for zone. Hoping starting middie Ty Mitchell’s back in line up.

HSC v W&L is gonna be a good one. Thinking HSC will take this one. They’ve had time to clean up there defense.

CNU for the last ten years I felt was a team on the rise. Very well coached and big wins are no longer surprising. Beating a very good Lynchburg team twice in a season would however. Bugs Coach is also dam good especially after seeing a team once ( Buccs vs KC). I’m giving the edge to Lynchburg this time thinking it will be close. Not sure what is going on in Lexington with the offense. After 4 games they are shooting a paltry 25%. In addition without a healthy #10 they are good but not great at the X. Might the O find itself possibly but going w HSC until they do. Not sure if Taylor can do it alone. I’d take Bridgewater in the other contest and give 4 goals . Good luck to all, I’m just glad they all are playing and enjoying a sport they all work so hard at . Imagine being on one of those nescac teams who isn’t playing. It’s like Christmas and Santa skips your house

Bridgewater is so dang close. 1 goal loss to Noke, close game with HSC, super close game with W&L.

ODAC Schedule this weekend + my picks in bold:

Fri. 26 Chris. Newport vs. Lynchburg
Sat. 27 Roanoke vs. Guilford
Bridgewater vs. Randolph-Macon
Randolph vs Shenandoah
Washington and Lee vs Hampden-Sydney

Perhaps I'll be proven wrong, but I just don't see the W&L offense being able to hang with H-SC after what I've seen W&L do this year.

thescottharris wrote: ↑Fri Mar 26, 2021 6:32 pm Perhaps I'll be proven wrong, but I just don't see the W&L offense being able to hang with H-SC after what I've seen W&L do this year.

Regrettably I think you are correct. I hope they gel this week but 4 games in and they’ve yet to put together a really strong offensive game, 25% shooting is atrocious over 4 games. They lack someone currently at x who can draw the slide. What’s frustrating is they do have offensive weapons, but it’s not translating into goals. Maybe this week ?

Lynchburg putting a beating on CNU tonight

If CNU goalie wasn’t on fire it would be worse.
Coach K - Flipped #27 Rogers to middie. Soph. Pole #14 got the start with Sr. #46 out played great.

Looks like there are two Coach K’s in the south. Outstanding job by Lynchburg, tough to beat them twice especially after Coach K has seen you already. The bugs were totally prepared and some shift in personnel. Anyone think they could go all the way? I still have the Gulls but Lynchburg has a shot, maybe a very good one at that. Tonight will be a litmus test for the Gennies. Hoping they can get to 14 goals and Taylor to continues to play like the HM AA I think he will be this year. Can Bou go 50% or better. The Gennies also need to stay out of the box. Might Greenspon play X and Holliday carry the load with Mullholland up top. Lots of questions that will be answered tonight for both these teams. 64 degrees tonight let the games begin

Well after 3+ quarters of this W&L-HSC game, I think it's safe to say the gap between Lynchburg and the rest of the ODAC is pretty significant.

Nice weekend for my lax squads at LC and H-SC!

HSC played a good game and moved the ball extremely well last night, good job attacking the d drawing the slide and finishing. W&L was playing from behind all night and to their credit kept clawing back to tie the game but just couldn’t hold off HSC long enough to take a lead. Looks like there’s 3 teams all that are close in talent with Bridgewater right behind, then there’s Lynchburg. They are way ahead of the rest of the pack. The Generals Playing Lynchburg back to back will be a huge challenge

Dehuntshigwa’es wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:38 am HSC played a good game and moved the ball extremely well last night, good job attacking the d drawing the slide and finishing. W&L was playing from behind all night and to their credit kept clawing back to tie the game but just couldn’t hold off HSC long enough to take a lead. Looks like there’s 3 teams all that are close in talent with Bridgewater right behind, then there’s Lynchburg. They are way ahead of the rest of the pack. The Generals Playing Lynchburg back to back will be a huge challenge

Frankly I'd be surprised if either one of those W&L-Lynchburg games is competitive.

I don't really want to say Lynchburg should have a cakewalk to the ODAC title because stuff happens unexpectedly (say some major injuries or major players out with COVID), but unless some major improvements are made pretty quickly with W&L/HSC/Noke, then it's looking like it could be something like that.

thescottharris wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:44 am

Dehuntshigwa’es wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 5:38 am HSC played a good game and moved the ball extremely well last night, good job attacking the d drawing the slide and finishing. W&L was playing from behind all night and to their credit kept clawing back to tie the game but just couldn’t hold off HSC long enough to take a lead. Looks like there’s 3 teams all that are close in talent with Bridgewater right behind, then there’s Lynchburg. They are way ahead of the rest of the pack. The Generals Playing Lynchburg back to back will be a huge challenge

Frankly I'd be surprised if either one of those W&L-Lynchburg games is competitive.

I don't really want to say Lynchburg should have a cakewalk to the ODAC title because stuff happens unexpectedly (say some major injuries or major players out with COVID), but unless some major improvements are made pretty quickly with W&L/HSC/Noke, then it's looking like it could be something like that.

Totally agree

And as far as the game goes last night, I came away fairly unimpressed with the W&L defense. The goalkeeper bailed them out a lot. I watched all the goals again last night and the # of times W&L got beat because of a lack of communication or complete lack of defensive awareness off ball was staggering.

I remember at least 4-5 goals that were scored simply because a W&L defender lost track of who he was defending, allowing an H-SC player to cut to the crease for a wide open shot.

The lack of communication/accountability on Nick Morgan's two goals and Doetzer's goal as he was subbing in the game (goal #7) was staggering. People pointing at someone else to pick up the man with the ball when you're clearly the best one in position to do it or putting in a half assed individual effort to cover a man. The defense was frankly embarrassingly bad on these three goals in particular.

I even rewatched the goals this morning to make sure I wasn't remembering things wrong.

Great offensive awareness by H-SC to always be looking for the open man though. DOn't know if it was in the scouting report that W&L gets beat off ball a lot but at least last night they were.

W&L defense isn’t very good this year, other than their goalie. Frankly, neither is their offense. They don’t have many/any players who can really break down a defense. Yet they scored 12 against HSC so not sure what that says about the HSC defense either. It looks like a fairly tight grouping with HSC, W&L and ‘Nokia so far, maybe Bridgewater as well. But those teams appear to be a long way away from Lynchburg’s level.

ctbagataway wrote: ↑Sun Mar 28, 2021 3:09 pm W&L defense isn’t very good this year, other than their goalie. Frankly, neither is their offense. They don’t have many/any players who can really break down a defense. Yet they scored 12 against HSC so not sure what that says about the HSC defense either. It looks like a fairly tight grouping with HSC, W&L and ‘Nokia so far, maybe Bridgewater as well. But those teams appear to be a long way away from Lynchburg’s level.

Lynchburg on average has been the best team in the ODAC the last 10 years. This year is a particularly good vintage but let’s remember they have what I believe is 5 fifth year seniors and not just the production they bring but the leadership they bring matters