LaxPower Back-Up Stick

Tufts vs SJF will be a very interesting game. Can Fisher minimize Tufts transition, and get more possessions via their Fogo? Calling Tufts by 2.

Jumbo wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 9:21 am I feel like some teams got a really tough second game. Meanwhile, York wins by 15. Will be interesting how that impacts next weeks york CNU game

Yea, I feel some of that not sure how Denison was seeded that high but, you have to play the team in front of you. Todays games look really good and you could see more than one upset. I think that Gettysburg has been so close to Dickinson maybe third time is the charm.
STF very interesting vs Tufts can they slow down the transition but you can ask that question of Wesleyan and can MIT wins enough faceoffs and keep RIT from playing make it take it with there offense.

ah23 wrote: ↑Sat May 14, 2022 8:09 pm I have generally been really impressed by the broadcasts over the course of the last two days - thought York, Salisbury, and Tufts all did a great job on both second round matchups. All pretty knowledgeable about all the teams, good insight, etc. Felt like the NCAA tournament should!

The last two games I've watched though...woof. The guy at RIT doing the MIT-Amherst game seemingly did about ten seconds of prep and very clearly had absolutely zero interest in the game - he spent the entire game basically reading [name + number] off a roster sheet in bored monotone and had almost nothing to say about what was happening on the field. Camera operator missed multiple goals and struggled to follow the action in general. Now it's York-Denison with no broadcaster. It's the NCAA tournament - come on people. Baby steps I guess.

I have to say that the guys doing the Catholic-St. John Fisher game were great. Informed about both teams. Gave solid insights about the plays and the strategies being used. Did their homework about the teams and the players. Nice job!

1 RIT #2 vs #11 MIT 05/15/2022
2 Bowdoin #7 vs #8 St. Lawrence 05/15/2022
3 Tufts #10 vs #6 Saint John Fisher 05/15/2022
4 Salisbury #1 vs #16 Cabrini 05/15/2022
5 Gettysburg #19 vs #5 Dickinson 05/15/2022
6 Christopher Newport #4 vs #22 Wesleyan 05/15/2022
7 Union #3 vs #32 Western New England 05/15/2022

Looking at these matchups, I think every team has a shot to win today, though I'm sure a few of these games may end up not being competitive. York definitely got a favorable draw this weekend (I would have sent the Denison/Grove City game to CNU and sent the RPI/Wesleyan game to York) but that's on the committee not the team.

What a slate to look forward to today. Not going to pretend to know a ton about everyone playing, but a few thoughts:

Tufts - SJF
19-15 a year ago, and in my opinion the only reason SJF hung around was because of how dominant Joe Post was. Wrote this after the 2021 game: of SJF's 15 goals, 11 came immediately after a Joe Post faceoff win without Tufts touching the ball. Very basic math so grain of salt, but: when Tufts had the ball, they scored on ~55% of their possessions. SJF scored on about 37% of their possessions - they just had a lot more of them.

I think faceoffs might be less of an advantage this season, mostly because Tufts has been a lot better at the X in 2022. 46.8% as a team in 2021, 55.21% in 2022. If you just look at Post (#3 nationally) and Parker Merril (#51 nationally) vs. common opponents, today should in theory be a pretty interesting matchup.

Moving on. Both teams can score, but SJF's numbers are pretty inflated by eight games against in-conference fluff. Not to question their resume - they face a tough OOC schedule and played both RIT and Union to 1-goal losses. They are really, really good. Just noting that the raw numbers (#3 in scoring! #23 in goals allowed average!) are a bit misleading. Think it will be a really good, high-scoring game, but SJF just won't be able to stop Tufts on offense.

Tufts -4.5, o/u 36.5


RIT-MIT
Less of a tossup, fewer thoughts.

If MIT's Matthew Sardis was 100%, I would feel better about the (still low) upset potential here. From watching the game yesterday...he plainly is not. Really unfortunate because I think this could have been an interesting game otherwise. Without faceoffs tilting the field in MIT's favor, RIT just has more talent on the field and should be able to jump on MIT early and often. The Engineers will continue to score (again: the attack is prolific, and it's not just Gebhardt) but they don't have enough midfield dodging/overall firepower to stick with RIT.

RIT -6.5, o/u 33.5

YCOLaxFanSU wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 11:11 am

1 RIT #2 vs #11 MIT 05/15/2022
2 Bowdoin #7 vs #8 St. Lawrence 05/15/2022
3 Tufts #10 vs #6 Saint John Fisher 05/15/2022
4 Salisbury #1 vs #16 Cabrini 05/15/2022
5 Gettysburg #19 vs #5 Dickinson 05/15/2022
6 Christopher Newport #4 vs #22 Wesleyan 05/15/2022
7 Union #3 vs #32 Western New England 05/15/2022

Looking at these matchups, I think every team has a shot to win today, though I'm sure a few of these games may end up not being competitive. York definitely got a favorable draw this weekend (I would have sent the Denison/Grove City game to CNU and sent the RPI/Wesleyan game to York) but that's on the committee not the team.

I agree with your anyone can win these games and nothing would be surprising. Happy for MIT for moving on.

I's a tragedy that so many of these games are at the same time.

Union vs WNE seems to be in some sort of delay. Maybe lightning.

Dickinson vs Gettysburg is in a lightening delay.

Looks like St. Lawrence is coming back on Bowdoin. As per IL, Mullane doesn’t have a point. Is that real? Is he playing?

Looking at these matchups, I think every team has a shot to win today, though I'm sure a few of these games may end up not being competitive.

Boy, was I wrong. With the exception of Salisbury/Cabrini, which opened up a bit in the 4th, I don't think there was much doubt by halftime in the other games.

No upsets today. I have all of my final 8 alive. I guess the brackets were correct. None of the losers from today deserve to be in the elite 8.

No upsets today.

Mid 4th Gettysburg 14 Dickinson 7. If that holds that will be an upset.

Gburg beating Dickinson imo isn’t an upset. Tough to beat a team 3 times. Especially when dickinson hasn’t been dominant in the CC

Thought Tufts would win, but man…that was a complete blowout. Made SJF look like a very average team for sixty minutes.

Home team blowouts except G-burg. I was hoping for better. Very surprising considering the quality of the teams involved.

The most complete game of the year by far from Gettysburg!!! Playing with house money now.

LaxDad1967 wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 6:16 pm Gburg beating Dickinson imo isn’t an upset. Tough to beat a team 3 times. Especially when dickinson hasn’t been dominant in the CC

LaxDad1967 wrote: ↑Sun May 15, 2022 6:16 pm Gburg beating Dickinson imo isn’t an upset. Tough to beat a team 3 times. Especially when dickinson hasn’t been dominant in the CC

OF course this was an upset.

Tough to beat a team 3 times? If you've already beaten someone twice, it would suggest you are the better team.

Yeah...if an undefeated conference champion losing at home to a six-loss team they already beat twice isn't an upset, I don't know what is.