LaxPower Back-Up Stick

51percentcorn wrote: ↑Sun Jan 14, 2024 1:56 pm Nice post 06 - 2 very valid points relative to the upcoming season

Angelus' importance and contributions to last year's season almost cannot be overstated. When he played well and contributed points Hopkins won - when he did not play (Loyola) or was held under control - Hopkins lost. In the 5 losses that he played in - he scored 1 goal and passed out 6 assists. That is 6% of his goals and 14% of his assists (While 5 games of the 17 he played in represents pretty much 30%). In certainly 3 of the most important games of the season (Penn State, BIG semi against Maryland and Notre Dame) he accounted for 3 assists total. SO that tells me that to help towards an even more successful season Hopkins must figure out 2 things - how to get him untracked when he is playing better opponents and defensemen and the converse - more effective alternatives if a Posey or Ajax or one of the UVA condors is giving Angelus problems.

The Denver face-off man is certainly a concern and an important factor in the season opener. You never know about match-ups until they happen and certainly its better to start with the ball more than 50% of the time than not. You certainly wouldn't call Denver a high scoring team from last year - 11.5 goals per game - so the face-off man could allow the PIoneers to get in a rhythm with the Matt Brown offense or become very important for possessions in a low scoring game. February 3rd is anybody's guess for weather.

51percentcorn wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:51 am And we were doing better.

Given these are 19-23 year old atheltes training at a high level - the time change effect will likely be minimal if not non-existent - compensated by the fact there will be alot of adrenaline for the first game of the year and I am sure Brown and his staff will be on it.
The altitude change? First - you're surprised the "Mile High" city is approx. 5,000 ft above sea level? Second, while everybody is different - the reason athletes train at altitude or simulate it with oxgen equipmnent is to build up red blood cells on the theory that it will provide a boost at sea level so in theory this helps Denver. Maybe that's what you meant but again very likely nothing to see here.

What there is to see is how much these two teams are mirror images of each other. Denver returns every single player that was listed as a starter in the Big East Final against Georgetown and their roster has 18 seniors and grad students. Their MO is not to be run and gun but rather to execute more 6v6 as evidenced by 35 shots per game - fairly high turnover rate and they don't take alot of penalties. Goalie percentage was under 50. Given the first game of the year - possibility of pretty cold and even poor weather - and the two teams willingness to hold the ball - scoring could be low - which is always concerning when you might be at a face-off disadvantage. A second half 2 or 3 goal lead could look like the Rockies to climb for either team.

51percentcorn wrote: ↑Tue Jan 16, 2024 8:04 pm Well - I am all for playing Billings/Claiborne/Colhoun etc. but just like across the field - probably not going to happen very much. Look at last year - aside from Ohio State and Bryant - the highest total number of players in a game was 27 against Michigan - and Hop switched goalies at half time and used 3 face-off men so traditionally it could have been 25 - right there at my magic number of 23/24. So this schedule likely does not afford the luxury of sending out inexperience when you are in a tight game and you have 2 grad students and 2 seniors at your disposal. Maybe if you time it right and can send them out against a team's second mid-field you can sneak in some runs but it all depends on the status of the game.

Collison and the emergence of English give you some valued offensive experience returning in '25 and Melndez has another year of eligibility but this is the cloud in the silver lining of a deep experienced team. If Smith wants/gets his medical redshirt the close D will only lose Szuluk which will help.

51percentcorn wrote: ↑Sun Jan 21, 2024 8:24 am https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/ ... denver-men

US LAx MAG preview of Denver - sounds like they have a new piece in this red-shirt freshman attackman - Malawsky. If he starts and/or when he plays - will Smith take him? The preview says he's their guy at X.

If Hopkins is ranked 6th or 7th I guess the JHU preview will be out Thursday or Friday.

JaXKy0521S wrote: ↑Mon Jan 22, 2024 7:26 pm I’ll be there and can post updates from the scrimmage.

flalax22 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:33 pm Not that long ago I looked at the Jays schedule and wondered where the wins would come from. This year I have them favored in every match up save Virginia and Maryland. Maybe that’s way too optimistic but this team seems ready to handle their business.

51percentcorn wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 6:35 pm

flalax22 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:33 pm Not that long ago I looked at the Jays schedule and wondered where the wins would come from. This year I have them favored in every match up save Virginia and Maryland. Maybe that’s way too optimistic but this team seems ready to handle their business.

Just out of curiosity - not saying you are wrong either - but interested in your thoughts on why you would have Hopkins as an underdog to Maryland. Maryland lost more to eligibility - Makar/Gephardt/Lacey but gains Malever and McEneany back. Hopkins has hopefully improved its goaltending as that was a key stat in those two games last year - Hopkins goalie averaged 38% in those two games - admittedly the Maryland goalie did not fare well in the regular season contest but was above 50 in the BIG semi. In the 3rd and 4th quarters of those two games - so an entire 60 minutes of playing time - the Hopkins goalie made 5 saves and Maryland scored 14. Game is at Homewood - yes I know its been flipped somewhat in that any of Hopkins more recent victories seem to have come at College Park but I would think if Ierlan gives them anything it feels like a pick'em.

As I said before - the first part of the season - is so important before the 3 road/neutral ACC games.