Navy 2022

[old salt]

I have no idea what is being said by a few of you, is that Latin/pig Latin?

After another performance like that, it will be Falcon Codes.

[kramerica.inc]

I have no idea what is being said by a few of you, is that Latin/pig Latin?

After another performance like that, it will be Falcon Codes.

This is the greatest bit of shorthand ever.
And it will be used at work.
Thank you for the share.

[EastCoastLaxFan]

Joining the party!

Big week of prep as the Mids head up to Colgate. The good news is, someone needs to win after a few tough weeks (Navy on the 3-game skid, Colgate 4 games).

I hope the Mids offense turns things around and cleans it up. I went up to HC for the game and the careless mistakes were killer, especially on clears and man-up where feeds were forced to the pipes and guys were simply not open. Torain has been in a funk shooting the ball and I look to see him shake it off and help this team get back in the win column.

Prediction: Whichever team hits double digits wins the game. I am taking the Mids 11-8.

PS - I always remember the Navy bench bringing a lot of energy following goals / big plays.... They seem to be non-existent this year!!???

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

I have no idea what is being said by a few of you, is that Latin/pig Latin?

After another performance like that, it will be Falcon Codes.

That just might explain in Twelve O’Clock High why the fictional unit was the 918th.

[HealthyDebate]

I’m in agreement with EastCoast (& welcome by the way, new poster I see), first team to 10 wins. This will be two desperate teams fighting for their Pat League lives.

Another tough trip for the Mids. The good thing is they are driving 🥴.

What say you all?

[kramerica.inc]

Just be patient. Coach Sowell needs to get his own recruits in to work with.

[youthathletics]

Just be patient. Coach Sowell needs to get his own recruits in to work with.

I like the version a bit better....Coach Sowell just needs his own recruits to not do what he wants.

[laxpere]

Your version sounds interesting, but are you saying that Coach Sowell didn't want his recruits to commit 22 turnovers, six penalties and countless other mistakes?

The season is not over yet, and now is the time for everyone to step up - eliminate the mistakes and finish strong.

I am not giving up the ship. Go Navy!

[laxxygilmore]

And back to our regurlary scheduled programming...(until Petro hits the market lol).

How are we feeling about this weekend? This is a hungry, determined and confident HC. It will be a tough out no matter what. What Navy team shows?

Longest bus ride of the year facing a coaching staff who knows many of these players .. I think HC is vastly improved and concur with your analysis Healthy . A Navy loss isn't out of the realm of possibility !

I say close game in a pick 'em.

"T"

For the longest bus ride of the season, suggested video selections from Coach Sowell's All Access Championship Series - 3 Parts...







Navy 9 - Colgate 8!

[youthathletics]

Your version sounds interesting, but are you saying that Coach Sowell didn't want his recruits to commit 22 turnovers, six penalties and countless other mistakes?

The season is not over yet, and now is the time for everyone to step up - eliminate the mistakes and finish strong.

I am not giving up the ship. Go Navy!

Welcome aboard laxpere, appreciate the new posts and discussion points.


Of course nobody wants any team to have that many turnovers, but you seriously have to ask your self, seriously...... "Why are they having this many turn overs" week in week out? Are the players really this unskilled....I do not believe that.

- Are they just going through the motions....and maybe only his motions?
- Are they just rundown and exhausted come game time?
- Are they sick and tired of doing the same offensive plays year in and year out?
- Does #6 ever get enough of a rest to "really" be highly productive?
- Have they tried to provide input to coach, to only get pushed aside or seen as questioning judgement?

I will never give up the ship either laxpere, This kind of sums up my point. Sure you can cram a square peg in a round hole....but what happens after it happens. You get stuck, you get exhausted trying to get it out, frustrated someone put it in there and now you cannot complete the puzzle, etc, etc.

[EastCoastLaxFan]

Turnovers is an issue that has plagued Navy for years. With that said, it is no secret that the shot clock has added an entirely new challenge for offenses and I believe there has been increases in turnover numbers across most teams in the country, if not all.

From my viewpoint, a significant amount of turnover situations are not preventable by running specific drills.

A few examples from the HC Game:
- Torain throwing away a simple exchange pass following a timeout late in the 4th Quarter
- Several times on man-up, the pipes were being locked off by the D and passes were thrown before looking to see if the man was open
- Making the easy pass on clears... 14-20 clearing is terrible and HC didn't throw anything special at the Mids

These were all mental errors.

With that said.... Maybe the staff introducing more situational practice points to erase mental errors will help going into Colgate (lock pipes on man-ups / clearing against pressure rides / emphasis on moving feet when moving the ball).

Time will tell but let's hope the Mids peak late in the season.

[laxxygilmore]

Interesting comments from Coach Sowell during the 2018 and 2017 seasons on the topic of turnovers and "strategery" on how to reduce them...

http://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/na ... story.html
“Yea, it’s frustrating. It’s absolutely frustrating,” Sowell said of the 18 turnovers. “I wasn’t real happy, was trying to bite my tongue at times. Unforced errors hurt. Thank God we were able to overcome it.”

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/lacr ... story.html
“At the end of the day, that’s the $1 million question: how do you clean it up?” Sowell asked rhetorically. “It’s one of these things. We’re going to keep working on it. We’re doing a bunch of stickwork and just hope that at some point, it goes away. That’s all we can do.”… “…just hope that at some point, it goes away. That’s all we can do.”

2019 NCAA Rank @ #45 with 17.9 TO/GM avg. to date.

As best one can tell from the record books data, TO's apparently have been a bit of a challenge in other places for Coach...

TOs (in addition to lack of O) are a key contributor that derailed the 2017 season, running at 16.0 TO/gm. avg., with 21 TO’s alone vs. Holy Cross during the 2017 regular season and then 22 TO’s vs. Holy Cross in the 2017 PLT opening round 11-7 loss. Interesting take above from Coach Sowell over a month prior to that on how to cut down on the TO’s because when you connect the TO dots from the record books, his SBU and Navy teams over the past 10+ seasons from 2007-current (or at least 8+ of 11 seasons) averages 16.5 TO/gm…with Navy’s 83 games from 2012-2017 tallied @ 1,227 TO’s or 14.8/gm avg. and SBU’s 46 games from 2008 to 2010 tallied at 906 TO’s or 19.7/gm avg. (Stats for 2007 & 2011 n/a on SBU website).

So, add in the 15.6 TO/gm avg. for 2018 (Ranked #60) with the 14.8 TO/gm avg. for 2012-2017 along with the +-19.7 TO/gm avg. at SBU, it isn’t difficult to connect the TO dots by teams under Sowell for the last 12 seasons averaging +-16.7 TO/gm. SJU and DC may be more of the same going back another 7 seasons before 2007.

[thatsmell]

Pulling for Navy to turn it around. If anyone is capable of doing such, it’s the Mids!

Looking forward to this weekend’s game

[laxpere]

Youth,
I have a seriously difficult time going that deep inside the psyche of the Navy lacrosse team to find answers to your questions. I think that each question has an extremely subjective answer for each player, and I am not equipped to fully analyze what’s going on inside the helmet, nor do I have inside info/player access to understand the team dynamics. Maybe filling the huge voids created by the commissioning of Ray, Rees, and Little on offense, and Strack and Plumer on defense was tougher than expected? I don’t have enough institutional memory to know exactly what’s different this year, but I don’t think that it is a skill issue, and the 2019 team is still a work in progress. The team is young and has several players in new roles this year, both on attack and defense. If you would like to share your answers, please go ahead.

While I am not offering answers, it seems counter productive to me to make drive by remarks about recruits and saying that the fish rots from the head in italian. Same goes with the heckling/harassing of Coach Sowell by a spectator at one of the games. I agree with EastCoastLaxFan’s excellent list of mental errors from last week. They were killer and compounded by the six penalties that yielded four goals for the other team. Navy didn’t execute well and was outshot by ~20 too. Maybe fatigue was a factor, but the close game on the score board versus the stat sheet indicates that this Mid team has enough skill to compete.

I think that each Mid has the talent/drive to excel, and Navy should win at least half of the remaining regular season games if every Mid steps up and executes the mission well. That mission can start this Saturday, and I am looking forward to watching the game. If not this week, the Army game takes on even more significance beyond the 100th meeting. As we all know, it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. The season is not over yet, and I am pulling for the Mids to not give up the ship. I am looking for every Mid to dig deep and finish strong.

Thanks for the welcome, and I’m very glad to hear that you’re not giving up the ship.
Go Navy!

[old salt]

Don't know if fatigue was a factor or not, but the 2nd offensive MF did not get on the field, while LSM #47 & ssdm's #9 & #10 got in on D.

Were they gassed or just frustrated ?

[youthathletics]

I don’t have enough institutional memory to know exactly what’s different this year, but I don’t think that it is a skill issue, and the 2019 team is still a work in progress. The team is young and has several players in new roles this year, both on attack and defense. If you would like to share your answers, please go ahead.

I try to never get player specific and keep comments focused on getting better, challenging, etc. Which is why I tried to draw a a parallel in the youtube link and commentary as it relates to NavyMLax. If you agree the skill is there, then you also have to ask yourself, why is that skill not translating into more production. Which is why I offered a handful of ideas.

While I am not offering answers, it seems counter productive to me to make drive by remarks about recruits and saying that the fish rots from the head in latin. Same goes with the heckling/harassing of Coach Sowell by a spectator at one of the games.

Those are not drive by remarks laxpere.....oh they've been there for about 7 years....staples of scorn fans and alum from prior coaches past and how the AD kicked out an outstanding mentor and coach, like throwing the baby out with the bath water. I understand where their pain comes. The new coach also does things differently....I'll leave it at that but keep in mind they also have a point.

Navy didn’t execute well and was outshot by ~20 too. Maybe fatigue was a factor, but the close game on the score board versus the stat sheet indicates that this Mid team has enough skill to compete.

No doubt. IMO, our offense has not evolved much.

Curious, why do you believe the turnovers are happening at an above avg rate.....even last year and 2017 according to the excerpts laxxygillmore posted below from the local newspaper?

Read this in a perspective as it relates to coaches, players, mentoring, leading, and managing. We are stuck, and many of my suggestions over the years are an attempt to crack thru this without complete disruption. To me, it all starts in the film room, team meetings, practice, and a player led team, where each voice and comment is entertained not only by coach put peers.

[laxpere]

Youth,
I sure hope that you don’t condone a person heckling/harassing any coach before/during/after a game no matter how mad/upset that person is about how the coach’s predecessor was treated. Same goes with the refs and opposing coaches.

You say “…oh they’ve been there for about 7 years…staples of scorn fans and alum from prior coaches past and how the AD kicked out an outstanding mentor and coach…” Change is tough but it seems crazy to hang the former coach’s acrimonious exit on Coach Sowell, especially after the recent success at Navy Lacrosse. Please fight the former coach’s battle with the AD, not the new/current coach. You can’t change the past so please let’s move forward.

Also, the comment about being patient for Coach Sowell’s recruits to produce was a drive by comment by someone who has posted only one other time (a score during the Bucknell game) on Navy 2019. Maybe that person posted about Navy Lacrosse somewhere else, but the post was also highlighted as the “understatement of the year” on Maryland 2019. Wheels’ April 2nd post in response was supportive of Coach Sowell, and it added some color to the last four years of Navy Lacrosse. It also mentioned the challenges of recruiting at Navy, mainly it is a tough life and some high potential recruits opted out of NAPS. On top of that, transfers aren’t allowed and your recruiting class can only shrink over time. I agree with Wheels’ assessment and believe that Coach Sowell is an asset to the Navy Lacrosse program. I would add that his recruiting classes have cycled through USNA several times by now so I still believe that those comments about giving his recruits time were gratuitous and unnecessary, same with the fish head one in italian.

Hasn’t Navy improved over the past several years? How are records of 9-5 in 2015, 11-5 and a NCAA quarter final in 2016, and 9-5 in 2018, or a total record of 35-23, not considered really good results? The start of Coach Sowell’s tenure at Navy was rough, but the OC was changed out in 2014, and the 2013 NAPS class included Little, Rees, and Ray, among others. The 6-8 record and loss in the PL tournament in 2017 (plus the OC's move to GTown) were clearly disappointing and Rees’ injury didn’t help, but Navy bounced back strongly last year and played tough in the PL tournament (the Lehigh game could have gone either way in OT).

The start to 2019 was encouraging until the Princeton, Loyola and Lehigh games. But the 2019 team is young and has several players in new roles this year, both on attack and defense. With a young team including 8-9 directs, there will be growing pains and turnovers will happen. Since Lafayette has the lowest turnover rate in the PL at 14.6/game, maybe turnovers aren’t the right metric. Undoubtedly, Navy beat themselves last week with mental errors, namely too many turnovers and penalties. Prior to the game, Navy averaged 17.9 turnovers and 2.9 penalties per game so Navy committed five turnovers and three penalties more than normal. In contrast, the other team committed three turnovers and one penalty fewer than normal. I would argue those variances were the major issue.

“To me, it all starts in the film room, team meetings, practice and a player led team, where each voice and comments in entertained not only by coach but peers.” Good seemingly solid suggestions, but you imply that your advice hasn't been followed. How do you know what is going on in the locker room and on the practice field? Any potential bias from your source(s)?

I am not giving up the ship and look forward to cheering the Mids on. As I said, the season isn’t over yet and the mission hits a critical stage this Saturday. If not this week, the Army game takes on even more significance beyond the 100th meeting. It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, and I am looking for a strong finish.

Go Navy!

[Tecumseh]

I don’t have enough institutional memory to know exactly what’s different this year, but I don’t think that it is a skill issue, and the 2019 team is still a work in progress. The team is young and has several players in new roles this year, both on attack and defense. If you would like to share your answers, please go ahead.

I try to never get player specific and keep comments focused on getting better, challenging, etc. Which is why I tried to draw a a parallel in the youtube link and commentary as it relates to NavyMLax. If you agree the skill is there, then you also have to ask yourself, why is that skill not translating into more production. Which is why I offered a handful of ideas.

While I am not offering answers, it seems counter productive to me to make drive by remarks about recruits and saying that the fish rots from the head in latin. Same goes with the heckling/harassing of Coach Sowell by a spectator at one of the games.

Those are not drive by remarks laxpere.....oh they've been there for about 7 years....staples of scorn fans and alum from prior coaches past and how the AD kicked out an outstanding mentor and coach, like throwing the baby out with the bath water. I understand where their pain comes. The new coach also does things differently....I'll leave it at that but keep in mind they also have a point.

Navy didn’t execute well and was outshot by ~20 too. Maybe fatigue was a factor, but the close game on the score board versus the stat sheet indicates that this Mid team has enough skill to compete.

No doubt. IMO, our offense has not evolved much.

Curious, why do you believe the turnovers are happening at an above avg rate.....even last year and 2017 according to the excerpts laxxygillmore posted below from the local newspaper?

Read this in a perspective as it relates to coaches, players, mentoring, leading, and managing. We are stuck, and many of my suggestions over the years are an attempt to crack thru this without complete disruption. To me, it all starts in the film room, team meetings, practice, and a player led team, where each voice and comment is entertained not only by coach put peers.

Maybe your best post of all time !!!

And yes , A Fish rots from the head.

“T”

[HealthyDebate]

The back and forth is very interesting. Both sides have great points. The judgement comes in your record. Plain and simple.

So I ask you again- how do we feel about this weekend. Anyone have any idea or opinions (outside the hotly debated Petro/Tills/JL Navy HC talk) on the game Saturday.

[laxpere]

Big week of prep as the Mids head up to Colgate. The good news is, someone needs to win after a few tough weeks (Navy on the 3-game skid, Colgate 4 games).
I hope the Mids offense turns things around and cleans it up. I went up to HC for the game and the careless mistakes were killer, especially on clears and man-up where feeds were forced to the pipes and guys were simply not open. Torain has been in a funk shooting the ball and I look to see him shake it off and help this team get back in the win column.
Prediction: Whichever team hits double digits wins the game. I am taking the Mids 11-8.

I’m in agreement with EastCoast (& welcome by the way, new poster I see), first team to 10 wins. This will be two desperate teams fighting for their Pat League lives.

Pulling for Navy to turn it around. If anyone is capable of doing such, it’s the Mids!

EastCoastLaxFan, Thatsmell and you hit the nail on the head. First one to double digit wins. Could be an ugly game given the performance of both teams over the past three-four weeks. Maybe the over/under should be in the 15 range?

I'll be watching for Navy to step up this week on both sides of the field. Minimize turnovers and penalties, plus rotate attack/mid players in for some time on field, just in case someone isn't available over the rest of the season.

Hope that there weren't any big distractions this week and the trip goes smoothly. I look forward to watching and think that the Mids will break out of the recent funk.
Go Navy!