UNC at Duke

[Typical Lax Dad]

Having seen Gray and Sowers and Bowen and Giles-Harris a few times this year, I think the Sowers match up is more challenging for UNC. Bowen is excellent, Top 5 but Sowers quickness and speed has be to seen in person. The prototypical ACC pole (long and strong) is not the most effective matchup on Sowers. Likewise with Gray. Both rely on speed/quickness from X. Richmond held Gray to 1/1 with a quick footed, physical, fundamentally solid, smaller D-pole. Sowers moved around the field a lot and created different matchups to avoid that situation and was 3/2 against the Spiders. Advantage Duke IMO. Giles-Harris is a good match-up on Gray but UNC doesn't have to rely as much on Gray because of their midfield while Sowers is more effective when he has the rock. Gray can be more opportunistic given his middies. Advantage UNC.
I think Duke is slightly more balanced. However, the X could determine the outcome. I hope it lives up to its billing and I expect it will.

Pretty good analysis...JT Giles-Harris on Sowers would be a better matchup. Gray is a killer too.

[10 10 2]

Sowers and Gray will both get their fair share of points. In fact, I think this will be a showcase for both teams' offenses, and neither goalie will save 50%.

Last time UNC beat Duke in Durham was 2016, where they won 17-16 in OT. I expect a similar score this time around.

[10stone5]

I don’t see how you beat the Syracuse Duke game for
drama, but still, you’d think this will be a demonstration
of superior lacrosse - UNC and Duke being two of the top
three teams - along with the Terps, Denver
coming up as a challenger as well.

I’ll have to along with 33, maybe 34 as the over -
under in this game.

I do like the Gray versus Sowers challenge.
I think while Sowers will play his usual fine game,
Gray being the competitor he is will look at this as
a great opportunity to showcase his skills, so he could
outplay Sowers here. OTOH, The above poster already
described how Richmond held Gray in check. Also,
last year, Denver also with some athletic defensemen
held Gray in relative check.

[Brownlax]

Love the matchups in this game - should be a classic. When I was at Brown and we were playing Syracuse in the regular season, Todd Curry - who was one of the fastest guys on the field (like Sowers) provided a tough matchup for us. We played Curry with our fastest short pole and we had early slides to him. We played them tough but we also had to deal with a couple of Gait Brothers, Tom Maracheck and John Zulberti as well. Looking forward to watching this one. UNC 18- Duke 16.

[Matnum PI]

D1 MEN: Tonight at 7 PM EST, #2 Duke plays #3 UNC. And, all but certainly, whoever wins will replace UMD as the #1 team in the nation.

https://fanlax.com/2021/04/01/d1-men-2- ... -04-01-21/

[DMac]

You kidding me....this one got cancelled?????????????????????????







April fools.

[youthathletics]

Got me....danged baztid!

[DMac]

I got had at another site, youth, not an original.
Yes, danged baztids!

[wgdsr]

almost asked you if you were breaking the story.


but i def looked....

deleted original post so you could catch youth.

[DMac]

Saw that...was a good move.

[Wheels]

Statistically, Duke has a better defense. Will be interesting to see how they handle UNC's big and athletic midfield corp. They got a taste of it against Cuse, but Cuse doesn't have as complete of an attack unit as UNC. You can't double-pole UNC's midfield. You can't get away with moving JTG off-ball they way Duke did against Hiltz for Cuse.

For UNC, do you mix in gimmick defensive looks like shutting off Sowers? Or do you make Sowers score 7 goals instead of getting 7 assists? UNC typically slides slow. Might be a good strategy here, too. Also, if you get physical with Sowers, and UNC has some physical dudes, how does he respond?

Tired: Gray vs Sowers.
Wired: UNC's ride vs Duke's clear.

[wgdsr]

Statistically, Duke has a better defense. Will be interesting to see how they handle UNC's big and athletic midfield corp. They got a taste of it against Cuse, but Cuse doesn't have as complete of an attack unit as UNC. You can't double-pole UNC's midfield. You can't get away with moving JTG off-ball they way Duke did against Hiltz for Cuse.

For UNC, do you mix in gimmick defensive looks like shutting off Sowers? Or do you make Sowers score 7 goals instead of getting 7 assists? UNC typically slides slow. Might be a good strategy here, too. Also, if you get physical with Sowers, and UNC has some physical dudes, how does he respond?

Tired: Gray vs Sowers.
Wired: UNC's ride vs Duke's clear.

disagree on attack units. syracuse's is every bit as formidable as unc's, and moreso after the first guy. imo.

duke didn't double pole 'cuse that i remember, either. we'll see if unc's "others" at attack produce.

unc's undefeated with gray (and all other frosh, sophs and recent transfers, obviously) over 2 years. looking that's denver twice, uva and.... richmond? hmmm....

pains me to say it, seeing blue devils.

[wgdsr]

You kidding me....this one got cancelled?????????????????????????







April fools.

everybody wants to watch the acc.

if you're reading, i dare you not to watch.

[youthathletics]

Dukes F/O really surprised me va Cuse, which is why I had Cuse winning by 3. I did pick Duke’s score of 15

I believe Duke has a bit more depth, that’ll give them the edge.

Duke 17-15

[10stone5]

Defensive game,
did not figure on that.

[DU-fan]

I did not think the score would be 1-0 after 10 mins. 10 man ride is working well for UNC.

[Matnum PI]

1-1.

Gray not so involved. Early...

[johnnyonthegunpowder]

This early I'd like to see more ball movement from Carolina.

[Wheels]

Statistically, Duke has a better defense. Will be interesting to see how they handle UNC's big and athletic midfield corp. They got a taste of it against Cuse, but Cuse doesn't have as complete of an attack unit as UNC. You can't double-pole UNC's midfield. You can't get away with moving JTG off-ball they way Duke did against Hiltz for Cuse.

For UNC, do you mix in gimmick defensive looks like shutting off Sowers? Or do you make Sowers score 7 goals instead of getting 7 assists? UNC typically slides slow. Might be a good strategy here, too. Also, if you get physical with Sowers, and UNC has some physical dudes, how does he respond?

Tired: Gray vs Sowers.
Wired: UNC's ride vs Duke's clear.

disagree on attack units. syracuse's is every bit as formidable as unc's, and moreso after the first guy. imo.

duke didn't double pole 'cuse that i remember, either. we'll see if unc's "others" at attack produce.

unc's undefeated with gray (and all other frosh, sophs and recent transfers, obviously) over 2 years. looking that's denver twice, uva and.... richmond? hmmm....

pains me to say it, seeing blue devils.

Hm. We must have watched different games. Rehfuss even had a shorty on him for parts of that game. Scanlon is the easiest attack to short in the ACC. Duke sent poles up Cuse's first midfield line.

[Matnum PI]

2-2. End of 1st. Great game.

Though... sloppy at times. Dropped passes, etc. Still, great game.