Johns Hopkins 2020

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

B1G went 1-4-PPD today. Not good for overall conference strength nor eye test.

[nyjay]

Hard to be too worked up about today. What happened was pretty much exactly what I expected would happen. I was thinking more like 16-11, but 17-10 is close enough. From watching the game live with no replays and not having looked at the box score:

- Defense + goalie: doesn't look awful, other than in unsettled, transition situations. Goalie made a lot of good saves, but still struggles with 10-12 yard high-to-high, stick side shots. Gray had 2 or 3 of those, which are probably the easiest shots a goalie can save. Gray's really good, but he's not really a deep shooter. LeClair should feast on us.
- Clearing game: looks like it was never practiced. One of my kids played for a summer team (guess the program - shouldn't be hard) who never practiced full field or clears. Everything was 4v3, 3v2, etc. Which was great for developing kids' skills. The team was wonderful sharing the ball. But they couldn't clear. At all. Which wasn't good in actual games. Today looked similar.
- Offense: looks terrible. Doesn't look like they have a plan or if they have one, they can't execute it. Every shot is forced - hence the blocks, hitting the defender on the follow through, etc. They really struggle for good looks. 29 isn't a bad shooter, but he takes A LOT of bad shots. 14 is never going to live up to his unlimited potential as a Jay. Hopefully, he'll be a good pro. Everyone else was equally anonymous.

I just wish it would be more fun watching. This is and has been an enormously frustrating team to watch. What was the last fun game they played? At the Carrier Dome in 17 (or was that 18?)? Last year against PSU in the conference tournament? It's just exhausting and depressing to watch them. And it's been that way for quite a while now.

[wgdsr]

not sure what you guys are beating yourselves up about. conference play will be here soon enough and it looks like easy pickens.

[jhu06]

is it me or does this look like an ugly facade?

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/18/oconnor- ... -students/

[Sagittarius A*]

Tell you what we need, some peer leadership!

And kick someone else off the team! Go Peers!

I get the feeling you're talking about something very specific here.

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

AnotherFebruaryLoss

810E7194-A2F6-4395-BF76-DE21EE5B2C72.jpeg (51.98 KiB) Viewed 2650 times

[Matnum PI]

[WOMBAT, Mod Emeritus]

New Coach. Impressive credentials.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/20/weiler-w ... athletics/

[Sagittarius A*]

New Coach. Impressive credentials.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/20/weiler-w ... athletics/

Can he coach lacrosse?

[Sagittarius A*]

Again, turnovers all over the field killed us today. 8 UNC goals on possessions after a turnover. Basically 9 goals if you count the ridiculous 3/4 field shot on the clear that was saved.

Petro needs to go after this year. Hire Metzbower

Metzbower turned down the HC job at Princeton when Tierney left for Denver.
He might just not want to be a Head Coach. Maybe recruiting isn't his thing.

[Sagittarius A*]

Tell you what we need, some peer leadership!

And kick someone else off the team! Go Peers!

Ok, well the two players who left the team since last year were Foley and Rapine.
Given that I heard Chris Gray's name over the intercom all day yesterday, booting either one of these guys off the team doesn't sound like such a hot idea in hindsight. I don't know that that is what happened, but it seems to be what you were implying. Again, I don't know the real story and I have no information myself.

[51percentcorn]

To paraphrase the famous line about golf - "a relatively enjoyable ride up the BW Parkway spoiled" I should have just gone to Peabody Heights brewery and stayed there.

Random thoughts:
- The unnecessary on Lyne after Gray's first goal was a cheapie - yes he got there late but didn't even knock him off his feet - clearly let up - I've seen Epstein killed after a goal with no flag
- First time seeing Chris Gray - didn't understand he had that range - wow
- I did not think Hopkins won 60% of the face-offs
- Nothing much to add about turnovers and failed clears
- Hopkins was almost in the game after Epstein scored to make it 10-6 - they were executing a little better and the UNC goalie had to make some outstanding saves - the 8 yard toss over Zinn's head to the UNC lay-up was when the game was officially over
- Nothing to say that hasn't been said about clearing and turnovers - they appeared the slower and less disciplined organized team
- While Epstein certainly looked better than last week - Petro better hope that child stays upright or that will be it.
- Offense is just a quart low - with Epstein hurt - first 6 is really 2 dodging options - Williams and Zinn - Baskin while clever is too small and not quite quick enough to deal with long sticks - he needs to be a middie invert option. Smith is a pure finisher - Degnon is showing some flashes but he is still an outside shooter. DeSimone really struggled - painful to watch the alley dodge and the two hand cradle when the slide come - it looks like he trying to hold on to an octopus - defense needs to be stretched - if Murphy is a shooter let him shoot
- Darby was OK - when he had 11 saves over 12 goals after 3 quarters - and 5 of the goals were EMO and 2 were lay-ups after TOs - he wasn't the reason but he's never catching up to any high heat. You have to have special hands and reflexes when you take up so little of the net.

[viper]

I am not going to assess what's happening on the field, plenty of that going on from credible and not so credible sources here. All I can say is that as crazy as this forum (here and on laxpower) has been in the past, I think it's gone way off the deep with all the personal sniping and "know-it alls". I guess without a moderator the inmates do run the asylum.

Unfortunately, it seems to be reflective of the state of the team as well. I am not qualified to say much other than what we are seeing on the field is a hot mess. Throw in all the beyond the field things going on like Epstein to play or not to play, two contributors no longer on the team (why, how?), the coach preaching attribution but seemingly not accepting much if any of it. Coaches speaking of change that result in what appears to be no change on the field from year to year.

I can't say what the problem(s) is/are, but it does seem that when a situation gets to a state of chaos (as it seems we are at), the best solution is to just tear down and start anew. Maybe Petro is a great coach, but right now he is not seemingly doing great coaching and the results of great coaching have not been apparent for over a decade. Maybe he can be a great coach in a new environment but it seems that the current arrangement is no longer effective.

A new coach will start with lots of growing pains, but growing pains with hope for the future is better than the annual repetition of the current problems.

Sometimes staying in a bad marriage isn't the best thing for the kids.

[steel_hop]

is it me or does this look like an ugly facade?

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/18/oconnor- ... -students/

Well, reading between the lines, he is replacing a guy that was fired. There has to more why Weil was let go. 15 straight NCAA appearances and he’s shown the door. He didn’t retire. I guess in the context of the lax program that could show there is some movement to replace coaches that aren’t meeting expectations. Though making 15 straight tournament appearances and being let go seem excessive. Could it be more of the alleged Daniels not supporting the sports programs that some on here don’t believe?

[44WeWantMore]

Assuming you were replying to https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/20/weiler-w ... athletics/ the clear implication is that 17-3-4 and losing in the NCAA quarterfinals is unacceptable.

[HopFan16]

I don't know that that is what happened, but it seems to be what you were implying. Again, I don't know the real story and I have no information myself.

If you don't know the story and have no information, it's probably best to sit this one out.

- I did not think Hopkins won 60% of the face-offs

Had the exact same takeaway. Prouty appeared to win the clamp a bunch but was having trouble exiting cleanly, and our wings didn't help much. If you had asked me in the third quarter what the faceoff % was I'd have said at best 50-50, probably a slight edge to Carolina. Once again those tough GBs just seemed to end up with the other team more often than not. That is becoming an annual theme.

Baskin while clever is too small and not quite quick enough to deal with long sticks - he needs to be a middie invert option. Smith is a pure finisher - Degnon is showing some flashes but he is still an outside shooter. DeSimone really struggled - painful to watch the alley dodge and the two hand cradle when the slide come - it looks like he trying to hold on to an octopus - defense needs to be stretched - if Murphy is a shooter let him shoot

Watching Baskin play catch with the goalie on two straight wide open rips probably took a few years off my life. I feel like we barely saw Murphy out there yesterday. It is not and will never be up to me but if I had it my way, either Murphy or Angelus would rarely if ever come off the field. I thought after Angelus' (very nice) goal early on he'd get a shot on attack. Apparently not.

Darby has improved from last year and he hasn't really been the issue in either of the two losses so far. But someone who knows the goalie position better than I do needs to explain something to me. On shots to your offstick side high I was under the impression you're generally supposed to chop your top hand down like a windshield wiper to make the save across your body. Darby however kind of just sticks his hands straight out and lunges forward. I don't know that I've ever seen him make a save on that side of his body. What exactly is Larry Quinn there for?

[BlueJaySince1947]

Hard to be too worked up about today. What happened was pretty much exactly what I expected would happen. I was thinking more like 16-11, but 17-10 is close enough. From watching the game live with no replays and not having looked at the box score:

- Defense + goalie: doesn't look awful, other than in unsettled, transition situations. Goalie made a lot of good saves, but still struggles with 10-12 yard high-to-high, stick side shots. Gray had 2 or 3 of those, which are probably the easiest shots a goalie can save. Gray's really good, but he's not really a deep shooter. LeClair should feast on us.
- Clearing game: looks like it was never practiced. One of my kids played for a summer team (guess the program - shouldn't be hard) who never practiced full field or clears. Everything was 4v3, 3v2, etc. Which was great for developing kids' skills. The team was wonderful sharing the ball. But they couldn't clear. At all. Which wasn't good in actual games. Today looked similar.
- Offense: looks terrible. Doesn't look like they have a plan or if they have one, they can't execute it. Every shot is forced - hence the blocks, hitting the defender on the follow through, etc. They really struggle for good looks. 29 isn't a bad shooter, but he takes A LOT of bad shots. 14 is never going to live up to his unlimited potential as a Jay. Hopefully, he'll be a good pro. Everyone else was equally anonymous.

I just wish it would be more fun watching. This is and has been an enormously frustrating team to watch. What was the last fun game they played? At the Carrier Dome in 17 (or was that 18?)? Last year against PSU in the conference tournament? It's just exhausting and depressing to watch them. And it's been that way for quite a while now.

I totally agree with this assessment of the Jays. What the heck is going on with the coaching fundamentals. Perhaps the most discombobulated team the Jays have fielded in my 72 years of watching them !

[Sagittarius A*]

Syracuse beat Army in the Dome 9-7 and is now 3-0.
SU's face-off man won 16 of 19.

[oldjayfan]

is it me or does this look like an ugly facade?

https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/18/oconnor- ... -students/

Yes, but I, for one, have had enough brick!!

Hoping yesterday's game was a one-off; however, we're clearly not yet ready for primetime. 17 goals is not something that will sit well with David and the D...looking for vast improvement when we face a hot Princeton team. Imagine the majority of the week will be spent trying to neutralize/limit Sowers--won't be easy...

[DMac]

Syracuse beat Army in the Dome 9-7 and is now 3-0.
SU's face-off man won 16 of 19.

Was a game of GKs, Army's Schuple was beyond pehenominal, both teams had 25 SOG, Schuple had 16 saves, Porter had 18. Many by both of the RYFKM variety.
Face offs wins games!!!!! Well, maybe not so much.
(How many of those 9 goals were scored on a face off possession?)