Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse

[sguy9]

"The 2019 Big Green is the most prolific scoring team in program history."

https://dartmouthsports.com/news/2019/4 ... e-way.aspx

[Ghost]

Gallant effort by Dartmouth against Brown today -- Big Green had a second-half lead, played some really great defense, hung tough for three quarters, but they ran out of gas down the stretch. No Ivy win in 2019.

DISAPPOINTING...not really gallant at all.
Twice had 2 goal leads, and just forgot how to score MORE goals.
A microcosm of this season's utter FAILUREs as they ran around all game with no purpose or apparent systematic offense.
Add to it today's 2/22 in face-offs, along with an anemic man-up only 1-6
(both of those team stats squarely in the bottom 10 of Div 1 lacrosse).
Scored more than 10 goals in only three games this season. That's bad.

No Ivy wins in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

Got To Agree! Very Disappointing to see No Improvement at all...
I must stop making excuses for this team... and attempting to Justify every L on the obvious FO shortfalls-
This team failed to execute, with any consistency, on all facets, of the game... SMH

[MDlaxfan76]

"The 2019 Big Green is the most prolific scoring team in program history."

https://dartmouthsports.com/news/2019/4 ... e-way.aspx

Congrats to the gals, players, coaches and fans!

Note that they set a new Ivy record for draw controls...

[MDlaxfan76]

Hey, Orf, if you do get seasonal allergies, I cannot recommend highly enough to include nasal saline rinsing (netty pot) or equivalent as a ritual - morning and night - which could provide amazing relief for allergies.

On the lax front, this is a very interesting conversation regarding roster sizes, AI's, institutional commitment, transfers, and how sport to sport those can be balanced. Have the Ivy sports powers that be ever thought to standardize AI by team and sport, thus preventing the stacking the deck of individual teams with spill over from other teams at that school.

In addition to Yale's recent lax prowess, they won the men's NCAA D1 hockey national championship in 2013. That's arguably a more gnarly achievement than winning a lax NC - in terms of how many college hockey players go on to play long fruitful careers in the NHL - though I might be wrong there.

Does anyone know if Dartmouth is ever going to get a FOGO or two of note so that part of being perpetually behind the eight ball an be at least evened out a bit in terms of keeping up with the Jones' ?

We're told that there are two very well thought of FOGO's coming next year.
We're also in need of some big, down hill midfielders.

[MDlaxfan76]

@MDlaxfan76, as the pollen count goes up, so does my incidence of knee-jerk "grumpy and argumentative" responses. In fairness, and something I had not picked up on in the initial discussion, you make an astute point that one of the key Ivy-specific benefits of a large roster relates to the ability of balancing possibly higher and lower AI recruits. To be a little argumentative still, my sense was that at least some people in this thread-specific discussion seemed to think Yale had both increased its roster size with additional recruited player slots AND lowered its internal Academic Index profile for Men's Lacrosse. The former is true, the latter is not -- so thanks for the clarification.

Re: transfers, I'll admit to being thrilled to get T.D. (who was rumored to be landing at Cornell) and surprised by the transfer. I saw folks speculating (wildly) on another team's forum about a goalie in the transfer portal and whether Yale would be a possible destination, and in that context, I'd be surprised if we see transfers coming into Yale as a more routine occurrence in the future. But I guess time will tell. Not that lacrosse transfers in the Ivies are a new occurrence -- I can think of cases at Cornell, Brown and Penn in recent years (indeed, Penn's addition this spring of Gallagher, the soon-to-be Second Team All-Ivy FOGO, was important to their success this season). And I do feel compelled to say that Yale's greatest national success, the 2018 National Championship, was achieved without any transfer players on the roster. So the transfer of Ierlan is relevant to what Dartmouth may have to contend with going forward (multiple conference foes that have shown they will take transfers in lacrosse) but is not a backward-looking part of Yale's improvement in lacrosse.

Off to take more Claritin.

No worries, your grumpiness comes from a good place, pollen or not!

From what I can tell, Yale has built the commitment to lacrosse necessary to be a valid, ongoing national contender. It wasn't as someone said, just 'the flip of a switch', though certainly there were a series of choices made that built the momentum for others. Nor, at least IMO, has Yale done anything unreasonable in building this juggernaut.

It took years of commitment from multiple constituencies, and then, I'd suggest, a bit of great good fortune in having a Tewey winner emerge as a major difference maker, leader.

But the juggernaut's certainly in full swing now.

On the transfers, it's a relatively new dynamic, for sure, though certainly Cornell has long been the beneficiary of JUCO transfers, in-state, etc.

Seems to me that it's a conversation the Ivy AD's and their Presidents should have together, collectively. What's ok and what's not? Are there any limitations, or do whatever?

BTW, I never lost to Yale in my 4 years, indeed I recall it being our easiest Ivy game. So, the worm can turn!

[MDlaxfan76]

The Ivies can't offer significantly different financial aid packages. Your "need" is your need. How they meet that need can be different, but I think most Ivies meet 100% of your demonstrated need, and that is with NO loans. The playing field is level. A school's ability---and desire--- to compete on the level is up to them.

This is not correct. Each Ivy has its own financial aid packages based on different income levels. It varies by school and HYP offer the most robust packages to those in higher incomes because they have the endowments to do it. There are no special deals for athletes and every admitted student at a particular school must be treated the same way. The league allows other schools to match the more aggressive financial aid packages of HYP if they want a student but the school that can make the original offer has a significant recruiting advantage. There is significant information on the internet about this and I have substantial first hand experience.

I think you and Quaker are actually saying something close to one another.

But a few nuanced differences.

Yes, HYP have massive endowments and have made very strong commitments to financial aid. Indeed, it's been a bit of an arms race with each Ivy following along in the HYP wake.

But pretty much all students of serious financial need get 100% grants at all the Ivies and the % of support continues well up the income ladder, petering out at $200k income.

In other words, all the Ivies make it possible to afford to go Ivy, indeed for many it's less costly than even an in-state school. And quite competitive with the partial athletic aid one might get at a Big 10 or ACC etc.

Dartmouth is quite close to HYP in its support level. My advice to any family who doesn't get the answer they want/need on the first pass through financial aid is to go back and ask again. Their mission is to be sure that every admitted student chooses to come.

I was a little puzzled, though, by the notion of an "offer' of financial aid, as if that happens prior to or in conjunction with the athletic recruitment and admission process. Financial aid discussions, and certainly any specific numbers, are not supposed to happen until Admissions has made their decision to admit...and not just a likely letter, the actual admittance letter. That can be a little nerve wracking for a family, but that's the way it works. The good news is that it's super generous.

If you had a different experience at an Ivy actually making a specific financial aid offer during the recruiting process, I believe that would have been a pretty serious violation.

[thetruth]

If you are a family making more than $100,000 then HYP offer the most compelling financial aid packages compared to the rest of the league and the higher above $100,000 the greater the spread between what HYP offers and other schools. In other words they are able to view their need based universe as being larger and more affluent which is why the percentage of students receiving financial aid at those schools is higher than the rest of the league. In addition, HYP are the only schools in the Ivies that offer need blind admissions and comparable financial aid for international students. Both of the above are big advantages in the world of lacrosse recruiting. I’m not making this stuff up. It’s the way it is and has been for awhile.
And yes, schools absolutely discuss financial aid packages during the recruiting process in the same way they will with any student applying. It is the same calculation for every student (athlete or not) interested in applying at a specific school and simply based on income and assets of the student’s family. I believe every school now provides an online worksheet which will calculate your estimated aid based on inputs you provide as well.
None of this is a recruiting violation. Every student is treated the same way with respect to a particular school’s financial aid policies whether or not they are an athlete. It’s simply based on the family’s income and assets.

[b1w7o9y7h]

"The 2019 Big Green is the most prolific scoring team in program history."

https://dartmouthsports.com/news/2019/4 ... e-way.aspx

Goodness gracious, the Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse thread has transgendered into the Dartmouth Women's Lacrosse thread. What does it all mean ?!?!

https://imgur.com/gallery/PkU9STA

[b1w7o9y7h]

Gallant effort by Dartmouth against Brown today -- Big Green had a second-half lead, played some really great defense, hung tough for three quarters, but they ran out of gas down the stretch. No Ivy win in 2019.

DISAPPOINTING...not really gallant at all.
Twice had 2 goal leads, and just forgot how to score MORE goals.
A microcosm of this season's utter FAILUREs as they ran around all game with no purpose or apparent systematic offense.
Add to it today's 2/22 in face-offs, along with an anemic man-up only 1-6
(both of those team stats squarely in the bottom 10 of Div 1 lacrosse).
Scored more than 10 goals in only three games this season. That's bad.

No Ivy wins in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

Word, Check Sticks. All of the times this season I watched the Big Green on ESPN+ I simply could not understand four things: 1) what the offense was trying to accomplish on their settled possessions. 2) how could they try again and again to force things inside or to cutters who were clearly blanketed by defender(s). 3) how could passing and feeding be so...poor. And 4) how could shooting still be so poor and telegraphed.

Truly not trying to disparage the effort on and off the field of the student athletes who gave so much of themselves, but holy smokes I did find myself just baffled most of the time.

There was also the systemic idea of eating the shot clock and letting it wind down so the other team won't get more possessions, but if that is being done with no eye to 1) taking advantage if advantage presents itself, even if the shot clock has only ticked one second off and 2) realizing when the clock is winding down that the offense is becoming even more tight, confused, hurried, and likely to experience amplified instances of "forcing" and increased instances of even poorer shots being taken...

Well I'd suggest to hell with letting shot clock management lingering over your heads each possession, and how about just have an offensive plan that moves ball and bodies in an attempt to create something resembling a high percentage "crack at the goal", and let the chips fall where they may!

Perhaps there's some sort of method to the madness on display, but the goal drought is not hard to understand based on even the most casual observations of the Big Green's offense.

[Atticus]

Gallant effort by Dartmouth against Brown today -- Big Green had a second-half lead, played some really great defense, hung tough for three quarters, but they ran out of gas down the stretch. No Ivy win in 2019.

DISAPPOINTING...not really gallant at all.
Twice had 2 goal leads, and just forgot how to score MORE goals.
A microcosm of this season's utter FAILUREs as they ran around all game with no purpose or apparent systematic offense.
Add to it today's 2/22 in face-offs, along with an anemic man-up only 1-6
(both of those team stats squarely in the bottom 10 of Div 1 lacrosse).
Scored more than 10 goals in only three games this season. That's bad.

No Ivy wins in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016

Word, Check Sticks. All of the times this season I watched the Big Green on ESPN+ I simply could not understand four things: 1) what the offense was trying to accomplish on their settled possessions. 2) how could they try again and again to force things inside or to cutters who were clearly blanketed by defender(s). 3) how could passing and feeding be so...poor. And 4) how could shooting still be so poor and telegraphed.

Truly not trying to disparage the effort on and off the field of the student athletes who gave so much of themselves, but holy smokes I did find myself just baffled most of the time.

There was also the systemic idea of eating the shot clock and letting it wind down so the other team won't get more possessions, but if that is being done with no eye to 1) taking advantage if advantage presents itself, even if the shot clock has only ticked one second off and 2) realizing when the clock is winding down that the offense is becoming even more tight, confused, hurried, and likely to experience amplified instances of "forcing" and increased instances of even poorer shots being taken...

Well I'd suggest to hell with letting shot clock management lingering over your heads each possession, and how about just have an offensive plan that moves ball and bodies in an attempt to create something resembling a high percentage "crack at the goal", and let the chips fall where they may!

Perhaps there's some sort of method to the madness on display, but the goal drought is not hard to understand based on even the most casual observations of the Big Green's offense.

Just want to respond to some of these recent posts where the poster claims to not want to disparage the players. Give us a break! That is exactly what you want to do, and of course that is your right. But I can tell you that the players (at least many of them) read these boards and they wonder (i) which disgruntled parents are these who write these vitriolic posts? (I think some identities are more apparent than the posters may believe), or (ii) in the case of alumni, is this what it means to be a Dartmouth lax alum? Why don't you few know-it-all alums (I know it's only a few) tell the boys about your glory days or at least offer some constructive advice as to how to return to the time of your winning programs, instead of backstabbing these hard-working and fine young men who want to win WAY MORE THAN YOU DO! Fortunately, they realize that these posters don't represent the parents or the alumni at large, but they do feel sorry for your kids (or you). And, most importantly, they don't pity themselves. They signed up for this challenge, and they are committed to grind it out and continue to get better, which is the sentiment that many posters/alums/fans from other team pages (like Orfling) seem to realize about the current Dartmouth team and are so nice to share on this page.

[sguy9]

Just want to respond to some of these recent posts where the poster claims to not want to disparage the players. Give us a break! That is exactly what you want to do, and of course that is your right. But I can tell you that the players (at least many of them) read these boards and they wonder (i) which disgruntled parents are these who write these vitriolic posts? (I think some identities are more apparent than the posters may believe), or (ii) in the case of alumni, is this what it means to be a Dartmouth lax alum? Why don't you few know-it-all alums (I know it's only a few) tell the boys about your glory days or at least offer some constructive advice as to how to return to the time of your winning programs, instead of backstabbing these hard-working and fine young men who want to win WAY MORE THAN YOU DO! Fortunately, they realize that these posters don't represent the parents or the alumni at large, but they do feel sorry for your kids (or you). And, most importantly, they don't pity themselves. They signed up for this challenge, and they are committed to grind it out and continue to get better, which is the sentiment that many posters/alums/fans from other team pages (like Orfling) seem to realize about the current Dartmouth team and are so nice to share on this page.
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+1

[b1w7o9y7h]

Atticus...

What it means to be a Dartmouth lax alum for me is to actually still be here on this board, and actually care enough to have ANYTHING to say.

Perhaps at the other side of what you call disparagement and vitriol ( ) is something...else. I'll leave that for you to reread my post and figure out or not.

I didn't name names, throw out jersey numbers, or the like - which is a regular occurrence on many threads for many teams. Rather, I sadly listed some of the eminently improvable things which are now in the 5th year of...wait for it...no discernible improvement.

And I did acknowledged the effort on and off the field of the student athletes in my post.

I've lost so much Green blood in the past decade I need a transfusion. And that's in addition to the Green that has come out of my wallet.

Guess it's time to look for the Dartmouth 2020 thread...

[MDlaxfan76]

If you are a family making more than $100,000 then HYP offer the most compelling financial aid packages compared to the rest of the league and the higher above $100,000 the greater the spread between what HYP offers and other schools. In other words they are able to view their need based universe as being larger and more affluent which is why the percentage of students receiving financial aid at those schools is higher than the rest of the league. In addition, HYP are the only schools in the Ivies that offer need blind admissions and comparable financial aid for international students. Both of the above are big advantages in the world of lacrosse recruiting. I’m not making this stuff up. It’s the way it is and has been for awhile.
And yes, schools absolutely discuss financial aid packages during the recruiting process in the same way they will with any student applying. It is the same calculation for every student (athlete or not) interested in applying at a specific school and simply based on income and assets of the student’s family. I believe every school now provides an online worksheet which will calculate your estimated aid based on inputs you provide as well.
None of this is a recruiting violation. Every student is treated the same way with respect to a particular school’s financial aid policies whether or not they are an athlete. It’s simply based on the family’s income and assets.

Ok, then we agree that HYP have been leading the pack to more and more generous aid packages, and I'd agree that as you go up the income spectrum they have been willing to do more for the applicant, with the other Ivies chasing them.

We also appear to agree that there aren't any actual 'offers' of financial aid, just a formula that applies to any applicant, once admitted. This is a reasonably reliable process, but the actual application for aid and the definitive response doesn't occur until Admissions makes the decision to admit. So, when a recruit gains coach support, he or she is asked to apply Early Decision, typically meaning they are only applying to that one school. This happens prior to applying for and confirming financial aid.

51 percent
Dartmouth College Cost & Financial Aid. At Dartmouth College, 51 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid, and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $48,772.

Harvard is higher in terms of total % receiving aid, though note that the need based % is actually pretty darn close.

"In fact, approximately 70 percent of our students receive some form of aid, and over 50 percent receive need–based scholarships and pay an average of $12,000 per year. Twenty percent of parents pay nothing."

The 'pay nothing' group is about the same, and the average award is pretty close. But Harvard indeed continues further up the spectrum in at least some aid provided.

Dartmouth keeps adding more and more to its packages as well. Again, something of an arms race in the Ivies.

BTW, with Bloomberg's huge gift, Hopkins will be moving into this highly generous category soon as well.

[faircornell]

At the risk of being repetitive, and reflecting on the current Ivy lacrosse scene, I'd like to make the following comments with respect to the wisdom of change versus continuity. My main point is that no one in the Ivy League is standing still, nor is anyone in DI lacrosse. Below are highlighted examples of the Ivy lacrosse "arms race":

1. Top 10: 3 Ivies are in the top 10 in lacrosse in 2019. 2 Ivies are Top Five teams.

2. Activist recruiting: Yale allowed a lacrosse transfer in order to shore-up last year's NC team. Cornell imported a FOGO from Australia.

3. Others:
- Brown: Replaced Lars Tiffany with a DIII NC coach, and continues to draw outstanding recruits
- Princeton: Has recruited a first team AA attackman, and has one of the highest scoring attacks in the country
- Harvard: Continues to recruit and matriculate IL Top 25 recruits

All schools continue to raise the bar in terms of test scores, grades and low percentage admission rates.

Unless a school is willing to "ante-up" to the imposing table stakes noted above, as a general principle, it seems unlikely that change for the sake of change will result in improvement.

[MDlaxfan76]

Atticus...

What it means to be a Dartmouth lax alum for me is to actually still be here on this board, and actually care enough to have ANYTHING to say.

Perhaps at the other side of what you call disparagement and vitriol ( ) is something...else. I'll leave that for you to reread my post and figure out or not.

I didn't name names, throw out jersey numbers, or the like - which is a regular occurrence on many threads for many teams. Rather, I sadly listed some of the eminently improvable things which are now in the 5th year of...wait for it...no discernible improvement.

And I did acknowledged the effort on and off the field of the student athletes in my post.

I've lost so much Green blood in the past decade I need a transfusion. And that's in addition to the Green that has come out of my wallet.

Guess it's time to look for the Dartmouth 2020 thread...

I tend to agree with you in your response to Atticus. Or at least most of it.
My only difference, perhaps, is that I do see improvement, more glass half full.

Atticus,
There have been some pretty ugly posts in this thread from some posters, who we can assure you are not Dartmouth alums nor actually fans of the men's lax program at Dartmouth.

You'll want to separate out those from the alums who are on here and simply want the program to do better.

I happen to be a poster who is very open about my identity. I played in the program in the beginning of one of its more successful periods, but also for a couple of years in which we played really ugly ball. Great guys, played our hearts out, but brutally bad, especially relative to my HS experience. Fundamentals, catching, throwing, shooting, team defense were all way sub-par. In the fall scrimmage of my freshman year we were at Rutgers. My sister, 3 years my junior, turned to my father during the contest and remarked that her HS girls team would beat us. They could pass and catch with swift ball movement, and constant motion off-ball, rarely did the ball touch the ground. We couldn't do any of that.

But terrific competitive spirit. We battled. We improved. So, have seen the transition happen. I've supported the program for decades, mostly with time and interest, a few dollars.

So, I have no problem with guys who care about the program being honest about the shortfalls, expressing impatience for improvement. We know it's possible.

And I certainly think that discussing the specifics of where the team is improving or conversely struggling is appropriate lax discussion. After all, this is a lacrosse discussion board.

Personally, I'd prefer that we not be too negative about the play of any specific players ala some school threads, but folks are free to be specific if they so choose. But if you do, I'd challenge a poster to be highly specific with facts not just opinion. And distinguish between performance and effort in comments, which I think most everyone on here tries to do.

Want to see a rough thread? Visit the Hopkins thread! But even there, it's passionate fans discussing the play, the tactics, the coaching choices, the recruiting process, etc.

My understanding is that the competitive spirit of the team is very strong and their support for the coaching staff and the trajectory is excellent. I'm also hearing that, despite the frustrations with getting W's, the team manages to have fun together, and such is supported and encouraged by the coaches. That's a great base. We just need to turn the corner.

[Atticus]

MD - fair enough, and I certainly respect your positivity and, at times, fair-minded critiques of the team, coaches and program. The posters to whom I was responding vary significantly, in my view, in terms of the degree of their negative commentary (and my reaction to it), and I probably suggested too strongly that my frustration was aimed squarely and only at b1w... It really was not so focused, but, after reading so many often-nasty posts over the past few weeks, my post was triggered by the sweeping disagreement by b1w and check sticks of Orfling's friendly and hardly debatable post. I was at the Brown game, I watched the effort and commitment the players gave to winning that game -- especially for their 6 seniors who are amazing young men -- and I saw and experienced their disappointment, indeed sadness, at falling short. Yet again. Was their effort "gallant"? By every definition of the word, yes it was! But it was not enough. The players know that effort is not always enough (especially in this league), and they are committed to overcoming this challenge by improvement -- you and I saw it this year, and I guess others did not. But that's the best the boys can do for now.

My post was meant to be a reminder that, anyone who is truly loyal to the program and its current players should, I think, choose his/her words carefully. In the players' minds -- very fairly in my opinion -- "you are either with us or against us." It's that simple. My advice is to try to craft even the more critical remarks -- as you always seem to do, MD -- around the message "I am with you guys". Given the anonymity of these kinds of boards, of course, there's no need to heed this advice, but that's what I have for now. Looking forward to 2020 as I know you and so many on this board are .. for all the right reasons! GBG

[b1w7o9y7h]

Orfling is a friend of Dartmouth as an "outsider" - who has contributed thoughtful, heartfelt posts on Dartmouth men's lax "issues" going back many years (ie: the Laxpower era). Lots of "outsiders" chime in here, a testament to the respect our worthy opponents have for a rival (and us for them)...and the shared bonds we all have for this game we love.

It's been a brutal run, these past years. Mentally and physically taxing...for me...I kid you not. Maybe it was having a Dartmouth lax dad who's favorite bedtime stories were about Dartmouth lax. And then being a Dartmouth lax player myself. Well, I internalize things.

I was coached by dad and every coach I ever had that the fundamentals were like the 10 commandments. My final offensive coach, Bill Ritch, could have possibly been Moses himself, and had the Biblical Hall of Fame knowledge (and fire and brimstone to back it up) regarding how bodies and that ball could move. He also could send you to the gates of hell for one errant pass, or one dropped feed. I still have PTSD from that...but that's for me and my psychiatric team to resolve. 30+ years and we're making some very good progress.

And maybe the game has passed me by in terms of expectations, but to see a noticeable number of appearances of "shoot oneself in the foot" on the field - which in theory are coachable and "curable" - creates feelings of futility and frustration from many of us, myself included. I don't have answers ("Hey, write 'Fundamentals' at the top of the chalkboard"), but I do have hopes for the Big Green's success at the bottom of my heart. Always will, even in these dark days.

[Dartjd76]

Convincing league winner on the road! Bravo!

Ivy League Champs! Dartmouth (W Lax) Clinches 12th Title With Dominant 23-9 Win at Yale
The Big Green cruised to a 23-9 win in New Haven to finish Ivy season at 6-1.

1. Putting aside all the comparisons and contrasts between DC and the other Ivy men's lax programs, not to mention OOC opponents, why is it that the DC women's team, with the same facilities, weather, etc., etc. can have consistent success while the men can not? Having lived in Hanover until recently and watching both programs, the spirit and the players' effort seems comparable, but the basic skill levels (passing, shooting, gb's,etc.) are not. The women seem much better prepared. As we used to say in the intramural hoops league, "they've got plays!!"

2. This disparity in execution is also evident when comparing the D men to their opponents. This is most glaring on offense where the men seem chaotic, mistake-prone and panicked much of the time, leading to turn overs, poor shot selection and lack of scoring. Putting defense and goalie play aside for a minute, even ignoring individual offensive player skill levels, etc., look at the D lax offense as a unit. Compare the offensive cohesion and execution of the DC men to any of their opponents. Too often, DC's offensive shortcomings, not the opponent's defense, puts the ball on the ground, or sends it the other way after a wild shot as time runs out.

The players appear to be giving a great effort. They are in shape. They fight hard. But as a whole, particularly on offense, they do not execute well. I wager many of them played better team offense on their high school teams.

I will leave to the experts to diagnose the cause(s). I really, really support the team and want them to do better, largely because the men are putting in the work. I want them to reap the rewards.

[check sticks]

2. This disparity in execution is also evident when comparing the D men to their opponents. This is most glaring on offense where the men seem chaotic, mistake-prone and panicked much of the time, leading to turn overs, poor shot selection and lack of scoring. Putting defense and goalie play aside for a minute, even ignoring individual offensive player skill levels, etc., look at the D lax offense as a unit. Compare the offensive cohesion and execution of the DC men to any of their opponents. Too often, DC's offensive shortcomings, not the opponent's defense, puts the ball on the ground, or sends it the other way after a wild shot as time runs out.

The players appear to be giving a great effort. They are in shape. They fight hard. But as a whole, particularly on offense, they do not execute well. I wager many of them played better team offense on their high school teams.

I will leave to the experts to diagnose the cause(s). I really, really support the team and want them to do better, largely because the men are putting in the work. I want them to reap the rewards.

Joe Conner arrived with great expectations as Offensive Coordinator.
Had success at Bucknell.
Do they speak a different lax language at Dartmouth? The players unable to absorb his teaching? I doubt either.
The recruiting bias against Dartmouth is firmly entrenched. It will remain so, serving up middling talent, but with no less enthusiasm.
That's the BRANDING that Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse has to live with. Recruits arrive with eyes wide open.

[Atticus]

So Check Sticks is the “expert”... He doesn’t have to name names because he’s saying ALL of the recruits for the past few years are “middling” at best, is that right? And, it sounds like you think all the incoming recruits are middling too, Check Sticks? You’ve looked at them, have you? What era did you play in at Dartmouth? Was your talent better?