Cornell 2020

[Pensky Material]

Big Red fans have gotta be psyched to get that win I just looked at their schedule and the next 3 are against PSU, Yale and Penn wow that's a heck of a stretch.

[WestVillCornell]

I don’t know what to think

- our offense is lights out - we just need the ball
- some bad shot choices at the end

What’s going on with FOs? Looks like we won some clamps but lost GB battle on wing... Did Salvatore move to wing at all? What happened with Angelo?

I continue to be concerned about the discipline on defense. We chase sticks... we lose people off ball...

But more importantly we need to get FOs to 50%!!!

[Laxnuthin]

That will be a tall order for the next three games...

[VeryRustyRed]

Thank God for the W. As Carc referenced in the 2nd half, it would be a miserable (and very long) bus ride back to Ithaca if Cornell doesn't win.

-With 37 seconds left (first OSU re-start in the last minute), I said to my wife, "Oh my God, in the 2009 Finals vs. Syracuse, there were only 27 seconds left when Cornell started its clear. Not again." Great move by Stevens/Milliman putting Salvatore on-ball on the restart at 15 seconds. He took #29/Reid off his line and nothing significant developed. Adler violated a cardinal rule with 50+ seconds left after Cornell gained possession when he passed to Duggan in the middle of the field in front of his own goal. Duggan got checked partially from behind by LeClair. 'Should have passed back to an uncovered Ierlan.
-Face-offs made this one close. Besides being quick, Ianacio must be really strong. I never would have thought a combo like Raz and Petrakis would be dominated like they were (with the exception of an Ierlan and maybe Gallagher). When he didn't overpower Raz/Petrakis, the OSU wing play was SUPERB. 34 is was as good as it gets. Milliman tried everything, e.g., Salvatore (bad move, it disrupts the 6 on 6 D) and Telesco as a wing in the 2nd half to get more size.
-OSU ss's -really good. They seem to force Fletcher and Telesco much wider than normal on their alley dodges (no good looks all game).
-A combination of some great stops by the OSU goalie and wide open missed looks also kept it close...Long a few times, Donville, once, and Telesco with 50+ seconds (I have no idea how his shot did not go in).
-For those most part, I thought Bardwell and Duggan held up really well. Coach M tried to minimize Buczek and Blake's PT, but 17 and 5 can't play the whole game, especially when you're losing most face-offs.
-Fletcher developed an "itchy trigger finger" in the 4th quarter. 'A real change in his shot selection from the 3 prior games. Inopportune timing.
-Very physical game. Lots of CU penalties. But the man-down D held up very well.

This game was a huge W. Congrats to the players/coaches. Another win against a big step up in competition...on the road. Coach M did not want to lose this one with PSU, Yale, and Penn coming up consecutively, with two of the three on the road.

[RedIvy]

Very Happy to come away with the win!

I honestly didn’t think we would see a face off deficit like that this year. I didn’t expect things to continue like our first three games, but thought we had enough to avoid a miss match like today. But I think the FO was as much about the draw as it was the battle for the middle of the field, many Face offs came to 50/50 ground balls and Ohio State was very good here and then holding the ball through several checks (I think they may have invented rubber magnets). Our ground ball game was good in our offense end and defense end but horrible in the middle of the field. Not just during FO but on lose balls during either teams failed clear attempts. Also why not give Graham a shot? Petrakis needs to improve his ground ball, scoop, control and protection motion.

At the end of the game Fletcher made some very poor shot choices, I like is ally dodge shots but he needs to understand where the game is and understand that other parts of our offense have been working very well and be patient to let that play out. These shots were 15-25 seconds into the possession clock giving no chance for a better opportunity to play out and eating more time.

Salvator did not have a good game, several goals came on overplay causing unnessary adjacent slides or cheat over.

Irelan played well making some nice saves, Teat was the calming captain on the field. Litchardi needs to work on his shot, he has trouble placing his shots while in motion.

First line short sticks are solid, gigantic drop off with second line.

That should not have been a penalty on Doria on the sideline and why was our penalty for a high hit 2 minutes and Ohio States 1 minute, IMO the Ohio hit was more violent and more controllable/deliberate, at minimum they should have been equal, the bar had been set with the first call, be consistent.

So I think we will be better prepared for the next three games and season because of today while still walking away with a W.

[laxreference]

At the end of the game Fletcher made some very poor shot choices, I like is ally dodge shots but he needs to understand where the game is and understand that other parts of our offense have been working very well and be patient to let that play out. These shots were 15-25 seconds into the possession clock giving no chance for a better opportunity to play out and eating more time.

This was the most "impatient" we've seen Cornell this year. Their 1st shot came, on average, after 31 seconds of possession. They averaged 35.5 seconds before a 1st shot coming in to this game.

And today's number includes a 41.7 second average on 10 shots in the 2nd quarter. For the entire 2nd half, their average 1st shot came after just 28 seconds and their average possession lasted just 33 seconds because they were largely one-and-done. Compare that to the first two quarters when they got off 1.9 and 1.3 shots per possession (respectively) and averaged 55 seconds per possession overall.

That's not to say that they should have been more patient just to be more patient, but their 2nd half shooting % was quite a bit lower and it seems to line up with what y'all were seeing too.

[faircornell]

Great road win against a tough opponent. Piatelli for Ivy POW.

[RedIvy]

At the end of the game Fletcher made some very poor shot choices, I like is ally dodge shots but he needs to understand where the game is and understand that other parts of our offense have been working very well and be patient to let that play out. These shots were 15-25 seconds into the possession clock giving no chance for a better opportunity to play out and eating more time.

This was the most "impatient" we've seen Cornell this year. Their 1st shot came, on average, after 31 seconds of possession. They averaged 35.5 seconds before a 1st shot coming in to this game.

And today's number includes a 41.7 second average on 10 shots in the 2nd quarter. For the entire 2nd half, their average 1st shot came after just 28 seconds and their average possession lasted just 33 seconds because they were largely one-and-done. Compare that to the first two quarters when they got off 1.9 and 1.3 shots per possession (respectively) and averaged 55 seconds per possession overall.

That's not to say that they should have been more patient just to be more patient, but their 2nd half shooting % was quite a bit lower and it seems to line up with what y'all were seeing too.

Good data to support observations, also I see Graham did take two FO’s and lost both.

[laxjuris]

But I think the FO was as much about the draw as it was the battle for the middle of the field, many Face offs came to 50/50 ground balls and Ohio State was very good here and then holding the ball through several checks (I think they may have invented rubber magnets). Our ground ball game was good in our offense end and defense end but horrible in the middle of the field. Not just during FO but on lose balls during either teams failed clear attempts. Also why not give Graham a shot? Petrakis needs to improve his ground ball, scoop, control and protection motion.

I cannot recall a team that was more tenacious (and successful) on ground balls than OSU was today. And, as RedIvy points out, our guys were riding the OSU guys hard, and it seemed almost impossible to dislodge the ball from them.

Thankfully OSU committed a number of unforced errors, which at least gave us a fighting chance given the FO disparity. The concerns we had coming into the season were amplified today, and now we have a 3-game gauntlet that will be a severe test.

[another fan]

Great W against a tough opponent! Great effort the entire game, even if we'd like to see improvement in a couple places

I agree with the insightful comments of VRR and RedIvy. Inacio was great, but we have Arceri, Gallagher and Ierlan ahead. Hopefully, their wing play will not match OSU's, which was as much the problem for us as the clamps. Very tough matchup for Salvatore. LeClair is a great player but Salvatore just did not have the bulk and strength to deal with him, which I think lead to some of his risky approaches, and attempts at strips rather than solid positional D. I would have considered trying Adler on LeClair, but I suspect the height advantage would have been tough with as good a shooter as LeClair. Ierlan made some huge stops when we needed them, and Adler continued his strong play. Our second line of d mids is a big vulnerability. Bardwell and Duggan are very solid, but we need at least a 3 man rotation. I watched Syracuse against Hobart, and am dreading trying to match up with their first midfield with just two solid d mids.

Offense, as stated by others, was lights out till some looser play at the very end.Lombardi has been a very efficient scorer-- I'd like to see him inverting more, as Coyle seems to be the main guy on inverts. Licciardi is quick and smart with the ball, but needs to be more of an offensive threat.

GBR

[another fan]

Post game comments from OSU coach:
https://twitter.com/OhioStateMLAX/statu ... 9730473985

[VeryRustyRed]

One possibility that may have contributed to why OSU dominated Cornell so on the face-off wings --- 3 of Ohio State's first 4 goals came, directly or indirectly off of fast-breaks on OSU face-off wins. Rather than give up quick scores on future face-offs, Coach M may have subsequently aligned one wing in a defensive position.
This (basically) puts that wing out of the mix. Unfortunately, the TV camera angle was such that the viewer could not see where the wings were initially positioned.

[CU77]

Just finished watching the game on DVR, heart still pounding! Great to come away with a win on the road. Plenty to work on for the coming 3 game gauntlet, but this offense is as good as any when they get the ball.

LGR!

[laxfan1313]

I thought at least one person who posts here, if only occasionally as compared to professional posters, ought to attend today's game in person in support of the Big Red. It was great to witness Cornell playing lacrosse in the historic Horseshoe, albeit in front of well over 100,000 empty seats. The Cornell contingent was loud & boisterous, mostly composed of player parents but also some local alumni. I don't know what camera angles were used on ESPNU. In person, Cornell was the superior team. The faceoff deficit was exacerbated by, and I don't like to go here, homer reffing. On numerous occasions, Ohio State pushing during the faceoff process was ignored while the Big Red seemed to have similar infractions penalized either by penalty or awarding of possession. An OSU player left his feet to deliver a head shot to a Cornell player and was only given a one minute unreleasable penalty. It should have been 2 minutes and an ejection. Once, an Ohio State player missed the goal by 10 feet and the refs reset the time clock. The next quarter a Cornell player shot the ball 5 feet closer to the cage and no reset. It was quite frustrating. Gavin Adler held Myers to 3 points. Gavin stuck to Myers like glue - he has been an MVP of the defense. John Piatelli was unstoppable today. He owned his defender for 8 points. And Jeff Teat quietly amassed 6 points. What I find most remarkable about him is that he often doesn't shoot a fast ball. His placement is so accurate he just somehow sneaks the ball by the goalie. In one of his goals, the ball wasn't in his crosse more than .1 second, like a trampoline. I'm guessing if lacrosse awarded 2 assists per goal, like hockey, Jeff would be scoring 10 points/game. Truly an irreplaceable talent.

[joewillie78]

This team is just UNBELIEVABLE. I am trying to think of another team that has played ALL 4 games on the ROAD against this type of competition and come away 4-0. Heck, if ALL these games had been at Schoellkopf, I would still be thrilled with a 4-0 start. I mean I look at other teams and see just how hard it is to win away from home and shake my head that we have done this.
Come on, be truthful, How many thought they would be 4-0 starting with all road games? Certainly not me.

Like almost all teams I have watched this year, they are not perfect, and very strong in some areas and and not in others, but NO team has won ALL their games on the ROAD, and I believe the team I am going to make #1 this week (Syracuse0 Has played all their games at HOME.

Its easy to point out, well they werent very good here, or they need work in this area etc. BUT, you know what, they are 4-0 and thats all that matters to this BIGRED fan right now.

Let teams start coming to Schoellkopf and see how they stack up, because right now, on the ROAD, no team has stacked up to Cornell yet.

I cant wait to watch this team in PERSON on our Home turf. They are making me proud to be an alumni everytime they step on the field. Congrats to Pete and especially these ROAD WARRIORS.

GOBIGRED
Joewillie78

[ICGrad]

I thought at least one person who posts here, if only occasionally as compared to professional posters, ought to attend today's game in person in support of the Big Red. It was great to witness Cornell playing lacrosse in the historic Horseshoe, albeit in front of well over 100,000 empty seats. The Cornell contingent was loud & boisterous, mostly composed of player parents but also some local alumni. I don't know what camera angles were used on ESPNU. In person, Cornell was the superior team. The faceoff deficit was exacerbated by, and I don't like to go here, homer reffing. On numerous occasions, Ohio State pushing during the faceoff process was ignored while the Big Red seemed to have similar infractions penalized either by penalty or awarding of possession. An OSU player left his feet to deliver a head shot to a Cornell player and was only given a one minute unreleasable penalty. It should have been 2 minutes and an ejection. Once, an Ohio State player missed the goal by 10 feet and the refs reset the time clock. The next quarter a Cornell player shot the ball 5 feet closer to the cage and no reset. It was quite frustrating. Gavin Adler held Myers to 3 points. Gavin stuck to Myers like glue - he has been an MVP of the defense. John Piatelli was unstoppable today. He owned his defender for 8 points. And Jeff Teat quietly amassed 6 points. What I find most remarkable about him is that he often doesn't shoot a fast ball. His placement is so accurate he just somehow sneaks the ball by the goalie. In one of his goals, the ball wasn't in his crosse more than .1 second, like a trampoline. I'm guessing if lacrosse awarded 2 assists per goal, like hockey, Jeff would be scoring 10 points/game. Truly an irreplaceable talent.

Thanks for the report. I agree that there seemed to be a large number of infractions called on Cornell at the FO.

Very physical game, too. I feel for those players, having a 7+ hour bus ride home. They're going to be sore as hell when they try to stand...

[Chousnake]

I thought at least one person who posts here, if only occasionally as compared to professional posters, ought to attend today's game in person in support of the Big Red. It was great to witness Cornell playing lacrosse in the historic Horseshoe, albeit in front of well over 100,000 empty seats. The Cornell contingent was loud & boisterous, mostly composed of player parents but also some local alumni. I don't know what camera angles were used on ESPNU. In person, Cornell was the superior team. The faceoff deficit was exacerbated by, and I don't like to go here, homer reffing. On numerous occasions, Ohio State pushing during the faceoff process was ignored while the Big Red seemed to have similar infractions penalized either by penalty or awarding of possession. An OSU player left his feet to deliver a head shot to a Cornell player and was only given a one minute unreleasable penalty. It should have been 2 minutes and an ejection. Once, an Ohio State player missed the goal by 10 feet and the refs reset the time clock. The next quarter a Cornell player shot the ball 5 feet closer to the cage and no reset. It was quite frustrating. Gavin Adler held Myers to 3 points. Gavin stuck to Myers like glue - he has been an MVP of the defense. John Piatelli was unstoppable today. He owned his defender for 8 points. And Jeff Teat quietly amassed 6 points. What I find most remarkable about him is that he often doesn't shoot a fast ball. His placement is so accurate he just somehow sneaks the ball by the goalie. In one of his goals, the ball wasn't in his crosse more than .1 second, like a trampoline. I'm guessing if lacrosse awarded 2 assists per goal, like hockey, Jeff would be scoring 10 points/game. Truly an irreplaceable talent.

First, a request. I hope your first sentence was not a criticism of another poster. We are all fans and traveling to Columbus for a Sunday game is not something many of can do from a time and cost standpoint.

The face off issue today was concerning, but it was an unusual day. If I have the time, I'm going to re-watch the game. I don't think very many were won cleanly. The huge majority appeared to be won on the wings. It appeared to me that three factors led to this. First, the OSU wing play was superior. It seemed that the OSU wings were on the ball much faster than Cornell's and OSU had a huge GB advantage on face offs (not so much anywhere else on the field). Second, OSU had some luck. Whenever the ball came loose, it seemed to roll towards an OSU player. Third, I agree completely that Cornell played an extra opponent today besides OSU - the officials. I saw numerous pushes during the face off scrum that were not called while Cornell had 3 violations (only one was for jumping) about 2 minutes into the 2nd half. Raz was on the ground on half the draws and I don't think he just fell down. The 2 vs 1 minute simultaneous penalties was bad. What was worse was Doria getting a penalty for standing still while an OSU player ran into him with his head down along the sidelines in the 4th quarter. Lastly, the icing on the cake was the non-call with 30 seconds left when Duggan clearly was pushed with possession.

This offense is ridiculously talented and the scheme is beautiful to watch. The ball movement is among the best i have seen. The skill and athleticism is off the charts.

Cornell had some opportunities to put this game away in the 4th quarter, but a combination of turnovers, poor shot selection, and bad luck (I still don't know what happened on Telesco's shot at the empty net) gave OSU numerous chances to stay in the game. I had visions of last year's Penn game, but thankfully the BR gutted it out at the end with some key saves by Ierlan, tough D by Salvatore and big goal by Donville. They have to improve some in closing out close games. Just run the offense and limit turnovers down the stretch.

With the gauntlet of tough teams with premier FOGOs coming in the next three weeks, I hope the coaches can solve the FO issue. I truly believe that this team had national championship ability last year but for the face off issues and this team is better.

[stupefied]

Very Happy to come away with the win!

I honestly didn’t think we would see a face off deficit like that this year. I didn’t expect things to continue like our first three games, but thought we had enough to avoid a miss match like today. But I think the FO was as much about the draw as it was the battle for the middle of the field, many Face offs came to 50/50 ground balls and Ohio State was very good here and then holding the ball through several checks (I think they may have invented rubber magnets). Our ground ball game was good in our offense end and defense end but horrible in the middle of the field. Not just during FO but on lose balls during either teams failed clear attempts. Also why not give Graham a shot? Petrakis needs to improve his ground ball, scoop, control and protection motion.

At the end of the game Fletcher made some very poor shot choices, I like is ally dodge shots but he needs to understand where the game is and understand that other parts of our offense have been working very well and be patient to let that play out. These shots were 15-25 seconds into the possession clock giving no chance for a better opportunity to play out and eating more time.

Salvator did not have a good game, several goals came on overplay causing unnessary adjacent slides or cheat over.

Irelan played well making some nice saves, Teat was the calming captain on the field. Litchardi needs to work on his shot, he has trouble placing his shots while in motion.

First line short sticks are solid, gigantic drop off with second line.

That should not have been a penalty on Doria on the sideline and why was our penalty for a high hit 2 minutes and Ohio States 1 minute, IMO the Ohio hit was more violent and more controllable/deliberate, at minimum they should have been equal, the bar had been set with the first call, be consistent.

So I think we will be better prepared for the next three games and season because of today while still walking away with a W.

Salvatore is a very good lsm but he isn't a close defenseman. Dont understand that switch. Shame that other Ierlan didn't join brother . That was a fun game to watch , your offense is a thing of beauty when humming . Physical and intense game and Red didn't back down .OSU was very sloppy , undisciplined and chippy which surprised.

[Trumansburger]

Agree that Dom Doria's penalty seemed unwarranted, but that stuff happens. I, for one, was critical of Dom for all the penalties he took last year but he's really cleaned up his game. I believe this was his first and only penalty so far in 2020. On another note, does anybody know what's up with Max Fields? He started a few games last year as a freshman but hasn't played this year.

[laxjuris]

Agree that Dom Doria's penalty seemed unwarranted, but that stuff happens. I, for one, was critical of Dom for all the penalties he took last year but he's really cleaned up his game. I believe this was his first and only penalty so far in 2020. On another note, does anybody know what's up with Max Fields? He started a few games last year as a freshman but hasn't played this year.

I’m pretty sure Fields is injured, as he didn’t suit-up for the Red-White scrimmage.