LaxPower Back-Up Stick

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Jul 30, 2024 8:27 am

forthelaxofit wrote: ↑Mon Jul 29, 2024 3:39 pm On top of all the other challenges the league faces in trying to gain traction, when you ask about ratings the timing this summer couldn't be worse. Being up against the Olympics fighting for viewers can’t be good for them.

I tried to give it a shot and watched a pre-Olympic week one game on demand on ESPN+. I am only 1 viewer but couldn’t agree with Can Opener more on some of this. The point system is tough to swallow. In a 40 minute game, the word “point” must have been used on average more than once a minute. They also kept throwing up a “total point” leaderboard during the game that would show current point standings on the left hand of screen which included people not in the current game – very annoying. And maybe I am just too old, but don’t want to have my phone out looking at the website trying to figure out who is on what team. The changing team rosters keeps you from developing a loyalty to a team and at that point it is like watching on NBA or NHL All Star game where you are more interested in a player or players than the team itself. I wish them luck, but I fall into the "one and done" category.

The format is a turnoff to my daughters as well.

AU softball just announced a new format which traditional teams and scoring for 2025 along with a 6-8 city "tour". Hopefully lacrosse follows suit.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/sto ... start-2025

I watched two years ago. Haven’t been interested this year.
I love the level of play… but there are no stakes. It’s basically elite summer league. Set teams would help. A tour would help…maybe. There’s just so much competition for eyeballs…
Many of the players best known to fans (college stars) don’t play which also makes it tougher to develop a fan base. The college season is 16 weeks long which gives fans a chance to get invested in players. This is a tiny exhibition season with great players…many of which have been out of sight and mind except for the AU season.
Someone needs to take a fresh look. I don’t think the AU format is close to the answer…

All that said, when watching AU games the treat delivered is mighty darn sweet.
The quality of play and the level of lacrosse skills is a pleasure to watch.
Watching game 1...Kennedy's speed is just ridiculous,

Aint got nuthin happenin with game two.
Any twitter (or anything else) folks got
any skinny on what's happenin?
Monsoon, lightning bombardment?

Although I have concerns about the structure of the league and the scoring, I will acknowledge that it is a treat to watch these athletes perform. I suppose the other good thing about the decreased attention to AU this year is that the Charlotte North critics have been silent. That may also have to do with the fact that she is a runaway favorite to lead the league in scoring for the third straight season. She was also the leading scorer for the US National Team in 2022 and for the NCAA in '21 & '22 combined. This season in AU, she is shooting at a high success rate and with low turnover numbers given how much she handles the ball. The format of AU with no shooting space and one fewer player on the field seems to agree with her as an excellent outside shooter. (She is leading the league again in 2-point shots.) As far as the eye test goes, she has never looked fitter or stronger. I am always happy when good things happen to good people.

I am concerned that Izzy Scane didn't play this past weekend. Googled for a minute or two but didn't find anything. Hope that she was just off at a family wedding or dealing with a minor tweak. Fingers crossed.

Can Opener wrote: ↑Mon Aug 05, 2024 4:04 pm Although I have concerns about the structure of the league and the scoring, I will acknowledge that it is a treat to watch these athletes perform. I suppose the other good thing about the decreased attention to AU this year is that the Charlotte North critics have been silent. That may also have to do with the fact that she is a runaway favorite to lead the league in scoring for the third straight season. She was also the leading scorer for the US National Team in 2022 and for the NCAA in '21 & '22 combined. This season in AU, she is shooting at a high success rate and with low turnover numbers given how much she handles the ball. The format of AU with no shooting space and one fewer player on the field seems to agree with her as an excellent outside shooter. (She is leading the league again in 2-point shots.) As far as the eye test goes, she has never looked fitter or stronger. I am always happy when good things happen to good people.

I am concerned that Izzy Scane didn't play this past weekend. Googled for a minute or two but didn't find anything. Hope that she was just off at a family wedding or dealing with a minor tweak. Fingers crossed.

I believe she was at a family wedding

Scane was at her brother's wedding.

Hopefully we'll be able to see this week's games, last week was a mess, Mother Nature wasn't at all kind or cooperative.
https://auprosports.com/lacrosse/schedule/2024/
Agree, CO, North has never looked better, this league is made for her.
Team Captain last week and this week (first two times).

Trinity McPherson has rocket boosters in her sneaks, geezuz h.
Goes the length of the field (pretty much) with the clock running out in the 1st,
GOAL!!
Really good lacrosse being played by the creme de la creme of wlaxers.
Week four bringing on an increased level of intensity.

7-7, Apuzzo-Kennedy at the half.
Heavy rain.

12-12, end of 4.
OT
Apuzzo ends it....so Apuzzo-like.
Down 11-8, win it in OT.
Mastroianni wins the draw.

Final week, these games are intense.
https://www.espn.com/espnplus/schedule/ ... ff267f1b72

Man, having Kennedy, Masera, and Trenchard on the same team is almost like cheating...throw K. Wood in there too.
That's a lot of speed.
Intense, competitive game.
10-10, 3 min to go.

11-11
Masera on a nice cut and feed,
North to tie it with 12 sec to go.
OT
Rosenzweig wins the draw (Team Kennedy)
TO

Uh oh, shoot out.
Both teams had possessions, tough D
and good GK play...no goals.

Scane...nope
Kent...yup
North...nope
Masera...nope

North, 12-11 over Kennedy
Kennedy loses back to back OT games.
Ouch.

8-8 end of 4, Apuzzo-Moreno.
Ally M. been tough at the draw.
Moreno switches from Tracy to Peterson.
Ally doesn't win it.
Big save by Waters, Apuzzo ball.
TO.
Geezuz H, the GSD again with the game
winner with 5 sec on the shot clock.
She's unbelievable.

T Kennedy up 8-3 over T Moreno at the half. Glad of that, really don't want to see Moreno win it all again.
T Moreno has to come up with an answer for Rosenzweig on the draw. If she doesn't get it Kennedy will
come blazing in and come up with it. The speed on T Kennedy is raising hell with T Moreno...and Izzy's on a roll.

9-3, Izzy...the beneficiary of Kennedy's speed with the finish.
10-3, Kennedy blazing downfield after coming up with the draw (again).
11-3, Masera...speed again.
12-3, Masera, sweet BTB.

12-5 end of 3. Moreno out, Buchanan in the cage (looking pretty good).
Aint over til it's over.

Man o' man, Kennedy is just nuts on the draw. Gets another one which leads
to a goal by Hall.
14-6, 3:30 to go.

16-8, final (T Moreno got a 2 pointer).
Scane with her 5th to close it out.

No threepeat for Moreno (got nothing against her).

T Apuzzo up 6-2 on T North end of 1.

13-10 Apuzzo, final.
Apuzzo wins the Gold this year.
A crazy competitive gal.
Outstanding lacrosse played by phenomenal players.
Love the closeness and camaraderie of these players.

End of another season, and finally Apuzzo gets her win. I would love to see AU ditch the player leaderboard, and have the players play on teams and fight for one team to win a championship. I can admit tho, I didn’t watch much this season because honestly after watching the past 2 seasons I knew that it would be the same old players winning. I don’t like the format of the league, and I’m not surprised why some superstar college players are not choosing to play on it.

1. Apuzzo
2. North
3. Kennedy
4. Mastroianni

Two new players on there in North and Kennedy.
The teams were crazy competitive this year, evenly
matched, more OT games than any other season (by
a lot). I get it but the switching up of teams seems
to keep them pretty evenly matched. I just don't think
there are enough players to have "permanent" teams in
that I think one would likely be the powerhouse. I get all
the complaining but it works for me and the quality of play
is just on another level. Rookies tore it up this year...Scane,
Masera, Kennedy, Peterson...and more.

I’m one of those who doesn’t care for the format. I watched the games this year that were on cable, but not the others.

I very much enjoy watching players whom I’ve liked over the years. The league has quite a number of them.

As in years past, I think the rules allow for way too physical play. Many of us thought in year one that there were going to be a lot of injuries. Fortunately, there don’t appear to have been any serious injuries in these four years. Lots of bumps and bruises, etc., however.

Sam Apuzzo is very deserving of winning the overall award, although this individual point system is for the birds in my book. Among other things, it can lead to selfish play. Example one is she who shall not be named who took scads and scads of shots (many poor quality) in the last couple of weeks.

I’ve thrown in my two cents a few times over the years for changes. Don’t remember if I have mentioned these two. How about one week the teams be made up of players from their home states? You could have a team of Maryland, New York, etc. natives. If you don’t want to combine Long Island and upstate, then split those regions up. You’d probably have to have a miscellaneous team or have those from the boondocks be part of one region’s team.

In another week, have teams made up of alums of colleges. Team UNC. Team Maryland. Team BC. Again, you’d have to have a miscellaneous team or put some players on one of the specific college teams. This would spice things up. Allow some old rivalries to be renewed, etc.

The players who were on the most recent US team seem to still be playing at a level deserving of being retained on the team. Interesting to think about who else that played this summer might make the next US team. Scane obviously. Maybe also Kennedy, Nalls, Ball.

They have a defender of the year, but not an attacker or midfielder of the year. For my money, Apuzzo would be attacker and McCool midfielder.

I hope the league continues, but I always worry from year to year about whether that will be the case.

Whatever format works would be fine by me, I sure don't have the answer. The wlax pool is just so small it's tough, then throw in life, job(s), etc. What I'm glad of is AU lacrosse just completed its fourth year. Yes, it's a much rougher game but I have to say I like being able to see these girls do with a stick and play the way they do in this league, as it's what I've always thought they could do when watching the much more controlled and restrictive game the college game is. I don't want to see this game brought to the college ranks as that game needs to be left alone, it's a gorgeous game just the way it is.
Agree with the unnamed, she's a goal scorer and a real good one. Sometimes she's just unstoppable.
Apuzzo does it all, she's everywhere all the time.

DMac wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 3:43 pm Man, having Kennedy, Masera, and Trenchard on the same team is almost like cheating...throw K. Wood in there too.
That's a lot of speed.
Intense, competitive game.
10-10, 3 min to go.

11-11
Masera on a nice cut and feed,
North to tie it with 12 sec to go.
OT
Rosenzweig wins the draw (Team Kennedy)
TO

Uh oh, shoot out.
Both teams had possessions, tough D
and good GK play...no goals.

Scane...nope
Kent...yup
North...nope
Masera...nope

North, 12-11 over Kennedy
Kennedy loses back to back OT games.
Ouch.

Trenchard is playing?

Madlax59 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 12, 2024 5:45 pm

DMac wrote: ↑Sat Aug 10, 2024 3:43 pm Man, having Kennedy, Masera, and Trenchard on the same team is almost like cheating...throw K. Wood in there too.
That's a lot of speed.
Intense, competitive game.
10-10, 3 min to go.

11-11
Masera on a nice cut and feed,
North to tie it with 12 sec to go.
OT
Rosenzweig wins the draw (Team Kennedy)
TO

Uh oh, shoot out.
Both teams had possessions, tough D
and good GK play...no goals.

Scane...nope
Kent...yup
North...nope
Masera...nope

North, 12-11 over Kennedy
Kennedy loses back to back OT games.
Ouch.

Trenchard is playing?

No, sorry about that. I meant to say Trinity McPherson, don't know where Trenchard came from.
I'm not so sure McPherson isn't faster than both Kennedy and Masera.

Do they post what athletes made based on final ranking 1-50 or so? I know compensation varies depending on where you rank. Just how lucrative is the five week investment, being confined to the same hotel for the duration, and by-passing other income or job opportunities.