When the ACC meets the Big 10

[wlaxnut]

Northwestern 
Maryland
Michigan 
Penn State
Johns Hopkins 
Ohio State
Rutgers

North Carolina
Notre Dame
Syracuse
Virginia
Duke
Boston College
Virginia Tech
Louisville

I think we can all agree that these are the two top conferences in division 1. They often meet in The Tournament when much is on the line. It would be interesting to look back and see which conference has had the edge since 2017, when the sport added the shot clock. In any event, we have a dilly coming up tomorrow night with #6 Notre Dame visiting #3 Northwestern. Two more marquee matchups are a little over a week away:
Saturday Feb 22 offers Maryland at UNC and Syracuse at Northwestern.

[cltlax]

They should institute an ACC/Big 10 Challenge like they do in basketball.

[wlaxnut]

They should institute an ACC/Big 10 Challenge like they do in basketball.

I don’t follow basketball so please describe what it might look like for women’s lacrosse.

[Dr. Tact]

They should institute an ACC/Big 10 Challenge like they do in basketball.

that might be interesting....

[wlaxnut]

This game tomorrow night. I think the Wildcats will win comfortably. I think the Irish will be down by 4, 5 goals before they know what hit them. At least Northwestern had a chance to warm up by playing Duke on the road. Notre Dame played Marquette in South Bend. Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

[seacoaster]

This game tomorrow night. I think the Wildcats will win comfortably. I think the Irish will be down by 4, 5 goals before they know what hit them. At least Northwestern had a chance to warm up by playing Duke on the road. Notre Dame played Marquette in South Bend. Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

I think the Catholics will hold up better than you think.

[wlaxnut]

This game tomorrow night. I think the Wildcats will win comfortably. I think the Irish will be down by 4, 5 goals before they know what hit them. At least Northwestern had a chance to warm up by playing Duke on the road. Notre Dame played Marquette in South Bend. Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

I think the Catholics will hold up better than you think.

“The Catholics”

You may be right seacoaster. We shall see.

[Dr. Tact]

Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

You are baiting me....but yeah, I see NU winning this game .....I do like the all-american middie that ND has (Aldave), but I'm not convinced about the rest of the team.....that's just my opinion from my little house in the Mid-Atlantic.

[wlaxnut]

Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

You are baiting me....but yeah, I see NU winning this game .....I do like the all-american middie that ND has (Aldave), but I'm not convinced about the rest of the team.....that's just my opinion from my little house in the Mid-Atlantic.

Maddie Howe, Buchanan, et al. and the two highly touted recruits—Kasey Choma and Madison Ahern. This team has a whole bevy of talent. Watch out if they put it all together. But it’s a little too early in the season yet, so I think they’re going to get hit by a 4 x 4.

[Dr. Tact]

Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

You are baiting me....but yeah, I see NU winning this game .....I do like the all-american middie that ND has (Aldave), but I'm not convinced about the rest of the team.....that's just my opinion from my little house in the Mid-Atlantic.

Maddie Howe, Buchanan, et al. and the two highly touted recruits—Kasey Choma and Madison Ahern. This team has a whole bevy of talent. Watch out if they put it all together. But it’s a little too early in the season yet, so I think they’re going to get hit by a 4 x 4.

I love being wrong about games that I have no dog in the fight... We will see.

[wlaxnut]

Yep— I have a recent memory of doing that myself with the Stony Brook/Syracuse game. There’s still a nagging taste of toe jam that I can’t quite get rid of.

[Itsallgood]

Yep— I have a recent memory of doing that myself with the Stony Brook/Syracuse game. There’s still a nagging taste of toe jam that I can’t quite get rid of.

I think both teams can score in bunches so it may come down to the draw circle where NU traditionally has the edge. NU’s defense gave up 20 vs Duke but were in cruise control when a good number of goals were given up. Gilbert is so strong on the circle but Aldave is excellent as well, still I give the edge to NU on the draw and the game Cats 19 Irish 14

[Matnum PI]

[wlaxnut]

I think the Catholics will hold up better than you think.

You sure called this. I don’t know what the final score will be but I couldn’t have been more off. (Big surprise )

[Dr. Tact]

I think the Catholics will hold up better than you think.

You sure called this. I don’t know what the final score will be but I couldn’t have been more off. (Big surprise )

Getting updates from D (daughter for those don't know)... A bit surprised so far.... But there is another half...

Well maybe the purple will come back before the second half

[Dr. Tact]

This game tomorrow night. I think the Wildcats will win comfortably. I think the Irish will be down by 4, 5 goals before they know what hit them. At least Northwestern had a chance to warm up by playing Duke on the road. Notre Dame played Marquette in South Bend. Doc will be happy at the end of the night. We know how he feels about the golden domers

I think the Catholics will hold up better than you think.

Does that apply to the catholic school in Baltimore?

[wlaxnut]

(Original comments in black from ILLaxParent)
Great game in Evanston last night. A few observations:

Deegan kept ND in the game in the first half.

Doucette was better for NU in the second half vs Krupnik. ND ran an iso with Howe twice for goals in the first half
and Doucette stuffed it twice in the second.

Krupnick wasn’t playing her angles correctly on those Howe goals early. The angle Howe shot from should have been handled easily. I’m surprised she kept trying to go back there later in the game. Howe is very impressive—skilled and fiery. She’s one of the big guns for the Irish.

Not sure where NU’s transitional runner (Girardi) was but she was missed. The Copelands were a step too slow and their stick skills weren’t technical enough to break through ND’s redefend consistently. NU did much better when they passed the ball to clear.

They sure did. They held on to the ball way too long at times. That’s a common failing of Dwyer as well. Most times she’s successful but others she carries the ball so long as to invite a turnover. The BC method in the draw circle during the Big 3 era was to immediately pass the ball upon control. Makes it much more difficult for the riders to wreak havoc.

Dwyer struggled to win draws cleanly and the NU circle work was not as good as ND. McKone probably ended up taking more draws.

NU’s younger players (Hansens, Coykendall) looked good but they are all on the attacking end. No real defensive help.

A lot of skill and poise for those two young ladies. And all the more so for Notre Dame’s first year stellar recruits Ahern and Choma. Watch out for this team if they put it together. They could challenge for the National Title.

Overall, a well deserved win for ND. NU has some work to do on defense and transition and the offense looked a bit frantic at times.

Agreed. ND was the better team throughout. NU was guilty of a lot of frantic activity in this game—questionable passing, poor decision making under fire, complete loss of discipline at the end with the parade of yellow cards. Good that the loss happened early in the season however. Will help them to refocus and perhaps challenge for it all in the end. Wouldn’t be shocked to see a rematch on Championship Weekend.


ETA: As it was about 12 degrees outside and windy, it was great to be inside!

I don’t know how they ever played outside beside Lake Michigan in February for all those years!

[ILLaxParent]

Thanks @wlaxnut! Just one amendment: there are two Hansens on NU (all they need is one more to recreate “Slap Shot”) and agreed on the ND frosh players.

Edited: Meant UND frosh!

[ILLaxParent]

Also I suspect ASU and Coach McCormack will have the hammer dropped on them tomorrow. NU usually takes their losses out on their next opponent. I will be there but probably leave early if we are in running clock early.

[wlaxnut]

Thanks @wlaxnut! Just one amendment: there are two Hansens on NU (all they need is one more to recreate “Slap Shot”) and agreed on the NU frosh players.

Haha--love the Hansen's. Unfortunately, most of their funniest quotes from the movie are rated R. Love when the national anthem is playing and the ref just can't wait till the end before he starts reading them the riot act, to which one of the brothers emphatically replies, "I'M LISTENING TO THE %$#@*! SONG!!!" Too funny.