2023 National Rankings

[totc]

I think Darien wins if Humphrey goes off. And what kind of defense will SPSG utilize against her? If I was coaching, I'd make it hard on her and make someone else beat me -- yep, the Belichick Theory of Coaching.

Darien's my current No. 1. Let's see what happens.

[njbill]

njbill,

Predictions for tomorrow's clash of titans at Sparks MD?

Mine is Darien 15 SPSG 10 Final

Should be a good one!

Joe

I'm handicapped by the fact that I haven't seen St. Paul's this year. I'm wondering if they might be down a bit from the past two years. hmmm would have a more informed view of that.

It's essentially a home game for SPSG. A neutral site would have been preferable.

Would be very interested in knowing how the refs were procured and what state they are from. Please, please no home cookin'. Biased reffing is the scourge of inter-regional games.

I have the same question Al has. How is St. Paul's going to defend Humphrey? Some coaches don't like to face guard, but I think that is what I would do. Then run a double at her if she touches the ball. Force her to give it up.

Putting that aside, I'll say Darien 12 SPSG 8.

Hopefully this link will work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Br7M2VoyA

[JoeMauer89]

Darien 5 SPSG 5 with 6:26 left in 1st half.

Currently in a weather delay. Apparently have been in a delay for nearly 1 1/2 hours.

Game resuming at 3:45 PM Eastern.

Darien 7 SPSG 6 Halftime. Likely to be a shorter half given the nearly 2 hour rain delay.

SPSG 11 Darien 10 9:41 left in Game. A classic on our hands in Sparks MD.

Darien 13 SPSG 12 FINAL

Wasn't able to follow along via video, apparently Darien goalie made a huge save in the waning seconds! Darien is clearly the #1 in the country at this point.

Joe

[njbill]

Darien wins 13–12. Very well played and exciting game. For some reason, they played college rules except for a few modifications which they didn’t disclose, except that they played 25 minute halves.

Humphrey with seven goals. St. Paul’s played her straight up which seems to me like a mistake.

If they do post the video, it is well worth watching. High school lacrosse at its top level. I watched the game from the point of the resumption after the rain delay with about six minutes to go in the first half.

[njbill]

Yes, the Darien goalie made a huge save with around 10 seconds to go.

Darien lead 13–11 with five minutes to go. St. Paul scored with about a minute and a half to go to cut the lead to one. Darien won the ensuing draw and could have run out the clock except they turned the ball over. St. Pauls called time out and waited until about 15 seconds to go to shoot. That’s when the big save was made.

[JoeMauer89]

Yes, the Darien goalie made a huge save with around 10 seconds to go.

Darien lead 13–11 with five minutes to go. St. Paul scored with about a minute and a half to go to cut the lead to one. Darien won the ensuing draw and could have run out the clock except they turned the ball over. St. Pauls called time out and waited until about 15 seconds to go to shoot. That’s when the big save was made.

Thanks!

Here's the game in its entirety, including the long rain delay.

EDIT: Looks like the first few minutes are missing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Br7M2VoyA


Joe

[njbill]

Looks like that video just picks things up from the point of the rain delay. Maybe they will do an edit later and put the whole thing together, cutting out the rain delay.

[totc]

Give them time. They left Sparks at 5:15 and it takes four hours to get home to Connecticut. Good bunch of guys in that crew.

[njbill]

Yes they are. I met them a few times at Darien last year. They put out a very good product. And not just good for high school kids. Good overall. The play-by-play guy today was excellent.

And good on you, Al, for sticking it out. I hope your boss pays overtime.

[njbill]

it takes four hours to get home to Connecticut.

Lisa probably flew home by herself and didn’t need an airplane. Biggest win of her long and storied career, don’t you think? Big congrats to her.

Now she just has to get past that nettlesome New Canaan squad. Likely three upcoming games before this year is out (regular season, county, and state).

[JoeMauer89]

it takes four hours to get home to Connecticut.

Lisa probably flew home by herself and didn’t need an airplane. Biggest win of her long and storied career, don’t you think? Big congrats to her.

Now she just has to get past that nettlesome New Canaan squad. Likely three upcoming games before this year is out (regular season, county, and state).

New Canaan is a thorn in their side! That is true!

Joe

[njbill]

Katherine Dunn’s article:

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/spsg ... QW2AA2VXY/

I can’t access the Baltimore Sun article since it is behind a paywall.

[totc]

Mine is up: https://topofthecircle.wordpress.com/20 ... -pauls-md/

[njbill]

Game of the year candidate to be sure.

Ah, Moorestown Hebron 2005. Similar hype to be sure, probably even greater. Unfortunately (for me) that game didn’t quite live up to the advanced billing as much as yesterday’s game did. But the rematch the following year in Moorestown sure did. The WaPo even sent a reporter up to that game.

Other big games that come to mind: SSSA at Moorestown 2003; West Genny at Hebron 2007; McDonogh at Vero Beach 2012; Garden City vs. McDonogh (at SPSG) 2012; McDonogh at Manhasset 2019. And the granddaddy of them all, the greatest HS glax game of all time, Notre Dame Prep vs. McDonogh 2018 when the Blazers took down the mighty Eagles ending their long undefeated and national no. 1 streaks. Hard to imagine a game ever topping that one.

[Kleizaster]

Mine is up: https://topofthecircle.wordpress.com/20 ... -pauls-md/

Great write-up. correction, you referred to Chloe as Nicole Humphrey in your article. Easy mistake to make..

But i've been watching Chloe since she was in 8th grade and i have sung her praises in this forum for the longest time. Many in this forum were kind of hesitant to buy into the hype but i think this year especially people can't help it because she's just straight up dominant. Not even elite defenders can stop her 1v1. Her speed, IQ, vision, dodging ability, shot power and placement, high skill plays, all top tier. Not to mention she has a knack for being a pest and causing turnovers in the midfield.

Only knock on her game i've seen is that sometimes she forces passes in tight windows that lead to turnovers. But that's being super nit-picky..it's more so a by product of her high IQ plays because she can make those passes but sometimes they don't work out. Even with those tight passes she succeeds more often than she fails.

In short, Generational Talent. Easily the best girl in the last 11 years in terms of pure talent and no doubt in my mind she will dominate college.

Was also impressed by Natalie Shurtleff and Lauren Steer from SPSG. I don't know how Clemson beat the top schools to land Shurtleff but what a coup. Lauren Steer is also very good.

Honorable Mention to Anna Von Kennel, the little speedy freshman on Darien. Will be a top recruit

[totc]

Great write-up. correction, you referred to Chloe as Nicole Humphrey in your article. Easy mistake to make..

Aack!!! I think that was because we were watching the end of UNC-Syracuse in the press box. They have a YUGE big-screen in that media center.

[Andersen]

In short, Generational Talent. Easily the best girl in the last 11 years in terms of pure talent and no doubt in my mind she will dominate college.

Was also impressed by Natalie Shurtleff and Lauren Steer from SPSG. I don't know how Clemson beat the top schools to land Shurtleff but what a coup. Lauren Steer is also very good.

Honorable Mention to Anna Von Kennel, the little speedy freshman on Darien. Will be a top recruit

Watched the game in person and later online and I agree with all of the above, for sure. Also, want to add how impressed I was with Darien defender Kaci Benoit.

[njbill]

Easily the best girl in the last 11 years

I see what you did there. Gee, who was it that graduated from HS in 2012?

Still wondering why they agreed to play college rules in such an important game. It's one thing to play college rules in the UA senior game where who wins or loses doesn't matter, but who won was hugely significant on Saturday.

I understand SPSG plays with a shot clock in their league. Darien doesn't. Maybe it doesn't take much getting used to. Maybe both coaches had secret concerns they might be behind late in the game and didn't want the other team to be able to stall the game away.

I have heard from kids coming back from college that it takes a bit of time to get used to running through the goal circle. Why have their first exposure to such a rule be in this huge game? I'll bet Chloe Humphrey was against this one.

I think cards were releasable, as in college. Didn't notice if that was consequential in the game.

I will say that in the part of the game I saw, I don't think the college rules unduly impacted play for one team or the other.

Here's to having more games like this in the future.

[totc]

I can’t access the Baltimore Sun article since it is behind a paywall.

I do have the text of that article, but I am hesitant to post it here because it would defeat the purpose of the Sun's paywall. Copyrights and all that.

[njbill]

I believe the deal here is that it is OK to post the article as long as you also post a link.

No biggie though.