Duke Fans

[44WeWantMore]

Starting to sound like the Syracuse thread the other week.

[Lax3]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

[youthathletics]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

Their midfield (as a whole) has not been very good since the ~15'....and their midfield roster depth grows each year. It's like Matt is too attack focused or has a hard time recruiting that spot. Not implying they players are not capable, just believe they far less with available depth.

[youthathletics]

Someone should check in on 34. His body language looks like he is just done. In that interview at halftime he looks like he wants to just get up and walk out....maybe that's him all the time, don't know. He just looks sad and uninterested.

[DocBarrister]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

No star player operates in a vacuum.

Blue Devils in the first half did not do enough to help O’Neill.

In the second half, the Blue Devils were more effective in getting O’Neill switched onto a SSDM through two-man games.

Didn’t help that O’Neill’s shooting was subpar today.

DocBarrister

[lorin]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

No star player operates in a vacuum.

Blue Devils in the first half did not do enough to help O’Neill.

In the second half, the Blue Devils were more effective in getting O’Neill switched onto a SSDM through two-man games.

Didn’t help that O’Neill’s shooting was subpar today.

DocBarrister

The kid on him Colin was a top D kid in Patriot Leauge for HC

[Powellfan22]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

Their midfield (as a whole) has not been very good since the ~15'....and their midfield roster depth grows each year. It's like Matt is too attack focused or has a hard time recruiting that spot. Not implying they players are not capable, just believe they far less with available depth.

Johnston was the number 1 midfield recruit this past year, McAdory was the number 2 overall recruit as a midfielder for St Anthony’s, I think Danenza and Balsami were pretty highly ranked players. I mean recruiting is never a problem at Duke. Not sure what their issues are, but can’t say it’s recruiting.

[LILaxLaw]

The Duke OC is not getting enough out of this very talented group. On paper they should play way better than the results so far. Lets see if things turn around in the upcoming few weeks

[youthathletics]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

Their midfield (as a whole) has not been very good since the ~15'....and their midfield roster depth grows each year. It's like Matt is too attack focused or has a hard time recruiting that spot. Not implying they players are not capable, just believe they far less with available depth.

Johnston was the number 1 midfield recruit this past year, McAdory was the number 2 overall recruit as a midfielder for St Anthony’s, I think Danenza and Balsami were pretty highly ranked players. I mean recruiting is never a problem at Duke. Not sure what their issues are, but can’t say it’s recruiting.

maybe thats it….snagging top ranked players just to avoid them going elsewhere and not getting them to produce in ‘the duke’ system is the issue.

I often argued they fell short with one of the best offensive midfielders in the 16’ class I saw play with T. Lindsay and forced him into the SSDM role. Young man was fast as lightening and had a shot to die for.

[BigTom5]

Someone should check in on 34. His body language looks like he is just done. In that interview at halftime he looks like he wants to just get up and walk out....maybe that's him all the time, don't know. He just looks sad and uninterested.

If you ever wondered why there aren’t a lot of interviews out there of O’Neill even though he’s been tabbed a generational talent from the time he was in 8th grade, it’s because thats him all of the time. Four years of Duke media training haven’t payed many dividends.

You see guys like Shellenberger, Kirst, and Kavanaugh put themselves out there more because they have a better personality for it.

[molo]

Duke had enough midfield talent that in addition to the players that were mentioned, the guy who was Princeton’s top attackman a couuif years ago is a third midfielder who didn’t get in the game today as far as I can recall. They have plenty of quality midfielders. The results this year just don’t reflect it.

[molo]

And no doubt they will decide to perform at a level commensurate with their potential next weekend. When it comes to Duke, the team I follow has a nasty case of the Cumberland blues.

[random observer]

Duke had enough midfield talent that in addition to the players that were mentioned, the guy who was Princeton’s top attackman a couuif years ago is a third midfielder who didn’t get in the game today as far as I can recall. They have plenty of quality midfielders. The results this year just don’t reflect it.

To be fair, development isn't linear and that same attackman was only Princeton's 8th leading scorer last year. But agreed they do have quality midfielders.

[norcalhop]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

Their midfield (as a whole) has not been very good since the ~15'....and their midfield roster depth grows each year. It's like Matt is too attack focused or has a hard time recruiting that spot. Not implying they players are not capable, just believe they far less with available depth.

Agreed with above comments that it might be a development issue. McAdorey, Balsamo, Sloat, Johnton, Delgado, Danenza were all top ranked middies.

Nonetheless, UVa's class stacks up well. Duke is at least making it to the final 4 and championship game.

[Laxbuck]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

No star player operates in a vacuum.

Blue Devils in the first half did not do enough to help O’Neill.

In the second half, the Blue Devils were more effective in getting O’Neill switched onto a SSDM through two-man games.

Didn’t help that O’Neill’s shooting was subpar today.

DocBarrister

Did Pat Kavanaugh need to get switched onto a SSDM to score 4 goals in the first half on Kenny Brower?

[Henpecked]

Interesting that the Duke offensive strategy can make Michael Sowers and O'Neill into regular players. How does that happen?

No star player operates in a vacuum.

Blue Devils in the first half did not do enough to help O’Neill.

In the second half, the Blue Devils were more effective in getting O’Neill switched onto a SSDM through two-man games.

Didn’t help that O’Neill’s shooting was subpar today.

DocBarrister

Did Pat Kavanaugh need to get switched onto a SSDM to score 4 goals in the first half on Kenny Brower?

No he didn’t. But you’re missing the point, O’Neill is a generational talent and “greatest player in the World” according to Carc and Company.

I think it’s hilarious that they keep referring to World Lacrosse Championships and winning the MVP as proof that he’s the best player in the World. The top defenders of Scotland, Japan and Puerto Rico are not all American defenders that he faces every week playing for Duke. I think he fell in love with his lefty arching sweep across the top for a 12 yards off-balanced shot that misses the net 80 % of the time. He goes to it constantly rather than bull dodging from the wing. He’s become way too one-dimensional in my opinion. For whatever that is worth.

[youthathletics]

Someone should check in on 34. His body language looks like he is just done. In that interview at halftime he looks like he wants to just get up and walk out....maybe that's him all the time, don't know. He just looks sad and uninterested.

If you ever wondered why there aren’t a lot of interviews out there of O’Neill even though he’s been tabbed a generational talent from the time he was in 8th grade, it’s because thats him all of the time. Four years of Duke media training haven’t payed many dividends.

You see guys like Shellenberger, Kirst, and Kavanaugh put themselves out there more because they have a better personality for it.

Happy to hear that is his norm and no need for concern.

[faircornell]

Duke recently posted on Instagram a list of their top 10 program scorers. I was surprised to see that Tony Cullen was still number 10 on the list. Tony was an HM AA for Hobart his Freshman year, and then transfered to Duke.

Tony was the younger brother of Terry Cullen, a long time Sprint Football Coach at Cornell.

[lilax]

Word around LI is O’Neill is nursing a bad injury. If I am Duke and I already have clinched an NCAA birth, I sit him, and start Slusher.

I don’t see any benefit of having him hobble around out there.

[wgdsr]

Word around LI is O’Neill is nursing a bad injury. If I am Duke and I already have clinched an NCAA birth, I sit him, and start Slusher.

I don’t see any benefit of having him hobble around out there.

good chance he's been nursing it for a while from what i gather (hammy?). if i'm duke, i don't believe i've clinched anything. expect if he can, he'll be going this weekend. they do get a weekend off and ~2 weeks to their next game. which if they feel they can handle or get a quick lead may effectively give a chance for another week off.