The LacroCity Weekend Primer 4/16/21
Simple, not Sick.
Hello, I come to you hands out, but not palms up. After a thrilling 3-2 victory with the Hopkinton JV yesterday I’d like to humbly thank the rockfight gods for shining down upon my junior Hawks. Big things are in the works, friends, just stick with me and be patient for a little longer - we’re finally getting somewhere. Yes, that’s vague. No, I won’t go into details. But you can help the journey along by becoming a paid subscriber and/or supporting the podcast. Thank you in advance for your patronage and tell your cousin that I said that it’s okay to Venmo me.
Stat of the Week
Sometimes in life, all it takes is a longpole goal in overtime to make your entire week better. This is one of those times. Enjoy this game-winner from Le Moyne’s Nate Arnold:
Game to Watch
Syracuse vs. North Carolina
What’s up little pups? It’s yet another ACC clash as the headliner. I am Kyle’s complete lack of shock. The Atlantic Coast Conference has produced the best lacrosse contests of the year. It shouldn’t be a surprise because the best teams in the country are ACC teams. Sure, Maryland is No. 1 now, but how did they get there? By beating up on everyone in the Big Ten? The Big Ten? The conference that charges legitimate money for a barebones presentation that only has score overlays have the time and the other half is shot from the moon? I’m aware that those things have no correlation, but I just wanted to bring it up again before we continue. And also, I told you not to spend that 15 bucks a month.
I don’t love that the wildly talented Syracuse midfield has produced at a moderately decent clip this season. You can argue all you want with that, but deep down you know it’s true. We are eight games of the trio of Brendan Curry, Jamie Trimboli, and Tucker Dordevic only Curry has eclipsed the 20 point mark. North Carolina doesn’t exactly have the explosive midfield led by the prince we were promised, either. But they do have a befuddling generational point accumulator in Chris Gray. Which, I feel like still has to be mentioned every time anyone talks about UNC. That being said, I think this game will be decided by the midfield - either by Cuse’s scorers finally putting up big numbers or UNC’s breaking out by forcing the Orange to slide up field.
We all know that no one is getting a blowout here. (Jinx. Double jinx.) What will another close game tell us? Here’s the thing with the ACC - it’s far less about team strategy than it is about players operating at their highest capacity. Lacrosse is a team game that gets easier to play when you’re surrounded by elite talent. That’s true on both sides of the ball, which is why the conference games are so exciting. Schemes are cool to talk about and theorize, but schemes without intelligent and adaptive players are worthless. Just look at Duke’s OT win over Virginia last night. An awesome game finished by three isolation plays.
Matchup to Watch
Towson offense vs. UMass defense
At the beginning of this season, it looked like the CAA was going to be another bare-knuckled brawler entering the octagon of the top 20. Everyone knows that the work ethic and hustle of these two teams, in particular, is the heart of their identity. However, one squad is trending upward and the other is sliding down a slope of mediocrity.
The Tiger offense has shown a propensity for scoring timely goals as of late. Not lots of goals - less than 30 in their last three games in fact - but timely ones. Brody McLean put up four against Hofstra last week, and four in the two previous games as well. It’s progress for a Towson team still very much reliant on their defense to win games.
Conversely, the UMass defense has been on the business end of one too many highlight goals. Netminder Matt Knote better k[not]e have another game as he did against Drexel in that CAA-shaking loss. He’s allowed 10 goals or more in four straight games, but it’s not all his fault. The Minutemen have been uncharacteristically sloppy this season, turning the ball over 105 times in just six games. That’s extremely high for the type of style that UMass plays - hard but controlled.
Devitte Matrix Leaderboard Presented by Lacrosse Reference
The Devitte Matrix is a number that combines a player’s goals and assists and subtracts their turnovers. We’re trying to make it into an effective and more universal measurement of true offensive impact. Like when you laugh at a funeral.
Chris Gray, UNC, 51 (5.1 DMPG)
Ryan Smith, RMU, 40 (4 DMPG)
Jared Bernhardt, Maryland, 39 (4.88 DMPG)
Joe Robertson, Duke, 36 (4 DMPG)
Jackson Morrill, Denver, 34 (3.1 DMPG)
Is Clark going to win this week?
How is this bit still going? My Cougars have yet to taste the sickly sweet nectar of victory so far this season. And yet….and YET - I won’t stop pulling for coach Cohen’s crew. They’ve only been able to see the field once this season and it was a five-goal loss to the Coast Guard. Yup, they played the entire academy and lost. But they put up a hell of a fight. This weekend Clark is slated to battle Springfield in the dingy heart of the Detroit of Massachusetts. Do you have any idea how many serial killers came out of Springfield, MA? It’s roughly equal to the number of successful lacrosse coaches that have emerged. (Don’t fact-check that.)
I don’t believe in much, but I do believe in burning bright instead of fading away. I think Clark takes this. I think it’s a triumphant victory that heralds the coming of a feline NEWMAC prince.
#RollCougs