Welcome to 2022: The ACC
SYRACUSE HAS SLEEVES ON THEIR JERSEYS!!!
(Another banger from Craig here on LacroCity. Want to send something in? Shoot it to kdevitte at the mail of G, friends. Going to be a fun season. Enjoy the preview of the best conference in lacrosse.)
“GrowTheGame” is a popular mantra and initiative in the lacrosse community. The ACC has done their part with their Thursday Night games on the ACC Network.
In 2021, the ACC played 6 games on Thursday nights and they were all fantastic. The games were decided by an average of two goals, with three of them going to overtime. This year the ACC has five games scheduled for Thursday night.
The Thursday night games provide an opportunity to “GrowTheGame” beyond lacrosse rats like me and you. This sentiment was captured on Twitter and in USA Lacrosse Magazine last year with ACC Analyst, Roddy Jones.
Roddy was a three-time All-ACC Academic Football Team honoree at Georgia Tech and now covers football for the ACC Network.
Lacrosse was never really on his radar growing up, but ESPN play-by-play commentator Anish Shroff had him watch the regular season game UNC and Virginia and write down his reactions.
One of his funniest reactions was why he couldn’t figure out why anyone would want to be a goalie. (Editor’s note: Don’t let your kids grow up to be goalies because it will make them weird and unlovable. Allegedly.)
“Why would someone ever want to be a goalie?? Stand here with a big net on the end of your stick and we’re going to hurl the ball at you at God knows what speed ... and if you do save it, you’re going to get harassed!”
Sure, he didn’t understand all the rules - who does, just ask the officials - but he was hooked. The athleticism and speed of the game, in particular Chris Gray, had Roddy on the edge of his seat.
“(T)he goal that Chris Gray scored with his back to the goal — that was an “Oh s%&#” moment.”
The game sparked Roddy’s interest and had him tuning in for the rest of the Thursdays night games.
Roddy’s experience got me thinking about how the lacrosse community can build on this opportunity. Here are three ways lacrosse can help #GrowTheGame through television.
Expand Thursday night games: rather than giving us six conference games, give us the top ACC game each week on Thursday night. The SEC has 3:30 pm on CBS in the fall, let’s make Thursday nights in the spring synonymous with ACC lacrosse.
Expand #HappyHour lacrosse: who doesn’t love Friday Happy Hours? ESPNU has put on a handful of games the last few years that #LaxTwitter has dubbed #HappyHourLacrosse. Conferences like the Ivy, Big East, and Patriot could stand to benefit.
Bring back Sunday night B1G Lacrosse: two years ago the B1G had some of their top games and teams play on Sunday night. If the ACC can own Thursday night, then the B1G can own the Sunday night lacrosse window (and maybe fix the camera issues at Maryland and Ohio State).
These are minor changes that I’m sure will annoy some coaches and athletic directors. But if we are serious about growing the game, then we have to think beyond what we are already doing.
2022 Outlook
An Embarrassment of Riches in Charlottesville
The champs are loaded. The Cavaliers have arguably the strongest attack in the country returning top goal scorers Payton Cormier (45g/8a), Connor Shellenberger (37g / 42a), and Matt Moore (33 g / 34 a). These guys love to score, but it’s their tenacity on the ride and controlling the ball that helps separate Virginia from the pack. They will be helped by FOGO Petey LaSalla, who has come up with key face-off wins in big moments. My biggest question is who’s the juice guy? Ian Laviano graduated last year and nobody on the Hoos played with more energy or enthusiasm. This doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet, but an important element in any successful team.
(Editor’s note: It’s Matt Moore - the most disrespected attackman on earth.)
Bull Durham
The 2021 Blue Devil team looked on paper to be the best team out there. Led by Princeton transfer Michael Sowers, Duke yet again found their way to Memorial Day weekend. At times though, especially in the semifinals against Virginia, the pieces just didn’t seem to fit. This season Duke brings in Penn transfer Sean Lulley. He was the Quaker’s best distributor and could be deadly with senior Joe Robertson and sophomore Brennan O’Neill at attack. O’Neill is elite and a beast on the left-wing.
Last year, Duke became a little too one-dimensional on offense and missed production from their midfielders. I am looking for Nakeie Montgomery, Dyson Williams, and Owen Caputo to put stress on the opposing defense from midfield. Get them in space and stretch a defense. John Danowski is an elite coach and one of the best in the game. There is no doubt that he will have Duke playing on Memorial Day weekend.
Chris Gray leads a young group of stars in Chapel Hill
UNC looked unstoppable at times last year. They were a team that had plenty of experience and fantastic playmakers. Coach Joe Breschi is going to be missing some of that experience, especially at the midfield. Breschi will replace his top midfield line from last year with several four and five-star recruits from the Class of 2021. Helping ease the transition will be senior attackman Chris Gray. The 2019 transfer from BU is an early favorite to win the Tewaaraton. Look for the Heels to find their form in February and March to prime themselves for another deep run in May.
Can the Irish find their missing piece in 2022?
In 2021, Notre Dame lost their four games by an average of 1.25 goals. They were close but seemed to be missing that extra stop on D or a much-needed insurance goal on O. This season, the Irish offense will be leaning on midfielder Wheaton Jackoboice and attackman Pat Kavanagh to give them that spark. The Irish fortified their defense with Richmond transfer Jason Reynolds. I am not sure it will be enough in a loaded ACC gauntlet.
Do the Dome Gods welcome change?
Sleeves? Does this please the Dome Gods? This season will mark a year of change for New York’s college team. Orange legend, Gay Gait, comes over from the women’s team to take over the program from John Desko. In addition, he has also brought in Dave Pietramala and TD Irelan as assistant coaches. 2022 is looking like it will be a year of “learning and growth” for Orange. They were already looking to replace ⅔ of their attack from last year with Stephen Rehfuss graduating and Chase Scanlan being dismissed from the program. The Orange got more bad news this week when sophomore attackman Owen Hiltz suffered an upper-body injury that could sideline him for most of, if not all of, the season. The new staff will look to Tucker Dordevic and Brendan Cury to step up and lead.
2022 Schedules
Below, we have the ACC schedules and a few notes on notable games this season. Lacrosse Reference has provided over/under win totals for each team. If you would like to join in on the fun click here.
Duke:
Duke plays seven games in February. To put that in perspective, Notre Dame is playing 12 games all season. Playing two games in a 2-4 day period will help Duke and the staff not only figure out personnel but also prepare them for their annual May run.
O/U wins 12.5: Over
Virginia:
The Hoos get three Thursday night games on the ACC Network. I am excited to see their rematch at Audi Field against the Terps on March 19th. In ACC play, can they figure out how to beat the Orange? Syracuse outscored the champs 33-21 in two games last season.
O/U wins 10.5: Over
North Carolina:
A five-game stretch from February 23 through March 20 should give those young stars a chance to grow up. Who is ready? Who needs more seasoning? If the Heels go 3-2 or 4-1, they should be a force in both ACC play and in May.
O/U wins 9.5: Over
Notre Dame:
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 "This is the most challenging schedule in the country - and includes the best home schedule we've ever had." 📰: und.com/irish-mens-lac… #GoIrish☘️Kevin Corrigan's approach to scheduling is opposite that of John Danowski. Where Duke is playing 17 games, the Irish will only play 12. It is hard to argue with Notre Dame’s past success but I would like to see a few more challenges in addition to Georgetown and Maryland. Regional rivalries are nice, but I would have liked to see Denver and one or two of the academies on the schedule.
O/U wins 6.5: Under
Syracuse:
Our gift to you - the 2022 Syracuse lacrosse schedule. Details: cuse.com/news/2021/12/2… 🎟️ - am.ticketmaster.com/syracuse/22lac… 🗓️ - cuse.com/sports/mens-la…The schedule is daunting for the Orange. The Orange have few “sure wins” in 2022. This is a rebuilding year for Coach Gait and an opportunity to see who is going to be part of the plan going forward.
O/U wins 5.5: Under
Week 2 Picks
After last weekend’s appetizer, we have games Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend. It will be a good first look at some of the top teams coming into 2022. Lines courtesy of LaxVegasLines. Picks are in bold.
UVA (-7) vs. Air Force
UVA came out flying in their scrimmage last week against Navy. Reports had #TheHoos winning 21-7. If Petey LaSalla has his way at the X and UVA has the 10-man rolling, we could see another big win and a nice start for the defending champs.
JHU (-5) vs. Jacksonville
John Galloway and the Dolphins travel to Homewood for a noon game on Saturday. Many are looking forward to year two and a full offseason for Peter Milliman and his staff. I am excited to see what a healthy Joey Epstein looks like in John Grant Jr’s offense. Hop wins, but the Dolphins keep it close.
Denver (-4.5) vs. Utah
I wrote two weeks ago about the embarrassment of riches the Pios have on offense. Andrew McMinn comes to Utah in his first year from Bobby Mo. McMinn was known for his high-scoring offenses, but he may need a little more time for that to come in Salt Lake City. Tierney and the Pios get this done big.
Maryland (-4.5) vs. High Point
Jon Torpey always has his Panthers ready for a challenge. He did a nice job last year after a pair of big losses to Duke and UNC of changing from a fast-paced offense to a slower more methodical approach. I like Asher Nolting and the Panthers to keep this one close in College Park.
Duke (-4) vs. Vermont
John Danowski has two games in three days to open the season. This will be the second game and should provide a nice match-up against the America East favorite. Duke has been known for startling slow in February, the trend continues here. Michael McCormack and Thomas McConvey will lead the Catamounts into Durham and pull off the early-season upset.
Last week: 0-1 (All that glitters is “Seth Goldsmith”)
Overall: 0-1
Grab your 🍿 and enjoy the games!
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