The Ruler is Back
Huge news this afternoon. Big time games last night. Big time game tonight. And, some Michigan chatter.
Tiger is returning for The Master’s. We saw it first on Brobible.
Editor’s note: BroBible is a special website. End of Editor’s Note.
Last Night Scores
CSU 13 Arizona 8
The Rams used a 7-2 second half run to put away the Wildcats and improve to 7-0. Cooper Kehoe has stepped up as not only the Rams best player but also a force on the national stage which they haven’t had for the past few seasons. He’s chipped in 36 points against good competition.
Chapman 12 Texas 5
Chapman’s 5-0 1st quarter was all they needed to improve to 8-0. Not sure many people expected Texas to upset Chapman but I will say this, what they did to Florida State is going to make teams nervous when the Longhorns arrive in Denver. They will be a tough out.
Arizona State 10 Duluth 9
Duluth drops their first game of the season while Arizona State rebounds. Had to have been tough on Duluth to be two weeks removed from their last game against Wisconsin Milwaukee to then face a top 10 team.
IVY vs. PUBLIC IVY
Here’s the deal.
I started playing lacrosse because of Princeton.
The first college I ever cheered for was Duke thanks to Bobby Hurley and Coach K.
Combine our love for Princeton lacrosse and our disdain for North Carolina, add in two undefeated teams, add in two programs that have been born again overnight (more so UNC), add in the fact that my ex girlfriend is going to UNC for grad school, add in the fact that the game is at 7pm while I’ll be in night class, and you can see why I’m slightly worked up.
I’ve been able to watch North Carolina and Princeton on television twice.
North Carolina pounded Navy and Duke.
Princeton was in nail biters with Hofstra and Hopkins.
North Carolina is in year two of the Breschi regime.
Princeton is in year one of the Bates era.
Because the best defender in the country, Chad Wiedmaier, is out for Princeton, my guess is that North Carolina has an advantage headed into this game. Jeremy Hirsch or even former Florida football recruit John Cunningham will draw the Bitter assignment.
Having watched Bitter, he is a counter punch dodger. Last year, I watched Danny Gladding dodge from X using a spilt right into a roll which would free his hands for a shot coming around GLE.
Bitter doesn’t neccessarily go right to the goal. As color commentary man Quint Kessenich mentioned repeatedly, Bitter takes his defender out to a wing and waits for an over play.
Then his blinding Manhasset/Deerfield speed takes control and he has a dunk against the goalie. If a slide comes, he’s feeding to Thomas Wood. Last year, Breschi called Wood the best shooter on the team…as a freshman. This year, Quint has alluded to Wood as being the most improved Tar Heel. Maybe that’s why Wood scored 5 against Duke.
My contention is that if a talented Princeton defender can play Bitter straight up, things might be a little more difficult. But with Wiedmaier out or returning from injury at best today, the country won’t get to see how talented Bitter really is or isn’t and Princeton will likely fall.
How can Princeton win?
Tyler Fiorito, perhaps the best goalie in the country, has a great game. He’s significantly better than any of the UNC netminders who worked through a controversy/position battle to start the season.
Duke’s offense was stagnant against the Tar Heels. No off ball movement makes things exceptionally easy for a defense with poles ranging from 6’2″ to 6’5″. The good news for Princeton is their offense is predicated on the two man game, specifically the off ball two man game thanks to the hybrid box system Bates has installed. This motion offense will be something brand new to UNC and could be a first half advantage until the defense and coaches adjust.
North Carolina wins if:
1. They prevent midfield scoring, as they did against Duke. Preventing dodges from the midfield, forces the ball to work through the attack and Tar Heel poles will be able to pin their ears back on the McBrides.
2. Someone not named Bitter or Sean Delaney chip in. See Wood, Gavin Petracca, or Cryder Dipietro. Bitter and Delaney don’t need assistance as both will tally their points and are likely first team AA, but if another player gets involved like the third attackman or a second line midfielder, then the Tar Heels will pull away with secondary scoring in the second half.
3. Chris Madalon saves 50% or better. The 6’3 195 Darien product has great size to go along with a great pedigree (63-4 as a starter in high school). Madalon was 50% against Duke including a “how do you like your turkey…stuffed!” save against Josh Offit on the crease. And maybe his 61% season save percentage is skewed by the great defense and even better offense he plays behind, but 50% on the road in the biggest game of your career, in the program’s biggest game in years, is no laughing matter. Why did we pick 50%? Fiorito posted 44% games against Hopkins and Hofstra. If Madalon equals or surpasses Fiorito, North Carolina wins easily.
Princeton wins if:
1. Jeff Froccaro plays like he did against Hofstra and Hopkins in which he was more than capable at the face off X and scored 7 goals. In the last two games, he’s only scored 1 despite having a shooting percentage of 72.7%.
2. They limit transition goals. They gave up a lot to Hofstra and their attack combined for 8 goals and 5 assists. Not only is North Carolina’s attack is better but they have better middies and poles. Forcing the Heels to play settled 6 on 6 against their defense is a huge win for Princeton.
3. Jack McBride shows up against the UNC defense who has shown they can stop a talented player who isn’t giving 100% (See Ned Crotty held pointless). The major difference between Crotty and McBride is their playing style. Crotty is the flashy USA team member who as Coach Danowski alluded to, in regards to all of his 5th year players, may have checked out mentally. McBride is 195 pound bull who plays simple.
Prediction:
Too many things are going right for North Carolina for me to pick against them but my heart is pulling for a Princeton upset.
12-10 North Carolina
It’s unfortunate this game is not on ESPNU.
Make sure to follow on Laxpower
Big Blue
Editor’s Note: Those Dunks are too pretty not use. My roommate stopped being a Michigan fan when they switched to Adidas. One of our favorite story to tell about his capacity to be a loyal fan. In his defense, he says, “I don’t like teams, I like players.” Back to LAX.
Yesterday, we had a nice discussion with a Wolverine fan regarding their future this season.
The fan believed that if they lose a game this regular season they will be a lock to win the title in Denver.
Our reaction: Fully agree that if they lose prior to Denver they’ll come back for blood and win a third title.
Having said that I don’t anticipate them dropping a game this year.
The Michigan fan then asked: So, you think no reg season losses or no losses at all and 3rd championship in a row?
Despite talent, it is hard to go 3 years without a hiccup….no?
Our response: Wire to wire.
Too much next level talent. Dedicated coaches and administration.
Next level talent. Coach Paul has openly said they are in recruiting battles with the Ivy League.
What does that mean? Michigan is adding D1 caliber talent to their MCLA roster.
We have all heard about NCAA players transferring to the MCLA and the supposed super impact they are expected to make. In some cases, they have in some cases they haven’t. Some soft generalizations you can infer is that a player transfers from an NCAA program because they miss home, don’t like attending a small school, or perhaps most telling, they just aren’t that good.
Hate to pick on the Houghton boys at BYU again but they haven’t been scoring 10 goals a game as most people expected.
Here’s the difference. Michigan recruits year round. They know exactly who they are getting every fall ball and where they will fit in the team. They aren’t getting D1 burn out transfers who may or may not be interested in competing for time or doing extra work.
Editor’s note: We know Kevin Zorovich transferred from Marist. Wouldn’t you though? Bare with our filibuster writing style.
They are getting freshmen that turn down D1 looks. They who want to come to Michigan.
An MCLA team isn’t supposed to get Gilman’s starting goalie.
Michigan did.
BYU is a top 5 team. Michigan was missing 5 starters for that game. It was in Provo. And, freshman attackman Thomas Paras, all 6’1 190 pounds of him out of Cleveland, decided to score 4 times and chip in 3 assists.
The game plan against Michigan has been to force players other than Yealy to beat you.
Guess what, Michigan has those players. Michigan has freshmen that can beat you. Michigan has players that can step up when 5 starters are out and beat another top 5 team that is so unbelievable.
The Steelers were missing two defensive starters or 18% of the defense for most of this season. They lost five games in a row including overtime losses to Kansas City and Baltimore because they couldn’t protect a 4th quarter lead.
18% of the starting defense missing produces a 5 game losing streak.
Michigan is without 50% of their starters and they beat a top 5 team. Not Texas. Not Eastern Michigan. They beat BYU.
You think Kentucky is going to the Final Four without 50% of their starters?
Is that not next level talent enough for you?
Not to mention arguably the best coaching staff in the league.
You can’t really make the argument that elite coaches wouldn’t be as well respected if they didn’t have elite talent.
It’s not Phil Jackson’s fault. It’s not Joe Torre’s fault. They don’t sign the paychecks.
Neither does Coach Paul. In fact, he has to court players with high test scores who can afford to attend Michigan out of state.
He hasn’t lost a game in going on three years. He probably has figured out how to come from behind in the second half. He probably has figured out how to win games when a normal contributor isn’t effective. He probably has figured out how to keep his team from becoming complacent.
As for dedicated administration, the practice where the football team practices. The have access to NCAA Division 1 weightrooms.
They have a director of operations, a media relations contact, an athletic trainer, an equipment manager, two film and video people, a strength and conditioning coach, and four student managers.
Why do I think they are going to go wire to wire for a third straight season?
They simply have the best of everything you can have. Their isn’t one chink in their armor.
No one is even close.
Speaking of administrative support, have you seen their new building?
Not jealous about the thirty minute stair climb to the locker and the parent lounge seems like a throwaway without a bar.
However, why build this structure for a club team?
Why build this structure for a virtual varsity team?
Oh, we don’t know probably because they are going D1 soon and a lacrosse only building is friendly way to remind potential recruits how important the school considers the sport.
Think about it this way.
Schools that decide to offer lacrosse hire a coach one year in advance of their first season of competition. They have one year to recruit a roster of 20-40 kids if they are lucky and then they are off and running.
Schools are either adding lacrosse because its a growing sport or as a way to put more heads in dorm rooms.
Michigan already operates as an NCAA Division 3 team. Okay, an NCAA Division 3 team with a massive budget. Players are offered no athletic scholarships, they are offered support from administration, and the coaches follow NCAA recruiting schedules.
Michigan lacrosse already exists. It’s not like if Florida State added lacrosse, we’d have to wait a year or two to see the Seminoles take the field.
The jump Michigan is preparing to make is from MCLA powerhouse to NCAA D1 powerhouse.
Please note, the word powerhouse was used twice.
They aren’t adding a team because the sport is popular or they want to fill beds.
They are going D1 because they feel they can win at the D1 level. That building suggests a commitment to the future of the program and a desire to compete from day 1. How many other schools have something like that?
What happens when Michigan can offer athletic scholarships?
They are already beating Division 1 teams in scrimmages with non scholarship players.
What happens when even more money is pumped into the program?
These questions will be answered shortly because they are going Division 1. It might be 2011. It might be 2012. The construction of this building is a warning sign to current Division 1 teams that Michigan is coming.
The next question will be, when do they win their first NCAA title.
Notes
@ConnorWilsonLAS’s Wesleyan Cardinals lost to Monclair State 10-8 yesterday, how does that happen?
Ithaca notches their first win of the season
Steve Downie was not suspended but instead fined $1000, is this real life? Downie will get another chance to take out Crosby March 31st
