Notre Dame Lacrosse Open thread

[irishrb]

That was definitely a distracted Cuse Team. Either way, dominant performance by the Irish. Good win going into tourney time. This tourney should be insane, as the top 5 teams all truly have a legit chance to win it. Hopefully Gallagher steps his game up against the other Elite FOGO's because it looks like Kavanagh is going to will this team to win!

 

[Picasso]

One of their top players — who wears the famed #22 — allegedly assault a girl and then their coach reinstated him and the team said “if he’s here, then we’re not” and threatened to not show up to practice if he was there. So there’s basically a full on mutiny happening in upstate New York.

No rush to judgement here as this is a matter for the University's judicial system and/or a Syracuse court of law. That being said, I'm guessing the entire team has a pretty good idea of what happened and they basically told Desko to "pound sand" and took a moral stand on the matter. If what is alleged happened, this young man needs to focus on his mental state of mind and behavior not lacrosse. Kudos on the unanimous vote and intestinal fortitude to take a stand. And yes, this type of event may bring a team together but is extremely disruptive to the team/coach dynamic and the ability to focus on the task at hand.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

No rush to judgement here as this is a matter for the University's judicial system and/or a Syracuse court of law. That being said, I'm guessing the entire team has a pretty good idea of what happened and they basically told Desko to "pound sand" and took a moral stand on the matter. If what is alleged happened, this young man needs to focus on his mental state of mind and behavior not lacrosse. Kudos on the unanimous vote and intestinal fortitude to take a stand. And yes, this type of event may bring a team together but is extremely disruptive to the team/coach dynamic and the ability to focus on the task at hand.

Crazy situation. Could implode or it could have the opposite effect like UVA and the Brattons a few years back. Something hasn’t been right with Cuse in years. How long does Desko have left?

 

[stpeteirish]

Now on to the NCAA's. With the win we'll grab a top 8 seed and host on May 15/16. They've already named us a host for one of the regionals May 22/23. So we could qualify for the final four without leaving South Bend.

Pretty good chance we'll run into one or more of the 3 teams who beat us; Virgina, Duke and N Carolina. Lost those 3 by a total four points so I like our chances.

This is wrong NCAA changed format a little and there are only 4 1st round sites. Absurdly, our first round game is in Denver vs Drexel. We do host the quarterfinals (along with Hofstra who didn't make the tourney) so if we beat Drexel we will play the qfinal game at home.

Addtional absurity is we'll probably play Maryland in the qfinal. They went 12-0 and get to play a lower seeded team (ND) at ND if both ND and Maryland win game one.

 

[stpeteirish]

Drexel is 10-2 They won their league, the Colonial, to get a automatic bid. No games vs NCAA qualifiers. They won their last 9, avenging two early losses to Delaware and UMass along the way.

Looks to me like the standard first round game vs an auto qualifier from a "low to mid major" conference. If Irish are focused they should roll.

 

[IrishLax]

This is wrong NCAA changed format a little and there are only 4 1st round sites. Absurdly, our first round game is in Denver vs Drexel. We do host the quarterfinals (along with Hofstra who didn't make the tourney) so if we beat Drexel we will play the qfinal game at home.

Addtional absurity is we'll probably play Maryland in the qfinal. They went 12-0 and get to play a lower seeded team (ND) at ND if both ND and Maryland win game one.

Both ND and Maryland have legitimate gripes. The 4/5 pod is a total joke. It seems that things were structured how they were to avoid ACC rematches while having ND play at home in Round 2. Realistically, if you let Maryland choose who they would play in Round 2 they would obviously have picked Georgetown or UVA versus a road game at ND. I think they should've put Notre Dame #3, Maryland #4, UVA #5, and Georgetown #6 for most equitable matchups. There is no basis for Georgetown being a #5 seed over ND except for the fact that the committee wanted to keep the Irish in the lower half of the bracket to play at home.

UNC will sleep walk their way to the final four. Duke will have an interesting game with Denver who has the tools to beat them. The entire 4/5 pod is irrelevant unless UVA flips a switch to become a completely different team than they've looked recently. I think whoever comes out of the 3/6 pod will be a heavy favorite over whoever comes out of the 2/7 pod.

My pick for the title is UNC based on how their path sets up. The three teams that can beat them -- Maryland, Duke, Notre Dame -- are all on the other half of the bracket. I just cannot see UVA beating UNC a second time or Georgetown having the horses to hang with UNC for 60 minutes despite playing sound team lacrosse and having some talented individuals.

Biggest surprise -- by far -- was Loyola making the field with 5 losses over Army. I don't get it. They also were given a very winnable first round matchup. This is a very weird year where these is such a huge dropoff from the top 4 teams (UNC, Duke, Maryland, ND) to the next 3 (UVA, Georgetown, Denver) to the rest of the field who is entirely irrelevant. The committee did a poor job arranging these 7 teams IMO. And most years there is an unseeded or lower seeded team with the firepower to make a run... don't see that this year. With the exception of Syracuse and maybe Rutgers you can't even point to "strengths" on these teams that someone could lean on and get lucky and make a run.

Finally, I would not count Drexel as a walkover. Very talented team, and I expect them to throw a zone at ND to slow down the Irish offense. Historically, they play ND very tight.

 

[irishrb]

Agreed with Drexel...They are probably the hottest non-seeded team, and always give ND fits. I know they should beat them, but I was hoping for Vermont! As for the seeding, I think it's an absolute joke. Fine...Put UNC at one and give them a cakewalk to championship weekend. BUT to make an undefeated Maryland team, most likely have to travel to ND to play a second round game is a total slap in the face to both teams. They might have taken some heat, but I agree...seed ND at 3 Maryland at 4...Do something to avoid the total injustice of the bracket they created. It's annoying!

 

[stpeteirish]

Agreed with Drexel...They are probably the hottest non-seeded team, and always give ND fits. I know they should beat them, but I was hoping for Vermont! As for the seeding, I think it's an absolute joke. Fine...Put UNC at one and give them a cakewalk to championship weekend. BUT to make an undefeated Maryland team, most likely have to travel to ND to play a second round game is a total slap in the face to both teams. They might have taken some heat, but I agree...seed ND at 3 Maryland at 4...Do something to avoid the total injustice of the bracket they created. It's annoying!

Drexel "always gives us fits" Inside Lacrosse says we haven't played them since 2012. Is anyone still there from then?

 

[fightingirish26]

Big year for my Drexel Dragons! Both basketball teams made the tourney and lacrosse as well. Gonna be pulling for them this round, but it's certainly a win win scenario.

 

[irishrb]

LOL....It's been that long...I guess time flies when you're having fun! More of a system then...Like LAX said, look for lots of zones, mixed in with longer possessions to frustrate the Irish. I think they've won 9 or 10 in a row. IMO, they are the non-seeded team you'd rather avoid right now. I obviously totally think the Irish take care of business, but it won't surprise me in the slightest if it's an early struggle.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Man, whoever comes out of that bottom bracket will certainly be battle tested. The Irish are well built for this tournament. Get past a gritty Drexel and I like the chances on home turf against the terms. I’m calling it now, UNC loses to the winner of the Rutgers-Lehigh match up. And by all means necessary, pray that Quint Kessenich is not doing any of the games until championship weekend.

 

[irishrb]

I told my boys about six weeks ago that UNC beats Maryland for the title...Really hope you're right FDNY!

 

[irishrb]

 

[IrishLax]

Lol you know the seeding is effed when a school ND beat by 7+ goals twice has more than double the odds of beating the team seeded ahead of the Irish.

The best bet on that board would be OVER 25 in the Syracuse-Georgetown game.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ncaa-limits-teams-to-45-on-the-bench-sparking-tough-conversations-fan-outcry/57899

On Monday morning, as is customary, representatives from the 16 teams participating in the DI Men’s Lacrosse Tournament joined a conference call with the NCAA to go over the details in preparation of this weekend’s games.

It was then, more than a dozen sources tell IL, that they learned for the first time that the maximum bench size allowance was reduced from 52 to 45.

“It was just a bummer,” Duke coach John Danowski said this week. “It’s the time of year you’re supposed to be the most keyed up, and it just took the wind out of our sails a little bit.”

What exactly is the issue?

Well, for years, the NCAA has mandated that the official travel party size for Men’s Division I Lacrosse is 40, and that 32 players are eligible to play in the game. However, beyond that 40 players who are allowed to dress, coaches say that they’ve been able to have the remainder of their roster travel with the team, stay in the hotel and be present on the sideline without issue.

NCAA managing director of championships and alliances Anthony Holman says that the number of individuals allowed to access the bench area was reduced to mitigate risk of the spread of COVID-19.

“For the 2020-21 academic year as part of the COVID-19 protocols, the Tested Travel Party size was established and that number for Division I Men’s Lacrosse is 45,” he wrote in an email to IL. “The maximum bench size allowance was reduced from 52 to 45 to match the tested travel party size. That modification was done consistent with guidance and recommendations from the NCAA Medical Advisory Group in the effort to mitigate risk of contraction and spread of the COVID-19 virus. Having the number of the tested travel party be consistent with the number of individuals allowed in team areas and within the CTZ (COVID-19 Tested Zone) as well as being able to appropriately manage the numbers in the tested community was essential in the planning and execution of NCAA Championships.”

To the extent that the reduced bench size allowanced could be a cost-saving measure, Holman wrote: “[Th 40-player travel party] has long been established as the appropriate number for Men’s Lacrosse and the number of individuals that institutions are eligible to have travel expenses covered and per diem allowance reimbursement from the NCAA.”

As a result, coaches have to choose which players aren’t able to make the trip and stand on the bench with their teammates, an issue that affects more players this spring than in a normal year because of the increased roster sizes resulting from the NCAA’s awarding an additional year of eligibility to spring athletes last year.

Among others, parents are upset, and it’s led to an outcry, as evidenced by this Change.Org petition that had more than 1500 signatures on Thursday a.m.

“This petition is to express to the NCAA how disappointed the lacrosse community is about limiting the rosters of the teams who are invited to play in the tournament,” the description of the petition reads. “Every college athlete has sacrificed this year with additional Covid requirements being added to the already rigid University rules. Our athletes have been training and living together since August. It is a shame to send only a small roster to the tournament games.”

The reduced bench size allowance creates difficult choices not just with players, but with support staff. Most teams in the NCAA Tournament travel a staff that includes:

• A head coach
• Two full-time assistants
• A volunteer assistant
• A directer of operations
• A trainer
• A team doctor
• An equipment manager
• Two or three team managers (usually students that often handle tasks like video coordination)
• A sports information director
• A videographer/social media coordinator
• a sport administrator

That theoretical 13-person party counts against the 45-man limit. As an example of the result, Danowski says that his bench will include himself, assistants Ron Caputo and Matt Danowski, volunteer Ned Crotty, one athletic trainer and 40 players. The doctor and equipment manager will be in the stands; any equipment issues will be passed from the field to the stands and back.

For the players who won’t be allowed on the sideline, they’ll have to drive from Durham to Dorrance Field and enter with a ticket and sit in the stands. For Denver, with a roster of 68, the players not on the bench will be in a field-level suite on the far side of the field from the benches. For the players on Notre Dame’s, Loyola’s and Drexel’s roster — where the trip isn’t a six- or seven-hour drive, they’ll likely have to be left behind. That’s despite one of those teams (at least) flying to Denver on a chartered 737 that will be less than 30% filled.
https://www.insidelacrosse.com/arti...sparking-tough-conversations-fan-outcry/57899

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/arti...sparking-tough-conversations-fan-outcry/57899

 

[Irish#1]

At a minimum this could have been made public at the start of the season. We've been dealing with COVID for a year and a half now.

 

[IrishLax]

ND up 4-2 on #9 Drexel after a physical and fast 1Q

 

[irishrb]

Liam is playing out of his mind!

 

[irishrb]

ND looks a little rattled from the the physicality of this Drexel team. Time to focus up, run your offense, and send this team home!

 

[IrishLax]

Three rebound goals. ND getting killed on ground balls. Simply out worked.

 

[stpeteirish]

well we pulled it out. 10-8 with an open net goal in the final seconds. A lot of guys pretty much disappeared in the 2nd half. Broadcasters were crediting Drexel's goalie and he was good but I though our attack was pretty pathetic in the 2nd half. Westlin did nothing and Yorke was constantly targeted but never seemed to be able to catch the pass.

Need to play better next week. I think we will as we usually play up to the competition but Christ that was ugly.

 

[irishrb]

Wow, win and move on....Gotta give Drexel credit but ND can't play like that again if they want to keep going. Got 8 days to heal up, focus up, and enjoy home turf! GO IRISH!

 

[IrishLax]

It was a gritty win against the #9 team in the country on a neutral field. Drexel had literally not lost a game since they got healthy from COVID early in the season. My problem with it was that it was a microcosm of every time ND has come up short in the tournament -- not making adjustments on offense; losing the possession battle; relying on your goalie to win the game for you.

Drexel basically kept 6 guys in front of the cage and soft played Kavanagh at X. Why? Easier to defend dodges from the midfield, less of a threat of getting run by when Kavanagh gets it at X. When the ball went to X they let him hold it and just waited for him to pick a side while clogging the crease area and taking away feeding opportunities. ND never adjusted. They could've tried putting someone like Westlin or Drake at X and Kavanagh on the wing. Westlin was basically a non-factor all game and they're not going to be able to win it all without him being a threat.

Drexel got three rebound goals and beat ND on non-faceoff ground balls by 9. Earning 9 extra possessions on 50/50 groundballs is the kind of thing that wins you a lacrosse game. One of the primary reasons ND was able to clamp down in the 4th quarter is that they started outworking Drexel and had a 12-7 GB edge and 19-6 shot edge. They tilted the field, and eventually got the late goal that they needed.

Liam Entenmann had 13 saves to 3 goals allowed in the first half, and 4 saves to 5 goals allowed in the second half. It's not a sustainable strategy to rely on your goalie to save 60%+ or for the opponent to shoot poorly. Without a herculean 68% save percentage for the day, Notre Dame does not win. And he's not going to save near 70% against Maryland with the shooters they have.

If ND is going to beat Maryland, they will need to play a cleaner game and get more balanced offense. It's doable, because they've shown it against Duke 2x, but yesterday they did not have their A game except at the specialist positions.

 

[irishrb]

Seems about right....The favorites would definitely be my championship weekend picks at this point...Gotta be an upset in there...HOPEFULLY it's ND!!!

 

[stpeteirish]

Quarterfinal weekend is here! 4 ACC teams vs 4 non-ACC teams, 2 are favored. Could the ACC but 4 teams in the final four? I think its highly possible. ACC is by far the strongest league and these four have no losses outside the conference.

 

[irishrb]

Virginia definitely making a statement, up 10-1 at half. Pretty much came out of the gates trying to rip Georgetown's heads off, not caring about flags at all to intimidate them...It worked!

 

[IrishLax]

UVA proved why it was so much better to be in the 4/5 pod.

Rutgers looked great against UNC. Discouraging for ND’s prospects tomorrow. Maryland I currently a 1.5 goal favorite on DraftKings. Buckle up!

 

[stpeteirish]

Maryland beat Rutgers twice, 19-12 and 13-9, both early in regular season. they didn't play in the B10 tourney as John's Hopkins beat RU in the semis and lost to UM. JH wins the only close scores on Maryland's ledger.

 

[irishrb]

Very likely they take Kavanagh out of the game. Westlin, Jackoboice, Mirer, Dobson, Yorke really need to step up! Hopefully Corrigan doesn't handcuff them, and let's them actually play!
I saw a stat that Maryland's FOGO has faced Leanard and Gallagher twice...Dominated Leanard and struggled a little with Gallagher...So...I would expect a Gallagher show.
Hopefully the D plays to their hype and Liam is over 60%

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I didn’t know Mirer’s son was on the Lax team.