Lacrosse is a good sport and is fun to watch, but this season has been marred by an alarming amount of turnovers ans an even more distressing inability to win faceoffs. Can't expect to win that way.
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frustration
EXTREMELY disappointed and distressed. Can't imagine what the problem is. Coaching? This one sport, or baseball, could cost the men's teams the Commissioners Cup AGAIN, as we wind up in second AGAIN, after leading throughout fall and winter sports programs. Spring cost us the cup last year. And the ladies keep on winning the Germann Cup almost every year!!!
PALADIN CLUB MEMBER SINCE 1969
These kids battled all day and deserved better especially from our coaching staff. Down one with 57 seconds left the Refs stop play and confirm the time and LOUDLY announce so almost everyone in the stands can hear that there are 21 seconds on the shot clock (JU has to put a shot on the cage or automatic turnover). We have a HC and 3 Assts. 10 yards from the Ref and yet we inexplicably pull our goalie and they oblige by tossing the ball in to an empty net. It should be noted we have one timeout in our pocket and true to form didnt take it. ( also had one in the first half we took to the lockers ...we must lead the NCAA in unused time outs). We waste an all world performance by our Goalie and #31 banging in 7 goals. Got to say the lack of cohesion game to game on our sideline has been abysmal this year and today was the low light.
From the scenario you describe ( I was unable to make the game today), that late game decision appears very unwise. The LAX team has a very hard time winning the close games and that usually reflects a coaching problem. I see a lack of consistency and the inability to get a face off as our major problems. We lost our face off man to graduation but we knew that was coming. That had to be a major goal of recruitment but we don't have anyone who is even competitive in the X. From what I've seen, the only face off wins we get is from the wings coming in for a ground ball. In some games we have lost 80% of the face offs. That puts us at a tremendous disadvantage in possessions and shots on goal. Its become an insurmountable problem apparently. I don't know enough about the intricacies of coaching LAX so I cannot really evaluate the staff. The results have been disappointing for a program in its 5th year and that is clearly resulting in fan frustration. It certainly seems that we are not going in the right direction as far as building a program is concerned. It is really a shame. Lacrosse and Furman are a very good fit and it is a great spectator sport that should and could be much more popular around here than it is. Perhaps re-evaluation is in order.
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I thought we were getting one of the best coaches in the country when the hire was announced. I'm sure it's no easy challenge to create a program from the ground up, but was sure expecting better results by this point in time.
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I think most LAX fans are disappointed at this point in the program. A 3W - 9L season thus far this year is just not acceptable for a program in its 5th year. The easist target is always the coach in these situations and that may or may not be accurate in this case. The hiring of Coach Meade gave Furman immediate credibility in the LAX world and helped a great deal in scheduling and recruitment. Perhaps it also raised expectations. Last year it looked like the program had matured when we actually tied for the SOCON title during league play, I believe. Then this year, against a less daunting OOC schedule than in previous years, we have underperformed substantially. I am not sure of the reason. But it may be that we are simply one good face off man away from a very decent season. On the year, we have only won some 30% of face offs - and that is including games against Vermont, Canisius and Sacred Heart - not traditional LAX powers. That gives the opposition a great advantage in possessions and therefore shots on goal. We have lost at least 3 one goal games and a few other close ones. If we just got 1/2 the face offs, we likely win those game and there would be no problem. And if we were able to not be regularly beaten in the area of ground ball pickups, we may well be looking at another good season and the program would be advancing nicely. (-130 for the season). Coach cant go out and fight for the ground ball. Players have to do that.
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Great points. I'm no lacrosse expert, but I do know enough to know that you're dead on that a face-off here or a ground ball there can easily swing the game in favor of another team, especially in games that close. It might be a lack of players that can accomplish those tasks, but I'm curious if anyone on staff is a specialist in those areas? I've seen coaching staffs before where one of the coaches is an expert in that area, maybe someone that was really good at it just a few years ago as a player.Jasper wrote: ↑Mon Apr 23, 2018 12:43 pmI think most LAX fans are disappointed at this point in the program. A 3W - 9L season thus far this year is just not acceptable for a program in its 5th year. The easist target is always the coach in these situations and that may or may not be accurate in this case. The hiring of Coach Meade gave Furman immediate credibility in the LAX world and helped a great deal in scheduling and recruitment. Perhaps it also raised expectations. Last year it looked like the program had matured when we actually tied for the SOCON title during league play, I believe. Then this year, against a less daunting OOC schedule than in previous years, we have underperformed substantially. I am not sure of the reason. But it may be that we are simply one good face off man away from a very decent season. On the year, we have only won some 30% of face offs - and that is including games against Vermont, Canisius and Sacred Heart - not traditional LAX powers. That gives the opposition a great advantage in possessions and therefore shots on goal. We have lost at least 3 one goal games and a few other close ones. If we just got 1/2 the face offs, we likely win those game and there would be no problem. And if we were able to not be regularly beaten in the area of ground ball pickups, we may well be looking at another good season and the program would be advancing nicely. (-130 for the season). Coach cant go out and fight for the ground ball. Players have to do that.
And you're right, the hiring of Meade gave the program respect immediately. The schedule has been awesome, the teams that have traveled to Paladin Stadium is awesome, the close matches from day one have been impressive, the wins and losses haven't. Still haven't had that program-changing win yet over a top team despite several very close losses.
The face off percentage of around 30% is remarkably/historicaly bad. Usually teams that are in the low 40s are at the very bottom but we are in unchartered territory.Illustrative of the problems this year is the huge difference in ground balls between us and our opponents (397 them - 269 us). Really can't imagine how bad this year would have been for this team if our Goalie hadn't had such a good year (top ten in the country in saves per game). The fact is the wheels are kind of off this program right now.
Saw the last home game and was surprised how bad we were on face offs. Why use the long stick in faceoff when it clearly was not successful?
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The sad fact of the matter is that we just don't have a face off specialist on the team. I understand that we had two players designated as such for this season and both left Furman for various reasons before the season started. The staff has tried to coach up the kids who are doing their best to fill in but that is a very hard thing to do. This team is much better than their 3-9 record indicates. If we had even an average face off specialist who could win 50% of the time, we would likely be contenders for the SOCON title. Losing 70% simply puts us in too much of a hole in terms of possessions and shots on goal. The good news is that help is on the way. We have a commit from one of top high school face off specialist in the country for next year.
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Wait 'til next year?
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Anyone who says money can't buy happiness never had season tickets.
Unfortunately yes. The lack of a capable fogo cost them any real chance at building off of last years run. With a defense that needed time to gel, the overexposure to posessions exposed their youth and cost them games all year. It's really a shame bc this offense is one of the better total units in the conference and van de Bovencamp is the top goalie and their efforts have been all for naught this year.
Unless they get a transfer or get a stud recruit at the position, I don't see this part of the team improving all that much next year.
Unless they get a transfer or get a stud recruit at the position, I don't see this part of the team improving all that much next year.
I am told by someone in a position to know that we have a commit from that stud recruit you refer to for next year. Let's hope it sticks. If that one critical position gets fixed, this could be a very good team next year. They not only have a lot coming back offensively but you are very right about the defense gelling as the season went along. Considering the possession deficit brought about by such a low face off win percentage, the defense and goalie were outstanding.
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The goalie play was outstanding, defense was marginal and struggled with their off ball coverage and did not play well as a unit largely due to inexperience and the lack of a true shutdown player down there.
I hope you're right about the FOGO bc these players don't deserve to go through another year being completly outmatched at that position.
I hope you're right about the FOGO bc these players don't deserve to go through another year being completly outmatched at that position.
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