This weeks game summary.- Please do not respond with off topic banter. Add any information that could be interesting to the converation.
Things noticed this week. There were more surprises than normal. Most games are closer than expected. The violations continue with offsides and shot clocks. Teams are still relying on hero ball. Team play and unity enhances performance. Teams that can balance organized play schemes with inventive lacrosse IQ will standout and win. The top five teams are the closest they have ever been. The bottom three teams are starting to show glimmers of hope and are improving.
Elite
Predators v FCA Not sure what to make from this game being that I watched it closely. First it was a rise and shine special. Did this play into the game? I am first surprised by the 6-3 score. FCA seemed like they came to play with more of their injured players back on the field. The game was not exciting nor pretty. It was one with many ground balls missed and passes dropped. From the start, FCA was pushing the ball to the offense and increasing the numbers of shots on goals. Some on target, many in the goalie’s stick, and many off target. The team moved the ball a little better than previous games with involvement from other players. Preds struggled on offense with many loss of possessions due to defense and simple stick skills like ground balls, bad passes, and dropped balls. If Preds was on point with these skills, it would be a completely different game. FCA won most of the ground ball battles on their defensive end. The midfield play was average for both teams with balls being thrown away for each team. Turnovers was the name of this game. FCA got little better with the shot clock with (I think) one violation. However, where they made up in another area, they replaced it with players being offsides. I think it was +3.. This has to be addressed in order to improve in transition and game speed. Defensively Preds was playing to the best of their ability, using their size to make up for speed, ball movement, and off ball cutters. This might have been Preds best defensive game. Including this game and the last, the goal differential was an average of 4 goals against (FCA and TC). FCA’s defense continues to struggle. I understand they have some defenseman out that would make a difference. With that being said, the defense seemed lost at times and inconsistent. There doesn’t seem to be a sense of leadership on the defensive end, unlike the offense where it is clear who runs it. FCA limited the on field frustration. Hopefully this win was a stepping to stone to better and more decisive wins. Preds came to play. LITTLE by LITTLE they get better each week. Will they win a game this year? I am not sure, however they are improving at bigger steps than other bottom teams in previous years. Next week, FCA takes on Madlax and Preds take on Legends. Is FCA prepared to take on the speed and precision of Madlax? Will Preds make the legends game closer than expected? Who will know. Legends and Preds play at U.S. Lacrosse field which makes for a unique and exciting experience for players, coaches, and families.
TC v Hawks - Didn’t catch this game. What happened? The score sparks curiosity. 12-7 TC? My questions are primarily with Hawks. Have most teams figured them out? They run a very specific offense. Very mythical and calculated. To their credit they have been known to be very technical. Has this been a thorn this year? Their goal production seems to be ok however their goals against are higher than what you would expect for a team of this caliber (Please no Goalie comments). TC’s goal production is 3rd lowest in the league but yet they seem to win games with low goals against. I really thought this game would be closer. Would love some game review.
Madlax v Legends Game of the weekend! Legends over Madlax in overtime. This game was a battle of wills. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means. It was close from beginning to end. Madlax started and established the tempo of the game with some quick goals, catching the legends on their heels. Legends was quick to respond with their own goals. Legends has continuously had a strong and aggressive defense. The leadership is apparent with players and coaches communicating with each other and holding themselves accountable. Legends did struggle in the clearing game with multiple turnovers happening in the middle of the field allowing Madlax to stay in the game. Midfield play at this level is a game changer for any team. Madlax’s defense played hard and was tough, their slides were good and it was apparent that they knew where to be. Offensively, Legends was moving the ball well however, some dropped ball or poor passes caused turnovers in favor of the other team. On offense, Madlax took good shots, however it became predictable as to where the majority of the shots where coming from and from who. While their passing was consistent around the crease so was the 15 yard shot down the alley. Luckily Madlax has good shooters. Both Madlax and Legends have some simple errors to resolve like precise passing, ground balls, and transitions. Shot clock management was ok with Madlax getting called more times than expected. What was apparent was that box coaching caused for some key turnovers for Madlax. This caused confusion among players. Coaching was good on both sides of the field, however each team had different approaches to handling the pressure. In the end I think Legends should have won by more goals. The game should have ended in regular time. The gap between these two teams had gotten really small. Next week, Madlax will play FCA. If Madlax controls the midfield and limits basic mistakes they will dominate the game. Legends and Preds may turn into a closer game then expected if Legends slips on fundamental stick skills. If Legends controls the pace and tempo of the game and plays all 4 quarters equally it will be a win.
Team 91 v Next Level Watched the first quarter and the game started out as planned. Next level dominated through out. Other than the Legends game, Team 91 seems to have trouble scoring goals. The question is are they getting better every week?
Predictions Hawks v. Team 91 - Hawks +8 Legends v. Preds - Legends +5 Madlax v. FCA - Madlax +5 True Chesapeake v. Next Level +2
AAA
Hawks v. HoCo Another upset with HOCO winning 10-9. I would call it an upset. Especially when the Botton team gets a win like that.
Shore Kaos v. Carroll Manor Shore Kaos pulled it. They have the ability to score goals but are equally tied with Carroll Manor.
Prostart v. Team MD Well Team Maryland pulled of the spoiler with a large win. There ability to score goals helped them in the end. Hopefully in the future they can limit them to help along the way.
True NOVA - Bethesda Blue - Nova won 11- 9 . They continue to score many goals which has kept them at the top. The gap between nova and everyone else is getting bigger but he week. If NOVA does this consistently they win it all.
Predictions Team Maryland v. Bethesda Blue - Team Maryland +1 Hawks v. NOVA - NOVA +9 Carroll Manor v. HOCO - Carroll Manor +3 - Upset of the week with HOCO winning. Prostart v. Shore Kaos - Shore Kaos +1
Reply
Quote
