No interesting matchups this week as the bottom half of the division faces off with the top half. I would predict that the scores would be closer than expected as I would assume the stronger teams would give significant playing time to bench players. However, that has not been true all season (if anybody knows why I’d like to hear it). On to the match ups:
FCA v team 91. FCA -6 The division’s third best offense faces off against the division’s second worst defense. I expect plenty of scoring on the part of FCA and a lot of disappointment on the part of team 91.
Crabs v DCE. Crabs -8. My analysis for this game is the same as my analysis for DCE’s last game. In eighth grade you score what the defense let’s you score andDCE’s defense allows a lot.
ML v Hawks. Halwks -4. It what passes for this week’s most interesting matchup, perennial championship contender hawks faces off against what is probably the second best defense in the division. This game is make a break for Madlax as a loss with seals their fate and leave them out of the playoffs. Can they pull off the upset? Probably not.
Team money v NL. NL -6. After an amazing 4th come from behind the boys of NL have their confidence back.
Team Money v. ML. ML - 3. It might surprise some people that I have the game at -3 as team money is deservedly in the last place in the division. But ML has a problem scoring and I don’t see that changing this week.
I will omit this week’s final standings prediction as everyone knows what it will be.
Monday recap.
For a weekend with no upsets there were a lot of surprises. There should some serious soul searching by ML and DCE. How can teams with so much talent do so badly. There was never really any doubt that DCE & ML would get beat by the Crabs and Hawks but the way both teams lost has to make you wonder what if anything are these boys getting out of practice. I think Team Money has been put in an aweful position. Other than one or two boys on that team those kids have no business being in the Elite division. Hopefully HOCO can do better next year with their team selection. On to the recap:
FCA v Team 91. 10-9 FCA. Who saw that coming. I certainly didn’t expect such a close game. Team 91 scored a season high of 9 goals. Good for them. ML better watch out next week.
Carbs v DCE. 9-4 Crabs. DCE’s defense woes continue allowing 9 more goals. In their defense , the crabs look fantastic this year with the largest most athletic boys in the division. The only hope is that the speed and skill of the Hawks will finally give them a real game.
ML v Hawks. 15-1 Hawks. The score does not tell the story of how completely Hawks dominated that game. At this point something has to give on ML. For the first time ML 28 will not make the playoffs and I don’t see how ML will come back to anything like they used to be. I believe that looking at the ML offense there is a real possibility that ML goes 1-6. Surprisingly to this writer ML’s defense was totally ineffective against the Hawks. Previously the ML defense was able to contain FCA and Crabs. In this game ML was a one trick pony whose trick didn’t work.
NL v Team Money 17-8 NL. This was a wild beat down with a hatrick by a long pole in the first quarter. The score says little about both teams that we didn’t already know but it does reveal something about HOCO and club lacrosse. You can’t just wander into the elite division and expect to leave with your teeth. Everyone should think about what HOCO can do to give these kids a better experience.
ML v Team Money. 13-6 ML. I admit that I got the line way wrong. I still contend that ML has a ludicrously underpowered offense. However, the fact that team money was the recipient of a 17 point shelling only an hour before their game with ML sufficiently suppressed team, monies defense allowing Madlax to score a season high 13 goals.
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