Go to Hell Heel Lax

[chrishoke]

2-2 in the first quarter in the ACC Semis. Go Devils!

[buddy]

We are being completely outhustled so far. Need to get our heads out of our butts and focus.

[TKG]

Guess the Heels are sick of us kicking their butts........

[burnspbesq]

Guess I'd better watch the replay.

Near-miraculous comeback notwithstanding, we stunk up the joint tonight. Tomorrow's film session is likely to be pretty unpleasant, and Monday's practice ...

[TKG]

Well at least the boys made a game of it.

[buddy]

With their uninspired, almost entitled, play for the first two periods plus, and their inability to close the deal once they finally took the lead, this team put their fate in the hands of others. A win last night would have clinched a high seed in the NCAA. Now they have to hope Carolina beats UVA, and that no upstarts win tournaments of conferences with an AQ. It is inconceivable to me that the team played with as little passion and commitment as they did for most of the game. And the defense was just horrendous. Nice comeback, glad to see they didn't quit, but too many times this year this team has gone into a funk and let their opponent run out to (apparently) insurmountable leads. In the last two conference games they have given up 34 goals, yet managed to win one. I hope Danowski finds the answer, but I think it is more mental than physical.

[burnspbesq]

With their uninspired, almost entitled, play for the first two periods plus, and their inability to close the deal once they finally took the lead, this team put their fate in the hands of others. A win last night would have clinched a high seed in the NCAA. Now they have to hope Carolina beats UVA, and that no upstarts win tournaments of conferences with an AQ. It is inconceivable to me that the team played with as little passion and commitment as they did for most of the game. And the defense was just horrendous. Nice comeback, glad to see they didn't quit, but too many times this year this team has gone into a funk and let their opponent run out to (apparently) insurmountable leads. In the last two conference games they have given up 34 goals, yet managed to win one. I hope Danowski finds the answer, but I think it is more mental than physical.

With all due respect, I don't think we watched the same game last night.

Simply put, like it or not, Carolina is the better team. The metrics don't lie.

http://tempofreelax.herokuapp.com/

Duke won the regular-season matchup by controlling tempo and carving out a huge (+12) possession margin.

Last night, Carolina came out on fire, and took full advantage of Duke's overly aggressive defense. Turri and Aaron looked bad in the first half because Carolina was getting great looks from in close. When ticking time bomb Luke Duprey went off (when has a player ever led the nation in both caused turnovers and penalties?), the Heels man-up unit capitalized.

It was only when Fowler was able to finally get the upper hand on Keenan (who is a top-ten faceoff guy) that Duke was able to do what it can do. It's telling that the winning goal came when Duke turned the ball over after a faceoff win.

Duke is a flawed team. For 40 minutes last night, the first 35 and the last five, those flaws were brutally exposed.

[wilko]

Simply put, like it or not, Carolina is the better team.

Never had much use for the "better team won" position. Much more interested in the RIGHT team winning, regardless of sport.

[buddy]

With all due respect, I don't think we watched the same game last night.


Duke is a flawed team. For 40 minutes last night, the first 35 and the last five, those flaws were brutally exposed.

I think we did watch the same game. We are a flawed team. Your comment about Dupree is spot on. But how does a Duke team not "want" to beat Carolina? Carolina outhustled us for 40 of the 60 minutes. Josh Offit was quoted as saying "we came out flat". How do you come out flat against Carolina. I think part of the problem is with Danowski's decision to be the defensive coach (assisted by unpaid graduate assistant Joe Cinosky) instead of hiring one when Gabs went to Providence.

Anyway, hopefully we get some help to get into the NCAA, and learn from this experience that effort is not something to be turned on and off.

[MCFinARL]

I think we did watch the same game. We are a flawed team. Your comment about Dupree is spot on. But how does a Duke team not "want" to beat Carolina? Carolina outhustled us for 40 of the 60 minutes. Josh Offit was quoted as saying "we came out flat". How do you come out flat against Carolina. I think part of the problem is with Danowski's decision to be the defensive coach (assisted by unpaid graduate assistant Joe Cinosky) instead of hiring one when Gabs went to Providence.

Anyway, hopefully we get some help to get into the NCAA, and learn from this experience that effort is not something to be turned on and off.

Agree the team seems to really miss Coach Gabrielli. Figuring out a new approach to defense and defensive coaching should be a major off-season focus for a team that brings a lot of its key players back.

Re getting into the NCAA, Hop losing to Loyola today is a good start.