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  1. #401
    Tough loss for the Cavs but a great win for the Devils. What a game!

  2. #402
    Quote Originally Posted by Native View Post
    Duke wins!
    Great game, better ending, happy the guys in Blue came out on top!

  3. #403
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Mount Kisco, NY
    Robertson!

  4. #404
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Manhattan
    Adler saved our bacon in OT. Stood on his head twice to get us the final possession.

    I'll echo Quint's comments: would love to see us have Brennan initiate offense from the wing a bit more. We run our offense through Sowers behind the goal—as we should—but O'Neill is an insanely tough matchup if he gets a full head of steam.

    Robertson continues to deliver big plays when we need them. Great win!

  5. #405
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Joe has a knack for those overtime winning goals.
    "This is the best of all possible worlds."
    Dr. Pangloss - Candide

  6. #406
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Earth
    Quote Originally Posted by chrishoke View Post
    Joe has a knack for those overtime winning goals.
    We fans appreciate that he's pretty good, but most defenses are thinking don't let O'Neill or Sowers beat you. The next opponent won't let him get that shot.

    Good and important win tonight. We still have some things to clean up before the rematch with ND next Thursday.

  7. #407
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Durham
    Quote Originally Posted by duke2x View Post
    We still have some things to clean up before the rematch with ND next Thursday.
    Like pitching and catching. Our passing game needs real improvement. Also, twice JT let his man take an inside roll by the cage and score. Need to clean that up. Adler is a beast. Hard to recall he got pulled against Denver after he let in 6 goals in 16 minutes. He has been a revelation.

  8. #408
    On a rare off night for J.T., Duke’s other poles delivered big-time. Frisoli, in particular, stepped up in relief of Burke.

    Where would we be without Adler?

    There were a number of screwy calls in the fourth quarter: an offside on Virginia that went uncalled, and I have no earthly clue what Nakeie did to draw a procedure call on the sideline with just over three minutes to go.

  9. #409
    Talk about rising to the occasion: Duke’s defense held Virginia scoreless for the final 17:52.

    After a shaky first quarter, Duke went 19-for-20 on clears the rest of the way.
    Last edited by burnspbesq; 04-16-2021 at 02:07 AM.

  10. #410
    I know there are a few passionate lacrosse posters on this board. I'm looking for tips to gain a better appreciation of the sport. It's not unfamiliar to me. Lacrosse exploded in my state as I was growing up. I had a stick in middle school (1970s Brine that probably weighed 2lbs) just like I had a baseball glove. A HS classmate played at Duke when I was there. I've never been a big fan but started paying more attention to the college game when another HS friend had a kid on the Yale team...that beat Duke in the NCAA finals. I'm lucky to have the ACCN and have been recording and watching Duke lax this year, trying to get into it. It's been grueling with the close/OT games, but unfortunately the highest (collegiate) level of the "fastest game on two feet" has failed to hook me. I know I need more insight into the basics (let alone single game strategies like UNC sprang on Duke) but right now it feels more like "soccer on meth." I'm trying to draw parallels to other sports. There's a bit of basketball/hockey playmaking and fast breaks, and the occasional NFL long ball, but performance seems erratic. Any insights to further understanding/enjoyment much appreciated.

  11. #411
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    Quote Originally Posted by jimmymax View Post
    I know there are a few passionate lacrosse posters on this board. I'm looking for tips to gain a better appreciation of the sport. It's not unfamiliar to me. Lacrosse exploded in my state as I was growing up. I had a stick in middle school (1970s Brine that probably weighed 2lbs) just like I had a baseball glove. A HS classmate played at Duke when I was there. I've never been a big fan but started paying more attention to the college game when another HS friend had a kid on the Yale team...that beat Duke in the NCAA finals. I'm lucky to have the ACCN and have been recording and watching Duke lax this year, trying to get into it. It's been grueling with the close/OT games, but unfortunately the highest (collegiate) level of the "fastest game on two feet" has failed to hook me. I know I need more insight into the basics (let alone single game strategies like UNC sprang on Duke) but right now it feels more like "soccer on meth." I'm trying to draw parallels to other sports. There's a bit of basketball/hockey playmaking and fast breaks, and the occasional NFL long ball, but performance seems erratic. Any insights to further understanding/enjoyment much appreciated.
    For almost all Duke sports on TV I use the mute button, but ESPNU does a GREAT job of describing lacrosse, and I think you can slowly learn a lot by watching various broadcasts...especially since the announcers stick to describing the game and strategy, and not extraneous crap like the hoop announcers get into...

    Today, unc at Syracuse, that should be interesting...

  12. #412
    Quote Originally Posted by jimmymax View Post
    I know there are a few passionate lacrosse posters on this board. I'm looking for tips to gain a better appreciation of the sport. It's not unfamiliar to me. Lacrosse exploded in my state as I was growing up. I had a stick in middle school (1970s Brine that probably weighed 2lbs) just like I had a baseball glove. A HS classmate played at Duke when I was there. I've never been a big fan but started paying more attention to the college game when another HS friend had a kid on the Yale team...that beat Duke in the NCAA finals. I'm lucky to have the ACCN and have been recording and watching Duke lax this year, trying to get into it. It's been grueling with the close/OT games, but unfortunately the highest (collegiate) level of the "fastest game on two feet" has failed to hook me. I know I need more insight into the basics (let alone single game strategies like UNC sprang on Duke) but right now it feels more like "soccer on meth." I'm trying to draw parallels to other sports. There's a bit of basketball/hockey playmaking and fast breaks, and the occasional NFL long ball, but performance seems erratic. Any insights to further understanding/enjoyment much appreciated.
    Slightly reworking your summary statement, I'd say if "soccer for hockey fans" doesn't attract you, then lax is probably not your game.

  13. #413
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Raleigh, NC
    Quote Originally Posted by budwom View Post
    For almost all Duke sports on TV I use the mute button, but ESPNU does a GREAT job of describing lacrosse, and I think you can slowly learn a lot by watching various broadcasts...especially since the announcers stick to describing the game and strategy, and not extraneous crap like the hoop announcers get into...

    Today, unc at Syracuse, that should be interesting...
    But, but, but, don't you want to know who they had lunch with last week?

  14. #414
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Manhattan
    Quote Originally Posted by jimmymax View Post
    I know there are a few passionate lacrosse posters on this board. I'm looking for tips to gain a better appreciation of the sport. It's not unfamiliar to me. Lacrosse exploded in my state as I was growing up. I had a stick in middle school (1970s Brine that probably weighed 2lbs) just like I had a baseball glove. A HS classmate played at Duke when I was there. I've never been a big fan but started paying more attention to the college game when another HS friend had a kid on the Yale team...that beat Duke in the NCAA finals. I'm lucky to have the ACCN and have been recording and watching Duke lax this year, trying to get into it. It's been grueling with the close/OT games, but unfortunately the highest (collegiate) level of the "fastest game on two feet" has failed to hook me. I know I need more insight into the basics (let alone single game strategies like UNC sprang on Duke) but right now it feels more like "soccer on meth." I'm trying to draw parallels to other sports. There's a bit of basketball/hockey playmaking and fast breaks, and the occasional NFL long ball, but performance seems erratic. Any insights to further understanding/enjoyment much appreciated.
    Here are some of the basics with some key strategic choices that coaches have to make every game.

    Faceoffs: almost every possession starts with a faceoff. Two players must scrum for the ball at the center of the field. When the whistle blows, two other players may come in from the wings to assist in securing possession. If a player “jumps” before the whistle blows to start play, the other team is awarded possession.

    Face-offs are really, really important. If you have a strong faceoff player, you can turn lacrosse into a make-it-take-it affair. This is why teams tend to go on scoring runs, and why momentum can shift so quickly. If a faceoff man is talented enough, he will usually be referred to as a FOGO (Face Off, Get Off) who focuses solely on taking possession before being substituted out. Duke freshman Jake Naso has been a nice surprise this year as a first-year faceoff man for the Blue Devils.

    Players: ten players to a side, including a goalie. Three defenders. Three attackmen—who are typically smaller, faster, and have the strongest stick skills. Three midfielders—who play both ways and are more versatile than either attackers or defenders.

    You must have four players in your defensive zone at all times. Generally, this is the goalie and three defensemen. Sometimes, though, a defender will be in a better position to advance the ball into the opposing team’s zone. If this is the case, a midfielder from that team has to stay back. If you have fewer than four people in your defensive zone, your team is offsides. This will result in a penalty in favor of the other team.

    Defensive-oriented players are allowed the use of long sticks. A maximum of four long-stick-equipped players may be on the field at once. This is a key decision: if you’re a defensive coordinator, to which opposing attackers do you assign your long sticks? Most teams match up three long sticks on the three attackmen, and then assign a long-stick midfielder (LSM) to the opponent’s best midfielder. Sometimes, though, you might double-pole the midfield, meaning you guard an attackman with a short-stick defender.

    In midfield play, as well, you might also see two LSMs at once sometimes, particularly on the wings during faceoffs if possession is crucial.

    Clearing and Riding (Transition): when a team’s goalie makes a save, that team then starts their offensive possession by advancing the ball towards the opponent’s goal. They must do this in less than 20 seconds. This is called a clear; the opposing team is said to be riding. Because the goalie for the team with possession is part of the clear, riding teams are usually at a slight disadvantage unless they assign their goalie to cover an offensive player. When this happens, the riding team is said to be running a 10-man ride. You won’t see this until late-game situations—think of it like a full-court press in basketball.

    Offensive Play: in traditional six-on-six offense, you’ll notice that much of the coordination is similar to basketball. Offensive players will try to penetrate the defense and draw a defensive slide before dishing it. Teams can run picks, with all of the minutiae of a pick-and-roll scheme included.

    A lot of teams will try to use picks to get the matchups they want—ideally, you want your most skilled offensive player to avoid the long-stick defenders. If you can get a short stick matched up on your best offensive player, that will pay dividends for your team. Again, it’s like basketball: imagine if you got the other team’s center matched up on your star point guard.

    The other interesting thing about lacrosse is that you can attack from behind the goal. This area is referred to as X. A lot of teams try to run their offense through X. Some defenses don’t like sending their defenders behind the goal if they can avoid it because the ball carrier by definition can’t shoot and score from that position. This gives the attacker more space to operate. Offensively, then, it becomes all about making off-ball cuts and off-ball screens to get players open in front of the goal. If that happens, the player at X can make quick feeds to get their team easy goals. A big part of Duke’s offense this year runs through fifth-year grad transfer senior Michael Sowers, who is excellent at playing from X and leads the nation in points per game.

    From the time a goalie makes a save, an 80-second shot clock starts. (This also includes the clearing period.) If a shot makes contact with the goalie or the goal, the clock resets.

    Very important: if a shot misses or rebounds and then goes out-of-bounds, the player nearest the ball when it went out-of-bounds retains possession for their team. This is why you see players seemingly chase the ball after it misses. This is also why teams want to have a player at X—usually that player is in the best position to get “backup” to retain possession for their own team after a missed shot.

    Penalties and Man-Up: There are many ways that a player can be penalized. Most have to do with excessive force. The most common penalties are...

    Slashing: excessive wind-up or using the stick to hit a player in the head. You can do simple poke checks but a wind-up will generally earn you a trip to the Sin Bin.
    Push: pushing the player in the back. All contact needs to be in the front or sides. A push in a loose-ball situation where neither team has possession usually just results in the other team getting the ball. A push with possession is a time-serving penalty.
    Cross Check: using the shaft of the lacrosse stick when making physical contact with another player. If you are pushing or shoving another player, you have to have your hands close together on your stick.

    Generally, any contact to the back or head is what earns you a penalty.

    Most penalties are 30- or 60-second penalties. When a team gets a penalty, the other team goes man-up. It’s the same thing as a power play in hockey. If a goal is scored, usually the penalty is wiped out and play resumes with a face off at even strength. For more severe penalties, though, they might be non-releasable, meaning a team will continue to play man-down until the full time is served.

    This year’s Duke team: historically, the Ivy League is a strong lacrosse conference. However, because the Ivy League canceled spring sports due to COVID, many strong players transferred. One such player is Michael Sowers, who was last year’s front-runner for the Tewaaraton Trophy (think the Heisman) at Princeton. He transferred to Duke as a fifth-year senior and leads a loaded offensive attack. Joining him is freshman sensation Brennan O’Neill, who has been referred to as the “Zion Williamson of Lacrosse.” Our attack is rounded out by Joe Robertson, who has scored overtime game-winning goals against #2 North Carolina and #3 Virginia this season already.

    Because we had strong additions to our attack, many of our strong attackers from last year round out our midfield unit. Because you can substitute on-the-fly, we specialize a lot with offensive- and defensive-minded midfielders. On the defensive side, players to watch are JT Giles-Harris—the brother of Duke Football’s Joe Giles-Harris—who anchors our defensive unit. Mike Adler (Goalkeeper) is a fifth-year transfer from St. John’s who has been very strong in the cage for us this year.

    Duke is currently ranked #4 in the country after dropping our first game to Notre Dame last week. The ACC is truly loaded this year—all five ACC teams that field a lacrosse team are ranked in the Top 10.
    Last edited by Native; 04-17-2021 at 12:06 PM.

  15. #415
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    Bravo, Native, that was fantastic! Really comprehensive...one teeny tiny clarification I believe, would be that the 20 seconds you have to advance toward the other goal just involves crossing the midfield line, right?

  16. #416
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Manhattan
    Quote Originally Posted by budwom View Post
    Bravo, Native, that was fantastic! Really comprehensive...one teeny tiny clarification I believe, would be that the 20 seconds you have to advance toward the other goal just involves crossing the midfield line, right?
    Thanks! And yep, that’s exactly right. You have 20 seconds to get it across midfield.

  17. #417
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    again, great job. That's really all you need to know to enjoy the games, which are enormously entertaining...all the end to end action of hockey with about 5x the scoring.

  18. #418
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Sarasota, Florida
    Thanks to Native for a really useful summary which will greatly enhance enjoyment of lacrosse by me
    and many others who watch but are inexpert. As a younger (as to football younger guy i played football (MUCH younger guy), soccer, softball and tennis. To the best of my knowledge when i was in high school, high school lacrosse was limited to Baltimore, Long Island and St. Louis area, and maybe a few spots more. It certainly wasn't known in Florida. Since about the time that John Danowski arrived, i've watched Duke lax when available. The championship winning goal following the OT faceoff in 2010 was one of the great moments in Duke sports. Unhappily, Comcast doesn't carry ACC network, so this season has been slim pickings. By dint of viewing, listening to commentary, and a telephone chat about ten years ago with a Baltimore lawyer who explained about the long poles, i'd been able to pick up a fair amount of the game, but i knew nothing about the tactical considerations of placing the long poles, or what slashing is, precisely, or what the term "riding" meant. And i had no idea what constituted off sides since obviously if differs from soccer. With a reading of Native's post one time I've substantially increased my understanding of what goes on.

  19. #419
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Manhattan
    If anyone happens to be reading this thread right now and has Fox Sports 2, #6-ranked Denver is playing #10-ranked Georgetown and the commentators are doing a great job of explaining things as they go. Worth a watch if you’re having a slow Saturday.

  20. #420
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Vermont
    By the way, if anyone ever has an opportunity to speak with Duke coach John Danowski, it's well worth it...he's a marvelous individual (as well as the winningest lax coach ever) and he never engages in "coach speak." He's direct and articulate, and a real pleasure to chat with...no wonder he does so well teaching kids how to play lacrosse.

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