This one hurts. Detroit has three one-goal losses in MAAC play, but the first two were to really good squads. This one was not, and it could cost the Titans a postseason berth.
Tempo Free
From the official box score, a look at the tempo-free stats:
| Manhattan 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | Manhattan | ||
| Faceoff Wins | 9 | Faceoff Wins | 6 |
| Clearing | 13-18 | Clearing | 17-21 |
| Possessions | 31 | Possessions | 32 |
| Goals | 5 | Goals | 6 |
| Offensive Efficiency | .161 | Offensive Efficiency | .188 |
The possession margin was only slightly tipped in Manhattan’s favor. Detroit made strides on faceoffs, but was simply brutal in the clearing game.
Both teams turned in pretty bad offensive efficiency marks, and though the Titans’ number looks quite a bit worse, the low-scoring nature of the game means that one possession (and one goal) could have made that look radically different. “Not quite as bad as it seems” is, like, the worst consolation prize ever, though.
Notes
How did the offense get that way? The same way it has been all year. The Titans are extremely sloppy with the ball. They had 18 turnovers in a very slow (by their standards) game – 58% of the time. That’s terrible. With five of those turnovers coming in clearing postures, the offense didn’t even have a chance.
Of course, when the offense did get the ball, they were far from blameless. Alex Maini had SIX turnovers (that’s nearly 20% of Detroit’s total possessions), and Mike Birney launched eight shots, only three of them on goal, none of them beating the keeper. Detroit simply has to value the ball more on offense. Sure, missed shots can be backed up, but from seeing the Titans play several times this year, not enough of them are getting backed up with shooters spraying the ball all over the field.
Maini was one of the few offensive players with a multi-point day, contributing two assists. When that is accompanied by six turnovers, you haven’t undone enough of the damage. Scott Drummond, Brandon Beauregard, and Tom Masterson each had a goal and an assist. All five UDM goals were assisted.
The defense was the bright spot in this loss. The efficiency number speaks for itself, and it should come as no surprise that freshman Jason Weber was a big part of that. He saved 12 shots while allowing six goals. He was responsible for a turnover in the clearing game, but that happens from time to time.
Defensively, attackman Tom Masterson was your leader in caused turnovers with three (a very impressive mark for an offensive player). Defenseman Chris Shevins notched two while picking up three ground balls.
The faceoff game was actually something of a strength for Detroit. Having a healthy Tyler Corcoran certainly helped, if only to give more options if one wasn’t working out on draws. Damien Hicks did get a couple draws and lost them both, but overall a 60% win rate is not bad in the least.
Manhattan was led offensively by Patrick Hodapp (2G, 1A) and Andrew Hurst (2G), and defensively by goalie Rich Akapnitis, who allowed five goals and saved 10 shots.
Elsewhere
Boxscore. Game photos. Detroit recap. Manhattan recap.
Up Next
I guess calling Manhattan almost a sure thing in the preview last weekend came back to bite me, but man, Monmouth definitely has to be a sure thing. The Hawks are 0-12 and have only come close to a win a couple times this season (although their pythagorean win expectation isn’t so far behind Manhattan’s, even after the Jaspers’ upset Saturday).
Detroit, on the other hand, absolutely must have this victory for a shot at making the MAAC Tournament (after they were very close to a chance at earning the one seed just a week ago). The scenarios are very complicated – look for a post on it later this week – and UDM does not control its own destiny at this point.
Getting a big win against an overmatched first-year program and building momentum toward a possible conference tournament run are musts. If the game is even close, Detroit will show it doesn’t deserve the MAAC bid anyway.
It is what it is… You put it bluntly… I wonder if putting Birney at the X may be a new wrinkle… He is athletic, and skilled… Detroit has the athletes, but needs to shake things up… the 2nd line is not getting it done at all…I would like to see them push transition more with their athletic D mids…Especially when the offense is sputtering….
Now hold on a second. I’ve been pretty quiet all season, but I have to finally chime in.
I love what Tim does for local lacrosse, but you can’t sum up a game by a box score. That Manhattan goalie stood on his head. I have no idea how to pronounce Akawhateverhisnameis, but that kid made a ton of saves that he’ll never make again in his life. He was on fire. This is a patient offense that was getting good looks and they ran into a goalie that had the best day of his career.
I’ll also chime in that this is the nation’s best man up unit EVER. In the history of the game they are trending over 10% better than that UNC team that was the best ever. http://stats.ncaa.org/rankings?sport_code=MLA&division=1 In the last 2 games they have had 1 man up opportunity each. That really hurts the offense. I’m not saying the refs are doing anything wrong, but when they rely on goals in bunches from the Man Up unit and it all of a sudden gets 1 change a game? That is going to have an impact.
Also, the clearing game stats are misleading. We know what a real clearing opportunity is and what is a guy picking up a ground ball on D in traffic and losing it. That’s what a lot of those stats are.
I have full faith in this team. If they get into the MAAC they are going to win it. That Man Up unit is too good. Weber is playing well and that young D is really stepping up. Get those D middies to keep doing what they do, let Hebden run the 2nd line middies and have Birney get his mojo back and they are fine.
Akapnitis certainly had a great day, and maybe a bit better than he usually does, but he’s a really good goalie (despite playing behind a terrible defense) and unless Detroit was just painting corner after corner and getting robbed – and given their tendency to either miss the cage or lob it into the goalie’s chest in most other games this year, I doubt that – it seems unlikely that Akapnitis was the difference. He had the same save percentage as Weber, and faced fewer shots.
Detroit does have a great man-up offense, but on the other hand that makes the rest of the offense look even worse by comparison. Relying on the EMO for 28% of your goals is not sustainable. Opposing teams are going to play even cleaner than their season averages against UDM, because they know the Titans can’t score without the man advantage. And hey, if Detroit capitalized on their only man-up opportunity Saturday, this one has a chance to go to overtime.
I had plenty of faith in this team until they lost to Manhattan. “If” they make it into the MAAC, sure they can potentially make it (it wouldn’t be any more surprising than last year’s run), but at this point they’ve lost all benefit of the doubt there, as well.
I think having Hebden back will be big, because he was one of the more consistent middies early in the year until he missed a couple games in a row. What the Titans probably need more than “good” is “consistent,” and he’s both.
UDM is in the MAAC playoffs against 2 teams they have beaten and a 3rd team they lost to in OT. I have full faith that they can make a run.
Let’s not go overboard. UNC’s man-up unit played against much better competition, so they’re still “the best of all time”.
Let’s not go overboard. UNC’s all-time best made up unit played against much tougher competition, so they’re still “the best of all-time”.
UNC padded their stats against D3 teams like Roanoak and W&L. Not to mention that Duke, Navy and Towson were awful in the mid 80s. It’s not like they rolled through a top to bottom schedule of tournament teams.
Doug McDermott setting records at Creighton may not have the same luster as if he did it playing in the Big 10 or ACC, but the kid showed up every night when everyone knew what they were going up against and he still broke records. Same thing w/ UDM man up. Teams know how good they are and they scout the hell out of them and they still are scoring like going 3 for 3 yesterday.
While you may be right that the modern-day quality of some of those teams could have made UNC’s schedule look a bit better than it actually was, they played half their schedule against high-level teams even still. Detroit will play a maximum of two NCAA Tournament teams all year (unless and until they make it into the tournament themselves).
1. Roanoke is a perennial Top 10 D3 teams that was at the very least equal to, and likely better than, the bottom 10-12 D1 teams of the past (and even a few today). W&L was formerly D1 until 1987, making the D1 tournament as late as 1980. The Generals are also a perennial Top D3 team.
2. It could also be said that UDM pads its stats against awful teams such as Wagner, Manhattan, VMI, and Monmouth.
3. Duke in the mid-80s wasn’t good…but they were at the very least comparable to the bottom 10-12 D1 teams of today.
4. Average Towson and Navy teams of the mid ’80s were better than the bottom 10-12 D1 teams of today.
Not sure if i can agree with the clearing stat can be misleading its the same for all teams and the fact is last in the nation in any category as Detroit is in clearing is just plain AWFULL…This team at worst should be 4 and 1 in Conference play something seems off on this team (players or coaches) actually in the one goal at home victory over Marist up 1 with less then a minute to play Detroit turned the ball over twice and if not for a last second save the season could have very much already been over. Didn’t see the Manhattan game and their goalie may very well stood on his head but when your leading scorer gets one shot that may have had something to do with it. This game is about doing what your skills allow you to do best not stepping out of your comfort zone to impress friends and family. All the confidence in the world with these young athletes to get it done Saturday and with any luck move into the MAAC.
I GUARANTEE NO ONE WANTS TO OPEN UP AGAINST THE TITANS….SO LETS GO DETROIT ITS THAT TIME OF YEAR TO SHOCK THE LAX WORLD..
The UNC team that had “the best man-up unit ever” played a much tougher schedule, so I’d say they’re still the best of all time.
Fortunately the only thing that matters is stats and as of right now the Titans are on the verge of holding that record. But thanks for bringing that up