Michigan 14, Marquette 6

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Tim
Michigan Wolverines Marquette Golden Eagles Lacrosse

Get CLOSE TO THE ACTION in the EXCITEMENT of Oosterbaan Fieldhouse

Although this game was just a scrimmage, both teams ran with their top rotations the whole way (including starting goalies), so it gives us something of a good picture about where the programs stand relative to each other.

Fortunately for Michigan (after a Fall Ball in which they went winless and Marquette impressed), they’re one step ahead of the expansion squad.

Tempo Free

From the official box score, a look at the tempo-free stats:

Marquette 2012 (Scrimmage)
Marquette Michigan
Faceoff Wins 13 Faceoff Wins 11
Clearing 10-17 Clearing 13-16
Possessions 33 Possessions 34
Goals 6 Goals 14
Offensive Efficiency .182 Offensive Efficiency .412

During the course of this game, I had a feeling it was a relatively slow one, and I was right, sort of. A 67-possession game was in about the 64th percentile of game speed in the 2012 season, but Michigan was also the country’s 12-fastest team (on account of being bad, for the most part). The new rules should speed up the pace of play, so overall things were pretty subdued in terms of pace.

Michigan went with heavy doses of 10-man ride, and though Marquette didn’t clear the ball well, I cam away with the impression that most of their turnovers in that phase of the game weren’t caused by Michigan’s ride (some were). Michigan’s clear was significantly improved from last year: passing from poles was night-and-day better. There was still a bit of poor reacting to pressure, and Gerald Logan has a bit of improving to do in the clearing game, but that will come with experience.

On faceoffs, Jack Eisenreich looked very good. He won just over half his draws (10/18), but won the clamp in most instances, and just couldn’t secure the ground ball or get it to his wings. Kevin Wylie really struggled on faceoffs. Brad Lott did not see the field.

Notes

Starting with the offense, since that efficiency would have been the Wolverines’ best performance of the year by a country mile. That’s partially due to the ability to hold onto the ball better and not waste possessions, and partially due to some upgrades along the scoring lines.

Willie Steenland had three goals, two of them on rocket shots from pretty deep. He also only turned the ball over twice – reducing his biggest weakness from 2012. The coaching staff seems to have found ways to use him without putting too much of the burden of carrying the ball on him (part of that is adding other players who can carry it pretty well).

David Joseph had a goal and two assists, and looked quicker than he did last year. Will Meter didn’t score on any of his four shots, but looks huge, and had a couple nice opportunities just spoiled. Thomas Paras was his usual, consistent self that we’ve come to expect.

On to the new offensive players. Kyle Jackson burst onto the scene, scoring the Wolverines’ first two goals, but didn’t accomplish much after that. He made some nice dodges, but didn’t finish well after the first couple shots. Tome Sardelli (Sacred Heart transfer) has some nice skills, but he also committed a team-high three turnovers. Villanova transfer Mike Francia is tiny, but very skilled.

Michigan had only 5 assists on 14 goals, so there’s definitely room for improvement. Especially given Marquette’s style of play, some looks should have been open from time to time.

Defensively, the star of the game was Gerald Logan. He allowed goals and made 16 saves, for a save percentage of .727. That’s an impressive number, but his performance was even better seeing it live. Some of the shots he stopped were at point-blank range, or others that were tough to save, and he stood on his head in the net. As I mentioned above, he made a couple iffy plays in the clearing game (could have been first-game nerves and nothing more, for all I know), but as a ball-stopper, he’ll steal a game or two for this team.

Of course, part of the reason he has to make some nice saves was a bit of weakness in his defense. Rob Healy looks to be in better shape than ever, and was very solid, and Austin Swaney was what we’ve come to expect. However, the short-stick d-middies got dodged on pretty easily a couple times, and the team concept on defense is still working to improve its slides, etc. They should get there, but having some struggles against a team like Marquette still bodes ill for the likes of Loyola.

Marquette was playing an aggressive man-to-man defense, marking both on- and off-ball pretty tightly once things got within about 10 yards of GLE (across the width of the field, too), so for Michigan to turn it over 19 times wasn’t so bad, especially since the payoff was some easy looks on goal.

A quick non-team note: The confines of Oosterbaan Fieldhouse have always been tight, and playing on a regulation-width lacrosse field (instead of a few yards narrower on a football field) makes for both a very tight fit for fans and the field and very little sideline seating. It’s tough to see from the endzones, and although it’s not feasible short-term, raising those bleachers when Michigan plays indoors would make for a better viewing experience.

What it Means

Michigan is a lot better than they were last year. Although the lack of improvement overall on faceoffs was a little disappointing, not having Brad Lott available probably played into that, too. He and Eisenreich are pretty clearly a 1-2 at that position.

Young talent stepping in is the expectation for a young program like Michigan’s, and Kyle Jackson and Gerald Logan definitely lived up to expectations. As the season progresses, I’m interested to see who else (including Lott) can make a difference.

My expectations for Michigan this season are incremented upward slightly, going from a likely high mark of about four wins on the year, to a chance at five (or even six, if they can steal one somewhere). If they continue to play like this – and improve over the course of the year – the program will take a big step forward this fall.

Up Next

It’s fo’ real next Saturday in Oosterbaan Fieldhouse. Penn State opens the regular season Saturday at 1 p.m. The Nittany Lions should be significantly better than Marquette (see the pre-season preview), and quite a bit better than Michigan.

It’s put up or shut up time for Michigan, however, and they’ve exceeded expectations from time to time. Keeping this one close is the goal, since stealing a win seems extremely unlikely at this point.

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Scores and Schedule: Feb. 3, 2013

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Tim

…and the first full set of scrimmages is in the books. More lacrosse next weekend: and this time, it’s for real.

Yesterday’s Results

Division-1 Men

Michigan 14, Marquette 6
Michigan 11, Denison 4 (3Q)
Notre Dame 10, Detroit 5

Corrections, omissions, etc. always appreciated in the comments.

Posted in division 1 | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Scores and Schedule: Feb. 2, 2013

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Tim

The season’s public start is today, with a pair of exhibitions out of Michigan (Detroit and Albion had scrimmages yesterday, but they were closed to the public).

Yesterday’s Results

Division-1 Men

Detroit 13, Albion 4
Detroit 12, Hill Academy 11
Hill Academy 25, Albion 6

Today’s Schedule

Division-1 Men

Michigan v. Marquette, 1 p.m. (Oosterbaan Fieldhouse)
Michigan v. Denison, 4:30 p.m. (Oosterbaan Fieldhouse)
Detroit @ Notre Dame, 7 p.m.

Corrections, omissions, etc. always appreciated in the comments.

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First Look: Michigan remaining opponents Part. 1

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Tim

I took a look at the Titans’ common opponents with Michigan a few days ago. Now, it’s Michigan’s turn to run down the rest of the docket.

Penn State

Penn State Nittany Lions Lacrosse

Fear the Nittany Lion!

Michigan: Feb. 9 (Oosterbaan Fieldhouse)

2012

9-6 (5-1 CAA), #20 LaxPower, #20 Tempo-Free Lax

Penn State spent several years not living up to potential and pretty much mired in mediocrity. That changed in a big way with the hiring of Jeff Tambroni. The Nittany Lions  were probably the first team out of the NCAA Tournament, and a first-round CAA Championship loss kept them from making the big dance. There were hiccups for PSU during the course of the year, but the upward trajectory is still evident.

The Past Results

In Michigan’s first-ever game participating in the Creator’s Cup series, they were unable to stick with Penn State, falling by seven goals. Faceoffs were actually pretty even – an uncommon occurrence for this Michigan team – and the resulting possession deficit (only six in an 80-possession game) wasn’t too bad, despite an awful day clearing for Michigan. That’s where the happy times ended, however.

Michigan just didn’t have the horses to score on the Nittany Lions, nor were they able to stop PSU from getting goals of their own. Will Meter, Alex Vasilleff, and Doug Bryant all contributed two goals and an assist for Michigan. Trevor Yealy scored just one goal.

Defensively, this was in the era when Michigan was rolling with Dylan Westerhold, the only healthy goalie on the roster. He was OK in net, but a huge liability on the clear, committing four turnovers (and letting Penn State generate fast break opportunities on himself, probably not the best strategy if he wanted to inflate his goalkeeping stats).

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Penn State 2012
Pace 63.07 (44)
Poss% 50.53 (22)
Off. Eff. 28.80 (38)
Def. Eff. 25.61 (9)
Pyth% 60.57 (20)

It should come as no surprise that a Jeff Tambroni game slows down the pace of the game. The Nittany Lions like to minimize the number of possessions and make the most of the opportunities they do get.

Of course, that makes it troublesome that the offense was pretty bad last year. That generally means it’s bad that the leading scorer Matt Mackrides is gone, but just about everyone else returns. That includes last year’s No. 4 scorer, Brother Rice alum Nick Dolik, his high school teammate Danny Henneghan (a faceoff specialist), and the spectacularly named Tom LaCrosse. The offense was attack-driven last year (Dolik and LaCrosse were the top scorers among midfielders at No.s 4 and 6, respectively), and that should continue.

Defensively, The Nittany Lions were excellent – in fact borderline elite – last year. It started with sophomore keep Austin Kaut, now a junior. The starting defense was hitjust a bit by graduation: d-middie Ryan Link and defenseman Ryan McGarvey are gone, but the rest of the D returns, led by Kessler Brown, Jack Donnelly, and JP Burnside. None of those guys are even seniors this year, so next year’s PSU defense could be scary.

Henneghan is a solid faceoff guy, and controlling possession (if only slightly) allows PSU to slow the game down.

Johns Hopkins

Johns Hopkins Blue Jays lacrosse logo

A Blue Jay is just a blue cardinal, right?

Michigan: Feb. 23 (Baltimore, Md.)

2012

12-4, #10 Laxpower, #4 Tempo-Free Lax

This… it is not going to go well. Sure, the Blue Jays of the past few years haven’t been the vintage Hopkins squads, but they’re still right near the top of the nation in team quality. They probably aren’t the best opposition that Michigan will face this year, but walking into Homewood will be an intimidation factor on its own.

The Past Results

Michigan has never played the Blue Jays in an official game, but the Wolverines did scrimmage Hopkins in 2005. Weirdly, it’s possible that this is a conference game in the future.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Johns Hopkins 2012
Pace 66.13 (27)
Poss% 53.50 (4)
Off. Eff. 30.43 (26)
Def. Eff. 23.17 (4)
Pyth% 78.25 (4)

Johns Hopkins was really good at a few things, and just OK at… one thing (pace is a style item, not a factor that it’s quantitatively better to be ranked highly in). It should come as no surprise that the defense was good – that’s a Pietramala calling card – but the offense was a little underwhelming given the talent at the Jays’ disposal.

About that offense… Part of its “struggle” is attributed to a really tough schedule. Defenseive efficiencies faced: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 3 Princeton, No. 5 Loyola (the Hounds’ only loss on the year, for the record), No. 8 Maryland (twice), and No. 11 Syracuse, among others. While the numbers are designed to account for schedule strength, there’s a certain futility in going against a murderer’s row like that. Senior attack Zach Palmer and junior Brandon Benn were the team’s leading scorers last year. No. 3 Chris Boland is gone, as is No. 9 Rob Goodrich, but that’s a lot of returning talent.

Defensively, Hopkins was one of the nation’s elite. Tucker Durkin and Chris Lightner are seniors this fall after starting every game last season. Goalie Pierce Bassett was among the nation’s best last season, and he’s also a senior this fall. Gavin Crisafull is the biggest contributor who is gone this year, but the unit should be exceptional.

Hopkins was good on faceoffs, good on clears, but the key to their possession advantage was the country’s best ride (oddly, Michigan was No. 2). That wasn’t accomplished against terrible clearing teams, so it should sustain this season.

Army

Army Black Knights lacrosse

Sword not strung to 2013 spec.

Michigan: March 2 (Miami, Fla.)

2012

7-8 (4-2 Patriot), #26 Laxpower, #24 Tempo-Free Lax

Army’s record was pretty poor last year, but the team actually wasn’t so bad – it’s a strength of schedule thing. UMass (No. 1 in Tempo-Free, despite not making it to the NCAA final, Syracuse, and Hopkins were all on the docket. Oddly, the Black Knights performed well against a pretty strong Patriot League schedule, and that wasn’t where their record suffered.

The Past Results

Michigan scrimmaged Army in the same event as the Hopkins scrimmage referenced above during the 2007 fallball session. Obviously, it’s a different animal with a regular season game.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Army 2012
Pace 68.27 (17)
Poss% 50.00 (31)
Off. Eff. 30.00 (29)
Def. Eff. 27.44 (16)
Pyth% 56.89 (24)

Army was middle-of-the pack in just about everything, but a somewhat fast team, and one that was pretty good defensively. They were almost dead center of the nation on offense and in the possession game (at exactly 50%, they were the mean in that).

Army’s top two scorers are back and both are pre-season All-Patriot picks according to Inside Lacrosse. Senior attack Garrett Thul is a known commodity in the lacrosse world, but sophomore middie John Glesener is a bit more under-the-radar to date. The Black Knights’ third and fourth leading scorers from last year, Conor Hayes and Devin Lynch, have both graduated, so younger players will have to step up and pick up some slack. Army has a pretty even scoring split between attack and midfield all down the ledger.

The defense was high-quality last year, but looking at the returning roster, it’s plain to see one reason why: this was an experienced unit last year. Goalie Zach Palmieri is out the door (his backups, both of whom return, combined for less than a game’s worth of action last fall). Starting defenseman Larry LoRusso and twin brother Brian, a short-stick defender, have graduated. Part-time starter Drew Kearns is gone. The returners have some experience – Pat Hart took away Kearns’ starting job at times, and Brendan Buckley is a pre-season all-conference pick to IL, but that’s a lot of attrition, and it might be unfair to the players stepping up to expect a similar performance to least year’s D.

Army had a pretty good ride and an OK clear, and was just above-average in faceoffs. Faceoff specialist Derek Sipperly is gone, so Army will be looking for some new answers there, but given their possession percentage wasn’t how they were winning games, it shouldn’t be crippling.

High Point

Michigan: March 6 (High Point, N.C.)

2012

N/A

Oh, hello new program. Michigan is no longer the new kid on the block in the Midwest, and Detroit’s fellow Jesuit institution will try to make waves in its first year.

The Big Picture

High Point is generally considered the lesser of this year’s expansion teams. Marquette pasted HPU 13-7 at the Nick Colleluori Classic (caveats about fall ball go here), and has the big-name coach, some high-profile transfers, and a lot of momentum.

Still, High Pent about adding a program in a very different way from Michigan – announcing and then taking a year or two to build up – so it’s not a mix of recruited guys and some who may not be D-1 caliber athletes. Michigan should get the win here, but we won’t know much until the Panthers take the field.

Hobart

Hobart Statesmen lacrosse logo

Let's hear it for generics!

Michigan: March 9 (Geneva, N.Y.)

2012

4-9 (204 ECAC), #37 Laxpower, #36 Tempo-Free Lax

Hobart was a middling ECAC program, finishing ahead of only Air Force and winless Bellarmine in the ECAC standings. They have some pieces to build upon, and also some upside: they played in five one- or two-goal games last year, losing four of them. If they can learn from that experience and mature as a team, the Statesmen could improve the record quite a bit without improving the advanced numbers by much.

The Past Results

Hobart was one of the few ECAC teams that Michigan didn’t play last year (Fairfield was the other). Considering the Wolverines lost to both teams that finished behind the Statesmen – including a pasting at the hands of Air Force – I’m thinking it wouldn’t have gone so well.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Hobart 2012
Pace 74.23 (4)
Poss% 50.16 (28)
Off. Eff. 29.95 (31)
Def. Eff. 32.93 (43)
Pyth% 43.17 (36)

Hobart was a fast team – mostly on account of some close, high-scoring games (though there’s clearly a chicken-and-egg argument going on there). Their clear was bleah, which can speed up the game, but their ride was very poor, which should slow things down. The defense also didn’t cause a lot of turnovers. I think they just don’t like to take their time with things.

The offense was mediocre, but there’s reason to believe it will improve this season, namely IL pre-season All-ECAC attack Alex Love. He and fellow junior Cam Stone are not just all-name team candidates, they account for well over half the returning points from last season’s team. Midfielder Chris Pedersen and attack Sam Miller are gone, so even more of the onus of the offense should fall to that pair. Middie Taylor Vanderbeek made a big impact as a true freshman, and should take a step forward this spring.

The defense was pretty poor. One of the bright spots, goalie Peter Zonino (older brother of U-M recruit Robbie Zonino) is back as a junior, as are senior defensemen Reid Rosello and Sean Regan. Enough pieces return to project improvement on that side of the ball. Defenseman Stephen Doodian, who started nine games and played in all 13, is the biggest loss.

Faceoff specialist Bobby Dattilo was outstanding last year – but he’s gone. His backup, Griphyn Kelly, was really bad (as in, 30% bad), and will likely either improve or be replaced.

Fairfield

fairfield stags lacrosse logo

#Stagswag

Michigan: March 14 (Fairfield, Conn.)

2012

12-4 (4-2 ECAC), #23 Laxpower, #23 Tempo-Free Lax

Fairfield isn’t an old-blood program, really, but the Stags see themselves that way – and more importantly, the results on the field bear that out. The 2012 edition was pretty darn good, losing only to Loyola and Ohio State in-conference (and the Greyhounds again in the conference tournament). Although they rarely blew anyone out, it’s the W-L ledger that counts in the end – they may be the opposite of Hobart, coming off a year with six one-goal wins – but that may bode ill for replicated last year’s success.

The Past Results

Fairfield is the other ECAC team that Michigan didn’t play last year. They were really good, so it was probably for the best, if we’re being honest here. Going forward… could the all-sports MAAC member be entering a twilight period as a member of the ECAC?

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Fairfield 2012
Pace 62.75 (46)
Poss% 52.59 (9)
Off. Eff. 29.87 (32)
Def. Eff. 29.95 (29)
Pyth% 57.75 (23)

Fairfield’s offense and defense were both worse than they pythagorean win expectation, so you can bet dominance in possession was a key to their success… and it was. They dominated that metric, led by Michael Roe’s .617 success on faceoffs. He’s back, so expect more of the same from the Stags.

The offense was mediocre. It faced some pretty damn good defenses, but at the end of the day, a team as good as Fairfield’s record seems to imply would not be squeaking by in so many one-goal games. There’s room for improvement here. Midfielder Sam Snow led the team in scoring last spring, and is a pre-season IL all-conference pick. He’s the Stags’ only selection, however, and the rest of the offense is gone. Midfielder Brent Adams and attack John Snellman, the Nos. 2 and 3 scorers both depart, so players will have to step up. The remaining four double-digit scorers are back, so there is definitely talent to step in.

Like the offense, the defense just kind of… was. Goalie Charlie Cipriano was a big part of its success (or lack of failure, I guess), and he’s gone. Defenseman Drew Palmer is out. Defenseman Greg Perrault is not listed on the spring roster, though he was just a sophomore last spring. Defenseman Brendan McTague is gone. That’s the entire starting back four. LSM Gordie Wells is the only returning “starter” (he was not listed as such, though he almost certainly did start every game – sometimes a weird record-keeping situation when it comes to LSMs). He’s not going to be enough to maintain the performance, so pending Perraut’s status, this could be a pretty terrible defense. SSDMs Bryan Barry and Shawn Honovich should help, but again the No. 1 player at that position (Reid Marko) is gone.

Dominating possession and running an efficient offense will be huge points of emphasis, because I just don’t think the horses will be there on D (or deer things if we’re making a mascot reference).

A look at the remainder of Michigan’s opponents coming up.

Posted in division 1, previews | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lax Links: Jan. 25, 2013

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Tim

Hoping for a two-post day (I’m in fine spring form already, it seems). Post the first: some links. As always, tips, questions, commitments, etc. should find their way to the e-mail or Twitter inbox.

Division-1

Training video of the Michigan team (H/T College Crosse):

Allow me to warn you in advance (unless you hit play before continuing to read) that it’s not very interesting.

Michigan midfielder Evan Glaser is freshman profile No. 21 for the official website of the Wolverines. That also makes him the last one, so you have no excuse for not being familiar with the new faces when they hit the field in a week.

412 Lax recycles a twitpic of Michigan’s elbow pads as modeled by attack Doug Bryant.

Lacrosse All-Stars already previewed Detroit, and now Michigan gets the surface-level treatment. “They have faceoff specialists on the roster” is one of the points of analysis (seriously).

Michigan schedule posters are now available. Slick look. Speaking of posters, Brother Rice alum Nick Dolik is featured on the Penn State version.

PhillyLacrosse.com re-publishes Michigan’s profile of women’s signee Sophie DuPhily.

The Baltimore Sun goes a step further, talking about not just one but two future Wolverines on the women’s side.

Zaynib Hamze and Megan Callahan are your Detroit Titans women’s lacrosse captains for 2013.

MCLA

Davenport’s 2013 schedule. Some pretty darn good games in the Panthers’ first year in MCLA-1 (though also some clunkers, as is natural).

Michigan State is No. 7 in the preseason poll. Interesting season ahead for the Spartans with a new coaching staff.

Recruiting

Don’t forget about the Atomic Lacrosse recruiting presentation tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. in the Holt High School library. Detroit coach Matt Holtz and Albion headman Jake DiCola are the featured speakers. Should be a great event for Lansing-area readers (and beyond).

Inside Lacrosse actually provides a UDM update(!), reporting the 2014 commitment of Phoenix Brophy Prep attack Brady Gagner to the Titans:

A transplant from Canada, the righty crease finisher learned box lacrosse before moving to Arizona. A member of the AZ Burn, he attended Adrenaline High Rollers, Sonoma Shootout and Top 205, earning an All-Star Appearance at the Adrenaline Challenge. He strongly considered Robert Morris, Furman and Mercer.

Obviously recruiting news is tougher to come by for the lower-profile in-state school, but this seems like a great pickup.

Etc.

Mike Costello runs down some of the latest news – and gives his reactions – in the Lacrosse Examiner.

Costello also profiles Detroit Lacrosse Company owner Ken Rymiszewski, who’s been in the business for 12 years now.

Internal Linkage

A first look at Michigan and Detroit’s common opponents, and a two-part look at the rest of the schedule for the Titans. Michigan edition coming soon.

The discussion of MHSAA regions was light, but boy howdy has there been a lot of debate in the comments about moving the final to Grand Rapids.

As always, thanks for visiting, and if you like what you see, tell a friend about GLS. The inboxes are always open for tips, linked at the top of the post.

Posted in division 1, high school | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Lax Links: Jan. 25, 2013

First Look: Detroit Remaining Opponents Pt. 2

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Tim

I took a look at the Titans’ common opponents with Michigan a few days ago. For the final three UDM opponents, check out that post. There are ten unique opponents for UDM. Here are the first five. Second five go here:

Jacksonville

Jacksonville University Dolphins Lacrosse

Fear Flipper!

Detroit: March 30 (Jacksonville, Fla.)

2012

6-7 (3-3 MAAC), #47 Laxpower, #38 Tempo-Free Lax

The Tempo-free numbers liked Jacksonville a lot more than LaxPower did. Without delving in-depth into why that might be (especially since I don’t know LaxPower’s formula), I actually tend to side with the numbers that aren’t my own, based on one piece of anecdotal evidence: it took them overtime to beat Michigan and even then they almost lost to the Wolverines. TFL puts them near the 50th percentile in the country? I just don’t see it.

The Past Results

Jacksonville was the lone bright spot in Detroit’s end-of-season swoon, breaking up what could have been a looooong year-end losing streak. UDM welcomed JU to Titan Field coming off back-to-back losses against Siena (understandable) and Manhattan (completely inexplicable), and beat the Dolphins 8-7.

Detroit used a stalemate at the faceoff dot to actually own a possession advantage on the day, and though they were more efficient, a one-goal game is bound to end up that way. Shayne Adams poured in four goals and Alex Maini helped with two goals and two assists. Wes Steen had two goals of his own.

On defense, it was – shockingly – the Jourdan Houtby and Jamie Hebden show. A.J. Levell also excelled, stopping ten shots. That’s a big deal in a game as close as this one.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Jacksonville 2012
Pace 64.62 (36)
Poss% 48.69 (44)
Off. Eff. 30.70 (25)
Def. Eff. 32.78 (42)
Pyth% 40.97 (38)

There’s not a whole lot illuminating about that tempo-free profile. The Dolphins were in the middle of the pack across the board, above average in offensive efficiency and below it in everything else. That balances out to being… just below-average on the year. They squeaked out wins against some bad teams though, so it was all-around a weird year.

Jacksonville’s top three scorers from last year return, and given that the offense was the best unit on the team, that’s a good thing. Senior midfielders Cameron Mann and TJ Kenary and sophomore attack Ari Waffle form a potent combo. Given that the team is also in the second year of a coaching staff, more improvement is possible. Mann is a preseason IL all-conference performer.

The defense, on the other hand, was not great. The raw numbers looked OK, but a lot of impotent offenses propped that up, and the adjusted number shows it. The star of the unit is goalie Peter DeLuca, who will be a junior (and is a pre-season all-conference pick).  In front of him, Charlie Archer started almost all of last season as a freshman, so the learning curve could be quick for him. Senior Tanner Gard will provide steady leadership, but the third starter will be a new one.

Manhattan

Manhattan Jaspers Lacrosse

What is a Jasper?

Detroit: April 6 (Home)

2012

5-9 (1-5 MAAC), #57 Laxpower, #56 Tempo-Free Lax

Ughhhhh. Manhattan was terrible last year, and that “1” in the winner column of the conference record just about says it all. Unfortunately that one win came against Detroit. The Jaspers were shut out twice last season, and managed to beat the Titans. About which…

The Past Results

I don’t even want to talk about this game. It was bad. It was very bad. It may have been the worst loss in the UDM program’s history to date(!), though 2012 had lots of contenders for that mantle. It was an 8-6 final in favor of Manhattan.

This was a really fast game – 79 total possessions – so the final score indicates a lot of terrible offense, and that was the case. Detroit notched a .160 efficiency number, and put up fewer goals than any other team to play the Jaspers other than Wagner and Mercer – whose combined two wins on the year include a head-to-head for Mercer over Wagner.

I get upset just thinking about this game, so just take my word for it that it was really bad.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Manhattan 2012
Pace 64.43 (40)
Poss% 49.78 (34)
Off. Eff. 22.12 (59)
Def. Eff. 33.01 (44)
Pyth% 21.96 (56)

There are two things Manhattan did surprisingly well: slowing the game down enough to not get completely blown out very often (for an example of a bad team that couldn’t do this, take a look at Michigan), and holding their own in terms of possession (ditto). Everything else – particularly offense – was pretty bad.

The offense was downright moribund, and without a 20-goal output against Wagner (let’s score six goals in the fourth quarter of a game we’re already winning by ten! woo!), it would have been even worse. The good news: leading scorer Brian McGrath is back. The bad news: three of the top seven scorers (the entirety of the double-digit point getters) are not. McGrath and midfielder Tyler Jarvis, a fellow senior, will have to step things up, and hope the right pieces come into place around them.

The defense was relatively good, but when your relativity is to “everything else being the worst,” it’s little consolation. Goalies Rich Akapnitis and Michael Wiatrak both return, and both were pretty good considering the unit in front of them. About which: that unit loses Steve Harvey (not that Steve Harvey), Mike Brooks, and D-middie Brian Lenskold, though Sean McMahon and Jeff Mohr return. Personnel losses could mean a step back unless there’s a lot of development, or the goalies stand on their heads this spring.

Siena

Siena Saints Lacrosse

"Saints" as in "Saint Bernards," rather than "canonized people." I can dig it.

Detroit:  April 13 (Loudonville, N.Y.)

2012

11-5 (6-0 MAAC), #25 Laxpower, #18 Tempo-Free Lax

Siena is not your average MAAC team. In fact, the Saints have run roughshod over their league year after year. Last spring, I thought UDM might be the team to change that, entering the season with high hopes. The Titans fell well short of expectations, but Canisius actually nipped Siena in the MAAC Tournament, sending SU home for the NCAAs.

The Past Results

Detroit entered their game against Siena off an embarrassing loss to Manhattan (see above), so the hopes of a new MAAC champion were already diminished. Still, to not even be competitive in an 8-15 loss was still a disappointment.

Detroit held their own on faceoffs and in the clearing game, leading to only a slight possession disadvantage. However, Siena was far more capable of converting possessions into points on this day. They notched a .341 offensive efficiency, while holding Detroit to a mere .205 despite the presence of Joel Matthews (a rare feature during the slump times). Alex Maini led UDM with two goals and an assist.

On defense, A.J. Levell was left out to dry, facing 28 shots by the Saints’ talented offensive players. Hebden and Houtby were their usual stat-generating selves, but the team concept on defense didn’t do much to prevent Levell from staring down a lot of shots.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Siena 2012
Pace 72.00 (7)
Poss% 50.35 (25)
Off. Eff. 32.45 (19)
Def. Eff. 27.80 (21)
Pyth% 62.76 (18)

Compared to the rest of their conference brethren, Siena was gooood. That does make the conference tournament loss all the more confusing, but the total body of work speaks for itself. They were above average in possession percentage, and actually good in just about everything else. Perhaps most importantly for lovers of a fast-paced game, they had the seventh-most possessions per contest in the country. The success on faceoffs, at least, should continue a bit, with Casey Dowd returning and earning pre-season IL honors.

The offense was very good, but loses some key pieces. Not every MAAC team boasts an All-American (Bryan Neufeld). Though Neufeld is out the door – along with third-leading scorer Chris Roth and fifth-leading scorer Chris D’Alberti – the cupboard is far from bare. Senior attackman Danny Martinsen (who was third on the team in points last year) is a captain and IL pre-season all-conference pick. Colin Clive and Conor Prunty should be adequate complementary pieces. This is an attack-driven offense, so look for a third scorer to emerge from that unit, as well.

The defense was pretty darn good itself. Unlike the offense, it retains a lot and Siena’s ability to replace lost members (at the very least better than the rest of the MAAC schools can) will not be the lynchpin to continued success. Ken Wright? Gone. Everyone else? Back. Defenseman Brendan Meehan is a pre-season IL all-conference pick, and goalie Tom Morr was one of the conference’s best last spring. Erik Casparius, Adam Hall, and Pat Killeen make this a very experienced group with plenty of depth.

Marquette

Detroit: March 20 (Milwaukee, Wisc.)

2012

N/A

Oh, hello new program. Michigan is no longer the new kid on the block in the Midwest, and Detroit’s fellow Jesuit institution will try to make waves in its first year.

The Big Picture

Though Marquette is a new program, they’re going about things in a very different way than Michigan did. The Golden Eagles announced their program before Michigan did, but are entering the real world a year later. That means a few things: no club players (at least not many), a year of practicing but no competition, and perhaps most importantly, a lot of transfers.

MU surprised with its success in fall ball scrimmages, but who knows how the season itself will turn out. Unlike most of the squads UDM will face this spring, we have practically no information to go on. I would hope that the Detroit program is built up enough to knock of what is effectively an expansion team.

Canisius

Detroit: April 27 (Home)

2012

Canisius College Griffins Lacrosse

Fear the Griffin!

6-8 (3-3 MAAC), #51 Laxpower, #51 Tempo-Free Lax

Canisius was among the many squads tied for second in the MAAC regular season, but the No. 4 seed made the most of its opportunity, racing through Siena in the league championship to make the NCAA Tournament… and immediately getting blown out by No. 1 seed Loyola. Still, a MAAC team other than Siena going that far is an accomplishment in itself. Canisius’s 2012 season could be a good goal for the Titans this year.

The Past Results

The Titans split with Canisius last season, winning a high-scoring regular season battle before losing in a more even-paced conference tournament game.

The first outing was one of Detroit’s most efficient all year on the offensive side of the ball. In a blistering 99-possession game, the Titans put up 17 goals for a .340 efficiency. Joel Matthews did slight work with seven goals and an assists, while Shayne Adams pitched in “just” a hat trick and an assist of his own. A.J. Levell’s defense forced 17 turnovers, and he had to make just 10 saves, a good mark for a game with this pace.

When the second outing faced off, Detroit had been mired in an offensive slump for weeks. The Titans broke out of that slump, scoring 10 goals for a .323 efficiency number. Scott Harris, Alex Maini, Brandon Beauregard, and Scotty Dummond were your multi-point Titans. Unfortunately, the defense totally collapsed in this one. Jamie Hebden and Jordan Houtby were out and limited, respectively, and a 2-goal output at halftime for Canisius blossomed into a 10-goal second half (and a second-half efficiency mark of .625 for Canisius, one of the worst single-half performances by a team other than Mercer and Wagner).

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Canisius 2012
Pace 67.57 (19)
Poss% 48.94 (41)
Off. Eff. 23.35 (51)
Def. Eff. 33.77 (50)
Pyth% 26.49 (51)

Canisius played pretty fast all year… partially because a lot of those possessions ended in goals (we call that the “Michigan Method”) for playing fast. They didn’t control the ball much, and whether they had it or not, things generally didn’t go that well. Had they used only their very good faceoff guy (Mike Moran) instead of their several pretty bad ones, the possession game might have gone better, but obviously there are tactical reasons to effectively concede the faceoff, as well.

That offense. It was no good. Fortunately for the Griffins, its top three scorers depart. Wait that’s not good at all it’s a recipe for disaster. Sophomore midfielder Tim Edwards can probably salvage a bit of the scoring (he’s a pre-season IL all-conference performer), but a bad unit losing most of its talent doesn’t strike me as likely to improve.

That defense. It was no good. Unlike the offense, it is not predicted to have all-conference performers, either. Goalie Sean Callahan gone, although he was pretty bad last year (whether that’s on him or his defense is up to you to decide) so it might not be the biggest loss. In front of him, Nico Capron is gone and LSM Brendan Murphy is gone. Adam Donner and Dylan Knopfke have some experience, and DJ Giacobbo will return after missing most of last season to an injury (for which he redshirted). All in all though… I wouldn’t expect greatness from this unit.

Naturally, since they look at last year’s standings and shuffle things around without regard for who leaves and who returns, Inside Lacrosse ranks Canisius ahead of Detroit in the pre-season conference standings. Unless there is a lot not to see from a look at the roster (theoretically possible, I guess), Canisius had their chance last year – and to their credit, took it with an NCAA berth.

A look at Michigan’s non-common opponents coming up.

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First Look: Detroit Remaining Opponents Pt. 1

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Tim

I took a look at the Titans’ common opponents with Michigan a few days ago. For the final three UDM opponents, check out that post. There are ten unique opponents for UDM. Here are the first five.

Navy

Navy Midshipmen Lacrosse Logo

No frills on that logo.

Detroit: Feb. 15 (@ Annapolis, Md.)

2012

6-6 (3-3 Patriot), #29 Laxpower, #26 Tempo-Free Lax

Navy’s record was slightly above average last year – there were 25 teams who were better than .500 in 2012 – and the numbers bear out that they belonged just ahead of the midpoint of the nation’s lacrosse teams. The barely above-average schedule difficulty (No. 29 out of 61 teams) and lopsided victories both for and against bear out the total profile of a middling team.

The Past Results

Neither Detroit nor Michigan played Navy last year. UDM’s common opponents with the Midshipmen were VMI, Jacksonville, and North Carolina. The Titans fared better against Jacksonville (a win compared to Navy’s loss), but also lost in embarrassing fashion – which is to say at all – against VMI.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Navy 2012
Pace 64.42 (41)
Poss% 47.99 (51)
Off. Eff. 30.06 (27)
Def. Eff. 26.55 (13)
Pyth% 53.41 (26)

Navy played a slow brand of lacrosse last season, probably a good strategy given a very good defense and an offense that was just OK. Unfortunately, they got dominated in possession, thanks to a poor faceoff and ride. Faceoff specialist Logan West does not return, but we’ve seen that it might not mean even further regression in faceoffs. His backup, Evan McGoogan, was awful last year, so it remains to be seen how they’ll fare there.

The offense was slightly above-average, and could get better with the top two scorers returning. Attackmen Sam Jones and Tucker Hull will be juniors this spring after leading the team in scoring in two consecutive seasons. The loss of No. 3 scorer Taylor Reynolds should be mitigated by returning every other player in the top six scorers. On the other hand, when your LSM is in the top 6 scorers, your offense was probably not awesome.

Defensively, Navy was pretty good, though they didn’t play many potent offensive teams (the numbers adjust for schedule strength to account for that). Defenseman Matt Vernam started every game last season, but is gone. So too is goalie RJ Wickham and another starting defender in Ian Crumley. LSM Pat Kiernan is Inside Lacrosse‘s only pre-season all-conference player, and was a two-way pole last year. This unit looks like it should take a step back.

One thing to keep in mind: Navy will be entering its second year under head coach Rick Sowell, so there may be some overall improvement at the squad gets used to his coaching style.

Robert Morris

Robert Morris Colonials Lacrosse Roster

Robert Morris signed the Declaration of Independence. Also: looked nothing like this picture.

Detroit: Feb. 23 (Moon Township, Pa.)

2012

11-4 (5-0 Northeast Conference), #30 Laxpower, #25 Tempo-Free Lax

Robert Morris’ gaudy record doesn’t put them in the realm of the nation’s top programs because the strength of schedule ranked only No. 41 nationally. Siena at No. 18 is the highest-rated team with a worse strength of schedule (No. 52 nationally) than Robert Morris. They’re in the first – and possibly second-to-last year of an automatic-qualifying bid for the Northeast Conference.

The Past Results

Bobby Mo didn’t play either in-state team last season. The Colonials had a few common opponents with UDM, however. They played Bellarmine, Ohio State, Canisius, and Quinnipiac during the course of the year. Detroit beat Canisius (season split of two games) and Quinnipiac. Robert Morris swept all games against those opponents.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Robert Morris 2012
Pace 74.07 (5)
Poss% 50.32 (6)
Off. Eff. 36.17 (5)
Def. Eff. 34.69 (53)
Pyth% 54.22 (25)

I didn’t see Robert Morris play a single game last year, and at this point I’m definitely regretting it. If you like to see a fast-paced game with a lot of goals scored, the Colonials had a great offense, a terrible defense, and a very very fast pace of play. That’s borne out by total goals per game: both teams reached double digits in two third of Bobby Mo’s contests.

The offense? Very good.  Midfielder Kiel Matizs is a pre-season all-conference pick in the Inside Lacrosse yearbook, and he led RMU in scoring last year with 40 goals and 24 assists. Senior attack Jake Hayes is also back, and he wasn’t far behind Matizs with 61 points. Third-leading scorer Dave Morton will be a fifth-year senior in 2013. Corey Buchanan and Kyle Abbot both depart behind that top trio, but it’s clear that plenty of firepower returns.

Their defense, on the other hand, was god-awful. It could improve a lot, however. Senior defenseman Ben Lewis is a pre-season all-conference pick in the Inside Lacrosse yearbook, and Joe Scenna started every game last year as a redshirt freshman. Luc Magnan got plenty of run during his true freshman campaign. A pair of goalies – Matt Bukovac and Dillon Pope – got the majority of the action last season, and both return.

Quinnipiac

Quinnipiac Bobcats Lacrosse

This bobcat is looking extra-fierce

Detroit: March 2 (Home)

2012

3-11 (2-3 Northeast Conference), #55 Laxpower, #57 Tempo-Free Lax

Quinnipiac was baaaaad last year. Two of their three wins came in Northeast Conference play against Mount St. Mary’s (who redshirted practically their entire team last year to push for the NEC’s first – and possibly only – autobid in 2013) and Wagner (winners of one game all season). The other came against Binghamton.

The Past Results

UDM played – and beat – Quinnipiac last season. The Titans took home a 13-10 victory from a trip to Connecticut March 10.

Alas, the star of the day for the Titans is no longer with the team. Attackman Joel Matthews put up three points and four assists in the win. Alex Maini, Scott Harris, Shayne Adams, and Scotty Drummond all had multi-goal outputs in an efficient – 46.4 goals per 100 possessions, to be precise – performance. On the other side of the ball, Damie Danseglio started in the cage, and LSM Jordan Houtby had a big day on D.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Quinnipiac 2012
Pace 61.57 (50)
Poss% 48.38 (48)
Off. Eff. 26.78 (46)
Def. Eff. 37.92 (57)
Pyth% 21.77 (57)

There appears to be only one thing that Quinnipiac was good at last year: slowing the game down so as to not get blown out.

The offense was one of the less-terrible aspects of the team last year (they were few and far between), and just about every contributor returns. Let me clarify: every contributor returns. The top 13(!) scorers are all back, and those who don’t return are defensemen who got in on the scoring act once (and no more than that) during the course of the year. Midfielder Basil Kostaras was an Inside Lacrosse pre-season all-conference selection last year, but he was fourth on the team in scoring and does not repeat the honors this year.

Defensively, things aren’t quite so rosy. Given that last year’s D was nothing short of awful, that’s a bad thing. Chris Coppolecchia was the unquestioned star of the D, and has graduated along with goalie Dylan Torrey. LSM Carmen French is back as a sophomore, as is close defender Greg Pendergast.

Marist

Joel Matthews Detroit titans Lacrosse Marist Red Foxes

Remember the happy times. Joel Matthews game-winner. Photo by GLS.

Detroit: March 16 (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.)

2012

6-8 (3-3 MAAC), #44 Laxpower, #44 Tempo-Free Lax

Marist was one of the teams in a four-way tie for second place in the MAAC (along with Detroit of course, Jacksonville, and Canisius). Thanks to a number of tie-breakers, the Red Foxes got the fourth seed in the conference tournament, where they promptly lost to Siena. Though it wouldn’t have had a huge effect on tempo-free numbers – which are more concerned with win/loss margins than wins or losses themselves – Marist’s season, which featured an overtime win and two overtime losses, could have easily ended with a different record in either direction.

The Past Results

Detroit was one of the teams that dealt Marist an overtime loss – and if the game had happened at the end of the year, when UDM was hapless, the result probably would have been different. Fortunately, the game was both squads’ second in the conference, and the Titans hadn’t fallen out of form yet.

This was a weird contest in which the Titans actually dominated possession (something they never do, thanks to a three-years running ineffectiveness on faceoffs) and had a less efficient day than the opposition. In an overtime game, however, that final goal can swing fortunes wildly, and Joel Matthews gave UDM the victory with an overtime tally – his only goal of the game, though he added two assists, as well.

Scott Drummond put up a hat trick for the Titans, while Alex Maini and Shayne Adams each had a goal and an assist.

Defensively, Jordan Houtby led the team in caused turnovers with three (shocker!), while John Dwyer added two and led the team in ground balls with four. A.J. Levell saved nine shots and allowed seven goals.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Marist 2012
Pace 66.00 (30)
Poss% 47.73 (52)
Off. Eff. 29.21 (36)
Def. Eff. 32.44 (41)
Pyth% 35.37 (44)

Marist was average or below-average in just about everything last year. They were dominated in possession by Detroit, which – if you’re familiar with the Titans’ 2012 season – means that you can assume they were poor there, and the numbers bear that out.

The offense was one of the less-bad aspects of Marist’s team last year. Attackman Connor Rice and midfielder Drew Nesmith are preseason Inside Lacrosse all-conference players. Your guess is as good as mine why Nesmith’s fellow midfielder Jack Doherty, last year’s leading scorer who put up nearly double the points of his linemate, is not the selection there. The No. 4 scorer (Evan Guarini) departs, but the remainder of the offense returns intact.

The defense was slightly worse – middle of the pack for a MAAC team still – defenseman Ethan Fox (THIS MAN IS A FOX NAMED FOX) is honored by IL in the preseason. Zach Baddalucco and T.J. McDermott are gone. Craig Goodermote, who played the cast majority of the time between the pipes last season, returns for his junior campaign.

VMI

Virginia Military Institute Keydets Lacrosse

The VMI team name is the Keydets, a Southern style slang for the word "cadets".

Detroit: March 23 (Home)

2012

4-10 (2-4 MAAC), #59 Laxpower, #55 Tempo-Free Lax

VMI has been one of the country’s worst teams year-in and year-out (though recently with an odd proficiency on faceoffs, despite their complete ineptitude everywhere else on the field). Last year they notched two conference wins, a good year for them. They even picked up two more victories, albeit against awful Wagner and Mercer teams, but this program is not one to look down its collective nose at any victory, regardless of opponent.

The Past Results

One of VMI’s 2012 victories came over… Detroit. This was probably the low point of the season for UDM, falling 7-8 in the regular-season finale. I don’t know what to call the loss, other than an embarrassment. Despite holding one of the country’s best possession teams to an even mark, UDM was significantly less efficient than a team that was one of the worst nationally on both sides of the ball all year.

Shayne Adams and Alex Maini each scored two goals in the game, while Scott Harris and Brad Janer put up a goal and an assist apiece. The offensive output was a paltry 21.88 goals per 100 possessions. This was after the team lost Joel Matthews for the year (and the offense went in the tank), but that’s still really bad.

The defense was mediocre, though goalie A.J. Levell made 10 saves on 18 shots, so he didn’t have a bad individual day. The performance wasn’t that far outside of UDM’s (pretty good) defensive mark on the year, but you’d hope for better against an offense as inept as VMI’s.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

VMI 2012
Pace 67.71 (18)
Poss% 53.06 (5)
Off. Eff. 23.04 (58)
Def. Eff. 38.61 (58)
Pyth% 22.78 (55)

VMI was good at possessing the ball. Like, really good. When the rest of your stats seem to indicate that you can barely pick up a ground ball, and you dominate like they did, that’s a testament to awesome FOGO Stephen Robarge, who is unfortunately gone. It will be tough to replace him, so expect a backslide.

The Keydet offense was brutal last year. I’m certain it will improve after losing its top two scorers, right? Well, a bit of progression toward the mean might happen just because there’s not much room to fall, but attackmen Russell East and Mike DeBlasio will have their work cut out for them.

The defense? Maybe worse than the offense! The losses there are less severe, though. Longpole Kyle Hofstetter is out the door, and though he led the team in caused turnovers and GBs (among non-faceoff guys), he’s the only key piece. Tyler Prasnicki and Taylor Jenkins were 2-3 on the team in caused turnovers last year, and though both are list on the roster as LSMs, it seems unwise to not move one of them to close defense to get more of your (very few) good players on the field at once. Senior D-middie Will Baker should also be a key part of the defense.

Stay tuned for a look at the rest of Detroit’s 2013 opponents coming up.

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MHSAA Seeds, Regions Released

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Tim

Over the weekend, the state’s high school athletic governing body released its pre-season seedings and regions for the boys lacrosse tournament this spring. You can see the full document here, but the important details:

Division 1 Seeds

  1. Brother Rice
  2. Holt
  3. Ann Arbor Pioneer
  4. Detroit Catholic Central
  5. Rockford
  6. Forest Hills Eastern/Northern
  7. Clarkston
  8. Brighton

Division 2 Seeds

  1. Detroit Country Day
  2. Forest Hills Central
  3. East Grand Rapids
  4. Cranbrook
  5. Notre Dame Prep
  6. Warren De La Salle
  7. Haslett-Williamston
  8. Dexter

That’s pretty much non-surprising all the way around. Sure, arguments could be made for Team A a little higher than Team B, but your heavy hitters of boys lacrosse earned approximately the expected seeds (except these “Brother Rice” jerks, what have they ever done to earn a 1-seed?).

Far more controversial, though buried in the press release, is the location for the finals of the 2013 tournament:

MHSAA Final: June 8, 2013 East Grand Rapids 2pm

There is much indignation from lacrosse’s old guard in the state that the final isn’t held at Seaholm or Cranbrook but… I don’t see it.

Allow me to mount my soapbox (and probably upset friend-of-the-blog Reg Hartner, but so be it):

For a group that seems to do nothing but complain about how “things just aren’t like they used to be” or “the level of play in the state is going down the drain,” what can possibly be the downside of a state tournament final on the west side of the state? That you have to drive an hour and a half from your Oakland County home to make it there? The Forest Hills teams and East Grand Rapids and Rockford have had to do that every year.

I simply can’t see a downside to exposing a new area to the highest level of play in the high school game other than “it’s a little inconvenient for me.”

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First Look: Michigan and Detroit common opponents

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Tim

This list is far more limited (two teams, plus head-to-head) than it was last year. I’ll take a look at all four teams in question in a pre-season look – and obviously go into much more detail on U-M and UDM in the run-up to the season.

Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes Lacrosse

Fear the Brutus!

Detroit: Feb. 9 (@ Ohio State)
Michigan: April 13 (home)

2012

8-7 (5-1 ECAC), #19 Laxpower, #14 Tempo-Free Lax

Ohio State is a pretty good team, and they’re one that is largely considered a program on the rise nationally. The Buckeyes have yet to accomplish that “breakthrough year,” but are solidly climbing the ranks of the nation’s second tier of programs. Though they lose some talent from last year’s team, they still have plenty of pieces to repeat their second-place finish in the ECAC.

The Past Results

Against the Titans last year, Ohio State played a really fast game, totaling 80 possessions. That was the fastest game for the Buckeyes all season, and fourth-fastest for UDM (the country’s second-fastest team). UDM trailed 8-3 at the half, and held OSU to a second-half deadlock en route to a final score of 11-6 in favor of the Scarlet and Gray. Scott Harris scored three goals for the Titans, while OSU’s Logan Schuss notched a quartet of tallies.

Michigan had one of their best performances of the year against Ohio State, falling by just three goals to what would end the season as a top-15 team. The Buckeyes’ Logan Schuss netted a hat trick, but ex-UM keeper Emil Weiss saved 50% of shots faced in a 12-9 loss. Alex Vasileff scored three goals for Michigan.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Ohio State 2012
Pace 64.53 (38)
Poss% 50.93 (15)
Off. Eff. 27.83 (41)
Def. Eff. 22.46 (2)
Pyth% 68.58 (14)

The Buckeyes were an elite defense last year, thanks to a first-team all-conference selection in D Joe Bonnani and second-team selections D Keenan Ochwat and G Greg Dutton. Bonnani and Ochwat are out the door, so a step back here can be expected. Still the maturation of Dutton can help mitigate those two personnel losses.

The offense, on the other hand, was pretty bad. What’s most unsettling about that is that the struggles came despite the presence of the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year, attackman Logan Schuss, and ECAC All-Freshman midfielder Jesse King. Fortunately for OSU, both of those players are back, and the offense stands to improve on that basis alone.

In the possession game, the Buckeyes were (and should continue to be) middle-of-the-pack all around. Faceoff specialist Shawn Kaplan returns, but as I’ve demonstrated in the past, there’s no expectation for the same (or better) performance.

Bellarmine

Bellarmine Knights lacrosse

Fear the stylized Knights!

Michigan: Feb. 16 (away)
Detroit: March 3 (away)

2012

4-8 (0-6 ECAC), #39 Laxpower, #40 Tempo-Free Lax

Bellarmine’s record both on the whole and in-conference were the same in 2012 as they had been the previous year, but the strength of schedule improved enough to to skyrocket their overall value to Laxpower (and TFL) from the high 40s about 10 spots. Such are the benefits of playing in a league with the national champion.

The Past Results

Of the Knights’ four wins, two came against the Michigan teams. Not happy times in the Southeast portion of the state when the boys from Kentucky come to town.

Michigan was downed first, falling in an ugly 13-9 St. Patrick’s Day clash. The Wolverines were within a goal at halftime, but Bellarmine outscored them in each of the final two quarters to pull comfortably away. Attackman Lance Robinson scored a hat trick for Bellarmine, while both Trevor Yealy and Will Meter potted a pair for U-M. It was a sloppy game, with the stats mostly in Michigan’s favor except two: faceoffs and efficiency. It was BU’s second-best defensive game of the year, behind only their slaughter of Mercer.

UDM faced Bellarmine when the Titans’ season had already started spiraling out of control. This was the straw that truly broke the camel’s back. Detroit led 8-4 with under four minutes left, and managed to lose 9-8 in regulation. That’s pitiful late-game defense if I’ve ever heard of it. Shayne Adams did manage to score a hat trick for the Titans, but the team output was obviously one goal short.

The Forward-Thinking Look Back

Bellarmine 2012
Pace 65.92 (31)
Poss% 48.42 (47)
Off. Eff. 27.86 (40)
Def. Eff. 30.58 (33)
Pyth% 38.11 (40)

Bellarmine’s offense was exactly one position nationally behind Ohio State’s (funny what effect an elite defense can have on your team’s success), slightly below-average in the country. Leading goal-scorer Michael Ward is back for his senior season in the attack, but leading point-getter Colton Clark is gone. This was not a deep unit, but most of the top six scorers – those who put up double-digits – are back (No. 3 scorer Austin Bright is also gone).

The defense was mediocre. Mediocre will win lots of games in weaker conferences, but paired with a poor offense, it wasn’t enough to keep the ship afloat. The lone All-ECAC player was all-freshman team member Bobby Schmitt, an LSM. Defensemen Matt Silvia, Ross Doan, and Arden Wipf all depart, so it should be tough times for goalkeeper Dillon Ward.

Bellarmine was a poor faceoff team, with Troy Athens alum Andrew Bulgarelli struggling while taking most of the draws. Regression (progression?) to the mean can be expected.

Head-to-Head

April 17 (@ Michigan)

2012

Michigan: 1-13, #58 Laxpower, #59 Tempo-Free Lax
Detroit: 6-9 (3-3 MAAC), #52 Laxpower, #50 Tempo-Free Lax

I’ll spend a lot of time talking about these two squads in the coming days, so no need to get overly verbose here. Detroit entered the year with high expectations – including a potential MAAC Championship – and while Michigan’s goals weren’t so lofty, winning more than one game was certainly the expectation.

The Past Result

The two teams met in Michigan’s first-ever game last February (and Detroit’s third contest of the season). The Wolverines didn’t come out with nerves, however, racing to leads of 2-0 and 4-2 early in the second quarter. From there, however, the experience of the Titans came to life.

UDM scored in runs of two (twice), three, and four goals in the course of the game – a theme for Michigan’s defense throughout the year, actually – and led 12-7 almost midway through the fourth. Thomas Paras drew things within four goals, but a Tim Lehto unassisted tally closed the door on any comeback attempts, and a Thomas Paras goal with under a minute left served to do little more than make the score look a bit nicer.

If the teams’ schedules had been reversed – if Michigan had taken on two highly ranked and highly skilled opponents while UDM was getting their first action of the year – it might have been a little closer, but the Titans’ experience (one player on Michigan’s roster last season had ever played Division I ball, while obviously every non-freshman on the UDM squad had a year of varsity under their belt) was too much for Michigan to overcome.

Stay tuned in coming days, when I’ll run down the rest of the schedules for each team, and then get into full-on season previewin’ mode.

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Lax Links: January 17, 2013

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Tim

As always, send your news tips, articles, college commitments, etc. to the inbox either through e-mail or Twitter. Michigan and Detroit season preview material coming… hopefully soon.

College

Detroit is gettin’ ready for the season:

(H/T: College Crosse). News story from the official site on their preparations.

The final Michigan lacrosse coaching clinic took place last week. A good time was had by all. A recap of what I learned about the program through the coaching clinics will arrive sometime in the coming days.

Those hoping to watch the Metropolitan Lacrosse Classic, note a time change: Michigan and Colgate’s game will now be played at 3 p.m. It had previously been scheduled for 1:05 p.m. It will still air on ESPNU.

LSM Chase Brown is the latest Michigan freshman to get the official site profile treatment. If you’re super-curious about what Brown’s locker looks like, 412 Lax is your spot. Midfielder Sam Martorella is also profiled.

As for players already on the team, senior captain SSDM Sean Sutton gives a diary on the team’s preparations for the year.

The Major League Lacrosse draft has come and gone. Unsurprisingly, no Wolverines or Titans were taken, but Michigan will face a number of the draft picks on the field this spring.

An interesting Q&A with Michigan women’s coaches Jennifer Ulehla and Jen Valore about program-building.

Realignment Armageddon

With the additions of Maryland and Rutgers to the Big Ten as full members, the league will be one team short of a lacrosse conference in the near future. Could… Johns Hopkins (which, it must be noted, is Johns Hopkins) fill that void? What I had once dismissed as pie-in-the-sky pipe dreams looks to be more realistic.

College Crosse goes into a pretty in-depth breakdown of why it is in fact insanity, but the more smoke there is, the more believable it becomes. As for the impact on other conferences that he mentions: the ACC and Big East are almost certain of losing Maryland and Rutgers, respectively, regardless of whether there’s a Big Ten lacrosse conference, so really the impact is only on the other four teams’ respective leagues (or independence, as the case may be).

Recruiting

Don’t forget, Atomic Lacrosse will host a recruiting presentation Jan. 26 (next Saturday) , featuring UDM’s Matt Holtz and Albion’s Jake DiCola.

Michigan’s official site profiles women’s team goalie signee Grace Collins (H/T PhillyLacrosse.com). St. Anthony’s midfielder Kim Coughlin is profiled as well.

2014 Redwood (Calif.) LSM/D Liam Bourke has committed to Michigan over some big-name schools:

Other Schools considered: Denver, Loyola, Johns Hopkins, Bryant and Navy

Why did you choose Michigan? “I’ve always wanted to go to a big school like Michigan. I’ve actually always loved watching Michigan Football and sports, so I always thought it would be awesome to go their because they have great school spirit and academics.”

John Paul and company are cleaning up with the Alcatraz Outlaws club team (freshman Mike Hernandez, 2013 signees Mike Schlosser and Andrew Simor, and now Bourke). Other Outlaws are headed to Ivy League and top D-3 schools – among other destinations.

High School

Brother Rice lacrosse 1983, photo via @BroRiceWarriors

Brother Rice has become the state’s best program year after year, but in 1983 it was… whatever this is. Excellent retro shot from the Brother Rice Twitter account.

A regional tryout for the National Lacrosse Classic takes place Feb. 10 at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse in Ann Arbor.

Ann Arbor Pioneer is working hard in the offseason to improve. The Pioneers feel to Brother Rice in the D-1 finals last season.

Mark Seppala is the new head coach at Grosse Pointe North. He had previously served as the team’s offensive coordinator.

MCLA

Michigan State‘s 2013 schedule breakdown.

Grand Valley State looks forward to the 2013 season. Video promo? Video promo:

Etc.

Coach B of 313 Lax hits on a point that many have made, but is always worth reiterating:

NCAA in the house at the academy. UDMs Brandon Davenport and Albions Steven Treppa giving back. #whatmichiganlaxneeds

The lack of high quality, homegrown coaches has been a longtime problem in helping to grow the game. With two Division I programs now in the state, along with a boom in D03 options (not to mention the numerous MCLA programs), that’s hopefully on the way up, a good thing for the overall quality of play.

As always, thanks for visiting GreatLaxState.com. Come back for all the latest in lacrosse throughout the state. Inboxes for news tips can be found at the top of the post.

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