MLAX: Cornell vs Penn State 3/9/24

Starting the game thread. Face-offs Aim for 50%?

Hope to see the defense keep them to 10.

It looks like another mess weather-wise in PA tomorrow. Hard to get the team really clicking in a big game with sideways rain and thunder. Could see it moved to Sunday, with snow squalls and wind there.

BlueSky
It looks like another mess weather-wise in PA tomorrow. Hard to get the team really clicking in a big game with sideways rain and thunder. Could see it moved to Sunday, with snow squalls and wind there.

They played indoors at The Pennsylvania State a couple of years ago. Maybe that's an option.

It's not really our game, but a couple of off-ball picks for CJ would be easy goals, I think.

Continue to give shooters stepdown room.

Can't win a faceoff. Down 4-0.

PSU 4-0

Shot top left with the shot clock running out.

Goal in the front. Blocked shot. Loose ball.

Goal top left.

Shot from the 5x5 side right.

We're not winning face offs.

Kelleher shot from top right.

4-1 PSU

It’s really a shame that having an audio option is dead.

Cornell did not convert on a one-minute EMO.

Hung d. X hit the cutter.
5-1 PSU

RichH
It’s really a shame that having an audio option is dead.

I wonder why WHCU isn't broadcasting these days.

Cornell did not convert on the 30 second EMO.

EMO looks lost.

Top center.
6-1 PSU

Something needs to be done about the EMO unit. Has been a consistent weak point all year.

Also, I'd like to see Tully get some time in net

Is knust playing? He should have a damn short leash from this point on.

Actually, Tully is in now, though the commenters have not mentioned it.

Same problem all year. If we're not going to play better D on shooters from 10-15 yards, other teams are going to keep making us pay with step downs.

6-1 after one...Tully in at goal

PSU goalie is playing really well today. He's made at least three A+ stops.

Top left. 12 yards.
PSU 7-1

For anyone who has the stream, are the goalies the difference in this one? The stats don’t seem to lopsided.

I think Knust could have made two or three saves there, but we are allowing free hands at 10-12 yards. That's a tough stop for anyone.

Another. Top left. Free hands. 8 yards.

8-1 PSU

Just looking at the stats, PSU has 6 saves and we have 1....Hence the 1-8 score. I have been watching wrestling so not following the game.

While they've contributed, the shots PSU is taking seem much cleaner in terms of lanes and space. Everything looking tough for our offense.

Wertheim all alone. Couldn't score on the PSU goalie.

Maybe I take it back after that last PSU save. Firth with no one between him and the keeper from like 8 yards out, stoned by PSU goalie.

Follows hard check to the ballcarrier. 30 second penalty. Frustration foul

Two turnovers in a row for Cornell.

Great save by Tully, but then how in the world is that not a push against Box?

Bounce shot, Top center.
9-1 PSU

semsox
Great save by Tully, but then how in the world is that not a push against Box?

Should have been.

PSU kick save in front of the goal with Mikie Long all alone.

PSU goalie truly out of his mind. I haven't seen anything like this in awhile. We should probably have at least 5 goals

Top left.
10-1 PSU

Cornell FO win and turnover.

Wet sticks are causing some bad passes by Cornell today. Doesn't seem to bother PSU though.

CJ gets a goal side left from about 8 yards.
10-2 PSU

CJ intercepts a pass after a PSU FO win, shoots it into the open net.
10-3 PSU

Petrakis can't scoop the ball. PSU ball. 2 minutes left in the half.

Kelleher top center, muscle goal.
10-4 PSU

really if the PSU goalie doesnt make 4-5 really good saves in tight its about a 10-7 game with Cornell making tons of mistakes.

PSU top center. Not terrible defense this time. Good shot.
11-4 PSU

11-4 PSU at the half.

We're not out of this, but if we don't start playing better defense right now, we're done.

PSU is playing outstanding defense. We are getting few easy shots, and the PSU goalie is playing great.

mike1960
PSU top center. Not terrible defense this time. Good shot.
11-4 PSU

Many PSU goals shot from middle of field with biggest target.

you would like to see 4-5 saves with the PSU shots from distance.

PSU underhand shot, top center, two men on him.
12-4

PSU ballcarrier just ran past two Cornell guys and top left shot.
13-4 PSU

Firth side right.
13-5 PSU

Hung D, X hit the cutter. Chris Davis turned his head and let his guy go free in front of the net for some reason.
14-5 PSU

15-5 PSU
PSU free hands top center 10 yards away

Firth gets free on the doorstep, pass from Long. EMO
15-6 PSU

Hung D. X feeds cutter. Behind the back goal for PSU.
16-6

Are we this bad?

Two turnovers in a row by Cornell.

Today, yes.

Wrap from X. PSU
17-6 PSU

It feels like we're very predictable on offense.

Top right.
18-6 PSU

Dalton goal at the goalmouth. Great feed by CJ.
18-7 PSU

18-7 PSU, end of the third.

Singer put a shoulder in the PSU ballcarrier facemask. Frustration penalty. 2 minute EMO.

Easy stepdown top right.

19-7 PSU

the D has shown issues all year with sliding, Denver came back to win.. Lehigh lit them up.

Might be a long yr on D. And the goalie play today was horrid.

Still the offense isnt doing much as well.. sloppy, poor shooting

Lordie, 19-8 Penn State 5 minutes into the fourth. Need to start looking up most recent margin of loss by, perhaps 10 goals?

At this writing, CJ Kirst 2G on 9 shots, Willem Firth 2 on 7.

Quick stick Mikey Long, side left.
19-8 PSU

Cornell stopped a 2 man up EMO.

PSU is bringing in subs.

Mikey Long to Caddigan cutting to the goal.
19-9 PSU
4:09 left.

PSU top center worm burner.
20-9.
2:42 left.

not surprised we lost. The lack of scoring and the turnovers was bad to see.

Penn State 20, Cornell 9. Final.

COR  1  3  3  2  --  9
PSU  6  5  7  2  -- 20

Shots, shots on goal, saves, turnovers all close-ish but in Penn State's favor. Cornell won faceoffs 19-14. Biggest margin was goals, that and save percentage Cornell .355 (Knust .143, Tully .417), Penn State .625.

Just one of those games. Hopefully they're ready for next weekend, a tough Ivy opener @Princeton

Game over. 20-9 PSU.

The difference is that one team was extremely well coached on defense, and the other side wasn't. This has been our problem all year (and last year).

PSU scored easily with old-fashioned, wooden stick era speed dodges from 10-15 yards out and getting free hands. Our shorties could not stay with them and received no help. It was just too easy.

It feels like we were resoundly outcoached by our former gaffer. Where do we go from here?

Need to take a hard look at the Defense (Nothing like stating the obvious).

It's already been posted on the Ivy board the lack of physicality by the Cornell defense, which has been an issue for the Big Red. For example I am currently watching the John Hopkins and Syracuse game and both teams are very physical. There is a reason why they wear helmets and shoulder pads.

Local Motion
It's already been posted on the Ivy board the lack of physicality by the Cornell defense, which has been an issue for the Big Red. For example I am currently watching the John Hopkins and Syracuse game and both teams are very physical. There is a reason why they wear helmets and shoulder pads.

It wouldn't hurt to get a little more physical, at least try to push the shooter a little off balance.

What I'm not understanding is why they are allowing free hands up top. We all know the short stick defensive middie is a super tough position to play. And Coaches Stevens and Buczek know more about lacrosse than I ever will. But I don't understand why we're not more effective at pushing the ball down the alleys. That's what most teach in basic midfield defense. Use body position to block the top so shooters can't run across in front of the goal, or if they get across, force them as high as possible.

Surely it's not that they are so much more athletic than we are. Or are they? Or this some kind of defensive approach that I'm not understanding?