NCAA Quarterfinals: Cornell v. Albany (pre-game)

[redhair34]

I've only seen Albany play against SU.  But, based on what I saw and what I've heard about Albany, I think we match up well against them.  Other than attack, I think we have the edge pretty much everywhere else on the field.

Why I feel good:
- I think we can neutralize or at least limit their biggest  strength—transition offense.  We take care of the ball in the offensive half of the field (few turnovers for them to capitalize on) and we ride better than anyone.  I can't imagine Queener (do-it-all goalie) will have a lot of success out of the cage trying to transition against us.
 
- Our D is much better than theirs.  

- McMonagle

- No FOGO to fear.


Why I am worried:  
- They can shoot the lights out and score in bunches.  

- Jordan Levine doesn't get a lot of press, but I thought he was fantastic against SU.  He's small, but VERY fast.  Their offense seemed to run through him.  He's their Seibald—doesn't get all of the points but his presence changes the game; he needs to be accounted for at all times.  I fear he may be able to exploit our ssmd if a pole doesn't cover him.

- Although we beat Towson pretty handily, by no means did we play our best game--Glynn had an off day, too many penalties, awful man-down and too many turnovers in the middle half of the field.  We probably need to play better to beat Albany at their best.


What does everyone else think?


EDIT: It looks like the game will be televised live on SNY and TWS26 in Ithaca.

[ninian '72]

MASN (Baltimore/DC area) will also be carrying all quarterfinal games.  Cornell-Albany starts at noon Saturday.

[howiem98]

sorry but I wasn't able to delete the post completely

[redhair34]

Cornell University star midfielder Max Seibald, recently named one of five finalists for the Tewaaraton Trophy - college lacrosse's version of the Heisman - missed Monday's practice with a foot injury and is listed as day-to-day. The undefeated Big Red will face Albany at noon Saturday in the NCAA Division I quarterfinals.


"I'm hopeful," Cornell coach Jeff Tambroni said Monday afternoon. "There is no guarantee he'll be back, but I'm hopeful."

Seibald, the only sophomore among the five finalists for the Tewaaraton, was injured in the third quarter of the Big Red's 14-6 opening-round victory Saturday over Towson. Tambroni said Seibald, normally a midfielder, was playing attack on Cornell's man-down unit, a position that prevents him from crossing midfield. The ball went into Cornell's offensive end, but Towson regained control and took it the other way. Seibald raced back on defense, realized at the last instant that he was approaching midfield and skidded to a sudden stop, injuring his foot.

"It was self-inflicted," Tambroni said of the injury. "He started putting on the brakes, and something happened." Tambroni, who was in Albany on Sunday to watch the Great Danes defeat Loyola to earn a date opposite Cornell in the quarterfinals at Princeton, said he had spoken only briefly with the Big Red trainer and knew only that Seibald was not going to practice Monday.
"It's a day-to-day thing, I would imagine," he said.

Ironically, Tambroni credits an injury suffered by his budding superstar in the offseason with helping produce Cornell's 14-0 record. With Seibald missing fall ball and all of the team's preseason scrimmages, other players were forced to step up in his absence.

"It gave other guys the opportunity to handle the ball and produce," Tambroni said. "Don't get me wrong: That was fine then, but obviously we need Max now. Either way, the guys are getting prepared for the task."

http://www.syracuse.com/articles/localcolleges/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/117904653686830.xml&coll=1

[JasonN95]

[quote redhair34]

"I'm hopeful," Cornell coach Jeff Tambroni said Monday afternoon. "There is no guarantee he'll be back, but I'm hopeful."

 

[/quote]

Ok, I'm just going to tell myself that Coach T is setting a trap for Albany and Max will come running out on the field for the game doing cartwheels. Otherwise, I may be sick.

[Al DeFlorio]

[quote redhair34]

Tambroni said Seibald, normally a midfielder, was playing attack on Cornell's man-down unit, a position that prevents him from crossing midfield. The ball went into Cornell's offensive end, but Towson regained control and took it the other way. Seibald raced back on defense, realized at the last instant that he was approaching midfield and skidded to a sudden stop, injuring his foot.

http://www.syracuse.com/articles/localcolleges/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/117904653686830.xml&coll=1[/quote]
Just watched the third period on tape.  This happened just after Vedder ran the length of the field to take a close-in shot with Cornell a man-down, hit a pipe, and the rebound went straight out to a Towson guy who headed in the other direction.  The camera did not show Seibald rolling his ankle just behind the sprinting Towson player.

Shows how much impact an inch one way or the other can mean.  If that shot either goes in or misses the pipe and goes out of bounds, the injury doesn't happen.

[Steve Rockey]

When I took a look at it I saw we have more overlap than I realized.

I know this does not mean a whole lot but....

Opponents
CU Score
Albany Score

Binghamton
19-4
8-9 "Loss"

Colgate
16-6
13-10

Yale
19-8
12-10

Syracuse
16-15
13-17 "Loss"

Dartmouth
17-3
15-14

[Jacob '06]

[quote Steve Rockey]When I took a look at it I saw we have more overlap than I realized.

I know this does not mean a whole lot but....

Opponents
CU Score
Albany Score

Binghamton
19-4
8-9 "Loss"

Colgate
16-6
13-10

Yale
19-8
12-10

Syracuse
16-15
13-17 "Loss"

Dartmouth
17-3
15-14[/quote]

I think the general trend is that our defense is better than theirs, which is a good sign.

[Chris '03]

Cross-posted from laxpower:

UA has played 9 games vs. t-20 offenses and held them below average 7 times (by an average of 2.13). Cornell has played 7 games against top offenses and held them under their average 6 times (by an average of 4.6 goals).

Cornell vs. Opponents by GPG Rank (through 5/13, common opponents in bold)
Rank Team GPG (GA) Difference
3. Duke 12.41 (6) -6.41
5. ND 11.67 ( -3.67
8 Syracuse 11.54 (15) +3.46
13 Colgate 10.69 (6) -4.69
14 Hobart 10.64 (4) -6.64
17 Yale 10.38 ( -2.38
20 Princeton 9.86 (6) -3.86

UAlbany

4 Delaware 12.12 (7) -5.12
7 UMBC 11.56 (9, 14) -2.56, +2.44
8 Syracuse 11.54 (17) +5.46
13 Colgate 10.69 (10) -0.69
15 Loyola (Md.) 10.46 (10) -0.44
16 Siena 10.44 ( -2.44
17 Yale 10.38 (10) -0.38
18 Johns Hopkins 10.29 (7) -3.29

[Josh '99]

[quote Jacob '06][quote Steve Rockey]When I took a look at it I saw we have more overlap than I realized.

I know this does not mean a whole lot but....

Opponents
CU Score
Albany Score

Binghamton
19-4
8-9 "Loss"

Colgate
16-6
13-10

Yale
19-8
12-10

Syracuse
16-15
13-17 "Loss"

Dartmouth
17-3
15-14[/quote]

I think the general trend is that our defense is better than theirs, which is a good sign.[/quote]For that matter, our offense too.

[CowbellGuy]

Albany:
13.9 goals per game
40.6 shots per game
.343 goals/shot

9.29 opp goals per game
34.1 opp shots per game
.272 opp goals/shot

Cornell:
14.4 goals per game
43.3 shots per game
.332 goals/shot

6.32 opp goals per game
33.1 opp shots per game
.192 opp goals/shot

Don't think anyone will argue against Cornell's defense, but the offense is pretty close.

[Josh '99]

[quote CowbellGuy]Albany:
13.9 goals per game
40.6 shots per game
.343 goals/shot

9.29 opp goals per game
34.1 opp shots per game
.272 opp goals/shot

Cornell:
14.4 goals per game
43.3 shots per game
.332 goals/shot

6.32 opp goals per game
33.1 opp shots per game
.192 opp goals/shot

Don't think anyone will argue against Cornell's defense, but the offense is pretty close.[/quote]Is this expanded beyond the common opponents that Steve looked at?  Against EVERY common opponent, Cornell scored more goals than Albany did AND allowed fewer.

(Edited to fix the typo in Age's original post.)

[CowbellGuy]

Yeah, that's for the whole season.

[Hillel Hoffmann]

The Cornell-Albany match-up is so freaking cool. Folks who haven't seen the Great Danes before are in for a treat. This could be the most entertaining Cornell lacrosse playoff game since the 1987 semifinal game against Syracuse at Rutgers. Let's hope it ends the same way. Even if Cornell loses, I'll be pulling for the Danes the rest of the way. I had a chance to cover Albany this year, and I admit I've fallen for 'em (gotta hate that ALLLLLLLL-buh-NEEEEEEEE chant though).

Albany and Cornell have a lot in common. Like Cornell, the Danes have a dangerous and adaptable offense run by players who are comfortable in both settled and unsettled situations. Albany's offense also produces bushels of goals by generating high-percentage shots (they're one of the few teams in Division I with a higher shooting percentage than Cornell). And like the Big Red, the Danes have experience everywhere on the field.

But that's where the similarities end.

On the other side of the midfield stripe, Albany has struggled at times. After getting off to a great start, holding their first four opponents to single digits, they've given up 14 or more goals in three of their last six games. Their defense hasn't established the man-to-man identity that Coach Scott Marr hoped to create this season, and their goalie is one of lax's great mysteries (more on that below).

And then there's that chemistry/personality thang. Albany is an explosive team loaded with singular talents. They're so volatile -- physically and emotionally -- you never know what you'll get. But that's part of the fun.

Keys to the game:

Going into the season, most lax fans had heard about Albany's two preseason All-America senior attackmen, Frank Resetarits (No. 5) and Merrick Thomson (9). They're sensational, especially Resetarits, who can do it all. What most folks didn't realize until 2007 is how much of Albany's killer offense comes from other sources. Given that shutting down Resetarits and Thomson may not be realistic, the key to controlling Albany will be neutralizing a handful of other critical offensive players, all of whom have received far less public attention than they deserve:

Jordan Levine (22) is one of the best midfielders I've seen in years. Everything redhair34 said above is true. He's a squat little beast, like John Glynn, but with even more speed. Dangerous shooting on the run from sweeps, a la Justin Redd.

Underrated Derek Dale (26) sets up behind the goal, controlling the pace of Albany's settled offense and distributing the ball.

Corey Small (43) is a substitute who comes in for EMO and instant offense. Unlike most Canadians, his specialty isn't catching and finishing in tight spaces -- it's unleashing left-handed blasts from distance.

Twin brothers Steve and Mike Ammann (20 and 33) are also super midfielders. Like Levine, they also play key roles as wingmen on faceoffs(collectively they may be the best short-stick wing group in the game).

The key to Albany's defense is their mercurial senior goalie, Brett Queener (32), former junior college player of the year at Herkimer (he's transferred twice since then). He's hyper, he's moody, he's badass, he's slightly crazy, and for better or worse, he's the most exciting player in lacrosse. If Saturday will be your first chance to see Queener play, I guarantee you've never seen anything like him before.

Most goalies are measured by how well they stop the ball. Period. On most days, Queener isn't a grade-A stopper. In fact, if Cornell creates decent shots -- particularly from 10-20 yards -- they will score plenty. Queener's better at stopping shots on the crease, going stick to stick. But making saves isn't the Q's secret power. The fun starts when he gets the ball in his crosse. As soon as Queener makes a save or picks up a ground ball, he sprints down the field in a straight line like a Jack Russell terrier. And he's not just looking to dump and retreat. Queener likes to attack the goal, and he has seven points to show for it. But forget the points -- when he takes off, clears happen. Sure, he might give up a goal every other game because he takes insane risks on occasion, but in an age when many clears are unsuccessful due to time violations rather than checks, he is an efficient, fast clearing machine -- and he might be the perfect antidote to Cornell's hard ride. It's maddening! Just watch: Even the gentlest Cornell fans will pop an artery or two screaming "KILL HIM! KILL HIM!" on Saturday.

With Queener, it's all about the mojo. If Cornell scores early and often, he will sag. But if he makes a few big saves in the first quarter, jumping up and down and shaking his fists, look out.

I can't wait.


******

[Chris '03]

[quote CowbellGuy]Albany:
[stats]

Don't think anyone will argue against Cornell's defense, but the offense is pretty close.[/quote]

I'm sure I could find you one or two headcases people on laxpower who will say that CU's defensive numbers are due to their piss poor SOS and that if they played the same schedule as UA, Cornell would have allowed twice as many goals.