Interesting thoughts from Adam Wodon (USCHO Chat)

[RedAR]

Agreed. I see fans screaming "SHOOT" when there is no shooting lane. A blocked shot from the point can easily turn into an odd man rush.

This weekend, we created ample great scoring opportunities against both Colgate and Harvard. It's just that we weren't able to capitalize (read finish) on the opportunities. Just my opinion, but I think the Harvard players had a bit more composure in such situations, taking that split second to settle down the puck and then shoot. Our guys, on the otherhand, seemed rushed shoot at the open net, and fanning on the shot or missing the net.

[nyc94]

[quote RedAR]Agreed. I see fans screaming "SHOOT" when there is no shooting lane. A blocked shot from the point can easily turn into an odd man rush.

This weekend, we created ample great scoring opportunities against both Colgate and Harvard. It's just that we weren't able to capitalize (read finish) on the opportunities. Just my opinion, but I think the Harvard players had a bit more composure in such situations, taking that split second to settle down the puck and then shoot. Our guys, on the otherhand, seemed rushed shoot at the open net, and fanning on the shot or missing the net.[/quote]

I agree with you but often it seems that individual players hold the puck so long before either passing or shooting that they give the defense time to set up again.  I think some fans are reacting to this more than the quality of the shooting lane.

[billhoward]

[quote Beeeej][quote The Rancor]I wonder sometimes why with, say, seven minutes left Schafer does not 'unleash the dogs of war' and let hes shooters score. for example, Iggy last season came out of nowhere to score left and right, and then as an undrafted player makes the sharks (well, Cleveland) and in interview alludes to wishing he could open up the scoring more when at Cornell. i'm not saying to throw the playbook in Cascadilla Gorge, but let 'em score mike![/quote]

You say that as if scoring involves nothing more than a conscious decision to go ahead and score.  Did you think the team takes shots on net without actually intending to score?  There is (usually) another team on the ice, you know.

Beeeej[/quote]

It's hard to disagree: You can't just flip a Scoring Mode switch in the last couple minutes of a game ... without, at least, hindering your defense. You can hang a winger at the offensive blue line and hope for the home run pass that he may or may not get his stick and that he may or may not then skate in with and beat the goalie.

OTOH, last spring, in the lax semifinal against Duke, soembody flipped the shooting switch on Joe Bouloukos in the fourth quarter and we almost made up that impossible deficit in the NCAA semifinals. Had he been unleashed in Q3 it might have been Cornell not Duke in last season's title game. True, easier said than done in lacrosse than hockey, and in basketball than in lacrosse.

I guess we need to ride out 2006 with the guns we brought and the style that got us into the field of 16.

We also should consider the possibility that all the rays of light shining on Ted Donato's head have made him something special in just his first [edit (oops): second] season as coach. It's possible in that one game at least, we weren't just outplayed but outcoached. Coaches can have off days, too.

[KeithK]

[q]If the game had gone five periods, we probably would have caught up.[/q]Good point!  I change my mind - two game total goal series for all championship games!  But we play both games back to back.

[DeltaOne81]

[quote billhoward]
We also should consider the possibility that all the rays of light shining on Ted Donato's head have made him something special in just his first season as coach.[/quote]

First season?
http://www.uscho.com/stats/teamYxY.php?team=hu&gender=m

[billhoward]

[quote DeltaOne81][quote billhoward]
We also should consider the possibility that all the rays of light shining on Ted Donato's head have made him something special in just his first season as coach.[/quote]

First season?
http://www.uscho.com/stats/teamYxY.php?team=hu&gender=m[/quote]
Time flies. Make that his second season. Still pretty impressive. But he's got to get past the Harvard one-and-done history in the NCAAs.

[The Rancor]

[Q] I agree with you but often it seems that individual players hold the puck so long before either passing or shooting that they give the defense time to set up again.  I think some fans are reacting to this more than the quality of the shooting lane.[/quote][/Q]


exactly what i meant

[Jordan 04]

It seems that many of the problems stem from Topher's role on the PP. Whereas when Vesce was in that role, he would (and could) often take the puck to the net, or even let off the occassional one-timer from the left circle. It added a dimension that commanded respect from the defense.

This unit can be frustrating play because Topher rarely drives to the net, and doesn't snap off any wrister or one-timers. He is clearly there to get the puck to Mouslon or, less frequently, Bitz. Not that I place any blame on him for this; that's just his role. And in effect, it sets up a 4x4 situation, where the defense only has to protect against our shooters. (Or even worse, a 4x3 or 4x2 situation, if you consider how much the PP gets funneled through Moulson and O'Byrne).

Sidenote: On a more pleasant note regarding our power play, I'm sure I wasn't the only one, when we O'Byrne scored the 2nd goal Saturday night, who had an "instant flashback" to McRae's goal in the 2003 Championship. If it wasn't the same exact play on the drawing board, it sure was pretty damn close. Win the draw clean, tie/hold up all the bodies on the ice, shoot low and through the screens. Only differece was it was to Daigneau's right as opposed to Hyphen's left.

[DeltaOne81]

[quote Jordan 04]
Only differece was it was to Daigneau's right as opposed to Hyphen's left.[/quote]

And it was on a completely different end of the Pepsi Arena

[Rich S]

[quote Jordan 04] If it wasn't the same exact play on the drawing board, it sure was pretty damn close. Win the draw clean, tie/hold up all the bodies on the ice, shoot low and through the screens.[/quote]

Just so you know, I think every guy who has ever coached at any level, has exactly that play on his PP drawing board.  Executing it just as you described will produce a lot of goals; if not on the original shot, then on rebounds on which you should outman the PK team down low.

[atb9]

[quote RedAR]Agreed. I see fans screaming "SHOOT" when there is no shooting lane. A blocked shot from the point can easily turn into an odd man rush.[/quote]

It would be much more productive if those fools that yelled "shoot" yelled "move!" instead.  Often times it seemed like Topher and Moulson got stuck in a two on two mini-game on the PP while the other guys, three on two, were stuck standing around watching.  Drive the net more...we seem more successful when we are aggressive down low.  The shots from the point can be a crap shoot...unless there is a clear plan--the Harvard tactic to shoot low and to the weak side during the first period of the Championship was brilliant and caused a ton of predictable rebounds off of McKee's leg pads.  The second PP unit: ugh.  It's a win for them when they control the puck in the zone.

I'm really excited for the CC game!  NCAA's four out of the last five years?  Sweet.  KRACH says it is 55-45 that we lose but I think it is another great opportunity to show off the consistency of our program with an upset.