How does Albany get back?

[AlbanyFan2018]

4 hours ago, slickwilly said:

What college athletics program doesn't have a strict strength and training program?  Let's wait until we go 5-9 to implement that?  Probably why TD left the program.

We do have a strength and conditioning program, but not to the degree of most top tier programs. Usually teams give players a very specific workout regimen over the summer, have run tests and what not, but at least recently at UA that hasn't been the case. It certainly didn't hurt over the great run, but think it would be good to instill a bit more discipline at times.

[HOF2013]

3 hours ago, AlbanyFan2018 said:

We do have a strength and conditioning program, but not to the degree of most top tier programs. Usually teams give players a very specific workout regimen over the summer, have run tests and what not, but at least recently at UA that hasn't been the case. It certainly didn't hurt over the great run, but think it would be good to instill a bit more discipline at times.

At least I look forward to that this summer.  Bring them back stronger and bigger!

[jimbo]

I watched a good bit of the Yale-Georgetown game from yesterday. UA would have been crushed by either one. Speed, precision and athleticism.  You could see great offensive flow and precise passes.  TD was of course TD, but Georgetown kept storming back.  Better that UA learns from 2019, licks their wounds and comes beck stronger in 2020.  

Edited May 12, 2019 by jimbo

[AlbanyFan2018]

2 hours ago, jimbo said:

I watched a good bit of the Yale-Georgetown game from yesterday. UA would have been crushed by either one. Speed, precision and athleticism.  You could see great offensive flow and precise passes.  TD was of course TD, but Georgetown kept storming back.  Better that UA learns from 2019, licks their wounds and comes beck stronger in 2020.  

Yep.

During the Cuse Loyola game they put up a graphic when Spencer broke the all time assist record and it was a picture of Lyle and Connor. To have two players like that over the lifetime of a program would be pretty special, but to have them play together for a year, and for Connor to follow up Lyle and Miles was special.

The precision just wasn't there with the exception of the Cornell game. There is a lot of new blood coming in next year, but upperclassmen lead teams to championships. A core group of Patterson, Nanticoke, Yunker, McComber, Diamond, Casey and Laffin. Some guys at the midfield position need to take the next step. We saw some nice things from Schwab, Bradley, Ramirez and Goldsmith at times. Alex Burgmaster needs to take the next step as an offensive player. He has a cannon for a shot. Need to see more of that in the future. The key from this group in improved consistency.

Edited May 12, 2019 by AlbanyFan2018

[dslyank]

3 hours ago, jimbo said:

I watched a good bit of the Yale-Georgetown game from yesterday. UA would have been crushed by either one

Disagree 100%. We did NOT get crushed by Yale this year and in spite of UA's issues this year I do not believe Georgetown would have crushed UA had they played. UA was NOT crushed by Maryland or Cornell. Without rehashing all the reasons why UA had a bad season (& who really knows why for sure); the only two teams to "crush" UA were mass and cuse (& cuse was really one bad ½). You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I feel if UA played Georgetown today , UA would win and if we played Yale , may be not a win but certainly NOT get crushed.

[AlbanyFan2018]

UMBC getting smacked bad. 

[jimbo]

4 hours ago, dslyank said:

Disagree 100%. We did NOT get crushed by Yale this year and in spite of UA's issues this year I do not believe Georgetown would have crushed UA had they played. UA was NOT crushed by Maryland or Cornell. Without rehashing all the reasons why UA had a bad season (& who really knows why for sure); the only two teams to "crush" UA were mass and cuse (& cuse was really one bad ½). You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but I feel if UA played Georgetown today , UA would win and if we played Yale , may be not a win but certainly NOT get crushed.

For the record, I was referring to the teams as they were playing yesterday.  

[HOF2013]

You know I have been thinking about this a lot, as I am sure all of you have. In my mind TD transferring out absolutely killed us this year. We barely were 50% at FOGO without him.  Think about what a difference that made.  We lost to Cornell, Harvard, VT. Stony Brook, Maryland [yes remember we were down by two with 7 minutes left with chances to score], U Mass with a chance to win all of them.  What chance?  With TD we likely would have won 5 - 10 more possessions [at least and we would not have had to use LP's at FO either].  That makes a HUGE difference.  It means more possession and more time off the clock for our OFF AND it also means LESS possessions for them and less time for their Off.  Who knows what would have happened in those games BUT it certainly MAY have allowed our offense to score more.  5 - 10 more possession could have made 5-6 goal differential in each game. 3 for us and three less for them for example. Just saying.  And I was pissed at the Off and certain players on Def as you all know.  Probably not fair to the kids.  

Jimbo, remember even with the kids we had and the FO we had we still held Yale to their lowest goal total all year.  5 - 10.  If we add three and take three form them the score is 8 - 7.  Like I said, just saying!!

Edited May 13, 2019 by HOF2013

[jimbo]

Oh, I fully agree that losing TD was massive. Our offense just looked so disorganized and had bad flow. Sloppy passing. Yale only scored 10, but we only scored 5. In a low scoring game that’s a beating. It’s all relative. Watched a lot of Maryland-Towson.  Quite the game. The Towson FOGO was a beast, but very different from TD. He generally won the draw each time and then got rid of the ball asap.  Often batting it quickly to a wing who appeared to be in a set trail position.  We could have used some of that instead of our FOGO getting hammered all the time and coughing it up. In the Yale game the an announcer said that the Yale coach told him that if TD was not at FOGO he’d be a wing because he was a ground ball monster. The bottom line for me is that the coaching staff has to play with the players they have and the rules as changed.  Looking at the season through the filter of “if TD had stayed” does us no good for 2020.  

[AlbanyFan2018]

I think the Maryland win over Towson was the only game where the team with the clearly superior FOGO lost. 

Woodall for Towson is great at winning the clamp, but not a stud with the ball either. Towson had a better plan for dealing with his athletic shortcomings by having him getting the ball to a wing player rather than trying to carry the ball. I can't recall how many times he whiffed trying to pick up a GB with a one hand.

Even when our offense was really good I don't think it was every great in settled situations; pretty good, but not great. Just look at the loss last year to Yale in the semi's and to Maryland the year before in the quarter's. TD didn't have dominate games in either of them, and we got whacked. Sure there were other issues, but I think some of our offensive woes were present when the Dane Train was really humming.

If I look at the teams who are still standing most of have elite or really good face off units. Penn St, Penn, Yale have All American FOGO's. Maryland and Notre Dame have good Face off units with solid FOGO's. Duke and UVA do it with what I would say elite athletes across the board, and Loyola on the shoulders of one of best to every play and a great goalie.

 

I think more than anything this year's team had no identity. I think it started in the fall with Tehoka's absence, and I'm not sure he was ready or if he could carry the team. I love Jakob and he works really hard, but he is very quiet. When the offense couldn't gel in the fall and pre season, and without a dominant FOGO or face off unit to cover up the flaws, it was a mess offensively. 

[dslyank]

Obviously losing TD was/is big; but there was/is much more to the poor season than that. For instance, about 65 All-Americans (1st, sec, third & honorable mention) just named. NOT one UA player. Tehoka went from #1 recruit in the country to not even honorable. Team went from final 4 to nowhere. Are we just not getting the talent anymore or are players not playing to their potential??? Are the coaches not recruiting well or just not coaching well??? I DON'T KNOW! May be just unlucky this year, ball NOT bouncing our way, may be just normal college down cycle, may be UA was just a marked team this year & everyone just gave us their best game. Whatever the reason/s, hopeful Scott and staff get it turned around quickly.

Incoming class "looks" strong. Recruiting videos posted by HOF {thanks Hof}, were awesome. But like someone said in another thread, don't ALL recruit videos look amazing? Anyhow lets hope the recruits are as good as they LOOK.

Edited May 13, 2019 by dslyank

[nysteve661]

1 hour ago, dslyank said:

Obviously losing TD was/is big; but there was/is much more to the poor season than that. For instance, about 65 All-Americans (1st, sec, third & honorable mention) just named. NOT one UA player. Tehoka went from #1 recruit in the country to not even honorable. Team went from final 4 to nowhere. Are we just not getting the talent anymore or are players not playing to their potential??? Are the coaches not recruiting well or just not coaching well??? I DON'T KNOW! May be just unlucky this year, ball NOT bouncing our way, may be just normal college down cycle, may be UA was just a marked team this year & everyone just gave us their best game. Whatever the reason/s, hopeful Scott and staff get it turned around quickly.

Incoming class "looks" strong. Recruiting videos posted by HOF {thanks Hof}, were awesome. But like someone said in another thread, don't ALL recruit videos look amazing? Anyhow lets hope the recruits are as good as they LOOK.

Should be a cycle thing I hope.  In 2007 they were 15-3 with Merrick Thomson, Brett Queener, Frank Resataris with an NCAA win over  Loyola and OT loss to Cornell.  Then they went 8-8, 7-7, 5-11, 5-10, 5-11, overall 30-47 till the Thompson's arrived so we could be in that down cycle for a bit.  Fields replaced Lyle as the beast but Tehoka did not replace Fields as yet or if ever.  Truly does come down to recruiting and can Marr get that stud to come here.  Then the pieces fall into place where that stud makes everyone better even if they have just average talent.

[HOF2013]

7 hours ago, jimbo said:

Oh, I fully agree that losing TD was massive. Our offense just looked so disorganized and had bad flow. Sloppy passing. Yale only scored 10, but we only scored 5. In a low scoring game that’s a beating. It’s all relative. Watched a lot of Maryland-Towson.  Quite the game. The Towson FOGO was a beast, but very different from TD. He generally won the draw each time and then got rid of the ball asap.  Often batting it quickly to a wing who appeared to be in a set trail position.  We could have used some of that instead of our FOGO getting hammered all the time and coughing it up. In the Yale game the an announcer said that the Yale coach told him that if TD was not at FOGO he’d be a wing because he was a ground ball monster. The bottom line for me is that the coaching staff has to play with the players they have and the rules as changed.  Looking at the season through the filter of “if TD had stayed” does us no good for 2020.  

Don't disagree at all.  I just think it caused more problems than we think, not JUST the loss of all the FOs,  but mentally with the kids too.

[HOF2013]

5 hours ago, AlbanyFan2018 said:

I think the Maryland win over Towson was the only game where the team with the clearly superior FOGO lost. 

Woodall for Towson is great at winning the clamp, but not a stud with the ball either. Towson had a better plan for dealing with his athletic shortcomings by having him getting the ball to a wing player rather than trying to carry the ball. I can't recall how many times he whiffed trying to pick up a GB with a one hand.

Even when our offense was really good I don't think it was every great in settled situations; pretty good, but not great. Just look at the loss last year to Yale in the semi's and to Maryland the year before in the quarter's. TD didn't have dominate games in either of them, and we got whacked. Sure there were other issues, but I think some of our offensive woes were present when the Dane Train was really humming.

If I look at the teams who are still standing most of have elite or really good face off units. Penn St, Penn, Yale have All American FOGO's. Maryland and Notre Dame have good Face off units with solid FOGO's. Duke and UVA do it with what I would say elite athletes across the board, and Loyola on the shoulders of one of best to every play and a great goalie.

 

I think more than anything this year's team had no identity. I think it started in the fall with Tehoka's absence, and I'm not sure he was ready or if he could carry the team. I love Jakob and he works really hard, but he is very quiet. When the offense couldn't gel in the fall and pre season, and without a dominant FOGO or face off unit to cover up the flaws, it was a mess offensively. 

Well stated.  Can't disagree with this either.

[AlbanyFan2018]

2 hours ago, dslyank said:

Obviously losing TD was/is big; but there was/is much more to the poor season than that. For instance, about 65 All-Americans (1st, sec, third & honorable mention) just named. NOT one UA player. Tehoka went from #1 recruit in the country to not even honorable. Team went from final 4 to nowhere. Are we just not getting the talent anymore or are players not playing to their potential??? Are the coaches not recruiting well or just not coaching well??? I DON'T KNOW! May be just unlucky this year, ball NOT bouncing our way, may be just normal college down cycle, may be UA was just a marked team this year & everyone just gave us their best game. Whatever the reason/s, hopeful Scott and staff get it turned around quickly.

Incoming class "looks" strong. Recruiting videos posted by HOF {thanks Hof}, were awesome. But like someone said in another thread, don't ALL recruit videos look amazing? Anyhow lets hope the recruits are as good as they LOOK.

Lot of good thoughts and questions.

I do think we have a lot of talent, not as good as in recent years, but to me it was the inability to find and stick with the right complementary players. For example, I never understood the attack of Laffin, Casey, and Patterson. Then we started the season with our traditional two way middie system, scrapped it for a bit, and then went back to it.

This is making excuses, but it just was a messed up year. Starting with injuries, the ball just took weird bounces, and what not. We have to get more athletic in the middle of the field if we stick with the two way system. There are not a lot of guys who can play elite offense and defense and the ACC gets most of those guys.