AlbanyFan2018

I am guessing this is a link to the rumor?

All I can honestly add is that he is expected to return after the break. I didn't pick up on anything different over the last couple of weeks at being around the guys and coaches. I have seen a lot of hate spewed his way. I have to hope that given how hard he fought to become academically eligible at IMG that Tehoka wouldn't just walk away.

Not the best quote for sure.

I was going to write something a bit more negative until I remembered how it felt down in Baltimore last fall with similar results, and at least on paper a better team and it all worked out pretty well in the end which is why I looking at the glass half full. I know Coach Marr keeps things positive, and like you, feel there was a bit more spin in his response than usual to keep things positive, but I truly believe he and the other coaches couldn't have cared less about the score, and everyone was very positive at the post game tailgate. No question we will not have the same depth as last year, and it will be very difficult to overcome injuries this year. As I said before with Tehoka out it moved the chairs around in a way where we can't just next man up and everything is more or less ok as it was when Connor and Justin were out last year. It was a totally new attack with Patterson, Diamond, and Cavallo starting, and Justin barely played last year and then Casey filled in. Those two threesomes had never worked together against real competition before, and then that probably weakened us a bit at the 4th attackmen coming out of the box. I do agree with Marr's cautious or tentative comment. I don't know if they were playing tight or what, but we were asking guys to do things they really hadn't been called upon to do before. Davis has played X before, but this is just my hunch, none of them had really ever had to be the guy with either Tehoka, Justin, or Connor to lean on in a clutch moment. To compliment a very strong attack group we have had an Osika, McClancy who could get their own shot when they had too, and I am not sure we have that guy on the roster right now from the midfield. That to me is the most troubling thing coming out of the fall. I think the coaches were giving the younger middies a chance to prove something and midfield shooting has to improve. We couldn't hit the broad side of a barn yesterday. Assuming Tehoka is OK health wise, that moves one of the other attack guys to the offensive midfield, and one of the freshmen who I heard was having a nice fall got hurt right before the Alumni game so he was out. The positives I took away were that both FOGO's more than held their own, with Gleason and Hay at LSM we may or may not have the offensive punch we had with Troy, but we are bigger and longer. Athletically we didn't have guys blowing by us which was positive as well on defense. The defense is going to need the ability to push out and pressure and I think we have 6 plus guys who can play that way. I really think if the coaches had been trying to win you would have seen a lot fewer guys play and especially against Army mostly the young guys played.

Question I don’t know the answer too in terms of dollars and cents and the ability to jettison the coaching staff? Is the cost to fire the staff greater than the revenue we could gain through tickets sales, concessions, etc... My impression that is a check we can’t cash.

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/albany-army-johns-hopkins-and-vermont-test-out-new-rules-give-back-to-headstrong/53172

I wouldn’t say that was a great way to end fall ball today. You can really see the trickle effect of not having Tehoka against tougher competition as it showed lack of experience and guys not comfortable with having to force the action, The conditions were not the best on the wet grass, but it was a pretty anemic offensive showing. Goalie play was surprisingly not very good, the face off guys looked good in both games. We need a lot of growth and development especially at midfield scoring over the off season and get everyone healthy.

The 2019 class has some really talented offensive players.

Great interview and having been around the team some this fall the group does seem very tight. This weekend will be a good test to see who is stepping up and where the holes are. I am going to most interested in seeing the face off unit, and how the offense is able to get quality shots in 6 v 6 sets. I think we are going to surprise on the upside on defense. Hard to replace Troy Reh's overall game, but what I have seen from Gleason at LSM he gives us a lot more size and length in the middle of the field which was sorely missing at times last year. If the cohesion develops this will definitely be the most athletic defense the Danes have ever put on the field.

I heard that there is some sort of requirement that both teams get ample pre game time on the filed. I don't know if that is true or not, but that is the reason I heard no Casey for the scrimmages. I agree, playing this in those grass fields is pretty bush league.

We need to get you covering the UA Lacrosse beat! Hill probably plays more lacrosse than college teams so while not a college team as you described perfectly it is no high school team. I know in past years they have given top college teams all they could handle. It was definitely mostly the young guys playing last night. #9 is McComber. I don't know who #25 is, but I think Chris Ryan may have changed numbers, and I am pretty sure #22 is Matt Eccles. I liked #43 and #31 on defense, both freshmen. It did get a little sloppy at times, but I chalk that more up to younger guys trying a bit too hard at times to make an impression as I expect we'll see the projected starters for most the of the games this weekend, with the young guys getting a bonus quarter which seems to happen in most of the fall scrimmages. #25, the mystery player, looked really quick and was getting separation during the alumni game too. I am pretty sure he isn't a freshmen, and must be someone who changes numbers with Stone graduating or an unknown transfer?? I think I had it 17-8 and you are right with a little cleaner effort, even with mostly the young guys playing it would have been even more of a route.

You can come out and watch some lacrosse before the football game :-)

Inside Lacrosse and the Gazette also had articles on it. Hill game is now Wednesday 8pm.

Looks like the Hill scrimmage has been moved again. Sounds like if it happens it will be Wednesday. If I hear anything for certain I will update the time and place.

Mitch was on the sideline in sweats. I think I heard he was a little banged up.

Really good recap. With the shot clock I think the value of big attackmen is somewhat diminished. Small and slow is a bad combination, but I think there is going to be a premium on ball movement and big middies which is probably where we are more deficient. Tehoka or anyone else just backing people down and keeping the ball in one person's stick is going to be a lot less important because of the time factor. With him out for the fall the big question when he comes back is how does he mesh back into the new look offense. #43 is Tanner Hay and he is very skilled with passing and carrying the ball. The starting rotation of Dhluy, Flip, and Perla played very little together as a group. It looked like they worked in one of the other freshmen #31 a lot down low, and #39 who I was told is a senior transfer in, but I didn't catch his name or where he played before. I don't know who #25 was at middie, but he was very quick. You are right a lot of guys at middie who haven't had the opportunity to play much. A lot, lot of potential there. I am still amazed that Ron John hasn't played more in the past, but he could be poised for a breakout season. Wanted to add that in no way do I think we are a better team without Tehoka, but that in a shot clock world, the ball sitting in your star's stick for long periods of time isn't going to be effective, and in recent years when we had that sort of player that happened quite a bit. It's one of the reasons I thought why despite being a prolific offensive team we underperformed a bit on man-up opportunities. The ball really moved well yesterday, but the real test to see where things stand will be next week against Hopkins and Army.

That was a good showing from the current and former Danes. I also saw some of the recent defensive guys playing, and it was awesome to catch up with Liam Gleason. First game with the shot clock. There was definitely less standing around, and while it didn’t feel rushed the offense couldn’t mess around either. What stood out to me and a few others is how the shot clock may not suit the superstar who needs the ball in his stick a lot like we have had in the past. Not that any of us wouldn’t love to have one back, but this was easily the best ball movement I have seen in the last five years or so and this also looks like the most athletic team Coach Marr has fielded. Patterson looked really comfortable carrying the ball and will be an All American. Diamond also starred at attack with Cavallo who looked good. Just shows you how much depth we had last year that he didn’t play more. Overall the FOGO’s looked good but hard to really say until we see them play next week, but Altamari’s stick was very good, and looked dangerous in transition. I think Jones took the first draw so don’t know if that means he is number one or not. Gleason at LSM was tremendous and there are some athletes and overall more size on defense. Next week will be a much better gauge, but I liked what I saw and I don’t think there will be much of a drop off from last year if any.

This is going to be Coach Marr’s biggest coaching challenge in recent history. It came out today that Tehoka is not playing this fall, but will be back in the spring. i guess the positive of that is someone who needs to step up this spring will be getting a lot of reps this fall. i have a lot if confidence from what I am hearing about the defense and goalie play but a lot of things, personnel, and packages to work through on offense. Lots of pieces, but not sure how they will be put together. Big fall for the coaches and team.

Alumni game is tomorrow at 4pm. The Hill game was moved to the 8th. I think that one starts around 8pm.

Baby steps http://www.ualbanysports.com/SportSelect.dbml?KEY=PIWCEUFCJTKXPTA.20180915230639&DB_OEM_ID=15800&SPID=7980&SPSID=84577

Seems as if business as usual to me. I do think Coach Marr is justifiably lowering expectations a bit. Still a lot of talent on this team, but some big holes to fill.

Not positive, but I think everyone did. I know we lost a FOGO a while back from Long Island who switched to Navy, and Owen Hill is at OCC. Last year's freshmen class was a big one so maybe this was a deliberate move to keep the roster at a reasonable size.

Hey, I am impressed they have the returning players up! It isn't terribly unusual to wait on the freshmen. I think the final number was eight. I hear that several of them are pushing the older guys.

Title IX is going to put a serious cap on the growth of DI men's lacrosse, and with the growth of the game at the high school level there will continue to be a ton of quality players for everyone, and unlike in football, with lacrosse you only need 18-22 quality guys to compete. It will be interesting to see with the new rules how that all changes. As far as rankings go, the lacrosse ranking are probably the most irrelevant of all of them. There are probably 2-4 guys who somehow think they can adequately evaluate and rank hundreds to thousands of players across the country, and much of it is done in the summer which isn't usually the best format to really get a read on players. All you have to do is look at the most recent guys who have come through the program to cast a serious doubt on the guys who rank players and recruiting classes.

From the local paper https://buffalonews.com/2018/09/25/national-lacrosse-league-draft-2018-connor-fields/ Such a leader and great teammate. He will be sorely missed.