ualbany mlax MLAX Game 1/OOC Game 1 vs Colgate Raiders (#20) Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium, Albany, NY Saturday, February 17, 2024, 1:00 PM

[HOF2013]

Critical errors, a few. Biggest difference is that it was their 4th game, our first................Refs were not on our side either........ Colgate players were extremely aggressive - I think many many things would have been called by other refs.   Still having trouble getting the ball inside on attack. Our def. still has a couple of guys who I have not liked on the field in a couple of years - slow laterally and too careful..... Our kids need to be far more aggressive - they finally started being so in the second half.  Had a chance at the end but had a let up at the worst time at the end.  Can't afford that.

[cwdickens]

7 minutes ago, HOF2013 said:

Critical errors, a few. Biggest difference is that it was their 4th game, our first................Refs were not on our side either........ Colgate players were extremely aggressive - I think many many things would have been called by other refs.   Still having trouble getting the ball inside on attack. Our def. still has a couple of guys who I have not liked on the field in a couple of years - slow laterally and too careful..... Our kids need to be far more aggressive - they finally started being so in the second half.  Had a chance at the end but had a let up at the worst time at the end.  Can't afford that.

While I agree with your observations, I feel much better about the prospects for this team after seeing them play.  They never gave up,

[dslyank]

Did not see Peter Salit in box score. Injured??? He has been one of best QB’s/assistman, the last couple of years. Could have been a/the difference maker yesterday?? 
Missed game due a family illness, but sounds by blog & what I read winnable game? Good effort against a team playing its 4th game. Problem with clearing and 10 man ride. 
Wonder how close in freshman  defenders (especially close in) did??

[jimbo]

I watched the whole game. UA got off to a slow start, but then settled down. It’s funny, but watching the game it really looked like Colgate was dominating and yet the team stats don’t show that at all. It seemed like every time there was a scrum the Raiders would come out with the ball…but the GBs were even. The big thing was some unforced errors on passes that I think cost them the contest. Not a chippy game, but very aggressive D on both sides and the refs let them play. Lots of newbies as well. For a first game against what is clearly a good team with three games under their belts they did well. 

[AlbanyFan2018]

5 hours ago, jimbo said:

I watched the whole game. UA got off to a slow start, but then settled down. It’s funny, but watching the game it really looked like Colgate was dominating and yet the team stats don’t show that at all. It seemed like every time there was a scrum the Raiders would come out with the ball…but the GBs were even. The big thing was some unforced errors on passes that I think cost them the contest. Not a chippy game, but very aggressive D on both sides and the refs let them play. Lots of newbies as well. For a first game against what is clearly a good team with three games under their belts they did well. 

I agree with you. What I think happened at the end, and is to be expected, is that when we had the ball in that last 90 seconds after Colgate scored, there wasn't a go to guy to run the play through or to try and take the game over. That's why I was a bit surprised, at least for now, that Hogg was playing up top. Over his career he has been pretty effective at beating his guy from X or at least getting the defense moving.

I'm not sure I love Piseno playing down low, but I say that not having a clue anymore of who can really do what down low. I just think he is much more disruptive in the middle of the field and his go for broke defensive style is better suited in space then in close. He did give up one or two yesterday going for a high risk reward check. That is better suited in space then in close. I just don't think playing close plays to his strengths. There were some bad slides and ball watching by a few guys, but hopefully that gets cleaned up as they get more time at game speed.

The freshmen goalie looked really good. At least 3-4 of the goals he gave up were from poor defensive plays where he had little to no chance. 

Edited February 18 by AlbanyFan2018

[jimbo]

Exactly. Colgate did well with unsettled situations. It really didn’t help that they were out of time outs. That likely contributed to a lack of a plan near the end. 

[HOF2013]

5 hours ago, jimbo said:

I watched the whole game. UA got off to a slow start, but then settled down. It’s funny, but watching the game it really looked like Colgate was dominating and yet the team stats don’t show that at all. It seemed like every time there was a scrum the Raiders would come out with the ball…but the GBs were even. The big thing was some unforced errors on passes that I think cost them the contest. Not a chippy game, but very aggressive D on both sides and the refs let them play. Lots of newbies as well. For a first game against what is clearly a good team with three games under their belts they did well. 

It really was a nice day for lacrosse.  Sun was out a lot and it was not as cold as expected.   Their D was very agressive and got away with numerous holds, expecially on FO.  That was one reason we seemed to never come away with the ball.   I thnk they had just as many unforced errors, especially on balls thrown out of bounds in the second 1/2.  Another thing that may have HELPED change the outcome was two really bad possession calls on the sideline in front of our bench - Right down below my seats.  Just obvious bad calls.  Clearly our ball but the same ref called them red each time?????  I do not recall exactly but they may have scored off each of them.   I had no issue with the called off goal at the end of the first 1/2.  I thought it was released just at the buzzer but could have gone either way.  

[Laxdawg20]

For anyone that is interested in going - Colgate will be playing Yale THIS Wed 2/21 @ 7pm at Casey Stadium in a last minute switch for Colgate. We play @ Yale in April. Should be good game will be 10 man rides all day long as both teams super aggressive.