Welcome to On the Run. Here's what happened in college lacrosse this weekend, plus some little things that I loved. Quick and easy to read while you're on the run!
The storyline that stole the show this weekend.
Is there anything better than a Sunday afternoon ESPNU game?
It was just a terrific game to watch. From highlight reel goals, to the endless penalties and reviews, to a Pat Kavanagh late equalizer, and an Aidan Carroll overtime winner.
Very fun. This game will ultimately probably not mean *that* much in the long run. Georgetown still needs to win the Big East to make the tournament, while Notre Dame would need to have a pretty down year to not make the tournament.
A few things though - having Georgetown at +7.5 underdogs felt pretty disrespectful. I know the Hoyas haven't gotten off to a good start, but they were always going to turn the ship around, much like last year.
Second, the Irish didn't play great. They need to solidify their second midfield line and find a way to get lefty finisher Jeffrey Ricciardelli on the field more. Jordan Faison is going to be a star, highlighted by Georgetown electing to put a pole on him instead of Preseason Midfielder of the Year Eric Dobson, although I think part of it has to do with the bigger Hoya defensive midfielders (Dylan Hess, Jack Leary) matching up better with Dobson.
Also, I disagreed with the some of the calls, specifically the Chris Kavanagh push call. If anything, Kavanagh should have been flagged for jumping recklessly into Georgetown goaltender Anderson Moore.
The head to head contact calls are fine, and while the reviews slowed down the game, I think it is the right thing to do. I also don't think every game will be impacted to the extent that replay had in this game.
College lacrosse on ESPNU is great, and I can't wait for more. Just the start of a great season that feels wide open so far, with Duke the early favorites.
What else happened?
I was looking at the box score of Cornell vs Denver and noticed Cascadden didn't take a single faceoff. Naturally, I went to the Cornell forums to see what I could find, and there were reports of an ACL tear during practice on Thursday.
If true, it's an unfortunate injury for a really good player who I wrote last week would be a big part of Cornell's success this year.
Matt Brandau kicked things off on Wednesday with a 6g/7a performance against Colgate, shooting 100% in the process which is wild. That set the stage for more big performers this weekend. VMI's Charles Hunt had his second consecutive 8-point game. John Mathes and Charlie Cunniffe both had 6 goals in Lafayette's win over Binghamton. Dartmouth's Hopper Zappitello tallied 2g/5a in a win against Holy Cross.
I'm sure I'm missing some others, but the point is that you don't see these numbers very frequently across a weekend.
I've been saying this for a long time (since last week) that Quinnipiac is for real, because they are. Another terrific win over a good Bryant squad.
The Tigers looked good, but more interesting is that Saint Joseph's didn't look good.
We know what their offense can be, but their defense could be a problem. They need to figure it out (which they still have plenty of time) to challenge UMass or Richmond in the Atlantic 10.
We (or maybe just I) live in a world that expects higher-ranked recruits to come in as freshman and play meaningful minutes, but that's just not the case for most programs. Cornell's Danny Caddigan, Michigan's Bo Lockwood, and Dartmouth's Hopper Zappitello are non-freshman that are impressing with the uptick in minutes.
I am starting a Justin Tiernan goal counter because I predicted he would have 60 this year. On pace!
From a nifty substitution to a highlight-reel goal and everything in between. Here are the little things that maybe weren't the star of the weekend, but things I still enjoyed.
He's been doing this since high school - cool to see it work against one of the best goalies in college.
Great feed, great finish. Expect Dartmouth to take another step this year in the Ivy League.
A top SSDM should not be able to do this.
We know about the stars of college lacrosse - who's flying under the radar?
For the record, I had Hackett's name written down before Quint referenced him during the Notre Dame/Georgetown game, so I am not a stealer of ideas.
I didn't catch any of Saturday's game against Quinnipiac, but on Tuesday against Harvard, Hackett took over the game with his ability to consistently generate slides with elite athleticism. He can get his own shot off, but he showcased awesome feeding ability. Only a sophomore, he's one to watch.
Look, I know Firth is a known name in lacrosse, but he has a chance to be really, really good.
I hope you enjoyed this week's edition of On the Run and hope to see you next week.
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