AP Photo/Rob CarrA strong defensive effort in what amounted to the fewest total goals scored in championship game history left Irish fans heartbroken in a 6-5 OT loss to Duke Monday afternoon in Baltimore.
Seen above, Irish senior netminder Scott Rodgers walks across the field dejected after giving up the game-winning goal 0:05 into OT. Not all was lost for Rodgers, who was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Lacrosse Championship.
Congratulations to Rodgers, his teammates and coaches, and of course the Duke Blue Devils on tremendous seasons. By maneuvering so deep into the national tournament the Irish established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in collegiate lacrosse. May they carry the momentum forward to a national title in the near future.
Go Irish!
4 comments:
ND plays some ugly ugly lax. It takes everything that makes the game entertaining away.
Granted I don't really like watching it, but at least shoot the damn ball instead of playing four corners (Dean Smith style).
Sienk is right, the game needs a shot clock.
Props to both teams though. I was pulling for Duke because I felt they needed it more.
Yeah it's usually not that bad... our O usually puts more on the board than that, so it makes it a little more bearable.
Agree on shot clock. The "warnings" are ludicrous. Maybe they should just keep play in the box without allowing players to go in and out. That could work, too.
I'm a little late here, but I wanna weigh in...
ND played a DISGUSTING lacrosse game against Duke, but it got the job done. Possessing the ball for dreadfully boring lengths of time and being intentionally worthless was the only way they could keep themselves in the game against a super high-powered Duke offense. ND could have actually won that game if their shooters were competent... The Irish took 31 shots and Duke goalie made only 5 saves (they hardly tested him!) meaning that 21 shots missed the cage, most of them by a mile. Playing "your game" only works if you can take advantage of the situations you create. They were scared of Duke. Bottom line. We'll see if they can prove themselves next year. I'm still not convinced they can "run-n-gun" with the best in the game.
And yes, I have never been more convinced that a shot clock needs to be in place than I am now. Most of the time it's not a problem, but the game has slowed progressively every season and it is becoming a gross trend for inferior or slower teams to sit on the ball and suck up time doing nothing. Take a look at the pro levels, both outdoor and indoor. Shot clocks force the game up and down the field at all times. Makes for pure, exciting lacrosse and leads to the unscripted flashes of athletic brilliance that make the game great.
Sienk - I agree with your commentary... right up until the point you said ND was scared of Duke. That's ridiculous. We beat them earlier in the season, so why were we scared? Playing in a close game against a superior team on paper does not strike me at all of being scared.
Not sure what more there is to "prove" next year, perhaps except winning it all?
Shot clock is a must.
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