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Old Cage
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BishopMVP
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 Posted: Thu May 06, 2010 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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Masco's a hard team to figure out. They're a legitimate top 10 team in D1, but they lost by 9 against BCH, to a D3 team in Hamilton-Wenham and looked pretty poor the one day I saw them vs. (a deceptively good) Waltham. FWIW, Reading was also playing its first game without DeBenedetto - an AA attackman out with a broken wrist.
The Boston Globe, for all their faults covering HS Lacrosse (like putting Medford 10th in the preseason poll), has done stories recently on Izzo (Walpole), possible 2010 Andrew Whippen (A - Chelmsford) and 2011 Whiteway (Billerica, leading the state in scoring) - http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/lacrosse/ I've also heard the North Andover goalie (Brian O'Connor) wants to go to UMass but Cannella already has enough goalies. |
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78
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Joined: 02 Apr 2003
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Location: Near Boston
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| Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 12:21 am Post subject: |
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| BishopMVP wrote: | Masco's a hard team to figure out. They're a legitimate top 10 team in D1, but they lost by 9 against BCH, to a D3 team in Hamilton-Wenham and looked pretty poor the one day I saw them vs. (a deceptively good) Waltham. FWIW, Reading was also playing its first game without DeBenedetto - an AA attackman out with a broken wrist.
The Boston Globe, for all their faults covering HS Lacrosse (like putting Medford 10th in the preseason poll), has done stories recently on Izzo (Walpole), possible 2010 Andrew Whippen (A - Chelmsford) and 2011 Whiteway (Billerica, leading the state in scoring) - http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/lacrosse/ I've also heard the North Andover goalie (Brian O'Connor) wants to go to UMass but Cannella already has enough goalies. |
I would like to see some of the top public schools -- Billerica, St. John's, Duxbury -- play some of the ISL schools to get a handle on just how good the publics are. The top 3 or 4 schools in the ISL have a lot of talent. And then of course, Deerfield is in its own category.
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BishopMVP
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| Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 6:52 pm Post subject: |
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| 78 wrote: | | I would like to see some of the top public schools -- Billerica, St. John's, Duxbury -- play some of the ISL schools to get a handle on just how good the publics are. The top 3 or 4 schools in the ISL have a lot of talent. And then of course, Deerfield is in its own category. |
The top ISL schools (Middlesex, Phillips, particularly Governor's, thankfully not Rivers this year - there isn't a coach more despised in the state than Justin Walker due to his recruiting tactics) are a notch or two above the top publics because a) almost everyone is a year older, b) you can bring in players to address weaknesses, so you have no holes and c) it's a bit of a down year at the top of the publics (unless you include Bishop Guertin - who would be favored against any of the MIAA teams - there were 3 better teams last year in D2 alone than anyone in either division this year). If the top 4 public schools (the 3 you mentioned+LS) were in the ISL this year, they'd probably finish mid-pack, with 1 climbing as high as 3rd/4th and 1 dropping a couple spots above last. But give any of them the multiple AA's that graduated for a 5th year and they would be right behind Gov's in the pecking order. CC/Middlesex would probably be about 11/12-3 MX, but give us the 3 Concord kids that are going D3 from MX and it would be a pretty even game.
As for specific players, the Whiteways, Hollands, Actons, Campbells would be standout players in the ISL too - but then each team has huge weaknesses (Billerica's FR goalie, LS starting 2 FR at D, SJP only running a few middies, Duxbury's offense consisting almost entirely of SO's and JR's).
Bringing Deerfield up is just silly. Once you start bringing in 11 PG's solely for lacrosse, you might as well compare yourself to Bridgton Academy or Naval Prep. |
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78
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Joined: 02 Apr 2003
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Location: Near Boston
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| Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 12:56 am Post subject: |
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| BishopMVP wrote: | | 78 wrote: | | I would like to see some of the top public schools -- Billerica, St. John's, Duxbury -- play some of the ISL schools to get a handle on just how good the publics are. The top 3 or 4 schools in the ISL have a lot of talent. And then of course, Deerfield is in its own category. |
The top ISL schools (Middlesex, Phillips, particularly Governor's, thankfully not Rivers this year - there isn't a coach more despised in the state than Justin Walker due to his recruiting tactics) are a notch or two above the top publics because a) almost everyone is a year older, b) you can bring in players to address weaknesses, so you have no holes and c) it's a bit of a down year at the top of the publics (unless you include Bishop Guertin - who would be favored against any of the MIAA teams - there were 3 better teams last year in D2 alone than anyone in either division this year). If the top 4 public schools (the 3 you mentioned+LS) were in the ISL this year, they'd probably finish mid-pack, with 1 climbing as high as 3rd/4th and 1 dropping a couple spots above last. But give any of them the multiple AA's that graduated for a 5th year and they would be right behind Gov's in the pecking order. CC/Middlesex would probably be about 11/12-3 MX, but give us the 3 Concord kids that are going D3 from MX and it would be a pretty even game.
As for specific players, the Whiteways, Hollands, Actons, Campbells would be standout players in the ISL too - but then each team has huge weaknesses (Billerica's FR goalie, LS starting 2 FR at D, SJP only running a few middies, Duxbury's offense consisting almost entirely of SO's and JR's).
Bringing Deerfield up is just silly. Once you start bringing in 11 PG's solely for lacrosse, you might as well compare yourself to Bridgton Academy or Naval Prep. |
I agree on Deerfield and good point about the 5-year players. The ISL gets around the no PG kids by having many 9th graders who are repeating 9th grade. Many of the players on Governors and the other schools are 5th year seniors. And you are right in that this gives them a major advantage. I just wonder how the publics would hold up, however. I look at hockey, and the worst team in the ISL this season, Thayer (2 wins all year), pasted Catholic Memorial, 7-2. I just wonder if the same would not happen in lacrosse.
Governors is really good. My son is a freshman there and feels fortunate that he was able to make the JV team, which has won 64 straight games in the ISL. Gov's varsity has 3 big games remaining --- St. Sebastian tomorrow, Nobles, and the big one versus Middlesex. Govs handled Rivers fairly easily this year.
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BishopMVP
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| Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 9:46 pm Post subject: |
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| 78 wrote: | | I agree on Deerfield and good point about the 5-year players. The ISL gets around the no PG kids by having many 9th graders who are repeating 9th grade. Many of the players on Governors and the other schools are 5th year seniors. And you are right in that this gives them a major advantage. I just wonder how the publics would hold up, however. I look at hockey, and the worst team in the ISL this season, Thayer (2 wins all year), pasted Catholic Memorial, 7-2. I just wonder if the same would not happen in lacrosse. |
ISL Lacrosse is different than hockey... it's not the #1 sport at any school other than Governor's (and now Rivers). Even the Middlesex coach tends to use his pull with admissions to get basketball kids in and relies on the Middlesex reputation (and being in an are with CC/Westford/the Fenn school) to stay top of the league in lacrosse. Almost any ISL school will have 3-4 very good players at the top, but at the middle/bottom of the league the depth is not there and the Duxbury/SJP's would exploit that.
Video from SJP (blue) @Ricca (white/green) in the rain on a muddy field, which Cannella appeared at - http://seriovideo.com/games/10/lax/boys/hs-LAX10-B24.htm
James Fahey is #12 for SJP (adds a goal late)
Grant Whiteway is #3 for Billerica
SJP's #11 who covers him is Chris Coady
SJP's #24 is Jeff Dube, going to Roanoke
SJP#13 with 6 g's is Bobby Gallahue, going to Trinity
SJP #4 is Garrett Campbell, going to Harvard
SJP's G Nick Troiano is like 5'2 but very good-going Hartwick
B's G is a freshman and their weak link
B#5 is Jimmy Holland. He's might be the best defenseman in the state but apparently he's only going to Merrimack. He must have injured his knee before recruiting season or something.
Last edited by BishopMVP on Tue May 25, 2010 1:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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npt3
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Joined: 22 Sep 2007
Posts: 1353
Location: North of Boston, south of NH.
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| Posted: Fri May 21, 2010 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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| BishopMVP wrote: | | 78 wrote: | | I agree on Deerfield and good point about the 5-year players. The ISL gets around the no PG kids by having many 9th graders who are repeating 9th grade. Many of the players on Governors and the other schools are 5th year seniors. And you are right in that this gives them a major advantage. I just wonder how the publics would hold up, however. I look at hockey, and the worst team in the ISL this season, Thayer (2 wins all year), pasted Catholic Memorial, 7-2. I just wonder if the same would not happen in lacrosse. |
ISL Lacrosse is different than hockey... it's not the #1 sport at any school other than Governor's (and now Rivers). Even the Middlesex coach tends to use his pull with admissions to get basketball kids in and relies on the Middlesex reputation (and being in an are with CC/Westford/the Fenn school) to stay top of the league in lacrosse. Almost any ISL school will have 3-4 very good players at the top, but at the middle/bottom of the league the depth is not there and the Duxbury/SJP's would exploit that.
Video from SJP (blue) @Ricca (white/green) in the rain on a muddy field, which Cannella appeared at - http://seriovideo.com/games/10/lax/boys/hs-LAX10-B24.htm
James Fahey is #12 for SJP (adds a goal late)
Grant Whiteway is #3 for Billerica
SJP's #11 who covers him is Jeff Dube, going to Roanoke
SJP#13 with 6 g's is Bobby Gallahue, going to Trinity
SJP #4 is Garrett Campbell, going to Harvard
SJP's G Nick Triano is like 5'2 but very good-going Hartwick
B's G is a freshman and their weak link
B#5 is Jimmy Holland. He's might be the best defenseman in the state but apparently he's only going to Merrimack. He must have injured his knee before recruiting season or something. |
SJP #11 is Chris Coady, Bishop. He's a junior currently, but going to repeat at BB&N next year. One to watch. SJP #24 is Jeff Dube (LSM).
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78
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| Posted: Sat May 22, 2010 10:25 am Post subject: |
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Just watched the video and have to say that those two teams might beat the worst 3-4 teams in the ISL, but that would be about it. The quality of play is nowhere close to what I have seen all year in the ISL, even from some of the bottom dwelling teams. So many fastbreak goals and so many times that neither defense was in the right position. I hardly ever saw that in ISL play. And finally, I have never seen so many goals scored by a player coming from X, circling the cage, and not being stopped by a defender.
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BishopMVP
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| Posted: Tue May 25, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| npt3 wrote: | | SJP #11 is Chris Coady, Bishop. He's a junior currently, but going to repeat at BB&N next year. One to watch. SJP #24 is Jeff Dube (LSM). |
He's going to be a JR next year? Definitely one on my potential D1 list with guys like Bryan Barry and Heller (Dux) Loughlin (Hanover, ex-Milton Academy) Fong (Weston) L-S D#16 (I think it's Andrew Kelly, but he might be #10) Gouchoe (CC) Flibotte (Coho) Jennings (Wellesley), Kevin Blair (Hingham). And of course Jimmy Bitter, but he's DA and not exactly under the radar. | 78 wrote: | | Just watched the video and have to say that those two teams might beat the worst 3-4 teams in the ISL, but that would be about it. The quality of play is nowhere close to what I have seen all year in the ISL, even from some of the bottom dwelling teams. So many fastbreak goals and so many times that neither defense was in the right position. I hardly ever saw that in ISL play. And finally, I have never seen so many goals scored by a player coming from X, circling the cage, and not being stopped by a defender. |
In their defense for the passing/FB portion it was played in hard rain on a terrible field in Billerica. On the topside part, Whiteway and Campbell are the two best in MA at getting topside, but honestly SJP at least isn't well coached imo. It's an embarrassment that a team that poorly coached is a top 4 team, but on the other hand it's an embarrassment that they don't win D1 every other year with the athletes they have. They played L-S last night and the difference was clear - despite being physically inferior at 8 of 10 spots on the field, plus every bench player, L-S won because everyone on their team could throw, catch and knew where to space out. When clearing SJP's defensemen wouldn't stretch over half without the ball, couldn't switch fields, and relied on shorties outrunning a guy to get open. Page's replacement, #20 is horrible and I would leave him open all day. Almost every offensive goal is also the result of a great individual play.
I'm hoping I'm right with that too, because Fahey shows some promise on ball and with it in his stick (1g vs Ricca and Walpole, hit a post vs. LS) but he makes long adjacent slides, doesn't call for it when he's open at midfield on a clear, and did a horrible job attempting to double when L-S was ragging the game out. These are all things that can be coached though, and Fahey does have size and speed, so we'll see what Cannella can do.
More videos of SJP and an assortment of others boys lax games are available here - http://seriovideo.com/games/games_hs_spring-10.htm#LACROSSE% , including Walpole@Prep, which was Walpole's worst game of the year. #2 is Ryan Izzo and you can at least get a sense of his athleticism, #10 Whittemore and there's a Bowes on defense going to Loyola. Their goalie is also horrible (I hear they've been through 4 or 5). |
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Dickie Dunn
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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Div. 1 tournament is going to be a bear this year. Duxbury, SJP, Billerica and L-S have taken turns beating each other. Should be a great one, at least the final two rounds.
Bishop, I don't know how SJP doesn't win every sport it puts on the field every year with the talent and sheer numbers it has come through the doors. If they couldn't beat Duxbury last year, I'm not sure they ever will win it.
Is Jimmy Bitter related to the attackman from North Carolina?
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BishopMVP
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Dickie Dunn wrote: | | Is Jimmy Bitter related to the attackman from North Carolina? |
Yes, he's Billy's younger brother. |
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BishopMVP
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| Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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Highlights from SJP's overtime comeback win to snap Duxbury's D1 streak - http://seriovideo.com/games/10/lax/boys/hs-LAX10-B35.htm . Winning goal scored by James Fahey. Hearing a little more from people it appears he's the more flashy of the two while Coady is the better defender (but Coady is trying to play QB, hence the transfer to BB&N). It wouldn't surprise me if Fahey was an LSM instead of a defenseman at UMass, but I do think he has potential to see the field within a couple years.
On the other side, Duxbury is ridiculous - Bryan Barry (jr, M#13), Paul Hellar (so, A#35) and Max Randall (so, D#26) are my three favorite underclassmen, but Kane Haffey (jr, A#20), Reilly Naton (so, LSM#2), Seamus Connelly (so, A#22) and (so, A#5 - forget the name) are just a few of the other D1 prospects. They should win the next 2 D1 championships and the 2012 team is shaping up to be better than the 2006 one led by Quinzani and Chris Nixon. |
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npt3
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Location: North of Boston, south of NH.
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:40 am Post subject: |
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We'll see. 
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Dickie Dunn
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Location: Capturing the spirit of the thing
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| Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| BishopMVP wrote: | | They should win the next 2 D1 championships and the 2012 team is shaping up to be better than the 2006 one led by Quinzani and Chris Nixon. |
That 2006 team was just disgusting ... not as explosive as the '05 team when Quinzani, Siefert and Gould simply blistered teams on offense, but more balanced. Quinzani, Austin (now at Cornell), Nixon scoring 30+ goals while playing middie full-time with a long stick, one-time Minutemen Casey and Schnibbe. Levesque, Fuchs. Just a wagon. LaxPower had them No. 7 in the country. Pretty good legacy for the 2012 team to target.
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BishopMVP
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| Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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2 recruits make the all-tournament team at the ESPN Rise camp in Florida - http://rise.espn.go.com/lacrosse/articles/2010/07/US-Lacrosse-boys-showcase-all-erg-team.aspx
| Quote: | Ryan Izzo, Walpole (Walpole, Mass.), Midfield, Liberty (Massachusetts)
Coaches lauded Izzo for appearing to be everywhere at once. It is no surprise the UMass commitment made the All-ERG Team for the tournament. Izzo was one of Liberty’s most consistent performers throughout and drew heavy attention from opponents.
Connor Mooney, Avon Old Farms (Avon, Conn.), Attack, Spirit, (Massachusetts)
Mooney proved to be a perfect teammate for (#1 recruit and UNC commit Nicky) Galasso. The UMass commit scored the first two goals of the championship game, both of which were assisted by Galasso. Mooney tied with Ellis for most goals scored in the tournament |
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