First, we're a top 30 team. Not shabby for team 2.
1. Talent Level We have unbelievable talent. Talent isn't the issue. Kwolek has brought in 2 top 5 classes. She's also brought in elite transfer recruits. Lamparter is a good goalie. You must have an elite goalie. Syracuse and #3 BC have elite goalie players. We have one signed and she's flashed, but still young. We have talent at the draw... but here's the rub. We're raw.
2. Team Chemistry Teams like cuse, bc, Denver, northwestern etc have been playing for a while. Top 5 talent. But what hurts us is lacrosse is precise and, like football, it helps when you know how and where your teammates are on the field.
Good example in today's game. Cuse is on offense and the offense walls us off on the right side. They run a simple weave, get a mismatch on a one on one, like a receiver and boom the weave pass goes left and beats our defender for an easy one on one with the goalie... even the cuse goalie will rarely stop that.
Most likely they picked up on film that our young D over rotates. Kwolek will get this fixed. But a lot just comes with the elite talent has to gel as a team. I was hopeful we'd at least make the 32 team tournament. The Louisville loss hurt our chances. We needed an upset and we took ND to 2 overtimes before losing. Win Louisville and the ND upset and we're in.
3. Coaching We have one of, if not the most talented coach in the country. Think Dabo in the early years. No doubt in my mind she'll bring home a natty in the near future. I pray the Good Lord keeps me around long enough to see it.
Go Tigers!!! Thank you Seniors for coming here. I know you have friends that are clamoring to get down to play for Clemson.