Towson Up Next

This may be the first regular season meeting of these two teams. The two teams have met in a preseason scrimmage several years ago. Towson plays its home games at Johnny Unitas Stadium which is carpeted with field turf, not the ideal surface for the modern field hockey game. That may explain in part their 0-3 road record. Their offense in six games has only generated 3 goals. The defense on the other hand has allowed 20 goals on 143 shots. They have an excellent goaltender who according to their stats has an 80 per cent save number.

We all know having a hot goal keeper can even things out and the Leopards should be mindful of past games when we dominated shots on goal and still lost. ( I still remember games with Holy Cross and Colgate that had the Leopards well ahead in shots and still lost). Yes, Lafayette will get shots, but they need to be good shots.

Another area for concentration would be an improvement in corners. Most teams will connect 20 percent of the time on corners to score a goal. Those opportunities can not be squandered.

The Leopards will soon be entering the crucial part of the schedule with Boston University next Friday at Rappolt Field. The next two games will be good opportunities to  polish our corners, get good shots, and work on  the details of the game that will benefit the team in the season’s home stretch.

The Patriot League continues mixed results. Bucknell at home has been impressive having beaten Rutgers and Albany at home, but losing to Princeton and Penn State away. Last night they were hammered 9-1 by the Nittany Lions. Boston is undefeated with their last outing being their first game they won by more than one goal. ( UCAL 5-0). American was soundly beaten by Maryland 6-2 and ODU 2-1, but won over Richmond, JMU, Fairfield and William and Mary. Colgate has lost all but one and there have been mixed results from Holy Cross and Lehigh.

This is where I get to whine a little. It is three weeks into the season and we have had NOT ONE player noted in the league players of the week. Lafayette sports the second best record in league, it’s time our players get recognized. I predict this will be the week. On the other hand I’ll take our won/loss record any day of the week. Go Pards!!