Uncategorized
NCAA Division 1 Women’s Top Lacrosse Players from Long Island
#3 Mount Sinai Lady Mustangs Season Preview
How does a perennial powerhouse rebound from a heartbreaking loss in the 2018 Long Island Championship Game? “One game at a time”. That is how Head Coach, Al Bertolone described the approach for the 2019 Mount Sinai Girls Lacrosse team. After winning three consecutive State Championships, the Mustangs lost to, eventual State Champ, Cold Spring Harbor, last season. With so much playoff success, it is easy to become focused only on results, and you can feel as though you have failed, unless you win the State Championship. While the Mustangs have certainly had their share of victories and Championships, to Coach Bertolone, that is not the only measure of success. He tries to keep his program focused on the “journey”, not necessarily the destination. “Losing last year, was not a bad thing”, sometimes you “need to fail, to move forward”, Bertolone explained. And that is exactly what this year’s team is looking to do. They are “hungry” and very “motivated”, to return to the top of Class C.
#1 Northport Lady Tigers Season Preview
The 2019 Northport Tigers have “unfinished business.” After losing in the Suffolk Class A Championship a season ago, the Tigers felt they left a lot on the field that day. Although a disappointing finish to what was a very successful 2018 season, the new and improved Northport girls lacrosse team is, above all things, left feeling hungry to regain dominance in Suffolk Class A.
Top Division II and III Programs Attending 2018 FLG Legit Showcase
The Cortland Red Dragons (12-7) were ranked 33 by the NCAA RPI had a very good season rolling through the SUNYAC conference making their 18th straight DIII playoff appearance and 34th overall. The Red Dragons lost in the first round of the playoffs to the later crowned champions, Wesleyan University. Cortland has also made an NCAA DIII finals appearances in 5 of the last 12 years. Cortland had 3 players named to the USILA All-American Honorable Mentions List (Midfielder- Joey Panariello and Attackman- Devin Phelps and Terrence Haggerty) and 2 players were nominated to play in the USILA Senior All-Star Game (Attackman- Thomas McNaney and Defenseman- Justin Siracusa). In addition, Head Coach Steve Beville was named 2018 SUNYAC Coach of the Year proving that Cortland is an all-around team taking control over the SUNYAC. To support the Red Dragon’s case more, Cortland led the SUNYAC in goals by almost 100, assists by 70, and goals per game by 3. However, they were towards the bottom of the ranks in the SUNYAC in defense but their powerful offense was more than capable of making up for their lax defense. Individually, Cortland has the leading goal scorer in the conference and 3 of the top 7 (Haggerty-54, Panariello-34, and Phelps-28). They also have the top 2 assist leaders in the conference and 3 of the top 4 (McNaney-37, Phelps-33, and Riley-22). In addition, they have the top 3 point scorers and 4 of the top 5 in the conference (Phelps-61, Haggerty & McNaney- 58, Panariello- 47). To continue Cortland’s success, they have 5 recruits coming in the fall all from New York but predominantly Long Island. SUNY Cortland is the 48th Regionally ranked Northern University with roughly 7,000 undergraduates enrolled, mostly from New York at about $21,000 in-state and $30,000 out-of-state a year. The primary majors at Cortland for Education, Sports and Fitness Management, and Kinesiology and exercise science. Representing the Red Dragons at the Legit Showcase is Nick Acquaviva, a 2nd year assistant coach for Cortland who has previously been the assistant coach for Lycoming College (2012-2013) and Pfeiffer University (2014-2016).Nick is 5th all-time in DIII men’s lacrosse in minutes played (3,865), and 24th All-time in saves (789). The Dragons are the SUNY team to watch in the near future.
2 Dragon defenders sandwiching the attack.
Photo credit: thelamron.com
The Haverford Fords (7-8) had a solid season, finishing 4th in a very competitive Centennial Conference and finishing the year as the 38th ranked team according to the NCAA DIII RPI rankings. The Fords made the Centennial Conference semifinals, losing to #3 ranked Gettysburg who ended up coming in 2nd place in the conference. Haverford was led by the Centennial Conference athlete of the year Ben Frost and Goalie Dylan Slack how was 4th in the conference in saves (173) and 2nd in save percentage (59%). The Fords have 3 recruits coming in the fall, all from New Jersey to boost the Fords to be on top of the CC. Besides athletics, Haverford College is a private liberal arts school in Haverford, PA ranking 18th amongst national liberal arts colleges with about 1,270 undergraduates enrolled costing approximately $70,000 a year. The most popular majors at Haverford are biology, economics, and psychology. Representing Haverford at the Legit Showcase is assistant coach Brian Santoleri who just finished up his 2nd season there. Brian was previously the assistant coach at Moravian College and is currently employed by the Victory Event Series on top of coaching at Haverford. Haverford is looking to remain competitive in a tough conference and hopefully break through to become a team to be feared in the Centennial Conference.
The Skidmore Thoroughbreds (8-8) finished 60th in the NCAA RPI rankings and .500 on the year in a very tough and competitive Liberty League consisting of the #1 ranked RIT. A few bright spots of their season was senior midfielder Jack Curry being awarded a Nike Scholar All-American athlete. In addition, the Thoroughbreds won their last 3 games and won 4 of their last 6 so they have momentum entering the 2019 season. Along with their win streak ending the year, they have 4 recruits coming in the fall, 2 from Long Island and 2 from New England. Skidmore is a private liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York that costs about $52,500 a year and consists of about 2,700 undergraduates enrolled. The most popular majors out of the 43 offered are business management and a variety of art programs. Representing Skidmore at our Legit Showcase is Marcel Godino, the assistant coach for Skidmore and just finished up his 1st year as assistant coach. Godino was a 4 year player at Manhattan College and then began his coaching career as the assistant coach for Bard College’s men’s lacrosse team. He was at Bard for 2 years and is eager to continue his journey as the Skidmore assistant coach.
The Union College Dutchmen (9-6) came off a decent season, placing 5th in a very competitive Liberty League and ending the season ranking 45th according to the NCAA RPI ranks. Union made it to the Liberty League quarterfinals where they lost to the 19th ranked team, St. Lawrence, in a highly anticipated rematch from the season prior. The Dutchman was led by goalie Sam Bebout who was a scholar All-American, a USILA DIII All-Star, finished 2nd place in the conference in goals against and 5th in the conference in saves. The Dutchman also had the leading assist man in the conference in Jordan Cooper who was also a Scholar All-American. Besides athletics, Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York and ranked the 36th national liberal arts college with about 2,200 undergraduates enrolled. In 2017, Union’s cost was about $70,000 a year and the most popular majors are engineering, biology, psychology, and economics. Representing Union at the Legit Showcase is assistant coach and defensive coordinator Derek Witheford. Derek just finished up his 4th season on the team and played college lacrosse at Union so he is familiar with the campus, community, and team.
Star A.J Witherell streaking down the field for Washington & Lee.
Phot Credit: generalssports.com
The Washington and Lee Generals (15-5) destroyed Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) going undefeated in conference play and was the 18th ranked team according to the NCAA RPI rankings. The Generals are led by A.J Witherell who was named the ODAC player of the year and a 1st Team All-ODAC player. In addition, he led the conference in points and was 2nd in goals scored and is eager to get back for his senior year. The Generals also had 2 honorable mentions in Kyle Gifford and Jack Hodgson. Senior defenseman Gifford, was also awarded a 2018 scholar All-American this past season which led to Washington and Lee finishing 13th in the Learfield Directors Cup which is the ranks for the best overall college athletic program. 13th is the highest rank ever for Washington and Lee, the future is looking bright for the Generals, especially with their big recruiting class coming in the fall of 11 young studs. Representing the Generals at the showcase is assistant coach and defensive coordinator Eric Koch. He just finished up his 4th season and led their defense and goaltending to the 2nd highest save percentage in the conference. Besides lacrosse, Washington and Lee ranks 10th amongst National Liberal Arts Colleges with approximately 2,000 undergraduates enrolled and costs about $63,500 to attend. The primary majors are business administration, Economics, and Political Science. The Generals are the team to watch in the ODAC Conference and all of division 3 lacrosse.
The Wesleyan Cardinals (19-3), now on top of the DIII lacrosse world after winning the NESCAC division title and more importantly, the national championship this past year. The Cardinals are entering the 2019 season as the 4th ranked team, according to the NCAA RPI rank with 11 recruits (predominantly from the tristate area) coming next fall. The Cardinals were absolute weapons this past season rankings 3rd in total goals scored and 1st in all of DIII in goals against average. The numbers were spearheaded by 2 of the top 3 goal scorers in the NESCAC conference, Ronan Jacoby (66 goals; 1st), Harry Stanton (60 goals;3rd), and the conference assist leader, Carter Hawthorne (66 assists; 1st and 92 points; 4th). As we always hear, “Defense wins championships.” and the Cardinals had a lights out goalie this season, Otto Bohan ranking 2nd in saves with 191 and 3rd in save percentage with 54.3%. Wesleyan also has a great fan base to play for, ranking 1st in home game attendance out of all of DIII. Wesleyan University is a private University in Middletown Connecticut costing $70,000 per year with 45 majors + about 20 minors, the most popular majors being psychology and biological sciences. Wesleyan ranked 21st nationally in Liberal Arts Colleges with about 3,000 undergraduates enrolled. Representing the Cardinals at the Legit Showcase are Tommy Martone and Bill Els. Tommy started coaching at Wesleyan in 2018 as the defensive assistant. Prior to this position, he coached at Albertus Magnus as the defensive coordinator and was a 3 year starter at the University of Hartford. Bill Els started coaching at Wesleyan in 2018 as the goalie coach. He previously coached at Connecticut College and while he was there, he went to the NCAA tournament and secured a top 15 NCAA ranking in 2012. After this, the was the defensive coordinator and goalie coach at RPI where they were ranked in the top 15 and reached the DIII championship in 2016.
Here’s a picture of Wesleyan defeating Salisbury to secure their 1sr DIII National Championship.
Photo Credit: NCAA.com
The Belmont Abbey College Crusaders (14-4) finished the season 13th according to the NCAA RPI rankings and defeated the 1 seed Limestone to the Conference Carolinas championship this past season. The Crusaders were led by defenseman Anthony Cesario (2nd team), attacker Adam Wiedemann (3rd team), attacker Liam Osborne and midfielder Kyle McGinley (honorable mentions). Wiedemann finished 3rd in the conference in points with 67, tied for 1st in assists with 29, and 5th in goals with 38 and Osborne finished 3rd in goals in the conference with 41. The Crusaders also had 2 DII All-American scholar athletes in seniors Kyle McGinley and Adam Wiedemann To further help Belmont Abbey, the Crusaders have 8 recruits coming in the fall mostly from New York but have a mix from all across the east coast. Besides lacrosse, Belmont Abbey is a private catholic liberal arts college in Belmont, North Carolina ranking 8th amongst southern regional colleges. There are about 1,500 undergraduates enrolled and Belmont Abbey is about $33,000 a year with the most popular majors being business administration, education, and sports management. Representing Belmont Abbey is assistant coach and defensive coordinator Joe Perruzzi who just finished up his 2nd season with the team. He was previously the assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan College, defensive coordinator at Kenyon College, and assistant coach at Community College of Baltimore County-Essex. Perruzzi also played college lacrosse at Belmont Abbey where he was a 3 year starter. The Crusaders are a team to watch in DII in the upcoming season.
Belmont Abbey getting in the zone to take home another W
Photo credit: abbeyathletics.com
The Florida Southern College Moscie’s (8-7) ended middle of the pack in a competitive Sunshine State Conference ranking 25th according to the NCAA RPI rankings. The Moscie’s were led by 4 second teamers, Lucas Claude, Daltion Simpson, Kevin Dyer and Kevin Horowitz and 2 honorable mentions in Austen Lison and Alex Dagen. Lucas Claude was the backbone to the team this year finishing 3rd in the conference in goals with 42 and 6th in points with 53. To push the team to the next level in the near future, there are 4 published recruits coming in the fall, 3 of them from New York. Besides lacrosse, Florida Southern is a private college in Lakeland, Florida ranking 19th amongst southern regional colleges, with about 2,500 undergraduates enrolled. The average cost per year is about $47,000 and the most popular majors are business administration and nursing. Representing Florida Southern College is 2nd year assistant coach Matt Maccario. Prior to this, he was a graduate assistant coach at DeSales University and the defensive coordinator at Wheeling Jesuit and is very eager to get back out there and hopefully have a breakout year in a tight conference.
The Lynn University Fighting Knights (9-6) came off a solid season in the Sunrise State Conference finishing 5-2 at home proving they own their home turf. Lynn finished as the 31st ranked team in the NCAA RPI rankings led by Sophomore FOGO Dryden Brous who was awarded to the All-American 3rd team and Mikey Urso who was 3rd in the conference in assists. As a team, the Fighting Knights finished 2nd in goals in the conference, 1 behind the conference leader. To continue Lynn’s success, the Knights have 6 recruits coming in the fall predominantly from the east coast. Besides athletics, Lynn University is a private liberal arts school in Boca Raton, Florida ranking 95th amongst southern region universities. There are about 2,100 undergraduates enrolled, approximately $50,000 a year, and the most popular majors are business management and administration, law enforcement, and firefighting and related protective services. Representing Lynn at the Legit Showcase is volunteer assistant coach, Brendan Schroeder who just completed his 2nd season at Lynn. Prior to this, he was an assistant coach at VMI for a year and he played college lacrosse at UMass. Hopefully, the Fighting Knights can take their strong efforts at home to this upcoming season.
The Lynn Fighting Knights getting hyped after a big goal.
Photo credit: floridalacrossenews.com
The Newberry College Nighthawks (4-11) just finished their inaugural season as the 20th DII sport their school has to offer. Since this was their first season as a team, they are starting completely fresh and could be a great opportunity for possible recruits to start on a clean slate with an organization that is in the same, fresh start as the players. The Nighthawks finished 57th in the NCAA RPI rankings and have 1 recruit from Maryland coming in the fall. Besides lacrosse, Newberry College is a private liberal arts college in Newberry, South Carolina ranking 17th amongst regional college south with about 1,110 undergraduates enrolled. Newberry is about $37,000 a year and the most popular majors are Business Management and Nursing. Representing Newberry at the Legit Showcase is head coach, Nick Cotter. Cotter spent the past 3 seasons at Saint Leo University in Florida as the assistant coach and played his collegiate lacrosse at Dowling College.
FLG ’18 Boys Premier Showcase – Top 10 Premier Players
The FLG Boys Premier Showcase was loaded with the tri-state areas most competitive uncommitted High School lacrosse players. The day included a college coach training session, 3 competitive games, and an all-star game for the top 40 2022/21 & top 40 2020/19 athletes. There were over 85 college coaches in attendance and 55 college coaches on staff. The coaches on staff ran a training session, coached the teams, and evaluated this events talent. Based on the college coaches feedback and the observations of FLG’s Event staff, we are excited to highlight 10 premier players from our June 2nd Showcase at LIU Post.
- Tommy Corcoran – 2021, Lefty Attackman, West Islip. This Suffolk County, West Islip product is your typical coaches kid. Always in the right place, slick, great skills, and has tremendous game sense. Corcoran is son of West Islip Associate Head Coach, Tom Corcoran. Tommy has lots of intangibles, with a great lacrosse game to match. A very enjoyable player to watch. Tommy’s upside is tremendous and will enter the Varsity High School lacrosse scene in Spring of 2019, stay tuned!
- PJ McGoldrick – 2021, Lefty Defenseman, West Islip, Express. Another Suffolk County WI product, McGoldrick is a blue chipper. The only freshman to contribute for the Lions this past Spring, PJ has tremendous poise for just a freshman. PJ is a tall, rangy, athletic defenseman who can play close or poll. PJ is super athletic and is a recruit to follow this summer. You can find him playing for his HS team and for the LI Express on the summer circuit.
- Forrest Demetri – 2021, Right Attackman, North Shore, LI Outlaws. Demetri is a gamer. Playing varsity lacrosse since 8th grade, Forrest has logged some serious minutes for his Varsity lacrosse. Demetri is a righty wing attackman who has very good change of direction, creativity around GLE, and can dissect defenses when drawing slides. If Demetri can operate as effectively on the left side as he does on the right side, he can be a nightmare to cover from X or around the clock on the offensive end. Check out his highlights from his Freshmen year right here.
- Benny Morfit – 2021, Right Midfield, Iona Prep, Igloo. Morfit is a righty slinger. Coming down the righty alley, Benny the Jet Morfit can sting shots from multiple release points. High to low, high to high, low to high, kid can do it all. Morfit’s IQ allows him to be lethal in transition. He makes great decisions with the ball as he crosses the mid-line. Morfit can also operation from the high right wing, uses the face-dodge and S-dodge to get underneath his defender for a shot on the run. Watch Benny this summer continue to slice and dice defenses.
- Max Albanese – 2019, Righty Midfield, West Islip, Team 91. Albanese is a slick, crafty righty midfielder. Max has a nose for the goal and can put the ball past the goalie from all over the field. Albanese is a great off-ball player, always finding himself in a good position to catch, shoot, score.
- Christian Quadrino – 2020, Lefty Attackman, Sachem North, FLG. After watching Quadrino play, hard not to love his game. Quadrino is a very versatile player on the offensive end. He can dodge poles, penetrate defenses, dissect, assist, and score. He can dodge from X, lefty wing, right wing, you name it, he can attack from that spot. Quadrino was the String King Offensive MVP of the 2019/20 All-star game after scoring 2 and 1 assist in a game winning effort.
- Matthew Knote – 2019, Righty Goalie, Eastport-South Manor, Fighting Ducks. Knote makes making saves look easy. His wide stance and high arc really throws off shooters. Very poise in net, Knote does a great job tracking the ball. He is a great stopper and will only get better as he gets bigger, stronger, and better adjusted to the college game. Knote was our String King Defensive MVP of the 2019/20 All-star game after holding it down in net and starting transition on multiple ocassions.
- Freddy Amato – 2020, Right Midfield, Huntington, Legacy. Amato is a total dude. This 6’+ sophomore can ball between the lines and especially on the offensive end. Amato can split you, step down on you, and make you pay from 12+ yards if you don’t get a pole on him or make contact defensively. Amato can sling the rock, especially after freezing defending with his left to right split dodge.
- Dylan Pape – 2019, Right FOGO, West Islip. If you are college program in need of a face-off guy, Dylan Pape is someone you should definitely consider. Pape has gotten better and better each year throughout High School. Going into his Senior season, Pape is looking to become one of the Premier FOGO’s on the island. Pape is quick, low to the ground, tough and gritty. He impressed at the Premier Showcase with his ability to win the battle at the X, but most importantly, play on between the lines. Pape is very skilled and is more than comfortable handling pressure when the ball is in his stick.
- Dom DelPonte – 2020, Right Attack, St. Joseph Regional, DelPonte was electric at the Premier Showcase. Dom has a great first step and can create separation against poles at will. I like how DelPonte plays each game with the same effort and enthusiasm. DelPonte stood out in the 2019/20 all-star game. We expect him to do the same throughout the summer circuit.
Straight A’s – Long Beach vs. Syosset PREVIEW
Preseason ranked number 6 and 7 respectively in the Nassau County coaches preseason poll, the Syosset Braves will travel from the North Shore down to the southern waters of Long Beach to face off against the Mariners on Saturday April 14th.
Class C Crusade: Mt. Sinai vs. Bayport Blue Point
On April 20th, Mt. Sinai will travel to Bayport Blue Point for an all out war, to determine who rules Suffolk County Class C. The last time BBP was able to claim victory against the Mustangs was in 2014, the County Final game. However for the past three seasons, Mt. Sinai has been crowned ruler of New York State Class C, winning three consecutive Championships. Who will have the edge in 2018?
“Clear eyes and full hearts don’t lose,” the Mt. Sinai Mustangs go into every game ready to battle. A “warrior” attitude, Coach Bertolone prepares his girls to fight with grit, never surrendering. “The perfect storm,” Mt. Sinai returns a heavy starting lineup including attack trio sr. Meaghan Tyrrell (Syracuse), sr. Camryn Harloff (Stony Brook) and jr. Morgan Mitchell (Stony Brook), defensive duo sr. Meaghan Scaturo (Notre Dame) and sr. Kirsten Scaturo (Notre Dame) and midfield standout jr. Emma Tyrell (Syracuse).
Up for the challenge, the Phantom’s of Bayport Blue Point look to scare opponents off the field. With a great start to the season, they are once again ready to face another challenging opponent. A mix of talent in all ages, BBP is led by seniors Courtney Weeks (BC), Cassidy Weeks (BC), and Katelyn Eames (High Point), with contributors including juniors Madison Grazidei, Brooke Sparacio (Quinnipiac) and Meghan Pickel (Stony Brook) and sophomores Madison Waters (USC) and Ailish Kelly. This is a squad that is all about preparing and dissecting teams. Coach Gick wants his girls to “understand situations,” and be able to make adjustments on the fly in order to give his squad the upper hand.
A long lasting battle, this Class C Crusade will prove to be a glorious game. Although BBP is extremely talented, starting with the Weeks sisters, I believe the Mustangs will have the upper hand, as this is a squad that is very senior heavy as well as extremely experienced in big time games.
FLG Spring Training RECAP #4
Hey All,
Last Sunday was the 1st ‘somewhat’ Spring Day. The sun was out, the weather started to warm, the air was calm, and the ball was flying around. It was a super productive day on all fronts. Personally, I thought it was the most productive FLG Training session since the teams had their first training session in September of 2017. From Small Group Training to practice, all our teams & participants training looked great.
Below is a RECAP of Sunday’s Spring Training. We focused on a ton of skills and implemented some great drills. If you have questions on anything we do, don’t hesitate to reach out! I’ve gotten some great calls and answered some great questions as it relates to youth training.
Good luck to everyone in their PAL games this Sunday as well!
See everyone on the fields,
Corey
Boys
Ground Ball Stations: 2, five minute stations focusing on 2 different types of ground balls, Man-Ball & Boxing Out. 2v1 GB’s is a classic GB drill that works on man-ball. Advantage box out is a classic GB drill where players start back to back with a ball between them. Every man for himself.
3v0 Give and Gos – Player 3v0 with 1 point player and two low players. Have players execute two give and gos before they take a shot. This drill teaches players to give, cut, and replace. Off-ball movement is key here to maintain balance and get the offense to re-set.
6v6 Scramble: Organize six lines of offense all slightly outside the box (2 at X, 1 on each wing, 2 above the top the box). The first player at each line must have a ball in their stick. Defensive players are in one line directly at X. Start drill with a 2 v 2 anywhere on the field. Once ball is shot, turned over the coach blows the whistle and points to the line that will join the drill. The defense adds a player from X but he cannot mark the offensive player entering the drill. Build up to 6v6.
Attack
Shooting Variations: Below are the differnet types of moves and shots we worked on this past Sunday at small group training. All are 100% applicable to attackmen.
- Finalizers – using a double move directly at X to get a step on your man for a shot. Key is to make your moves so the defensemen are forced to hop over the back of the cage.
- Low Wing Dodges – dodging from the low wing is a growing trend in college lacrosse. A great way to get your hands free for a shot, feed, or simply to get the defense to start sliding and rotating.
- V-Dodge
- V-Dodge into a Split Dodge
- S-Dodge
Challenge 1v1s with Attackman: Pick a guy you want to go 1v1 against, approach the man, defend to a shot
Defense/Goalie
Defend the Cone: focus on approach, positioning, hand placement, and defending guys from up top. Don’t use your stick, use your hands when defending above GLE!
Three-man Approach Drill
Challenge 1v1s with Attackman: Pick a guy you want to go 1v1 against, approach the man, defend to a shot
Midfield
Marquette Shooting Drill: 2-man games from the wings, cutting the field in half, and working on getting your hands free for a shot.
- 2 Variations to work on
- Pass to razor pick → Dodge to alley shot
- Pass to razor pick → Dodge to alley hit slip
2v1 Dodges from High Wings: Great way to rep the two-man game and put the shooting variations to practice with a defender in the drill
2v2 Razor Picks: The Razor pick is a great pick variation to give the dodger an opportunity to dodge down the alley or to the middle.
Girls
Defense
- V Shuffle in Alley – Focus on Footwork, Form, stick position
- Ladders into GB’s, then into Breakdown and Contact (6 min)
Vary the foot patterns, stress ABCD’s
- 1 v. 1 in Alley
Attack & Midfield
- Dodging and Shooting from the Wings
- Face Dodge under, Face Dodge and Roll, Split to top side.
- Demonstrate and then have them rep. it from alternating sides, do from right side then left side. Focus on footwork, change of direction, stick position.
- Shooting – if release is early (before mid-crease) aim for far pipe, if release is late (after mid-crease) shoot back.
Practice Drills
3 Lady Passing – Right, Left, Catch left throw right, Catch right throw left, gb’s (center person changes every min.)
Crazy 8’s – one of our favorite Fusion games that includes a 2v2 ground ball into a 3v2. Whoever earns the GB gets the extra player. Play to a shot and stay inside the 8 meter. Players on the outside of the drill are responsible for keeping the ball in play.
4 Corners 1 v. 1’s – 1v1s from 4 popular dodge locations around the 8 meter.
FLG Spring Training RECAP #3
FLG Families,
It was a treat getting a chance to move indoors this past Sunday. We are doing our best to not let the elements effect our development this Spring. Sunday was a great chance to not only work on skills and positional work, it was a chance to learn and get those “mental reps!”. Eliminating the shivering from the equation, we always get more focus and attention from our athletes. Personally, I thought Sunday was a super productive day for our boys and girls in small group training, as well as, practice for our 8th grade and down teams.
Below is what we worked on, enjoy!
Girls Small Group Training
Station 1
Dodging from High Wing
- -First sequence→ attack coaches top foot to same side split dodge to to shot
- -Second Sequence→ Push middle and roll down alley
- -Third sequence → dodge underneath and shoot off roll back
Station 2
- Ladders into approaches and retreats
- Move through ladder or full sprint
- Approach the ball, proper fundamentals, stick back, match-feet, communicate, read pass, retreat
Station 3
Coach Chris footwork
- Variation of footwork drills to free your hands for a pass, re-dodge, shot!
Girls Practice
Ladders to Ground Balls
- Vary foot pattern, explode into and thru gb
- Ladders into ABCD (explode out of ladder into the Approach, decelerate and lower your body to Breakdown, establish low legal Contact on the hip of the ball carrier, position yourself so as to take something away and Direct her where you want her to go.
Dodge, Retreat
- (in triple threat position), Re-Dodge to Shot (I saw Robyn do this in the fall)
Figure 8 One v. One’s
- Defender and O player start back to back
- On whistle both players run around cone in front of them
- O player receives the ball or starts with it
- Initiate a 1v1 to goal
- Defense working on approaches
- Offense works on reading approach and dodging to goal
Dodging the Alley
- Focus on dodgin north south
- Getting into your defender and creating separation
- Girls dodged down an alley with a defender on them the whole way
4 Corner Shooting
- Work on moving to the ball
- Catching and squaring up to the cage
- Using left and right hand on the crease
- Looking at the goalie and shooting to a good spot
- Players on the crease have to move and cut in and out to receive a pass for a shot
Fusion Game: 3v2 Side By Drill
- Set-up two cages facing out
- Cut the field in half
- 3v2 on both sides. Blue team offense on one side, White team offense on the other side
- Defense clears the ball to opposite side of the field when they get it
- When ball goes out of bounds or goal is scored, roll new ball into play
- Drills works on moving without the ball, playing in tight spaced, and finishing with an extra player.
- Ball movement is key in this drill
- Defensively we are sliding recovering constantly
Fusion Game: 3v3 Give and Go Drill
- Play 3v3 half-court above the goal
- Offense set should be in a triangle, with point player top center
- Players must execute 1 give and go look before they can go to cage
- One they get good at it, put rule into play that they must execute 2 give and go looks before they go to cage
- Drills works on moving without the ball, playing in tight spaced, and finishing with an extra player.
- Ball movement is key in this drill
- Defensively we are sliding recovering constantly
Boys Practice
6 Line Passing
- Full field stick work drills
- Working on catching over shoulder
- Breaking out
- Using both hands
- Communication
- Goalie outlet passes
- Coming to the ball
4 Line-drills
- Working on cradling 2 hands
- Cradling 1 handed
- Split dodges
- V Dodges
- Roll Dodges
- Studder steps
- Fake shot face dodges
4v3 Fast Breaks
- Working on reading the defense
- Scoring on fast breaks
- Moving to the all
- Reading the slides
- Decision making
- Shooting to score
- All the spots on the fast break
Teaching Midwest & Atlanta – 6v6 Set
- 2 variations to our 2-1-3 motion offense
- Midwest is a midfielder initiating from the high wing
- Atlanta is an attackman initiating from the high wing
Small Group Training Drills
Defense Drills
- Duckwalk Checking
- Dodge→ Bounce→ Redodge
- Push→ check, push → lift, push→ wrap
Attack Drills
Dodging from High Wing
- -First sequence→ attack coaches top foot to same side split dodge to to shot
- -Second Sequence→ Push middle and roll down alley
- -Third sequence → dodge underneath and shoot off roll back
Midfield Drills
Dodging & Shooting
- Marquette Shooting Drill
- Emphasize looking back to slip and giving hitch fake to freeze defenders
- Pass to razor pick → Dodge to middle shot
- Pass to razor pick → Dodge to middle hit slip
