Lacrosse Geniuses

Neil Barrett: Welcome, welcome, welcome to the runout. I am Neil Barrett. He is Brandon Hooton. We have a huge, huge week to talk about this weekend. Weekend, week, whatever we are. I don't know what I don't even know what we're at anymore. Princeton wins the first national championship, their first national championship in 25 years. The Tawariton feels very up in the air. And Jeff T is out for the season. But before we get into all that. As always, Brandon, how we doing, man? @HootSportsMedia: Doing well. Was ⁓ camping all weekend, so bit tired from that. Woke up very early for graduation this morning as well, so been quite the ⁓ quite the week, but can't complain. Didn't work for you know the first three days of the week, so can't complain. Neil Barrett: Not not a bad yeah, not a bad way to to go about the week for sure. ⁓ @HootSportsMedia: Could be worse. Neil Barrett: felt like I was gonna ask you something. I don't remember what it was. ⁓ I do remember what it was. One thing I forgot to tell you last week. Thought thought you might want to know. Michael Carrick was officially signed as the new full time manager of Manchester United. Thought you might @HootSportsMedia: W I I thought he was already full time. Neil Barrett: He was, but he was an interim. He was an interim manager. ⁓ so he was the full-time manager, but it it was at the end of the season they were gonna look for a new one. And instead they just decided to keep him because he did pretty well. ⁓ thought you might enjoy that. You can you can hop on the ⁓ Michael Carrick bandwagon. ⁓ yeah, that's right. That's right. ⁓ and then ⁓ the next @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ Great for him. Let's go. Always knew he was built for this. Neil Barrett: thing, which I'm I'm glad we recorded on Wednesday. I forgot to mention that we are recording on Wednesday, not on Tuesday like we normally do. ⁓ but I'm I'm kind of glad that we did because ⁓ we can talk about how your Colorado Avalanche got swept. @HootSportsMedia: There's not much to talk about. Just bad hockey. Neil Barrett: Bad hockey. Yeah, it was not a @HootSportsMedia: Just that's Yeah, I I even tweeted out a ⁓ a joke about the mob. It was that bad. I was like, There's no shot there they aren't involved in this, like Neil Barrett: Especially given how Yeah. Well it was it was really funny too 'cause like they were so good the first two rounds. Like what do you mean they they they didn't even ⁓ correct me if I'm wrong, the games weren't even very close, right? @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ I mean score wise they were, but if you watch them I don't really feel like they were. I mean, it was tough 'cause the first two games you're missing Chael McCarr you're thinking, alright, it's just 'cause he's out and once he's back, you're fine. And then he comes back game three and McKinnon gets injured and you're like, ⁓ okay. And they also didn't mention I'm not gonna point fingers, they didn't even mention on the broadcast that Big Val went out as well in game three. Missed game four. So you're already playing bad hockey and you just g get hit with like the worst injury bug of all time. It's just horrendous. ⁓ I never want to win the most games in hockey ever again. That's awful. of course I mean I would have been fine losing to literally not literally any other team. Almost any other team but them. ⁓ because their fans are just awful. So that sucks, but hey, it happens. Neil Barrett: Well Unfortunately w we won't be getting a a Carolina Colorado Stanley Cup like we were we were hoping for. Still still got a chance that Carolina makes it. @HootSportsMedia: You know Yeah, they're playing right now. Just gotta just gotta hold on for two games. Well, game and a half now, I guess, but ⁓ yeah. I don't know. I'm jumping on that bandwagon 'cause I I I don't want the Knights to win at all. So Neil Barrett: They are playing right now. Okay, I'm gonna I gotta That's what I that's what I like to hear. Jump on that bandwagon. We'll take you. That's fine. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, but you know what? I'll i if you would have told me before the season your team's gonna lose before the Stanley Cup, at least I got to watch good hockey for most of the year. So I could we could be one of these teams that's just awful start to finish and it just sucks to even care about the team. Neil Barrett: Yeah. I mean there are there are Yeah, I was gonna say that there's what, twenty-eight other teams that would that would like to be in your position. So all right, Carolina Carolina and @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, that's how I'm gonna cope with it. With another Neil Barrett: Car Carolina and Montreal at zero zero. All in all of the games so far they've had such quick goals I had to check the score just to make sure. But ⁓ they It's it's zero zero. So let's get into this past weekend. We will start with the men's semifinals. The first game saw Princeton absolutely smoke my my Duke Blue Devils. ⁓ 14 to seven. Not super fun. But but @HootSportsMedia: It was fun for some people. Neil Barrett: Well, yeah. But also also one, like I have said all year. I never thought they'd even make it to the final four, so I gotta be stoked about that. And Ryan Craddock was playing out of his freaking mind. So, you know, we actually correct me if I'm wrong because I think you have the stats up, but we outshot them, we out groundballed them. I think we had more time of possession, we had ⁓ fewer penalties, less turnovers, like we basically led in every statistical category except for Ryan Crotick's save percentage, which I which I think was it was it 80? Is that what it was? @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ he made twenty saves, seven goals against, so twenty for twenty seven, whatever that is. Neil Barrett: Yeah, it had twenty saves. @HootSportsMedia: Seventy four percent. Neil Barrett: Seventy-four. Okay. So not quite eighty. But yeah, like at the end of the day, I'm not too mad at it. I I I was hoping we could have scored a few more goals. But when you watch the game and you're like, I mean, some of these shots, like They're great shots. Like we're getting the look we want. We're putting the shot where we want. He's just making the save. And that there's not a whole lot I can really say about that. And not for nothing. Not just because we picked them, but I I think Princeton has looked like the best team for pretty much the entire season. Minus game one when, you know, they got blown out by by Penn State. But barring that game, I I think they have been the best team all season long. @HootSportsMedia: much. I mean it's we didn't think Duke was gonna win this game anyway, so the only thing is just like you said, maybe make it more competitive, but Neil Barrett: Mm-hmm. @HootSportsMedia: mean they're the champs and look what they did look what they did in the national championship to arguably you know the one A, one B team all year. Like Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, we'll we'll get to we'll obviously we'll get to that. Yeah. Yeah, obviously we'll get to that game. But but seeing that how the rest of the results played out, I felt so much better. Like I was just like, ⁓ man, just don't let don't let everyone else be competitive and this be the one blowout. ⁓ and the fact that all ⁓ basically the whole game or the whole weekend turned into blowouts. It was like, okay, all right, Princeton was just @HootSportsMedia: Okay. We'll take that one on the chin. It is what it is. Neil Barrett: ⁓ a team on a mission. I don't even want to say that they were that much better than the other three teams. They just were the team on the mission. They were they had their best games at the right times. ⁓ I I think you could I think those four teams could play you know seven game series and you'd probably not get the these these blowouts again. But we did this time. So ⁓ let's move over to the second semifinal of the weekend that saw Notre Dame absolutely blow the doors off of Syracuse by even worse, 15 to 7. I I don't even know what happened in this game. I mean, ⁓ just everything worked for Notre Dame. ⁓ Joshiago had seven points. ⁓ Joey Spilina had two points. ⁓ you know, it was just kind of one of those those games for them. ⁓ I I thought Syracuse probably should have gone at the Sean Light matchup with Joey Spilina a little bit more. ⁓ early in the game, he he dodged well, got to a good position, and just missed the shot. I think he missed one shot and and forced a save on the other. And then they basically never went back to that matchup. the whole rest of the game. ⁓ and ⁓ yeah, I mean Notre Dame was just I it felt like Notre Dame just wanted it more. They were just hungrier. They they were first to every ground ball. They were just outworking Syracuse everywhere. So, you know, I I don't know what I don't really know what else there is on this game. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, basically the same thing as the last one. Just outstanding goalie play from Notre Dame and they obviously forced the others to beat to beat them on Syracuse. And that's not, you know, a slight to any of their players. I mean they have a a bunch of really good guys that are now going on to play pro and other dudes that were at the pro day and stuff like that. So they're very solid players, but you could just kinda tell that it was just like at some point you guys are gonna have to beat us or you're losing the game. And that's sort of what happened. And then when you have Josh Iago doing Just apparently everything on the crossfield all at once. what a ⁓ I mean what a what a statement for him to to have eleven eleven shots on goal and and put three of them in the back of the net, add another four assists is just great for him. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, back to back seven point games for him between the ⁓ quarterfinals and the semifinals just in incredible. ⁓ and I think he was I think he's very much the the heartbeat of that team. Like they they they drew so much from him when he was rolling, the whole team was rolling. So ⁓ great great to see him. ⁓ let's let's talk real quick about the the two teams that that @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: didn't move on, because we'll talk about the other two in a minute. How do you feel about these two teams moving forward? @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ I mean I think Duke is in a good spot. But it also it almost puts them with more pressure next year. ⁓ Which probably isn't fair to them because they shouldn't really even be in this position this year. But because they are and they're just gonna get more mature and and and a little bit better, I think that should probably raise them up a little bit. ⁓ for Qs That's a Brian Knows Lacks question right there. He he'll He'll have more to say than I will, but ⁓ I felt like this was kinda like the year. That's not to say that they're gonna be bad by any means or anything next year, but I just felt like it was kinda building up to okay, this is the one, and it just fell, you know, eight goals short, unfortunately. So we'll see. I don't wanna make too much of a prediction. But for Duke at least, I think this is kind of the stepping stone of like, okay, you have to get back here at least and make it a more competitive game. But Even if they do that and they lose their fans are gonna be upset that they didn't make it further after this year. So I don't know. Neil Barrett: Yeah Duke's Duke's interesting because like I said, like I've been saying all year, I think I think this team is more built for next year. ⁓ the only someone's gonna be like, ⁓ they're missing this person. The only person in their like starting 10 that they're gonna be missing next year is Aiden McGuire. The only one. So ⁓ for a for a while they were gonna be missing, ⁓ The goalie that I'm totally blanking on his name. I always want to call him Patrick Jameson. That's his name. ⁓ they for a while they were gonna be missing Patrick Jamison, but he ⁓ he ended up losing his starting spot to Buck Cunningham. ⁓ so Buck Cunningham will be back next year. So they'll be good in goal, they'll be good on defense. ⁓ I think that rope unit got a lot better. So I'm not super worried. I mean, obviously you'll miss Aiden McGuire, obviously. ⁓ Not that not that I necessarily thought he should have been the number one pick, but he he was made a number one pick for a reason. ⁓ he is a very good player. We will miss him. Everyone else on that offense returns except for Thomas Minkey and Owen Gaffney, who are two kind of ⁓ rotation players. ⁓ and actually I take that back. I think Jack Pachman Deck will be gone too, but ⁓ those are three rotational players. ⁓ So yeah, I I'm with you. I think they are gonna be in a good position. Although you do bring up a very good point is that now they're going to have expectations. We saw, I think, what happens when they played without expectations this year. Not this year, those those last few weeks when when they went to UNC and everyone was like, it doesn't really matter, your season's over. And they just blew the doors off of them. And then they kind of sneak into the the the playoffs. And again, The the saying was they're playing with house money because arguably they shouldn't have been there. ⁓ we can debate about that until we're blue in the face, but there's at least an argument that they shouldn't have been there. And they go to Richmond in front of the largest first round crowd ever and are down, you know, whatever it was, twelve nine, I think, and rattled off five straight goals to win. then they go to Georgetown, not go to Georgetown, ⁓ Wherever they were, Delaware is where they were. ⁓ but they they go play Georgetown and again they're not really supposed to be there. They smoke them, and then obviously they they run into Princeton in the in the quarter in the semifinals. That's a that's a whole thing. But now they're going to have expectations. I've seen people already ⁓ having them in the top five for next year. so they're definitely going to have expectations. And I I think it won't just be expectations externally, I think it's gonna be internally too. I mean, no Nobody starts a season and is like, ⁓ let's not go win the national championship. Like it done you could be at LIU and they're gonna be like, hey, let's go shock the world this year. Like everyone starts the season that way. But I think they're gonna have I think they're gonna have some real expectations to be at that level again. But like you said, moving over to Syracuse, there's just I I don't know, I don't know. Who who's left? Legitimately. I I mean it feels like everyone that they ha e every one of their like big name players was a senior. I th I think Jimmy McCool's back. The goalie. ⁓ that's @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I I couldn't tell you. Neil Barrett: ⁓ yeah, I as as far as I know, I think he I think he's coming back, but I mean Finn Thompson, Joey Spilina, ⁓ Michael Leo, ⁓ who else? Billy Duan, like all of everyone that you think of on that team is gone. So it feels like they're going to just have ⁓ like you said, I don't think they're gonna be a bad team. I'm not I'm not saying they're gonna be the worst team in the ACC, even. I just They're gonna have a lot, a lot to like rebuild ⁓ from that, from that roster. And you know, we'll we'll have to see how that works. One one other question, I guess, for you is specifically as it relates to Syracuse, what what is in your mind? There's lots of talk about legacy with this with this class of seniors. I just wonder what your thoughts are on. @HootSportsMedia: As far as what? Neil Barrett: Like what is the legacy of this this senior class? You know, they they didn't win a championship. And y Joey said after after the the the semifinal game in his press conference, you know, I lied. We did not w, you know, win a national championship. That's what we were here to do. That's what I said we were gonna do, and we didn't we didn't get it done. ⁓ this is This is mostly a question, I think, for the Syracuse fan base. ⁓ clearly nobody hates Syracuse like Syracuse fans. ⁓ and so there's been a lot of d discussion and debate about what like the legacy of this senior class is. @HootSportsMedia: I mean I don't know, I think it's a bad discussion in general from fans 'cause I think a lot of times it just relies on championships and if that's the case then ninety nine point nine nine nine percent of players, coaches, teams have a poor legacy because they never win or they make it all the way and then get blown the blown out, you know, get the doors blown off ⁓ So in my opinion from an outsider perspective I think they a very positive legacy because this is a and again, this is from a fairly new college fan, this is one of those teams that I will look back at and be like, ⁓ I remember watching them play and put on a show with a lot of these seniors that looked great week in and week out. Some of the you know, you watch some teams every week and it's like, ⁓ one guy will pop off here or there or whatever and it's like maybe you remember our game or two, but this is a team where it's like like I watched them come to Denver and I watched them play in person like that was a a very vivid thing for me. ⁓ I understand though to the same point of like it was championship or bust, you didn't get it done. But I like same thing for Notre Dame. I mean, they just got blown out in the championship, you know what I mean? Like same thing for a couple of these other teams as well. So I know I know team ⁓ fans of of this this team will be harsh on them, as we've already seen online and and just being overly dramatic about things for no reason. But at the end of the day, also look at how many these guys are going pro. To me that says a lot more about your legacy and and your program than how many championships you win. Because at the end of the day, there are a lot of great teams that win championships that you don't see their players playing pro. And it's not because they can't it's not because they, you know, got a crazy job offer. It's because they literally do not have the same talent that a team like you s has and has had for four years. So Neil Barrett: Yeah, I mean this the the Princeton team's got maybe four dudes that are that are gonna play NC D or gonna play PL lacrosse. Syracuse has seven, eight, nine. ⁓ like there's a there's a significant number. ⁓ I find I find Yep. @HootSportsMedia: And it's all from different positions too. It's not like it's just one group. It's I mean it's it it's attackmen, it's middies, it's d defensemen, like it's to me that and I and also I saw people like arguing about like Gary Gate, saying he's like an awful coach and whatever. Didn't even know that was a discussion. I didn't even know that Syracuse fans like didn't like Gary Gate. Neil Barrett: Yep. Yep. Yep. Yeah, lots of lots of them don't. In fact, I don't know if you saw the the dumbest conversation I've I've ever heard was about Gary Gates hat. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah, I did I did I did see that. Yeah. Yeah. Neil Barrett: From Syracuse fans. Yeah. Yeah. I I can't imagine a more dumb conversation than what hat Gary Gate is wearing while standing on the sidelines in the rain. Gary Gate doesn't normally wear a hat. He I I have a f I have a feeling that it was raining and he just kind of grabbed a hat. @HootSportsMedia: Right. Neil Barrett: Like I I don't think it was like this intentional thing. He just was like, ⁓ crap, it's it's raining. I'm gonna throw a hat on. And he just grabbed a hat and it became this big stupid story. And it was like, what? And everyone's like, Well, he owns the company. I'm like @HootSportsMedia: To me it was like you're just coping even harder. Like, there's no way our team just got blown out. We need to find some other story to like cry about because clearly he's lost the team and he's all about himself or something. I was like, you guys are just like it it w and also it wasn't like like you point point out to the people on Twitter they're a heavily sponsored I don't know if they officially are or not, people are arguing that, but sponsored team by gate. The gate hat was in orange and blue. It wasn't like he had some random like Neil Barrett: Yeah. Again, like I said. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Well @HootSportsMedia: green gate hat and was like, look at me and my brand like no, it it was a team clearly a team designed hat. Like, come on. Neil Barrett: Ain't it? Yeah, it had it had HHH on the side, which is which has been Syracuse's slogan since as long as I can remember, Head Hart Russell, HHH. I was like, it is a Syracuse Gate hat. And I don't know what officially is their sponsor. Last I knew it was officially Gate, but whether or not that contract has expired or not, I don't know. But I but I know for a fact, it is not just. Joey Spolina and Luke Roa and and a couple of guys who have signed good gate contracts. Every single member of that team is wearing gait gloves, gait protective equipment. They're using gate shafts. They're using gate heads, with the exception of a few guys who have replaced their gait head with something that they like. Like the I know John Mullen was using a Warrior Nas, their face-off guy, because that's a good face-off head. And so he just he just wasn't using that and he was using the Nas. And it's like, like what are we talking? This is so stupid. Your your team has made their second consecutive Final Four for the first time since 2008-2009, which was over 15 years ago. And you guys are arguing about his hat? Who cares? Who cares. Like, what are we talking about? @HootSportsMedia: Unacceptable. Neil Barrett: Stressed. And you know what? I'm gonna post this clip, and people are going to lose their minds. There are two. @HootSportsMedia: I'm gonna start using that excuse for like any any time any of my teams lose. I'm just gonna be like, It was the hat. Did you see did you not see he picked the wrong hat to wear that day? It made him not make adjustments throughout the game. Neil Barrett: It was the hat. He was wearing the wrong hat. That's right. That's right. Yeah. Listen, if there are t there are two ways to get the internet mad at you, I have learned in the last few weeks. One is give praise to Joey Spilina and Gary Gate. That the Syracuse fans will come at you and say literally anything about UVA and the UVA people will come at you. Both both blue and orange schools, by the way. I mean @HootSportsMedia: Okay, okay, okay, okay. We're not we're not putting down orange and blue now. We're not doing that. Neil Barrett: I'm not putting down orange and blue. I'm saying there I think I think there's something about orange and blue that just apparently seeps into your brain and makes you a lunatic. @HootSportsMedia: Well, we can get into that in a bit. Neil Barrett: All right, let's let's move on to the the the championship game, Princeton versus Notre Dame. Princeton goes down 3 0. Notre Dame comes out the gate flying. And I for a moment I was like, ⁓ this is gonna be a problem. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ I'll be honest, I was ⁓ busy. So I joined the game halfway through the fourth quarter. So I did not see any of the the down three ⁓ or the comeback. I just came in and it was like eleven three or something like that. So I was feeling pretty good. I was like, Yeah, this is this is kinda what what I expected. ⁓ not a not as much of a blowout, but I was like, this is pretty good. So Neil Barrett: hours. Well yeah. Yeah. So Notre Dame came out looking like they did in that Syracuse game of like they just wanted they were the first to ground bulls. They were putting making plays, putting the ball in the back of the net. And it was like, ⁓ this is gonna be a problem. Especially, especially my mind went back to that Penn State game of like, ⁓ no, Princeton has just not come out for this first quarter. And like if if Prin if Notre Dame gets up six or seven goals like it, they have the defense that could just like shut the door and it'd be like, ⁓ man. So I was like, ⁓ no. And then Princeton was like, Princeton called a timeout, down, down 3-0. And they came out. And and I think fairly quickly after that, they scored one. And then they scored a second one. And then they scored a third one. And it and the the first quarter ended 3-3. And I was like, okay, all right, we got a game here. And then Princeton came out in the second quarter and just didn't stop scoring. All in total, they went 11 unanswered goals to s to go in at halftime, 11 to 3. And I mean it was it was over at halftime. Like I saw I saw the stick tock guys. I don't know if you saw that, the the clip of them talking about like in in a in the fourth quarter of all three of these games. the announcers just having to like try and keep people engaged and entertained and just like pret Yeah, well and then and then also like trying to pretend like it it could become a game again. Like e when Notre Dame started scoring a few here and there, every time they'd score one, it was like, All right, all right, they're all they gotta do is get one more. They'll be back in you know, it's like like nah they're they're not doing that. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Naming random facts. Yeah, yeah. I forget what the exact comment was, but there was definitely one of those where they said something along those lines of like, Well that could really jump start Notre Dame and I was like, Bro, do you see the scoreboard? Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: They'd have to score like every thirty seconds and do it like win score, win the face off. Go score again, win the f like their face off man has to drop a a two time natural hatty basically. Six goals in a row or something. ⁓ But hey, shout out shout out to the zone. I saw some people that were like, ⁓ they're playing a zone? It got him a natty, so Neil Barrett: Yeah. No, I mean what if I felt like the zone shouldn't have been that hard. They've got they've got shooters. It felt like they didn't know how to beat a zone. Like at all. Like they they weren't even trying to beat the zone. They were they just kind of kept trying to do the same things. ⁓ it was one of the the weirder ⁓ things about this game was just the absolute lack of adjustment on Notre Dame's part. Like I just I couldn't understand why they just kept kind of banging their head against the wall. I thought I thought for a lot of the game they kept sending Joshiago into the crease area. And it was like why I I think the thought was that they were going to try and like use him as a pick and pop and so that he could get some open looks. But it wasn't working at all. And they just kept doing that. And I was like, this dude is like the best player on your team, on your offense anyway. Like, what are we doing? I felt like the few good things that Notre Dame did all day came through playing through Joshiago. And there there just was too much time. You know, we talked about with Brandon O'Neal. Like, there were just too many times when the ball was coming down and he just he just wasn't touching it. He wasn't doing anything. I We talked about the those the semifinal and the and the quarterfinal. He had he had fifteen point or fourteen points. I'm not sure he had fourteen points of or fourteen touches of consequence in this game. He he was often the point man on on a break. So they would come down and pass to him and he would just kinda hold it for a second, let the offense settle and then pass it back out. So he probably ended up with a decent number of touches, but none of any real consequence. They were all just like simple. exchanging the ball and I was like, dude, like what are what are we doing here? ⁓ but ultimately Princeton wins sixteen to nine. I do we get to ⁓ do we get to call ourselves lacrosse geniuses? @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ twenty twenty six across Genesis. Yeah. Neil Barrett: That's right. That's right. We we @HootSportsMedia: I'm not gonna say we are in general 'cause I've had some bad takes, but I mean, I don't know. Like I I don't get me wrong, people people definitely acknowledge that Princeton was a favorite preseason. So it's not like we picked some like you know, bottom of the barrel team and dragged ⁓ to the championship. But it is pretty cool to be like stuck with them throughout 'cause there were definitely points in the season where people were saying, especially after the first week, ⁓ that like, ⁓ they're a good team, but you know, can they get there? And then you kinda see, like we said, Notre Dame stay at the one spot for Neil Barrett: Listen. Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: I don't have the official number, but a ton of weeks. Just like, yeah, they're the best team, obviously. ⁓ and I think just that's what's more impressive to me, honestly, is just not only did you win the national championship, but you did it convincingly in the final two games, ⁓ where it was like, Yeah, this is like we're the best team. You're not supposed to be here with us and this is what it is. ⁓ and I think they gave a lot of their guys a good chance at getting probably a PL look that maybe they weren't Neil Barrett: Mm-hmm. @HootSportsMedia: getting prior. ⁓ especially Krotic. I there's been a lot of talk about that too, but unfortunately until we get expansion, it's gonna be tough. But he's a guy that I'm like maybe he's a fringe roster player right now and then once you know they expand now he has an o an opportunity. So ⁓ all I know is I'm one for one picking a national championship winning team preseason. Neil Barrett: Mm-hmm. Yeah, goalie. Well hey, we're gonna we gotta find out what wh who you got for next year. @HootSportsMedia: Whoa whoa woah. That's w I'm gonna enjoy this win. And then and then we'll do that later at a later date. Neil Barrett: I can't believe you just gave us that coach streak. @HootSportsMedia: Shout out shout out to my Princeton Tigers. Neil Barrett: ⁓ your Princeton Tigers. Okay. @HootSportsMedia: Actually no, that game's over, so now I can I can jump ship and find ⁓ I'm entering the transfer port and we'll see who I ⁓ who I transfer to. That that's what kids are doing nowadays, right? We're just transferring for no reason. Neil Barrett: Transfer portal. You're gonna yeah, you're gonna end up in in Denver. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, hey. I mean maybe. The boy Chase Bruno's getting a PL look right now, so Hey, it wa it was it was fun though, rooting for for another team all season. You know. That that was that was I can't I know some people frown on it, but like I knew Denver wasn't winning a national championship even contending for it, so it like, hey, at least I have this other team that I can enjoy also rooting for. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. It was That's that's the way I felt about about Duke about the Duke Princeton game was I was like, I mean, Duke's here. I want them to win. I don't think they are going to. And you know, at least if they lose, then I I it was a win-win for me. It was like, okay, cool. Are the the the team that we picked at the beginning of the season is in, or You know, do it's in like I you know, I'm not gonna complain about that. So I even though I just @HootSportsMedia: And Palumbo got his points his point scroll as well, so Neil Barrett: Yes he did. Do you do you have that up in front of you? I don't remember what he ended with because I I I don't I think the last time I looked was before the championship game. I think he had four and one in the championship game. Four goals and @HootSportsMedia: Let's find out. Let's hope that they they updated his ⁓ stats on the Princeton page. They did. They did. So he finished with seventy nine points. One shy of eighty. I feel like the first number I threw out was seventy. If it was eighty, ⁓ well. So yeah, I mean that's yeah, he had four and one in that last game. Neil Barrett: On the Princeton page they will have. I know I know it inside Elizabeth. Seventy nine so d It was 70, yeah. No, it was seventy. Yeah, it was seventy. And and to be fair, 70 as a midfielder was going to be tough. The move to attack really, really helped him. But either way, the number was seventy. That's true. You did not. It was not contingent on his position. We just said 70. And then the more I thought about it, I was like, ⁓ if he's a midfielder, that's gonna be tough. But @HootSportsMedia: Hey, hey, I didn't specify how we got it. I I just put out sad thing. ⁓ Neil Barrett: But we never said he had to have seventy as a midfielder. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. I mean he definitely had games where it felt like he was maybe playing more MIDI just sh by shot attempts. ⁓ he kind of flip flopped in that regard where he'd have like eleven shots one game and then five the next and ⁓ he only took three shots against Duke, funny enough. And then he took twelve against Notre Dame. So Attackman Palumbo. That's that's what the Chaos should be doing this summer, I think. Neil Barrett: Well, I I think part of the reason he only had three against Duke is because Duke made him the number one assignment. Which I th which was part of the reason I I didn't like the way that we played defensively. I d I I don't think he should have been the number one assignment. I think Nate Kabiri should have been, but @HootSportsMedia: Rightfully so. Neil Barrett: It's kind of a pick your poison 'cause i if you had flipped that, Chad Palumbo probably would have just shredded you. He'd pr he would have had twelve po twelve shots and scored five of ⁓ So, you know. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Who knows? But ⁓ I I know you just said you didn't you wanted to enjoy this. Do you have any thoughts about next season? Now that now that 2026 is over. @HootSportsMedia: Nope. None at all. Neil Barrett: Fine, we'll just I'll just make you pick ⁓ next week. It's fine. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, you know, a at least at that point I can say I'm just gonna pick the national champions. Neil Barrett: We we we always do the the you know, at the end of the season the the way too early stuff. But we can wait we can wait a week at least. Let's at least talk about these games and let these games. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ wait way to way too way too early? Denver's winning it all. Cody Malowski Tuaraton. Grayson Manning, tournament MVP. Neil Barrett: I was gonna say not not Grayson Manning. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ he's gonna win tournament MVP, don't worry, don't worry. Someone's gonna clip this and then in a year from now they're gonna be like, ⁓ but I thought you said Dever is gonna win it all, and I'm gonna have to be like, Alright bro Neil Barrett: I mean you better watch out. Well I just had somebody come at me about a year old tweet. @HootSportsMedia: Dude, ⁓ that's fine. If i look, if Denver were to make that that far, at this point I'd be very surprised. I'd be very happy, but very surprised. But ⁓ we we can pick another team preseason. I gotta look at look at how the transfer portal shakes out. Not that that's really gonna help me much, but I don't know, there could be there could be some fun, sneaky teams to pick next year that you know, I'm I'm a team like Richmond really Makes me think like hmm. Neil Barrett: I don't know, 'cause they they lost some they lost some dudes. Aiden O'Neill @HootSportsMedia: Well, I I don't necessarily mean Richmond themselves. I just mean teams like them where it's like if they don't play Duke first round, like could they have made a run? Could that make picking a team next year a little bit more nuanced of like, hm, maybe I pick someone that's not as highly favored that could go on a different run at some point, but Neil Barrett: ⁓ yeah, yeah. Ohio State could be fun. Not that they're not that they're s not that they're one of those. @HootSportsMedia: All right, all right. We're not we're not we're not going for ten nine games here. All right. Neil Barrett: I'm just saying they're gonna get B V B back. They're they're they're gonna be all right. But @HootSportsMedia: That that's actually yeah, that is that's that I'll consider that for next year. Neil Barrett: But ⁓ yeah, I was getting ready to say we need some time to to sit on it, think about it. ⁓ let's let's move over to the women's championship game. ⁓ Northwestern knocked off UNC 14 to 11. This game was crazy because I felt like UNC was cruising and I was at work, and so I just like tuned out, and then all of a sudden I picked up my phone and it was it was very late and it was 1411 and I was like. What just happened? Like it felt like UNC was cruising. ⁓ there were some questionable calls, let's say. Well, first of all, there's some weird rule things. Apparently, and I didn't know this, not that I know ⁓ not that I know much about women's lacrosse ⁓ at the NCAA level, but apparently you can't ever enter the crease, ever, at any point during the game. Whistles blown, nothing. Like you can never enter the crease. That blows my mind. ⁓ What else was there? ⁓ there was the shooting space rule where the I think the girl moved her arm, whatever, blah blah blah. ⁓ the the one about going in the crease just made me think like I don't I don't want the girls game to be the men's game. Like I that doesn't need to be a thing. But some of the rule differences are just like, like, why? Why can the men go in the crease after a shot and the women can't? It doesn't make any sense to me. @HootSportsMedia: If anything, it should be reversed because the men do like crease dives and whatnot. And ⁓ I'm not advocating for that to be clear. I think it's a dumb rule in the women's game. Like it's as long in my opinion, if you stay out while you're shooting it and before the ball's crossing that line, like, you're fine. Like it's not like we're seeing girls dive into goalies or something and like it's a problem a safety problem, so now we have to have this rule. Like ⁓ it doesn't even affect the like the one that you're talking about didn't even affect the play, like, at all. Like, not even Neil Barrett: It feels like one of those Yes, yes. Right, right. No, not at all. No, it was it was a it was a solid like five seconds after the goal was scored. You know, she had taken three, four, five steps and and technically was kind of like bumped a little bit, or at least was trying to get around a defender and literally stepped on the line, like barely. It wasn't even and and I ⁓ so barely that I I I'm surprised they were even able to overturn it because @HootSportsMedia: Close. Neil Barrett: It just didn't feel like there was necessarily indisputable evidence, which is fine, like call it whatever way you want. But it it was such a insignificant thing to overturn a goal in the in the national championship felt insane. ⁓ and like you said, if if the rule was gonna be in place in one and not the other, it felt like it should have gone the other way around, where like you said. guys are diving and making contact and and doing stuff like it. Like you said, it shouldn't it shouldn't be a rule in in either situation. But if it was gonna be in one, at least at least you could argue safety and that one. But like you said, that's not really an issue in the women's game. So like why why are we doing this? ⁓ the other two I just I just thought were bad calls. And I lots of people were like, yeah, they were they were calling it bad both ways. And I'm not one to complain about the rest generally. ⁓ but I know you are. But it felt like it and I'm not saying it's the reason that UNC lost the game. Like I said, they were up, they were cruising. It it should have been they should have won the game. So I'm not saying it's the reason UNC lost, but it's a three goal game. Three of those goals went against them. @HootSportsMedia: I am. Neil Barrett: very directly and were at best, at best, questionable calls. ⁓ so And like we have talked about at other points this season, the national championship game came became about those calls instead of the play on the field. And that's a bummer because Chloe Humphrey had two goals and two assists for four points. She tied Madison Taylor's goals in a season record at 109 goals this season. ⁓ she finished with @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: ⁓ I just I forgot to write it down. I think it was 148 points, which is insane. Madison Taylor had a goal and six assists. Also insane. Obviously, Northwestern wins. ⁓ UNC had a player play with a torn ACL and play very well. And I apologize. I did not write the name down. That's insane. ⁓ there was that. I don't know if you saw the the highlight on TLN or or any of the other places that were showing highlights. The the backhand shovel shot that that girl pulled off in traffic ⁓ for UNC. ⁓ just insane. And instead of talking about those things, once again, we're talking about these these awful refing decisions. And again, some of them where you're like, this shouldn't even be a rule. Like I I don't even I don't even blame the refs. too much. I blame the rules. Like the rules are dumb. They don't make any sense. The the shooting space rule where the like the girl literally threw her arm up like that and still and still barely made contact with the the shooter's stick. And it was like like what are we doing? I I I don't want women's lacrosse to become men's lacrosse. I don't want I know so many women's across players that don't want to play men's across. They're not trying to hit each other. They don't want they like the finesse, the skill, the the speed of their game. And that's what they want to play. And so I don't think that it has to become the men's game and it has to be this contact game, but there's gotta be some level of like. This is not there's like letter of the law and spirit of the law. And that one, when I saw that one, I was like, What what are we doing here? ⁓ so Anyway, ⁓ Chloe Humphrey versus Madden Taylor Madison Taylor is a good ⁓ transition, I guess, into the Tawaraton Award. It will be awarded tomorrow night. The men's finalists are Joey Spellina, Nate Kabiri, Owen Duffy, Willem Firth, and Sean Light. I probably should have mentioned the schools, ⁓ You guys probably know who who what schools they go to. We'll do it for the women's. ⁓ the women's finalists well, let's actually let's just talk about the men's first. Any thoughts on on who wins that? ⁓ if it feels pretty much wide open. You think it's Melina still? @HootSportsMedia: Bellina. Neil Barrett: Why? @HootSportsMedia: I I just I mean he's how many attackmen did you just name there? I think he's the best attackman out of those four. I think you saw when he got shut off in the national in the in the in the final four, what happened to his team. Now people will say, Well, it's 'cause he couldn't get going. Sometimes you just have a bad day. ⁓ Sean Light, I think we all just kinda know won't he's a he's a D guy. He's not he's at a disadvantage automatically, which sucks. But also that last game was not kind to him. overall, even if it maybe wasn't necessarily individually, I think it's just you lose the game that bad and people are looking at nitpicking and like, you know? ⁓ so I j yeah, and I just I mean Joey had a great year. Like it's I know p some people are gonna hate 'cause he's like a de hyped player, but he had a great year and it's that's not to say that if any of the others won, I'd be like shocked, 'cause I do agree to an extent that it is kind of wide open, but Neil Barrett: Definitely true. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. May I mean maybe Kabiri gets the nod, but I think having Chad Palumbo kinda hurts him as well. Especially after the gate the the game and the natty that that Palumbo had of just like he kinda took over to an extent, so And Kratdick as well took over, so I don't know. I lean Joey, but that's just me. Neil Barrett: I I mean I think I think you've got it down to ⁓ it it feels like it's basically either Joey Spilina or Nate Kabiri. ⁓ I think what the heck? Sorry. Something just popped up on my screen. ⁓ I think Sorry, I was looking to see what Yeah, I Nick Kabiri had one in one and three for four points in in against Notre Dame. ⁓ I I think there's an argument for both. I'm not mad at either of those. I think Joey Spolina wins, and that's fine. I think Nate Kabiri wins and that's fine as well. my my feeling is Nate Kabiri. ⁓ but you also bring up a good point. I I wasn't so worried about Chad Palumbo. ⁓ but I think I think Ryan Crotick is a good point because I think you can very clearly make a case that, like, okay, without Chad Palumbo, certainly those score lines are probably not as bit large as they are. But I think you could make the argument that even without Chad Palumbo, they could probably win those games. They don't win those games without Ryan Crotick. Not the way he was playing. Like, he was incredible. And so does that hurt Nate Kabiri? Maybe. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: A ⁓ as well as Chad, but ⁓ but but especially Ryan Crottick. Whereas like you said, Joey Spilina was ⁓ without Joey Spilina, ⁓ y that that team's probably not even in the final four, so @HootSportsMedia: I mean they have a lot of good a lot of good players, like we said earlier, but it's just he's kind of the engine that makes that offense go. And we've seen it numerous times where it's like, ⁓ this is they're they're shutting him off a little bit and it's like no one else is getting good shots, you know, they're not getting set up well, like it's just whereas the others I think generally don't necessarily have to be the initiator and someone who also produces statistically. Neil Barrett: Certainly. Mm-hmm. Yeah. No, I I I agree. I th I think I like you said, I don't ⁓ I don't think there's any way Sean Light wins it. Like it's just not gonna happen. Just because of it'd be great. I ⁓ there's just as a poll. ⁓ to be completely honest, I'd be surprised he was a finalist because he's a pole. Not because he doesn't deserve it, but just because he's a pole. Like they just don't they just don't do it. ⁓ @HootSportsMedia: I that'd be that'd be awesome. But Neil Barrett: One thing I will say also in for in not not to degrade Sean, like he's great. But watching him this weekend, all I could think was this dude is JT Giles Harris. And I love JT Giles Harris. Like, understand, I'm not saying that as an insult. He's JT Giles Harris in that he is going to basically eliminate one player on your team. He is going to make you basically play five on five. But otherwise, he's not really going to be involved in your defense. He's not going to be part of slide packages and recovers and second slides. Like that's just not what he does. He is going to man up one-on-one against your best player and essentially take them out of the game. And JC Charles Harris didn't, you know, didn't win a Touraton either. So I I think I think I think that's pretty safe to say. I think Willem Firth, his best chance was for Cornell to make a deep run. I just don't think there's any any real shot at Willem Firth. Again, not because he's not a great player. He just there's there's a combination of elements that has to happen, and I don't think he has them. ⁓ Owen Duffy, I would say, is is similar. Obviously, UNC made a made a slightly better run. He has more eyes on him. I just don't think they made a deep enough run. I don't think he he had enough of a good game. It didn't help that he missed ⁓ the round one game, right? With it with the injury. ⁓ so yeah, it really feels like it's it's down to Joey Spellina and Nate Kabiri. and again, I don't think that there's a wrong answer, but I don't know which is the more right answer. I think Nate Kabiri gets overlooked a lot. ⁓ I think I think Chad Palumbo is the heart of that team. And I think they they draw so much from him and his energy and stuff. But I think Nate Kabiri is the engine. I think everything runs through him on that offense. I think arguably is the best team, though, like you have said, is he the most important team, most important player? on that team. And there's an argument that he isn't. I don't think there's an argument that Joey is is the most important player on that Syracuse team. ⁓ so I guess we'll see tomorrow night. ⁓ by the time people are listening listening to this, it may have already been decided. No, that it was not when we're recording. ⁓ the women's finalists, I don't think you and I are gonna pretend like we know a whole lot. Alyssa Chung from Navy ⁓ Bridget Duffy from Army, Chloe Humphrey from UNC, Reagan O'Brien from Johns Hopkins, and Madison Taylor from Northwestern. I think I think you're in a similar boat there. Chloe Humphrey and Madison Taylor are probably the two that you would think are the are gonna win it. Reagan O'Brien. Look, we say we say defensemen don't win it. I would not be wholly shocked if if Reagan O'Brien Reagan O'Brien, Reagan O'Brien, I don't know, ⁓ wins. You know, you know, we talk about cause turnovers and how it can be a bit of a misleading stat. How about she has 61 more cause turnovers than the than the second place player? She it the second place player had 23. So she would have to have she would have to more than triple her output to get anywhere near Reagan O'Brien. When you're that statistically different, maybe there's maybe there's an argument there. But otherwise, it it really feels like it's Chloe Humphrey. She had 159 points this season, ⁓ and Madison Taylor had 158. So Madison Taylor has the trophy that really matters. ⁓ obviously Chloe Humphrey is also a sophomore, which I don't necessarily think should come into play on these. But I did kind of wonder with the men if that comes into play a little bit with Joey Spilina being a senior and Nate Kabiri being a junior, ⁓ if maybe they say, all right, Joey Spilina's got it and Nate Nate has another chance next year. @HootSportsMedia: No, that's bad reasoning, in my opinion. I it you can't allow outside factors to you know the end of the day they're both playing on the same field. It's not like one is a a starter and one's a bench guy coming in playing limited limited reps, so Neil Barrett: I'm not saying it isn't. @HootSportsMedia: Plus Kabiri could win it again next year anyway. ⁓ i i you know, assuming he takes another step forward, so even if he loses this one it it you know, he may very well just come back and be in contention next year too, but Neil Barrett: I I agree with you that I don't think it's a very good reasoning. I'm not entirely sure that it hasn't been involved in in the reason why a player has won in the past, though, is is my thing. And I'm not even talking about I'm not even talking about Matt Rambo, who's probably the most obvious case of he's a senior who won't be around next year. So we're gonna give him the award. I think there's been other times where guys Wha what? @HootSportsMedia: I just you know how those fans are. You know. Neil Barrett: ⁓ you think they're coming for me? Listen, I think my I think most Maryland fans would agree that that that that Tauraton probably belonged elsewhere, but that's fine. ⁓ so that's that's just my thing, is that I'm not I'm not sure that it hasn't been relevant in previous editions, so it might end up being relevant here in both the men's and women's. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Excuse me. ⁓ Interestingly enough, I I read the that the ESPN whoever's writing the ESPN articles has said that Joey pulled away from the pack. ⁓ which blows my mind how he pulled away from the pack, but Okay, I guess. ⁓ Let's move over. Sorry. I was reading my notes and trying to figure out if there was anything else left. And then I just like shut up. ⁓ so we'll see, we'll see what happens with the Tawariton tomorrow night. Let's move over to the PLL. They are heading to Baltimore this weekend. lots of big games. Lots of people being added to rosters. We seem to have gotten most of the NLL players back. most. Most all of the the ⁓ NCAA players have also signed their ⁓ contracts and will be joining teams, Chad Palumbo, Joey Spilina. ⁓ they will both be playing with their teams this weekend. One player that will not be playing with his team this weekend, it was announced that Jeff Teat is officially out for the season. Which is a bummer for anyone who likes lacrosse. ⁓ he had surgery on his shoulder and will be out for the rest of the season. I'm wondering what you think before we get into the games this weekend, what does that do to the Atlas odds this year? @HootSportsMedia: me he's the best lacrosse player on the planet, so it I'd say that hurts him pretty pretty deeply. ⁓ but Neil Barrett: Do you do you have Jeff Teed as as the best player on the planet? @HootSportsMedia: I think so. Neil Barrett: Okay. I mean I he's he's in the conversation. I'm not @HootSportsMedia: I mean who who who I mean yeah, but I don't really know who else is doing it at in all variations of the game. I'm not saying you have to play all variations, but I'm saying every variation he plays, he dominates. The only other one that I would really say does that at an at an elite level in every category, funny enough, is Zach Courier. ⁓ I think there are a couple others that if you want to talk about just just P L L or just N L L Maybe even just sixes. You might have, you know, an argument for some guys, but who? Neil Barrett: Who just won the who just won the MVP? @HootSportsMedia: In in what? Neil Barrett: He forgot. And the NLO. @HootSportsMedia: In the Brad Dobson? Neil Barrett: He c he forgot already. Yeah, Brett Dobson. @HootSportsMedia: I mean, yeah, but goalies goalies are like a separate category to me. 'Cause th like I don't know why, but I just sure, you could put ⁓ there too. But I can't explain it. I just it's just a different thing to me. Neil Barrett: I I agree with you. I agree with you, Zach Courier should should be in that conversation. Obviously Jeff Jeff T is in the conversation. I'm not saying he shouldn't be in there. I just I just wondered if hey, is that who you would say is the best? I I still have a tough time not having Dane Smith on that list. ⁓ @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. The hard part with Dane is we haven't seen him play field in a minute. But I was gonna say like he he's a guy that even even when he you watch him play box, you're like, Man, he could be so good in field. Neil Barrett: Yeah. And I and I would Yeah. Yeah. Well, and and then and then obviously Lyle Thompson would be another one of those guys that's like, man, if he would just play field, like he would probably be in that conversation too. ⁓ one one of these days we should we should have like a like who who's a top who's your who's your top five, you know, all best all around players. Cause ⁓ and and you can leave out the goalies if you want. They'll they'll come for you. That's fine. @HootSportsMedia: Yep, yep. I mean we could always put a separate spot for goalies 'cause I think they deserve a spot at the table. I'm just saying it it's y you know, that they do one thing at the same same time. Neil Barrett: Where do you where does where does Here here would be the interesting conversation. We don't have to have it right now, but the the interesting one would be where's plays reared it. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. All I know is Jeff T. Massive loss for the Atlas. Not happy it's happening, but I'm happy it's happening this week. Nah, we we went on a tangent, so I'm just redirecting us. Neil Barrett: He just changed subjects so quickly. Yeah, 'cause you didn't want to answer you didn't want to talk about Blaze. I got you. I've I'm listen, I'm smelling what you're stepping in. I got you. @HootSportsMedia: I'll talk about it, just not right now. 'Cause i it is silly to say that a dude that just made history as a box goalie and should have ha won MVP last year in the PL as well is somehow a second fiddle. In my humble opinion. Neil Barrett: I didn't say second fiddle. What I said was it's an interesting conversation because he's the only guy you you were talking about like versatility and how like goalies kind of don't count because they don't they don't do a lot, but the versatility that he has playing as a forward in box and playing as a as a goalie in field in a in a lot of ways almost deserves its own. category because like how do you compare that to what Jeff Teat does or you know, like I I don't know. Again, conversation for a different day. I'm not saying that we have to decide. I just I I think @HootSportsMedia: Only one way to find out, put Jeff T in goal. You heard it here first. Neil Barrett wants Jeff T to play goalie and see what happens. Liaman, Jeff T is coming for your job. Just to test out the theory. Neil Barrett: I didn't even say it you did. That's so funny because @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ everyone heard you say it. I don't know. Neil Barrett: That's so funny though, because what what was that what were we talking about? ⁓ I know what it was. When I w I literally today was talking about how you would rather have Brennan O'Neill in goal for the Outlaws than ⁓ than someone else. Anyway, the @HootSportsMedia: Yes. Hey, I I almost put in the chat the way he's shooting this summer, man. Neil Barrett: Dude, w what's what's going on with him? @HootSportsMedia: That's how goalies are made, man. That's how goalies are made. Neil Barrett: I don't I don't understand. Like part of me is like, he's gotta be hurt, right? Or or has he just not been able to adjust from a season of of shooting on a box goal? Like I don't it doesn't make any sense. @HootSportsMedia: thing is that shouldn't even affect you really because some of these shots you should be able to hit ⁓ at the goalie's feet and he's he's just flat out missing the cage. That's all it is. In my in my opinion. I I just don't get it. Neil Barrett: Well arguably I could s I could understand it going the other way. Like after a long PL season. Of course, you have several months, so it it doesn't matter. But if you rolled right into the NLL season and you were going from a bigger goal to a smaller goal, like, okay, I can see that taking some adjustment. But going from a smaller goal to a bigger goal, I'm like, what ⁓ how how you have more things to shoot at? Not only is the goal bigger, the goalie is smaller. Like I @HootSportsMedia: Yes. Yep. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. Although I did say I did say on the Rough Rider podcast last week that I think this is a Brennan O'Neal game this week. Neil Barrett: I don't know. Anyway, anyway. It's good little segue. Let's let's move into the games this week. We start with the cannons versus the whips. ⁓ then we head over to the game that you were talking about, the Atlas versus the Outlaws, obviously a championship game rematch. Then we have the Archers and Whips and the Chaos versus the Water Dogs to end us out. That's weird. I don't I never understand why the Whips aren't playing @HootSportsMedia: Why are there Why are there three games on Saturday? Okay. On Friday? Neil Barrett: Because there's a WLL game. There's a do Yeah, there's a WLL game. I I think so, yeah. I think it's six o'clock is the Cannons Whips, and then eight o'clock is the or eight thirty, whatever it is, is the is Palmst Charm game, and then the three PLO games are on Saturday. ⁓ and we'll talk about the Palmst Charms later. ⁓ not that we're gonna have a ton to say 'cause it'll be their first game, but anyway, ⁓ so th those are the those are the four games. ⁓ like I said, there's gonna be lots of lots of new faces in ⁓ these these teams for the weekend. What are you looking at? @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. A lot of new faces, same thing as the past couple of weeks. Not that the week this week doesn't matter, but I just I don't I don't know how to really pre you know pre game evaluate it too much. ⁓ the chaos I think have yeah, like the chaos have a lot of shakeup, I think, i in general, so that's something to to look at. But the the the ple the pieces they're getting back though are are really good, so it's like theoretically they should get better, but that even the shake up can sometimes cause issues. Neil Barrett: It feels like the it feels like week one. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ you know, Maryland I think has looked really good one week and and not that they looked bad necessarily. I'm trying to remember what was their loss. They ⁓ they they beat Atlas last week's 12 to 6 and they lost 16 to 14 week one, that's what it was. So I'm curious to see how they respond in their homecoming weekend, especially because Boston is a team that I really do think is going to be Jekyll and Hyde this year, again, of just highs, high highs and low lows. ⁓ but they do end up playing Utah on the second day, which they had Aiden McGuire. They got back some NLO guys, so curious to see them play as well. ⁓ funny enough, I think. that Denver New York game is probably the closest, you know, roster wise to their normal rosters that they've had all year so far. Maybe Pat Cav comes back and plays. I don't know anything about that, but would love to see that happen. ⁓ Yeah, no Dylan Ward, so sad for me, but I don't know. Neil Barrett: It is it is gonna be interesting to see ⁓ who who comes back. ⁓ I know obviously ⁓ the rock players are back, the ⁓ Owen Hilt, CJ, ⁓ Sam English, they're they're gonna be back. I I've saw all of them have been. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ yeah, that water dog's offense is gonna be wild. Neil Barrett: Yeah, so the the Water Dogs is gonna be interesting to watch to see. they're they really have to start making some choices now, some decisions about who's gonna play where and what they're gonna do. so it's gonna be interesting to see that. Are we gonna go back to CJ out excuse me, I keep burping. I'm sorry. ⁓ are we gonna go back to CJ out of the box like he was last year? Or is he gonna slot right back into the attack and you and you bump out, you know, Jake Taylor or Whoever, I don't I don't I don't even know what else you would do with that ⁓ roster. I I it ⁓ if you if you bump CJ down, like what else would you do other than the thing was ⁓ didn't they didn't they end up dropping Jake Taylor last year? Because they ⁓ he they just couldn't really run him out of the box, I think, right? If I remember correctly. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ yeah, it was something weird. I don't I don't fully remember but I I I feel like I can't remember if he continued to or not. He may they may have. Neil Barrett: I I think they ended up n not even dressing it. Yeah, I can't remember. I I feel like they didn't, but I I I might be totally ⁓ misremembering that. So anyway, it's gonna be interesting to see what they do. ⁓ I've I've really liked the chaos, but @HootSportsMedia: Shocker. Neil Barrett: ⁓ settle down this guy ⁓ you know you know who else the water dogs before before I move over to the cast, you know who else the water dogs is getting? Joshiago. @HootSportsMedia: Ha ha. Yep. Well, assuming assuming he wants to to suit up right away. Neil Barrett: So that Well yes, I haven't seen his name that he's signed ⁓ you know, his contract, ⁓ the way that that we've seen ⁓ Chap Palumbo and Andrew McMeekin and several of the other ⁓ guys who were involved in that game signed theirs. ⁓ but I I don't know if you saw he did say that he had cleared with ⁓ his bosses at the Space Force that ⁓ He's I he's got the whole summer clear to play the PL this year. So that will be you're you're right. I haven't seen him for this week. So maybe that doesn't happen yet. ⁓ but ⁓ it's gonna be really interesting. Also, we haven't gotten into it yet, but ⁓ Kyle Lewis was apparently very impressive during the PLL pro day today. ⁓ he's another guy that they also have to add to that offense. ⁓ that offense could just be Absolutely insane. I like I'm legitimately concerned about who's gonna play, who's gonna get dropped, who's gonna, you know, carry the ball and and run that offense and who's gonna try and play off ball. So the water dogs is interesting. Chaos, I think I'm less concerned ⁓ about them. ⁓ but I am interested to see how Owen Hilton, Chad Palumbo work with the way that Brennan Nick turn and Jackson Iker have been ⁓ forming it it feels like it's either going to be really good or really bad. Like it's it's gonna kind of kill the momentum or it's just gonna they're just gonna like skyrocket. ⁓ and I don't know why it would kill the momentum. They feel like they're very well placed pieces. ⁓ you know Iker on on one side, Nick Turn at X and and Owen Hilts on the other side. Like I I can't imagine a a more suited for each other kind of offense. It feels a lot like that. That ⁓ Water Dog's offense that they started with last year, where it was, you know, Sours at X and and then Kira McCardle and and Jake Taylor, and they all just like complemented each other so well. So ⁓ that's gonna be interesting. I think Joey ⁓ with the whips is gonna be fun to see. Gonna be interesting to see what they do with him, ⁓ especially in relation to Rob Pinnell and who who's who's playing at X, who's running out the box. ⁓ Weirdly enough, I'd I'd say ⁓ not that I'm not interested, but ⁓ the one I'm probably the least interested in is the Denver Atlas game. ⁓ just because I feel like we already kind of know what those teams are. ⁓ and it's it's like I said earlier, it's essentially week one. ⁓ because it's gonna be kind of the first time that we've seen all these teams at more or less full strength. ⁓ they're full complement of guys, barring an injury here or there. ⁓ So I'm I'm kinda less intrigued. It's gonna be cool to see Aiden McGuire play an attack, I guess. @HootSportsMedia: Superstar attackman, Aiden Maguire. Neil Barrett: Short short sta s short stick defensive attackman over there. ⁓ and then yeah, I think the other big question for this week is Asher. Whether or not he dresses, whether or not he plays, like what what happens there. ⁓ I I'm still kind of of the opinion that I thought he was that I b I believed them that he was injured. The all the words that we got from from reporters and people that should be in the know was that he was actually injured. But then of course, you know, other people said differently. So I guess we'll see. ⁓ ⁓ actually let's do let's do this. The kind of a quick hit here. The PLL Pro Day was today. ⁓ we mentioned it a little bit earlier. ⁓ you and I were not there. We're going off of other reports. ⁓ it was an interesting thing to learn about because I don't think they did a great job as as they haven't with a lot of things the last year or so. ⁓ I don't think they did a great job of explaining the PLL pro day. ⁓ it was invite only. It was open to undrafted players and current player pool players. And and people who had been drafted in the third and fourth round of this past draft were also eligible. They had to be designated by their team. As far as I know, there were only two. Kyle Lewis was one and There was another one, Jack Taylor, maybe. from Jacksonville, ⁓ was I think maybe the other one. Two guys that were drafted that were also at the PLL Pro Day. ⁓ it gave them the coaches and the GMs a a way to ⁓ kind of evaluate the talent that was there. and I I thought it was I was confused because again, I didn't feel like they they really did a good job of explaining the PLL pro day. And so I was confused on why like Kyle Lewis was there ⁓ after being drafted. But then once it was explained to me that third and fourth rounders were eligible to be designated, ⁓ it made a lot more sense because those are the guys that oftentimes wouldn't wouldn't have a real chance to make a roster. Like Kyle Lewis played in the national championship this weekend. He missed training camp. When when were the water dogs ever gonna look at him? If not for this this pro day. So ⁓ speaking of Kyle Lewis, based on the internet reactions from people that were there, he was probably one of, if not the most impressive player ⁓ during the PLO pro day. ⁓ I know I saw some Jack Taylor stuff, I saw ⁓ Aiden O'Neill stuff. ⁓ there was one other dude. Shockingly. There was a lot about Finn Thompson kind of when it started, but then I didn't really hear his name the whole rest of the day. So that was interesting because he's one of those seniors from Syracuse that we were talking about. ⁓ you know, maybe, maybe making a PLL roster at some point. So ⁓ interesting. I I wonder what you think about the PLL pro day just in in general as a concept. @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ yeah, I don't know. I was a little bit confused by it just 'cause it was after the season and all of that. and and and again like the whole thing about guys on rosters playing as well. I don't think that was really explained super well. Again, it's not an issue for me 'cause I I mean I still like to hear about those guys, you know, playing and and whatnot, but ⁓ I think it's good that they're starting this 'cause they c that means they can move it around timeline wise potentially. Neil Barrett: Yeah. I the timing is a little funky. But I w @HootSportsMedia: ⁓ that said I don't know when else would they would do it, but I think it's good that some guys, even outside of the the main guys we just talked about, that they're gonna also gonna get looks that, you know, they may not have otherwise gotten. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I think There w there was a poll that I I hadn't heard of and I kept seeing his name and I I forgot to write it down. ⁓ but there was a poll ⁓ that I I heard a lot of really good things about as well. And again, like I said, it was a guy I hadn't really heard of. ⁓ I wanna say maybe maybe out of no maybe. Is that the I know I know. @HootSportsMedia: Liam Quinn. From Saint Joseph's. Neil Barrett: I know TL Lin posted a video of him detwigging somebody. ⁓ whoever the player was. I didn't it I didn't think it was Liam Quinn, but maybe it was. I don't remember. ⁓ I guess I could grab my phone. ⁓ @HootSportsMedia: Yo, hold on. Is Jesse Bernhardt coaching for the Outlaws? Neil Barrett: Maybe? @HootSportsMedia: Or is she like a scout or something? Neil Barrett: Well, you know they well, you know, they made that new position. That's like a ⁓ you're like n it's it's ⁓ like a pathway to coaching kind of position. It's kind of like an intern kind of position. ⁓ and there was somebody maybe it was Jesse. There was an ⁓ like a w a well known ex player that I remember got one of those positions. ⁓ maybe it was Jesse. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah, yeah. The Outlaws got Jordan Stevens. But Dan Arescia is saying that Jesse Bernhardt was there today at the ⁓ the pro day. And I thought I saw him in a an outlaws shirt as well earlier, so I'm like, hmm. Interesting. Anyway. Neil Barrett: I was trying to see if I could find this person's name. Of course they didn't post it on Instagram and for some reason. This is super fun radio for you guys. ⁓ I think it was Alex Keener. Yes. Alex Keener from ⁓ Saint Joseph's, yeah. He was an he was a name I saw several times and several people being like, yeah, he looks really, really good. So ⁓ so yeah, like you said, it it's cool to see some of these guys getting an opportunity. ⁓ I think I think we've seen it in the in the the first five or so years of the PL, these guys wouldn't would never get seen. They'd never get seen, they would never get an opportunity ⁓ to to kind of put put a stamp on. I I even even last year, ⁓ I don't know if you remember Christopher Davis got drafted, I think in the third round out of Cornell. And then because Cornell won the national championship, he missed training camp and never got picked up, never got seen, nothing. And I'm like, that was a dude that was drafted in the third round out of the national championship Cornell team. Like, it's not like he was nobody and he didn't he didn't get seen. He didn't he didn't get looked at. And and then, you know. Guys like Josh Balker Cell came in and ⁓ did get to get seen in in camp and got to prove what they're they're capable of. And you know, I I think it's cool that that there's another opportunity for people. I agree with you that I think the timing is a little funky, but I think the timing's mostly because it's hard to get, you know, 25 dudes from 25 different schools in one location during the school year, during, you know. la crosse season probably. So unless they want to do it maybe at the end of summer for like next year, where guys are like pre-evaluating draft talent. ⁓ or or maybe even, I don't know, Christmas break or something, like when when you could get guys all in the same spot for for a day. ⁓ but yeah, that's that's kind of my only quote unquote issue, I get I guess, is Just the timing of it. The fact that it's it's you know, ⁓ third week of the season already. Technically the fourth, they just they just had a bye week. So ⁓ you know, we're we're a month into the season and and they are having a pro day now. So that's kind of kind of the only only weird thing there. one one last thing to mention. Super fun conversation to have. UVA announced that they officially are have hired Kevin Cassis to replace Lars Tiffany. So in interesting if you have been keeping up with the drama surrounding Lars and the UVA program and what's been going on down there. ⁓ I don't know. I don't know what else I wanna say. @HootSportsMedia: Nothing. Can't say I'm shocked. Neil Barrett: No, no, can't say I'm shocked. ⁓ Interesting Interesting that most of the people that have kind of done digging into this, ⁓ I know a lot of people wanted to say that Lars Leaving had a lot to do with Mark Millen. ⁓ that appears to not be at least not be as true as ⁓ other people s thought it would be or thought it was. ⁓ whether or not he's completely innocent, I I don't know, but ⁓ Certainly not a as ⁓ involved as people thought. And lots more seems to have come from Kevin Cassis and some of the other ⁓ assistant coaches that are there. ⁓ also I don't know I don't know if you saw Kevin Cassis's statement about Lars today, where he said @HootSportsMedia: No, I heard that he thanked him first time and whatever, but Neil Barrett: he was asked something about like his relationship with Lars and he basically said that Lars was let's see if I can find find the direct quote because the wording was real, real awkward and it really felt like he was blaming. @HootSportsMedia: Listening to it. Neil Barrett: ⁓ I got it. I got I got the quote. Do you want it? @HootSportsMedia: Sure. For the for the listeners. Neil Barrett: The the quote was, There's always two sides of a relationship, so he's got to be a willing partner in that as well. But at least on my part, there's zero ill will. @HootSportsMedia: He said that? Neil Barrett: And everyone Yeah. Yeah. And everyone was like, why would you have ill will for Lars? Lars got fired. Like what are why would you have ill will for him? And then the the whole like two sides of a relationship and he's gotta be a willing partner in that as well. It was just like this is a really, really weird thing to say. about it. And then the other big thing that I I actually completely forgot until I was looking this up. So I'm glad I looked it up. Dan's tweeting that that Lars signed a ⁓ offer sheet back in March and believes that he's owed money and could technically, I guess, be the ⁓ UVA head coach again moving forward if he wanted to. I doubt he'd want to at this point, but ⁓ Kevin Cassis is also a really interesting hire because He wasn't very good at Lehigh and then since he got to UVA, his two seasons at UVA are their two worst seasons since Lars got there. ⁓ and I saw a comment that was really interesting that I thought, like, ⁓ yeah, this makes so much sense. The idea of like, even even if none of the Lars drama went down, and it was just a standard, like, he wasn't good enough. So we're letting him go, and we're trying to, you know, we want to win national championships. You fired Lars to bring in a guy who's like, a 500 head coach and was a part of the two seasons that you fired La Lars for. And so like even just on just the the coaching aspect, like it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I don't know. again, he could end up being a great coach for them. I'm not gonna talk about that, but now I just have so many more questions after the quote. I didn't see he said that, so ⁓ Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Why ⁓ Neil Barrett: Well, and a and especially yeah, especially in the light of people saying that essentially he led the charge to get Lars fired a so that he could @HootSportsMedia: Why even say that? Goodness gracious. Right. And you can't tell me he's not on social media seeing that. Like there's there's just no shot that he had no idea, like ⁓ Neil Barrett: I I I think I think the longer quote he did mention, like, ⁓ there's this narrative out there. And so I'm like, so you know it's out there, you know what's being said about you, and that's what you choose to say about it? Like, you're not helping, dude. @HootSportsMedia: He didn't even have to like decline the narrative. He just has to not add on to it. And that makes it sound it i insinuates that that Lars is not putting forth the effort to have a good relationship there. And that, like you said, coming on the backs of maybe there was some inside things happening, like that's not a great look. ⁓ Neil Barrett: Right. @HootSportsMedia: Wow, yeah, that's wild. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. So on that bombshell, let's let's wrap it up. What you got anything going on this week? @HootSportsMedia: not that I know of. What is this week? Yeah, no, not not not that I know of. Just gonna hopefully watch some lacrosse. Neil Barrett: ⁓ the twenty nine thirtieth. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, that's about it. Neil Barrett: I gotta work all weekend. I just realized I'm gonna have to watch these games on tape delay or maybe maybe on my computer or something while I'm while I'm there. ⁓ that's dope. On ⁓ on Friday, I'm gonna go watch one of my favorite bands. So that'll be fun. Good old. Actually, actually, you know what? You know what sucks? There's two bands, Emory and Amberlynn. You probab I don't know if you know either of them. It doesn't matter. Those two, those exact two bands @HootSportsMedia: Nice. Neil Barrett: I saw almost exactly, like literally almost to the day, twenty years ago. And that makes me feel really freaking old. Twenty or two thousand six, I saw these two bands play in ⁓ in Winston-Salem. And now I'm gonna go see them again on Friday night. Almost twenty almost exactly twenty years later. So that's fun. I mean, I'm excited about the show, but I'm also gonna be very old. Very old. That part I'm not excited. But also also I grew up going to shows and ⁓ I had a realization probably ten years ago when I when I was thirty that ⁓ the shows are a young man's game. I have to stand in the back now with the parents. My legs hurt, my my back hurts. @HootSportsMedia: Yep, yep. Honestly, I'd rather I'd rather be in the back too. Neil Barrett: I can see, I can hear. I don't I don't need to be in there getting punched in the f back of the head by some idiot. Like, you know, I'm good. My my knees hurt, my back hurts. I'm good. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I'm not much of a concert guy, so Good. Neil Barrett: Why why not? @HootSportsMedia: I think most bands don't sound great live, ⁓ especially compared to the recording, and that really bothers me. That's not to say that I haven't been to concerts I enjoyed, but and also like there aren't very many artists that I like enough of their songs to want to go to a concert. ⁓ again, there's a couple of exceptions, but you know, it It's all right. I'm not hating I if you if you like concerts, go to your concerts. Hey, you know? It's I know some people that go just 'cause they love that atmosphere. That's sports for me. So Neil Barrett: That's fair. That's fair. I li I I like sports. One of these days I'll have to go to a @HootSportsMedia: I'll stay I'll stay in my lane. Yeah. I I like sports, he says on his sports talk show. Neil Barrett: ⁓ dann halt Stangen. Listen, we can we can talk soccer more. We do hate sports, that's true. I'm busy that day. The day that we have to talk about soccer, you're busy. @HootSportsMedia: We actually hate sports over here. ⁓ I'm busy that day, actually. I I Yeah, I think my vocal cords are having surgery that day, yeah. Neil Barrett: All right, all right. Cool, cool, cool, cool. Well, that is all for this week. If you enjoyed this episode, the Lax Lifers Club is where our community lives between episodes. It's a Discord server for the fans watching lacrosse year round, not just when the tournament's on, since it just ended. AKA, as we would call it, a lifer. The link to join is in the description. Across social media, you can find me at I am Neil Barrett. @HootSportsMedia: Yep. Yep. Neil Barrett: And Brandon is at Hoot Sports Media. If you haven't yet, rate and review the show on whatever platform you're listening on. It takes about 30 seconds and genuinely helps people find us. We will be back next week. So until then, as always, we'll catch you guys in the comments.