Lax on TV and Why You Should Scout Your Opponents

By Reece

Wow... it's been way too long since I posted last. In my defense, there just hasn't been much time. And what have I been doing in my free time? You got it. Watching lacrosse on TV - regularly! ESPNU has been great this year, covering a few games each week. I usually don't get to see them in real-time, so I DVR all the games and block my ears when Joe starts talking about the scores. It worked until Saturday - when I learned that Army beat Navy for the first time in 13 years!

I've only seen the first quarter so far, but the Black Knights really came to play, getting up 3-0 on the Mids. What stuck out to me in this early stanza was Army's second goal. The Knights moved the ball around the outside of the offensive zone at a solid pace. No cutters, no motion, just working it around... for a while. I thought the refs may call them for stalling. The Navy defense held their ground, playing man-to-man, just following the ball. Slowly, the Black Knights started to move and a cutter came around the back of the crease, as the ball moved to the top right middie. He fed this cutter coming up from the crease, who quickly moved the ball to the top left middie cutting back door on his defender, who wasn't out of position... until it was too late. The streaking middie came down the wing uncontested and bounced it in for an easy goal.

The reason this stood out: the announcer, and former Army coach Jack Emmer, then said "Army has been running this play for years." I want to say I remember this play when we scouted them at Bucknell seven years ago, not certain though. Point is, this play was not new to Navy. They should have recognized it, particularly when Army spent so much time working it around - purposefully lulling the Navy defense into a stupor that cost them an early goal.

THIS IS WHY YOU SCOUT. Army vs. Navy! League play! Ranked opponents! Arguably each team's biggest regular season game of the year! Games like this are too important. You've got to know your opponent. I don't want to sound like I'm criticizing Navy too harshly. Obviously, Coach Meade is one of the best in the game - the Navy program is outstanding. What I am saying, is if those Navy players had a better opportunity to study their opponents, they may have iced that play long before it even started - stopping Army from getting on a roll so early on in the contest.