Skill vs. Physical

[MinesGoallie45]

I have noticed a difference in different teams we play, there seems to be 2 schools of thought atleast in Div B to win a game. There are a few teams that are very finesse, atleast against mines, such as Boise, and then there are very physical teams like Montana state and Wyoming. So the question is, which do you think works better and who is the most finesse and who is the most physical team in the RMLC?

[Weberlax12]

I know that I help coach a high school team this year and we are young and small so we we're a finesse team, and I have realized that to be good top notch team need to be both a bit finesse but also play with a chip on you shoulder and be physical. I think boise and UVSC are both great finesse teams but they also have and aggression there to back it, and what I have heard Wyoming is pretty hard hitting, but my thoughts are just from wathching them play games not actually playing against them.

[WyoPoke]

When I played in Spring 2003, the guys worked really hard to pick up the skills, but you could tell they really wanted to hit people. I remember a Mines player getting lit up like a Christmas tree near the crease when we played them in Golden. I don't think the kid stepped foot back on the field. I know Robby Kerch, a third-team AA last season, really loves to get physical.

It seems the thought in Laramie is to try to use physicality to make up for the technical aspects they haven't been able to perfect by playing during high school and earlier.

[MinesGoallie45]

Yea, that guy was actually Rob Applegate..and he took some time out of that game but he came back in. But then again he is all of 5'7".....and he wasnt too sober...it was the E-days game...but I remember being in the goal for that game and I saw that hit, and I was like WOW....its rare you remember a hit 2 years later

[byualum]

Skill...100%.

I'm coaching 7th graders in Colorado and I have a handful of football players trying to pick-up the game. I fight this battle every day in practice. Finally we went to a practice at DU. I told the boys to count the number of big hits vs. the number of great passes/catches. The easiest guy to beat 1-on-1 is the defender that is just out for the big hit.

Watch a DI game, there might 2-3 big hits, but there will be 12-15 guys on the field with incredible stick skills, guys at every position.

[ktrost58]

I agree with byualum, that skill will win every time over the physical. The thing about the physical side of the game is that it is all about timing. Sometimes a big hit is just as important to a team as a big goal, but to often are guys looking for the hits and getting burned in the process. When i played middie, there was no better feeling than getting rocked, but still scoring the goal. Hitting is a big part of the game, but if you focus on it, you will get burned.
The fun thing about D-B is that you can get away with being very physical while not giving up too much. It always depends on the team your playing and the way your team is playing.

[Laxdogg]

Did I just hear #12 from UVSC say that physical isn't as important as skill? You of all people Trost. Just kidding... Trost is a good example of combining the physical with the skill. His hits are huge, (I feel bad for anyone going through the middle against UVSC), but he has an amazing stick.
You really need both if you want to be a successful team. If you don’t have an enforcer in the middle, teams will run though you all day long, but if you’re playing inside linebacker, your stats will read: 3 big hits, 24 goals against. CSU is a great example of this; physically intimidating, but with sticks that will make your head spin.

[boisestateD]

I agree with the last couple of posts. I came from a football background into lacrosse and therefore started off just going for hits.........as you might guess I wasn't very successful. Since then I've tried to mix both the finesse portion of the game with the physical cause let's face it, you can't be a defender if you're not physically aggressive, but you have to be able to make something happen after the ball has hit the ground. We have a mixture of the two styles on our team. Guys who are purely enforcers but not the best stick handlers, and guys who can lay people out but still take the ball away up the field like a midfielder.

[uzisuicide]

I take great pride in skill. I think that it takes much more talent and patience to master your stick, both hands, than it does to just be big and strong and able to hit someone. An animal can be big and strong and hit you, but it can't cradle a lacrosse stick. That being said I think that the best teams and players have both. When you have a really good player skill wise that is physical as well, the physical is slightly different than what is normally thought of as 'physical'. Players like these know how to use their body in more than just a brute force way, but in a strategical way that emphasizes knowledge, skill, postioning, and strength. I don't care how big and strong and D-man is, if he is standing up straight and trying to push up high, that little skillful attackman is going to smoke him. And who cares if a D-man can push a guy around if he can't do things like clear. Just like who cares how fast or quick a middie or attack is if they can't handle the rock. If an attackman if super fast and strong but hangs his stick, the more skillful D-man will most likely strip him. Plus when you have both aspects of the game thing like big hits, and overly brutal play tend to drop off. Things are still physical, but in a more precise and strategic manner. Checks are bone crushing but they are right on the stick or gloves. An attackman will use his body wieght and size to protect his stick and retain his balance while he creeps along the crease and stands there throwing fakes like an unmovable mountain rather than just bull over someone in an off balance manner thus exposing their stick. And these types of players can adapt and adjust to beat the oppsition, if someone can match them physically. If you notice in NCAA lax, there are maybe 1 or 2 major hits a game, espescially if the teams are good. This doesn't mean the teams are not physical, it is just that they have forged their strength and skill into one swift hammer. Damn I'm poetic!