Tournament Trend 12 Dylan Levings A
Enemy Lines WHAT RIVAL COACHES SAY
“Get Dempster back, which is big. Need to replace four-year stalwarts on defense… Stengths: Levings, defensive IQ, slick attack. Weakness: Size… Levings has shown flashes of giving them the ability to play make it, take it… This team is poised to have a monster year. I should put them at No. 4, making the statement that they are final four-bound.”
Yale BULLDOGS
2013 RECORD: 12-5 (IVY LEAGUE) COACH: ANDY SHAY (11TH SEASON) • RECORD AT YALE: 78-63
09 10 11 12 13
Schedule Feb 22 Mar 1 Mar 8
Key Game This game could end up
deciding the No. 1 seed in the Ivy League tourney. It also comes after a rigorous two-game, five- day stretch featuring a Tuesday tilt against Lehigh, followed by Cornell.
Mar 11 Mar 15 Mar 22 Mar 29 Apr 1 Apr 5
Apr 11 Apr 19 Apr 22 Apr 29
St. John’s at Bryant at Fairfield Lehigh
at Cornell Princeton Penn
at Providence at Dartmouth at Brown
at Michigan Quinnipiac Harvard
Projected Starters A Brandon Mangan (Sr.)* G: 39
fter two straight NCAA tournament appearances following Ivy League tournament championships, Yale
coach Andy Shay wants the Bulldogs’ identity to remain the same. But it might have to change. “Our M.O. is still to play great defense,
but our depth chart has us wondering which way it’s going to go,” Shay said. “We’re going to have to put in more man hours coaching at that end than we have in a while.” Yale lost the outstanding defense tandem of Michael McCormack and Peter Johnson, who graduated after terrific close careers in New Haven as four- year starters. With Johnson,
Yale had one of the top shutdown weapons in D-I. And McCormack was a ground
ball machine who lit the fuse for Yale’s transition game. How far Yale goes in 2014 will come
down to how effectively two unproven defensemen — Alirio DeMeireles and Alex Moffit — take their places. It helps that defenseman Jimmy Craft, a returning starter who has played up top
A Publication of US Lacrosse
A Conrad Oberbeck (Jr.)* G: 36
A: 25 A: 8
Top Returner A BRANDON MANGAN (SR.)
He’s not the most dynamic player, but Mangan spoils the Bulldogs with his decision-making and nose for the goal.
at long-stick midfield, can spark transition down low. It helps that long-stick midfielder Michael Quinn, who sat out the fall with an injury, has already proven to be a matchup problem for the opponent’s top midfielder. And it really helps that versatile and clutch Harry Kucharczyk leads a solid group of short-stick defensive midfielders. But Yale’s offense might have to be its
ticket. With Deron Dempster back on attack after a year off joining Brandon Mangan and Conrad Oberbeck, the Bulldogs could get production in the 150-point range from that trio. Junior midfielder Colin Flaherty (17g, 10a) could be primed for a huge scoring year. Yale may need to generate 11-12 goals
per game to take pressure off its defense. In senior Dylan Levings, they sure have the faceoff weapon to do it. Goalie Eric Natale, who replaced the
injured Jack Meyer and came up big in key moments during an overall inconsistent 2013, needs to be steadier and make a few more spectacular saves. “Can we be an eight-goal team and still win, or will we need to be an 11-goal team a little more often?” Shay said. “We’re going to be finding that out on the fly.”
— G.L. February 2014 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 43
A Deron Dempster (Sr.) G: 32
M Colin Flaherty (Jr.)* G: 17
M Eric Scott (Fr.) G: 44
M Ryan McCarthy (Sr.)* G: 6
FO Dylan Levings (Sr.)* FO%: 59.7
D Jimmy Craft (Sr.)* GB: 39
D Alex Moffit (Sr.) GB: 0
* returning starters X-Factor A DERON DEMPSTER (SR.)
After Dempster left the team for undisclosed reasons, many assumed the attack would sputter. But Mangan and Oberbeck stepped up. Now all three are together. “[Dempster] is exactly who he was — an exceptional shooter and finisher,” Shay said.
Power Ratings (SCALE OF 1-5)
4 3 3 4 OFFENSE DEFENSE GOALIE FACEOFF
A: 2 (in 2012) A: 10 A: 13
LSM Michael Quinn (So.)* GB: 27
D Alirio DeMeireles (Jr.) GB: 0
G Eric Natale (Jr.)* GAA: 7.88
A: 17 (at Ridge High) Pts: 2 CT: 14 CT: 17 CT: 0 CT: 0
SV%: 53.8
1ST
RD QUARTERS
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