Great time of year for girls lax!

As I long-time observer, here are a few thoughts:

1. The WCAC is a complete joke and a bore. GC is a great team that plays against 3 mediocre teams at best in conference and the rest are a joke. How boring can it get.

2. The Saints SR final ISL game has the makings of one of the more exciting and interesting games in recent years. Two teams of great contrasts in their styles and philosophy. Major differences include:

COACHING STYLES: KJ runs a highly regimented and robotic style on offense. A play with every possession. She even designates players who cannot shoot under any circumstances.

KM and SR: No plays. Instructs her players to play creatively. Read the defense and use their speed and athleticism to get to goal.

Both coaches could learn a bit from each other a adopt a bit from each. No plays is a bit ridiculous. Too much structure is not optimal.

REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE: Saints played a joke of a out-of-conference schedule. Top teams were Roland Park, STAB and maybe Loyola. But hey they did play NCS in the ISL A division! But ducked GC. Just the facts.

SR played a murders row out of conference: McDon, St. Mary's, NDP, Milton, Glenelg, STAB, GC, Episcopal Academy PA, Penn Charter PA, and Severna Park. They probably went a bit overboard, but they made their team which is very young with 5 freshmen playing into a very experienced team by Playoff Time.

DEFENSE PHILOSOPHY: Saints Sags in on Defense off-ball. SR plays out with higher pressure man-to-man.

EXPERIENCE: Saints has 15 Seniors and 21 College recruits. SR only has 2 seniors that play and 5 Freshman that play most of the game.

STAKES FOR THE GAME: Saints has not won a post-season banner since 2022. SR has won the last 3 ISL Tourney titles and the regular season crown in 2026.

My take is that all of the pressure is on Saints to deliver with this senior class. SR with all of their youth is playing with house money as a PP suggested before. Get you popcorn ready. Should be a great matchup if you love the game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait a second! For a week the SR goalie was described as the best goalie in both the ISL and area (which was definded as up to Phlly). But now it appears that SR parents are claimining the Potomac goalie outplayed her.

Could it be that maybe the Potomac goalie (and possibly the other ISL and WCAC upperclassmen/committed goalies) are currently better than a freshman goalie who it sounds like had only played the position for one year?

How can that be? And more importantly, this must mean the NCS goalie has surpassed her SR rival, and is the unanimous best goalie in the area. Because how could the committed goalies at SSSAS, PVI, Potomac, GC, BI, and Visi be better than those freshmen juggernauts?!

We need a new thread dedicated just to goalies please

Can it be called Chandy? Or is that too far?

Anonymous wrote:SSSAS will probably win this year ISL and States, but the biggest award they deserve is that of gathering the nastiest group of girls in the class of 2026 starters. Good luck in college ladies. Your preferential treatment will get you nothing in the next round. I’m already looking forward to seeing how many of you make it an entire year.

Anonymous wrote:STAB is very good.

SSSA also values playing in the VISAA.

I get it, MD and DC parents don't recognize this since they are on the other side of the river, but winning a state championship is also a very cool experience.

That was a terrible take.

Anonymous wrote:I still think MD should adopt a state championship that includes private and publics.

Take the 4 MD public state champions and then the champions (or runner up if say in ISL or WCAC a DC or VA team wins) from each private conference (IAAM A, B, C, WCAC, ISL).

Would be cool but tough to do with school graduations dates

Is the game really at Sidwell ? What a lame setting.

I still think MD should adopt a state championship that includes private and publics.

Take the 4 MD public state champions and then the champions (or runner up if say in ISL or WCAC a DC or VA team wins) from each private conference (IAAM A, B, C, WCAC, ISL).

SSSAS will probably win this year ISL and States, but the biggest award they deserve is that of gathering the nastiest group of girls in the class of 2026 starters. Good luck in college ladies. Your preferential treatment will get you nothing in the next round. I’m already looking forward to seeing how many of you make it an entire year.

Anonymous wrote:STAB is very good.

SSSA also values playing in the VISAA.

I get it, MD and DC parents don't recognize this since they are on the other side of the river, but winning a state championship is also a very cool experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a bookie but I would imagine the starting line would be SR (-1) since that was the score of the last game.

No one here is a bookie. Same score as last game isn't much of an argument.

It's better than your opinion. At least it's based upon something tangible.

They didn't look like they valued it last year

STAB is very good.

SSSA also values playing in the VISAA.

I get it, MD and DC parents don't recognize this since they are on the other side of the river, but winning a state championship is also a very cool experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you don't think SSSAS will win by 3 or more, state your case.

SSSAS has been the dominant area team all year. Lost by one in the regular season to SR, but it is very hard to beat a better team twice. Class of 2026 playing their last game together. They will be all out.

Not their last game. They play in VISAA tournament next week.

Fair. Not the same as an ISL game though, right? STAB could give them a game, but beating SR in the ISL championship will be more important.

Anonymous wrote:If you don't think SSSAS will win by 3 or more, state your case.

SSSAS has been the dominant area team all year. Lost by one in the regular season to SR, but it is very hard to beat a better team twice. Class of 2026 playing their last game together. They will be all out.

Not their last game. They play in VISAA tournament next week.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not a bookie but I would imagine the starting line would be SR (-1) since that was the score of the last game.

No one here is a bookie. Same score as last game isn't much of an argument.

I'm not a bookie but I would imagine the starting line would be SR (-1) since that was the score of the last game.

If you don't think SSSAS will win by 3 or more, state your case.

SSSAS has been the dominant area team all year. Lost by one in the regular season to SR, but it is very hard to beat a better team twice. Class of 2026 playing their last game together. They will be all out.