Delaware had a roller coaster season last year and left spectators only guessing what will their next move would consist of. This year started in a good direction. Delaware had beat new comer High Point 12-10.
This season opener should have not been a surprise for fans. The blue Hens have been consistent with season openers; winning 11 straight openers. This win was a team effort. Eric Smith, Nick Diachenko, Connor McRoy, and Brian Kormondy attributed to each of the goals. Delaware outshot the Panthers by a 46-31 margin. The blue hens dictated the game.
Now on the other side of the field, the Panthers did a decent job of putting pressure on the attack man and getting the ball in the net. This was their first game and they did a pretty good job. Dan Lomas had the game of his life. He scored five goals and gave his team a boost of confidence.
This team does not have to feel bad about losing. They had taken Delaware to the brink of defeat! This says a lot about the team. The Panthers are more than ready to compete and take on challenges.
Delaware will have to clean up their defense a little. This week they will play a Bucknell team that loves to be physical. Will they be ready to ply their type of style?
Last year John Hopkins had beat Siena 9-5. It was complete domination for Hopkins. Hopkins controlled the course of the game and held Siena to only 5 points. This year will be different. Siena is a threat when dictating games. They have an offense that will beat you down physically and mentally. Siena likes to play at a slower pace, stopping other teams that like to use a speed type of offense.
Pat Killeen and Brad Burnam are the keys for this team. Pat is known as a leader out on the field. He can help Brad Burnam out. Brad is a freshman and needs to learn the offense a bit more, but he has the potential to become a house hold name. This match game will be a chess match for Siena. They have to get after the ball and stop the speed of John Hopkins.
This game for Hopkins will give viewers a glimpse of what they will expect out the season. Everybody that has watched John Hopkins knows that they love to run. It is very hard to stop these young attack men on the wing. Tucker Durkin has been the key ingredient with every win. Last year, Durkin grabbed 35 ground balls and caused 19 turnovers. That was huge, because of the amount of turnovers, Hopkins was ranked 7th defensively.
Key to victory: John Hopkins has to stay committed to their fast paced offense, they need to create turnovers and dictate the management of the game
Siena has to be physical. They have to be physical and not play into a scoring match with Hopkins. This will be an exciting game. Look for Siena to try to avenge their lost last season.
