In lacrosse we’re getting nat’l attn. In baseball, we’re not even close, though I do love the new coach.
But, sports are also a marketing tool for schools, thus I don’t see us using baseball as our mktg. tool.
2025 MLAX Schedule
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But, sports are also a marketing tool for schools, thus I don’t see us using baseball as our mktg. tool.
when we were on our early season baseball run we were gettimg a lot of national press.
Like others have mentioned, we get a lot of students from the areas of the country where lacrosse is popular. We will see a rise in interest with a national relevant lacrosse team, where we could legitimately compete for national titles every now and again. Being barely ranked in the top 25 in basketball and winning a tournament game every 4-6 years doesn't raise our profile nearly as much, even given the higher viewership of basketball to lacrosse. This doesn't even take into account the fact that with Mooney at the helm the basketball program is going nowhere. Perhaps my stance would change a bit with a half decent coach leading the basketball program.
2025 Nike Lacrosse Media All-Americans.
100% disagree. Lacrosse has been fun to follow. Love that our Spiders are doing really well. But in no way ever do we get more national attention with lacrosse than basketball. A first round win in basketball is far more meaningful and noticeable than a National Championship in lacrosse or any other sport including football for us since we play at a lower level in football.
With all this discussion of what is most popular and gets more media attention, here I am in the Carolinas and I hear a fair amount of discussion about lacrosse at the golf course. When asked where I went to school, there is always knowledge of the UR program and how well it is doing for being a relatively young program. True though due to media coverage, Basketball will always be the headliner.
I think that is how you have to look at it. For Lacrosse to really effect UR in terms of viewers and marketing, they likely need to make the final four of the Lacrosse Championships. Those games get broadcasted on ESPN and ESPN2, which are national stations as opposed to ESPNU, not every house has that. I would wonder what the viewership is there in the final four.
In basketball - it just making the NCAA tourney, and if you happen to win a game - its just gets bigger and better.
For baseball - its about making the college world series. That is a tough task, and I think back to to the Stauffer years where UR was within a game of making it to Omaha. You make it to Omaha, and that is a huge boost, which is why I put Baseball up there. Would not expect it to happen overnight or often - but that should be the goal.
FCS Football - you really have to make the title game I think for it to have a profound effect.
2025 NCAA Men's Lacrosse ~ Cornell vs. Richmond
richmondspiders.com
Men's Lacrosse vs Cornell on 3/2/2025 - Box Score - University of Richmond Athletics
The official box score of Men's Lacrosse vs Cornell on 3/2/2025
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I never paid any real attention to D1 lax before we got a program, other than to know that UVA, Duke, Princeton, Hopkins, Syracuse and a few others were good at it. Seemed like some combo of those teams were always in the Final 4, and so you'd hear about it that way. If we regularly start making Final 4s, there is a certain element of casual-but-tuned-in sports fan who will know more about us. But I would agree that the pool of people who are paying attention is dramatically smaller than D1 basketball.
That said, we have a legitimate chance to win a national championship in lacrosse in the next 5 years, and it could be this year, so let's go get it.
That said, we have a legitimate chance to win a national championship in lacrosse in the next 5 years, and it could be this year, so let's go get it.
I agree, but I think something that could set lacrosse programs apart, as will be the case in any non-revenue sport like Lacrosse, is IF and WHEN a school commits just a little amount of money to the program to set them above and apart from other programs given the new landscape of college athletics. Lacrosse at UR might be the prime candidate for that.
Right now - lacrosse can give out 12.6 scholarships to the roster. But starting next year - that jumps to 48 for men. Will other schools offer all 48, I don't think so, but reasonable to expect - the top 10-15 programs will increase their numbers. So lets say UR wants to stay in line - I would think at a minimum - you have to double to 24 (that only covers half the roster). So 12 more x 75K estimate per scholarship is 900K. So I would think that is bare minimum to start.
BUT - what if UR decided to move to 32 scholarships (1.5 million extra cost), and then what if Lacrosse was given 500K to spread around the team for payments. There is a clear opportunity in a sport that has some visibility, low amount of competition, and we are already in a good place - to really take UR to the next level.
Full transparency - don't expect this to happen. I think they might increase scholarships to 18-20. And I don't see them making payments to lacrosse players.
Thankfully it does not need to be an either or between basketball or lacrosse. Let’s be great at both because both together, they will give this school the best exposure. Agree with lacrosse, the next step has to be to fund more scholarships. This is a pivotal moment to rise and be among the elite. We need to capitalize.
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No - not either or. Needs to be both. But again - that will need to be funded by a school and administration that is not known for being a leader or forward thinking in this area.
I don't hate that idea, and I think it makes sense. Admittedly, I didn't realize how big a lacrosse roster was, but it looks like we have 52 guys this year, give or take. If funding more scholies than most other teams will give us a leg up, I hope we can do it. Getting to an elite level in any D1 sport is a great thing, and you'd think it could only help the other sports and the school in general.
We all wish that we'd get really serious about men's basketball, but since we aren't going to do that anytime soon, might as well fund the programs that are serious about elite level results, like lacrosse and women's b-ball.
Ha! seems like the mojo is working just fine without Petty who performs exclusively in late November/December...Are we one more win away from Satchmo lacrosse road trip videos with Tom Petty playing in the background? Or are we already there?
hoping to see the ultimate national shocker Saturday...we wish could make the trip, but road trips this time of the year are tough for me...too much going on!
Go Spiders!
2 additional points of considerations to factor in with lacrosse scholarships.
1. We can provide partial scholarships. So if we double the 12.6 to 25 we can give 50 players 50% scholarship. Or some combination of 0-100% of a scholarship to a player depending on how good they are.
2. Many top lacrosse players are recruited from New England private or boarding schools and come from affluent families. So many families can likely afford UR anyway, so going back to point 1, a partial scholarship of 50% can help be more enticing if money isn’t a huge factors for some anyway.
Bottom line is we have to go to low-mid 20s in scholarship at minimum if we want to remain at this level, which I think is something that we all want to be the case.
1. We can provide partial scholarships. So if we double the 12.6 to 25 we can give 50 players 50% scholarship. Or some combination of 0-100% of a scholarship to a player depending on how good they are.
2. Many top lacrosse players are recruited from New England private or boarding schools and come from affluent families. So many families can likely afford UR anyway, so going back to point 1, a partial scholarship of 50% can help be more enticing if money isn’t a huge factors for some anyway.
Bottom line is we have to go to low-mid 20s in scholarship at minimum if we want to remain at this level, which I think is something that we all want to be the case.
Was back home for a high school buddy's wedding last weekend and wore my Spider Q-Zip to a welcome party - got multiple comments about the team and people rooting for us to beat UNC. To be fair, I grew up in MD in a hotbed for lacrosse and played until I got to UR, so I was in a pretty lacrosse friendly crowd, but definitely felt the recognition right away. Emerging as a real contender in lacrosse year after year would be great for the school.
I haven't followed as close as I used to because I'm not really into professional lacrosse, but this year has really pulled me back in. Let's get it done this weekend!
National media is still sleeping on their chances Saturday. Great story! Program on the rise! They really believe they can win! Blah blah blah. My plane ticket is booked for Boston. See you all there.
Prez Hallock has been in on strategy meetings this week with Dan and Paul.He knows Cornell’s vulnerabilities,that’s why he left the Big Red for UR.
Glad Hunter has 10 pounds on Kirst .....great article ....................Kirst is a fantastic player and scorer and Hunter is a fantastic player and defender. Round 2 will be fun to watch! Naturally glad to see the all important D getting press!
Love the pride, determination, and confidence!
Me either, EightLegger. However, I'd probably be tuned in if the Spiders had a nationally competitive pick-up stick team too!
I've learned to enjoy watching lacrosse, though.
2025 Anonymous Coaches' Scouting Reports: Saturday Men's DI Quarterfinals https://www.insidelacrosse.com/arti...reports-saturday-men-s-di-quarterfinals/65329
Lucas Littlejohn, A
Richmond vs. No. 1 Cornell, Noon on ESPNU
The first of the four 2025 NCAA Men's Division I Quarterfinals starts with the top seed against the lone debutant at this stage.Richmond Keys To Win
- They’re going to have to score to keep up with Cornell’s high-powered O.
- Play free. Going up against the No. 1 team in the country in your first Quarterfinal appearance, there’s no sense in draining the ball or the clock. I don’t think you’ll see that. I think you’ll see them play fast. They’re going to play connected and attack them from the opening whistle.
- Central to everything the Big Red does well offensively, can you take away to of their key party starters in Ryan Goldstein and Hugh Kelleher?
Richmond Scheme/Style
- They don't beat themselves. They work for the best shot.
- Really disciplined and well-coached, that’s why their efficiency numbers are through the roof. They force you to play a near-perfect game. They force you to defend them. That’s what makes them so complete across the board.
- Don't 10-man, more of a 9.5 man. Freedom for high pressure from Tommy Stull and Brayden Penafeather-Stevenson. Deep ride, bump well and pretty athletic in the middle of the field. Once you cross the midline, the ride isn’t over; they do a great job of making you accelerate through to your offensive zone.
- They make it hard to turn face-off wins into possessions. They apply solid high pressure and do a great job of extended defense.
Richmond Offense
- Efficient, don't turn it over.
- Patient and poised. They know who they are, not very multiple, but do the things they do at a really high level.
- Has a set play that they bring out against top ACC and Ivy competition: Two-man game out of the corner to create two 3-on-3s with lowest O guy on dodging side loosening up the slide and they throw it down to that guy.
Richmond Defense
- Has personnel to play straight-up; they force you to earn goals.
- More multiple than their O, but not too multiple. They’ll play a little bit of the zone. Everything they do is with a ton of discipline.
- They show they don’t want to slide at times and will speed you up a bit and see if they can make a play. They’ll change it a bit depending on what the opponent likes to do.
- They read the body language of the dodger really well. Slower to slide, really good at hedging and getting back to their matchups.
- Early in possessions, they’ll play with high pressure. Later in possessions, they’ll bait you into moving the ball and have great pressure on that next guy.
- Sometimes slips into zone look on endline restarts, or if opponent scores a few in a row vs. man-to-man, they’ll put their arms up like a touchdown signal when they go into it. They put shortsticks to the inside top center so they have their length all throughout the perimeter with their poles doing a great job of choosing when to extend.
- Played more condensed early on this season, but poles now have more freedom to put pressure on.
- Teams have played zone vs. Cornell before with more pressure on the perimeter to deal with their shooters, but I think you’ll see a more connected zone to take them out of their flow.
- This is less about Hunter Smith vs. CJ Kirst than people may think. No one person covers CJ Kirst, nor the Cornell offense. They’re elite at sharing the ball and he’s elite at playing within their system, being selfless and playing off-ball. Both units play by committee.
Richmond Key Personnel
Lucas Littlejohn, A
- His ability to move inside and find soft spots puts a ton of stress on the rest of the defense.
- Ton of gravity. Forces you to pay attention to him. That has a domino effect on the rest of the group.
- Someone you can trust to throw it inside late in shot clock and he can make a play.
- Maybe not a true No. 1 option, but makes smart decisions.
- Really complementary of each other. Got some dodgers, finishers, feeders from both up top and behind.
- Uses his wings really well to pressure after face-off losses.
- Tommy Stull is really impressive. Great stick. Puts a ton of pressure on his matchups. Penafeather-Stevenson gives him a rest and there’s not much let off.
- Perhaps no player is better equipped to matchup against CJ Kirst more than Hunter Smith due to his 1-on-1 ability and off-ball high IQ and hustle.
- Both have freedom to make plays.
- Smith covers the ball really well, disciplined, knows when to take chances.
- Dunham hedges really well but is realistic about getting back to his guy.
- Need quality shots to beat him. Takes up a lot of the net in low angle or fading. Have to work for the middle third of the field shots.
- Doesn’t have too many big tells. Have to change shot locations up on him.
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Cornell Keys To Win
- Need to value the ball. If you’re double or triple the amount of turnovers as them, that’s when Richmond's efficiency beats you.
Cornell Offense Scheme/Style
- Switch field at an elite level. Initiate from midfield with long dodges to generate slides on first dodge and keep it moving. They want to get it to the backside as quickly as possible whether it’s an initial dodge, skip through or quickly swinging it through Goldstein, then re-attack from there before you get set up.
- Every person out there can beat you off the dodge, so when the ball moves that quickly, they can all attack when appropriate or keep moving it when necessary.
- They also do a great job of keeping you occupied off-ball.
- Make them react to something different. Don’t allow them to play with the same tempo and rhythm, wear them down. Make them adjust in a way they’re not as comfortable in doing so.
- The face-guard CJ question: It’s such a taboo concept to do it at this level and you think, 'Oh this isn’t going to work and they’ll just get open.' At this part of the year too, there’s a balance between taking them out of their game, but you also want to make sure you’re good at it and fall back on what has gotten you here. The safer, more comfortable choice is staying with what you do best.
- Make it harder for CJ Kirst to get the ball out of slide-and-recover defensive rotations.
Cornell Defense Scheme/Style
- Pretty standard. Shade the middle of the field, slide from the crease. They’re not too matchup conscious. Good fundamental crease-sliding defense.
- They’re a bit funky. They sink really low and share the crease, hedge out and chase. They want to force East-West dodges by extending out and bait you into settling into a deep shot from 14-15 yards.
- The way they play the games end up being more up and down, which is why they give up more goals.
- Their defensemen get in the way of a lot of shots with how compact they are.
- When Wyatt Knust is making saves, the defense is looking good, but when he isn’t… not so much.
Cornell Key Personnel
CJ Kirst, A
- He lets the game come to him as well as any player of his caliber that I've ever seen.
- Can beat you in so many different ways. Such a complete player. Can stick it from deep. Rides his butt off. Can beat you with both hands like with that goal we all saw vs. UAlbany.
- I think it just comes down to limiting his touches. Make him run past someone with the ball in his stick. He’s so good off-ball, so don’t gift them goals by not covering off-ball when he’s swing cutting through the crease.
- Is he playing hurt? That would explain why he’s not dodging as much as he was earlier in the season. That won’t stop him from scoring, though. But it could also be their staff realizing they have an elite guy at X.
- Goldstein moves really well off the ball and is very comfortable behind the cage where he operates. Feeds aggressively and teammates know that so when the ball moves to him, they’re moving off-ball pretty purposefully. Have to limit his touches as a feeder below GLE. Constant threat to sneak on the pipes.
- Must respect this matchup. Have to respect him as a dodger with his elite quickness.
- Cornell is at their best when they get the ball through X to Goldstein and he can get it to the backside.
- To have three guys you have to worry about on attack that can do a bit of everything — it's so hard to prepare for. That’s why it’s important to change it up and go zone every once in a while against them.
- His familiarity with Kirst these past six years plus the Delbarton days makes them such a dangerous duo.
- As advertised. Old school north-south barreling down to the goal. Someone you have to make handle with ball pressure.
- Make someone else beat you.
- Very good feeder. Smart, savvy. Jeff Teat lite. Have to make him run past you in the way that they use him. They get him down the left alley a decent amount and you’ve got to make him run past you, otherwise he’ll pick you apart with his stick to the outside. Really dangerous in pairs with Kirst and Dalton.
- Canadian rules apply. Stay on his left, watch for the toe drags and BTBs. Don’t give him too much space on the inside.
- Big, athletic, not a liability with the ball, can roll away from pressure and can score on the run off of face-off wins.
- Makes the saves he needs to make.
- Don’t think he’s particularly great.
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