Army vs. Cornell: Halftime thoughts
Unless Army makes a few adjustments at halftime, it would appear that the Black Knights’ run through the NCAA tournament could end one stop short of the Final Four.
Unseeded Army trails No. 7 seed Cornell 8-3 in a quarterfinal at Stony Brook’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, and much of the credit belongs to the Big Red’s ability to dissect the Black Knights defense.
Seven of Cornell’s goals have come from shots in the slot or just outside the crease, giving junior goalkeeper Tom Palesky no chance to making the stop. The eighth tally came from junior defenseman Max Feely, who picked up a loose ball off the faceoff and raced in alone.
Feely’s name will haunt Loyola and its fans as he was the one who scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime to send the Big Red to the quarterfinals and the Greyhounds home for the summer.
Army has done itself any favors either. After Cornell senior attackman Ryan Hurley was whistled for a 30-second penalty for pushing, the Black Knights whiffed on the extra-man opportunity. Hurley, racing out of the box, collected a pass over the midfield line and fed freshman attackman Steve Mock for an easy score to give the Big Red a 5-1 advantage just 2:08 into the second quarter.
Other notes:
*Cornell is also faring better on ground balls, collecting 18 to Army’s 13. Even though the Big Red has won just six of 13 faceoffs, the players just seem faster and more adept at picking up loose balls than the Black Knights.
*I have to wonder whether nerves are playing a role thus far. This is Army’s first appearance at this stage of the tournament since 1993, and the program has never advanced to the national semifinals. Meanwhile, Cornell is seeking its third Final Four berth in the last four seasons.
*Palesky (five saves) appeared to injure his left leg when he attempted to run upfield with the ball as time expired in the second quarter. It looked like his left foot got caught in the turf, and my initial reaction was that he tore the anterior cruciate ligament. Palesky did get up and limp off under his own power, but if he can’t play in the second half, sophomore Zach Palmieri – who has played just 12 minutes this season, allowing two goals and making three saves – could be asked to anchor a potential comeback.
*Hurley leads all scorers with three goals and one assist, while Mock has scored three times. The Black Knights are paced by attackmen Jeremy Boltus and Garret Thul and midfielder Devin Lynch, who have each scored once.
