Of course it is a team game, but there is a relative scale. You think Duke was the best team in last two years because of anything besides face offs and goalie play? Cuse was on the way to beating them, and Notre Dame was clearly the deeper team in the finals last year but Duke was able to just hang on because of face off wins and goalie play. Duke had very little midfield depth and lost a key starter in the NCAA tournament and still got away with it. You think Bryant College beats Cuse in the dome without dominant face off and goalie play? Then look at UVa. They have had weak goalie play and so so X play since 2011 and can't win with #1 rated recruiting classes all over the field at other positions. UNC season fell apart last year when they had injuries at FOGO. It is silly to debate this. If you don't win face offs or make clears, you can't have possessions or win. If your goalie gives up 15 yard shots he can see or gives up rebounds all day you can't win. With a weak midfield or an iffy LSM card you can compensate. Recent NCAA champs proved it.
Duke pulled goalies on multiple occasions in the NCAA's and two years ago started different goalie in the semi's and the finals because of poor play - if goalie was that important Penn St would have won a few titles by now - short sighted to not give more love the the entire team and thin that two players won them two titles - Duke won despite their goalies not because of them
Duke won cause of their fogo! Thanks alot Brendan, for being so damn good that all the other fogos are getting messed with now!
