US Lacrosse Community Forum Forums MID-ATLANTIC LACROSSE MARYLAND FORUM MD Girls 2028

It has become increasingly clear that one player determines much of Coppermine's success. She was not in attendance at G8. While a great player, the highly lauded addition has not elevated the former Number 1 team and current Number 4 team as everyone expected. They have never been more vulnerable. Are changes on the horizon or is the team simply experiencing growing pains?

They already have a solid lefty attacker that they don't utilize. What makes this slower moving version better than what they have?

In all seriousness, Aces is playing better than Coppermine.

More broadly on that point, I was a big Coppermine defender and continued to believe they were the best team at the 2028 level even after a couple of stumbles earlier against Hero's Green. Now they are turning in multiple games scoring 3 goals or less in consecutive tournaments against different opponents. It would have been inconceivable for the Coppermine team playing last Summer and Fall to score less than 5 goals in a quarter of their games.

In short, it appears that the offense has stagnated. My DD's team hasn't played Coppermine in a while. Did the naysayers who predicted that the offense wouldn't gel after adding more top players prove to be right? Are teams defending better? What's the story from someone who has seen them play a few times? Would appreciate actual analysis versus I told you sos, or celebratory responses.

Here’s what I’ve seen and my daughter’s team has played Coppermine 4+ times over the past couple months. Most of the offensive possessions revolve around a midfielder running sweep dodge motion from the top. Very little moving the ball down to X and looking for off ball cutters. Additionally most better teams have defenders sliding and switching now and it’s not that hard to stop.

Will note that the rumored potential addition is an outstanding passer/feeder that can orchestrate an effective attack. Watched her deliver accurate feed after feed to unknown new teammates at IDX. Would require offense to run through X at least some of the time versus middies constantly dodging from up top. Could probably use the other speedy lefty as a cutter and gain a win win, but I'm not the coach.

What you are witnessing at Coppermine is the evolution of lacrosse from the middle school to high school level. That it is say, pre-HS, put the ball in your best athletes stick and iso or screen and have her run in from top (Middies run the pre-HS lax offense). It works well, for years and the girls get praised for this approach.

Good teams start making the offense run through the attack, from GLE, where cutters face the goal, catch and shoot. This is how good HS and college teams are ran.Its multiple scorers, ball movement.

Coppermine has elite athletes, middies, dodging from top and the now HS girls are able to adjust, slide, shut it off. Through in more backer D which is designed to shut down the iso and dodge from top, and you are going to have problems.

Can and will the Coppermine staff adjust and start running a HS level offense? Will these middies adjust their style? Can the attack on that team step up with a bigger role?

It is apparent that the attackers defer to the middies and the middies don’t trust their attackers. A lot of the attackers look like they are just trying not to make a mistake which I don’t blame them as if they do they are likely to get pulled and already are struggling to get minutes. I am not sure if Coppermine even thinks the Aces girl would make them better- my guess is they heard Heros was considering her and they like to hoard as many girls from other teams as possible. On a side note the Coppermine girl that switched to M&D was given a lot of grief but it looks like she made a great move for herself- playing most minutes as a middie there as opposed to standing at attack on Coppermine watching the middie show.

What you talkin bout Willis?

Good analysis from one perspective. Have a different perspective as the player didn't move off ball or cut or dodge. Don't see how adding the player helps the team.

Willis is dead on here. The effectiveness of baby-ball decreases significantly by 9th grade. Coaching and player IQ becomes much more relevant to team success at this age.

The fool part about this entire thing is that this 2028 team is putting all their hope in that they will be the blue chip recruiting class of that club.

This summer is key for the Coppermine 28's. And as people have said for two straight years on here Skywalkers will come out much stronger this fall. It seems like M&D may lose players and Heros will be business as usual. I personally hope Coppermine sticks it through and becomes a viable recruiting option besides the big three. There's too many good players now and it could be another good club to be recruited from. As usual they all but SW need to ditch the parent coaches and that would solve a lot of the playing time problems on all three teams

The team will be a shell of itself next year so the hopes and dreams of this stellar recruiting class is no more. Tryouts should get real interesting.

Post tryouts:
1- Hero's
2- Skywalkers
3- Coppermine
4- Crush
5- MD United
6- M&D

All their hope? Please. The 2029 squad has arguably more talent.

Who do you think MDU is picking up to warrant this?

I see the M&D trolls are out in full force.

I don’t think it’s wildly unfair to M&D, I wouldn’t put them above 5 unless there is a major influx of talent coming in

What talent is going to Skywalkers and MDU to vault them ahead?

Unless girls are leaving in droves from coppermine or hero’s, the only pick ups MDU and skywalkers will get are top players from B Teams which won’t move the needle that much. Last year when a major player left MDU that was really the only big move. Unless that is happening, then it will just be shuffling good players around.

M&D is losing talent according to the rumors

Oh please. Stop with the 29s. Another mommy ball Coppermine team. Coaching turnover for 2 years running- feed the ball to the top 2 girls and forget the rest. No player development. Coppermine is out over its skis when it comes to late middle/early high school.

The rumors are just that, false. No top player is leaving

Most of the relevant information is not even public yet. Some will lose more than anticipated and some will gain more than anticipated.

Would love to know who you are. This must be a D1 final 4 coach. Sw struggles 27-31. M&D is in trouble with 28. 29 is not elite even thought daddyball Jim and Mommy call Amanda are taking a Heros player and a Coppermine shooter. Heros has been the most consistent. Parents are the problem with the whole club scene! Lose a game or little Suzy isn’t the start people wanna jump teams. The good ones on the parent sideline are usually the ones that know team sports and let their kid experience the ups and downs. You people are the ones responsible for diminishing number of coaches and refs. Might move my kid to golf or tennis.

Put down the wine. You come on here to bash coaches then in the next breath claim the parents are the problem and why there are diminishing coaches. No idea what M&D has done to you but, you need help.

I bet you don’t even see the irony in your post…

Would love to know who you are. This must be a D1 final 4 coach. Sw struggles 27-31. M&D is in trouble with 28. 29 is not elite even thought daddyball Jim and Mommy call Amanda are taking a Heros player and a Coppermine shooter. Heros has been the most consistent. Parents are the problem with the whole club scene! Lose a game or little Suzy isn’t the start people wanna jump teams. The good ones on the parent sideline are usually the ones that know team sports and let their kid experience the ups and downs. You people are the ones responsible for diminishing number of coaches and refs. Might move my kid to golf or tennis.[/quote]

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or this poster is reiterating what others have said ?

any team that is losing players is losing them because of parental interference. That's why SW 27 & 28's are gaining players. 29 & 30's are too. Its always the parents

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or this poster is reiterating what others have said ?

any team that is losing players is losing them because of parental interference. That's why SW 27 & 28's are gaining players. 29 & 30's are too. Its always the parents[/quote]

SW model works but has its issues as well. Just look at the 27 forum. They are about to make a coaching change right before these girls get recruited. The thing about SW is they are unique with their model. Not just in Maryland but the whole club scene. LI teams are no different with parent coaches. So no matter where you go outside SW you run into parent coaches. Which has its issues as well as others have pointed out. SW always improves in 8th/9th grade but it has little to do with non parent coaches. That is just the reason parents use to make the jump. If it truly was the reason, why wait so long? I think the SW program has an incredible history with recruiting and that’s why parents make the jump. They want to win at the younger ages but then when wins don’t matter they jump to SW. What really is hard for the kids at SW now is, they will replace you once the better kids come.

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or this poster is reiterating what others have said ?

any team that is losing players is losing them because of parental interference. That's why SW 27 & 28's are gaining players. 29 & 30's are too. Its always the parents[/quote]

What parental interference? Parents are part of the problem, but players also leave due to coaching philosophy differences, poor club management and other areas. SW will gain players from all teams where those kids weren't playing much and didn't like their role. SW is not attracting top talent from other clubs to leave a good situation.

What parental interference? Parents are part of the problem, but players also leave due to coaching philosophy differences, poor club management and other areas. SW will gain players from all teams where those kids weren't playing much and didn't like their role. SW is not attracting top talent from other clubs to leave a good situation.[/quote]

They do get some BLC kids who don't want Capital, but they also tend to get the top kids on B clubs. Those kids move on to greener pastures. IT works well for SW.

this is so inaccurate. my girl made a list of teams she wanted to try out for. her first choice was not her current team. plenty of reasons why girls want to go to other teams