Ryan Brown: Week One Big Ten Lacrosse MVP
Photo courtesy of Johns Hopkins University
Player of the Week:
Ryan Brown had a highlight reel of a day at Homewood Field on Saturday against UMBC, notching seven goals, one shy of his career best. He has extended his goal scoring streak to 17 consecutive games and even caught the attention of the Player of the Week voters. Brown has won the inaugural POTW award for Big Ten lacrosse.
The Biggest Takeaway:
Ryan Brown had a fantastic day but I think my biggest takeaway from this team is their ability to hurt you from both the transition game and their set offensive plays.
Shack Stanwick, winner of the inaugural B1G Freshman of the Week, scored four unassisted goals early in the game. The Blue Jays looked fast and methodical in transition and have a plethora of talent that can strike quickly. After they built up a substantial lead on the Retrievers, they slowed things down on offense and focused on ball movement. The Stanwick brothers accounted for five assists, and eight different players scored a goal for Hopkins. This team looks very dangerous to plan a defense around and proved they can beat you in a multitude of ways.
Next game:
Well, if you want to see this offensive show and don’t want to wait until the weekend, you’re in luck. The Blue Jays take on another local team tonight. The Blue Jays will be traveling to Towson tonight and face off time is at 6pm EST. You can follow this link to watch the game live.
What to expect:
I’m interested to see if Wells Stanwick takes over this offense as his own or continues to pass the rock. Ryan Brown is an excellent player and possibly the best shooter in the nation. But expect for seven goal games to be a rare commodity. Wells has the ability to take this offense over and score for himself.
I’m also intrigued to see if Coach Pietramala will continue to press off of ground balls to establish a transition offense. This team is loaded with young talent and experienced players and have their sights set on Memorial Day. I don’t see the Tigers standing in their way in this game.