Each week, we will look back at the games that were to see which players had the largest individual performances. I say largest because the contributions that we can measure (from play by play) tend to be things that are easy to count. This includes, goals, shots, assists, turnovers, penalties, etc. We can’t measure a defender who shuts down an opposing player so completely that he doesn’t even touch the ball. Still, it is interesting to be able to identify the players that really filled it up each weekend and give them a shout out here.

For a bit of background, in order to rank single game performances, we needed a way to condense box score stats into a single number for each player. In order to do this, we relied on our expected goal values methodology, which assigns a goal value to each type of play depending on how often it leads to a goal in the next 60 seconds. By adding up all the expected goals added for each player, we can get to that single number and these rankings.

As of this week, we have also tagged each performance with the opponent’s ELO rating. The higher the number, the stronger the opponent. This should help to give some context for each performance. Did the player feast on the dregs of D1 or did they put up these numbers against a quality opponent?

Top Single Game Scores of the week

#1 – Matt Rambo (Maryland) – 7.20 goals added May 21 vs Albany Opp ELO: 1888 He paced the team with 8 total points (4 goals; 4 assists) against Albany in a game that Maryland won 18 – 9. As if that wasn’t enough, don’t forget the 2 ground balls. We should also mention that these video game stats were not racked up against just anyone. No, these stats came against the #1 strongest opponent of anyone on this list. This game featured two Tewaaraton finalists (Rambo and Fields). It was always going to be billed as a match-up of those two. This is silly of course as they play on opposite sides of the ball and are never really going head to head. A more apt intro would have been Rambo against the Great Danes defense. Bottom line, Albany just had no answer for Rambo (and the Terps offense writ large). The announcers mentioned it on the broadcast, but Maryland was able to get their shot whenever they wanted. And a lot of that flowed from the fact that no matter the defense against him, Rambo was able to get to dangerous spots. What have you done for me lately? Of course, now every one back in College Park (and the great state of Maryland) is hoping that Rambo can lead the Terps to their first title since 1975. See you in Boston. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 4 4 9 (5) GBs FO Won FO Pct 2 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 1 0 0

#2 – Eric Fannell (Ohio State) – 6.28 goals added May 20 vs Duke Opp ELO: 1784 He paced the team with 7 total points (5 goals; 2 assists) in a game that Ohio State won 16 – 11 over Duke. As if that wasn’t enough, don’t forget the 2 ground balls. Throw in Duke’s ELO rating of 1784, and these stats take on whole new meaning. Congrats to the Buckeyes for making their first ever appearance in Championship Weekend. A great testament to the team, the coaching staff, and the university for putting the needed resources into the program. Like Matt Rambo in our #1 slot, Fannell is a guy who just seems to get wherever he wants to go on the field. A player like this makes it doubly tough on a defense because he forces slides, which gets defenses moving. A a defense that is moving has a lot more cracks than one that is matched up. Now Fannell and the Bucks go up against the Towson Tigers, who boast the top defense left in this tournament (#8 in D1). In somewhat unrelated commentary, we can’t wait until Michigan adds another top notch program in the B1G. How do you feel about that Buckeye fans? Goals Assists Shots (OG) 5 2 7 (5) GBs FO Won FO Pct 2 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 1 0 0

#3 – Connor Kelly (Maryland) – 5.08 goals added May 21 vs Albany Opp ELO: 1888 If the defense doesn’t stop you, just keep shooting, right? He gladly obliged, racking up 5 goals against Albany in a game that Maryland won 18 – 9. Add in 2 ground balls and you’ve got a pretty full stat sheet. No trillion-club here. We touched on Connor Kelly a bit in our Albany v Maryland preview article. This is a guy who’s been rising through the ranks all year for Maryland. To the point where he’s probably going to be one of the two or three guys that Denver really keys on ahead of their semifinal match up. Albany got a taste for what happens when a defense can focus on one guy. Kelly ensures that Maryland’s offensive attack says diverse. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 5 0 9 (5) GBs FO Won FO Pct 2 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 2 0 0

#4 – Austin French (Denver) – 4.23 goals added May 20 vs Notre Dame Opp ELO: 1622 On the day, he tallied 4 goals and 1 assist against Notre Dame, in a game that Denver won 16 – 4. As if that wasn’t enough, don’t forget the 1 ground ball. Given the importance of possession to the Pios, he’s probably most proud that he had as many turnovers in the game as you did. If you are a Notre Dame fan, the sight of French sitting on the doorstep waiting for a perfect feed for a one-timer goal is probably seared into your memory. Hopefully you are far enough removed that you can appreciate the surgical efficiency of this offense. (But probably not, that one will sting for a while.) If Denver is able to execute the way they did against the Irish, and the Terps don’t put up a better fight at the face-off X, Mr. French is liable to have another game like this one in Boston. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 4 1 6 (4) GBs FO Won FO Pct 1 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 0 0 0

#5 – Ethan Walker (Denver) – 4.01 goals added May 20 vs Notre Dame Opp ELO: 1622 On the day, he tallied 3 goals and 3 assists in a game that Denver won 16 – 4 over Notre Dame. Add in 2 ground balls and you’ve got a pretty full stat sheet. No trillion-club here. Would you look at that, two Pioneers in our top 5. Walker had 6 points. He also had 4 turnovers. At this point, we are really stretching here to find anything to improve upon with the Pioneers offense. So maybe less turnovers? It’s also worth pointing out that Walker is the top freshman on this list. We saw TD Ierlan against Maryland. The freshman wall is a thing. Will be curious to see if Walker is able to maintain his pace through the final game(s) of the year. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 3 3 6 (3) GBs FO Won FO Pct 2 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 4 0 0

#6 – Connor Fields (Albany) – 3.74 goals added May 21 vs Maryland Opp ELO: 1796 On the day, he tallied 3 goals and 1 assist against Maryland in a game that Albany lost 18 – 9. He also threw in 1 ground ball for good measure. The best thing we can say about this game for Connor Fields is that he’s back next year. And we can also say thank you for all the highlights. Virtuoso is a term that gets applied to athletic feats that are unique in some way. Usually performances that are out of the ordinary in some stylistic way. I think it applies to Fields, but also probably to [Insert Albany attack star here] in general. You see so many aspects of the Thompson trio in Fields play. While he’s got one more year, it makes you wonder who the next guy is going to be for Albany. As trade secrets continue to get passed down through the years, I can only imagine what sort of attack they are going to be putting on the field in coming years. Congrats to Coach Marr on fostering that sort of “beautiful game” style. Congrats to Connor Fields on an amazing season. Can’t wait to see what the Great Danes have in store for us in the future. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 3 1 6 (6) GBs FO Won FO Pct 1 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 1 0 0

#7 – Justin Guterding (Duke) – 3.63 goals added May 20 vs Ohio State Opp ELO: 1703 In this one, he scored 2 goals and added 2 assists against Ohio State, in a game that Duke lost 16 – 11. As if that wasn’t enough, don’t forget the 3 ground balls. Not the way he wanted to end his season of course, but kudos to Guterding for a solid game against the Buckeyes. And as a sophomore, we’ll have lots more opportunities to watch him lead the Blue Devils attack. No Danowski May Magic this year, but for the good of the game, that might be a good thing. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 2 2 7 (6) GBs FO Won FO Pct 3 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 2 0 0

#8 – Joe Seider (Towson) – 3.53 goals added May 21 vs Syracuse Opp ELO: 1704 I’m sure he’s very generous most days, but on this day, he tallied 4 goals without an assist against Syracuse in a game that Towson won 10 – 7. He also threw in 1 ground ball for good measure. Tigers going to Boston. Who’d have thought. The last time they did that, this team was not born, so I think it’s fair to treat their trip with the same sort of pomp and circumstance as we do for Ohio State. As a native Baltimorean, your correspondent is pretty excited to see the Free State represented by two teams up in Patriot Country. And if Towson is going to be more than a participant in the festivities, a lot rests on Seider’s shoulders. The scary thing for Ohio State fans is that Towson was considered a defensive team. Then you see Seider ripping corners against Syracuse. Wait, I thought this was a defensive team that didn’t break single digits in 8 games this year? Well, teams evolve, and clearly Towson’s attack is up to the challenge. Will be great to see the Tigers in action on championship weekend. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 4 0 7 (5) GBs FO Won FO Pct 1 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 3 1 1

#9 – Jack Jasinski (Ohio State) – 3.21 goals added May 20 vs Duke Opp ELO: 1784 In this one, he scored 2 goals and added 2 assists against Duke, in a game that Ohio State won 16 – 11. As if that wasn’t enough, don’t forget the 1 ground ball. Alabama in the house. I’m always skeptical of #growthegame takes that highlight one player from a weird state as proof of the growth of the game. Sample size=1. Still, it’s pretty cool to see the state better known for Nick Saban Inc. represented on our weekly list. I hope InsideLacrosse sends someone down to Alabama, maybe Jasinski’s home town, to watch the semifinals in some Crimson Tide or Auburn bar. Now that would be a Facebook Live stream that I would watch. Goals Assists Shots (OG) 2 2 4 (3) GBs FO Won FO Pct 1 0 N/A Turnovers Penalties Caused TO 2 0 0