Lax Reference - Hidden Stats That Win Lacrosse Games, Overrated vs. Underrated, How Data Can Help Your Team Win
Episode description
In this episode of The Ride, host Zach Quezada sits down with Zack Capozzi, the mind behind Lax Reference, to discuss the growing role of data and analytics in lacrosse. They explore trends in the 2025 season, the importance of shooting efficiency, and how coaches and players can use stats to their advantage. Zack also shares insights into how his platform is changing the way teams approach the game.
Topics Discussed:
Introduction to Lax Reference and its mission to improve lacrosse analytics.
Why traditional stats like goals per game might be overrated.
The critical role of shooting efficiency and its impact on winning.
Challenges in analyzing defensive performance due to limited data.
Exploring high school adoption of advanced analytics.
How the shot clock era has reshaped lacrosse strategy.
Underrated stats every coach and player should pay attention to.
Using data to improve player development and game strategies.
Timestamps:
00:00 Sneek Peek
00:47 Welcome to the 2025 Season
01:07 Introducing Lax Reference
02:12 Exciting Start to the Season
03:14 Deep Dive into 2025 Season Trends
06:25 Recap of 2024 Highlights
10:51 Challenges in Lacrosse Data
17:24 Lax Reference: Tools and Insights
21:25 Adoption and Growth of Lax Reference
25:54 High School Lacrosse Data
29:01 Overrated Stats in Lacrosse
32:09 Underrated Stats in Lacrosse
32:42 Shooting Efficiency and Its Impact
34:15 Turnover Rate: A Deeper Look
34:52 Total Numbers vs. Ratios
38:44 Player Engagement and Aggressiveness
40:12 The Role of Data in Game Plans
46:18 The Evolution of Lacrosse with the Shot Clock
47:42 Specialty Stats: Faceoffs and EMO
54:41 The Importance of True Faceoff Win Rate
56:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Key Quotes from the Episode:
"Friends don't let friends cite goals per game. What you really should be focusing on is increasing the chances of scoring on any possession." – Zack
"The most correlated stat with winning isn't just shooting percentage—it's how often your misses were off the cage versus saved." – Zack
"It's not about looking at turnovers or goals alone; it's about understanding efficiency and how opportunities were created." – Zack
Resources Mentioned:
Lax Reference Website – Explore analytics and insights for NCAA lacrosse.
Lax Reference Newsletter – Weekly storytelling and analysis based on lacrosse data.
Hudl – A common tool for video review and stat tracking in high school sports.
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