2015 Lacrosse

[bkrownd]

Massachusetts Gorillas lacrosse team has had a depressing year, but I have taken what comfort I can in wins over middling programs that we'd like to out-recruit (and feel shamelessly superior to) such as PSU, Hofstra, Drexel...and hopefully next weekend Delaware.

There has been some buzz that antiquated facilities are hurting the lacrosse program. I guess we have a new AD, who I hope understands the value of the program and gets on top of this problem. It was just 2006 that UMass lacrosse played in the national championship game!

How is your lacrosse season going?

[ngineer]

Massachusetts Gorillas lacrosse team has had a depressing year, but I have taken what comfort I can in wins over middling programs that we'd like to out-recruit (and feel shamelessly superior to) such as PSU, Hofstra, Drexel...and hopefully next weekend Delaware.

There has been some buzz that antiquated facilities are hurting the lacrosse program. I guess we have a new AD, who I hope understands the value of the program and gets on top of this problem. It was just 2006 that UMass lacrosse played in the national championship game!

How is your lacrosse season going?

Lehigh's was subpar. It was a miracle they made the PL Playoffs this year considering the dismal start they had. The season got off on the wrong foot with the suspension of three players, one a multi-year all-american, over a snow ball incident that got out of hand. Seemed like the team did not recover from that disruption. Lost a lot of close one goal and OT games, finishing yesterday in a first round loss to Bucknell. Season record was 7-9, though a nice win over then #14 Princeton occurred, and of course, beating Laughyette. Coach used a lot of young players and multiple goalies, so future still bright. PL has become a very tough league in LAX.

[bkrownd]

Marquette, Furman, Boston - lots of unfamiliar names early in your season. Seems odd that your season is done so early. CAA still has regular season games left.

[bkrownd]

Massachusetts lost to Delaware, but sneaks into the CAA playoff (w/ Fairfield, Drexel and Towson) despite going 2-3 in the conference. It's a very weak year for the CAA.

Colgate or Army would be a pretty solid representative for the Patriot, but I noticed that both have a top-5 opponent scheduled after their conference season ends which could set the tone of their post-season before the playoff even begins!

[ngineer]

Massachusetts lost to Delaware, but sneaks into the CAA playoff (w/ Fairfield, Drexel and Towson) despite going 2-3 in the conference. It's a very weak year for the CAA.

Colgate or Army would be a pretty solid representative for the Patriot, but I noticed that both have a top-5 opponent scheduled after their conference season ends which could set the tone of their post-season before the playoff even begins!

PL championship game is today on CBSSportsnet.

[WWII]

Albany beats Stony Brook 22-9 to get AQ for the America East. Hoping they get a home game in the first round, but we'll know tomorrow night.

[ngineer]

Colgate lost a tight game to Syracuse, 9-7, but Patriot League Navy beat Air Force 9-8.

[bulldog10jw]

Yale beats Princeton 11-10 to win their 3rd Ivy title in 4 years

[bkrownd]

Massachusetts had a rough early season, but got to the CAA championship and was even with Towson to the end. Towson got the winning edge on two late amazing individual plays where on one end their goalie jumped to intercept a turnover headed for an easy empty net goal, and on the other end of the field one of their players scooped a ground ball wiffed on by 2-3 defenders and in a single motion scooped a behind-the-back shot into the net. I'm finally optimistic.

Wish I could visit my old haunts in Denver for the tournament games. Denver was my "home" team for a few years.

[bkrownd]

Towson's opponent in the play-in game tomorrow is High Point. High Point's first win as a D1 team was against Towson in 2013. ;)

[WWII]

UAlbany revenges 2/28 loss to Cornell. Also gets SC #5 highlight.

[bulldog10jw]

Yale loses their first round match to Maryland 8-7

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/lacrosse/bal-maryland-yale-ncaa-lacrosse-tournament-20150509-htmlstory.html

(http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/lacrosse/bal-maryland-yale-ncaa-lacrosse-tournament-20150509-htmlstory.html)

Controversy surrounds end of Terps' 8-7 win over Yale in NCAA lacrosse tournament

(http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/college/lacrosse/bal-maryland-yale-ncaa-lacrosse-tournament-20150509-htmlstory.html)

[bkrownd]

None of those NDSU people here gonna crow about their club team advancing in MCLA DII tournament? They play Western Washington today.

http://mcla.us/game/16839/score.html

[Laker]

Did anyone watch Denver's OT win over Notre Dame? The Irish were down by four goals with about five minutes to go- came back to tie it up with 9 seconds left. I know very little about the strategy of lacrosse but Denver slowed it way down while the Irish were trying to speed it up.

I like seeing someone new get to the finals. Does anyone know why Denver, who is out west all by themselves, got into lacrosse? They don't have baseball (or softball) or football. There must be some reason why it got going.

[bkrownd]

In the 1990s Denver was D2 along with Regis U. and Colorado Mines. About the time I moved there in 2000 they switched to D1 and the other two schools quietly dropped their programs. They had the scholarships, and the demographic and cultural fit was right. I'm sure they wanted more eastern prep school grads and their deep-pocketed parents...at least as the stereotype goes.

Colorado College stayed in D3. Colorado State was the top club team back then. These days Adams State, CSU-Pueblo and Mesa State have D2 programs. CU seems to have moved ahead of CSU and was in the club championship game this year.

Denver aren't by themselves in D1, either - Air Force has been in D1 lacrosse for a long time.

Denver was an OK program at the time, but a few years back they got coach Tierney on the rebound from Princeton and suddenly they're top-10 every year.

Whittier used to be really out on an island in California, but there are some others out there now and the club teams have been strong out there for quite a while. These schools can afford to travel.

[bkrownd]

IIRC Tierney was also really known for the ball control game when he was on the big run of championships at Princeton. It worked and drove the goal-happy "fun-n-gun razzle-dazzle fastest game on 2 feet" people nuts.

[ngineer]

It's been good seeing 'other' teams get into the playoffs and Final Four. Lehigh had a wild game with Denver early in the season. LAX is fastest growing sport scholastically, and growing as well at the college level, though slower at DI. SEC has to get their head in the game!

[bkrownd]

After the tournament went to 12 teams in 1987 (to about 2001) there was a designated "Western" slot in the playoffs, back when parity was more of a problem. It almost always went to ND by the mid 1990's, except one year when Butler got it, but early on Air Force and Michigan State also made some appearances.

Lehigh played at Denver one of the years I was there, I think in Denver's annual faceoff classic tournament which Denver started to get better Eastern teams to visit.

[ngineer]

After the tournament went to 12 teams in 1987 (to about 2001) there was a designated "Western" slot in the playoffs, back when parity was more of a problem. It almost always went to ND by the mid 1990's, except one year when Butler got it, but early on Air Force and Michigan State also made some appearances.

Lehigh played at Denver one of the years I was there, I think in Denver's annual faceoff classic tournament which Denver started to get better Eastern teams to visit.
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Yes I remember LU going out there a few years back. Denver came into Lehigh this year. Was great to see them win it...and in convincing fashion.