FB: Northwest Conference

[d-train]

Are you saying that PLU doesn't have a lot good young guys coming up or that this years team is young and thus not very successful?  I was under the impression that they are a young team, and as such, we might expect good things from them in the coming years....

I'm saying Willamette won't be crushed by graduation the way PLU was. PLU is young all over the place. Willamette has a nice mix of young, very talented players earning playing time along side Jr.s and Sr.s and making things happen. As mentioned on here by others, Linfield and Whitworth are young as well - so it doesn't exactly get any easier for the Lutes to climb back to the top of the conference.

[MonroviaCat]

Are you saying that PLU doesn't have a lot good young guys coming up or that this years team is young and thus not very successful?  I was under the impression that they are a young team, and as such, we might expect good things from them in the coming years....

I'm saying Willamette won't be crushed by graduation the way PLU was. PLU is young.

Right---should have a lot of guys returning the next year, two, or three.  Hope to see them improve and be competitive.

[(509)Rat]

Wouldn't be a 5th and 6th at Willamette. That assumes he had a traditional redshirt year there (which isn't possible) or another injury year.

True, didn't read the previous posts carefully or stop to think about how that isn't a possibility.  Also, Whitcomb apparently went to a Juco for a year (according to the roster) so the whole scholarship issue may be a moot point if they give him money for four years...an extra year would be his 4th at Willamette.

Are you saying that PLU doesn't have a lot good young guys coming up or that this years team is young and thus not very successful?  I was under the impression that they are a young team, and as such, we might expect good things from them in the coming years....

It's like the reload vs. rebuild talk.  Linfield, Willamette, and Whitworth are at the point where a large graduating senior class does not seem to effect their competitiveness in the NWC.  PLU, on the other hand, was hurt (albeit by an abnormally large) senior class to the extent that none of the other teams listed would have been.  The program is not where it used to be and therefore appears to be much more cyclical in terms of success.  They'll have another good team that is a threat to beat anyone in the conference in two years...then a bad season...then 2 more years...you get the idea.

[MonroviaCat]

Yeah----breaking that cycle can be hard to do.

[bbaddict]

Wow -- my comment about Leslie & Whitcomb started quite the discussion about returners.  How about this?  I thought the WU kicking squad was going to be in trouble this year because last year's seniors-- Bicocca & Moran (both 1st team NWC) graduated.  But Rowan & Nielsen are BOTH freshmen.  And here's a bonus -- Nielsen has a twin brother on the men's soccer team.  Knew all old people with a sense of history would appreciate that one!

[MonroviaCat]

Wow -- my comment about Leslie & Whitcomb started quite the discussion about returners.  How about this?  I thought the WU kicking squad was going to be in trouble this year because last year's seniors-- Bicocca & Moran (both 1st team NWC) graduated.  But Rowan & Nielsen are BOTH freshmen.  And here's a bonus -- Nielsen has a twin brother on the men's soccer team.  Knew all old people with a sense of history would appreciate that one!

Ha ha.  Of course a twin sister would be a more appropriate recruit.

[BearcatFan]

Check out the Willamette Web article here, then go here to vote (early & often!)

[Pat Coleman]

When the redshirt rule was in place incoming players could adjust their schedules to leave a simple 1 credit class for that last fall semester, pay for the 1 credit (just above or below $1,000 dollars at our NWC institutions) and be eligible without having to be a full-time student since they would have fulfilled their grad requirements  with that 1 class during their last fall semester. 

You can still do this.

[(509)Rat]

You can still do this.

I know, never said you couldn't. Only that it was a much more common (popular) thing to do as it could be built into your schedule from freshman year as opposed to possibly having that fulfilled by the time you are a junior suffering an injury and taking a medical redshirt.  In that case all you might have left is a 3 or 4 credit upper div. which would be easy all by itself (in terms of workload) but still cost enough (up over $5,000) to keep a kid from coming back.

[Pat Coleman]

Well, you made it sound like you couldn't, so I wanted to clarify.

[Tuxguy]

Regional rankings are out,

Of course we know controversy over rankings is always going to be part of the game, at least we don't have to deal with the BS I mean the BCS.

That said I find it interesting, and Pat please fill us in...

St. Johns is ranked 10th in region with 2 losses to un-ranked teams and went to over time last week to beat a 3-4 St Olaf team.

Linfield's 2 losses come from # 11 Willamette 8-0 and #12 Hardin-Simmons 7-1

Just putting this out there for discussion........ And the High or low ranking in region might not matter anyway.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Regional rankings are out,

Of course we know controversy over rankings is always going to be part of the game, at least we don't have to deal with the BS I mean the BCS.

That said I find it interesting, and Pat please fill us in...

St. Johns is ranked 10th in region with 2 losses to un-ranked teams and went to over time last week to beat a 3-4 St Olaf team.

Linfield's 2 losses come from # 11 Willamette 8-0 and #12 Hardin-Simmons 7-1

Just putting this out there for discussion........ And the High or low ranking in region might not matter anyway.

Recognize that the regional rankings use the NCAA selection criteria.  There is little subjective assessment of team strength.  That's why there can be such discrepancy between the poll and the rankings.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

Which Cat posters are coming up to UPS this weekend ?

[d-train]

Regional rankings are out,

Of course we know controversy over rankings is always going to be part of the game, at least we don't have to deal with the BS I mean the BCS.

That said I find it interesting, and Pat please fill us in...

St. Johns is ranked 10th in region with 2 losses to un-ranked teams and went to over time last week to beat a 3-4 St Olaf team.

Linfield's 2 losses come from # 11 Willamette 8-0 and #12 Hardin-Simmons 7-1

Just putting this out there for discussion........ And the High or low ranking in region might not matter anyway.

Recognize that the regional rankings use the NCAA selection criteria.  There is little subjective assessment of team strength.  That's why there can be such discrepancy between the poll and the rankings.

+1. It has little to do with going into overtime or subjective judgements about which losses were worse. Linfield has won only 3 in-region D-3 games, and win-loss percentage against regional opponents is probably the primary criteria. St. John's has won 5 (and I'm not sure why they aren't counting the 6th?).

Also - notice how many higher-rated west teams (in the D3 poll) Oxy and Monmouth jump to be #2 and #3 in the west regional rankings. Where is UW-EC in the regional rankings? Just more evidence that's it's a completely different standard. That said, the Johnnies have you by a few votes in the D3 top 25 as well.

[Gig Harbor Cat]

I need to know if I should fire up ole blue or not ?