Lacrosse

[polbear73]

W&L had one guy last year that played both football and lacrosse. I think it's not too terribly uncommon to have one or two at W&L. But there are none on the roster right now. It was a lot more in the late 90s when I was there. Probably 3-5 at a time. But I don't remember there being that many in quite a while.

Kids specialize so much these days and it starts so early, I think it is harder and harder to compete at even the larger h.s. levels in more than one team sport let alone DIII. Track and football? Sure. But wrestling and football or football and lax, let alone football and basketball? Really, really hard.

I couldn't agree more about your comments regarding today's specialization.  In the Bowdoin-Middlebury semi final game, I was struck by the fact that the announcer mentioned 5-7 Middlebury players who were also football players while I was aware of zero for Bowdoin. 

While the skill level is 1000% better today (stick handing) than in the dark ages when I was in college when football players dominated lacrosse, I find it sad that we don't have more two sport athletes. 

[Vandy74]

W&L had one guy last year that played both football and lacrosse. I think it's not too terribly uncommon to have one or two at W&L. But there are none on the roster right now. It was a lot more in the late 90s when I was there. Probably 3-5 at a time. But I don't remember there being that many in quite a while.

Kids specialize so much these days and it starts so early, I think it is harder and harder to compete at even the larger h.s. levels in more than one team sport let alone DIII. Track and football? Sure. But wrestling and football or football and lax, let alone football and basketball? Really, really hard.

I couldn't agree more about your comments regarding today's specialization.  In the Bowdoin-Middlebury semi final game, I was struck by the fact that the announcer mentioned 5-7 Middlebury players who were also football players while I was aware of zero for Bowdoin. 

While the skill level is 1000% better today (stick handing) than in the dark ages when I was in college when football players dominated lacrosse, I find it sad that we don't have more two sport athletes.

There is a football-lacrosse  coaching link at Middlebury.  Football HC Bob Ritter has been an asst coach for the lacrosse team for over 15 years. 

[PolarCat]

Yeah, I figured the pool system was the same, and this last part was more what I was wondering. How much of a problem* is it? Seems like a big one, if Ithaca's first-round game is any indication

*As defined by those of us who don't like seeing playoff games that are 24-7, 21-4, and the like. Obviously, D-III doesn't consider it a problem since they approved the system they use.

I've come around that AQ's are going to exist, and that they should, to some degree. But I do think they could be modified in a way to mitigate these issues to an extent

Unfortunately, I don't think there is an easy solution.  You need AQ's (particularly in WLAX), if you are going to grow the sport.  WLAX has  been a huge beneficiary of Title IX, as a school can justify revenue-producing Men's Football and Basketball programs by offsetting them with relatively inexpensive WLAX programs.  And as the concussion frenzy grows, I think you'll see more and more young athletes, parents, and colleges moving away from football to MLAX.   So the sport keeps growing, and the NCAA will need to keep adding more and more slots for AQ's.  And some of the AQ's from some of the new conferences just aren't very good.  (We saw a first round game last year where either of the AQ's could have been trounced by a good prep school team.  It was ugly lacrosse).

The logical opposite of today's system would be to have all the strong teams in one half of the bracket, and all the weak teams in the other.  That would give you good close games through the first 3 or 4 rounds, but blow-outs in the semi's and championship.  I'd say that system would be much less desirable than what we have now.

[Vandy74]

Mount Union 11, Washington & Lee 10. 

[amh63]

Well, the Nescac teams did well today.  Tufts wins handily over the Red Dragons of Cortland State in Medford.  I stopped watching when Tufts went 10...yes 10 goals up in the 2nd half.  Amherst had a nip and tuck game with RIT in Rochester and had a 9-7 lead at the half.  It was still a two goal lead in the third period  although Amherst had a three goal lead for most of the period.  The spread went up to 4 goals in the 4th period and the score was 17-14, Amherst at the end.  Sun came out near the end and it was shining on Amherst as RIT lost only its second game of the season!
Boy, I need to proof read my posts.
Tufts will face Ithaca at home next....the present number 1 ranked team.  Good match.  Amherst will face its third straight NY team in St Lawrence at Canton, NY...the 4th ranked team.  Oh Well...at this time of the year, all the opponents are tough.  Lots of Ma., Ct. Players on the St. Lawrence and even a Bowdoin alum assist. coach

[PolarCat]

Mount Union 11, Washington & Lee 10.

That's a quality win.  Hats off to the Purple Raiders.  If they do well against F&M tomorrow, they're the real deal.

Most of the other games today were close, with only one blow-out:

Cabrini defeated Meredith 12-11 and faces Salisbury tomorrow
Ithaca blew out Regis 24-2 and faces Trinity Sunday
Keene State nipped Castleton 10-9 and faces defending National Champion Cortland tomorrow.
Springfield had a surprisingly tough time with Bridgewater State, but won 8-7.  They face Bates tomorrow.
St. Joe's (LI) topped Lasell 8-6 and face TCNJ
FDU Florham defeated SUNY Poly 11-7, and take on Midd Sunday
William Smith beat Roger Williams 13-7 and face Gettysburg tomorrow

I'd be surprised if any of those games tomorrow are close, but I've been wrong before.

[amh63]

Amherst wins at home over York(Pa) 12-7.  It was only 4-3 at the half, Amherst.  Turned to another Nescac game as I was disappointed at Amherst's sluggish play.  Saw the Panthers and Bantams well ahead....and the Bates vs Springfield in a low tied game. 
Amherst goes on a 7 goal run in the second half and it is 11-3 with11 minutes and change remaining.  Amherst gets careless again against a team that loss four games against the likes of Salisbury, Gettysburg, F&M by only a goal.  York scores 4 straight goals and Amherst holds on for the win. 
See that Middlebury wins by the same score over FDU- Florham.  Trinity holds off Ithaca...11-8, I believe and Springfield prevails 3-2 over Bates in Maine.
Overall, good day for the CAC teams.  Here is hoping for three women's lax teams in the Final Four!
Amherst takes on the winner of the Gettysburg-Williams-Smith match. 

[Bombers798891]

Congrats to the Ithaca women, first for the dominant opening round game, and then for the great effort in the 2nd. A season to be proud of.

The IC men survive and advance, and get to play a Tufts team that just obliterated Cortland. Ithaca's going to have its hands full

[Bombers798891]

The logical opposite of today's system would be to have all the strong teams in one half of the bracket, and all the weak teams in the other.  That would give you good close games through the first 3 or 4 rounds, but blow-outs in the semi's and championship.  I'd say that system would be much less desirable than what we have now.

The NHL essentially had this set up when they first expanded in the late 60s. The Original six teams were all in one conference, the expansion teams in the other. That's how the St. Louis Blues wound up going to three straight Stanley Cups their first three years in the league and going 0-12 when they got there. Agreed, it's not the best option

I think there should be some sort of hybrid AQ model, like say your conference earns the AQ by having at least one team in the final regional rankings, for example. That way, we still preserve the presence of the AQ, and don't tilt the field too much toward power conferences—all it takes is one team to earn you the AQ, even if that team doesn't win your tournament—but we also allow for a bit more competitive NCAA Tournament.

Ultimately, it's hard because I'm not an athletic administrator. I'm a fan. So even though I understand why we have AQs and the benefits they serve, it's just disappointing to see games dominated in this fashion. These games aren't fun to watch, and I don't know if they're fun to play in. I'm sure on one hand, just the feeling of going to the NCAAs, playing on that stage is great. On the other, I'm sure losing 25-2, 19-1 isn't all that enjoyable.

[jknezek]

I was on vacation, but W&L lacrosse, both men and women, took it on the chin. The men just couldn't keep up with York. The women fell behind early. An awful start. And while they chipped away at UMU for the rest of the game, it was just a hair too deep of a hole. Congrats to UMU's women. That was a good win for them and they got off to a hot start.

[Vandy74]

Just a few words acknowledging what a group of Mount Union freshmen started in 2013.  It was the inaugural season for the women's program.  They opened with a one goal loss to a mediocre Oberlin team.  Their remaining games were against unchallenging competition but they won them all and only once by less than ten.  The following season they took on a real schedule.  They went 16-3.  They lost the opener 17-16 against Marymount (VA) and to Cortland State 20-5 in the NCAA tournament.  Conference foe Baldwin Wallace beat them 11-10 but the Raiders repaid the favor 18-9 in their conference final.  They were 4-0 against the veteran NCAC.  In the opening round of the NCAA, 2 year old Mount Union beat Keuka 16-5.  They ran the table in their third regular season.   A 5-0 record against NCAC competition included a 17-11 victory over Denison.  They beat #18 ranked Fredonia 9-7.  Albion was their opening NCAA opposition and went down 18-0.  Catholic ended the Raiders' season beating them 21-8.  This season the senior led team stepped up to the next level.  They beat a ranked opponent in the NCAA tournament.  #17 Washington & Lee looked very much like many probably expected Mount Union to look trailing 8-2 at the half.  The Raiders dominated.  The Generals played well in the second half, probably as well as they could.  For a while it looked like they might just come back from the seven goals they were down after an early Raider tally.  Mount Union was up to the task however and walked off the field with a meaningful 11-10 post season victory, the Generals final score coming at :08.

But about that 14-3 loss to Franklin & Marshall.  It was 5-3 at the half.  The Diplomats led 3-0 at 22:12.  At 7:13 the Raiders tied the score at 3 apiece.  Franklin & Marshall's fifth goal came with 22 seconds remaining.  The #4 ranked team in DIII won the second half 9-0.  Whatever.  Hats off to the nine Mount Union seniors who stayed with the program from their FY.   One is from Pennsylvania, another from Kansas and the remaining seven are from Ohio.  What a great ride.    

[Vandy74]

Good luck to Tufts and Amherst this afternoon with a Final Four match up at stake.

[amh63]

Vandy74.....thanks for the comment wrt the men's side.  Both teams have higher ranked opponents to overcome...so what's new.
On the women's side.....see that Middlebury will be hosting the regionals this Sat.  Live doubleheader to watch for you.  It is going to be a " strange " weekend for the seniors on both  Amherst teams.  Graduation  is this weekend for Amherst.  Wonder what the seniors are going to do.  On the Gettysburg website....the lax seniors had a separate event prior to their 16 May graduation date.  Remember that Tufts also had an early event for their players several seasons ago.  I do not remember an Amherst team playing on Graduation day.  Recall Tennis players flying in from the West Coast just in time for graduation.  Recall talking to parents of baseball players on the subject.  The parents said that they would leave it up to their sons....but prefer to see them graduate with their class.  The situation of having the match up in the Green Mountain state is that it is too far to go.  This assumes that Amherst wins on Sat.  Graduation is on Sunday.
If the men win today....they will also have conflicts this weekend.

[MUC57]

Vandy74

Thanks for the kind words about the Mount Union women's lacrosse team. We all know they are not quite in the same class as the East coast teams. I have said this numerous times. However, they have performed very well in a short time. I hope they can keep it going.

If we look at the history of the football team, we see the following:
     1st game  1893
     1st OAC championship  1985
     1st playoff appearance 1985
     1st national championship 1993
We know what they have done since. So, I guess there is still hope for the lacrosse team. Damn, I sure wish I could be around to see that. At my age, they better hurry!

Thanks again and good luck to your teams and all the remaining teams.

[PolarCat]

amh63, your boys are going to be home for graduation after that strong second-half comeback from St. Lawrence.  And I think there's a pretty good chance the women will be joining them Sunday, as I think 17-2 Gettysburg (with their two losses coming at the hands of F&M and TCNJ) may prove the better team.

That's the bitter pill for spring sports.  If you keep winning in the tournament, your seniors don't get to graduate with their class.  And if you lose - particularly the day before graduation - I don't imagine they have much fun during Commencement.  A shame that the joy in celebrating 4 years of academic success and personal accomplishment can be tempered by the outcome of one game. 

Good luck to the Lady Jeffs, wherever they may find themselves come Sunday!