After some thought I think I’ll stick with my final posting. I considered the Amherst situation and decided to lock the door on the PC police and give those men and their coach credit for their hard work and accomplishments on the field and leave them at #8.MrLax2U » Sun Mar 08, 2020 7:13 pm
Submitted my Week 5 Poll to reflect the Games thru Sunday. Salisbury*, Tufts, RIT and Denison, at this time for the Top 4.
Ursinus, Williams and SLU follow right behind and pick em for rankings and to slip in to the Final Four.
Behind them are Cabrini, CNU, SJF and the Bullets one big win away.
SMCM, SoVa are there from their records; as are Geneseo, Stockton and WNEU Coach Klepacki’s gritty punchers. Union 3 – 1 is listed and LYN (2-3) as the ODAC rep. Expect a May run.
Tried to rank Farmingdale 6 – 0 for their streak but software won’t take.
Here’s how I think the 2020 season would have ended.
My semi games are Gulls/Big Red and Jumbos/RIT. Caravana always brings his men along and whips them into shape for their annual match with Berkman’s Men of May. Without a Rooney or Butler in 2020 I have to give the nod to Salisbury. Jumbos outlast RIT in an orgy of run n gun blasts and goals. Jumbos are the Pride of the North for the first time since Mike Daly jumped ship. By the way I see Daly in the stands for the final – he and Berkman are joined at the hip like Ali/Frazier in boxing circles. He should be enthusiastically rooting for the Jumbos but somehow he’s strangely silent.
The 2020 D 3 Men’s Lax final. Jumbos are on fire. Gull D gives up a couple early ones then grabs em by the grapes while Maroney starts to work the offense. Bromwell drifts across the crease; snags a pass from Melton; spins and rips one past the goalie’s thigh so hard it breaks the net and bounces into the stands. Ref doesn’t call a goal until Berkman sprints onto the field and grabs the broken net. Jumbo goalie exhales and adjusts his protector down several inches.
Face-offs start about even then swing to the Gulls as Bret the Bull and his backups wear down Helfrich (a familiar name to the Gulls and last in a long line of Jumbo fogos starting with Rhoads 2010). Both goalies do a credible job but neither stands on his head. Jumbo O scores off transition or they don’t score as Gull D starts to wear them down.
Daly’s last game coaching Tufts in 2016 was as exciting an NC men’s lax final as you’ll ever see. The Jumbos were going for a three peat lead by John Uppgren, a generational attackman who later played pro lacrosse in Atlanta. Jumbos dominated @ X and ground balls. Gull goalie, Reymann, was psyched and stood on his head.
First two - Jumbos; then 8 – 0 Gulls. Lunch bucket boys v nattering NESCAC nabobs who then fought back furiously to the final seconds. Uppgren, Mr. Lax, swings left and slings the pellet to a teammate behind the goal. Circles back top of the arc; sprints left; snags the pass; rips it toward the left corner…… Gents, watch the game.
If we have a 2021 season, I give Salisbury an edge. Salisbury (and SUNY Cortland) are historic colleges for secondary education majors and many states require/incentivize MS Ed degrees so I wouldn’t be surprised to see at least some of the Gull 4th year players return for a final season. A 5th year player could return for a 6th and get a PhD. {Brett Malamphy and T.J. Logue, Doctors of the X.} Berkman has more than 300 former players coaching at some level. Good for the game and for the coached.
For most of the Jumbos and several of the Gulls like Wongus, the Cambridge Cougar, who were sooo close 2020 will remain JUST THERE. Play the summer leagues together and debate the 2020 Final to the last beer.