NESCAC

[callaxdad]

Please stop treating this person as if they matter.

Their entire goal is to be as toxic as possible and derail the forum; responding accomplishes that goal. Just look at the last few pages - it's the week of the quarters and semis, people (ergit, jumpman23, TaborAlum97, shorelax12, NNELax, etc.) started posting about the upcoming games, and it was immediately drowned out by a flood of troll garbage. This place has been too good of a resource for D3 discussion over the years to suddenly turn into this.

If you do block someone (aka "add them as a foe" ), all their posts look like this.



It's not perfect - you still know when there is garbage in the forum, and you still see that garbage if other people quote it. However, it is minimized and no longer takes up half the page, which means it doesn't drown out everyone else's comments.

At a bare minimum, as BackLax said last week: just stop responding to them. If someone is here to make the site worse on purpose, don't help them do it.

OK, took your advice and blocked. While it is always fun to mess with (choochoo)D!cks, I can see your point how it detracts from the purpose of the Forum. Going forward I will (try to!) avoid the nuisance.

[SouthieLax]

Anyone see both Midd-Bowdoin games? What changed that Bowdoin had so much trouble second time around? Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them. But a 8 hour bus ride from Maine is brutal. Let’s just hope Tufts gets by Salisbury and it is somehow an all Nescac final. That will shut up the haters

Among other things, Midd's loss of Simpson and Zink preseason made them unavailable for the first matchup.

Agreed, let’s ignore the nonsense and talk about 3 teams in the Elite 8, something most conferences have never and will never accomplish.

This is a great point on Zink/Simpson, arguably their two best players right now and they’ve only played in the same game 7 times this year. Within those 7 games are wins over Dickinson, Bowdoin, Amherst, Geneseo. The Panthers are a different team right now than when they struggled early season.

[The12lov3]

Lets talk Lax - how does Tufts match up with SJF.

What about Bowdoin - Midd round 3. Who do we like? I have to say that I think that game will depend on Hobbs. The performance against RPI was outstanding and if he has another game like that, I have a hard time seeing Bowdoin losing. That being said, Middlebury is an outstanding team when they play up to their capability so depending on which team we see, could dictate who will win. I will take Midd -2 on this one.

[choochooCharlie]

Please stop treating this person as if they matter.

Their entire goal is to be as toxic as possible and derail the forum; responding accomplishes that goal. Just look at the last few pages - it's the week of the quarters and semis, people (ergit, jumpman23, TaborAlum97, shorelax12, NNELax, etc.) started posting about the upcoming games, and it was immediately drowned out by a flood of troll garbage. This place has been too good of a resource for D3 discussion over the years to suddenly turn into this.

If you do block someone (aka "add them as a foe" ), all their posts look like this.



It's not perfect - you still know when there is garbage in the forum, and you still see that garbage if other people quote it. However, it is minimized and no longer takes up half the page, which means it doesn't drown out everyone else's comments.

At a bare minimum, as BackLax said last week: just stop responding to them. If someone is here to make the site worse on purpose, don't help them do it.

OK, took your advice and blocked. While it is always fun to mess with (choochoo)D!cks, I can see your point how it detracts from the purpose of the Forum. Going forward I will (try to!) avoid the nuisance.

Yes. Such sage advice.

Looking forward to the excuses + doubling/tripling/quadrupling down.

As predictable as the sunrise.

The Liberty League is the top conference in DIII lacrosse now, and for the foreseeable future.

The first part is obviously true; the second part isn’t worth engaging with.

Hey, when you’re wrong, you’re wrong.

For four months you chirped Middlebury. But they made the conference final. Then they made the NCAAs with a 10-8 record…because of their strong schedule, which you bashed.

Choochoo crying himself to sleep tonight. Why did the dead baby cross the road, Blaine? I would have put in Amherst over Bowdoin but that was a toss up, Midd was clearly going to be in once they made the finals. 4 CAC, 4 LL, the dominant leagues dominating the bids. As it should be.

Oh come on, how bad could one troll be?

Been discussed on here for weeks. Middlebury avoids tough OOC competition.

They never were. Just a bunch of hype and avoiding tough OOC. When they can’t duck tough OOC they fold like a cheap suit.

CNU up there, but Lynchburg and York also in the running for overrated.

Middlebury takes the cake. Count Bowdoin among that group too.

Bowdoin was outplayed in all aspects. Not top 10, not top 20. Middlebury has shown their stripes. They’re out too.

1. Tufts
2. (Maybe) Wesleyan
3+. Hodgepodge

When’s the last time the NESCAC got 1 bid?

Get past the whole, “but that’s John Carroll, and this is Middlebury” schtick. At the end of the year, one will likely be regionally ranked, and one likely won’t.

If even some of that plays out you’re looking at 1 bid remaining.
It ain’t as sure a shot as you hope.

Don’t say something snarky about what I called preseason, Don’t say something snarky about what I called preseason…

Please note, I’m resisting the urge everyone.

Is there something that guarantees 3 bids to the NESCAC?

Why not just respectfully disagree with my assessments?
Middlebury was highly overrated.
Bowdoin was highly overrated.
The NESCAC is down relatively big this year.

Williams, of all teams, is actually looking pretty sharp through 3 vs CNU.

#downyear #callaxfraud #1bid?

Middlebury is out.

Ah.

Looking forward to the excuses + doubling/tripling/quadrupling down.

Etc etc.

[RetroChode]

Saturday predictions:

RIT 17 - CNU 8
Bowdoin 9 - Midd 11
Salisbury 16 - W&L 8
Tufts 18 - SJF 9

No team to hit o20 goals +105

[choochooCharlie]

Saturday predictions:

RIT 17 - CNU 8
Bowdoin 9 - Midd 11
Salisbury 16 - W&L 8
Tufts 18 - SJF 9

No team to hit o20 goals +105

RIT by 9?
If CNU shows like they did vs tufts, maybe. If thy come ready and legit, it’s a lot closer.

[ah23]

Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them.

2022 was just their third NCAA bid ever and first time making it past the Second Round; their only NCAA wins before then were two First Round wins over Mt. Ida. Now they've making their second quarterfinal appearance in three years.

Mason deserves a ton of credit for how fast Bowdoin's rise has been, especially given the uncertainty in the program when Archbell left. Mason took over a team that hadn't made the conference tournament since 2017, hadn't finished above .500 since 2018, and didn't play at all in 2021...and has a 42-13 record so far with two NCAA QF appearances. Really, really impressive stuff.

[LongPoleGuy]

Anyone see both Midd-Bowdoin games? What changed that Bowdoin had so much trouble second time around? Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them. But a 8 hour bus ride from Maine is brutal. Let’s just hope Tufts gets by Salisbury and it is somehow an all Nescac final. That will shut up the haters

Among other things, Midd's loss of Simpson and Zink preseason made them unavailable for the first matchup.

Agreed, let’s ignore the nonsense and talk about 3 teams in the Elite 8, something most conferences have never and will never accomplish.

This is a great point on Zink/Simpson, arguably their two best players right now and they’ve only played in the same game 7 times this year. Within those 7 games are wins over Dickinson, Bowdoin, Amherst, Geneseo. The Panthers are a different team right now than when they struggled early season.

Zink, Simpson, Dummer and Hickey all out for the first Bowdoin game...in other words Zink and half the defense. Simpson was 3rd in NESCAC last year in caused turnovers. Curran, Tarr, and Dummer are all top 20 this year. A healthy Midd defense has been pretty formidable down the stretch, and having Zink back adds a new element on offense. It's not the same Midd team that Bowdoin faced in Week 3.

[jumpman23]

Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them.

2022 was just their third NCAA bid ever and first time making it past the Second Round; their only NCAA wins before then were two First Round wins over Mt. Ida. Now they've making their second quarterfinal appearance in three years.

Mason deserves a ton of credit for how fast Bowdoin's rise has been, especially given the uncertainty in the program when Archbell left. Mason took over a team that hadn't made the conference tournament since 2017, hadn't finished above .500 since 2018, and didn't play at all in 2021...and has a 42-13 record so far with two NCAA QF appearances. Really, really impressive stuff.

He deserves credit for on field performance, but sounds like Archbell may deserve the credit for recruiting the players on the field. But yes, Mason has raised this school to a whole new level so kudos to him.

[jumpman23]

Anyone see both Midd-Bowdoin games? What changed that Bowdoin had so much trouble second time around? Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them. But a 8 hour bus ride from Maine is brutal. Let’s just hope Tufts gets by Salisbury and it is somehow an all Nescac final. That will shut up the haters

Among other things, Midd's loss of Simpson and Zink preseason made them unavailable for the first matchup.

Agreed, let’s ignore the nonsense and talk about 3 teams in the Elite 8, something most conferences have never and will never accomplish.

This is a great point on Zink/Simpson, arguably their two best players right now and they’ve only played in the same game 7 times this year. Within those 7 games are wins over Dickinson, Bowdoin, Amherst, Geneseo. The Panthers are a different team right now than when they struggled early season.

Zink, Simpson, Dummer and Hickey all out for the first Bowdoin game...in other words Zink and half the defense. Simpson was 3rd in NESCAC last year in caused turnovers. Curran, Tarr, and Dummer are all top 20 this year. A healthy Midd defense has been pretty formidable down the stretch, and having Zink back adds a new element on offense. It's not the same Midd team that Bowdoin faced in Week 3.

great info on those players not in first game. explains a lot. thanks and enjoy the games this weekend.

[callaxdad]

Lets talk Lax - how does Tufts match up with SJF.

What about Bowdoin - Midd round 3. Who do we like? I have to say that I think that game will depend on Hobbs. The performance against RPI was outstanding and if he has another game like that, I have a hard time seeing Bowdoin losing. That being said, Middlebury is an outstanding team when they play up to their capability so depending on which team we see, could dictate who will win. I will take Midd -2 on this one.

I feel that if both teams played to the best of their ability and both coaching staffs put together their best game plan and executed to their best ability on game day that I’d give Midd a slight advantage. Slight!! However, as Yogi Berra once said, in theory, theory and reality are the same, in reality, they’re different. Midd has been to Jeckyl and Hyde and, nothing against Campbell but, I’ve been hugely impressed with Mason. Based on that, I am giving Bowden the slight advantage on Saturday. That said, getting healthy is a big plus for Midd. Should be fun!

As for Tufts, unless they dig themselves a 6-8 goal deficit, which they’ve done on a few occasions this year, I don’t see any way they don’t advance. Roll Bos!!

[choochooCharlie]

[ComaSlide]

Anyone see both Midd-Bowdoin games? What changed that Bowdoin had so much trouble second time around? Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them. But a 8 hour bus ride from Maine is brutal. Let’s just hope Tufts gets by Salisbury and it is somehow an all Nescac final. That will shut up the haters

Among other things, Midd's loss of Simpson and Zink preseason made them unavailable for the first matchup.

Agreed, let’s ignore the nonsense and talk about 3 teams in the Elite 8, something most conferences have never and will never accomplish.

This is a great point on Zink/Simpson, arguably their two best players right now and they’ve only played in the same game 7 times this year. Within those 7 games are wins over Dickinson, Bowdoin, Amherst, Geneseo. The Panthers are a different team right now than when they struggled early season.

Zink, Simpson, Dummer and Hickey all out for the first Bowdoin game...in other words Zink and half the defense. Simpson was 3rd in NESCAC last year in caused turnovers. Curran, Tarr, and Dummer are all top 20 this year. A healthy Midd defense has been pretty formidable down the stretch, and having Zink back adds a new element on offense. It's not the same Midd team that Bowdoin faced in Week 3.

I do worry about Simpson being off and on with injuries this season, anyone else think his fitness has been lacking? Maybe a few too many Magic Hat's up there in VT coming for his waistline, one heck of a stick though

[Motorman]

Anyone see both Midd-Bowdoin games? What changed that Bowdoin had so much trouble second time around? Also doesn’t seem like Bowdoin has ever been to a final 4 in school history, so even more on line for them. But a 8 hour bus ride from Maine is brutal. Let’s just hope Tufts gets by Salisbury and it is somehow an all Nescac final. That will shut up the haters

Among other things, Midd's loss of Simpson and Zink preseason made them unavailable for the first matchup.

Agreed, let’s ignore the nonsense and talk about 3 teams in the Elite 8, something most conferences have never and will never accomplish.

This is a great point on Zink/Simpson, arguably their two best players right now and they’ve only played in the same game 7 times this year. Within those 7 games are wins over Dickinson, Bowdoin, Amherst, Geneseo. The Panthers are a different team right now than when they struggled early season.

Zink, Simpson, Dummer and Hickey all out for the first Bowdoin game...in other words Zink and half the defense. Simpson was 3rd in NESCAC last year in caused turnovers. Curran, Tarr, and Dummer are all top 20 this year. A healthy Midd defense has been pretty formidable down the stretch, and having Zink back adds a new element on offense. It's not the same Midd team that Bowdoin faced in Week 3.

I do worry about Simpson being off and on with injuries this season, anyone else think his fitness has been lacking? Maybe a few too many Magic Hat's up there in VT coming for his waistline, one heck of a stick though

Sadly Magic Hat is no longer brewed in VT near Middlebury as they brew out of state. I’m partial to Long Trail and Fiddle head anyways. Both tough on the waistline.

[laxpert]

Lets talk Lax - how does Tufts match up with SJF.

What about Bowdoin - Midd round 3. Who do we like? I have to say that I think that game will depend on Hobbs. The performance against RPI was outstanding and if he has another game like that, I have a hard time seeing Bowdoin losing. That being said, Middlebury is an outstanding team when they play up to their capability so depending on which team we see, could dictate who will win. I will take Midd -2 on this one.

With just a cursory glance I don't think Fisher matches up well. Tufts has 2 First Team , 1 Third Team and 1 HM on the USA Lacrosse AA list and I
didn't see anyone from SJF. Of course Wesleyan and SLU were represented on the AA list and Fisher found a way to win those games. Might have a small craft advisory issued for Saturdays game which could factor.


Bowdoin-Midd Can't say it will be Polar Bear or Panther weather with a forecast of temps in the mid to high 70's. Will the winner have enough legs to take on the RIT CNU winner with less than 24 hours rest?

[Leonard Washington]

With a just a cursory glance I don't think Fisher matches up well. Tufts has 2 First Team , 1 Third Team and 1 HM on the USA Lacrosse AA list and I
didn't see anyone from SJF.

The USA All American list, and how they select it, is pretty bad, IMO.

Excited to see the USILA announcement and also who will play in the North/South game.

Tufts just has to much (everything) up and down the roster and should win comfortably.

Tufts 23
Fisher 10

[The12lov3]

[/quote]

With a just a cursory glance I don't think Fisher matches up well. Tufts has 2 First Team , 1 Third Team and 1 HM on the USA Lacrosse AA list and I
didn't see anyone from SJF. Of course Wesleyan and SLU were represented on the AA list and Fisher found a way to win those games. Might have a small craft advisory issued for Saturdays game which could factor.


Bowdoin-Midd Can't say it will be Polar Bear or Panther weather with a forecast of temps in the mid to high 70's. Will the winner have enough legs to take on the RIT CNU winner with less than 24 hours rest?
[/quote]

I think a lot of AA stuff is politics if you ask me. SJF has earned ALOT of respect from a lot of people. They have been historically a decent team but I would actually say they have to be pretty good to knock off not one but two teams in the top ten on consecutive days. That tells me that A) they must have some depth since you have to rely on the 2nd and 3rd midfield lines to keep people fresh B) They are peaking at the right time. Whether they can do it a third time remains to be seen but they should not be taken lightly.

Bowdoin - Midd - coin toss there. Hard to choose but I think Mid pulls this one out in a close game. The difference will be Hobbs if Bowdoin takes this one.

[Chipzhoo]

[/quote]

I do worry about Simpson being off and on with injuries this season, anyone else think his fitness has been lacking? Maybe a few too many Magic Hat's up there in VT coming for his waistline, one heck of a stick though
[/quote]

He had the one injury that kept him out for much of the season. Once back, he hasn’t been out.

[laxpert]

The USA All American list, and how they select it, is pretty bad, IMO.

Excited to see the USILA announcement and also who will play in the North/South game.

Tufts just has to much (everything) up and down the roster and should win comfortably.

Tufts 23
Fisher 10

Agree some of these lists are rough sandpaper at best. I was curious on how Fisher might contain Regnery, Hauser et al. and it appears they rely on team defense rather than one or two shut down defenders. I think Fisher will need a hot goalie and success at faceoffs to keep it close.

[choochooCharlie]

Tufts 23 SJF 12
Midd 11 Bowdoin 10
RIT 17 CNU 14
Sal 18 W&L 11