Ivy League 2025

[The Orfling]

Wish we were still posting in the 2024 Ivy thread with an Ivy representative advancing to the quarterfinals of this year's NCAA tournament, but it was not to be.

Some interesting storylines for 2025, headlined by the coaching change in Providence. (Brown poster Counselor, always a great source for intel on Bruno's program, suggests that the new coach will be announced by the end of May.)

[Hooz123]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

[Brownlax]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

Man you just love to troll the Ivy League

[wgdsr]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

dude, you just got here. this is a lacrosse community site. we don't all get along all the time, but we try to at least be civil most of the time and occasionally have something to add. not for nothing, but you're about to earn some vacations if you don't knock it off. there are plenty of places on the internet to troll, even for lax. go find them if that's what gets you off.

plus you're embarassing your alma mater or more likely hoo you're just a fan of. the schtick is way old already.

[coda]

Wish we were still posting in the 2024 Ivy thread with an Ivy representative advancing to the quarterfinals of this year's NCAA tournament, but it was not to be.

Some interesting storylines for 2025, headlined by the coaching change in Providence. (Brown poster Counselor, always a great source for intel on Bruno's program, suggests that the new coach will be announced by the end of May.)

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

[mdk01]

Wish we were still posting in the 2024 Ivy thread with an Ivy representative advancing to the quarterfinals of this year's NCAA tournament, but it was not to be.

Some interesting storylines for 2025, headlined by the coaching change in Providence. (Brown poster Counselor, always a great source for intel on Bruno's program, suggests that the new coach will be announced by the end of May.)

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

For Princeton I think the #1 question is in goal. Already clear that that will be one nasty attack unit.

[Sportin' Life]

Wish we were still posting in the 2024 Ivy thread with an Ivy representative advancing to the quarterfinals of this year's NCAA tournament, but it was not to be.

Some interesting storylines for 2025, headlined by the coaching change in Providence. (Brown poster Counselor, always a great source for intel on Bruno's program, suggests that the new coach will be announced by the end of May.)

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

For Princeton I think the #1 question is in goal. Already clear that that will be one nasty attack unit.

Agreed and Gianforcaro's backups don't have much of a collegiate body of work. Rising junior Ryan Croddick appeared in garbage time in two games in '23 and four games this season while rising soph Colin Vickrey doesn't appear to have logged any game time. The Tigers also have incoming four-star freshman Carter Johnson from the Jackson Hole Community School. Who gets the edge?

[MDlaxfan76]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

dude, you just got here. this is a lacrosse community site. we don't all get along all the time, but we try to at least be civil most of the time and occasionally have something to add. not for nothing, but you're about to earn some vacations if you don't knock it off. there are plenty of places on the internet to troll, even for lax. go find them if that's what gets you off.

plus you're embarassing your alma mater or more likely hoo you're just a fan of. the schtick is way old already.

+100

[bearlaxfan]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

dude, you just got here. this is a lacrosse community site. we don't all get along all the time, but we try to at least be civil most of the time and occasionally have something to add. not for nothing, but you're about to earn some vacations if you don't knock it off. there are plenty of places on the internet to troll, even for lax. go find them if that's what gets you off.

plus you're embarassing your alma mater or more likely hoo you're just a fan of. the schtick is way old already.

It's Quint!

[Typical Lax Dad]

Wish we were still posting in the 2024 Ivy thread with an Ivy representative advancing to the quarterfinals of this year's NCAA tournament, but it was not to be.

Some interesting storylines for 2025, headlined by the coaching change in Providence. (Brown poster Counselor, always a great source for intel on Bruno's program, suggests that the new coach will be announced by the end of May.)

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

For Princeton I think the #1 question is in goal. Already clear that that will be one nasty attack unit.

Agreed and Gianforcaro's backups don't have much of a collegiate body of work. Rising junior Ryan Croddick appeared in garbage time in two games in '23 and four games this season while rising soph Colin Vickrey doesn't appear to have logged any game time. The Tigers also have incoming four-star freshman Carter Johnson from the Jackson Hole Community School. Who gets the edge?

Hopefully an even better defense and faceoff unit will take some of the pressure off. Offense will be better also. Coach Madalon has been good at identifying goalies so solid goalie play would be expected but perhaps not AA level. May not need an AA goalie but just a good goalie.

[jrn19]

Coda's point about defense is the correct one. The defense has seriously cost Yale from further tournament runs for 3 years now, and it hurt Cornell this year. Ivy league ranks in defensive efficiency

Princeton: 4th
Penn: 12th
Brown: 27th
Harvard: 31st
Dartmouth: 47th
Cornell: 48th
Yale: 53rd

All 5 ACC teams ranked in the Top 15. 4 Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 10; and Rutgers and Michigan were 30th and 33rd; still ahead of Cornell and Yale. Georgetown and Denver were Top 20.

Harvard has been unable to put together a consistent defense to buoy the offense. Cornell I think just got hit very hard by personnel losses and will be improved next year with experience/health. Yale is the one that demands the most questions. The last 3 years 53rd, 52nd, and 49th in efficiency; they were 40th before the season shut down in 2020 and 33rd in 2019. The last time they even had a Top 30 defense was....the year they won the national championship. And it hasn't just been because of goalie play which was down this year; Paquette was >50% in 2021 and 2022. Something is wrong there and you can see it on tape as well, their slide/recoveries are just bad.

The good news is the offenses will likely remain strong and have lots of talent. Princeton obviously looks most promising with all the young talent coming back, but need to replace Gianforcaro. I think next year will be a year of more evenness across the country and we probably see at least 1 Ivy in the Quarterfinals. Anything further is down to who wins on that day

[Chousnake]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

dude, you just got here. this is a lacrosse community site. we don't all get along all the time, but we try to at least be civil most of the time and occasionally have something to add. not for nothing, but you're about to earn some vacations if you don't knock it off. there are plenty of places on the internet to troll, even for lax. go find them if that's what gets you off.

plus you're embarassing your alma mater or more likely hoo you're just a fan of. the schtick is way old already.

+100

Agreed. This is a respectful site with intelligent lax conversation. While we may disagree, the conversation is almost always civil and interesting. I won't engage with a poster who is just trying to antagonize

[Chousnake]

Coda's point about defense is the correct one. The defense has seriously cost Yale from further tournament runs for 3 years now, and it hurt Cornell this year. Ivy league ranks in defensive efficiency

Princeton: 4th
Penn: 12th
Brown: 27th
Harvard: 31st
Dartmouth: 47th
Cornell: 48th
Yale: 53rd

All 5 ACC teams ranked in the Top 15. 4 Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 10; and Rutgers and Michigan were 30th and 33rd; still ahead of Cornell and Yale. Georgetown and Denver were Top 20.

Harvard has been unable to put together a consistent defense to buoy the offense. Cornell I think just got hit very hard by personnel losses and will be improved next year with experience/health. Yale is the one that demands the most questions. The last 3 years 53rd, 52nd, and 49th in efficiency; they were 40th before the season shut down in 2020 and 33rd in 2019. The last time they even had a Top 30 defense was....the year they won the national championship. And it hasn't just been because of goalie play which was down this year; Paquette was >50% in 2021 and 2022. Something is wrong there and you can see it on tape as well, their slide/recoveries are just bad.

The good news is the offenses will likely remain strong and have lots of talent. Princeton obviously looks most promising with all the young talent coming back, but need to replace Gianforcaro. I think next year will be a year of more evenness across the country and we probably see at least 1 Ivy in the Quarterfinals. Anything further is down to who wins on that day

Cornell was hurt by the loss of two starting SSDMs early in the season. The defense struggled to recover from these losses and kudos to the numerous players who stepped up to replace them. The loss of FOGO Cascadden also hurt the defense (and the offense). I'm not taking anything away from Psyllos, who was a warrior at the X this season, but Cascadden looked to be on his way to a dominant season and his loss potentially cost Cornell numerous possessions. In a season when Cornell lost three games by a goal, it's hard to see how they are not a top 5 team with a healthy Cascadden or healthy SSDMs.

[Ivyman]

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

There might be a chicken-egg issue contributing to this. BiG defenses look good playing against that league's less prolific offenses. Ivy defenses look worse playing against the league's high powered offenses. Not to say I disagree with the overall comment.

[Hoxwurth]

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

There might be a chicken-egg issue contributing to this. BiG defenses look good playing against that league's less prolific offenses. Ivy defenses look worse playing against the league's high powered offenses. Not to say I disagree with the overall comment.

3 Ivy teams regularly in the tournament seems like a reach. In the medium term, the ACC should expect around 3 teams. The B1G should expect 2-3. The Ivies would have to essentially sweep the remaining slots, and that's asking a lot given the depth of the Big East. Two Ivy teams should be a regular occurrence, but the league hasn't had that depth for years.

Going back, the Ivy had the following number of top-ten teams each year: 2024 (1); 2023 (1); 2022 (4) [and they still got 6! slots ]; 2021 (1); 2019 (3); 2018 (2); 2017 (1); 2016 (2); 2015 (1); and 2014 (1). Averaging that out, you get 1.7 top-ten teams a year for the last ten full seasons. Ratings were based on Massey calculations.

[Chousnake]

#1 question is defense. Princeton and Penn were solid, but overall the defenses were down in the IVY last year. For the Ivy to get back to getting 3 teams in the tournament, they will need to see some big improvement on that end of the field. That is probably the biggest story line for teams like Yale and Cornell. For those thinking I am picking on the IVY, I would say the opposite for the Big 10.

There might be a chicken-egg issue contributing to this. BiG defenses look good playing against that league's less prolific offenses. Ivy defenses look worse playing against the league's high powered offenses. Not to say I disagree with the overall comment.

3 Ivy teams regularly in the tournament seems like a reach. In the medium term, the ACC should expect around 3 teams. The B1G should expect 2-3. The Ivies would have to essentially sweep the remaining slots, and that's asking a lot given the depth of the Big East. Two Ivy teams should be a regular occurrence, but the league hasn't had that depth for years.

Going back, the Ivy had the following number of top-ten teams each year: 2024 (1); 2023 (1); 2022 (4) [and they still got 6! slots ]; 2021 (1); 2019 (3); 2018 (2); 2017 (1); 2016 (2); 2015 (1); and 2014 (1). Averaging that out, you get 1.7 top-ten teams a year for the last ten full seasons. Ratings were based on Massey calculations.

This is off a little. The Ivies didn't play in 2021 and had 3 teams in the top 10 when play stopped in 2020. That gives them an average of 1.9 a year, which still gets you an average of about 2 teams a year in the top 10 or roughly two bids. That will go up and down depending on the season. I would expect 1-3 bids a season. I do think the Ivies were hurt in 23 and 24 by the extra year of eligibility other schools had which allowed other conferences to keep players an extra season and also to add 5th year Ivy players to the roster while most Ivy schools could not take advantage of this (with some exceptions such as Kirst and Long on Cornell next season).

[bearlaxfan]

Any IL players with NIL agreements?

[The Orfling]

Any IL players with NIL agreements?

I’ve wondered about that. My sense when I looked into this a little was that it was allowed in the Ivy League but had to be linked to actual commerce and couldn’t just be a “pay to play” from a collective. But that might be outdated or inaccurate.

[faircornell]

I assume that the USILA will be making award announcements quite soon. As a note, Matt Brandau has been named Yale's Male Athlete of the Year, as well as New England Men's Lacrosse Player of the Year.

[44WeWantMore]

I can see the future...2025..another cupcake season for a cupcake league yawn.

dude, you just got here. this is a lacrosse community site. we don't all get along all the time, but we try to at least be civil most of the time and occasionally have something to add. not for nothing, but you're about to earn some vacations if you don't knock it off. there are plenty of places on the internet to troll, even for lax. go find them if that's what gets you off.

plus you're embarassing your alma mater or more likely hoo you're just a fan of. the schtick is way old already.

It's Quint!

No way. Quint has other ways of demoting his alma mater.