NCAC 2021

[WhiteCarrera]

Unfortunately, streaming might be as good as it gets this year. As far as I can tell, here are the attendance policies around the conference:

Allegheny -- Campus community only. No outside visitors.
Denison -- Campus community only. No outside visitors.
**DePauw -- Campus community and parents. No visitor spectators.
Hiram -- Campus community only, with Senior Day exception for Hiram parents,
Kenyon -- limited to 30 spectators from within the immediate campus community.
**OWU -- limited to students, staff, and athlete parents. No visiting spectators.
**Wabash -- invited guests only. Visiting fans and parents are not allowed.
**Wittenberg -- Attendance limited to 274 people, with no visiting team guests.
Wooster -- Venue capped at 30% capacity (so 1,500), campus community only, no parents from either team.

** "Our parents are better than yours!"

I understand that each school has to do what it thinks is best. So when no guests are allowed from off campus, it's unfortunate, but I understand.
What I don't understand is this idea that home parents are okay, but visiting parents aren't. This conference has high school teammates who are now opponents; sets of parents who might be neighbors and best friends, but now our colleges are discriminating against them. Of my son's four games so far, each one prohibited visiting parents, a three of the four allowed an unlimited number from the campus community but couldn't offer up 25-50 tickets to the opponents.

Maybe the biggest thing we learn from athletics is a sense of fair competition and respect for opponents, but the NCAC has allowed some of its member schools to throw that out the window. I am a Wabash alumnus, and I'm upset with, and a little bit embarrassed by, Wabash for taking this stance. Think critically? Lead effectively? Wabash tenets, but I'm not seeing it here.

It's funny, Wabash has a color coding system to express the campus environment, and last week they changed it to "Blue", which now allows overnight guests on campus. So a DePauw player's mom and dad can't watch the game in person, but it's okay for his sister to come spend the night in her boyfriend's fraternity. (shaking my head)

[OldWU]

OWU posts 2021 season preview:

2021 Season Preview
3/22/2021 3:01:00 PM


Ohio Wesleyan and head coach Mike Plantholt will seek to recapture the North Coast Athletic Conference championship and make another run into the NCAA Division III playoffs in 2021. "We have a solid senior class that is extremely motivated after the loss of their season last year," Plantholt said. "We have seniors at every major position, and we're looking for them to carry the day."

On attack, the Bishops return a veteran unit. Junior Henry Hasenberg (Los Angeles, Calif./Loyola) ranked seventh in the NCAC in scoring last season with an average of 3.40 points per game on 9 goals and 8 assists. Senior Will Anton (Madison, N.J.) and junior Luke Swaddling (Strongsville/Lakewood St. Edward) also started games last season. Junior Whit Stopak (North Canton/Hoover), a transfer from Hofstra, could contribute right away. Sophomore Vincent Leonardi (Hicksville, N.Y.) also returns, and freshman Pat Doyle (Hingham, Mass.) is battling for playing time.

The midfield also should be a position of strength. Senior Conor McGeeney (Loveland/Archbishop Moeller) led Bishop mifielders with 8 goals in 5 games last year, and senior Sean Gellen (Davis, Calif./Senior) followed with 7 goals.Senior Max Johnston (Toledo/St. Francis deSales) is back as well, and senior Brett Lehle (Houston, Texas/Houston Christian) moves back from the attack line. Junior Brody Leinson (Littleton, Mass.), a transfer from Long Island-Post, could make an impact. Junior Jack Damon (Portsmouth, R.I.) and sophomore Hassan Radda (Dublin/Coffman) also were contributors last season. Freshman Cooper Braet (Columbus/Upper Arlington) and freshman Henry Little (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), a first-team all-conference choice in high school, look to make their mark.

Senior Andrew Mikes (Columbus/Upper Arlington), a second-team All-NCAC choice at short-stick defensive midfielder in 2019, provides a veteran presence. Sophomore Cooper Endicott (Santa Monica, Calif./Sierra Canyon) and sophomore Kyle Parry (Duxbury, Mass.) also return, and freshman Ethan Shaw (Woodland Park, N.J./Passiac Valley), a 2-time first-team all-league pick in high school, and freshman Keon Badiee (La Jolla, Calif./La Jolla Country Day) also will be heard from.

Senior Charles Schooler (Terrace Park/Mariemont) and junior Carter Haskel (Denver, Colo./East) return at long-stick defensive midfielder.

The Bishop close defense returns a pair of starters in junior Miles Rathell (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley), the NCAC's Newcomer of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection in 2019, and junior Joe Connor (Barrie, Ontario/Everest Academy). Senior Austin Plaster (Alexandria, Va./Episcopal) looks to take over the third close defense spot, with freshman Jake Kuhn (Glen Ridge, N.J./Berkshire (Mass.) School), freshman Chris Hollander (Princeton, N.J./Hopewell Valley Central), and freshman Jackson Hamman (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla Country Day), an all-league pick in high school, also in the picture.

Junior Chris Ciampi (Rye, N.Y.) and Plaster, along with freshman Evan Rose (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlow) and freshman Trevor Hodges (Windermere, Fla./Orlando Olympia) will handle the face-off duties this season.

Senior Zach Brasser (Westport, Conn./Millbrook (N.Y.) School), who made 5 starts in goal 2019, is the top returnee in the crease. Sophomore Carl Mazabras (New Canaan, Conn.) and sophomore George Whitney (Marion, Mass./Tabor Academy) each saw action in 2020. Freshman Paddy Colligan (Greenwich, Conn.) also looks to contribute.

Ohio Wesleyan opens the season against Division II entity Walsh before taking on Kenyon. The NCAC schedule will be played in a divisional format this year, with Ohio Wesleyan joining Denison, DePauw, Wabash, and Wittenberg in the West Division. The NCAC West slate begins on March 31, when the Bishops host Denison in the front end of a divisional home-and-home series. A home-and-home series with Wooster rounds out the regular-season schedule. The NCAC tournament is scheduled to be played in May.

[FannOLax]

Denison’s season opener vs Wooster cancelled. Very disappointing... assume it’s due to problems at Wooster because the announcement says Wooster next game cancelled as well. All dressed up and nowhere to go!

Today's OWU at Kenyon game cancelled "because of COVID-19 protocols on the Kenyon campus." Anyone with any Kenyon connections know what's happening in little Gambier?

[Nosey Ned]

Denison’s season opener vs Wooster cancelled. Very disappointing... assume it’s due to problems at Wooster because the announcement says Wooster next game cancelled as well. All dressed up and nowhere to go!

Today's OWU at Kenyon game cancelled "because of COVID-19 protocols on the Kenyon campus." Anyone with any Kenyon connections know what's happening in little Gambier?

Hi Fann ..... let’s hope Wednesday’s front end of the home and home between the Bishops and the Big Red gets played. Very small sample size on both squads to gauge the matchup and possible weaknesses and strengths. Denison’s tie with Adrian unfortunately was a blow out early and not sure was able to gain any insight.... other than the Big Red is young and still untested. I’m expecting another in a long line of tough games. Can’t wait to see this one. Let’s roll the ball out and see where it takes us. Good luck.

[FannOLax]

Hiya Ned. Agreed, very small sample size. Odd to have these Denison v OWU games coming so early in the schedule. Terrific rivalry; the first lacrosse game I ever saw, back during my childhood, was OWU at Denison. Let's hope that these two games get played, and that they live up to the wonderful tradition.

[OldWU]

Bishops win 14-13 over Big Red! Great game....Saturday will be a war!

[Nosey Ned]

Bishops win 14-13 over Big Red! Great game....Saturday will be a war!

Congratulations to the Bishops on a job well done! No excuses, the Big Red got beat today. Shake it off and get ready for Saturday’s rematch.

[FannOLax]

Classic OWU - Denison game. A bit sloppy, but it is very early season for these two to be playing each other. After the way the 2019 season went, and the 2020 season started, for the Battling Bishops, this result has to be a surprise. OWU 14 Denison 13, final. Here's hoping for another terrific contest Saturday in Granville.

[OldWU]

I thought it actually was very well played considering both of these teams only had one game....this is usually the last game of the season. The ante gets upped even more on Saturday, and becomes a must-win for The Big Red....too bad students from both schools can't attend, but we will take whatever we can get in this post-COVID world....the best rivalry in D3 lacrosse is alive once again.....

[overandback]

Turning Point of the game was the FO with :49 left in 3rd Qtr.
Red has just scored their third in row to go up 11-8.
OWU has lost 17 of 21 draws to Red's excellent FOGO pair. OWU goes to their third or fourth option, a senior D-man carrying a career 32-74 mark on FOs.
He wins the ensuing draw and OWU scores with :01 on clock to make it 11-9.

He then wins the opening draw of 4th and OWU scores - 11-10.
When Red scores with :55 left in game to pull within a goal, the OWU pole wins the biggest FO of the night scooping the loose ball and allowing home team to run out the clock.

[MrLax2U]

Great to see this rivalry spring to life.

Did not see the game but a quick look at the stats leads me to predict; IF Coach Mike is able to spend Thursday and Friday working on Clears and Ball Handling, Big Red evens the series. Big Red EM was 3 - 4 which belies the 21 TOs so maybe just Clears. Good luck to both teams.

[FannOLax]

Great to see this rivalry spring to life.

Did not see the game but a quick look at the stats leads me to predict; IF Coach Mike is able to spend Thursday and Friday working on Clears and Ball Handling, Big Red evens the series. Big Red EM was 3 - 4 which belies the 21 TOs so maybe just Clears. Good luck to both teams.

Hello MrLax2U, good to see you. One thing that doesn't show up in the stats is the number of shots that hit pipe and didn't go in; the Denison attack had a number of those. However, OWU scored the best, most eye-catching goals. You're absolutely right, turnovers and failed clears hurt the Big Red; on the other hand, penalties hurt the Bishops. Seems strange to have so few fans at a Denison-OWU lacrosse game; but then, we should probably be grateful to be able to watch live lacrosse on-line.

[OldWU]

OWU Highlights from 3/31 win over Denison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGPOeNPvNSw

[MrLax2U]

penalties hurt the Bishops

Agree FannO,
Four minutes in the Box for the Bishops to one minute for Big Red. And Big Red went 3 - 4 on EM.

Great rivalry; two good teams and two great coaches.

Intangibles lead me to go with Big Red. Tough to beat Caravana twice in one season let alone back to back.

80 fans at an outdoor lacrosse game in March is tough to fathom when we see pictures of the beaches in Florida and Texas.

[FannOLax]

Intangibles lead me to go with Big Red. Tough to beat Caravana twice in one season let alone back to back.

Strange to say it so early in the season, but tomorrow's game really is a "must-win" for the Big Red. Plantholt did beat Caravana twice in 2015 and in 2018, but I am certainly not predicting that OWU will prevail tomorrow. If I had to bet money on the game, I'd go with Denison; but then, I would have said the same thing before Wednesday's game. This really is a terrific rivalry.

[OldWU]

Denison lost a close one because they had more turnovers and had more failed clears than the Bishops. They dominated face-offs and had more shots and ground balls. It did appear to me that the Bishop defensive mids and d-men pressed out on the Big Red offense more, while defensively Denison packed closer to the net. Maybe Caravana wanted to see if the Bishops had anyone with a real outside shot. They will also want to pay more attention to #6, the transfer from Hofstra. His last goal was filthy and his first one was almost stealth. It was his first game as a Bishop (he missed the first due to illness) and he tied for the team lead with three goals.

[OldWU]

Denison wins the re-match 11-10....great game again....Denison takes charge in the second half, freshman Luke Fisher has five goals.

[Nosey Ned]

Big Red win the rematch. Another battle ... these games rarely disappoint as we have yet another in a very long line of 1 goal games.

Assuming the student announcer is correct, does anyone know why Denison is “eliminated” from the Conference Championship game if the 2 game set is now 1-1 (each winning at home) and the combined score is 24-24? Assuming they both win out as expected, why would the Bishops automatically advance? That is per the student announcer, so must be taken with a grain of salt. Using the soccer formula, Denison’s 13 “away” goals would give them the leg up. Anyone know the 2nd tie breaker? Does the fact that Denison has won the last 4 Conference Tournament Championships come in to play? I seem to recall Denison was handed the Football title in a 3 way tie a not so long ago because they had not won it as recently as the other 2.

[FannOLax]

Denison were quick to double up on OWU's #6 Stopak when he had the ball above GLE. OWU's goalie played well. Not much between these two teams. The Denison commentators confused me a bit near the end when they talked about goal difference and the conference championship; with each team winning by a goal, goal difference is equal and I'd imagine there would be a playoff game to decide who goes to the conference championship against the NCAC East winner. No?

[Nosey Ned]

I'd imagine there would be a playoff game to decide who goes to the conference championship against the NCAC East winner. No?

That would be treat that I think not only we the fans, but the players would be thrilled with! They both deserve to decide it on the field! Especially since they will have played a truncated schedule already.