Roanoke 2020

[JBFortunato]

Let's get this party started! No love for the Maroons in the preseason polls, a lot of haters in the forums.

It's always fun to be the underdog.

[Jakes]

Not a hater. A little out of the loop on things with the team. I think they lost 8 seniors to graduation? Devane, Lintner, Davies, Lindley among them. It’s been mentioned that Sarro’s injury may be lingering into this season? Seems like this could be a very challenging year for Noke. New goalie, very young team, and no idea where the scoring is going to come from. Any idea on transfers? I was told Schwarz transferred out. He must have put down the stick, bc I didn’t see him listed with any other school. He sure would help this year.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

The ODAC desperately needs a strong top 20 Roanoke team. The top 4, Lynchburg, W&L, HSC and Roanoke all need to remain relevant and contend for a top 20 ranking or better to maintain a healthy conference. Look at the NCAC it’s been a two team horse race for years and one of them is stumbling badly. Without a strong OWU team as an adversary and having a great college rivalry game will players still choose to go to Denison. Probably, but At the margin there could be players that choose not to. NESCAC and Centennial are I believe the two best conferences top to bottom, good high school players want to be tested, playing in a weaker conference is not in anyone’s best interest

[kramerica.inc]

What's happening at Noke?
They don't seem to be getting the talent they used to and even the mid-tier kids that attend and could build the middle-bottom of the roster are opting not to play. Hoping its a bubble and not a trend for the Maroons. D3 lax as a whole is more fun when they are competitive.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

Interesting to see their only scrimmage is against VaTech before kicking off the season with CNU. Not aware if they normally scrimmage Va Tech or not but the CNU matchup should be very telling as to what type of baseline position Roanoke will have entering the 2020 season. They got off to a poor start last year and it played through the season. Hoping they get the win vs CNU, the ODAC needs a resurgent Noke team

[LaxDad2020]

Quality players left for the 2020 season to play elsewhere. One solid player in Saro left. They tend to play Freshman, so they don't transfer. Sit Sophs so they are left with the hard choice of sticking it out 2 more years or transferring. Juniors too late to leave. Going to be a long season for Roanoke.

[dingdongdman]

LaxDad2020, can't disagree with you about the lack of quality players left except for I believe Sarro is back for his senior season. Whether he can actually make a difference or not coming off a serious injury is another question.

[JBFortunato]

Quality players left for the 2020 season to play elsewhere. One solid player in Saro left. They tend to play Freshman, so they don't transfer. Sit Sophs so they are left with the hard choice of sticking it out 2 more years or transferring. Juniors too late to leave. Going to be a long season for Roanoke.

Who left to play elsewhere? They certainly had a few quality players graduate - Lindley and Devane chiefly.

I find it fascinating that so many seem to think W&L will be absolutely fine replacing their entire D, but somehow 'Noke doesn't have any quality players on the roster.

Anyway, IL puts them at #24 in the country to start the season. I guess we'll find out.

[FapTitan]

Quality players left for the 2020 season to play elsewhere. One solid player in Saro left. They tend to play Freshman, so they don't transfer. Sit Sophs so they are left with the hard choice of sticking it out 2 more years or transferring. Juniors too late to leave. Going to be a long season for Roanoke.

The decline of this once proud program is not surprising with the stories coming out of Roanoke. Life as a Maroon under their, dare I say, (almost) tyrannical coach surely does not create an enjoyable playing environment. The trend of players leaving can be difficult to combat as the younger players see it happening, and follow in suit. I can only imagine how difficult it will be to convince recruits to come once they notice how many players do not complete 4 years with the program. It all starts at the top.

[dingdongdman]

JBFortunato, after Roanoke finished behind Randy-Mac, HSC, and Bridgewater I think there is a lot to worry about over in Roanoke right now.

[LaxDad2020]

Quality players left for the 2020 season to play elsewhere. One solid player in Saro left. They tend to play Freshman, so they don't transfer. Sit Sophs so they are left with the hard choice of sticking it out 2 more years or transferring. Juniors too late to leave. Going to be a long season for Roanoke.

Who left to play elsewhere? They certainly had a few quality players graduate - Lindley and Devane chiefly.

I find it fascinating that so many seem to think W&L will be absolutely fine replacing their entire D, but somehow 'Noke doesn't have any quality players on the roster.

Anyway, IL puts them at #24 in the country to start the season. I guess we'll find out.

Apparently a few top rated Sophs and Freshman from last years team left to play elsewhere. They had two Sophs competing for goalie position with no clear fav, not sure if one left, hard spot to be in as a Junior not playing and not going to transfer for one last year. Hard on the kids. From the grapevine.

[richard]

Tough to see stuff like this before the season starts. Pilat will weed out the bad seeds and Noke will continue to be a strong program. I've seen it befor at other programs. Coaches are there for the long haul. Kids and parents with inflated senses of entitlement only last so long.

[JBFortunato]

Tough to see stuff like this before the season starts. Pilat will weed out the bad seeds and Noke will continue to be a strong program. I've seen it befor at other programs. Coaches are there for the long haul. Kids and parents with inflated senses of entitlement only last so long.

Pilat has been doing this for 30+ years, well over 300 wins, 11 ODAC championships and 17 NCAA appearances. Suddenly he's tyrannical, can't coach and his program is falling apart? Give me a break.

There are ebbs and flows in every program. Kids come and go, more so now than ever before. I would guess that there is plenty of talent on the field at Kerr this season, and Pilat will do what he always does: figure it out, and win lacrosse games. The record speaks for itself.

[richard]

[quote=richard post_id=103745 time=<a href="tel:1580167214">1580167214</a> user_id=418]
Tough to see stuff like this before the season starts. Pilat will weed out the bad seeds and Noke will continue to be a strong program. I've seen it befor at other programs. Coaches are there for the long haul. Kids and parents with inflated senses of entitlement only last so long.

Pilat has been doing this for 30+ years, well over 300 wins, 11 ODAC championships and 17 NCAA appearances. Suddenly he's tyrannical, can't coach and his program is falling apart? Give me a break.

There are ebbs and flows in every program. Kids come and go, more so now than ever before. I would guess that there is plenty of talent on the field at Kerr this season, and Pilat will do what he always does: figure it out, and win lacrosse games. The record speaks for itself.
[/quote]
Better to be the tyrant than a players coach. The kids will run all over you. I have seen that and the results are worse than ugly and that is in many ways.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

I’m already on record stating how important having a strong Roanoke top 20 team is to the ODAC. Graduating 5 of their top 7 scorers and great goalie makes me wonder how Roanoke improves over last season. I’ve never seen a Roanoke game like the CNU contest followed by Denison. The combined score was 37-9. Their shooting percentage at times was 7,12, 16 and 10 percent. I’ve never seen anything like that from this program. 2/19 vs CNU will be a huge indication as to where the Maroons are at .

[richard]

I think in 2007 they faced a couple of blowouts and were really down on themselves. Pilat did a great job that year reinventing them. By the end of the year things were back to normal. Who knows about this year. There is a lot to be worked on and trying to work the coach over from the sideline never helps anyone..

[JBFortunato]

I think in 2007 they faced a couple of blowouts and were really down on themselves. Pilat did a great job that year reinventing them. By the end of the year things were back to normal. Who knows about this year. There is a lot to be worked on and trying to work the coach over from the sideline never helps anyone..

Agreed, richard is the voice of reason around these parts.

As for the CNU game being a barometer for the season, I don't think that's fair. Literally half the roster is composed of the freshman class. However talented that class may be, it could take a few games for the young men to start to shine. I see Roanoke as a second half of the season problem for the ODAC as the frosh work their way in and figure it out.

[Dehuntshigwa’es]

Hoping you are both correct, other than when they play the Generals.

[Jakes]

Roster is out on the Roanoke college website. Seems to be a lot of new faces. Naylor not back for his senior season. Once again, lots of freshman. Not sure where the scoring is going to come from? Two junior goalies with minimal experience, as well. Not sure how high the expectations should be this year.

[FapTitan]

A shame to see Naylor gone, he was a talented player that was poised to be a top offensive weapon. After looking through the schedule I see roanoke finishing between 7-9/9-7 depending on Sarro's return and if they can squeak one out against Randolph Macon or Bridgewater. This will be a very revealing year for the program to see how Coach Pilat and the players respond to their inevitable struggles.