CAA 2025

[Henpecked]

Minutemen do not look good today. Trainor is an animal at midfield. But he hasn't left the field today. I've said this before, but he looked gassed out there. They have to have another SSDM that can spot him at some point. You can't run for 45-50 minutes.

Knote looks great in net. But the offensive looks really bad. They have to figure something out for the second half.

[10stone5]

I think they’ll need to have Jeff Trainor more or entirely
on offense, nobody can cover that guy.

[DU-fan]

Liam Donnelly played really well for Albany. I think he was the difference maker in a really close and entertaining game.

[Henpecked]

Liam Donnelly played really well for Albany. I think he was the difference maker in a really close and entertaining game.

Agreed. He looked great all day. Fun team to watch.

I think they’ll need to have Jeff Trainor more or entirely
on offense, nobody can cover that guy.

Agree on this too. Trainor is a monster on offense. He makes all the big plays.

[Mr3Putt]

So how many was Albany missing ? Something about a fight w Bing

[Mr3Putt]

Liam Donnelly played really well for Albany. I think he was the difference maker in a really close and entertaining game.

Agreed. He looked great all day. Fun team to watch.

I think they’ll need to have Jeff Trainor more or entirely
on offense, nobody can cover that guy.

Agree on this too. Trainor is a monster on offense. He makes all the big plays.

[Mr3Putt]

I agree w all you Trainor he is a Clydesdale. If I’m playing him , call a fire call, go code red. Run him around when he is playing short. Drag him around on the hitch of a car. Get him tired.

[10stone5]

That was a cold dose of reality.

Vermont and Albany in the America East.
And, Vermont pretty much handled Albany with
Nanticoke, the score was close, but Vermont
handled them.

Just goes to show what depth, or the lack of depth,
can do for you these days.

[Mr3Putt]

Cold dose of what ? Scott Marr is shrimp salad. That’s it.

[10stone5]

There were lots of returning senior stars this year,
on all the teams,

can’t say I’m real pleased,

except for with the Hens,

maybe I expected too much
maybe they’re just getting warmed up,

and also, there’s still the return of the Dutch
from hiatus, hopefully they’re ready to go.

[Henpecked]

A couple things to note about the CAA.

UMass is just getting started. This will be a completely different team by season's end. They have a really balanced team with great goaltending and super-quick middies and attackmen. They also have a monster named Jeff Trainor who plays with more heart than anyone in the league. Hopefully, for UMass, Connelly is back (I personally wouldn't miss him).

Hofstra was playing pretty well this year before the hiatus, except for a terrible defensive effort against St. John's. They have the highest-scoring attack group in the league with Tierney and the two 5th year transfers (Lynskey and Concannon). Defense might be an issue for this team. Altmann plays all over the field, but they clearly miss Erik Wentz, who was really the linchpin that held that group together.

Delaware has had a pretty easy schedule to start the season. They were missing key players for the first two games, but this team is just starting to gel. The CAA schedule worked out well for them as they face the top two teams (Hofstra and UMass) just once, and on the back half of the year. The Hens play a bunch of freshman, so you have to see how they hold up as the play intensifies and competition gets stronger.

Fairfield wasn't expected to be very good this year. Their defense is not very good (that is being kind) and their top player seems to be playing hurt. Dylan Beckwith hurt his leg at the end of the Providence game. He missed the last seconds of that one-goal game as he gimped off the field. I am not sure he is fully recovered. He has his ankle taped and he is not moving the way we are used to seeing him move.

Towson has had a tough stretch playing some really tough teams. At the same time, I don't believe anyone had them at the top of the CAA. Not enough offense.

Drexel is a notoriously slow-starting team. They were also expecting their top attackman Matt Varian to return this year. That would have made them one of the most balanced offensive groups in the league. With Varian quarterbacking the offense they were able to simply outgun other teams. Unfortunately, Voelker doesn't have a very good defense. Been years since they kept any good teams under 15 goals a game.

Things are just getting started. There will be tons of surprises by year's end. One thing is certain...only the team lifting the CAA trophy will be in the tourney. So expect another battle in the Thunderdome. Strong Island May 6th and 8th.

[xxxxxxx]

All good points Henpecked and yes we have a long way to go but I am not so sure it's impossible for two CAA teams to make the tourney. With no Ivys, that opens possibly three spots, and the Big 10 based on how it looks now could be a two league conference. The Patriot league is in the same situation, we will see.

[Henpecked]

You might be right about two teams getting in, but that would have to be extraordinary circumstances. A team would need to go undefeated in the conference and then lose a close game in the finals.

The Committee has a pretty good memory about bad losses...but only when it comes to "lesser" conferences like the CAA. They are very unforgiving of teams that don't play in the ACC and Big10. I remember back in 2019 the (13-3) High Point team that beat Duke and Virginia were ignored because of a one-goal loss to St. Johns early in the season (a year that JHU got into the tournament with an 8-7 record after an early 9-goal loss to Towson). High Point also got smoked by Richmond in the finals, which probably left a bad taste in the committee's mouths.

Selection Sunday they will be posting the Hens opening loss to MSM (albeit very shorthanded), the Hofstra opening loss to St. John's and UMass loss to a depleted Albany up on a board. "Are these teams really deserving of an at-large?" they will ponder for 30 seconds. And then invariably say, "No."

[Nassaufan]

Unfortunately, you're probably right.

[10stone5]

I’m expecting Nadelen and company to have scouted
Loyola well, so I’ll expect some surprises in that game,
assuming things don’t go south as in the Bucknell game,
Tigers are playing better though still not up to their
usual high level.

Tucker Durkin is actually making some headway with
Drexel’s defense, although you couldn’t tell from the
Delaware game, one guy in particular I’ve noticed
improvement, footwork of course is Durkin’s trademark,
not exactly an easy thing to teach, nor teach quickly.

Lafayette of course may not win any games this season,
or maybe one or two, but I have noticed a greater
commitment on their part in bringing in better talent,
a lot of freshmen they are working in.

Drexel Lafayette Game link on LSN, 6pm,
https://www.ftfnext.com/lsn

[HU34]

A CAA tournament runner up with 2 losses will get in. Unlikely scenerio but it's a 2 bid league if that happens.

[Henpecked]

Well that means that Hofstra, UMass and Delaware, all with one loss already, will have to run the table before losing in the CAA finals to get a bid. That is the scenario I suggested earlier.

You might be right about two teams getting in, but that would have to be extraordinary circumstances. A team would need to go undefeated in the conference and then lose a close game in the finals.

Not a lot of wiggle room for any of these teams.

[Mr3Putt]

Not a shot, the CAA is a 1 bid league.

[10stone5]

Reid Bowering out again,
hope he’s not injured too badly, I’ll assume its an
injury, as he was the 2nd pick in the past NLL draft.

Good chance to see the new guys, lots and lots of
new guys. I wanted to see Carter Begley and
Ronnie Gunter Jr. - they got in some good runs.

[Nassaufan]

Lax Sports Network will stream the Hofstra-Fairfield game at 7 p.m. Friday:

https://gohofstra.com/news/2021/3/24/me ... -play.aspx