**********The MIAA "A" Conference 2022**************

[kramerica.inc]

Interesting to see that Brocato and all of the other former coaches are reuniting under Settembrino.

They are getting the band back together at St Paul's.

[SkipPass]

Having the entire league make the playoffs cheapens the regular season. Last year was an anomaly because of COVID. Let’s hope they don’t go that route again.

[kramerica.inc]

Having the entire league make the playoffs cheapens the regular season. Last year was an anomaly because of COVID. Let’s hope they don’t go that route again.

Beg to differ. I think it was great. And it made for some good playoff games.
The league showed that it can support more teams in the palyoffs- Those top 9-10 teams all had competitive games in the playoffs, that could have gone either way. At the very least I'd like to see the playoffs expanded to 8 teams.

[MDlaxfan76]

Having the entire league make the playoffs cheapens the regular season. Last year was an anomaly because of COVID. Let’s hope they don’t go that route again.

Beg to differ. I think it was great. And it made for some good playoff games.
The league showed that it can support more teams in the palyoffs- Those top 9-10 teams all had competitive games in the playoffs, that could have gone either way. At the very least I'd like to see the playoffs expanded to 8 teams.

But how do you respond to the notion that the regular season makes little difference then?

[kramerica.inc]

I disagree with that notion. It totally matters. Just slightly differently.

It matters for qualification and seedings. Those bottom teams wil be fighting like crazy to get in the top 8. The top teams last year were rewarded with byes and rest. The bottom teams had to play a first round game and didn’t get the rest of the others.

Last year there were a million tiebreakers. CH ended as a 6 seed. This conference has shown that on any given day the mid tier teams can knock those top guys off.

Most years the top 3-4 teams are the class of the league.
After that, teams 3-9 are all pretty even.

[MDlaxfan76]

Congrats to Charlie Olmert of Severn, elected captain of Harvard team.

https://twitter.com/severn_lacrosse/sta ... fsrc=email

[MDlaxfan76]

I disagree with that notion. It totally matters. Just slightly differently.

It matters for qualification and seedings. Those bottom teams wil be fighting like crazy to get in the top 8. The top teams last year were rewarded with byes and rest. The bottom teams had to play a first round game and didn’t get the rest of the others.

Last year there were a million tiebreakers. CH ended as a 6 seed. This conference has shown that on any given day the mid tier teams can knock those top guys off.

Most years the top 3-4 teams are the class of the league.
After that, teams 3-9 are all pretty even.

Good argument.

Quite agree that in any given year 4-6 actually have a shot at running the table, though odds are with it being 1-4 doing it.
Not sure that those below that actually would.
And the regular season shakes that out pretty well.

Not sure why the 7 and under teams need to get another fresh shot, but you make a fine argument.

I guess I just have an old school bias towards fewer games, each all the more important because they mean so much.

[kramerica.inc]

The difference between a 3 and 6 seed this year was multiple tiebreakers. Same for 7-9. Those regular season games mattered. Trust me.

If you watched this year’s games, you saw that guaranteed playoffs didn’t lessen the competitiveness of the regular season.

These kids got after it. Twice a week. And the playoffs were a blast having early round games.

StP and Gilman, two teams that wouldn’t have made the tourney underwent the old rules, both had excellent first round games. So much fun to watch. Same for Severn MSJ. Absolute battles. Very fun.

Tradition is great, until it is outdated. The league has grown and is no longer 6 teams. There are 11 now. The league should be about the kids playing. More, competitive, exciting, lacrosse games, in awesome environments, is ALWAYS a good thing. Think back to your hs days- Wouldn't you want to play more games? I know I would. I’d love if they expanded the playoffs regularly. The league is good enough and deep enough to do it.

[hmmm]

Any predictions on where McCabe Millon ends up? Anyone NOT thinking it will be one of these four?

Duke
Maryland
UNC
UVA

I'd add PSU to that list. He's not going to MD

[SkipPass]

The difference between a 3 and 6 seed this year was multiple tiebreakers. Same for 7-9. Those regular season games mattered. Trust me.

If you watched this year’s games, you saw that guaranteed playoffs didn’t lessen the competitiveness of the regular season.

These kids got after it. Twice a week. And the playoffs were a blast having early round games.

StP and Gilman, two teams that wouldn’t have made the tourney underwent the old rules, both had excellent first round games. So much fun to watch. Same for Severn MSJ. Absolute battles. Very fun.

Tradition is great, until it is outdated. The league has grown and is no longer 6 teams. There are 11 now. The league should be about the kids playing. More, competitive, exciting, lacrosse games, in awesome environments, is ALWAYS a good thing. Think back to your hs days- Wouldn't you want to play more games? I know I would. I’d love if they expanded the playoffs regularly. The league is good enough and deep enough to do it.

The league could sustain it in a Covid year. Most of the MIAA teams only played a league schedule in 21. Add in non conference games, trips out of state, etc. in 22 and playing more games in the playoffs makes zero sense. McD, CH, BL, SM, LB, GIL and SP are the teams to beat virtually every year. Once in a blue moon Severn sneaks in. JC, MSJ and Spalding (with the exception of this year) are never in the mix. Stick with 6.

[kramerica.inc]

The difference between a 3 and 6 seed this year was multiple tiebreakers. Same for 7-9. Those regular season games mattered. Trust me.

If you watched this year’s games, you saw that guaranteed playoffs didn’t lessen the competitiveness of the regular season.

These kids got after it. Twice a week. And the playoffs were a blast having early round games.

StP and Gilman, two teams that wouldn’t have made the tourney underwent the old rules, both had excellent first round games. So much fun to watch. Same for Severn MSJ. Absolute battles. Very fun.

Tradition is great, until it is outdated. The league has grown and is no longer 6 teams. There are 11 now. The league should be about the kids playing. More, competitive, exciting, lacrosse games, in awesome environments, is ALWAYS a good thing. Think back to your hs days- Wouldn't you want to play more games? I know I would. I’d love if they expanded the playoffs regularly. The league is good enough and deep enough to do it.

The league could sustain it in a Covid year. Most of the MIAA teams only played a league schedule in 21. Add in non conference games, trips out of state, etc. in 22 and playing more games in the playoffs makes zero sense. McD, CH, BL, SM, LB, GIL and SP are the teams to beat virtually every year. Once in a blue moon Severn sneaks in. JC, MSJ and Spalding (with the exception of this year) are never in the mix. Stick with 6.

I think 6 was good when you were an 8-90 team league. but the league showed for the past few years that it can support great lacrosse 11-teams deep. The worst team in the league, is still a top 20 team and better than public state champ teams. https://www.laxnumbers.com/ratings.php?y=2021&v=3206

That "too many games" and out of conference boogeyman isn't true. This is the addition of 4 additional games -in MAY for the WHOLE CONFERENCE if you invite all 11. That is potentially ONE more game for those mid-seed teams. Hardly a burden on these kids or athletic programs.

The way things are moving and growing in the conference, I think a lot of these coaches would want at least 8 to avoid landing themselves on the hot seat. Every team that's not BL, McD, and BL should want at least 8. And those teams might want it too. As I said before, CH was one of the best in the conference and defending champs last year...who slipped to a 6 seed.

[MDlaxfan76]

I obviously agree about the competitiveness of the league and how much fun it is to see these kids play hard.

I do know that my son played many more games than the 12 total we played in my day.

Multiple Philly teams and DC teams played, top public team, Hill Academy, Virginia teams, etc...others played NY teams too.

Plus the MIAA schedule, plus up to 3 games in tournament. A lot of games. Then exams...

In my era, we played a couple of scrimmages, then the #1 public team, home and away among the 6, and then a special game was set up to play Wroxeter, a private school in Anne Arundel county not that unlike IMG and Hill. They'd played up and down the East Coast, destroying teams from all areas, big scores...sports writers all predicted they would destroy us as well, yet we beat them 16-8 in front of big crowd.

Plenty of lacrosse, all high stakes.
4,000 came out on a Saturday to see us match up with StP for the game that would determine #1.
None of my son's games, other than in the tournament, came remotely close to those size crowds.

Of course, that was back when we played a little Hero's in the summer and never considered playing fall or winter ball.

[gymman1031]

Any predictions on where McCabe Millon ends up? Anyone NOT thinking it will be one of these four?

Duke
Maryland
UNC
UVA

I'd add PSU to that list. He's not going to MD

DUKE it is!

[MDlaxfan76]

Any other significant commitments to report from MIAA?

[Slim]

Michael Smyth (StP) - Harvard

[MDlaxfan76]

Michael Smyth (StP) - Harvard

my son will like that one!

[SkipPass]

The difference between a 3 and 6 seed this year was multiple tiebreakers. Same for 7-9. Those regular season games mattered. Trust me.

If you watched this year’s games, you saw that guaranteed playoffs didn’t lessen the competitiveness of the regular season.

These kids got after it. Twice a week. And the playoffs were a blast having early round games.

StP and Gilman, two teams that wouldn’t have made the tourney underwent the old rules, both had excellent first round games. So much fun to watch. Same for Severn MSJ. Absolute battles. Very fun.

Tradition is great, until it is outdated. The league has grown and is no longer 6 teams. There are 11 now. The league should be about the kids playing. More, competitive, exciting, lacrosse games, in awesome environments, is ALWAYS a good thing. Think back to your hs days- Wouldn't you want to play more games? I know I would. I’d love if they expanded the playoffs regularly. The league is good enough and deep enough to do it.

The league could sustain it in a Covid year. Most of the MIAA teams only played a league schedule in 21. Add in non conference games, trips out of state, etc. in 22 and playing more games in the playoffs makes zero sense. McD, CH, BL, SM, LB, GIL and SP are the teams to beat virtually every year. Once in a blue moon Severn sneaks in. JC, MSJ and Spalding (with the exception of this year) are never in the mix. Stick with 6.

I think 6 was good when you were an 8-90 team league. but the league showed for the past few years that it can support great lacrosse 11-teams deep. The worst team in the league, is still a top 20 team and better than public state champ teams. https://www.laxnumbers.com/ratings.php?y=2021&v=3206

That "too many games" and out of conference boogeyman isn't true. This is the addition of 4 additional games -in MAY for the WHOLE CONFERENCE if you invite all 11. That is potentially ONE more game for those mid-seed teams. Hardly a burden on these kids or athletic programs.

The way things are moving and growing in the conference, I think a lot of these coaches would want at least 8 to avoid landing themselves on the hot seat. Every team that's not BL, McD, and BL should want at least 8. And those teams might want it too. As I said before, CH was one of the best in the conference and defending champs last year...who slipped to a 6 seed.

The two worst teams - MSJ and John Carroll are not beating Severna Park. Spalding loses to Severna Park on a regular basis. I get the Covid year accommodations - but everyone making the playoffs in 2022 is akin to participation trophies.

[MDlaxfan76]

Was at Gilman today with my son watching Harvard practice (scrimmages tomorrow at Homewood). Two Gilman boys on the team, Sam King (A) and Tommy Martinson (D). Sat with Alex Sotir (Tommy's granddad) and the Martinsons, Sam's mom and others. My son had coached Sam and Tommy way back when they were sops on the Gilman JV.

Sam looked like the premiere attack man on the team to my eye, scoring nearly every time he touched the rock, and did so every which way to Sunday. Looks thicker, stronger than in HS, still a great burst and willingness to take the hit.

Tommy looked good, but couldn't tell where he's stacking up at this point.

Following that practice, the Gilman lax boys and coaches were hosting 120 club kids for a clinic. Good crowd!

I don't know what time the clinic wrapped up, but hopefully before this rain now.

[MDlaxfan76]

Was at Gilman today with my son watching Harvard practice (scrimmages tomorrow at Homewood). Two Gilman boys on the team, Sam King (A) and Tommy Martinson (D). Sat with Alex Sotir (Tommy's granddad) and the Martinsons, Sam's mom and others. My son had coached Sam and Tommy way back when they were sops on the Gilman JV.

Sam looked like the premiere attack man on the team to my eye, scoring nearly every time he touched the rock, and did so every which way to Sunday. Looks thicker, stronger than in HS, still a great burst and willingness to take the hit.

Tommy looked good, but couldn't tell where he's stacking up at this point.

Following that practice, the Gilman lax boys and coaches were hosting 120 club kids for a clinic. Good crowd!

I don't know what time the clinic wrapped up, but hopefully before this rain now.

Following up on this, King put on quite the show this morning against High Point and Richmond...I had him with 7-8 goals in 3Q's of play vs HPU, and at least 5 in the first half against Richmond, plus several assists. Best player on field, all 3 teams, and not close. Did it from all angles, left and right, under, over, flips, dive, garbage, whatever. Opponents had no answer.

Martinson played a ton, started versus Richmond; I don't know whether he's top 3 or top 4 close D, but did well with the older players.

Both King and Martinson were 2020's from Gilman, so would be sophomores but are in first year of eligibility at Harvard.

I don't know whether there were any MIAA kids on the Richmond and High Point teams...sorry.

[gymman1031]

Got a little trivia, as well as a pattern, to bring up. That is, at least since 1988, three times have teams gone into the postseason undefeated but not ended up winning the title:

Loyola-1988
Gilman-2008
BL-2013

That said, the following seasons(1989, 2009, 2014), each team, respectively, DID win it all.

Now, in 2021, McDonogh went into the tournament undefeated. However, they lost in the semis to BL. That said, might they keep the pattern referred to above going in 2022 by taking care of unfinished business? That would make it four-consecutive times in which the above happened.