NCAC 2022

[FannOLax]

Probably a good change for the NCAC and I hope it also works out for Allegheny. A geographic outlier, did Allegheny have any rivalry with any other NCAC school? I also agree with Ned that this should help strength of schedule for those who use the gap to add a tough OOC opponent.

[Nosey Ned]

Denison schedule released already. Very interesting mix this year - at W&L (homecoming for Coach Koch) and at Stevenson (under the lights and pyrotechnics - always a good test). Followed by the Mustang Classic (absolutely great weekend for the team and Big Red followers alike) where they get Dickinson as usual and Lynchburg this year. Great games there. However, no longer scheduled - Roanoke! That annual match up had been running for many years.... I wonder which side chose to end it.

Other OOC slate includes a couple teams I am surprised to learn Denison has never faced before - Baldwin Wallace and John Carroll. Also playing Grove City - both JC and GC were NCAA teams last year. Rhodes remains on the slate and of course they will finally get a look at "in again out again" conference foe - Allegheny for the first time.

But most important - OWU is set for April 16th!!!

All in all looks similar to the type of schedule we have seen in recent years. I wonder how much of this slate was already set prior to Koch coming on board.

https://denisonbigred.com/sports/mens-lacrosse/schedule

[seacoaster]

Denison's new staff:

https://www.usalaxmagazine.com/college/ ... hing-ranks

[MrLax2U]

Great story, thank you. Big Red was always a contender for at least the final four under Coach Mike. Something tells me this will continue under the new coaches and maybe go all the way. For the last three years we've had first time NCs.

Just hope Ned and the faithful keep on the sports admin to make sure video feed is up to the increased traffic.

[Nosey Ned]

Denison announces 2021-2022 captains...
Sean Bailey - Berwyn, PA
Michael Bomes - Wellesley, MA
Cam Bowdy - Dublin, OH
Joey Rochte - Hingham City, MA

https://t.co/9sc7eoNGTH

This is a very solid leadership corps. All possess impeccable character and all have AA potential (most have already earned post season accolades). This group of seniors have made significant contributions to the Big Red success since their Freshman years, so they've seen what it takes collectively to be successful. Great choices.

No knock on last year's leadership but I think this group will make a collective difference on insuring this campaign ends better than last year's forgettable and disappointing early exit from the national tournament.

Go Big Red!

PS Mr Lax I’m constantly torn between giving the students ownership of the DSN or turning it over to more consistent and knowledgeable people. Last year’s game announcers did a great job of muddying the waters regarding the conference tie breakers. That said, I think the feed itself and especially the addition of instant replay make for a watchable production. Just MHO.

[Nosey Ned]

https://twitter.com/DenisonLacrosse/sta ... QFxGA&s=09

Congratulations to long time legendary Denison Men's Lacrosse coach, Mike Caravana on being named the USILA Howdy Myers Man of the Year!. He joins the likes of Dave Urick and Tony Seaman as award winners.

This award is ..... "Presented in honor of one of the sport's most outstanding coaches. Howdy Myers coached 17 championship teams at St. Paul's, Johns Hopkins, and Hofstra. Myer was elected to the Lacrosse Hall of Fame IN 1971. The nominee for this award should have contributed to the game of lacrosse in a capacity over and above the normal efforts and in so doing, has shown unselfish and untiring devotion to the game."

Congratulations Coach - well earned!

[MrLax2U]

Well earned, Coach. Hope you stay active in lacrosse at some level.

[FannOLax]

Yes, congratulations to Coach Caravana. Richly deserved.

[OldWU]

RIT's National Champs are coming to OWU's Selby Field on Saturday, March 19th

https://ritathletics.com/sports/mens-la ... edule/2022

[Nosey Ned]

RIT's National Champs are coming to OWU's Selby Field on Saturday, March 19th

https://ritathletics.com/sports/mens-la ... edule/2022

Not the first game of the season …. not sure who that favors. Let’s hope Bishops play like ‘16 and not ‘20. Also noticed they are facing each other Mustang Classic Weekend. RIT has been a regular participant there last 5 years at least and OWU lost their chance to play in the Mustang in 2020 due to Covid. Too bad they couldn’t have met in Baltimore, would have been good exposure for NCAC - would love to know how these scheduling twists are decided.

[OldWU]

OWU schedule so far, based on other teams posting....some great home games....Centre (beat Denison in NCAAs), RIT, Wittenberg, Denison and Kenyon. Also have FIVE games with teams in US Lacrosse Pre-season Top 20....#2 RIT, #14 Illinois Wesleyan, #16 Centre, #17 Denison, and #18 John Carroll...pretty smart scheduling by Coach Plantholt, if you ask me.

2/19 @ Illinois Wesleyan (Away)
2/26 Centre (Home)
3/5 North Central (Home)
3/10 @ Southern Virginia (Away)
3/12 @ John Carroll (Away)
3/19 RIT (Home)
3/26 DePauw (Home)
4/2 Wittenberg (Home)
4/9 @ Allegheny (Away)
4/12 @ Wooster (Away)
4/15 Denison (Home)
4/20 @ Hiram (Away)
4/23 @ Oberlin (Away)
4/26 @ Wabash (Away)
4/30 Kenyon (Home)

[Nosey Ned]

OWU schedule so far……..pretty smart scheduling by Coach Plantholt, if you ask me.

Hi Old
Do you care to elaborate on that statement? From an outsider’s vantage point this year’s schedule seems an easier slate then recent (non Covid) years. No Salisbury and no Cabrini. Are you saying easier is smarter? I’m asking because I know in the past, many on this thread debated whether scheduling games with perennial Top 5 teams as Plantholt typically did, was indeed the best way to set yourself up for conference play. Coach Caravana and Denison by contrast, seem instead to focus his OOC more towards the Top 10-15 range - and recent history would seem to indicate that was wise given the Big Reds success in the NCAC Championship game since it’s inception (winning 6 of 8 if memory serves me correctly).
Also any idea why the Bishops lost their spot in the Mustang Classic? They were scheduled to play York and F&M there in 2020 before the season was canceled. I’ve said here before that’s a shame as it would have been great exposure for the NCAC to have 2 teams representing the conference in that widely watched weekend.

I mean this as a wider question to be clear … not just poking an OWU guy. On other threads there is congratulations being handed out for “up and coming” teams scheduling games against the power teams. Yes, it is a way to measure yourself and increase exposure, but if you don’t measure up and get blown out, are you really advancing the program? Might be a case of “be careful what you wish for, you just may get it.” Haha

[OldWU]

Ned....the reality is that NCAA committee cares more about out-of-conference wins within your region in determining participation in the tournament, outside of the conference champion. Yes, this schedule lacks some of the more prestigious national power/eastern schools that OWU has usually played, but after two COVID-effected seasons, this slate reflects the reality of what will give the Bishops the best chance of getting back on the national stage in the tournament.

While I would love to see the Bishops in the Mustang Classic, this step is necessary. We all know the pre-season Top 20 was greatly affected by the NESCAC not playing last year, but the Bishops are playing five Top 20 teams on that list, including RIT, the defending national champs.

[WhiteCarrera]

Ned - you're confusing me, and it seems like you two might be on the same page. Playing some lesser (but still ranked) teams instead of two Top-5's, might be both smart and easier. You laud Caravana for focusing on OOC in the 10-15 rankings, but then seem to criticize Plantholt for four in the 14-18 range. Maybe OWU is following Caravana's lead a little bit, and surely you're not questioning whether that's a smart thing to do?

(I know the forum's been slow lately, and we're all a little rusty. Please accept the good natured jabbing.)

[Nosey Ned]

Ned - you're confusing me, and it seems like you two might be on the same page. Playing some lesser (but still ranked) teams instead of two Top-5's, might be both smart and easier. You laud Caravana for focusing on OOC in the 10-15 rankings, but then seem to criticize Plantholt for four in the 14-18 range. Maybe OWU is following Caravana's lead a little bit, and surely you're not questioning whether that's a smart thing to do?

(I know the forum's been slow lately, and we're all a little rusty. Please accept the good natured jabbing.)

Hey White … I think there is a lot of confusion. I wasn’t knocking Plantholt (certainly didn’t want to) I was simply asking Old if his comment meant he was of the opinion that playing a schedule more akin to Caravana’s, was smart. And then I tried to broaden the discussion to ask in general, is it good to schedule above your capabilities for the sole reason to gain exposure….. like many have implied on other threads when lauding “up and coming” programs for scheduling the likes of Salisbury.

The debate between Plantholt and Caravana’s scheduling is something that was debated here often in the pre Covid years so was attempting to gauge if OWU has indeed changed and if that what Old was saying is smart.

Also my comment about the Mustang is another attempt to get some insight on just how OOC schedules are set. How far in advance are they set, who travels etc. I’ve asked this often but haven’t really gotten any insight from an “insider “. Just curious about this part of coaching.

[FannOLax]

So far, OWU's schedule hasn't been released. Denison has released a schedule, and it looks good, pretty much in line with the later Caravana years (although the 2021 schedule was an anomaly dictated by NCAC restrictions). Might make sense to see OWU's schedule released before making judgments about it. Kenyon plays Franklin & Marshall (good!) and Centre (interesting), with the entire schedule clearly not as tough as Denison's. Wabash's schedule is entirely Midwestern, a notch or two below Kenyon's schedule. Wooster, eh, a couple of good OAC teams; Wittenberg: Centre, and some decent OAC programs. As usual, Hiram plays the weakest D3 teams it can find in Ohio and West Virginia. It will be nice to have Allegheny out of the conference to free up space for another OOC.

[OldWU]

The OWU schedule (based on other teams reporting) shown is probably the complete one -- they usually play 14-15 regular season games. Except for a mid-week game against a local OAC team that's nearby like Otterbein or Capital, I can't see this changing much. While few NCAC teams are stepping up their out-of-conference schedules, I am impressed with the following area schools --

Ohio Northern -- Centre, Salisbury, and Gettysburg'
Baldwin-Wallace -- Denison, W&L
Grove City -- Colorado College, Christopher Newport, Coast Guard, Rhodes, Messiah, Illinois Wesleyan, and Denison

[FannOLax]

Agree about Ohio Northern. As for OWU, I can't see how no longer playing long-time OOC opponent Salisbury is anything but a negative. After many consecutive years of Illinois Wesleyan travelling to Central Ohio to play OWU, the Bishops travel to Illinois to meet IWU. If that turns out to be Ohio Wesleyan's final schedule and thus includes no other top team from points east of Ohio, it would clearly be a weaker schedule than traditional for OWU ( who in recent years has faced not only RIT and Salisbury, but also Cabrini). John Carroll, IWU and Centre may have made somebody's pre-season ranking, but that somebody appears to have very shallow knowledge of D3 lacrosse.

[OldWU]

Fan -- That somebody with that "shallow understanding" is US Lacrosse and I agree with them that they can't rank a bunch of NESCAC schools that really haven't played in two years. John Carroll, IWU and Centre all won NCAA tournament games last year. Centre beat that traditional power, Denison, in a game that was no fluke. Centre lead the Big Red the entire game and was up 12-7 in the 4Q before Denison scored four in a row to make it close.

[ReturnOfTheWAC]

Fan -- That somebody with that "shallow understanding" is US Lacrosse and I agree with them that they can't rank a bunch of NESCAC schools that really haven't played in two years. John Carroll, IWU and Centre all won NCAA tournament games last year. Centre beat that traditional power, Denison, in a game that was no fluke. Centre lead the Big Red the entire game and was up 12-7 in the 4Q before Denison scored four in a row to make it close.

Im not sure we know enough about how you are rewarded for "Out of region" Wins vs "In Region Wins" I look at it more as OWU taking care of business in Region and essentially saying "we are not going to leave anything to speculation and are going to play teams finished ahead of us in last years Region 4 rankings". Beating the top Region 5 team from last year maybe gives them an argument(in my opinion a poor one) that they beat a top team. Maybe this is an unintended consequence of creating more regions(something I thought was a terrible idea).