NEC 2022

[Farfromgeneva]

I think you may be right although it's not stalking if you'd note I try to participate - there's some good reasonable folks like Bananas, NJLAx11, AOD who can carry a reasonable holistic conversation. And that's on me. (but its actually another one who was acting a fool dating back to the last couple of years on LP where he refused to participate in a conversation, was totally condescending and nuthugs conference affiliation as if it conferes some transitive property values the one who talks about little conferences and how awesome it all is as if he actually accomplished anything athletically on the collegiate level - those people wouldn't talk like that 98% of the time so you can sniff out the sniffers quick if you are reading the words and thougth process)

Either way, we have all of two NEC teams on the boards, so not much to do yet other than speculate on scrimmage results, lineups and the MSM and LIU games. Hobart, for example, has Canisius then within a week the most played rivalry in college lacrosse at Cornell after going to Lehigh so for my guys they need to hit the ground running, stay healthy and not blow their load early before conference play. This weekend will start the race in earnest for everyone.

But I had LIU pegged for a NEC spot and if LaCalandria's ability to lead the offense isn't the same as last year there's going to be more of a dogfight for a spot than I thought (had LIU then MSM/Mack fighting for a spot in my mind).

[bam1972]

If you look at how lacalandra has actually played the last two years, he is definitely the most talented offensive player on the team, But he also turns the ball over a ton. For me that is a big thing. Especially for a team like LIU that really needs to limit the offensive possessions of the other team to have a chance to win. He doesn't have any help around him either. 50 is a good crease player and I would put him there. He can't really do anything else. Then after that, there is not much. He needs mids that actually know how to run an offense, can dodge and either shoot on the run if open or create slides that gets the offense moving, the defense moving and will create alot more opportunities for Lacalandra to do his thing. From what I have seen from LIU's scrimmages and the first game, there are a bunch of kids that are just running around with no purpose and is obvious they have never played against D1 type of competition, because no disrespect to Rutgers, but they are just a decent team and Rutgers manhandled LIU's offensive players.

[Farfromgeneva]

If you look at how lacalandra has actually played the last two years, he is definitely the most talented offensive player on the team, But he also turns the ball over a ton. For me that is a big thing. Especially for a team like LIU that really needs to limit the offensive possessions of the other team to have a chance to win. He doesn't have any help around him either. 50 is a good crease player and I would put him there. He can't really do anything else. Then after that, there is not much. He needs mids that actually know how to run an offense, can dodge and either shoot on the run if open or create slides that gets the offense moving, the defense moving and will create alot more opportunities for Lacalandra to do his thing. From what I have seen from LIU's scrimmages and the first game, there are a bunch of kids that are just running around with no purpose and is obvious they have never played against D1 type of competition, because no disrespect to Rutgers, but they are just a decent team and Rutgers manhandled LIU's offensive players.

Reminds me of the top two offensive players in Providence (Grillo and the 5th yr who’s name escapes me). But possession of ball often leads to more TOs mathematically not to defend him. We’ve had similar with one dominant offensive player whos TOs numbers weren’t great. They get doubled, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt on slashes and cross checks on those players on the road and against high ranked programs where the refs assume it’s a clean CTO, etc.

Sounds like you have an issue with the coach. I don’t know him but he was pretty accomplished in D2. I would add there’s a huge difference w teams that have 5yrs (organically and transfers) from Covid. I expect our key couple of 5th yea, particularly Ryan Archer and Tommy Mott, to have notable seasons this year /

[bam1972]

Ya, maybe. I never really thought if it like that, but you are probably correct. I haven’t really seen the progress I would have hoped to have seen since they became d1. Are they improving or not? That’s my biggest indicator. To me they are regressing.

[Farfromgeneva]

All I can offer is to play the long game. Sometimes it takes a down year or two in order to build up stronger. Consider how older (I’m a product of the very early D1 era) Hobart fans feel. Unparalleled dynastic run in D3 and started out competitive with the top 15-20 every year (top 20 sos, stronger conference affiliations, respectfully) and now we’ve had to adjust to a whole different landscape. We even had our former AD panic in the late 2000s and try to give up a very unique status in this sport and go back to D3 - only to be pushed backed hard and fast by the alumni and other constituents as he tried to make an opaque move. Takes time.

[Farfromgeneva]

2-0 for conference today and perhaps SHU can win as well. Unfortunately Hobart-Gate was postponed and probably doesn’t get rescheduled.

[gymman1031]

LIU, even if not this year, is going to win the conference tournament soon. Talk about a program that seems to be improving by the minute!

[Farfromgeneva]

It would be crazy if they did before SJU. Bryant and Hobart only ones to win it (RoMo as well who’s now gone) since Bryant moved up a dozen or so years ago. They lack depth but have a few strong players. Will be tough later in the season.

[gymman1031]

It would be crazy if they did before SJU. Bryant and Hobart only ones to win it (RoMo as well who’s now gone) since Bryant moved up a dozen or so years ago. They lack depth but have a few strong players. Will be tough later in the season.

I think Mount St. Mary's may have won it several years ago. However, back then, the winner didn't get the AQ for the postseason.

[Farfromgeneva]

It would be crazy if they did before SJU. Bryant and Hobart only ones to win it (RoMo as well who’s now gone) since Bryant moved up a dozen or so years ago. They lack depth but have a few strong players. Will be tough later in the season.

I think Mount St. Mary's may have won it several years ago. However, back then, the winner didn't get the AQ for the postseason.

Not since 2011 when Bryant was still provisional and ineligible. Hobart joined in 2014.

https://northeastconference.org/sports/ ... =mlacrosse

[Laxgunea]

All I can offer is to play the long game. Sometimes it takes a down year or two in order to build up stronger. Consider how older (I’m a product of the very early D1 era) Hobart fans feel. Unparalleled dynastic run in D3 and started out competitive with the top 15-20 every year (top 20 sos, stronger conference affiliations, respectfully) and now we’ve had to adjust to a whole different landscape. We even had our former AD panic in the late 2000s and try to give up a very unique status in this sport and go back to D3 - only to be pushed backed hard and fast by the alumni and other constituents as he tried to make an opaque move. Takes time.

That was Gearan, the provost, and cerrain members of the BOT, not Hanna. No matter how you feel about Mike, he took the hit because he was the only one willing to face the players and give the news in person.

[Farfromgeneva]

All I can offer is to play the long game. Sometimes it takes a down year or two in order to build up stronger. Consider how older (I’m a product of the very early D1 era) Hobart fans feel. Unparalleled dynastic run in D3 and started out competitive with the top 15-20 every year (top 20 sos, stronger conference affiliations, respectfully) and now we’ve had to adjust to a whole different landscape. We even had our former AD panic in the late 2000s and try to give up a very unique status in this sport and go back to D3 - only to be pushed backed hard and fast by the alumni and other constituents as he tried to make an opaque move. Takes time.

That was Gearan, the provost, and cerrain members of the BOT, not Hanna. No matter how you feel about Mike, he took the hit because he was the only one willing to face the players and give the news in person.

Oh I’ve got many issues with Gearan and the BOT-don’t worry about that. Hanna is a super nice guy, no doubt, as is Molly who I went there with, I just felt he was in over his head. The failure to file for a home game in 2000 for the football playoffs in Rd 2, which I have intimate knowledge of was on him, the failure to file proper paperwork and manage the overall situation which led to NCAA sanctions. He was around when the move to D1 was made under Dick Hersh and the process which he did spearhead to try to move back was very different quietly and without the open forum.

I would gladly have a meal with the guy I and chop it up, I just don’t think he was the appropriate steward for the athletics department his last 10-15yrs as things got more complex. Whenever a business manager/exec tells you they are a “family business” that’s code for a lack of consistency, professionalism, asymmetric benefits and resource allocation, opacity and other issues and that’s how the school was run for a long time as the landscape around it got much more competitive and sophisticated.

That being said I have a number of issues with the management of the institution form the closer nature and lack fo stakeholders outside the immediate local community, failure to professionalize a lot of areas within the infrastructure and indifference to falling severely behind others in endowment and fundraising including the waste of real estate and money in the performing arts center. Throw in the collapse of the bubble and the fact that the boswell renovations were like 10% paid for when they were done and there’s a lot of work to do. I believe some newer board members will help, Craig Stine seems like a terrific one IMO. But there’s a lot of stuff to make up for from the past 2-2.5 decades. Can be indifferent to USNWR but it’s important to many and we’ve dropped like 20 places in 20yrs. Still love the place, just can’t give as much of my time and money these days and part of that is a sober look at all of this plus the professors role in the Vincent situation (I know he has some issues but reality is there was a lot of internal pushback to his professionalization of offices and attempting to reduce the oversized influence of a cohort of professors that led to running him off).

Of course that wasn’t my point to the comment which was in response to someone else who thought LIU would step up and do well quickly in D1.

[10stone5]

Wagner with their second straight win,
two in a row for the 1st time in forever.
This is definitely a good win for them.

[Laxbuck]

No layups in the NEC this year

[Farfromgeneva]

With the performance of the AE & CAA in general and against NEC comp I don’t see the champ being in a play in this year which is nice

[10stone5]

And Wagner looked like an actual real DI competent team in like
forever, good passing in lousy conditions, good size, team
was into the game.

[Longtime_Listener]

Did SHU pay a great game or did Hobart play down to opponent's level and find themselves on the wrong side of a game they should have won? Surprising result there (IMO).

[catchnshoot]

Hobart played poorly , looked like very little desire .
Maybe they were looking past SHU ?
Hobart shouldn’t look past anyone , they are not talented enough.
Credit to SHU they stayed in the game and battled hard.
Hobart offense was completely out of sync in second half .
Terrible shot selection , poor ball movement a number of their senior leaders looked like they were in it for themselves.
Including a sloppy , lazy , lobbed pass in OT , turnover that SHU capitalized on , game over ..

[oldbartman]

Hobart is looking at an 0-3 start to NEC play. Self entitlement doesn't cut it at D 1.

[Laxbuck]

Hobart is looking at an 0-3 start to NEC play. Self entitlement doesn't cut it at D 1.

Win the next 2 and you likely host the NEC tournament. Things can change rapidly.