Seacoaster(1) wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 1:01 pm
laxlaxlax wrote: ↑Wed Sep 20, 2023 12:43 pm
watcherinthewoods wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2023 8:19 pm
8meterRip wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2023 8:07 pm
NULax2 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2023 7:47 pm
8meterRip wrote: ↑Tue Sep 19, 2023 7:38 pm
Dad of a 2025 recruit, new to the forum. This is the only place I've found with deep knowledge of D1 WLAX.
Appreciate everyone sharing their inside laxer perspective, it's been very helpful!
Current thoughts and future outlook on the Ivies, specifically Yale - Brown - Dartmouth?
Three young up-and-coming coaches. Can’t really go wrong with any of them. Best of luck.
Agreed and thanks so much NULax! That's what is making the tea leaves so hard to read! On paper they are all trending in the
right direction but thats why I'm asking the group, just trying to peel the onion back a few layers and see if anything noteworthy turns up.
Not sure I would describe Yale coach as “young and up and coming”. She did fight through some significant culture issues and has some momentum now. Dowd has a great track record as an assistant, but unproven as a HC (I am ignoring Oregon) and will have to adjust to the ivies. Alex frank is “young and up and coming”.
The three schools could not be more different in culture and atmosphere. Good luck to your daughter in finding the right fit
Agreed. Brown could become something great but right now it’s tough, who knows if Dowd will stick around there for the long term. The ivies are very different than any conference she has coached in before.
Yale had a good year last year but didn’t end up really achieving much after all the hype. The last time they were Ivy champions was over 20 years ago. New Haven can be a little sketchy too. Plus side is nice new facilities but a drive away from campus if I remember correctly.
Dartmouth had the most success in recent years and I would guess will be back up there again soon. They would be my pick if I had one, but as others have said culture and atmosphere very different in all three. Good Luck!
I will add here that the Dartmouth alumni network is really second to none. I work with about a dozen or more Dartmouth alums, and the fervor of these folks for their school is developed right away and continues throughout their careers and in their family lives. Of the three head coaches, moreover, I think Alex is maybe the best — no disrespect for the others.
My thoughts so far :
I agree completely. We see merit in all 3 schools and have made visits to each campus/coaches.
A ridiculous amount of effort has been made thus far to help gain clarity but I'm still looking for a little more input.
From a LAX prospective:
Yale #30 seemed to have some issues with the 6 seniors leaving a few years back but they are serious about winning and its definitely trending in the right direction in terms of wins and contending for IVY title. Yale has the nicest facilities of the 3 but its 10 mins away going through New Haven. All 3 coaches have been there 6+ years and are committed to the process. Yale name carries the most weight post undergrad.
Brown #46 has a great new fieldhouse located right on campus. Seem to be middle of the pack in recent years but new AD is committed to making lacrosse better. Bringing in Dowd is impressive and she definitely is one the brightest minds in the game and wins everywhere she goes. Gait is new and I'm sure will add value to the program and Scotton is the former UNC defensive coach.They just started in June 23' so this recruiting class might not be the best but they are the most exciting group in terms of ceiling/impact.
Dartmouth #63 seems to be slowly turning the ship around. Facilities are average but on campus, concerned someone said they had 5 girls with ACLs recently, turf might be an issue. Coaches are committed as well, Frank has a vision and based of their current 25 commits it is resonating with the recruits. They already have 1-5* and 3-4* recruits onboard. Super Impressive. They are on the ball from a recruiting prospective.
All 3 want to win and it could be a dog fight in 2-3 years for the Ivy Title.
Am I missing anything? Trying to connect as many dots as possible beforehand so we are ready if/when the moment arrives.
ANY and ALL FEEDBACK is appreciated!!!