Interesting take, I think Babson is the clear favorite here but with that said they have always been the underdog and now find themselves as the favorite against a hungry Denison team. Coach Eric Koch and the big red need a win against a ranked opponent or else this could be the first season in decades that the big red have gone without a ranked win.... they will need to come out flying for them to have a chance at stealing this one. Hearing rumors that Clyde Bresnahan might be healthy for this game which will give Denison some life from the midfield. With that being said Babson has some very impressive wins this season and has a deep bench that will make Denisons life difficult all game long. Babson will need to squash any life Denison has in the first quarter.twohandsonestick wrote: ↑Thu May 09, 2024 10:55 am Touching on the Friday games since they're on the slate tomorrow. RIT wins their game effortlessly easily, covering a 15-20 goal spread in my opinion. They’ve been mostly dominant all year and are proven perennial contenders and Hope is no where close to playing at the same level.
The Denison vs. Babson game is an interesting one – Babson is filled with experienced players thanks to a senior laden class as well as a handful of grad students (clear advantage over teams that don’t offer the ability of a 5th year). The Beavers are putting together what’s been likely their best season in recent memory and are definitely deserving of a top 10-15 ranking. Denison has been a national powerhouse for 10+ years thanks to the consistent quality of play seen during those Caravana years. With a new coach at the helm, the program has seen 2 “down” years, and while still making NCAA postseason runs, doesn’t quite seem to be at the level it was a 3-4 years ago. No doubt it takes a few years for coaches to get their mark on a program as their own recruiting classes come to fruition and I expect Denison to continue to compete for national championships for years to come. This is what makes the 3pm game so interesting – Babson, the unproven new team on the block versus a well-regarded Denison program. I wouldn’t be surprised if Denison keeps it close despite their poor OOC performance this season. To me this is a battle tested team so I am taking Denison 14-11. Thoughts on Friday’s games?
Really excited to watch St. Lawrence during this postseason. They have been dominant this year and have a couple of players who will be doing fifth and sixth years and some pretty big time Division one programs next year. I think when they meet Tufts in the elite 8 they are going to stomp on them. Tufts coach is more worried about his game day kicks and what he looks like on social media than actually bringing them to a national championship... apparent in their loss in the NESCAC tournament to Hamilton. Thoughts?