The New Empire 8

[7-E8-9]

New to the forum, E8 follower, should be a very interesting season with the new additions. Excited to see how everything pans out with the 2x defending SUNYAC champion Geneseo joining the league ,as well as a Brockport team with a new head coach + SUNY POLY with a soon to be named new head coach? I'll throw out some pre fall ball pre season predictions for the fun of it.

1) Fisher - still will be top dog, Dobbins seems to reload and repeat since he arrived on campus
2) Geneseo - putting respect on the two time defending champs name but will have some big shoes to fill on both sides of the ball
3) Naz - seemed like a step in the right direction last season? Looks like they get mostly everyone back outside of McKercher.
4) Alfed - I think 4-6 could shake out in a lot of different ways but I am giving Alfred the edge based on the last few seasons.
5) Hartwick - always well coached, roller coaster season last year with some really tough losses at the end. Lots of young guys playing last season.
6) Brockport - will be another rebuild / reorganize year it seems with another new coach and losing a 70 pt scorer but I think they make their way into the 6 spot.
7) Utica - kind of a wild card, some younger guys contributing last year, top of the bottom in my mind
8) Sage - had some guys who could play last year just lack of depth after the top 6-7 guys.
9) POLY - I do not know much about them at all besides the results from their games last year and that they are looking for a new HC.
10) Keuka - Sounds like they are bringing in a decent size recruiting class, need a few consistent years of that to try to get their feet back under them in conference play.

[shouldofbeenbetter]

I've been waiting for someone to start a Empire 8 thread, Tu.
I come on the new E8 thread as a SUNYAC loyalist and long time Brockport fan.
I know the addition of the Genny and Bport to the E8 will work out but honestly
I'm still unsure how i feel about them leaving the SUNYAC.
Adding Genny and Bport is a gain for the E8 and a loss for the SUNYAC.
Anyway, Genny should contend for a title with Fisher & Naz and Bport will be right in the middle.
Hopefully Bport will contend real soon.

[sguy9]

Solid write up, thanks for the read. I am curious, does Naz return to Naz of old or is it just how it is nowadays? Lots of heat thrown at WAC over the years as well as Hobart on the d1 thread, but don't hear much rumbling out of the Golden Flyers. Just curious really as I spend August going down memory lane.

[7-E8-9]

I don't know if Naz will ever be a back to back national champion again, division 3 lacrosse landscape has changed so much over the last 20 years, unless they find a way to pull the top end talent from Rochester and western NY (highly unlikely) they won't reach that point again. That being said, I still think they have the history and support from the school to become a contender again. Look at Fisher, they have been really solid for 5-6 seasons now, opened some eyes in the tournament last year. I think Naz can get back to a spot like they with a couple of great recruiting classes. Will be interesting to see how much longer Coach Randall has left, FIsher obviously made a big jump when Coach Johnson left, maybe a change at the helm is what will spark a turn around? Hard to say, looking forward to seeing how things play out regardless!

[richard]

The addition of Geneseo and Brockport will only help the other schools recruiting. E8 was really suffering with the losses of RIT ,Ithaca and Stevens. I cant see anything but good happening at Brockport with Fiorintino as coach. Geneseo is a really solid program and a top notch school. Fisher is a consistent top 15 team. Naz was much better last year than in the past 3-4 years. Alfred and Hartwick have been a little thin in the ranks but should be helped with the league improvement. The bottom three have potential and the school administrations have shown a willingness to support athletics. Notably Utica with their Ice Hockey and also bringing in the Box Lacrosse championships to the Nexus Center.
All in all things are finally looking up for the E8. About time.

[dp68]

It will take a few years, but Fiorentino will make Brockport relevant. Nothing would surprise me by year 4 once his recruits are leading the way forward. Brockport has been a sleeping giant forever. There's no reason they can't be a legit E8 power in the near future.

[dp68]

Adding Genny and Bport is a gain for the E8 and a loss for the SUNYAC.

Without question. Coming from a SUNYAC fan, I don't understand the reasoning behind pushing for Morrisville and Canton as conference members. Morrisville will slot in the bottom 2 of the conference, and Canton will be cannon fodder for the decent SUNY teams. Subtraction by addition. Losing Brockport and Geneseo stings.

[richard]

[quote=shouldofbeenbetter post_id=575212 time=<a href="tel:1723500736">1723500736</a> user_id=3169]
Adding Genny and Bport is a gain for the E8 and a loss for the SUNYAC.

Without question. Coming from a SUNYAC fan, I don't understand the reasoning behind pushing for Morrisville and Canton as conference members. Morrisville will slot in the bottom 2 of the conference, and Canton will be cannon fodder for the decent SUNY teams. Subtraction by addition. Losing Brockport and Geneseo stings.
[/quote]

SUNY has been such a question mark for so long. It is a great lineup of schools. Every now and then Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Potsdam and Oswego make a push but never consistently. I don’t get it. For an In state kid you have to look at them. They are a really good deal.

[dp68]

SUNY has been such a question mark for so long. It is a great lineup of schools. Every now and then Oneonta, Plattsburgh, Potsdam and Oswego make a push but never consistently. I don’t get it. For an In state kid you have to look at them. They are a really good deal.

I don't get it either. Even for out-of-state, SUNY tuition compares favorably.

[7-E8-9]

Does Cortland State follow suit and make the move to the E8? With the Elmira comeback looming, I don't know how the conference can support that many more teams but from a lacrosse front that would be quite the turnaround after losing RIT, Stevens, and Ithaca. I am not saying Geneseo, Cortland, and Brockport are the same caliber teams but it still would make the E8 conference look closer to 10 yrs ago.

[shouldofbeenbetter]

I don't how the Empire 8 looked 10 years ago, but adding Cortland would certainly be another BIGGG
addition. For SUNYAC fans you certainly don't want to lose Cortland. ( Don't start any rumors )
To all you Empire 8 fans, enjoy your football season, the E8 is the home conference of the 2023 National Champions.

[dp68]

Someone posted last year that Cortland was a big supporter of Morrisville and Canton joining SUNYAC. The poster knows their lax, so I doubt they were talking out of turn. That tells me Cortland has no intention to leave the SUNYAC.

Though a move to Empire would fit nicely with football, which Cortland has been a part of out of necessity (no SUNYAC football conference) since leaving the NJAC.

But I agree that the addition of Cortland would make the Empire 8 a lot more formidable. You'd have Cortland under Rodgers, Brockport with Fiorentino, Geneseo with Bezek, and of course Naz and Fisher are both strong programs, with Fisher coming off an amazing NCAA run. That would be a helluva conference.

[GoBears]

Cortland just got their automatic ticket to the tournament back with Genny leaving (until another program consistently contends), I’m not sure they’d want to lose that by switching to the E8 even though obviously at this point that would be a great conference if it did happen

[dp68]

Cortland just got their automatic ticket to the tournament back with Genny leaving (until another program consistently contends), I’m not sure they’d want to lose that by switching to the E8 even though obviously at this point that would be a great conference if it did happen

I hear you, but there is something to be said for competition pushing a program to a higher level. Not to mention that Potsdam is the defending champ, and Plattsburgh got a new coach. No telling how the latter will work out, but when Plattsburgh has quality coaching, they contend for titles.

SUNY is the easier ticket to the NCAA. No question about that. But I'm not sure what you learn by playing Canton. Hopefully Cortland keeps Fisher, Geneseo, Naz, and Brockport on their schedule. At least they'll play the E8 top-4, even if they compete for an auto-bid elsewhere.

[dp68]

Has anybody heard how Fisher fared with transfers and recruiting coming off their tournament run? Three of their four top scorers graduated, including Kemmis (unless there is some remaining eligibility I'm unaware of). Under Dobbins, they've reloaded every time talent moved on.

[7-E8-9]

I cant speak on the freshmen/transfers but word around the water cooler is Leuze, Salit, and Urlacher will be doing a COVID year. Should help offensively and defensively.