Would BC have at least one national title with a different coach?

[wlaxnut]

I’ve been thinking about this and I just have to ask the question. I wonder if coaches like Cathy Reese or Jenny Levy, or even Cindy Timchal or Chris Sailer lose three straight championships with BC’s roster? Just speculation, but somehow I don’t think so. This isn’t a personal attack or a character assassination, just a sports question.

[Doid23]

I’m certainly not knowledgeable enough to opine on your question, but I don’t entirely understand separating the roster from the coach. She recruited this roster, and she steered the program, the one she is in charge of, to 3 National Championships.

[LarryGamLax]

I’ve been thinking about this and I just have to ask the question. I wonder if coaches like Cathy Reese or Jenny Levy, or even Cindy Timchal or Chris Sailer lose three straight championships with BC’s roster? Just speculation, but somehow I don’t think so. This isn’t a personal attack or a character assassination, just a sports question.

The answer to the question is easy...NO. BC did not have a strong enough defense(especially Goalie) to win the National Championship. BC is very good, but Maryland had Megan Taylor. CASE CLOSED!

[wlaxnut]

I’ve been thinking about this and I just have to ask the question. I wonder if coaches like Cathy Reese or Jenny Levy, or even Cindy Timchal or Chris Sailer lose three straight championships with BC’s roster? Just speculation, but somehow I don’t think so. This isn’t a personal attack or a character assassination, just a sports question.

The answer to the question is easy...NO. BC did not have a strong enough defense(especially Goalie) to win the National Championship. BC is very good, but Maryland had Megan Taylor. CASE CLOSED!

That's obviously not the case:

https://youtu.be/i45ClK_XozA

[wlaxnut]

I’m certainly not knowledgeable enough to opine on your question, but I don’t entirely understand separating the roster from the coach. She recruited this roster, and she steered the program, the one she is in charge of, to 3 National Championships.

I think a better coach would have had better results.

[Badlands]

Can you think of specific examples of bad coaching decisions from the last three national championship games? I can't, although admittedly I haven't re-watched the games.

[seacoaster]

Badlands beat me to it.

I just find it hard to "conclude" that, with Reese or some other Hall of Fame type coach, BC would have won a championship in the last three years. There are just too many variables and pieces of good and bad fortune that go into winning your last game. I thought Taylor played well, and BC shot poorly in the final (as an example, Rietano's shot, stick side, off hip...); I don't recall Walker-Weinstein doing something, making some adjustment, or not making an adjustment in game that seemed determinative of the outcome. I thought Maryland had better defense and played better between the 30s that day -- so Maryland won.

I think W-W is a very able coach, blessed with three particularly good players. I think Reese is one of the very best ever, maybe the best, blessed with great talent across every function and position on the field. I was rooting for BC, but the Terps were the better team.

[hsllax]

Impossible to know. Goalkeeping was always a weakness and a clear reason that they might not win.

She beat Timchal, Levy and Reese coached teams to get to those 3 championship games. Who else has been in the championship game for the last 3 consecutive years? No one. Simply getting to the championship game implies that you are an excellent coach. To do it 3 times in a row means you are elite. Maybe Arsenault and Apuzzo never become the stars they are playing for someone else. Who knows? I don't think BC has had the hands-down best roster for the last 3 years. Winning championships is fickle. It's also really, really mental. You want it so badly. WW might spend a long time second guessing certain choices. Was the pregame talk wrong? Should she have played Ngai in the championship game? You never know.

There is no heartbreak like losing 3 in a row. I know because I've been there. As someone else above said, you can't separate the coach from the players. WW recruited the talent, developed the talent, fostered the culture and took BC to 3 championship games. Maybe with someone else they don't get there at all. One day she'll win a championship, but 44-4 in the last 2 seasons is better than just about anyone.

[wlaxnut]

It's obvious coach Acacia views the 3 years in a row distinction with chagrin here. Listen to how she says it around :33

https://youtu.be/hq0lBQ3qpsc

This team underachieved--let's face it. They should have won at least one title with those players. There's no glory going to a title game and losing. Just ask Buffalo Bills fans how they feel about going to the Super Bowl four straight years with nothing to show for it except four disappointing losses. I don't blame Acacia. I love her as a coach. I loved this BC team. I went to many a game in Newton to watch them, including sitting in the rain amidst a few boorish Stony Brook fans when BC came through in overtime. This team had some great wins--Stony Brook quarterfinal '18; Maryland semifinal '18; UNC semifinal '19. In the end however--they couldn't win the big one. I can't say it's because Acacia did or didn't do something. I don't know if it was strategy. I just think a better coach could have come away with at least one title. Just my opinion. That's all it is--an opinion.

[LarryGamLax]

I’ve been thinking about this and I just have to ask the question. I wonder if coaches like Cathy Reese or Jenny Levy, or even Cindy Timchal or Chris Sailer lose three straight championships with BC’s roster? Just speculation, but somehow I don’t think so. This isn’t a personal attack or a character assassination, just a sports question.

The answer to the question is easy...NO. BC did not have a strong enough defense(especially Goalie) to win the National Championship. BC is very good, but Maryland had Megan Taylor. CASE CLOSED!

That's obviously not the case:

https://youtu.be/i45ClK_XozA

You're joking right? You went back to LAST YEAR 2018 to make your point? Seriously? Here's Megan's stat line from THIS YEAR'S FINAL :
Megan Taylor 60:00minutes 10 GA 10 Saves W....NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

wlaxnut...do you see my point? That's why the case was closed. Oh BTW, she was cruising along most of the season with a 60% Save Pct, but really fell off to a boring 55%...and still got it done. In 2019 she was THE BEST Goalie in D1 and that's why Maryland got it done and BC didn't.

To quote the great LaVar Ball, "Stay in your Lane"!

[LarryGamLax]

It's obvious coach Acacia views the 3 years in a row distinction with chagrin here. Listen to how she says it around :33

https://youtu.be/hq0lBQ3qpsc

This team underachieved--let's face it. They should have won at least one title with those players. There's no glory going to a title game and losing. Just ask Buffalo Bills fans how they feel about going to the Super Bowl four straight years with nothing to show for it except four disappointing losses. I don't blame Acacia. I love her as a coach. I loved this BC team. I went to many a game in Newton to watch them, including sitting in the rain amidst a few boorish Stony Brook fans when BC came through in overtime. This team had some great wins--Stony Brook quarterfinal '18; Maryland semifinal '18; UNC semifinal '19. In the end however--they couldn't win the big one. I can't say it's because Acacia did or didn't do something. I don't know if it was strategy. I just think a better coach could have come away with at least one title. Just my opinion. That's all it is--an opinion.

Your opinion...cool. Name the coach or coaches that you think would have gotten it done at BC, with the same personnel.

[wlaxnut]

I’ve been thinking about this and I just have to ask the question. I wonder if coaches like Cathy Reese or Jenny Levy, or even Cindy Timchal or Chris Sailer lose three straight championships with BC’s roster? Just speculation, but somehow I don’t think so. This isn’t a personal attack or a character assassination, just a sports question.

The answer to the question is easy...NO. BC did not have a strong enough defense(especially Goalie) to win the National Championship. BC is very good, but Maryland had Megan Taylor. CASE CLOSED!

That's obviously not the case:

https://youtu.be/i45ClK_XozA

You're joking right? You went back to LAST YEAR 2018 to make your point? Seriously? Here's Megan's stat line from THIS YEAR'S FINAL :
Megan Taylor 60:00minutes 10 GA 10 Saves W....NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player

wlaxnut...do you see my point? That's why the case was closed. Oh BTW, she was cruising along most of the season with a 60% Save Pct, but really fell off to a boring 55%...and still got it done. In 2019 she was THE BEST Goalie in D1 and that's why Maryland got it done and BC didn't.

To quote the great LaVar Ball, "Stay in your Lane"!

The question I posed covered a three year span. That's why it is legitimate to point to last year. Megan Taylor didn't stop BC in 2018.

And why must you be so insulting? Can't there be an exchange of ideas with you without condescension and taunting?

[wlaxnut]

It's obvious coach Acacia views the 3 years in a row distinction with chagrin here. Listen to how she says it around :33

https://youtu.be/hq0lBQ3qpsc

This team underachieved--let's face it. They should have won at least one title with those players. There's no glory going to a title game and losing. Just ask Buffalo Bills fans how they feel about going to the Super Bowl four straight years with nothing to show for it except four disappointing losses. I don't blame Acacia. I love her as a coach. I loved this BC team. I went to many a game in Newton to watch them, including sitting in the rain amidst a few boorish Stony Brook fans when BC came through in overtime. This team had some great wins--Stony Brook quarterfinal '18; Maryland semifinal '18; UNC semifinal '19. In the end however--they couldn't win the big one. I can't say it's because Acacia did or didn't do something. I don't know if it was strategy. I just think a better coach could have come away with at least one title. Just my opinion. That's all it is--an opinion.

Your opinion...cool. Name the coach or coaches that you think would have gotten it done at BC, with the same personnel.

See my initial post in this thread.

[wlaxnut]

One day she'll win a championship

https://youtu.be/9-3E6OLflIk

[Doid23]

It's obvious coach Acacia views the 3 years in a row distinction with chagrin here. Listen to how she says it around :33

https://youtu.be/hq0lBQ3qpsc

... I don't blame Acacia. I love her as a coach. I loved this BC team... I can't say it's because Acacia did or didn't do something. I don't know if it was strategy. I just think a better coach could have come away with at least one title. Just my opinion. That's all it is--an opinion.

Actually, that's exactly what you are doing in this thread, blaming her and saying if she was a better coach, BC would have won a title. Most on this thread disagree with that, including me, and while you are certainly entitled to your opinion, don't try to dance around what you think. You don't love her as a coach, and you do blame her. Own it.
Just my opinion.

[wlaxnut]

Actually, that's exactly what you are doing in this thread, blaming her and saying if she was a better coach, BC would have won a title. Most on this thread disagree with that, including me, and while you are certainly entitled to your opinion, don't try to dance around what you think. You don't love her as a coach, and you do blame her. Own it.
Just my opinion.

I don’t know what to tell you. What you wrote doesn’t represent what I feel about coach Acacia or the team. I feel like I’m posing a philosophical sports question, like if Bill Belichick was coach of the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs last year, would they have won? Just because I wonder if another coach could have done a better job doesn’t mean that I don’t love the current coach or that I blame her for the losses. Things in life are seldom black and white. There’s always a lot of gray area in which our thoughts and feelings dwell.

[b1207]

While BC had three excellent players who could score at any time, Maryland had six offensive threats who scored over 40 goals each for the season. The difference in goal-tending has been much noted. Add to that a defensive core that had excellent players, one of whom could well be a Tewaaraton finalist next year, and it is clear why MD led the game by four goals or so for a large chunk of time. CR is clearly an outstanding coach, but I don't think it was the difference in this game. MD just had a deeper team with more offensive threats and a better defense.

[wlaxnut]

While BC had three excellent players who could score at any time, Maryland had six offensive threats who scored over 40 goals each for the season. The difference in goal-tending has been much noted. Add to that a defensive core that had excellent players, one of whom could well be a Tewaaraton finalist next year, and it is clear why MD led the game by four goals or so for a large chunk of time. CR is clearly an outstanding coach, but I don't think it was the difference in this game. MD just had a deeper team with more offensive threats and a better defense.

Good points b. Did you see the final last year? If so, what was your take on the JMU win?

[Laxfan500]

I think Kent picked the wrong year to take a break. She plays lacrosse the 2018 year instead of taking a break I would bet they beat JMU in final. Instead they had to face a great Maryland team with a great goalie in the finals.

[wlaxnut]

I think Kent picked the wrong year to take a break. She plays lacrosse the 2018 year instead of taking a break I would bet they beat JMU in final. Instead they had to face a great Maryland team with a great goalie in the finals.

In hindsight, that may very well have been the case. Perhaps they would have taken the ACC tournament championship as well.