NCAC 2024

[D3LaxFan2]

John Carroll doesn't join until 2026. Hiram is in the league for one more year.

[d3maxlax]

Lets leave the bottom of the barrel, NESCAC groupies out of it.. time to get back to business.

Anyone want to take a stab at "way to early" NCAC expectations this coming season? Kenyon obviously on the rise, is OWU declining (although they have a talented young team), Denison is likely the favorite (despite all the troubles mentioned all too much above) and the addition of JC is great for the conference to have a quality new team in the mix

Way too early (I may want to update in January):
1. Denison
2. Ohio Wesleyan
3. Kenyon
4. John Carroll
5. Wooster
6. Oberlin
7. Depauw
8. Wabash
9. Wittenberg

I could easily see Wooster/Oberlin swap with John Carroll. Given the incoming class at Depauw, I could also see them sneak into the top 5, but not the top 4.

I hope you have some inside info about this incoming class because Laxnumbers shows only eight newcomers....also Wittenberg beat Wabash by 15 goals last year and DePauw by four goals. I don't see them dropping to last place. I would keep them at 7th. No way DePauw is sneaking up to #5.

https://www.laxnumbers.com/team_info.ph ... =30165&s=2

First, this is my way too early projection. I will want to revisit this once we see who is on the roster in 2024-2025.

Second, on Wabash not being last, again: The Little Giants 2024 roster consisted of 27 players. Almost half (13) were first years. That is an incredibly young team. If all or most return, I expect them to be much bigger and faster and way more in-tune to the offensive and defensive schemes. The 2023 class was also the first real recruiting class for Burke. You are right that Wabash lost to Wittenberg by 15 last year, but that was the third game in a row in a 7-day stretch, the last two being away games. Conversely, Wittenberg was well rested because they faced Hiram at home the Saturday before their Tuesday home match against Wabash. Overall, I see the Little Giants being more competitive. Will it be enough? I don't know. But my gut says yes.

Third, Wittenberg only lists 6 recruits on lax numbers. And although I see them as likely being improved, I believe Wabash and Depauw will improve more.

Fourth, Depauw is still recovering from President White's decision in 2020-21 to only return first and second years in the fall and third and fourth years in the spring. This negatively affected the 2023 and 2024 college grad classes directly, and to some extent the 2025 grad class. If you look at their 2024 roster, many of players on offense were defensive players in high school. And yet they only lost by 2 against Oberlin. Therefore, I expect the incoming 2028 class (2024 HS class) of attackers and middies (such as Sharma (https://imlca.sportsrecruits.com/athlete/alex_sharma) to allow these older players to shift back to their natural defensive positions. I worry about their FOGO situation, however.

Btw: Lax numbers list 15(!) 2028 (2024 HS class) recruits heading to Oberlin. That is way more than the 6-7 I count as seniors on their 2024 roster. (https://www.laxnumbers.com/team_info.ph ... =30464&s=2).

[d3maxlax]

John Carroll doesn't join until 2026. Hiram is in the league for one more year.

Oops. Thanks for the correction.

[Quill]

It looks like the job posting for OC is down, any guesses?

Coach C can also claim Torpey as part of his coaching tree. One and done, he was part of a Big Red quarterfinal run, while playing in the nll. Can BR pull, and develop, a recent grad in the professional ranks with that level of talent and potential this go around? Can’t wait to see!

[TopperLax82]

It looks like the job posting for OC is down, any guesses?

Coach C can also claim Torpey as part of his coaching tree. One and done, he was part of a Big Red quarterfinal run, while playing in the nll. Can BR pull, and develop, a recent grad in the professional ranks with that level of talent and potential this go around? Can’t wait to see!

My SWAG...Landon Trout, although I think I would've know by now, but I'm sticking with it.

[twohandsonestick]

It looks like the job posting for OC is down, any guesses?

Coach C can also claim Torpey as part of his coaching tree. One and done, he was part of a Big Red quarterfinal run, while playing in the nll. Can BR pull, and develop, a recent grad in the professional ranks with that level of talent and potential this go around? Can’t wait to see!

My SWAG...Landon Trout, although I think I would've know by now, but I'm sticking with it.

I wouldn't hate that. Not a ton of experience but likely a young, hungry coach looking to make a name for himself and has buy in to Ohio as a Columbus local

[Prepschoolkid]

With the official statement from Granville of who will be joining Koch on the sidelines this year I thought I would pull a video of what it will look like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XN5mhdWoM0

Go owls

[DaLaxGuy]

With the official statement from Granville of who will be joining Koch on the sidelines this year I thought I would pull a video of what it will look like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XN5mhdWoM0

Go owls

Lets not act like Kenyons new hire, O'Brien, is some crazy good coach. Dude came from a school called Carthage.

[MarionBarry]

Prepschoolkid thinks denison will poach d1 guys to come coach in granville. You sound like a scorned alum who liked caravana but has a bone to pick with koch

[Prepschoolkid]

@MarionBarry - I will admit I was and still am a huge caravana fan, while I did not go to Denison I grew up attending The Lacrosse Academy and he introduced me to the game of lacrosse.

Lets take a look back at the OWU/Denison stretch where they had some serious talent on the sidelines from Division one schools as well as elite D2 and D3 programs.

Lets look at OWU first... Trey Keeley (played at Roanoke during their power house era), Keith Long (VMI and played pro for the Rochvegas Rattlers), Ryan Sullivan (won a national championship at Mercyhurst), Scott Singer (Hartford... I know I know but still D1), Rodney Tapp (Towson University and a long pro lacrosse career), Kevin McDonough (UMBC 3 year starter).

Article below about Denison and it does not include great coaches like Grant Zimmerman (4 year starter and two time all american at UNC... ever heard of it), Mike Faby (played at Johns Hopkins... ever heard of it), Max Wagner (Le Moyne national champion)

https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/ ... e_vignette

[MarionBarry]

It helps when there is a pro team in town to use as a coaching feeder program, these guys didn't drop everything to coach in ohio. But there is good coaching everywhere and playing at a big time d1 program doesn't make you a great coach

[Prepschoolkid]

You are 100% right and I didnt even put two and two together that during this era the Machine were playing in Ohio and if I remember correctly they were playing at OWU for a couple of years.

I also agree just because you played at a high end school for lacrosse does not mean you are going to be a great coach. Good point good points.

[WhiteCarrera]

Wow - civility. I almost forgot what that was like.

[twohandsonestick]

Prepschoolkid thinks denison will poach d1 guys to come coach in granville. You sound like a scorned alum who liked caravana but has a bone to pick with koch

What're your thoughts on the new hires? Seems like you have an opinion

[oldtimelax]

OWU announced this week that Dr. Jay Martin will be retiring from coaching following the fall soccer season. With a total of 762 wins, Martin is the winningest coach in NCAA men's soccer history. Heading into the 2024 season, he has guided his 46 Battling Bishop soccer teams to a 762-164-81 record. His career winning percentage of .797 entering the 2024 season ranks 14th all-time in the NCAA and fifth in NCAA Division III.

In addition to his 47 years at the helm of OWU soccer, Dr. Martin was also the highly successful head coach of the Bishops lacrosse team for eight seasons from 1978 through 1985, where his teams won 104 games, lost 34, for a .754 win percentage. Six of his teams competed in the NCAA Div. III Lacrosse Championships, and the 1983 team reached the national semi-finals. Dr. Martin was selected for the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2021.

Martin might also be the only coach in lacrosse history who was undefeated vs. legendary coach Bill Tierney -- regarded by many as the greatest college lacrosse coach ever. Tierney's first head coaching job in college was at RIT from '82-84, and in '83, OWU played RIT twice, a 16-14 win in the regular season, and a 9-6 victory in the NCAA playoffs!

https://battlingbishops.com/news/2024/8 ... qFalye_SMA

[MarionBarry]

Prepschoolkid thinks denison will poach d1 guys to come coach in granville. You sound like a scorned alum who liked caravana but has a bone to pick with koch

What're your thoughts on the new hires? Seems like you have an opinion

After doing some brief research, I like the hires. Koch is a defensive guy so he can help toivonen learn a new system. Malinkowski comes from randoplh macon where they had their best season in program history. Had to be doing something right. Two younger coaches with something to prove hopefully.i like the reset button koch hit with a new staff