NESCAC

[ah23]

Posters here accept honest takes.

100%. The only actual issue is when people come in here to troll (or to pretend to be serious, literally make up stats/info out of thin air to push a narrative, and then get offended when someone fact checks it). No one in here has an issue with different opinions; it would be a really boring place if everyone agreed all the time.

[ah23]

On a semi-related note, interesting weekend for Pool C given the takes over the past week or so.

[choochooCharlie]

Nice edit job, but like I said- the ORIGINAL POSTER (either reg, laxxal, or laxdad I believe) said Mid lacked variety in scheduling. I agreed and added that it lacked strength. That was before they had their abysmal start, so yes looking back, if anything they should’ve played a way weaker schedule. Congratulations (I guess )

I've been critical of Midd's coaching (results fall short of the talent) but defended the difficulty they face in scheduling due to location. Another disappointing season in Panther Land regardless.

Couldn’t agree more. Thank you.

[choochooCharlie]

Posters here accept honest takes.

100%. The only actual issue is when people come in here to troll (or to pretend to be serious, literally make up stats/info out of thin air to push a narrative, and then get offended when someone fact checks it). No one in here has an issue with different opinions; it would be a really boring place if everyone agreed all the time.

Weird. I thought you blocked me.

In any event, you’re absolutely correct (sarcasm) I was actually just about to say, I felt people here really welcomed my (correct) assertion that Middlebury was overrated before they played their first game.

Being called a troll, blocking me, yes, all classic hallmarks of a welcoming environment (more sarcasm). I mean, I was right, wasn’t I? So it wasn’t just a different opinion that you were convulsing over, it was the actual reality, you hadn’t seen because you were/are blinded by bias.

[ah23]

Weird. I thought you blocked me.

I did, but no one is irredeemable (in theory). Unblocked because when I clicked on a few comments you had cut the troll act and decided to actually talk lacrosse for once, which - believe it or not - is the goal of this site!

I would rather not use that feature at all and have everyone here just be normal. It really is that simple.

Being called a troll

If it looks, walks, quacks, etc. Weird that no one else has been called a troll for criticizing teams/coaches/etc.

blocking me

A passive action that has literally zero impact on you.

I mean, I was right, wasn’t I?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome_bias

So it wasn’t just a different opinion you were convulsing over, it was the actual reality, you hadn’t seen because you were blinded by bias.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Feel free to find a single comment where I talked up Middlebury as a title contender/a team in the top tier of D-III/whatever you’re getting at here.

Edit: just for fun - I’ve never seen Middlebury as one of those programs because they have never been consistently successful as long as I’ve paid attention. In general my expectations for them are lower than they are for Amherst and Wesleyan, and maybe even Williams as well. That is obviously recency bias, but…that’s my frame of reference. I get that they were D-III’s premier program in the early 2000s, but…that was a really long time ago and the D-III landscape (let alone the NESCAC) is completely different.

[choochooCharlie]

Weird. I thought you blocked me.

In any event, you’re absolutely correct (sarcasm) I was actually just about to say, I felt people here really welcomed my (correct) assertion that Middlebury was overrated before they played their first game.

Being called a troll, blocking me, yes, all classic hallmarks of a welcoming environment (more sarcasm). I mean, I was right, wasn’t I? So it wasn’t just a different opinion that you were convulsing over, it was the actual reality, you hadn’t seen because you were/are blinded by bias.

I did, but no one is irredeemable (in theory). Unblocked because when I clicked on a few comments you had cut the troll act and decided to actually talk lacrosse for once, which - believe it or not - is the goal of this site!

I would rather not use that feature at all and have everyone here just be normal. It really is that simple.

If it looks, walks, quacks, etc. Weird that no one else has been called a troll for criticizing teams/coaches/etc.

A passive action that has literally zero impact on you.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outcome_bias

That’s rich. I say they’re overrated. Others say they’re not. When one of us is proven correct, not by a single random result but over a sequence of corroborating results, it’s representative of an “outcome bias” if we ever look back on that? Absolutely ridiculous, but also absolutely in-line with our continuing interactions. Is it your position now that they WEREN'T over-rated at or about #5? Because that’s the only way that the definition of “outcome bias” you sought out applies.

Blocking people is passive. Sadly however, it also shows an ingrained inability to visually see words that bother you and not need to respond as if in some sort of compulsive manner.

Name calling has happened here before, as it has everywhere since the dawn of man. It also is low brow, and I’d like to think we’ve evolved from those earlier stages. Wishful thinking I suppose.

Middlebury was over-ranked this year. The Liberty League is the top conference in DIII lacrosse now, and for the foreseeable future. The fervor such statements create really is something to behold.

[ah23]

Is it your position now that they WEREN'T over-rated at or about #5?

They were ranked exactly where they should have been in the preseason polls, and I do think it’s revisionist to argue otherwise. They went 18-3, made the quarters, IIRC finished the season ranked in the top five, and returned basically every meaningful player on both sides of the ball. Whatever you think of them as program, where else could they reasonably have been ranked entering the season if not squarely in the top ten? Why would they have dropped?

For their overall level of play: I don’t think a small step back is surprising by itself. IIRC they went 5-0 in one-goal games in 2023, and that generally regresses to the mean (I think only Salisbury and RIT are more or less immune to that dynamic). What I do think is surprising is how steep the dropoff has been. When I say some regression was fair to expect, I mean going from 18-3 to 15-5 because they dropped a game or two they would have won last season. They’ve already had multiple losses like that and it isn’t even April; they basically need to win out just to get to where I thought they might ‘regress’ to. That is the surprising part.

Blocking people is passive. Sadly however, it also shows an ingrained inability to visually see words that bother you and not need to respond as if in some sort of compulsive manner.

My guy, your account is barely six months old and you’re almost 40% of the way to the amount I’ve posted in here in more than five years. A certified reply guy lecturing about compulsive posting ain't it.

The Liberty League is the top conference in DIII lacrosse now, and for the foreseeable future.

The first part is obviously true; the second part isn’t worth engaging with.

The fervor such statements create really is something to behold.

Can you find any examples of this, or is it just a strawman? I assume it’s B, but worth asking anyway.

[choochooCharlie]

Is it your position now that they WEREN'T over-rated at or about #5?

They were ranked exactly where they should have been in the preseason polls, and I do think it’s revisionist to argue otherwise. They went 18-3, made the quarters, IIRC finished the season ranked in the top five, and returned basically every meaningful player on both sides of the ball. Whatever you think of them as program, where else could they reasonably have been ranked entering the season if not squarely in the top ten? Why would they have dropped?

For their overall level of play: I don’t think a small step back is surprising by itself. IIRC they went 5-0 in one-goal games in 2023, and that generally regresses to the mean (I think only Salisbury and RIT are more or less immune to that dynamic). What I do think is surprising is how steep the dropoff has been. When I say some regression was fair to expect, I mean going from 18-3 to 15-5 because they dropped a game or two they would have won last season. They’ve already had multiple losses like that and it isn’t even April; they basically need to win out just to get to where I thought they might ‘regress’ to. That is the surprising part.

Blocking people is passive. Sadly however, it also shows an ingrained inability to visually see words that bother you and not need to respond as if in some sort of compulsive manner.

My guy, your account is barely six months old and you’re almost 40% of the way to the amount I’ve posted in here in more than five years. A certified reply guy lecturing about compulsive posting ain't it.

The Liberty League is the top conference in DIII lacrosse now, and for the foreseeable future.

The first part is obviously true; the second part isn’t worth engaging with.

The fervor such statements create really is something to behold.

Can you find any examples of this, or is it just a strawman? I assume it’s B, but worth asking anyway.

The only straw man argument here is you trying to attack the idea that anyone stood against me saying Middlebury was overrated. There is literally page upon page of me and a handful of others going back and forth, being told we’ve got personal problems with their Coach etc. You know all my posts you keep counting to in order to make an ad hominem argument? Those are in interactions based on my Middlebury evaluation, and very few people were receptive to the idea.

I can look at your posts too, and in doing so I can see a recurring theme of these arguments. So I know at this point it’s just about “winning” a debate for you. Go ahead and continue trying to gaslight and project fallacies, while creating your own in order to side track the entire discussion from what it was AND STILL IS. That Middlebury was overrated.

[SKUD]

Can you guys PM each other so the balance of the people here can talk about something called lacrosse?

[SaltCounty]

Can you guys PM each other so the balance of the people here can talk about something called lacrosse?

Agreed...
And very interesting weekend for Pool C.

I'd say the LL has already locked itself into 2 C bids (post AQ)
Union is 7-0... but their best win is a toss up between Babson / Endicott
They're gonna need to get Tufts, or be sure to beat a RIT, SLU or RPI to solidify their case and get the LL a 3rd C bid.

I'd say the NESCAC is locked in for 2 C bids, as well (post AQ)
Tufts and Amherst have the strongest cases ATM, if either need one.

You'd think the other is Bowdoin.
Who has a "need to win" on Tuesday v. Babson

It's going to come down to league play.
If we have another year where a #3 seed is 6-4 and a #9 seed is 4-6... it's going to be tough to make a case for a 3rd C bid.

[DeepPocket]

First team All-FanLax debate squad-

Attack-
choochoocharlie- leading board in valid points vs NESCAC.

Defense-
ah23- NESCAC’s top shutdown verbal defender. Slides quick

Midfield-
laxdad- Prototypical 2 way guy. Solid defense of Kean, with quick transition on offense to other conference boards.

Goalie-
Admin- ability to steal the debate when he steps up.

HM-
Too many to list (what do you think this is, Inside Lacrosse?)

There, now you’re all winners. YAY!!

[WoodStick]

Hamilton to 4-2 and Middlebury getting the win over Conn.

Thoughts on today:

Williams @ Trinity - If there is time for them to show some life... it's now. Off a 3rd straight win Trinity in an upset

Bates @ Wesleyan - Thinking Wesleyan gets back to scoring ways and wins by double digits

Tufts @ Stevens - Off a loss the Jumbos come out flying & win big in NJ

Amherst @ Bowdoin being moved will make for an interesting end of the year

Bowdoin will play Williams, Amherst, Wesleyan and Tufts in 11 days
Amherst will play Bates, Bowdoin, RPI, Tufts and Trinity in 11 days

Hamilton is tough to figure out this year - smoked by Amherst, then beat Lynchburg. Colby much better than I thought they'd be - Bernhardt doing a nice job with GVA's recruits.

Solid win for Midd over Conn after trailing 5-2 at the end of the first. Conn locked off Midd's quarterback (13) and it took some time to adjust. Forcing Midd's OC to make in-game adjustments is certainly a trend this season.

Agree re Trinity over Williams, but primarily because the Ephs seem to have cooled off significantly after their nice win over Babson to start the season.

Stevens coming off a big win over Wes, so primed for a let-down - I don't think they can handle the Tufts pace. Probably keep it close until middle of the second quarter.

Other than a "bright" spot in their close loss to Williams, Bates has not been as strong this year as I had hoped. I also see Wes running away with this one.

I was looking forward to Amherst/Bowdoin as well since it might have indicated whether Amherst's opening loss at Midd was a fluke.

Very tough day for the Bants, first they get rolled by Williams in a game that did not seem as close as 17-11 and then they lose the National Championship game in Hockey on their home ice.

[laxdad1434]

First team All-FanLax debate squad-

Attack-
choochoocharlie- leading board in valid points vs NESCAC.

Defense-
ah23- NESCAC’s top shutdown verbal defender. Slides quick

Midfield-
laxdad- Prototypical 2 way guy. Solid defense of Kean, with quick transition on offense to other conference boards.

Goalie-
Admin- ability to steal the debate when he steps up.

HM-
Too many to list (what do you think this is, Inside Lacrosse?)

There, now you’re all winners. YAY!!

[choochooCharlie]

First team All-FanLax debate squad-
HM-
Too many to list (what do you think this is, Inside Lacrosse?)

Now that’s funny.

[laxinaround23]

First team All-FanLax debate squad-

Attack-
choochoocharlie- leading board in valid points vs NESCAC.

Defense-
ah23- NESCAC’s top shutdown verbal defender. Slides quick

Midfield-
laxdad- Prototypical 2 way guy. Solid defense of Kean, with quick transition on offense to other conference boards.

Goalie-
Admin- ability to steal the debate when he steps up.

HM-
Too many to list (what do you think this is, Inside Lacrosse?)

There, now you’re all winners. YAY!!

Might be the post of the year....will wait for the voting process but this has got to be up there.

[BallHunt]

First team All-FanLax debate squad-

Attack-
choochoocharlie- leading board in valid points vs NESCAC.

Defense-
ah23- NESCAC’s top shutdown verbal defender. Slides quick

Midfield-
laxdad- Prototypical 2 way guy. Solid defense of Kean, with quick transition on offense to other conference boards.

Goalie-
Admin- ability to steal the debate when he steps up.

HM-
Too many to list (what do you think this is, Inside Lacrosse?)

There, now you’re all winners. YAY!!

This list is a joke, chipzoo and SouthiLax clearly getting snubbed...

[ah23]

Can you guys PM each other so the balance of the people here can talk about something called lacrosse?

If that’s actually an option I would prefer that…I don’t like taking up forum space for this stuff.

[ah23]

First team All-FanLax debate squad-

Attack-
choochoocharlie- leading board in valid points vs NESCAC.

Defense-
ah23- NESCAC’s top shutdown verbal defender. Slides quick

Midfield-
laxdad- Prototypical 2 way guy. Solid defense of Kean, with quick transition on offense to other conference boards.

Goalie-
Admin- ability to steal the debate when he steps up.

HM-
Too many to list (what do you think this is, Inside Lacrosse?)

There, now you’re all winners. YAY!!

Some would say I’m the Dave Pietramala of “well ackshually” stats. Others would say…uh…something else. Gotta respect both opinions!

[The12lov3]

The Liberty league gets my vote for best league this year in div3. Pool C is going to be very interesting. Right now, Middlebury is eliminated unless they win the league and i think Wes based on there ghetto OCC games will not make it either unless they win. I think Bowdoin, Tufts, and Amherst are the only teams at the moment who have a chance unless baring no major upsets over the next few weeks.

[callaxdad]

The Liberty league gets my vote for best league this year in div3. Pool C is going to be very interesting. Right now, Middlebury is eliminated unless they win the league and i think Wes based on there ghetto OCC games will not make it either unless they win. I think Bowdoin, Tufts, and Amherst are the only teams at the moment who have a chance unless baring no major upsets over the next few weeks.

At this point in the season after about a month I’d say you are spot on. LL is tough. Big test tonight at Bello Beach!! Bundle up, the weather look to be similar to 2 yrs ago (brrrrrr) we shall see if the outcome is the same.