3rd MDIA Div. B Poll (3/24/05). Thoughts, Predictions, etc.

[Andy Sharp]

Samurai and Dan, I am glad to see that someone else sees what I see. I looked at the schedule and taking nothing away from these teams, but St. Johns only ranked opponent was TX-Arlington, I respect St. Johns because they scheduled a trip to Texas to play some tough opponents. But Calvin doesn't have anyone ranked except IUPUI.

Hmmm, if only strength of schedule or travel budgets won championships.

I don't think Calvin has proven anything to rank them that high. And that's MY opinion.

I'll make sure to put in a good word for you when Sonny looks for voters next year, we need more voters with the rationale that if a team hasn't played, they suck.

I will however concede that the way we played tonight was not up to the level I forecasted earlier and my late vote reflected that. Thankfully there are votes every 2 weeks to make adjustments as games add data points to refine ones votes.

[Gregg Pathiakis]

In case you're wondering, a quick check of a weather map would tell you why teams in the midwest and NE haven't been playing (high of 37, low of 22 today), there is still snow on the ground here and there has been for the past 3 months. Surely the climate of a team should not cost them X notches lower in polls. The tournament will be played in one location, so it all gets equalized in the end.

Snowing pretty strong here in Boston right this moment. I could've sworn I heard something about spring having begun recently.

[DanGenck]

At the end of the day, I think St. John's and Calvin are pretty likely to get their conference automatic bids to nationals. For that reason, our poll positions do not matter much. How about we just sort everything out in Blaine?

[mcneito]

maple leaf, mcneito, and samarai, please add a real avatar to your profiles, I'd like to quit making assumptions, it's bad for my health.

That snow problem you talk of- yea, we reside in the Rockies, snow happens here as well. Western, CO has to plow its game field to practice and play. So, yes, I understand where you are coming from....sorry I haven't put a UVSC logo below my name to let you know that I cheer for them. Hope your health improves.

[Andy Sharp]

That snow problem you talk of- yea, we reside in the Rockies, snow happens here as well. Western, CO has to plow its game field to practice and play. So, yes, I understand where you are coming from....sorry I haven't put a UVSC logo below my name to let you know that I cheer for them. Hope your health improves.

One of the biggest misconceptions of the Rockies is that it's always cold and snowy. I've spent time there, even Vail boasts that they have 300 days of sun a year.

So, what are you waiting for, click profile, scoll down, click show gallery, scroll down and UVSC is on the far left.

Tell us, are you #1 (his name has the same first 5 letters), #12 (he seemed rather vocal), or ??? I saw #12 asking a father on the sideline if he was Andy, made me go hmmm. Didn't know what to think.

[MinesGoallie45]

All I have seen is people making excuses as to why they lost to UVSC, or what plays would have brought them back in the game against UVSC etc. Why can' t it just be- UVSC is good. They have beaten each ranked opponent they have played, all of them on the road. UVSC deserves to be up there in the top 3 no matter what excuse you come up with- they have a zero in the loss column. Andy, you want Calvin to be ranked in the top 5- play someone. Prove it. I know you have a good opinion and we all appreciate your insight and the effort you have put in to see all top div. B teams, but your opinion obviously favors YOUR squad. I don't think Calvin has proven anything to rank them that high. And that's MY opinion.

As a player who has played and gotten killed by UVSC even when they had 12 people I can just say, they are that good! I think that they should be number one...and am surprised that SD is still number one by so much....but we will find out who really deserves it when Minnisota comes around....that being that UVSC can get by Montana state...

On an unrelated note....my team recieved votes for the first time in 2 years....very happy about that

[champlaxer]

Calvin after last nights performance has work cut out for them to be top 5. There are many excuses that could be made for last nights game, but it all comes down to not getting the job done. Last year Calvin dropped the same game, then went on to beat CMU 18-5 (something like that) in the middle of the season. Calvin right now is not Top 5, but may be top 10. They need to get outside (desperately) and get comfortable again. Last night was not the same team as went 4-0 in the Great Northern Lacrosse Tourney at the beginning of Feb.

[Maple Leaf]

As a player who has played and gotten killed by UVSC even when they had 12 people I can just say, they are that good! I think that they should be number one...and am surprised that SD is still number one by so much

UVSC 16 - Ft. Lewis 9

USD 20 - Ft. Lewis 2

while 16 to 9 is certainly not a close game... if the score at one point was 11-9... that is a completely different scenario than 20-2. you said it best though.... non of this really matters until blaine. i will say though, having seen SD play, they are a very good team. They are skilled at every position, and are very well coached. It will be interesting to see how they fare in a few weeks when they take on #12A ranked UCSD. I think SD would be a top 25 ranked team if they were in the a division.. too bad they don't play more a division opponents so we could better asses my suspicion

andy... i have identified myself... the c logo is the claremont cougars logo.... taken from cincinnati ( i am a former player)

[mcneito]

UVSC 16 - Ft. Lewis 9

USD 20 - Ft. Lewis 2

while 16 to 9 is certainly not a close game... if the score at one point was 11-9... that is a completely different scenario than 20-2. you said it best though.... non of this really matters until blaine. i will say though, having seen SD play, they are a very good team. They are skilled at every position, and are very well coached. It will be interesting to see how they fare in a few weeks when they take on #12A ranked UCSD. I think SD would be a top 25 ranked team if they were in the a division.. too bad they don't play more a division opponents so we could better asses my suspicion

Good point. I firmly agree, SD should be #1. UVSC and them both played Ft. Lewis, and SD pummeled them. As you said none of this matters till Blaine, but it's fun to see the division B start to take shape.

[Andy Sharp]

andy... i have identified myself... the c logo is the claremont cougars logo.... taken from cincinnati ( i am a former player)

Thanks for the clarification, I just assumed Cincinatti and saw no connection with So Cal.

My health is getting better.

So, mcneito and lax samarai, are you going to come clean?

[ktrost58]

Let me first identify myself... I'm Kevin Trost, #12 from UVSC. I play defense, went to high school in Washington, and am getting married in June. I like spaghetti and college basketball, but my first love is lacrosse. I thought I made my "identity" clear the first time you asked and I was straight up with you, and even added a logo for your viewing pleasure. I do not hide behind a mystery name, and have never posted anything disrespectful towards you or your team.

There are some things that are confusing to me though. Seeing that you are the captain of the identity police, I’m surprised that at Ft. Lewis, when I tried to find you on the side line to introduce myself to you, you hid behind your camera "chuckling." Why did I want to meet you? First, I was impressed with your posts in the forum, second, I’m impressed with your team’s ranking and the way you played your first two games, and third, I wanted to see how the leagues you are familiar with matched up with the ones you have been scouting(including mine of course). Some things have changed this week. I am no longer impressed with your posts in the least, in fact, I find them offensive. I am also left questioning whether or not your team is deserving of a top 5 ranking after a 14 – 5 loss to an unranked D-I opponent. And last, I am left with a bad taste in my mouth of not only you, but of your entire program, which is unfortunate, I’m sure your boys play hard, are nice guys, and play lacrosse because they love the game.

I am not trying to make a cross country rivalry in D-II, or turn this forum into something it wasn’t intended for, but I was disrespected, I have spoken my mind, and look forward to focusing back on lacrosse. Good luck with your program.

#12, Trost, UVSC, Defense

[Andy Sharp]

I appreciate that you stand behind your words Kevin and was by no means calling you out this time; I just wish all had the same fortitude. Help me out here, is mcneito your alter id, I'm just trying to figure out why you jump into this conversation so upset.

I’m surprised that at Ft. Lewis, when I tried to find you on the side line to introduce myself to you, you hid behind your camera "chuckling."

To say I hid behind my camera is going a bit far, I was five feet from the field and a good 40 ft away from that other fella you spoke to, so I was nowhere near your line of sight and you walked right back on the field, not even looking my way. I dismissed it and by no means hid, I'm 6'2" and 240 lbs it's not easy for me to hide.

I would have been happy to share my thoughts as I have on this board. I've said UVSC is a good team and that your scores speak for themselves, I felt nothing else needed to be said.

Then all the CCLA attacking began from others. I felt someone needed to step up, especially when they based their argument on the lack of scores. If you know someone with better perspective when it comes to how the CCLA (biased or not) compares to other conferences, I'd love to hear their insights.

When asked by Claremont about the WCLL vs RMLC, I gave my opinion. Again, I've only seen one WCLL game, so I am trying not to jump to conclusions, but when asked who was better (an 18 goal defeat is hard to debate), I made my inkling known and even mcneito agreed.

I am also left questioning whether or not your team is deserving of a top 5 ranking after a 14 – 5 loss to an unranked D-I opponent.

Central Michigan is no slouch (they are a school of 28,000 students and finished last year #4 in the nation on LaxPower), but I agree we didn't play as I thought we were capable of and my #9 vote for Calvin reflected it.

And last, I am left with a bad taste in my mouth of not only you, but of your entire program

Surely you're jumping to conclusions too quickly, we are a nice team, with one player who ruffles some feathers, but please don't hold my words against the players of Calvin.

I was disrespected

I didn't get a sense of this soft side from your play. What is it that caused you to respond this way? Things get said on message boards and not always with the smoothest of words, but I in no way intended to discredit, degrade, or demote the UVSC program. You guys have got something going that is the envy of many a team, good luck with the rest of your season.

Shalom.

[ktrost58]

Andy- you ask why I “jump into this conversation so upset”... For a week now, I have been watching you and a few unidentifiable others going at it in the forums and I have been embarrassed for all of you. I felt disrespected because I tried to be cool to you in Ft. Lewis, welcome you out and I was excited to meet you. Then, in the forum, not only do you affiliate me with this immature bashing of teams across the nation and accuse me of having an “alter ID,” but you try to make me look stupid for trying to be cool to you at Ft. That is why I was upset (which I no longer am).

As for Mcneito, thanks for asking once again if this is my “alter ID”, but I thought I made it clear yesterday that it wasn’t. I honestly don’t know who Mcneito is, I was reading his posts before I ever logged onto the forum. I first thought he was a Ft. Lewis man, but in the past couple of weeks, its obvious he is somehow affiliated with UVSC. I don’t think it is a player from the team, but I could be wrong. #1 is a good kid, a great lacrosse player, and I don’t know why you would single us out from the crowd. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help in your quest to “identify” him.

As for your team, like I said before, I’m sure they are a great group of guys/team. I honestly hope we play your team at nationals, but you need to remember something. You are their coach, and you are representing Calvin’s lacrosse team to the whole nation on this board, so when asking us not to “hold your words against the Calvin team” its tough to do. I’m over all of this, but I can’t say Calvin is my favorite team in D-B right now.

Like I said before, good luck with your program.
Trost, #12 UVSC

[Dan Wishengrad]

Okay fellas I'm not the Moderator of the Forum, but I do play one on T.V. so...

I think we've gone far enough with this particular thread. Let's agree that Calvin and UVSC are both solid B programs and both will likely make the B Tourney in Blaine, where we can all see how they stack up against the other teams and, maybe, against each other.

[ktrost58]

Kyle and UPS- I want to say again how much of a pleasure it was playing your team. I agree that you have a great team and on another day, I don’t know if the score would have been 17 – 4, or even close to that. It was our 3rd game of a road trip, we were warm and we wanted to leave it all out on the field, and we played a solid game. I feel that your team deserves to be ranked in the top 10, and I also think you have given UVSC more than enough “props” in the forums. The northwest is a good league, all 3 teams gave us a good game, and the team I am most scared of that I haven’t seen is Western. For years they had an amazing squad, its good to see them finally in the polls. Good luck to you and the entire northwest, it will be interesting to see who comes out of your conference.
#12, Trost