5/2/07 Div B Poll Thoughts

[FlyingDutchmen]

As i look around the different conferences most are done with their games and most of the tournaments wrapped up today. (besides CCLA)

1. SJU is the only 1 of two undefeated team with solid wins #11, #15, #25, #17 and two wins vs #3. Do not see them moving out of the #1
2. Westminster the win vs Utah stands out in everyones mind as well as the good battles with #6 UVSC. Probably one of the best coached teams in the Div B
3. UST- Do they drop after two losses? Not too sure, the only other gage was an early season defeat of Harding.
4. Dayton- I could see them moving up because they are undefeated but their only ranked test was aganist #17 Carnige mellon. Next weekends CCLA tourney will be fun to watch as they get tested.
5. Montana- Another close game with WWU. One of the strongest Div b schedules but do have some very close games and 2 div b losses
6. UVSC- Nohting really new, probably have to wait to decide what to do with them till after the RMLC tourney next weekend. They have lost all very tight games.
7. Harding- A good conference showing with only one blemish on the schedule when they were handly beat by St. Thomas 14-7 (2nd game of the season) Maybe an underdog team at the tourney
8. WWU- A suprise team this year with some very tough losses in close games but also suprising win vs UVSC
9 Fort Lewis- Good win vs UVSC but bad loss vs UNC.
10-25 is just a crap shoot.

Have fun voters!!!

[scooter]

i still think harding should be higher. They dominated their conference. But i don't think i need to get into this argument again

[btriley01]

Wow, we lost to st. thomas 14-7. Also, they were sporting a 45 player roster to our 18 that weekend. We were low on numbers and endurance. If you check the score of that game, we were tied until the end of the third quarter. They ran the score up in the last 5 minutes, scoring four goals. Hopefully, we can stand our ground a little better.

On a side note, I believe our 24-9 win against creigton and 14-4 win against augustana this weekend for the GRLC crown should be a reason for us to either hold our point in the poll or even maybe move up.

[FlyingDutchmen]

Wow, we lost to st. thomas 14-7.

My bad on the score, i mixed that up.

Also, they were sporting a 45 player roster to our 18 that weekend. We were low on numbers and endurance. If you check the score of that game, we were tied until the end of the third quarter. They ran the score up in the last 5 minutes, scoring four goals. Hopefully, we can stand our ground a little better.

That is a glaring issue that you pointed out with your team. On your mcla.us roster you only have 21 people listed. That is a pretty short bench considering in texas you have to play 4 games in 5 days.

[scooter]

i saw harding play earlier today, and they look extremely well conditioned....i cannot imagine how hot that field was, and they didnt get gassed at all.....if they had any kinks in the system in the beginning of the season, they seem to be long gone by now

[OAKS]

No love for Emory huh? I really wish the SELC-B would play more OOC competition, 'cause there are some really solid teams in that conference as evidence from last year's MCLA's (hoping I won't eat my words this year).

[Kyle Berggren]

8. WWU- A suprise team this year with some very tough losses in close games but also suprising win vs UVSC

I hope the Montana guys will chime in here, but WWU was not a surprise to many of us. They're improved, have an incredible sophomore keeper, & plenty of fire power on offense. Having seen the teams in Dallas from 2006, they would have have faired very well. The only knock on their program is losing to top 5-6 teams by a few goals.

Both teams seemed to be holding back until today, we'll see if they can make the same showing in Dallas. I thought WWU would have easily been the number 4 team in Dallas last season & hopefully they'll get a shot this year. they each showed a ton of heart & I was impressed as both were stepping off the field. I'm pretty critical of teams, but both played a great defensive battle today. Congrats to both WWU & Montana on great seasons.

[Kyle Berggren]

No love for Emory huh? I really wish the SELC-B would play more OOC competition, 'cause there are some really solid teams in that conference as evidence from last year's MCLA's (hoping I won't eat my words this year).

If last year stand for anything, you shouldn't... Eckerd should have showed us all that teams from the SELC aren't non-existent. They made a final 4 appearance, & lost a close game to SJU. Emory appears to be the real deal, they get my benefit of the doubt. They may or may not be number 1 (please schedule the top 5 teams in '08), but they're probably capable of playing very well in Dallas.

[Pinball]

kind of off topic but Emory, Eckerd or some Div b school should set up a Jamboree similar to what UC- Irvine (bunch of top div B teams together in one place) had done the past coulple of years. Most of us cold weather teams are looking for quality competition in fun warm weather places. Florida sounds a lot better then central minnesota in the winter!!

/resume talk

[Kyle Berggren]

If SJU just volunteered to head to the SELC I will start the clap for all voters. Maybe next year the SELC could even hop a plane to join SJU somwhere?!?!

[Pinball]

for the past 3 years SJU has hopped on a plane (texas, cali, cali) to play top "warm weather" competition, and plan on doing it again next year!!

[btriley01]

That is a glaring issue that you pointed out with your team. On your mcla.us roster you only have 21 people listed. That is a pretty short bench considering in texas you have to play 4 games in 5 days.

The good thing for us is that our now 20 players are well rounded and well trained to take 4 games in 5 days. I think we'll be alright.

[Beta]

kind of off topic but Emory, Eckerd or some Div b school should set up a Jamboree similar to what UC- Irvine (bunch of top div B teams together in one place) had done the past coulple of years. Most of us cold weather teams are looking for quality competition in fun warm weather places. Florida sounds a lot better then central minnesota in the winter!!

We're already in talks for planning something like that out for next year.

[Gvlax]

i do believe this weekend will be a first true test for dayton

[bjlaxman16]

i saw harding play earlier today, and they look extremely well conditioned....i cannot imagine how hot that field was, and they didnt get gassed at all.....if they had any kinks in the system in the beginning of the season, they seem to be long gone by now

I think that conditioning is going to play a HUGE role in the tourney for some teams.

Last year, we (SJU) did not do as much conditioning as we should've. And playing 4 games in 5 days in the Texas heat, 3 of them being against well conditioned southern teams (Harding, Eckerd, San Diego), put us at a bit of a disadvantage. I guess we learned that lesson the hard way!