Best rivalries in Uslia

[LaxRef]

I am sure everyone knows about many of the older rivalries in other sports, but I think one that has filtered its way on to the lacrosse field is the St. Olaf/Carleton rivalry..

Does Carleton still have a team?

[Pinball]

I am sure everyone knows about many of the older rivalries in other sports, but I think one that has filtered its way on to the lacrosse field is the St. Olaf/Carleton rivalry..

Does Carleton still have a team?

Carelton does have a team (UMLL div B). I think the St. Olaf- Carelton rivalry isnt even close to the other ones mentioned. I think the best in Minnesota is either UMD vs U of MN or St. Johns vs St. Thomas. The St. Olaf-Carelton one isnt really known or cared about outside of their tiny little town.

[pogostick]

Is what surprises me is that SB has one the title two years now and they do not have a rival. Perhaps it is hard not being rom a major NCAA sports conference but with the teams in the league these days you would think that the Gauchos would have some sort of rivalry with another team either in the WCLL or perhpaps the RMCL

[Npaulseth]

A smaller one would be UWEC vs Bethel.

Although I am friends with one player on their team, our games get very chippy and for some reason they like to hit people in the knees with thier sticks.

There is zero love lost between us and them.

[CATLAX MAN]

Is what surprises me is that SB has one the title two years now and they do not have a rival. Perhaps it is hard not being rom a major NCAA sports conference but with the teams in the league these days you would think that the Gauchos would have some sort of rivalry with another team either in the WCLL or perhpaps the RMCL

Uhhh, hello, have you ever heard of Sonoma State?

[EB]

I know the San Diego vs. San Diego State rivarly used to be really good. The games were always extremely rough and often very close scores (at least when I was playing in the early 90's). There were even a couple games stopped before it was over (by Bob Duggan of course!) because play got too out of hand.

I remember playing in the old Aztec Bowl, when Norm Webb was coaching (and Marshall Faulk playing lax), and getting hit in the back of the head with beer caps and crushed cans. State took heckling to another level back then. They were a great Div. A team that was usually in the WCLL playoffs vs. Cal and UCSB pretty much every year. It's really died down since way back then, especially with State's decline in recent years.

Good times...

We also have some pretty good basketball games each year.

[lil lady lax fan]

The USD-Claremont games have been rather fierce for the past couple of years. I think they're already gearing up for next year!!!

[TexOle]

I think every team has something with Bethel. I remember years ago we used to get really pumped about beating them bad on the scoreboard and physically. Maybe Gamradt can expand on this thought. I know he has some great quotes.

[LaxRef]

I remember playing in the old Aztec Bowl, when Norm Webb was coaching (and Marshall Faulk playing lax)

Marshall Faulk played lax?!?! I had no idea!

I would imagine that he'd be mucho devastating if he put his mind to it. I think we'll see him coaching in the NFL within 10 years.

[Mavlax25]

if you are looking for a good Division B game to watch, Dordt Vs. University of South Dakota is always a very physical game. Both teams started at the same time and have had physical good games since then.

[EB]

I remember playing in the old Aztec Bowl, when Norm Webb was coaching (and Marshall Faulk playing lax)

Marshall Faulk played lax?!?! I had no idea!

I would imagine that he'd be mucho devastating if he put his mind to it. I think we'll see him coaching in the NFL within 10 years.

Apparently, he had heard about Jim Brown and his little known (outside the lax world) lacrosse career at Syracuse, and wanted to try and emulate that. I didn't realize he was even on their team at the time, not until years later when I worked with Norm (plus I was too busy dodging empty beer cans thrown from the stands).

Then again, Norm might have been joshing me. He was known to do that from time to time.


And yes, the USD vs. Claremont games in recent years have been a bit heated. At the same time the SDState vs. USD rivalry has cooled off... both due mostly to the declining program at State and the strengthening of both Claremont and USD.

[mcneito]

There is absolutely NO love between UVSC and Ft. Lewis out of the RMLC-B. Ft. Lewis definitely fell off this year, but they have been great in the past.
UVSC v. Boise State has always been rough as well.

[SDSULAX]

At the same time the SDState vs. USD rivalry has cooled off... both due mostly to the declining program at State and the strengthening of both Claremont and USD.

I take exception to the uninformed comments regarding the "decline" of the SDSU Lacrosse program. I noticed in EB's previous posts that references to the early 90's were made, regarding tossing beer cans, etc. during games, maybe that happened, that is not even close to the operations and conditions that exist today. We play a national schedule, we have trainers at all practices and games, we have 2 state of the art turf fields, and 1 natural grass field, our players actually are admitted to SDSU as students. We ensure they are eligible and we monitor their progress and eligibility. We have the support of a strong alumni association and recruiting operations on a national level. We don't even have to demean or disparage anyone else's program on a public forum. If you think that your comments are helpful towards establishing a rivalry, you are wasting your time. Check with Mac, the rivalry still exists. SDSU's biggest rivalry is with UCSD.

[lil lady lax fan]

EB may have forgotten that at the end of the regular season there was a three-way tie between SD, Claremont, and SDSU last year when you folks were still in the B division. In fact SD lost to SDSU in your first game. With you guys moving up to division A your schedule is much more challenging, I'm sure. Being in the same bracket with UCSD and Arizona is certainly no cake-walk!

As for the beer cans, etc., every school has their hecklers, and the officials have been cracking down on rude behavior. In fact, a few of the Claremont fans were asked to leave the Fort Lewis game this year because of that.

I, for one, am sorry that the SDSU-Claremont game was cancelled this year due to rain. I'm sure it would've been a sweet match-up!

[EB]

At the same time the SDState vs. USD rivalry has cooled off... both due mostly to the declining program at State and the strengthening of both Claremont and USD.

I take exception to the uninformed comments regarding the "decline" of the SDSU Lacrosse program. I noticed in EB's previous posts that references to the early 90's were made, regarding tossing beer cans, etc. during games, maybe that happened, that is not even close to the operations and conditions that exist today. We play a national schedule, we have trainers at all practices and games, we have 2 state of the art turf fields, and 1 natural grass field, our players actually are admitted to SDSU as students. We ensure they are eligible and we monitor their progress and eligibility. We have the support of a strong alumni association and recruiting operations on a national level. We don't even have to demean or disparage anyone else's program on a public forum. If you think that your comments are helpful towards establishing a rivalry, you are wasting your time. Check with Mac, the rivalry still exists. SDSU's biggest rivalry is with UCSD.

Take exception all you want, but my opinion is hardly "uninformed." And yes, the outrageous fan behavior has cooled down a LOT since the Aztec Bowl days. I never said it hadn't. I also wasn't accusing anyone of that kind of behavior in the present day, because as you say, they have cracked down league-wide, and overall the WCLL is MUCH more policed and well-run league when compared to the late 80's/early 90's. You could make a parallel comparison with the NHL's goon-infested and bench-clearing brawls of the 70's and 80's, with the slick and skilled and relatively clean NHL of the 21st century.

As for the comments about a declining program, I'm referring to the fact that when I played, State was a perennial force in the Div A playoffs and had as many as 35+ players on their sidelines. Nowadays, I see maybe 20 guys on the sidelines, they had been dropped to the B Division (until thier return to 'A' this season), and they get beat by USD with regularity. What was State's record this year? Or in the past few years? From perrenial WCLL A Div finalists to cellar-dwellers sounds like a decline to me. But maybe as State's Head Coach, you are going to reverse that... good luck to you, I hope it works out, because I miss being the underdog when my team plays you.