Games for 4/6 - 4/12 Predict, Discuss, Report Scores here

[Tim Gray]

Thur Apr 07
Bridgewater @ Stonehill 4:00 PM
W.P.I. @ Rhode Island 4:00 PM

Fri Apr 08
Stonehill @ Framingham 4:00 PM
Coast Guard @ Connecticut 7:00 PM
Boston Col @ New Hampshire 7:30 PM
Boston Univ. @ Central Conn. 8:30 PM

Sat Apr 09
Northeastern @ Rhode Island 1:00 PM
Framingham @ Coast Guard 1:00 PM
Central Conn. @ Connecticut 2:00 PM
Vermont (club) @ W.P.I. 2:00 PM
University of Pittsburgh @ Boston Col 8:00 PM

Sun Apr 10
University of Pittsburgh @ Bridgewater 11:00 AM
New Hampshire @ Coast Guard 1:00 PM
New Haven @ Framingham 3:00 PM

Tues Apr 12
Boston Col @ Bridgewater 4:30 PM
Boston Univ. @ Stonehill 5:00 PM
Northeastern @ New Hampshire 7:00 PM
Connecticut @ W.P.I. 7:00 PM

[Daniel Morris]

Big weekend for Boston College. This is when they really need to start defending that Top 10 ranking. Losses to any of the upcoming teams will really hurt them in the polls.

UNH is always a strong PCLL contender, and even with the Cal loss, I don't see that changing. Not to mention they have the revenge factor going for them. An upset would put them back squarely in the polls so they are going to want this game bad.

Pittsburgh has really been gaining steam and hovering around the bottom of the poll. They lost to Oakland by only one goal, but haven't beat anyone of ranked value yet. They too are looking for this win and a solid BC victory would not only end the building hype surrounding Pitt, but soldify BC's own ranking.

Bridgewater is the true wild card in the PCLL. They have some consistancy issues, but have shown they can beat very good programs. I think their only loss so far was to NC State in the first game of the year, but a near disaster to Boston University shows they need to actually show up on the field to win games. I know they will be pumped to tackle BC, but may be beat up after their own game against Pitt on Sunday.

But here is the real question...can any of these programs actually beat BC? After watching them the other day, I don't know. BC is incredibly strong. Their defense is ridiculous. All returning players with the exception of their freshman goalie, and he looked very poised in net. All American Justin Ashenfelter means no one else is winning faceoffs and the middies are three solid lines deep. At attack, you not only have PCLL Offensive Player of the Year Kinsella back for a sophomore season, but the return of McConaty from abroad and wasn't he the Offensive Player of the Year the previous season? They are stacked front to back and if any team is going to beat them, they need to come out with a solid gameplan and a perfect execution.

[NU_alum_01]

How is Northeastern looking?

[Daniel Morris]

How is Northeastern looking?

Northeastern is looking very, very good. I would say they are one of three teams I expect to win the PCLL Tournament. They lost to Florida State early in the season, but have crushed opponents since. Currently, they have the MDIA's leading scorer according to USLIA.com (which is off since not all teams enter stats, but even if it is slightly off, he is still in the top 10 in the country).

Their future will be determined in games against UNH and Boston College. These are the two largest roadblocks standing between them and PCLL glory.

[TMcCourt]

Dan,
How have you been? Seeing as how you have seen all three teams play, I was curious about the league this year. Traditionally it has been BC and UNH with NU trailing slightly behind, however this year BC has been great, UNH was upset by Cal, and NU has been crushing teams with a solid loss to FSU. So the order would seem to be BC with UNH and NU trailing slightly behind (at least for now), I was wondering if you think that new parity between NU and UNH is due to a loss in graduation by UNH or a better NU team and how these teams compare to BC? (strengths, weaknesses etc..)
Thanks

[Rad44]

I would say that UNH is no where near as good as last year, mainly due to the fact that they graduated some really solid players and that they are under a new coaching staff, although I am not certain how that is playing out. They were not strong at all in Texas, almost losing to two unranked Texas teams, and lost to Cal, who by all accounts, is miserable. Give UNH credit though for making the trip and winning. Its tough with limited practice and comming to play teams who have all winter to practice.

Northeastern looks like a solid offensive team. Although I have not seen them play this year, I have heard their defense is their weakness, though with an offense like that, who knows. Its great to see them emerging, especially nationally. I think we might see NU in a poll in the next month, and not UNH.

Boston College is legit. They are deeper now than in the previous two seasons and could potentially have up to 4 All-Americans. Although that doesnt speak to a ranking, it does indicate the amount of talent on the team. The defense averages 6 feet and roughly 200 lbs. and is hard-hitting. TR Hofman in net as a freshman is real composed and the middie lines are fast, strong and each have a player who can shoot from the top of the box. BC is NOT losing in the PCLL this year and looks to win a 1st and maybe 2nd round game in MN if they get there.

The PCLL is growing up fast and its great! Its so tiring to hear about the WCLL, CSU, Michigan, etc. BC is good enough to compete and beat teams ranked 6+ and who knows beyond that. Like every PCLL team, everyone is limited by weather and lack of practice. Given the depth and talent on BC this year, it is not out of the question to consider the fact that they are better than everyone thinks and could actually beat a Michigan.

Time will tell.

[laxfan25]

Given the depth and talent on BC this year, it is not out of the question to consider the fact that they are better than everyone thinks and could actually beat a Michigan.

Given that the CCLA and PCLL are almost neighbors, why doesn't BC and Michigan hook up for a game? Sounds like it would be a good one! (My money is on the Wolverines though )

[Gregg Pathiakis]

Fri Apr 08 Boston Col @ New Hampshire 7:30 PM

Very big game. I will definitely be at that one. BC vs. Northeastern is later this month on 4/21.

[CATLAX MAN]

BC is good enough to compete and beat teams ranked 6+ and who knows beyond that.

If this is the case, and I'm not saying that it is not, it would be better to schedule and play these teams than to make a blanket statement with no corroborating facts. You may be right, but there is no evidence that supports this statement other than conjecture.

[Daniel Morris]

Dan,
How have you been? Seeing as how you have seen all three teams play, I was curious about the league this year. Traditionally it has been BC and UNH with NU trailing slightly behind, however this year BC has been great, UNH was upset by Cal, and NU has been crushing teams with a solid loss to FSU. So the order would seem to be BC with UNH and NU trailing slightly behind (at least for now), I was wondering if you think that new parity between NU and UNH is due to a loss in graduation by UNH or a better NU team and how these teams compare to BC? (strengths, weaknesses etc..)
Thanks

Mr. McCourt, I see your senior leadership is holding the team together well this season. I can still remember meeting you as a freshman player, man how years fly by!

I believe UNH suffered a major loss in the goaltending position with the graduation of Russo. He was one of the league's best and it is hard to replace someone like that right away. Luckily, Gagne and Taylor are still there at longpole. UNH also still has a potent offense led by Boyce and Churchill. Although I didn't see their game against Cal, I don't think it was a shocking as the message boards made it seem. Cal has a good team. They may be mid-level in the WCLL, but that still ranks them as being one of the better programs in the country. They won the game by a goal, which means it was very close. They may have played the best game of the year and UNH their worst. Again, I didn't get a chance to see that one, but I don't think UNH has really lost all that much.

In reality, I think Northeastern has really built on what they had last season. Cook is on fire for their offense, leading the MDIA and Foster is no slouch either. Craig Sini has been a wall in goal and Joe Lang has made the defense his own. With NE, I think they graduated a couple of players (not going to name names) who were holding them back. This team really seems to want to win and is willing to sacrifice and work hard to do so.

As for how they match up against BC? Well, from what I have seen, BC doesn't really have any weak points to exploit. You shut off one attackman, there are two other superstars that will kill you. And three excellent longpoles (Ranta, Quebec, Donohue) with very different styles means almost any attack is going to be shut down. BC's middies are (I think) better offensively than defensively, but so deep that there are always fresh legs on the field. A team that beats BC will need to somehow stop the momentum resulting from Ashenfelter winning every faceoff. They will need to stop 2 of 3 excellent attackman and penetrate a tough defense through good passing, not isolation plays, to test a freshman goalie.

Just my two cents.

[Rad44]

We would love to play UM and are working to do so next year.

The blanket statement is true. We want to play those 6+ teams but have not been able to as a result of not being able to get them here when our fields clear- too late in the season.

We got on the ball too late in the summer/fall to schedule with those teams, their schedules were already completed.

We want to prove to the USLIA that we can play- takes time and we're pumped for it.

[Tim Gray]

Northeastern looks like a solid offensive team. Although I have not seen them play this year, I have heard their defense is their weakness, though with an offense like that, who knows. Its great to see them emerging, especially nationally. I think we might see NU in a poll in the next month, and not UNH.

I usually don't like to comment on my own team, as it often becomes misunderstood as self-hype, but our defense is allowing an average of 6 goals per game. Take out the 15 goals against FSU (one of the highest scoring offenses in the nation) in our second game of the season and it's down to 4 gpg. I would hardly call that a weakness. But I will from now on, as I usually prefer to do, let our play on the field speak for us.

[CATLAX MAN]

Although I didn't see their game against Cal, I don't think it was a shocking as the message boards made it seem. Cal has a good team. They may be mid-level in the WCLL, but that still ranks them as being one of the better programs in the country. They won the game by a goal, which means it was very close. They may have played the best game of the year and UNH their worst.

Just to clarify, Cal is not a mid-level WCLL team this year and is not very good. They are rebuilding and have lots of younger players this year. They have some talent defensively, but their offense is lacking. Their wins have come against 2 teams just up from Div. B, 2 from Div. B, 1 from 1st year winless varsity program, 2 from PCLL (URI & UNH), and 1 from Div. A WCLL against a team that is historically at the bottom of the pack.

[CATLAX MAN]

The blanket statement is true. We want to play those 6+ teams but have not been able to as a result of not being able to get them here when our fields clear- too late in the season.

Things are true only if they are fact. It is not fact, it is conjecture.

In any case, given the weather problems in the East early in the season when most teams get in their OOC travel, it is not likely you will get any of the top teams to travel there any time soon. It think that is especially so if the payoff is only one game against good competition. Just an opinion. The risk of committing that many funds to a trip that could be a washout is too great.

[TMcCourt]

I have to agree with coach gray on NU's defense so far...17 - 0 against UCONN is impressive defensively. I don't know how good they are this year but last year this was a team that would not have been held to zero goals in almost any game. I look forward to playing a NU team that is a year older and a year wiser because I see them as a major team in the PCLL. I would never use the term up and coming because I do not see them placing below 3rd. Should be a fun season, glad to finally have some decent weather.