All Conference

[Kyle Berggren]

I really can see your point, and both of the guys on your team are incredible. I'm sure they'll both end up All-Americans, and any team would be happy to have them.

After last weekend, and how you guys absolutely handled the Huskies, maybe you're right. My only issue is I can't hold 1 game against those players, or any players for that matter, when they get shut down by the team that took #5 Michigan into OT. I didn't get to see your game against Michigan, but I doubt that it was overshadowed by individual play. I'll bet you guys hung in there and played great team defense, and I'll bet your All-American goalie was happy as well. I really did expect a much closer game, and figured you may have overlooked the Huskies a bit.... I was way off. You guys really did get up for that game, congrats. Both of your teams have a good shot at meeting in the playoffs again, and I assume if you do the same thing to those two again, you're prediction will be correct.

[Dan Wishengrad]

You know it's funny to me that people talk about guys on their teams being league MVP yet they don't play well against top competition. A league MVP should be their team's leader in all aspects, that includes playing well in big games. A lot of talk has been going around that Weitz or Sonkin from Washinton should get it. Why, because they score a lot of goals against mediocre teams? Julian Coffman and Danny Ernst both score consistanly in big games. They get their teammates involved and that is what makes a league MVP, not one that can rack up the points in meaningless games.

Trevor I was just going to ignore this, but I couldn't.

First, you haven't heard anybody from UW on this forum singing the praises of any Husky or lobbying for them to win an award. Those "nominations" for Sonkin and Weitz came from other PNCLL folks. Washington players and coaches don't post on the forum (except for me), and certainly don't get on here and talk about how great we are. That's what you guys at Oregon do.

Second, just because UO played a great game and shut us down Saturday night doesn't mean our best players only perform against mediocre teams. Look at the game reports and stats. Suggesting otherwise only displays your ignorance.

Finally, since nobody else will defend my guys to typical Duck trash-talking, let me. Weitz has been an first-team all-star two straight seasons. Sonkin was hurt most of 2004 so hasn't been picked since 2003, when he was also on Team USA West. These guys are among the best players we have ever had, and are among the best in the league -- even if you don't think so.

[teslax14]

I wasn't trying to bash on those two players. Don't get me wrong, they are both great players and athletes. All I was trying to say was that they are not league MVP's and I know it hasn't been your players writing that kind of stuff. Also, people get on this forum and automatically think that because a player has the most points, they should be league MVP. I was trying to get people to realize that its the not the quantity but rather the quality of those points. No need to go pointing your finger and calling us Ducks trash talkers either, I was just trying to stir up some conversation because all the talk lately has been about the B league and I wanted to hear some converstation about the A league.

[Timbalaned]

On what trevor said, I would also like to add something else. Tamir Elterman is probably one of the best, if not the best defensive middie in the league, but the guy barely has any points so he might not get any all-conference honors, which would be a shame. Points and Assists aren't always what make a great player and there are other guys on the field that are just as deserving of awards for other aspects of their game.

[Kyle Berggren]

.... and now I look forward to watching Elterman play... A lot of people do appreciate the "small" things, and we know they don't get on the stat sheets. Hopefully he's not overshadowed by all the all-stars you have on your team....

[Timbalaned]

.... and now I look forward to watching Elterman play... A lot of people do appreciate the "small" things, and we know they don't get on the stat sheets. Hopefully he's not overshadowed by all the all-stars you have on your team....

No you will see him play, he is quick, scrappy and breaks fools off. Even just last week, some guy on UW was just jaunting down the side and Tamir just gave him a solid shove, the guy fell over and dropped the ball and Tamir took it the other way for a fast break... He is just fundamental and always brings it, kind of like Jimbo O'neil was for us last year...

[Bluevelvet]

I have watched Elterman since high school. An excellent defensive middie. In high school he was pretty small and not very fast but he was always in position. He was extremely disciplined and almost never made a mistake. He was also very physical for someone his size. He had some of the best hits on the whole team.
I am glad to see that the coaching staff at Oregon has finally recognized his talents and has given him an opportunity to play regularly.
Last year, one of the best defensive players on the UCSB national championship team was Lief Sorenson, the smallest, slowest player on the team. He, like Tamir, also came from the Berkeley High School program and was incredibly underrated.
Tamir should definately be under consideration for all league honors at defensive midfield.

[Da Wrightstuf]

I too think that Tamir should get defensive honors. I play long stick and close D, and when tamir is out on the field with me, I hold my slides for longer than I do for some of our long poles, such is the extent of my faith in his abilities. People are probably looking at these posts and thinking "damn, here goes oregon again swelling their heads up cuz they one a home game". Well, the reason I am doing this is because Tamir never will, he doesn't seek recognition. He is humble in his ability, he never will tell his teammates that they suck, nor will he rag on the opposition. Being from the background that he is, he understands on a different level the dynamics of the game and it works to his favor. I hope that Tamir recieves consideration for all conference, if no else from our team is.

Wrightstuf #40

[Ravaging Beast]

It's nice to hear that Tamir is doing so well. I always felt like he was underrated. I played with him in high school, and he was better at defense than most of our longpoles. We played Oregon twice last year, and he was knocking around some of our best players. I can't remember him getting broke off during those games. Plus, I hear he keeps Julian in check.

[laxloco]

good luck in minnesota oregon, youre tuxedo shirts are great.

[Big D]

Thanks, but we haven't made it there yet. [/quote]

[teslax14]

I think all of us at Oregon love the tuxedo shirts.

[neil]

Here are the 2 Ducks and 2 Dawgs mentioned in player of the year honors- I'm going to have to agree with whoever posted about quality of points, so here ya go- This is a little bit tough to break down because UO's schedule is quite a bit more difficult than UWs

v Chico
Coffman- 2-2
Ernst- 1-0
Sonkin- 1-2
Weitz- 1-0

vSFU
Coffman- 1-0
Ernst- 2-2
Sonkin- 5-2
Weitz- 3-1

Head to head
Coffman- 3-1
Ernst- 4-0
Sonkin- 1-0
Weitz- 2-0


UW v Chapman
Sonkin- 2-4
Weitz- 2-1

UO v Sonoma
Coffman- 2-0
Ernst- 0-1

UO v Michigan
Coffman- 1-0
Ernst- 2-0

UO v Colorado
Coffman- 3-1
Ernst- 1-0


Obviously points aren't the only thing these players contributed so the line may not tell the whole story, although as far as I know, they would all be considered primarily offensive players. I think the advantage would have to go to the UO tandem, simply because they have had some good games against good teams. Interesting to note though, in each of UO's four losses, either Coffman or Ernst was held to 1 point.

[Dan Wishengrad]

I love statistics as much as anyone does, but of course they never tell the whole story. Here's another story:

We were expected to be without both Weitz (work conflict) and Riley Newman (Coast Guard duty) for this weekend's big division game at Gonzaga. This puts a big burden on Sonkin to have to carry our offense, although Eli has been remarkable all season for the Huskies. Weitz finished his other commitment as quick as he could on Saturday afternoon, jumped in his truck and drove who-knows-how-fast, 282 miles from Seattle to Spokane. There he jumped out, got geared up, then gave us a huge boost with his sudden presence late in the game. Weitz scored a key goal to boost our 4th quarter lead to 8-4. After the Zags completed an amazing comeback to tie the game 9-9, they had all the momentum going their way and the crowd going crazy. But Weitz made yet another great play, pushing the ball in transition off the faceoff, drawing a defensive slide and assisting Greg Quetin's game winning goal only fifteen seconds later. Weitz stuck around long enough to shake hands with Gonzaga following yet another classic Dog fight, jumped in his truck and drove back to Seattle to go back to work on Sunday.

The box score shows one goal and an assist, an apparently sub-par performance in a big game that dropped Weitz' average to just under three goals a game for the season. But the thing about stats -- and awards, and all-star votes and All-American selections too is that they all mean almost next to nothing if you don't win. Weitz is a winner, and I'm not sure if we beat Gonzaga without his contribution.

[NCInDaPlaceTaBe]

Not only do Danny and Julian posses superb offensive skills they are both, two of the best riding players on our team. And I trust both to play defense as well as any player on our team.