CCLA-A Team Previews

[comatose]

Any news regarding recruits, tryouts, returning players at any of these schools:
Eastern Michigan
Western Michigan
Central Michigan
Michigan
Michigan State
Oakland
Miami of Ohio
Indiana
Purdue
Buffalo
West Virginia

The last discussion thread like this went a bit off-topic. Lets try and just focus on airing out the facts or prospects for each of these teams.

I never played in the USLIA, I played varsity D3 ball out in Ohio and coached there for one year before returning to the east coast. But I know of a few kids that I coached were interested in playing in the midwest at a few of these schools, so I just try to keep tabs on what's happening in this conference. I'd really like to hear about how tryouts are going, and what promising returning players and/or newcomers are going to contribute this year in the CCLA. Thanks.

[laxman13]

lax rules

[comatose]

Any news out of any of the schools that have completed tryouts and are starting to see how competitive their team will be next season? I'm assuming Miami (oh), Michigan, and a few other schools are already done with tryouts and cuts, etc.. I would like to hear who some of the new players are that look impressive. Thanks.

[mholtz]

MSU has finished their tryouts. We ended up with 60 new players trying out. This included 2 Div. I varsity transfers (one who was a HS AA), one HS AA, and 9 all state players from Michigan.

Big players that will impact our team this year:
Will Clugston (transfer from Sacred Heart): Fast, talented D-man who will compliment Zolkower very well.

Andrew Valitutti (transfer from Robert Morris): Huge D-man with good stopping skills.

Geoff Greenlees (transfer from Western Michigan): a bit undersized, but very fast, very quick, and excellent skills for a D-man.

Scott Brittain: All state D-man who we moved to LSM for this season because of an over abundance of players at close D.

Ben Bukari: (HS AA from Country Day) attackman with great quickness, great stick skills, great field vision

Joe Stephanoff: (All state from UofD Jesuit) probably the quickest first step on our team. Will step in well at attack. May start as a frosh.

Brian Kegley: (All state from Country Day) attackman with a good stick, good quickness, and good field sense

Steve Schimpke: (All state attackman from Cranbrook) great knowledge of the game. Very mature as a player for his age. May play middie with our huge influx of attackman. If he does play middie this year, he won't be there for long.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with our incoming class.

[laxman13]

go lax

[Andy Sharp]

#1 Michigan
#2 Oakland
#3 Michigan State
#4 Pittsburgh
#5 Indiana
#6 Miami of Ohio
#7 Central Michigan
#8 Purdue
#9 Buffalo
#10 Western Michigan
#11 Eastern Michigan
#12 West Virginia
#13 Ball State

North teams in Blue
South teams in Red

[wheelz33]

From reading another post from Andy, there is a new division alignment. One division is made up of all the Michigan teams, and the other division is made up of the other teams. This makes for two tough but fairly balanced divisions. How is scheduling done now within the conference, with the addition of Ball St?

[the lax]

I doubt you'd call them fairly divided divisions when the top 3 are all from Michigan.

[wheelz33]

I doubt you'd call them fairly divided divisions when the top 3 are all from Michigan.

yeah, but it is only the pre-season poll. a lot can change, just look at last years pre-season poll. plus, these divisions are defiently more balanced then last years. if last years were still being used, 5 of the top 6 would be in the same division (including the top 3), now its 3 and 3...