1st Div B poll (2/24/05) is out!

[DanGenck]

I had the pleasure of watching UC-Irvine pound Austin College a few weeks back. I think UC-Irvine is indeed very good, but I do not think they are top 5 material as of yet (heck, I don't even know if my team is top 5 material!). Like Kyle said, the polls are new and certainly there are going to be some big jumps and things that do not make sense (for example, St. Thomas dropping out of the Top 25 even though they did not play a single game).

[mcneito]

I would just keep in mind that the B poll is still very early, much like laxpower. We don't have an established dominance in the B like we do in A division, so a little slack is needed this early in the season.

Most of the reason teams are ranked/ not ranked is based on last season's performances. A lot of teams change drastically, especially in the B division. I expect there to be some surprises and some accurate rankings as well as we progress through league play. I totally agree with Kyle- it's too early. If a team wins a few games early, reward them (UC Irvine). I think there will be some big leaps up and down, a lot more drastic than the A division, in the poll as the season moves on. As for now, I feel anyone can jump in that #1 spot with some good wins against tough/ ranked opponents. No one "deserves" any spot on that board right now, it's too early.

[ktrost58]

I had no idea about the past of UC Irvine, and seeing their history, i think #7 is a fine mark. I like when teams are rewarded for big wins early in the season, they help to set the mark for the rest of us. and yes, i would say that St. johns should be in the top 5, and pushing for hte #1 spot with some more impressive wins.

[Dan Wishengrad]

These OOC games will obviously be HUGE in helping the B Poll Voters (and thankfully I am not one, the A Division is tough enough! ) determine how the conferences rank, as too few have played each other historically.

I am confident that our three PNCLL teams playing Utah Valley State College -- PLU, UPS and Linfield -- will acquit themselves well -- win or lose, and all three be competitive in their games with UVSC. Coupled with Montana's win over Boise State already we will have an idea how we stack up against the RMLC.

Against the WCLL the evidence is more indirect. The top-ranked WCLL B teams in their pre-season poll were Claremont (6) and San Diego (3), which are 1-0 in the new-look 2005 WCLL B-Division, tied for second-place. Claremont lost 10-4 to a Cal team my Huskies beat 10-9. PLU, who UW beat 13-12, played us every bit as tough as Cal, which is not meant to be a knock on the Golden Bears at all, jut a comparison of teams as seen by someone who has seen both. Both PLU and Cal are good, not great teams, and I'd rank my own team about the same. But my conjecture based on indirect logic is that the PNCLL's best B teams are better than the WCLL's.

IF we prove on the field this month that we are stronger than the RMLC's second-ranked B team (top 5 nationally), I like our chances to win a USLIA B title in Blaine. I really have no idea whether Montana, Linfield, PLU, UPS, Whitman or Western Washington will emerge to win our league's B title and a trip to the "big dance." I could see any one of these six teams winning out. Central Washington and Western Oregon are decided long-shots and need another year or two of competition to catch-up to the established programs, as will former champ Lewis & Clark, who is in the bottom of a "down cycle" and will have to rebuild. Whover does win the 2005 PNCLL B title up in B.C. will be a formidable, battle-tested team with a chance come national tourney time.

[asulax42]

when will a new poll be out?

[Sonny]

when will a new poll be out?

Reading is fundamental. Check the post that is sticky-ied at the top of the Polls Forum:
http://forums.uslia.com/viewtopic.php?t=558

[asulax42]

Thanks Sonny. Sorry, I thought they came out every week and was wondering where the new poll was.

[Kyle Berggren]

Dan, I realize we don't have another way to look at it, and you've got about the only way as of now, but it's very tough to compare teams early in the season. We've only had 2 game weekends and are still sorting some things we didn't expect to deal with out. Our first trip, which included a loss, was not UPS lacrosse, but since then we've changed as a team. I have to assume the same about the rest of the country, but I don't see another way to compare some teams as of now.

A lot of people may not be looking at common competition, and not to take anything away from any WCLL teams, I wasn't at any of the games, but that would push me to move them out of the first place spots on a few voters lists.

[Andy Sharp]

I had the pleasure of watching UC-Irvine pound Austin College a few weeks back. I think UC-Irvine is indeed very good, but I do not think they are top 5 material as of yet (heck, I don't even know if my team is top 5 material!).

I took what you and I saw of UC-Irvine and the fact that they finished with 1 win and 10 losses last year into consideration as a strength indicator for the WCLL. If Irvine goes from worst to first, avenging a 2004 18 goal loss to Claremont, a 10 goal loss to San Diego, and a 7 goal loss to Pepperdine, they will prove they are top 5 material, but what are the odds of that?

Those Utah Valley State vs PNCLL and Fort Lewis vs WCLL games will be the best indicators we could hope for when comparing RMLC vs WCLL vs PNCLL. But I do wish there were another East-West connection other than Texas-Arlington.

Plus, if the Taylor vs Davidson game does not happen, the only SELC gauge is a weak one with the LSA. While the Liberty games are nice to have, if they are not playing a likely AQ, it's really not much help. Are there other top SELC OOC games?

The only good GRLC connections are to the LSA, at least that I've found.

That's what I can see from this lacrosse island in the midwest, aka CCLA.

[Lom]

All this talk about the west coast makes me sick. Are there any good teams on the east coast? Elon, appalachian state, davidson, emory, liberty? Where is the SELC love? Frankly, SELC has some of the best players out of Maryland and New York.