Willamette 13 at Pacific 5
Saturday, February 10th
Gonzaga 16 at Whitman 7
Simon Fraser 15 at Oregon State 10
Southern Oregon 4 at UC Davis 10
Washington 8 at Oregon 23
Western Washington 16 at Albertson 6
Willamette 4 at UC Santa Cruz 18
Sunday, February 11th
Linfield 4 at Central Washington 12
Simon Fraser 9 at Oregon 18
Southern Oregon 9 at St. Mary's 8
Washington 13 at Oregon State 18
Westminster 15 vs Western Washington 9 (at Albertson)
Greetings all and welcome to another season of PNCLL lacrosse! This is the thread to talk about the coming week's games, to make predictions, to report final scores and to offer commentary and analysis of what you expect to happen and what actually went down. Each week, I will kick off the thread with the schedule of games and a look at the upcoming B Division teams in action while my forum co-moderator, Kyle Berggren, previews the A Games.
The first week of play usually is only an appetizer -- a smattering of non-conference, A versus B kind of games. But not in 2007, when we get a hearty entree of key conference rivalries with susbstantial side dishes of OOC games at the opening dinner bell. For dessert, Week #1 serves up a huge #12 vs #13 Sunday contest matching pre-season B heavyweights on a neutral field in Caldwell, Idaho.
Kicking off our season, surprisingly, is Willamette down in Stockton, California for an OOC game (their first?) at UOP under the lights. The Bearcats ended a 27-game losing streak, dating back to March '03 (when Pacific last won a game), with a win at Lewis & Clark to end last season. Willamette would surely love to start a win streak against the Tigers, who have been "cellar-dwellers" in the WCLL since, well, since before there even WAS a WCLL -- back in the Dark Ages when I wore UOP's black and orange in the late 1970s. Yes, children, we did play lacrosse thirty years ago, and with sticks that weighed twice what yours do!
The Bearcats will need to find some offense after recording only 19 goals in '06 and then losing their top two scorers and goalie to graduation. But hope springs eternal, and this is a brand-new season, one kicked-off with an OOC road-trip to demonstrate an increased commitment by Willamette Lacrosse. Afterwards, the Bearcats will wend their way through the the San Joaquin Delta and South Bay, traverse the coast mountains and then slalom downhill to the Pacific Ocean at Santa Cruz, where a Saturday afternoon game against UCSC awaits on the Banana Slugs field with its million-dollar view of the sea. A win or two is definitely possible for Willamette given the competition, so best of luck Bearcats. Represent the PNCLL well!
Speaking of representing, last year's surprise team from the B Division, Southern Oregon, also heads down to Cali. But waiting to face the Raiders down in the Golden State lie a couple of A Division WCLL opponents, UC Davis and St. Mary's. Jamison Whitehead and Alex White return to lead the Raider offense and big Dan Snell is back to anchor the close defense. SOU will need to really buck up against the Aggies and Gaels, and if Coach Brown's Raiders do compete well this weekend it will serve notice to the entire PNCLL B Division that SOU is still a force to be reckoned with in '07. Go get 'em, Raiders!
Last year's PNCLL B Division runner-up and the pre-season #12 pick, Western Washington, makes one of the longest trips any MCLA team will take for a conference game in '07 to open at Albertson. The Vikings have a talent-laden roster of returning stars led on offense by Attackman John Healy and Middie Jake Schuit and on defense by long-pole Jim Baumstark in front of Goalie Noah Symington. A recent shake-up, however, has Jesse Savage taking over from the departed Adam Lent as Head Coach at WWU as the season begins. The Yotes return eight Seniors including Cody Hart, the B Division's leading scorer in 2006. AC starts a Freshman in the cage, however, and the Vikings will likely provide a baptism under fire.
On Sunday, the Vikings play Head Coach Mason Goodhand's new team from Westminster College on Albertson's field. Westminster was tabbed #13 in the preseason poll, one slot behind WWU. This game will have significance for the first regular-season Top 25 which will be released in three weeks, as well as for the PNCLL's reputation nationally. Best of luck Vikes!
Central Washington hosts Linfield in Ellensburg in another '07 debut matching Wildcats all over the place. CWU would appear to have the edge in returning talent, especially on offense where graduation hit Coach Hart's LC team harder. But both teams reportedly looked good in Fall Ball, and this game will be an excellent barometer for what lies ahead in 2007. Good luck to both teams.
Whitman hosts the Bulldogs of Gonzaga in an A/B contest which Kyle will preview in his coming report on the PNCLL A Division games.
Good luck to all and let the games begin!
ok just kidding about the whole superiority thing, don't want to make any WCLLers angry out there
