Best West Coast Matchup of the Season?

[pistol pete]

Which game will bring out all the old-timers? Which game will we be talking about for the ages? If you can make only a handful of games this season, which ones should they be?

How bout a couple to consider:

UCSB vs Whittier (For battle of best team in CA period)

CSU vs UCSB (Potential for big crowd, club lax spotlight on a day that will showcase D1 lacrosse in LA)

[the lax]

I would say the UCSB v Whittier matchup to be the best. It features last years unofficial USLIA player of the year in Will Patton and the best defender in d3 aaron jaffe.

[onpoint]

I could be way off but I thought I saw Jaffe's name as the head coach to one of the MDIA schools in the LA area. Maybe it was another former Whittier guy but it was definitely recognizable. Are you sure he is still with the Poets?

[CATLAX MAN]

You might have seen Lane Jaffe as head coach at UCLA.

[onpoint]

That's the one.

[TrojanLaxman5]

Their lone goalie this season broke his wrist yesterday which is why our scrimmage against them was cancelled. Also, only 16 players showed up to spring practice, not sure how they're going to field a competitive DIII team with that few guys...

Personally, I'm looking forward to the UCSB vs. CSU rematch

[the lax]

Is that true about Whittier? Thats awesome news for us, we have to play them in March.

[laxcd1]

Whittier has 24 players. Their goalie suffered a deep rib bruise, and he will be playing against Cal Poly this upcoming weekend.

[TrojanLaxman5]

My bad on the misreported injury, I misunderstood our coach over the phone and thought he said wrist, not ribs. Glad it's only a bruise because they originally were worried that it was a break.

They could have 24 players now, our coach was Whittier's defensive coordinator last year and what he heard was that only 16 guys showed up this spring which was directly from their team. I'm just stating what I heard...

[Bluevelvet]

Is that true about Whittier? Thats awesome news for us, we have to play them in March.

I don't see Cleveland State on their schedule. Are you CC?

[the lax]

Yea I don't exactly go to Cleveland State, but Whittier has got to be pissed how does a powerhouse only land 24 kids for the spring. That is more brutal than Cleveland States club team, if they even had one.

[Dan Wishengrad]

I thought it was the quality of the athletes you have that is important, not the quantity. Two goalies, ten middies, four attackmen and eight long-poles is 24. Do you HAVE to have more than this? Sure, it's great to have 30-40 players who are all talented enough to help you win. I've seen "deep" teams with huge rosters where only fifteen or sixteen guys play when it counts. This is good for team coffers with all the extra dues, but hardly makes 25 players happy to stand on the sidelines.

Certainly don't count a team out because it only has 20-25 players. It is enough, barring injuries for the post-season. But they better be in shape.

[CATLAX MAN]

As SFU & GT will attest to, those numbers become important in the USLIA National tourney when you are trying to win 4 games in 5 days in 90 degree heat & 90 degree humidity. Those teams with small rosters are at a distinct disadvantage. For D3, it is probably not as big a factor.

[the lax]

For those curious, laxpower forums just got wind of the Whittier problems.

http://www.laxpower.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1128

Regardless, it will be the best match up in California.

UCSB senior class will easily beat CSU.

[CATLAX MAN]

Easily? I don't think so. Nothing is ever easy when these two teams meet. If you have seen these teams play each other over the last few years, you just can't make that statement. The intensity level of the players ramps up a notch or two when they meet making for some hard hitting, exciting lacrosse. But the one thing it never is, is easy.