UMLL Spring Meeting

[Pinball]

I am assuming this will be happening saturday?? I really have no idea though.

What, if any, teams are looking to come into the league next year. I have heard grumblings from Augsburg and thats about it.

[msum26]

i have some buddies that go to school at St. Mary's down in Winona and they have a team. I dont know if they are affilated with a league or would even try to be in the UMLL. just thought i'd throw that out there even though it probably carries no relevance


Corey Samora
MSU Moorhead

[CyLaxKeeper00]

st mary's was in the umll in 2000.

[msum26]

Where are they now? What happened to them?


Corey Samora
MSU-Moorhead

[Lacrosse Official]

The dis-banded after one of their players committed suicide.

[Pinball]

St Marys was accepted in the league in 2005. Then the team fell apart and they never played a UMLL game. It would be hard to let them back in again.......

One thing that is hard for them is that some of their players go to neighboring Winona State.

[DwinsChamps]

St. Mary's is competing in the GLLL (Great Lakes Lax League) with the likes of UW-Madison and other WI/IL/MI teams. St. Mary's is a bit unorganized, but I think that they'd make a great addition to the UMLL-B and would be competitive immediately.

I've heard rumors of UW-Platteville and UW-Whitewater showing interest in joining the UMLL, but these rumors are unsubstantiated.

[TexOle]

Winona State and St. Mary's are now separate teams. Both teams play in the GLLL where costs are significantly lower. I hope that some of the GLLL teams join the UMLL over time, but I do not see that happening any time soon.

[Hunt]

The GLLL is a very interesting conference. Aside from UWSP, UWEC, and us (Marquette), basically every other school in Wisconsin that has a team plays in this league. This includes UW-Stout, UW-Whitewater, UW-Platteville, UW-LaCrosse (yeah they do have a team!), UW-Madison, UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Milwaukee, St. Norbert's College, and MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering). After our suspension last year (again, we're idiots) a good number of our players played on a team we formed in that league, since the league also allows men's teams to play in it. However the opinion of most guys was that the competition wasn't at the level we were looking for and we realized how lucky we were to play in the UMLL. That's just our opinion though.

The GLLL does offer significantly lower costs for their teams, and all league games are planned so that in almost every situation teams play two games in one day, running clock, and then can travel back home. They also split into regions where teams only really play other teams that are close to them. The system works great for Wisconsin because high school lacrosse is really only starting to catch on a great deal. Most or at least many of the players in the league hadn't picked up a lacrosse stick until they got to college. But I wouldn't be surprised (and other people have told me the same thing) if some of the schools noted above come calling to the UMLL if they are looking for better competition.

Don't get me wrong, there are some solid teams in the league (UW-Madison's A team, Northwestern, and Depaul) but their ultimate goal is to win a conference championship. I'm sure most people in the UMLL are much happier knowing that if they win their league they can go to play for a National Championship, rather than a Wisconsin regional championship. But again, the lower costs for these teams make it so new players can pick up the game for a much cheaper price than otherwise. Dues are much lower, teams rarely are gone overnight, and the competition allows for players ranging from lots to zero experience to get the chance to play and compete.

Apparently Winona just established their team this year, in a split with St. Mary's. I didn't know that St. Mary's used to play in our league. I've also heard that Depaul University had a solid program and was looking to join a league soon, but probably the GRLC and not ours. Does anyone know of other teams that are looking to join the UMLL, and is it safe to assume they would join as B-Division teams rather than A?

Sorry to get off topic of when the league meeting is, but I figured a few people out there might enjoy knowing a little more about Wisconsin teams as long as we're off on that topic.

[Dylan Dickey]

Winona State and St. Mary's are now separate teams. Both teams play in the GLLL where costs are significantly lower. I hope that some of the GLLL teams join the UMLL over time, but I do not see that happening any time soon.

When the St. Mary's rep. came to the spring meeting I do recall him saying that St. Mary's is quite supportive ($$$) of the team.

I think they'd make a nice addition - the midpoint between the Wisconsin teams and the Minnesota teams. (Not talent wise...distance wise)

[TexOle]

I do not like commenting on teams that I know little about. I thought I heard Northwestern dropped out of the GRLC due to an equipment issue. They did not want to conform to the rules regarding uniform color. I think it cost them a title or something. I think they are more than willing to stay in the GLLL. Certain members of the MCLA (not just the UMLL) need to accept that the GLLL is a fine league for a lot of teams. I wouldn't mind playing in the GLLL at times, but I am glad that I played in the UMLL. Eventually some of the teams may join the UMLL or the GLLL might seek to join the MCLA. I would like to see some of the UMLL teams start playing GLLL teams in a full stop time game. I think it would help both leagues. I believe the UMLL would win most of the games, but it would be fun.

[mavlax23]

If UMLL teams did start playing GLLL teams in regulation, stop time games (which I don't think will happen, because there is really no need to pay for a full game of refs in a game that doesn't count at all), then whose rules would we go by? They are allowed to play ineligible players and have a completely made up set of rules (i.e. 6 poles on the field at once, no mouth pieces, no matching uniforms, etc.). So, I think if they had to abide by the UMLL rules (or the NCAA rules) then I don't think very many of the more dominant teams in that league would do as well, do to the fact that they play so many ineligible players and are used to a different set of rules.

On a side note, some of the tournaments over there (Madison has a nice one) bring in teams from all over the midwest and are fun to play in due to the rule changes and borderline ciaos.

[DwinsChamps]

If UMLL teams did start playing GLLL teams in regulation, stop time games (which I don't think will happen, because there is really no need to pay for a full game of refs in a game that doesn't count at all), then whose rules would we go by? They are allowed to play ineligible players and have a completely made up set of rules (i.e. 6 poles on the field at once, no mouth pieces, no matching uniforms, etc.). So, I think if they had to abide by the UMLL rules (or the NCAA rules) then I don't think very many of the more dominant teams in that league would do as well, do to the fact that they play so many ineligible players and are used to a different set of rules.

I disagree. I think that competing against GLLL teams can be very beneficial to us UMLL teams in the GLLL's proximity. In May we will be playing a tournament at UW-La Crosse against the majority of the collegiate club teams in the state of Wisconsin. These teams all compete in the GLLL, and all play what they consider to be real games with real rules, meaning they use officials, and have jerseys at least as nice as what we at UW-Eau Claire played in last season.

Putting six poles on the field has been a rare tactic that UW-Madison used to employ. And If some of GLLL players choose not to wear mouthguards, than that is entirely their risk, but it certainly doesn't stop your team from being equipped.

As of this year, the Wisconsin teams in the GLLL don't rely on what the UMLL considers to be ineligible players. The UW-Madison A team was long comprised of graduate students, alumni, and some players with NCAA experience. The current Madison A and B teams are, by school rules, no longer allowed to field non-current UW students, and have subsequently lost the talent that made them so potent in the past. These ineligible players sometimes compete in summer tournaments, but they are by and large absent for spring play.

I have many ex-teammates on the other GLLL teams, like UW-Whitewater, Platteville, Milwaukee, and La Crosse, and while playing non-students isn't banned by their universities' bylaws, they simply do not have many players who aren't affiliated, full-time students. To say that they "play so many ineligble players" is incorrect.

Nevertheless, how can inexpensive, additional games be detrimental to UMLL teams? Especially when it's so difficult for UMLL clubs in their infancy to find extra competition that doesn't require any strenuous travel.

[Rob Graff]

Dwins wrote:

Nevertheless, how can inexpensive, additional games be detrimental to UMLL teams? Especially when it's so difficult for UMLL clubs in their infancy to find extra competition that doesn't require any strenuous travel.

IF you accept the idea that UMLL is better organized ball (which is my opinion, but I know that not all share it) -- If you play them, do they have any incentive to become a UMLL team?

[Pinball]

so rob are we meeting after the saturday games?