Games for 3/9 - 3/15 Predict, Discuss, Report Scores here

[Gregg Pathiakis]

3/11 URI @ Central Conn

Postponed.

[Tim Gray]

From Cocoa Beach, Fl

UCF 9
Stonehill 3

BC 12
Chico 7

5-5 at the half...BC played well, Chico didn't

[Daniel Morris]

This is really good news. Two of our teams traveled to play ranked teams in highly regarded leagues and came away undefeated. Northeastern also had a good showing on the road. Maybe we can finally get that second PCLL team into the national tournament this year. BC and UNH truly teams to be reckoned with this season. Should make their head to head game interesting. Northeastern could be a dark horse to watch for as well.

I know BC took some hits for playing what voters viewed as weaker opponents in the WCLL, but a win against Chico will help prove they are a quality program.

Maybe these wins will cause some of the perenial higher ranked teams will begin to see PCLL programs as strong contenders and want to schedule games in the coming seasons. On the flip side, I see nothing wrong with the teams both UNH and BC played against. Having had very limited (if any) time on the fields this season due to ridiculous snowfalls in the Northeast, jumping into the first game of the season against a top 10 or 15 team who had already played 5 or so games would be unwise.

I would love to see some top 10 or 15 teams come out East when the weather improves during April. A long weekend could enable a squad to schedule against two or possibly three ranked programs (most of these teams have lights on their fields allowing night games). These late season games would be able to showcase PCLL teams at their best, having played a good portion of their schedule already. Or maybe a PCLL team heading to some of the better SELC or CCLA programs for a long weekend.

Bottom line, the PCLL needs to start getting higher caliber opponents at times during the season they are prepared to copmpete on equal footing.

[Dan Wishengrad]

Interesting reading, good post Mr. Morris.

It's great to see the PCLL doing so well early. With more and more of your teams getting out on the road, you'll also reap additional benefits by seeing more and more OOC games played there in the Northeast in coming years as teams visit to complete a home-and-home series and begin new ones.

Washington would love to return the favor of URI's trip out here in a future season, but it appears we should schedule these games for July or August, just to be safe that the weather will allow these to be played?

[Tim Gray]

Northeastern could be a dark horse to watch for as well.

Could be??? j/k

It's great to see the PCLL doing so well early. With more and more of your teams getting out on the road, you'll also reap additional benefits by seeing more and more OOC games played there in the Northeast in coming years as teams visit to complete a home-and-home series and begin new ones.

I think a lot more teams are considering traveling to New England. I know in years past Texas A&M, UC-Davis have come with Santa Clara, Cal and Buffalo coming this year. We at NU had to also turn away a few teams b/c we didn't have the field time to gaurantee their games. You can only fit som mnay games into our maybe 5 week long window of cooperative weather. I do hope that we will be able to start drawing more and more later in april, when we've been able to be outside before stepping on the playing field.

[Dan Wishengrad]

An old joke here in Seattle: "Spring? You mean those three days in July?"
It could rain non-stop here from October-May and it wouldn't be unusual.

But the world seems upside-down. We watched about a zillion crappy movies on our bus trip to and from California, one of which was "The Day After Tomorrow". If global warming is a fact, it might explain why all the typical Northwest rain has gone to the Southwest during the winter of 2004-05, and we have been basking in sunshine (with no snowpack, I might add). Who knows what the Spring of 2006 will bring for any of us?

Maybe Vail will be the only field above water?

[Daniel Morris]

I agree Tim Gray, but I think that is our biggest obstacle. We can't depend on weather here until April, and all schools are past spring break at that point. That is why I think long weekends in April would work best. Spring break trips for the PCLL are becoming crucial to preparing for the season. I would go so far as saying you will most likely not win the regional tourney, and if you did by some miracle, definitely won't have any sort of decent showing in the national show without a trip at some point in the season. They allow us games weeks before we could play in the East, a look at programs we don't usually see, and a jump on other PCLL teams in regards to practice.

Spring Break then becomes a gamble, do you want to play safer lower Top 25 teams hoping for wins and a spot in the poll, or the higher ranked teams, knowing an upset would make a huge impact for the PCLL. The downside is a loss in one of only a few precious OOC games of the season could haunt you for the remainder of the year. Look at Kyle's team. An overly difficult Missouri schedule really hurt them this year. If they can recover by playoffs remains to be seen.

It is my opinion for PCLL teams that you go with reputable but conservative games during spring break so you aren't throwing the players into the deep end right out the gate, but schedule some of the higher ranked poll teams in April, whether home or away. This leads you into the playoffs and and possibly nationals. Hell, we are used to playing 4 games a week in the PCLL anyway. Regardless what your philosophy is, the best thing the MDIA ever did was require out of conference games for at large teams to make the playoffs.

[Dan Wishengrad]

We probably could not travel to the Northeast in April, which is when we need to play conference games in the eastern half of our own league. I think Spring Break would be the last window of opportunity. Is there a suitable indoor fieldhouses in the PCLL which could host a tournament in March for 2-3 visiting OOC teams?

[Daniel Morris]

We at NU had to also turn away a few teams b/c we didn't have the field time to gaurantee their games. You can only fit som mnay games into our maybe 5 week long window of cooperative weather.

As the PCLL grows in size, I see us limiting the amount of interleague play to make room for out of conference games. What we need is more Division B teams so that part of the league can exist almost self-sufficiently, not needing Division A teams to fill game schedule spots. A couple of more Division A teams would allow us a geographic breakdown into two separate divisions, allowing a new playoff structure. These changes would allow teams a choice in who they play instead of who they are forced to play. It would take some work to develop a new structure and make sure all teams have a sufficient amount of games, and teams would need to be more dilligent about planning and fundraising trips and inviting out of conference teams to play, but it should help us be more competitive in the long run.

[Tim Gray]

Talk about indoor facilities and hosting OOC moved to new section.

[Stonehillcoach]

The score was actually 8-4 but there was only one ref and he couldn't see the ball go through a hole in the net. Either way we lost, but it was an overall very successful trip to Florida.

The added advantage you get from being outside for a week in March is unparalleled. This was Stonehill's first trip in school history and we are pumped for the regular season.

[Gregg Pathiakis]

For next week's disucssion: SC vs. CCSU postponed.