umll all time team??

[TexOle]

I gotta make this list as the #1 BW. That would be bench warmer. I think I got selected for one of the stars of the game, and I had less than a minute of playing time in that game. That is skill. Top that one guys.

I do agree with Lance being on the list. He played on some Olaf teams that lacked a cohesive defense. I still joke that I had the better W-L record for a career, but he is a great player.

I think some additions from Olaf have to start off with John Chapman. The only way to stop him was to keep him away from the ball. Jason BreMiller had a great year. I am shocked Jack MacIntyre isn't on the list. David Strand comes to mind as being a great player. I think he did more to build that team in the years that it could have failed. Marc Hosmer always seemed to be a very trustworthy player when I played goal in my 2 years. I never seemed to have to worry about a shot from his side of the field. I think that pick shows a lot of bias from his leadership, and just trust in his lax background. I want to put some of the more current Oles on the list, but I think their numbers are a little inflated.

Carleton had some outstanding players for a few years. Anyone remember any of the names from those teams? I also seem to remember a great LSM from Bethel that lit me up as a goalie a few times, but I could have the wrong team. I still night terrors from the UMD attack from 2002. That was a great unit. That was my first game in net, and I got lit up like a Christmas tree. I would put Uzlik on any list. He seemed to struggle with the left, but he is a great player. I could not think of a better teammate than him.

I think the most telling piece of all that has been discussed is the number of great players that have come through this league. I would hate to think what the league would be like without all of these players. I think the best part of this discussion is that the current players are not even being discussed yet, and they might be the most talented players. The UMLL has a bright future.

[Cameron pederson]

A quick list of my own. I am biased to the 2000 and older UMLL players since those are the years I played.

Attack
John Chapman at St. Olaf was one of the tougher attackman I played against. He was thick(muscle) and fast with an incredibly accurate shot. Thorson was also very fast and shifty and you never knew which way he was going.
mooney-UMN athletic and talented, Could excel at every position.
HM-Blaze-UMD, Horn-UMD, Stuntebeck-UWSP, Sydney-UM, Fuller-STC, Nelson-UMD

Middie
Vossen-Could do it all, size and speed
Lamb-ISU
Lukovsky-STC
HM-Hurley UM, Sanders-Bethel, Relopez-UMD (would be in top 3 if he played all 4 years) Kerchner-Mankato

Defense
Herr-Mankato Strong and fast, Dominated many D-1 players in Mens tourneys.
Finvik-UMD Great transition and take away player
Onken-UMN A vacuum
Daehn-UMD
Dahly-UMD

LSM
Dolan
Vanguilder-St Thomas

Goalie
Roche-Mankato
Launert-Current UMD
Scwhab-Moorhead

I think there would be many more UMD players to mention if they didn't play a team game. Many of these players are mentioned because in order for their team to win, they had to dominate.

[Adam Gamradt]

I'm impressed I know my history, I can put a face to almost everyone mentioned here! For some reason The Flying Squirrel escapes me though.

I am old enough to remember when Thorson wasn't very good! Then one game, a little blur went by me wearing number 1, and scored before I knew what happened. I looked over to the bench and mouthed the word "halp!" And then Watts got schooled by him for the rest of that game.

Tex, I think the Bethel guy you're thinking of wore number 20. I forget his name, but I remember him as a good player.

Gary Habish (sp?) was really good for UMD back in the day. Hurley used to chant his name from time to time, so I remember him pretty well.

Don't forget Chris Larson at LSM, I'm not sure if he was officially a UMLL guy, but he did start UST. He was track star fast, with a tendency toward nasty stick checks. I once saw Jeff Bleadow break a brand new carbon fiber long pole over his back and Lars just stood up, said "ouch", and proceeded to hunt down the guy with the ball.

Dolan is one of my favorites at LSM, due to his ageless and relentless style, and a diving over the head check I saw him throw at the midfield during summer league.

And don't forget Cory Mcusack (sp?). Hurley had a song about him, but I can't recall the words. It had something to do with his tendency to run marathons. He wore number 5, and I recall him destroying us almost single handedly on one occasion.

Dallagher was pretty good himself for UMD.

I had the pleasure of coaching John Chapman. He was a monster, and a really kind person. I believe he's in or around Virginia coaching now. A little better conditioning, and he would have been the best midfielder around.

The same goes for Lance Kuehn, what a great guy he is. Our senior goalie quits about a month before our first game. So we're "looking for volunteers" to learn how to play goalie before our first game against UMD. Lance walks up with his six weeks of experience and say he'll play goalie "if it gets me on the field". Fast forward a week and he gives up 13 goals against a pretty good UMD team and lives to tell about it. Fast forward to today and he's coaching high school ball and is all about improving lacrosse in Minnesota. Truly a local product, a career born of effort and heart.

I agree with Ben Mooney being on that list, probably near the top of dominant players. He's the only player to ever make me cry during practice. I spent three years trying to cause him pain for being so good, and he never once made a sound. Toughest guy I've every played with, hands down. Left handed lasers, and strong an ox, he was a beast at attack. He made a habit of decleating defensemen while riding. Just for fun, he picks up a long pole and he's good at that. Then he picks up the goalie stick, and he's good at that. Don't even get me started about how hard it was to get girls to talk to you if Mooney is anywhere nearby. Ben, if you're reading this, I hate you.

I'd have to put Fozley and Herr on that list due to personal experience. The first ground ball I ever scooped was during winter league, near the top of the box, on the bench side. Foz or Herr was coming down from midfield to ride, and the other came out of the box as I slovenly drove up field with my first possession. After I woke up, they had the ball and we're waiting for me to get up to start the whistle, and everyone was laughing a bit. Needless to say, I became a better passer after that experience.

Rob Horn is, and was really good.

Craig Hammady (sp?) for UMN was a great one year wonder, and a huge part of our championship in 1999.

Thanks for the trip down memory lane guys!

[horn17]

Adam.....

Great post....

I forgot about my favorite all time Gopher middie...

Eric Walstrom...Wally was a beast, and looks like he could still go up and down the field and still run people down.... He was in town for the holidays, so we got to sit back and talk about the glory days over a couple of New Castles...I mentioned this post we started, and he was going to check it out....

(We used to hate each other for some stupid shot I took at him durring a game, but once we got by that - we became good pals...)

[anklebreaker]

No Mention of Tom Lauria??? I will always believe that he was the Jared Katz of the UMLL. He never quit on any play and is to this day one of the top midfielders I have ever played with.

[Gopherlax29]

"E.Z. carried the Gophers to the title" Come on, we all know Duece9 carried that squad...

Launert at goalie is a no brainer, 1st team AA, could/should be playing D1. Enough said.

I like this list, but come on, Bontrager, Cater and Ferrell all coached me at JHS, and they can't make this list...haha!

[RealisticObserver]

I know this post is to include an "all time team" meaning an all-star like team of the best players the league has had.
But what about a discussion of the all time greatest team? Meaning, not all stars, but the best team ever in the UMLL?

With all the NFL talk about Patriots and '72 Dolphins, how about we get some talk on here?

Best Team in UMLL history?
2007 UMD- played some top teams and made some big strides.

Go back a few years... 1998 UMD- tons of talent that would be named to any all-star team.
Took MN college lacrosse to its 2nd National tournament, taking some individual awards as well as placing in the top 4.
Did all that on shoe string budget and 2 "Rob" weekends during the year.

I second the nominations for guys like Shane Farrell, Luke Foslin, Steve Dahlager, and Craig Fuller. Those guys really changed the game more and raised the skill level so much, more than just the next "faster/bigger" guy. Not taking away from faster/bigger guys, but those others really brought skill to the game and were fun to watch.

[Champ]

Best Team in UMLL history?
2007 UMD- played some top teams and made some big strides.

Go back a few years... 1998 UMD- tons of talent that would be named to any all-star team.
Took MN college lacrosse to its 2nd National tournament, taking some individual awards as well as placing in the top 4.
Did all that on shoe string budget and 2 "Rob" weekends during the year.

Don't forget '03, taking #1 Sonoma to OT on the road, Gophers in OT for the UMLL championship, etc.

[Gooseguy10]

UMD: 1997, 1998, 2003, 2007, 2008 (?)

Is there any other team besides UMD that could break the top five all time teams in UMLL history?

[Rob Graff]

Yes

2005 UofM Gophers.

Rob

[Gooseguy10]

So one team out of 18 years of league history.

[DanGenck]

Given the growth of the league in talent and organization, the current season's team is almost always better than the previous year's team. I am sure St. John's 2007 team could beat 2006, who could surely beat 2005, who could easily beat 2004, etc.

Hard to have a best team in league history when things just keep getting better and better.

[Rob Graff]

The Mankato team of 2000 and the UofM team of 1999 were very good as well. Picking the top 5 though is impossible because of what Dan G's post noted - the league is going through rapid, arguably logarithmic improvment, and as a result, comparing teams of different eras is really comparint apples to oranges to pears.

[Chris Larson]

2005 UofM Gophers.

In spite of coaching

So one team out of 18 years of league history.

You have a firm grasp of the obvious Mr. Swart. I also want to thank you for all your inspirational messsages back in 2005. It seems you're off to a good start again in 2008.

Come on, we all know Duece9 carried that squad

From what I remember, #29 barely carried his bag and required offers of hamburgers to perform in a particular game

[horn17]

hahahahah.....

very nice Lars.....very nice.....