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| LaxPower MD3 Forum Poll #4 March 15, 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Team | Past Week | Pts. | 1st | Prev. |
| 1 | Stevenson (5-0) | W Lycoming 18-7 | 311 | 10 | 1 |
| 2 | Gettysburg (6-0) | W Merchant Marine 19-3, W Haverford 10-9 | 305 | 5 | 2 |
| 3 | Salisbury (6-0) | W Cortland 12-11, W Ohio Wesleyan 16-5 | 296 | 1 | 4 |
| 4 | Cortland (1-2) | L Salisbury 11-12 | 250 | 5 | |
| 5 | Denison (2-0) | 237 | 6 | ||
| 6 | Tufts (1-0) | W Amherst 18-8 | 236 | 7 | |
| 7 | Middlebury (1-0) | W Bates 9-6 | 225 | 8 | |
| 8 | Geneseo (3-0) | W Ithaca 17-7 | 201 | 10 | |
| 9 | Roanoke (5-1) | L Dickinson 6-7 | 198 | 3 | |
| 10 | Bowdoin (1-0) | W Wesleyan 11-7 | 160 | 16 | |
| 11 | Dickinson (6-0) | W Kenyon 15-7, W Roanoke 7-6 | 146 | NR | |
| 12 | Haverford (3-2) | W York 20-10, L Gettysburg 9-10 | 127 | 13t | |
| 13 | Nazareth (2-1) | W Oswego 14-2 | 113 | 15 | |
| 14 | Washington & Lee (6-1) | W Ohio Wesleyan 9-5, L Franklin & Marshall 5-7 | 110 | 9 | |
| 15 | Wesleyan (2-1) | W Maritime 14-1, L Bowdoin 7-11 | 96 | 11 | |
| 16 | St. Lawrence (2-1) | W Whittier 7-6, L Drew 10-11 | 57 | 12 | |
| 17 | Stevens (4-1) | L Lynchburg 10-16 | 56 | 13t | |
| 18 | Western New England (2-2) | W Salve Regina 10-9, W Gordon 13-5 | 43 | 18 | |
| 19 | Skidmore (3-0) | W Western Connecticut 8-3 | 38 | NR | |
| 20 | St. John Fisher (4-0) | W Lycoming 10-9, W Clarkson 12-8 | 37 | 19 | |
| Others receiving votes: Lynchburg (28), Cabrini (24), Rensselaer (23), Ohio Wesleyan (17), Drew (15), Union (5), Franklin & Marshall (3), Ursinus (2), St. Mary's (1) | |||||
Number of voters: 16 (corkscrew, D-III, goalielax10, idealtin, LaxUnlimited, laxweforget, minkhoo, Richard, stamp, stewlaxdad, Swank_Lax, thatsmell, turbolax241, valaxfan, wheniwasakid..., Youngred) Pollsters' Comments About Teams They Ranked Stevenson: #3- Shouldn't have a problem with Stevens or Lynchburg, though the Ducks put up a good fight last year. (D-III) — The Mustangs still sit atop my rankings at #1 ... They keep rolling ... This week provides stiffer competition in Stevens and a Jekyll and Hyde Lynchburg team ... 3/27 is looming, but have to take care of business in the meantime. (goalielax10) — This is a team that is rolling, I think a good match up is in store on 3/17 vs. Stevens. (idealtin) — My #1. Have been my #1 since the first forum poll. The attack unit will carry this team all season. 5-0 entering two tough games against Stevens and Lynchburg this week. (LaxUnlimited) — Hard to be dogmatic about a #1 right now, but no one has even laid a glove on these guys yet. #1. (laxweforget) — #1B Uneventful week. (minkhoo) — #1. (Richard) — The Mustangs crushed Lycoming 18-7, #2. (stamp) — #3 Pounded Lycoming. The results of this week's game against Lynchburg will be interesting for both teams. (stewlaxdad) — #2 Neck-and-neck with Salisbury. (Swank_Lax) — Perfect so far. Stevens and Lynchburg makes for a challenging week. #1. (thatsmell) — My #3 - 5-0 after Lycoming park-walk, as expected. Not much to report. Much tougher part of their schedule is coming. (turbolax241) — 1. Looks like the best O in the country. (valaxfan) — 1. The Mustangs are still going strong and beating good teams by considerable margins. (wheniwasakid...) — #1 -- Stevens and Lynchburg this week. This team is legit. (Youngred) Gettysburg: #1- Survived Haverford, almost gave it away in the 4th. Should coast this week against overrated Cabrini and Muhlenberg. (D-III) — The Bullets rolled Merchant Marine and had to survive a scare versus Haverford ... Gettysburg holds at #3 ... As close as Haverford was, Cabrini and Muhlenburg may not be within 7 goals this week. (goalielax10) — Held on vs. the Fords and got the W and that is what is important. Team looks strong. (idealtin) — My #2. Close win this week by one goal over Haverford. 6-0 with a game at Cabrini on the 17th. The Bullets have a bunch of depth on offense. (LaxUnlimited) — Showed vulnerability vs. Haverford. Has not been quite as dominant as top 2. #3. (laxweforget) — #1A Bullets hang on against pesky Squirrels. (minkhoo) — #2. (Richard) — Crushed the Merchant Marines and squeaked by the Squirrels. The Bullets are 6 and 0 and my #1. (stamp) — #1 Close game with Haverford yesterday, but that has been more typical than not going as far back as '03. Cabrini could be more of the same. (stewlaxdad) — #3 Squeaked one out versus Haverford. (Swank_Lax) — Big first Q was enough to get the win. I imagine they were "sweating bullets" coming down the stretch. #2. (thatsmell) — My #1 - Bullets beat USMMA and Haverford to stay undefeated, though the Fords have started to wake up and smell that coffee. If HC had started playing in the first quarter instead of the second, G'burg would not still be atop my poll. (turbolax241) — 2. Bullets win the close one. (valaxfan) — 2. Close game with Haverford, but a win is a win and G'burg has six of them. Three of those wins are against pretty good teams. (wheniwasakid...) — #2A -- The Bullets barely survive the Squirrels in a classic, but they are the real deal. (Youngred) Salisbury: #2- The Gulls are back - huge week for them with two wins. Won't be tested again until Gettysburg. Still depth questions at midfield though. (D-III) — Take down the defending champs and take it to the Battling Bishops ... The Gulls stay pat as the #2 team in my poll ... Bradman is playing great now and taking a ton of pressure of off the attack (which I thought was going to be the go to unit for them) ... Wooster and EConn State shouldn't pose much of a threat to Salisbury. (goalielax10) — Playing Salisbury lacrosse, which is great for them and bad for everyone else. (idealtin) — My #3. The Gulls continue to improve as the season goes on. The offense and defense for the Gulls looked great against a tough OWU squad. The offense scored eight goals on its first nine shots and the defense only allowed two shots in the first half. (LaxUnlimited) — A great week. Year-to-date wins over three Top 25 teams, including a Top 5 team. Slim margin of victory over Widener is the only sign of anything remotely like vulnerability. #2. (laxweforget) — #1C Starting to look like the Salisbury of old. (minkhoo) — #3. (Richard) — The Gulls squeaked by Cortland 12-11 and crushed Ohio Wesleyan. Gulls are flying high at #3. (stamp) — #2 Looking more like the Gulls that we've come to know and hate. (stewlaxdad) — #1 Feeling good about this pick. (Swank_Lax) — A very solid Salisbury team, but not without flaws. Yet to play a full game, but Coach B has them steadily improving. #3. (thatsmell) — My #2 - Gritty win against Cortland, then dispatched OWU three days later, reaching 6-0 record, only one of which really says something. Not really tested again till 3/27 vs. G'burg. (turbolax241) — 3. Wins over Cortland. (valaxfan) — 3. SU has started the season with some challenging games and proved they are a top 5 team without a doubt in 2010. Impressive drubbing of OWU. (wheniwasakid...) — #2 -- Great win and game vs. Cortland and a dismantling of the frauds from Ohio keeps them in a dead heat w/ G'burg. Should be an easy week for the Gulls. (Youngred) Cortland: #6- Two close losses doesn't drop them too far. Still an elite team team who can go toe to toe with anyone and will only get better. (D-III) — Couldn't pull out a great back-and-forth game against Salisbury ... Cortland is the #8 team in my poll, and, as I stated in their thread, Kean and Clarkson should watch out, as it wouldn't surprise me if the Red Dragons scored 17 and 15 goals, respectively, against them. (goalielax10) — Still jury out with two losses; however, I believe this team is still the team in SUNYAC, just not the North. (idealtin) — My #5. The best 1-2 team in the country. Tough Ls to Salisbury and Gettysburg, but this team is good enough to stay in my top 5. (LaxUnlimited) — Lost two games by a sum total of three goals to teams ranked in my top 3. #4. (laxweforget) — #4 Haven't quite figured out how good this team might be yet. Wins against top teams have been elusive. (minkhoo) — #4. (Richard) — 1 and 2 record for the Red Dragons. Fell to the Gulls in a close battle. This club should run the table from here on - #7. (stamp) — #4 Came up just short against the Gulls. Tough early schedule can do nothing but help these guys out down the stretch just like the Bullets last year. (stewlaxdad) — #6 Two tough losses hasn't dampened me on Cortland. (Swank_Lax) — Rough road trips to start season, but should pay dividends come tournament time. (thatsmell) — My #5 - Cortland shocked me again, this time with the Salisbury loss. Still think they won't lose another game in the regular season, at least. (turbolax241) — 5. Second tough loss this year; they are close. (valaxfan) — 7. Two early losses have dropped the Dragons a bit, but the games were close and against other top 5 teams, where, unfortunately, someone has to lose. (wheniwasakid...) — #5 -- The loss to the Gulls doesn't hurt them in my poll. They'll start a run this week that could last all season. (Youngred) Denison: #5- Long layoff, essentially restarting their season against St. Mary's. They need to be careful in that game. (D-III) — Game canceled this past week for the Big Red ... Denison moves up to #4 ... St. Mary's in Maryland and Haverford will show if this team is truly a top 10 let alone a top 5 team. (goalielax10) — My #4. Waiting to actually see what this team can do this season. Haven't played a game since the 27th of February. (LaxUnlimited) — Not tested at all yet. It will be this week. Have not played in two weeks. Wonder if that will be a problem for them against two tough opponents this week. #5. (laxweforget) — #5 Yet to be tested. Will the nearly three week layoff hurt? (minkhoo) — #8. (Richard) — Idle. Will their long break hurt? #6. (stamp) — #7 Idle this week and will have to be on their toes against Haverford. (stewlaxdad) — #4 Still nothing of note. (Swank_Lax) — Need to win the big showdown with Haverford this week to prove they belong. #8. (thatsmell) — My #6 - Not much to say. No action, but will probably move after facing more action. Takes tough game vs. St. Mary's on St. Patty's Day, and heads to first of only two ranked opponents (Haverford) on 3/20 with 3-0 record. Watch out, Squirrels. (turbolax241) — 4. DNP. (valaxfan) — 4. Denison is 2-0 against cupcake teams. While they haven't proved themselves yet, they still look like a top 5 squad. (wheniwasakid...) — #4 -- By default, still untested but with 'noke going down they move up a notch in my poll. (Youngred) Tufts: #7- Statement opening win for the Jumbos offense. Twelve different goal scorers in an 18-goal outburst. A team to watch closely. (D-III) — The Amherst game wasn't as close as the score would indicate ... Jumbos round out my top five at #5 ... Lasell and Colby this week should result in two more wins for Tufts. (goalielax10) — Finally started season. Will be the force in the NESCAC. (idealtin) — My #6. Opened the season strong with a big 18-8 win over division foe Amherst. Will learn more about this team as the season goes on. (LaxUnlimited) — Handled Amherst. I'm not sure how much that tells us. #6. (laxweforget) — #8 Dominant win to open. (minkhoo) — #6. (Richard) — Big offensive showing with an 18-8 victory against NESCAC foe Amherst. Jumbos move up with Roanoke and Cortland falling - #4. (stamp) — #9 Rolled Amherst and should have an easy time this week. (stewlaxdad) — #5 Did something unusual by blowing out another NESCAC team. (Swank_Lax) — Pounded Amherst to open the season. (thatsmell) — My #7 - Won the Amherst no-contest, now on to Lasell and Colby wins. First real test vs. Skidmore on 3/23. (turbolax241) — Comfortable win over Amherst. (valaxfan) — 5. Very solid win over a decent Amherst team to open the season. (wheniwasakid...) — #6 -- Proved nothing with win over Amherst but move up with 'noke losing. (Youngred) Middlebury: #4- Workmanlike effort in their opener against a team that had given them bigger problems in the '08 and '09 opener. Still a lot of work to be done, but very athletic. (D-III) — A strong second quarter leads Middlebury over NESCAC foe Bates ... The result and score of the game weren't that surprising to me, but Deane having 20 saves was ... The Panthers are my #6 team and will be tested when they travel to Springfield and play host to Wesleyan. (goalielax10) — Have to wait and see with the NESCAC teams. Too early to tell; going on their reputation at this point. (idealtin) — My #7. Started the season off with a solid 9-6 win over division foe Bates. The next three games against Springfield, Wesleyan, and W&L will be an early test for Middlebury. (LaxUnlimited) — Didn't exactly destroy a team considered to be near the bottom of the NESCAC. Given its heavy graduation losses, it makes me wonder about the quality of this team. Very tenuous #10. (laxweforget) — #6 Solid start in Maine. (minkhoo) — #7. (Richard) — Solid 9-6 victory over NESCAC foe Bates. Panthers warming up. #5. (stamp) — #5 Season finally underway with a good win vs. Bates. First top 20 challenge this week vs. Wesleyan. (stewlaxdad) — #9 Dealt with Bates and may have a stud in cage. Defensively, they could be scary. (Swank_Lax) — Got the season started with a win over Bates. (thatsmell) — My #8 - Won as expected vs. Bates, which I don't consider really a "good test". A must-win week coming up, with Springfield and Wesleyan. Game 2 away on St. Patty's Day: Will Springfield step up to take advantage? 3/20 tilt vs. Wesleyan is between two teams who both lost a lot but may have shrugged that off; could go either way. (turbolax241) — Opens with win. Has two games this week that will give us more info on the Panthers. (valaxfan) — 6. Bates was supposed to be better and Middlebury was supposed to be down, but the Panthers still won. Middlebury goalie situation seems solid. (wheniwasakid...) — #7 -- Same as Tufts. (Youngred) Geneseo: #8- Well positioned to dance this year. Do they have enough to challenge Cortland in the SUNYAC? (D-III) — Totally dismantled Ithaca this past week ... The Blue Knight's are growing on me, and they come in at #7 in my poll ... Head to Florida to play Keene St. and then a HUGE showdown in Rochester against R.I.T. (goalielax10) — Curious to see match-up vs. RIT this week. Nice transfer middie from Hobart in Watson. (idealtin) — My #8. They continue to rise in my rankings. Convincing 17-7 win over Ithaca. Three solid wins over Union, Nazareth, and Ithaca moved this team into my top 10. (LaxUnlimited) — Preseason I could not have conceived of ranking this team so high, but all it does is beat good teams. Not many have accomplished a lot more up to this point. #7. (laxweforget) — #11 Playing very well. (minkhoo) — #9. (Richard) — The 3 and 0 Blue Knights handled the Bombers with ease - #9. (stamp) — #6 Spanked Ithaca and showed they are a player in the North. (stewlaxdad) — #7 Rolled over Ithaca and appear to be prepared to challenge Cortland for SUNYAC supremacy. (Swank_Lax) — Good wins over Union/Nazareth and Ithaca to start the season. All should help come selection time. (thatsmell) — My #10 - Took Ithaca out in dominating fashion and are looking better and better. I think they roll on to 5-0 after Keene State and RIT next week. (turbolax241) — Smashes Bombers, and good. Couple key upcoming games will be telling. (valaxfan) — 9. Genny is asserting themselves as a top team in Upstate NY. The Cortland game will tell us where they really are as the rest of the conferences in that region look a little weak this year. (wheniwasakid...) — #9 -- On track this past week with RIT and Keene State this week - two interesting games. (Youngred) Roanoke: #13- Unimpressive on their home field. As has been the case since '07, their propensity to blow out weaker teams (see what they'll do to Kenyon this week as an example) leads to overrating this good, but not great team. (D-III) — Wow ... Are the Maroons bologna or fillet? I think the jury is still out on them ... Roanoke falls to #9 in my poll and should recover against Kenyon and Hampden-Sydney this week ... Have to play 60 minutes of lacrosse not 45. (goalielax10) — Hiccup vs. the Red Devils might not be a bad thing this early in the season. (idealtin) — My #10. Holding on to the #10 spot in my rankings. Tough one-goal loss to Dickinson. Win's over Saint Mary's (MD), F&M, and Cabrini keep them in my top 10. (LaxUnlimited) — I have to assume it was just "one of those days" against Dickinson. This team has accomplished a lot this year. I am not ready to drop it out of the Top 10 yet. It is not like dozens of other teams have better Top 10 credentials. #9. (laxweforget) — #12 Very tough loss at home, but I'm thinking the Maroons will rebound. (minkhoo) — #5. (Richard) — Last week's comment - "Maroons looking good, but need some better competition, which they'll face in Dickinson." This week's comment - Maroons fall to Dickinson, 7-6. #10. (stamp) — #8 Came up short against a very solid Dickinson squad ... at home no less. HSC is up this week along with the ODAC conference implications. (stewlaxdad) — #10 Rough loss to an inferior team, but I expect them to bounce back by thrashing other inferior opponents. (Swank_Lax) — Lost to a pesky Dickinson team. Drops to #9. (thatsmell) — My #4 - Was supposed to roll over Dickinson. Instead they have a "Haverford vs. SLU" kind of loss (1 of 2 games on this Saturday to qualify for the distinction; the other was F&M over W&L). Does this mean they're still riding too much on last year's reputation? 5-1 now, but won't be really tested till they take what will be their shiny 8-1 record to Stevenson on 3/27. I must say I'm a bit surprised by the ODAC so far, what with Lynchburg's un/low-ranking and W&L's easier first-half schedule (um, except for F&M). (turbolax241) — Falls out of top 5 after rainy loss to Dickinson. Has the Tigers this week. ODAC starts. (valaxfan) — 11. Some really good wins may be overshadowed in this poll by a loss to Dickinson, but the Red Devils are no joke this year. (wheniwasakid...) — #8 -- Their shorts seem to get tight in tight games, but Dickinson is no slouch. Should get back on track with two wins this week. Wouldn't want to be Kenyon. 'noke will put up a BIG digit against them. (Youngred) Bowdoin: #9- Impressive win over Wesleyan without their best player, Kit Smith. Now have two tough ones in Texas. A split down there would be a good outcome. (D-III) — Tracy continuing where he left off last year as Bowdoin comes in at #16 in my poll ... 3 games, 1 week (WNEC, Naz, and Trinity) will push the Polar Bears. If they win out, they should be in everyone's top 12. (goalielax10) — Tough week for the Polar Bears coming up. Nice win vs. overrated Wesleyan. (idealtin) — My #11. Great way to open the season with a 11-7 win over division rival Wesleyan. WNEC and Nazareth will be tough games this week. If they can start 3-0, Bowdoin might sneak up into my top 10 next week. (LaxUnlimited) — A very good win at Wesleyan. I'm not convinced that was a vintage Wesleyan team, but it's an important win regardless. #11. (laxweforget) — #7 Giant road win to open. Three games this week will test the P-Bears. (minkhoo) — #18. (Richard) — Took care of business on the road against NESCAC nemesis Wesleyan. A patient, poised offense cracked the Wes zone D. McCampbell played solid - #11. (stamp) — #10 Great upset win over Wesleyan. Crazy week with two games in Dallas and back east to face Trinity. (stewlaxdad) — #8 Will need to be firing on all cylinders with a grueling trip to Texas on the docket. (Swank_Lax) — Proved it was a team to reckon with in the NESCAC after good road win over Wesleyan. #12. (thatsmell) — My #9 - Beat Wes for a solid win, as I predicted. Next week I think they take WNEC and maybe Nazareth, though that could be close. Defense and GK McCampbell's 65% save percentage was key. (turbolax241) — Bears come out of hibernation with a win. (valaxfan) — 10. Big early win over Wesleyan without Kit Smith. Polar Bears have only played one game and usually don't struggle with Wesleyan but they look solid early. (wheniwasakid...) — #11 -- Impressed with win over Wes. A big week ahead for the Polar Bears with WNEC and Naz, huge games for all three. (Youngred) Dickinson: #10- Red Devils move way up. Well positioned for Pool C even if the Bullets prove to be too much. Disciplined O and physical on D, a great recipe. (D-III) — H.E.A.R.T is what lead to Dickinson's upset victory over Roanoke and has them at #15 in my poll ... Can't rest on their laurels, as they have York this week and a Swarthmore team that beat them pretty handily last year. (goalielax10) — Jumped onto radar screen this past weekend. We'll see what they are made of on 3/24 vs. the Bullets. (idealtin) — My #9. Another team that has shot up in my rankings. At 6-0 with good wins over Saint Mary's (MD), Kenyon, and now Roanoke put the Red Devil's in my top 10. (LaxUnlimited) — Off to a tremendous start. It has not been playing cupcakes on its way to 6-0. With win at Roanoke, it cannot be ignored anymore. #14. (laxweforget) — #9 Fantastic comeback road victory announces the Red Devils as an elite team this year. (minkhoo) — #13. (Richard) — Last week I ranked the 4 and 0 Red Raiders #14 in my poll. They just knocked off last week's #3 team in the country - Maroons - and are 6 and 0. Gettysburg tilt is on the horizon. - #8. (stamp) — #14 Played the dragon slayer role vs. Noke. Still undefeated and showed they can play with the big boys. (stewlaxdad) — #11 Yoda says: One win does not a season make. Must continue to play at a high level. (Swank_Lax) — Win over Noke served notice that the solid start to the season hasn't been a fluke. #14. (thatsmell) — My #17 - Welcome to the Top 20. 6-0 record vs. all-unranked teams, except-- Roanoke. Maybe Noke just got caught flat-footed ... maybe not. What a gutsy fourth quarter by the Red Dragons. Even a couple of their unranked-opponent wins have been against better-considered teams (St. Mary's, Kenyon) than St.John Fisher has beaten, and they're in the always-strong Centennial, so that's why I bump up Dickinson and not SJF. Now comes the rest (the tougher parts) of the Centennial conference-mates. G'burg, Haverford, watch your step. (turbolax241) — Wow, derails the Noke Train! (valaxfan) — 8. A close game with St. Mary's went their way as did a one-goal win over Noke. Good teams win close games. (wheniwasakid...) — #13 -- The boys from Carlisle come up big against 'noke and are deserving of a big jump in the polls, although it's their only quality win. Should remain unbeaten this week. (Youngred) Haverford: #17- Great effort against Gettysburg after falling behind early. Very interesting week; if the Fords can win two, they will move way up. (D-III) — Are there such things as moral victories in a lacrosse game you lose by 1 goal to arguably the best team in the country? Hung tough with the Bullets, and if they pull out two wins this week, the Fords will probably move up from #13 in my rankings ... Another team that is growing on me. (goalielax10) — Tough loss this weekend to a very good Bullet team. Now has two losses. One more and they are toast on the rankings. Right now will keep them high. (idealtin) — My #17. Really only have one good win so far over Cabrini. One-goal loss to Gettysburg and two-goal loss to St. Lawrence keep this team out of my top 15. Max Hjelm is a stud on attack. (LaxUnlimited) — This season is just not unfolding as hoped. Still, looked like one of the 20 best teams in D3 battling Gettysburg. #12. (laxweforget) — #10 Battled Gettysburg to the wire on the road, this team will be a tough out. (minkhoo) — #15. (Richard) — Rebounded to defeat York and almost pulled out the W against the Bullets. The Squirrels are 3 and 2 - #16. (stamp) — #13 Played the Bullets close as usual but will likely get another shot in the Centennial finals. (stewlaxdad) — #14 Strong showing against G-Burg means they are still relevant, but I'm not ready to go bottoms-up on the Kool-aid that YR is selling. (Swank_Lax) — Showed some heart against G'burg, but still fell short. #10. (thatsmell) — My #14 - Fords' assists, goals, shooting percentage and caused turnovers doubled or tripled vs. unranked York. But it's no big deal until they do this to one truly competitive team after another. Also defense slacked again CONSIDERABLY. Three quarters won against Gettysburg is better than none, but it's four quarters, guys. Have they learned this lesson, finally? If they don't do to Skidmore, Denison, et. al., what they did to York and to Gburg for the last three quarters, it's back to square one. Again. (turbolax241) — Keeps it close against the Bullets. (valaxfan) — 13. A good team with a lot of potential and two tight losses. Next week will tell us more about where they really fit in. The top 5 early season ranking now seems somewhat undeserved, however. (wheniwasakid...) — #10 -- Lost to G'burg but move up a notch in my poll due to attrition. Like I said before, those that don't think this is a top 10 (or better) team are in denial, and that's not a river in Eqypt. Brutal week with Skidmore and Denison, no patsies on the Squirrels' schedule. (Youngred) Nazareth: #14- Might be the E8's only hope of respectability in 2010. (D-III) — Nazareth rounds out my top ten at #10 ... Took an over-matched Oswego team to the woodshed this past week ... Need to have two wins in Texas this week against Bowdoin and WNEC for more people to look at them as a legit top 10 team. (goalielax10) — Easy win vs. the Lakers. Two important games in the Lone Star state this week. Have a very strong team. (idealtin) — My #20. Also similar to Haverford and OWU, Nazareth only has one good win so far over Springfield. The next four games will decide their top 20 ranking. Those four games are against Bowdoin, WNEC, Cortland, and St. Lawrence. (LaxUnlimited) — If I've got Geneseo this high, I guess Nazareth, which lost to Geneseo by one in OT, belongs at these heights too. #8. (laxweforget) — #16 The next four games will tell a lot about the Flyers. (minkhoo) — #10. (Richard) — Golden Flyers bounced back to crush an overwhelmed Oswego team - #18. (stamp) — #12 Throttled a lowly Oswego squad and now off to Dallas to face an up-and-down WNEC. (stewlaxdad) — #15 Still a big player in the E8 race. (Swank_Lax) — My #16 - Won vs. unranked Oswego to reach 2-1 but has important week coming up vs. Bowdoin and yes, WNEC. Needs to step up and reassert itself. If they do, I think they come home from Dallas having split the week (losing to Bowdoin, winning against WNEC). Drops one only due to other action. (turbolax241) — 12. Nazareth looks tough and could be the 3rd best team in Upstate NY right now. (wheniwasakid...) — #15 -- Another team w/o a quality win, and a brutal four-game stretch coming up that will make or break them. (Youngred) Washington & Lee: #12- Awful effort against F&M. The Generals have played a weak schedule and might be in trouble. Cerino has a week to correct things before what should be a tune-up game against UVW. Could be overrated here but stingy D makes them tough. (D-III) — Oh Generals, what in the world happened? W&L tumbles to #17 in my latest rankings, and I really do not know how good this team is after losing a game they should win against F&M. (goalielax10) — Perhaps the Generals are not as good as predicted. Win vs. WAC now tarnished and loss this weekend to F&M hurts them. (idealtin) — My #12. Fell in my rankings with the 7-5 loss to F&M this week. At 6-1, W&L will look to rebound against Virginia Wesleyan and Middlebury over the next 8 days. (LaxUnlimited) — Was not winning as decisively as I would have expected given who it played. Now the loss to F&M really exposes them. Not ready to drop them out of the Top 20. #17. (laxweforget) — #19 Big step back for the Generals in Lancaster. (minkhoo) — #11. (Richard) — Really surprised by their loss to F&M. The 6 and 1 Generals fall to #12. (stamp) — #11 Another weekend surprise tripping up at F&M. OWU is on the docket this week, so it isn't getting any easier. (stewlaxdad) — #12 The ODAC is wide open, and W&L is definitely a player. (Swank_Lax) — Stumble against F&M raises some questions about the Gennies. #16. (thatsmell) — With their loss to F&M, drops to my #11. This was the second "SLU vs. Haverford" kind of game for the day (Dickinson over Noke was the first). Got to lose a notch or two for that one. 6-1 vs. all unranked or down teams except for low-ranked OWU. Still waiting for true tests later in schedule (e.g., Middlebury). Next week, should win Va. Wes. game, going 7-1. (turbolax241) — 15. The Generals have been far from dominant all season, and this caught up with them against F&M. W&L needs to put games away and not let up. (wheniwasakid...) — #16 -- I'm on record as saying the Gens are overvalued in every poll. They need to tighten up the ranks with Middlebury on the horizon. (Youngred) Wesleyan: NR- Ugly effort at home against an undermanned Bowdoin squad. With their weak schedule, will need to win the NESCAC to make the NCAAs. (D-III) — Bowdoin loss isn't really surprising ... Not going 2 and 1 this week will be (with the one being to Middlebury) ... The Cardinals are #18 in my poll, as it is still early. (goalielax10) — Don't think this team will be there in the end and had a tough loss to a team that just came out of the box. (idealtin) — My #13. It was tough to rank this team. They have two easy wins against weak opponents and noe loss to a division foe Bowdoin. Will need to see more from them as the season goes on. The match up with Middlebury on the 20th will be interesting. (LaxUnlimited) — Question mark to me coming into the season due to graduation loses. Loss to Bowdoin suggests it is probably #4 in NESCAC, but still may be Top 20 material this year. #13. (laxweforget) — #13 Tough to start the NESCAC with a home loss. (minkhoo) — Inexperience resulting in poor shot selection, multiple turnovers and shaky goal tending hampered the 2 and 1 Cardinals in their 11-7 loss to Bowdoin. Three games this week including Middlebury. #13. (stamp) — #16. (stewlaxdad) — #13 Disappointing loss to Bowdoin, but the Cardinals will rebound. Remember, they lost to the Polar Bears in the opener last year too. (Swank_Lax) — Talent is there, but still an unimpressive start to the season. #13. (thatsmell) — My #15 - Whupped Maritime, but disappointing and not entirely surprising loss to their Achilles-heel Bowdoin leaves me wondering. Will get two easy wins to start the coming week (Montclair, Farmingdale) and end by facing possibly closely-matched Middlebury away on 3/20 with a 4-1 record. (turbolax241) — Moves down after Bears come out of hibernation. (valaxfan) — 14. The zone will help ease the transition, but Wesleyan needs to find a larger group of players that can consistently score. If they lose a star on O, it's going to be tough for them unless others step up to help and, so far, they haven't. (wheniwasakid...) — #14 -- Disappointing loss to Bowdoin, and they're grumbling on the NESCAC thread. The jury is out on these guys. (Youngred) St. Lawrence: #16- Are their true colors showing, or were their terrible results this week due to an early season cross country trip? Lots of graduation losses from '09. (D-III) — Taken to overtime in both of their games on the West Coast this weekend ... I feel the Larries are still a solid team, but have to score more goals this year as their in-experience on offense is showing ... Oswego, this week, at home is exactly what this team needs right now. (goalielax10) — My #16. Rough loss to Drew this week 11-10. Wins over Haverford and Whittier keep them in my top 20. Will learn more about this team in the coming weeks. (LaxUnlimited) — Other than beating Haverford, Larries have not looked good. Graduation losses may be too much to overcome, at least early in the season. Four top teams in the Liberty are very close, and it would not surprise me if the Larries still get AQ. #22. (laxweforget) — #14 Not a great trip to the Left Coast, Larries want to get back to the snow. (minkhoo) — #19. (Richard) — The Saints lost focus and fell to Drew in OT. They drop to #19. (stamp) — #18 Survived in OT against a rebuilding Whittier squad then lost, again in OT, against unranked Drew. (stewlaxdad) — #20 Which Larries squad is the real one? (Swank_Lax) — Not sure what's happening with the Larries. Two bad games in a row. (thatsmell) — Drops a few to my #12 - Just barely pulled it out needing 2OT vs. Whittier, surprising me. Upset in OT by unranked Drew. This wasn't supposed to even be a contest. Will the next 10 days of rest leave them rusty against Oswego on 3/24 and Nazareth three days after that? (turbolax241) — 18. This is a team that can't seem to avoid close games, and it doesn't matter whom they play. This inability to put games away came back to bite them in their OT loss to Drew. (wheniwasakid...) — #17 -- Inexplicable loss to Drew. Is Drew good? This pollster thinks not. A terrible loss for a team I thought was on the rise. (Youngred) Stevens: NR- Losing badly at home to a struggling Hornets team? (D-III) — Tough loss at home against Lynchburg, as they were "blitz-krieged" early and often in the first half ... Have to lick their wounds and go on the road to Stevenson and come back home for an interstate rivalry with Montclair ... 1-1 this week wouldn't be bad, 2-0 would be better ... F/Os continue to be an issue for this team. (goalielax10) — Got taken to the woodshed vs. Lynchburg. Did the rain and wind play into this? A Tewaaraton player does not let in 16 goals. (idealtin) — My #14. Fell in my rankings with the tough 16-10 loss to Lynchburg. Still ranked in my top 15 with solid Ws over Springfield, Muhlenberg, and Endicott. (LaxUnlimited) — #21 Tough home loss to the Hornets. (minkhoo) — #16. (Richard) — Surprised to see the 4 and 1 Ducks fall to Lynchburg. #15. (stamp) — #15 Stumbled against Lynchburg. (stewlaxdad) — #16 A let down against Lynchburg is no reason to discount this team as a serious threat to take the E8 crown. (Swank_Lax) — 4-1 and despite recent loss to Lynchburg, but has played pretty well to start the season. (thatsmell) — My #13 - Oh, well. 4-1. Not good that they could not beat bubble-team Lynchburg. Still, the ultimate test is Stevenson on St. Patty's Day. I still think it'll be Stevenson, then they'll win vs. Montclair. (turbolax241) — Surprised at loss to the Hornets. (valaxfan) — Stevens has been good but not dominant. They're winning close games they should win but lost to Lynchburg convincingly at home. (wheniwasakid...) — #24 -- I'm just not a believer in this team. I'd like to drop them out of the top 25 altogether but that would be little harsh. (Youngred) Western New England: #18- Still finding their legs. Very lucky to beat Salve. But with O'Keefe back, they will get better quickly. (D-III) — We will see this week in Texas if the Golden Bears are contenders or pretenders. (idealtin) — My #23. At 2-2, WNEC will need to beat a quality opponent to enter my top 20. I will not rank this team in my top 20 with two wins over Gordon and Salve Regina, whom they only beat by one goal. Next two games against Bowdoin and Nazareth can improve this teams overall ranking. (LaxUnlimited) — Unimpressive so far. After this week we should know whether it still belongs in the Top 20-25. #18. (laxweforget) — #22 Big trip to Dallas for this young team. (minkhoo) — #17. (Richard) — The Golden Bears rebounded with two less than spectacular wins - #17. (stamp) — #17 Solid wins this week. Off to the land of America's team to play Bowdoin and Wesleyan this week. Results will tell if these guys really are top 20 quality but are still there for now. (stewlaxdad) — NR Not a good lacrosse team right now. (Swank_Lax) — #22. (thatsmell) — My #19 - Just barely recovered vs. Salve Regina. At least they didn't let that happen vs. Gordon. Their in-conference win streak began last week, but Week 4 is out of conference and their next-toughest week of the season: Bowdoin on 3/15 then Nazareth 3/20. I'm not impressed by the nine cake-walk-games in their schedule (out of 16). (turbolax241) — Has a better week. (valaxfan) — #12 -- Still can't figure this team out, but we'll find out this week as they have a round robin w/ Bowdoin and Nazareth. (Youngred) Skidmore: #11- Probably too high but they have been winning while others have not. We'll know where they stand after the Haverford game. (D-III) — Why are we not talking about this team more? Skidmore is my #11 ranked team, and should they go to Haverford and Merchant Marine this week and pull out victories, I have a feeling we will have no choice but to. (goalielax10) — Undefeated. Big game vs. the Fords this week. LL is going to be tough. (idealtin) — My #24. 3-0 entering a big game against Haverford this week. Seniors Barkoff, Lutin, and Howley lead this team on offense. Senior goalie Bongaerts is the leader on this defense. (LaxUnlimited) — Have not been tested yet. That will change beginning this week. Had been without its best offensive player. Now he's back. It's hard to have any real read on Skidmore. #20. (laxweforget) — #20 Another Liberty team with a good shot at the conference title. (minkhoo) — #14. (Richard) — The Thoroughbreds are 3 and 0. Can they run with the Haverford squirrels this week? #20. (stamp) — NR Unimpressive wins don't make you a top-20 team. Sorry, get your weight up. (Swank_Lax) — Thoroughbreds are off and running. (valaxfan) — #21 -- Big game with Haverford on Wed. will shed some light on a team that is an unknown commodity to this pollster. (Youngred) St. John Fisher: NR- Winning but against suspect competition. (D-III) — Undefeated. However, SOS at 165 is not too impressive. Why does Johnson schedule such cupcakes? To build confidence? Has to win the AQ to get to the dance. (idealtin) — My #18. Another team I don't know to much about. Now 4-0 with two decent wins over Lycoming and Clarkson. Need to see this team play better competition before bringing them up in my rankings. (LaxUnlimited) — Clarkson is a decent win, but Lycoming was much too close. Still not really tested. #23. (laxweforget) — #23 Undefeated against so-so opposition. (minkhoo) — #12. (Richard) — The Cards are 4 and 0. But how will they do against Empire 8 competition? #14. (stamp) — #18 At least they are undefeated. (Swank_Lax) — Winning, but not inspiring confidence. #20. (thatsmell) — 19. 4-0 with a couple decent wins. Untested really but looking solid, and the program has been on the rise for the past few years. We won't really know more until they play a good team in Stevens ... but that isn't until APRIL! (wheniwasakid...) — #18 -- Stay where they are in my poll. They've beaten no one. (Youngred) Lynchburg: My #21. Started the season off slow with two Ls to Salisbury and OWU. Big win over Stevens 16-5 to almost move them into my top 20. Can move up in my rankings with wins over Scranton and Stevenson this coming week. (LaxUnlimited) — The real blemish on its record is the 13-10 loss at OWU. Otherwise, it played Salisbury respectably and beat three other teams, including the darling of the E8 faithful, Stevens. #15. (laxweforget) — #17 Rebounding Hornets score a good road win. (minkhoo) — #20. (Richard) — #20 Two solid wins this week, and it looks like they may be getting their act together. Their performance against Stevenson this week will be interesting. (stewlaxdad) — NR Signs of life from this team. Big test this weekend. (Swank_Lax) — Results this year show both the youth AND talent in Lynchburg. #18. (thatsmell) — Maybe #22 ... 3-2 record ... beat Stevens, worth some consideration. (turbolax241) — Hornets back at their offensive best with surprisingly easy win over Stevens Tech. (valaxfan) — 16. Sure, the Hornets lost their first two games to good teams, but since then have been making noise. The game against Stevenson next week will really tell us a lot more. What might tell us even more? If they look past Scranton and lose again before they even get a shot at the Mustangs. (wheniwasakid...) — #23 -- Gained a few chips in my book by dismantling Stevens. But they need a strong showing vs. Stevenson to convince me that they are back in form. (Youngred) Cabrini: NR- Still an outsider. (D-III) — The Cavs are at #20 for me ... for now. (goalielax10) — My #22. Another team tough to rank. Two decent wins over Kenyon and Hampden-Sydney. Need to actually get a win over a top 20 team in move up in my rankings. Great opportunity with a games against Gettysburg and Drew this week. (LaxUnlimited) — Only the beat-down by Roanoke is a serious blemish on its record. #16. (laxweforget) — #18 Cavaliers get the Bullets coming to the Main Line. (minkhoo) — Rebounded against Kenyon - #23. (stamp) — #19 Need a strong showing against Gettysburg on Wednesday to remain in top 20 status. (stewlaxdad) — Rights the ship with a win over Kenyon. #19. (thatsmell) — My #21 - Won decisively against Kenyon but is that saying all that much anymore? With a 3-2 record, now faces Gettysburg and (gulp!) Drew at home. They will have to work hard to reach 4-3 after this upcoming week, but then their weak schedule (9 out of 10 remaining games vs. cream puffs) leaves me unimpressed. (turbolax241) — #20 -- Everyone's favorite team to bash, but mark my words, they're better than y'all think. (Youngred) Rensselaer: #20- Another Liberty team playing well early, can they unseat the suddenly struggling Larries? (D-III) — Pitching a shut-out in lacrosse against an "established" program like Potsdam is impressive ... RPI is #14 in my rankings, and road games at Oneonta and Elmira should have this team 5-0 by weekend's end. (goalielax10) — You don't put a goose egg up on a team and be undefeated without having something in the cooker. Townsend is old school and will mix it up with the best of them. (idealtin) — Young defense has more than pulled its weight so far. Have had trouble in recent years scoring goals. Tendency may have resurfaced in win vs. Potsdam, where it should have put up more than 8. Not totally convinced of this one yet. #21. (laxweforget) — #15 The Liberty could be a dogfight. (minkhoo) — The Engineers are 3 and 0 - #21. (stamp) — #17 The Liberty is up for grabs. (Swank_Lax) — Good team that could be top 20 if they keep it up. A little too untested at this point. (wheniwasakid...) — #22 -- 3-0 and they might be 7-0 before all is said and done. (Youngred) Ohio Wesleyan: My #19. Similar to Haverford, really only have one good win so far over Lynchburg. Close loss on the road to W&L 9-5 this past week. Got dominated by the Gulls 16-5. Tough to read when the Gulls played lights out and looked like the #1 team in the country on Saturday. Start NCAC play this week against Wooster. (LaxUnlimited) — Not a good week. Beaten soundly by Salisbury, and with W&L shown to be not quite the team its previous 6-0 record might have suggested, OWU's 2-2 record losses some luster. #19. (laxweforget) — #19 Nothing unexpected here. (Swank_Lax) — Offense dried up when OWU headed east. #24. (thatsmell) — Maybe #23 - 2-2 record. Give the Bishops credit for continuing to nip at W&L's heels most of the game, but they ran out of gas in the fourth quarter and just couldn't overcome. Were dominated by Salisbury. Drops out of my T20. (turbolax241) — 17. Good win over a young Lynchburg team, but they haven't measured up against the top 10 quality teams while Lynchburg seems to have improved. (wheniwasakid...) Drew: #15- Why not? They probably have no business being here, but I have to put them ahead of St. Lawrence and Haverford for now. (D-III) — Giving a little love to the Landmark Conference. Undefeated and a couple of nice wins. (idealtin) — My #15. Don't know to much about this team. At 3-0 with wins over Whittier and top 20 ranked St. Lawrence move them into my top 20. (LaxUnlimited) — #24 I'll admit to perhaps underrating the Rangers, was St. Lawrence upset a fluke or not? (minkhoo) — Good win over St. Lawrence. 3-0 start with Cabrini up next. #21. (thatsmell) Union: Had a good week, restoring a little credibility. #24. (laxweforget) — My #18 - Huge, loud win over Ithaca (only two goals??) and nice one also over Oneonta, to break my top 20 with a 3-1 record. Geneseo loss seems a tougher game now than before. How about two more wins next week over Manhattanville and Colby? I THOUGHT I heard Union coming. (turbolax241) — #19 -- Same for Union as SJF. Beating Ithaca doesn't look like much of a feat this year. (Youngred) Franklin & Marshall: My #20 - Came up strong to beat W&L and weren't supposed to. I'll give them a chance in the T20 this week. Always a tough out in the Centennial. (turbolax241) — #25 -- Props to the Dips for beating the Generals, but in the long run that win will prove to be less than impressive. Need to build on that win. Ursinus (who I considered for #25) on Saturday is a big game for both teams. (Youngred) Ursinus: #19- Why not? Winning with a tough D. Weak schedule though. (D-III) — #25 Can the Bears hang on in the brutal Centennial? (minkhoo) St. Mary's: 20. Two losses early (including a blow-out to Noke) had me dismissing the Seahawks. Two solid wins, and they are worthy of getting consideration. (wheniwasakid...) Other Teams Pollsters Considered (and comments, if any) Connecticut College: NR- Impressive win on the road against a Trinity squad that has potential. (D-III) — The Camels are 2 and 0 - #22. (stamp) — NR Thrashed Trinity and could be players in the NESCAC. (Swank_Lax) — Two wins in two days has me thinking the Camels could be OK this year. (wheniwasakid...) Bates: My #25. At 3-1, Bates will need to do some damage in the NESCAC to rise in my rankings. Came close in a 9-6 loss to Middlebury. (LaxUnlimited) Widener: #25. (laxweforget) — I don't have enough info to put them in the top 20, but they are a team to watch for sure. (wheniwasakid...) Hampden-Sydney: Tigers seem to be better this year and might make some noise in the ODAC. (Richard) Colorado College: Ithaca: NR Ha ha just kidding ... the Bombers are as ugly as anyone right now. (Swank_Lax) RIT: I now have RIT above Scranton and Ithaca (both of whom dropped off my T20 this week). RIT beat Scranton and had faced tougher competition in Stevenson, so am giving them (overdue) credit for that. (turbolax241) Springfield: 2-2 record but are idle for nine days till heading into big game vs. Middlebury on St. Patty's Day. Still think they could be inspired by WNEC's troubles. (turbolax241) | |||||
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