2011 NCAA lacrosse quarterfinal sites

Harvard to host at Gillette Stadium and Hofstra on the Island. Take that Virginia, UNC, Duke, Maryland, Hopkins, etc.

[Makes it easy to take in both, Tim.]

Wow, they found a location that's maybe even easier to get to than Princeton. (Shorter train ride, but further from the train station to the stadium.) Thanks, NCAA!

And two years in a row with two Northern QF sites. (Princeton and Stony Brook this year.) Crazy.

Josh '99
Wow, they found a location that's maybe even easier to get to than Princeton. (Shorter train ride, but further from the train station to the stadium.) Thanks, NCAA!

It had already been "found," as we played there last year. The crowd for both games seemed very strong, and it seemed like a great experience for the local youth as well (who were all clad in their lax jerseys and toting their sticks around).

Getting to the stadium proved fairly easy, as the buses leave at timed intervals, and taxis wait at the station. Getting back was a little trickier...the Hempstead Turnpike buses didn't come for ~20-30 mins, at which point most people either simply started hoofing it back to the train station, or flagged down one of the few passing cabs that were empty.

Horrible choices that are convenient only to people who live within 10 - 20 miles of the stadium. Getting from ANYWHERE to Hofstra is a pain (except if you're already on the island). Gilette Stadium is convenient only to those in Boston. The NCAA continues to blow it with its choice of sites.

Getting TO Hofstra was easy. Getting FROM Hofstra was an absolute bitch.

Can you say "Belt Parkway on a Saturday Evening?" Feh!

CUontheslopes
Horrible choices that are convenient only to people who live within 10 - 20 miles of the stadium. Getting from ANYWHERE to Hofstra is a pain (except if you're already on the island). Gilette Stadium is convenient only to those in Boston. The NCAA continues to blow it with its choice of sites.

Sorry, but as someone who lives about 55 miles from Gillette Stadium, I say your posting is pure baloney. Gillette is convenient from Hartford, New Haven, Providence, the Cape, Boston, all of eastern and central Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southern Maine, and is not a bad round-trip even from the Cap Cities. It may not be convenient for you, but your puzzling hyperbole is simply uncalled for.

Al DeFlorio

CUontheslopes
Horrible choices that are convenient only to people who live within 10 - 20 miles of the stadium. Getting from ANYWHERE to Hofstra is a pain (except if you're already on the island). Gilette Stadium is convenient only to those in Boston. The NCAA continues to blow it with its choice of sites.

Sorry, but as someone who lives about 55 miles from Gillette Stadium, I say your posting is pure baloney. Gillette is convenient from Hartford, New Haven, Providence, the Cape, Boston, all of eastern and central Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southern Maine, and is not a bad round-trip even from the Cap Cities. It may not be convenient for you, but your puzzling hyperbole is simply uncalled for.

Wow...a lot of big college lacrosse programs bussing in fans by the truckload from the Cape and Southern Maine. C'mon that's absurd. Obviously its convenient for people in Boston and Boston suburbs...that was exactly my point. Not particularly convenient for fans from say...any big time lacrosse program (think UVA, 'Cuse, Duke, UNC, Princeton, Cornell, Georgetown, Navy, Notre Dame (this year), etc. etc.). The list goes on and on. I'm glad its convenient for you, but it's not convenient for fans/student bodies from ANY of the teams that are likely to make it there.

More convenient sites, for example, would be the Meadowlands, the Linc (in Philly), Rutgers Stadium, anywhere in Maryland/DC, Yale Bowl, Lehigh, etc. etc.

CUontheslopes

Al DeFlorio

CUontheslopes
Horrible choices that are convenient only to people who live within 10 - 20 miles of the stadium. Getting from ANYWHERE to Hofstra is a pain (except if you're already on the island). Gilette Stadium is convenient only to those in Boston. The NCAA continues to blow it with its choice of sites.

Sorry, but as someone who lives about 55 miles from Gillette Stadium, I say your posting is pure baloney. Gillette is convenient from Hartford, New Haven, Providence, the Cape, Boston, all of eastern and central Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southern Maine, and is not a bad round-trip even from the Cap Cities. It may not be convenient for you, but your puzzling hyperbole is simply uncalled for.

Wow...a lot of big college lacrosse programs bussing in fans by the truckload from the Cape and Southern Maine. C'mon that's absurd. Obviously its convenient for people in Boston and Boston suburbs...that was exactly my point. Not particularly convenient for fans from say...any big time lacrosse program (think UVA, 'Cuse, Duke, UNC, Princeton, Cornell, Georgetown, Navy, Notre Dame (this year), etc. etc.). The list goes on and on. I'm glad its convenient for you, but it's not convenient for fans/student bodies from ANY of the teams that are likely to make it there.

More convenient sites, for example, would be the Meadowlands, the Linc (in Philly), Rutgers Stadium, anywhere in Maryland/DC, Yale Bowl, Lehigh, etc. etc.

Why don't you give us the complete list of all locations who submitted bids for the 2011 quarterfinals before bitching about the sites chosen? Think Lehigh or the Yale Bowl are on it?

Sorry you and the poor folks in Virginia, Carolina, and Maryland will be inconvenienced--for a change--in 2011. Tell me this: How many of the 40 NCAA championship games (including 2010) will have been played in New England? How many regional quarterfinals have been played in New England? After you find out those answers, then come back and try to explain why it's "horrible" that we should have a quarterfinals--for a change--in southeastern Massachusetts in 2011.

And your "point" (i.e., "convenient for [only] Boston and Boston suburbs" ignored Connecticut, Rhode Island, all of central and southeastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. And if you think lacrosse isn't significant here, tell it to the seven players on the Cornell roster from those states. I am so tired of the Baltimoron crowd whining like babies when the NCAA dares schedule tournament games other than in their backyard.

I know exactly how many (or few) have been played in New England. Ever think there was a reason?

Also I'm not saying that any of those sites (Yale, Lehigh, etc.) submitted bids, merely that they would be more convenient locations. I also have no complaint with an occasional site being in New England, but I'm not a fan of how many times they're playing in Foxboro over the coming few years (3/5 years). Also, I'm not from Baltimore and it's probably easier for me to get to Boston than DC. However, it's undeniable that the chances of ANY team from New England making that game are slim (at best). It's a hotbed for high school lacrosse, but surely choosing two northern sites is no better than choosing two southern. You're pleased by the same evil you're complaining about. When both sites were too far south it was a problem, but it's not when they're too far north?

Last year the 8 teams that made the Quarters:

Duke
UNC
Cornell
Princeton
Maryland
Hopkins
UVA
Syracuse


2008 Quarterfinalists:

Duke
Ohio State
Navy
Hopkins
Notre Dame
Syracuse
Maryland
UVA

In fact, you have to go all the way back to 2006 (Umass) to find a team from New England that actually MADE the quarterfinals. In fact, to find the last team from New England to make the quarterfinals other than UMass, you have to go all the way back to 1995 (Brown). Last time New England had TWO teams in the quarterfinals? 1992 (Brown and Yale).

Also, anyone who thinks Hofstra (or worse Stony Brook which is hosting a quarter within the next few years) is convenient to anything is insane. They're convenient for Long Island and Long Island only.

CUontheslopes
I know exactly how many (or few) have been played in New England. Ever think there was a reason?

Also I'm not saying that any of those sites (Yale, Lehigh, etc.) submitted bids, merely that they would be more convenient locations. I also have no complaint with an occasional site being in New England, but I'm not a fan of how many times they're playing in Foxboro over the coming few years (3/5 years). Also, I'm not from Baltimore and it's probably easier for me to get to Boston than DC. However, it's undeniable that the chances of ANY team from New England making that game are slim (at best). It's a hotbed for high school lacrosse, but surely choosing two northern sites is no better than choosing two southern. You're pleased by the same evil you're complaining about. When both sites were too far south it was a problem, but it's not when they're too far north?

Last year the 8 teams that made the Quarters:

Duke
UNC
Cornell
Princeton
Maryland
Hopkins
UVA
Syracuse


2008 Quarterfinalists:

Duke
Ohio State
Navy
Hopkins
Notre Dame
Syracuse
Maryland
UVA

In fact, you have to go all the way back to 2006 (Umass) to find a team from New England that actually MADE the quarterfinals. In fact, to find the last team from New England to make the quarterfinals other than UMass, you have to go all the way back to 1995 (Brown). Last time New England had TWO teams in the quarterfinals? 1992 (Brown and Yale).

Also, anyone who thinks Hofstra (or worse Stony Brook which is hosting a quarter within the next few years) is convenient to anything is insane. They're convenient for Long Island and Long Island only.

My point has gone right over your head, I regret to say, so I'll stop wasting my time. If you know "exactly" how many championship games and regionals have been held in New England, then it's irrational to say it's "horrible" finally to have a quarterfinals here.

And I didn't say you were from Baltimore, just that you whine like they do. And neither Princeton nor Long Island are convenient to southeastern or northern New England, and that's where the so-called "north" quarterfinals have nearly always been held. We're long overdue to have one here.

CUontheslopes

Al DeFlorio

CUontheslopes
Horrible choices that are convenient only to people who live within 10 - 20 miles of the stadium. Getting from ANYWHERE to Hofstra is a pain (except if you're already on the island). Gilette Stadium is convenient only to those in Boston. The NCAA continues to blow it with its choice of sites.

Sorry, but as someone who lives about 55 miles from Gillette Stadium, I say your posting is pure baloney. Gillette is convenient from Hartford, New Haven, Providence, the Cape, Boston, all of eastern and central Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, southern Maine, and is not a bad round-trip even from the Cap Cities. It may not be convenient for you, but your puzzling hyperbole is simply uncalled for.

Wow...a lot of big college lacrosse programs bussing in fans by the truckload from the Cape and Southern Maine. C'mon that's absurd. Obviously its convenient for people in Boston and Boston suburbs...that was exactly my point. Not particularly convenient for fans from say...any big time lacrosse program (think UVA, 'Cuse, Duke, UNC, Princeton, Cornell, Georgetown, Navy, Notre Dame (this year), etc. etc.). The list goes on and on. I'm glad its convenient for you, but it's not convenient for fans/student bodies from ANY of the teams that are likely to make it there.

More convenient sites, for example, would be the Meadowlands, the Linc (in Philly), Rutgers Stadium, anywhere in Maryland/DC, Yale Bowl, Lehigh, etc. etc.

On top of Gillette being located way in one corner of the area covered by DI lacrosse, it's a real pain to drive to and from because there's only one minor highway into and out of the area.

Edited to add: Gillette isn't any less central than if they were to have a regional in Virginia (or, hell, Ithaca), but traffic into and out of the stadium parking areas along route 1 in either direction can just be an absolute nightmare. Maybe it won't be as bad for the QFs as it was for the final four though.

If you think this is about what convenient for the schools, you're missing the point. It's what's convenient for the fans. More than any sport, lax tournaments are about kid's teams showing up en masse and tailgaiting with the family. And we all know the traditional hotbeds where kids play the game have been Long Island and Maryland, and to a lesser extent central NY.

The sport is growing in following in more places now, specifically New England and SE Pennsylvania, but to date they've only used Princeton and Rutgers to meet the latter demand. The Linc is too big a venue for a quarterfinal tough it was great for the finals. I'd love it if they held a QF at Lehigh. Their stadium is as big as Hofstra's. But if you're going there, Princeton is just as close to the major markets and better suited for public transport.

Jeff's right. It's about the fans. If I were from one of the Johnny Reb schools that from time to time break the Syracuse / Princeton NCAA title string (god, I wish I could've put Cornell in that list), I'd see an active conspiracy at work, like the one that always has us seeded 1-4 spots below where we belong.

Except for one thing: If you have geographically appropriate sites, then all southern schools bitch about not being in the southern bracket unless being in the bracket gives them an unfair disadvantage. The very first NCAA lax playoff was a defacto geographic playoff, the championship game was really the North semifinal, Cornell 17-16 over Army at Army, at which point the best the South could offer that year, Maryland, went down 12-6 in the finals. At Hofstra, which makes it a very special place for Cornell, as anyone could see by the beaming smile on Richie Moran's face after we took down Princeton last year.

Sometimes it's also about where the seeding committee members would like to spend the weekend but that's more in the past: Lake Placid 1970 comes to mind.