Cornell lacrosse 2014

[Al DeFlorio]

Nice article in today's Times about how the Thompsons have broken Syracuse's monopsony on Native American lacrosse players by choosing to go to Albany. I don't really care about or follow the race, religion, or ethnicity of Cornell's players. But does Cornell now have or has it ever had any Native American players?

One would expect this of a school whose motto is "Any person, any study" and located far above Cayuga Lake.

Frank Davis of the 1971 championship team was a Tuscarora.

[Edit:  Just saw a box score of the 1971 NCAAs and Davis scored four of Cornell's 17 goals in the semifinal win against Army and one in the championship game win over Maryland.]

[billhoward]

March 10 USILA poll has Cornell at #8 also, same as Inside Lax poll. http://www.usila.org/polls.html We are the lowest-rated still-unbeaten team. Our Saturday opponent, Yale, is 17th in both polls.

[TimV]

Quint raved about Loyola's stadium and posted this poll as part of the Loyola writeup ...
What's your favorite on-campus stadium to watch a game?
 Shuart Stadium (Hofstra)
 Michie Stadium (Army)
 Koskinen Stadium (Duke)
 Navy-Marine Corps Stadium (Navy)
 Byrd Stadium (MD)
 Homewood Field (JHU)
 The RAC (Loyola)
 Klockner Stadium (UVa)
 Arlotta Stadium (ND)
 Carrier Dome (Syracuse)

... not to diss a guy who rated Cornell so highly, but howcum 7 of the 10 are southern schools? And how could Princeton's Class of 1952 field not be listed when it's right on campus (a, what, physics building is next door?) and it's ringed by everygreens. Places like Byrd Stadium at Maryland are just football fields.

Maybe the southern prevalence was driven by the fact that you can watch March Lacrosse without snow?

I've been to all but Notre Dame, and I have no complaints with his list. I was at Byrd for the Maryland-Duke game two weekends ago.  Great sight lines, a covered and heated deck, rowdy crowd, and a giant inflatable turtle that straddles the locker room door so the team charges out between the turtle legs.  Very excellent.

I wouldn't include the Carrier Dome on this list - it's truly awful: stuffy, ironically UN-air conditioned, and with terrible glare off the aluminum seats, 4000 or so of which have Syracuse fans in 'em.  Brutal.

Princeton's Class of '52 is ok, but not great for concessions and the brickwork is a little too art-deco for my tastes.  Visiting teams have a long trek to the locker rooms.  I like games at their football stadium better.

If you like the field bordered by evergreens, Yale's Reece Stadium is the best with tall cedars encircling the ends and the far sideline occupied by Cox Cage walls that reflect the crowd noise back at you.  No concessions, but if there were you wouldn't waste valuable gastrointestinal capacity when after the game you could go to Pepe's, Sally's, or Naples for Pizza.

I like Harvard Stadium because the stands are steep and close to the field.  Their dedicated lacrosse stadium is Jordan Field and no better than a high school facility,  Same goes for Brown's Stevenson Field and Dartmouth's Scully-Fahey Field.  Skip. Although in Hanover, Jesse's serves a steak the size and thickness of a catcher's mitt.  Tolerate the lacrosse field but go to Jessie's.

Bottom line, subtract Syracuse, add Yale and Harvard Stadium and the list becomes more balanced.

[TimV]

March 10 USILA poll has Cornell at #8 also, same as Inside Lax poll. http://www.usila.org/polls.html We are the lowest-rated still-unbeaten team. Our Saturday opponent, Yale, is 17th in both polls.

That's fair.  Before Virginia we played cupcakes.  We need to beat Yale, Princeton and Penn to be taken seriously.  I think Yale and Colgate may fall out of the top 20 by May.

[billhoward]

Forgot about Yale's Reece Stadium. That is excellent. Plus, how would 1,000 fans look in Yale Bowl? Cornell's secondary fields with stands, like Berman Field, are a step down from Reece or Class of '52 with aluminum seats starting close to field level.

Syracuse's Carrier Dome feels its age but regardless - it's indoors.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

We jump to 4th in this weeks coaches' poll

Rank  Team                     Pts (1st)    Prev.  
1   Maryland (6-0)           240 (12)       1  
2   Loyola (6-1)             228            2t  
3   Duke (6-2)               206            6  
4   Cornell (6-0)            191            8  
5   Denver (6-2)             176            9  
6   Syracuse (4-2)           174           10  
7   North Carolina (5-2)     173            4  
8   Notre Dame (3-2)         170           11  
9   Johns Hopkins (5-1)      160            2t
10   Virginia (6-2)          124            7
11   Massachusetts (6-1)     106           14
12   Penn State (3-3)        104            5
13   Princeton (3-2)         101           16
14   Penn (3-2)               78           12
15   Bryant (5-2)             65           18
16   Yale (3-2)               60           17
17   Lehigh (6-2)             48           15
18   Albany (2-3)             35           13
19   Fairfield (4-2)          22           19
20   Drexel (4-3)             15           20

Also receiving votes: Colgate, Harvard, Hofstra, Army, Rutgers, Towson

[Al DeFlorio]

We jump to 4th in this weeks coaches' poll

Rank  Team                     Pts (1st)    Prev.  
1   Maryland (6-0)           240 (12)       1  
2   Loyola (6-1)             228            2t  
3   Duke (6-2)               206            6  
4   Cornell (6-0)            191            8  
5   Denver (6-2)             176            9  
6   Syracuse (4-2)           174           10  
7   North Carolina (5-2)     173            4  
8   Notre Dame (3-2)         170           11  
9   Johns Hopkins (5-1)      160            2t
10   Virginia (6-2)          124            7
11   Massachusetts (6-1)     106           14
12   Penn State (3-3)        104            5
13   Princeton (3-2)         101           16
14   Penn (3-2)               78           12
15   Bryant (5-2)             65           18
16   Yale (3-2)               60           17
17   Lehigh (6-2)             48           15
18   Albany (2-3)             35           13
19   Fairfield (4-2)          22           19
20   Drexel (4-3)             15           20

Also receiving votes: Colgate, Harvard, Hofstra, Army, Rutgers, Towson

And 3rd with the media, Quint, and laxmagazine.  Maybe a bit premature?

[billhoward]

And 3rd with the media, Quint, and laxmagazine.  Maybe a bit premature?

Kessenich had Cornell third last week after we beat the #2 team that is now the #10 team. If you're on the bandwagon early, you're a thought leader. You can also hop off earlier after Cornell has a couple close games or a loss. We are not vastly better or worse than if Michigan not Cornell had gotten the OT goal but we'd be struggling now to crack the top 10. Who's to say we'll make it out of this week, at Colgate and at Penn, unblemished. With the coaching change and new or backup players taking on key roles this year, it's impressive we've done this well.

[ithacat]

And 3rd with the media, Quint, and laxmagazine.  Maybe a bit premature?

Kessenich had Cornell third last week after we beat the #2 team that is now the #10 team. If you're on the bandwagon early, you're a thought leader. You can also hop off earlier after Cornell has a couple close games or a loss. We are not vastly better or worse than if Michigan not Cornell had gotten the OT goal but we'd be struggling now to crack the top 10. Who's to say we'll make it out of this week, at Colgate and at Penn, unblemished. With the coaching change and new or backup players taking on key roles this year, it's impressive we've done this well.

Impressive, indeed. Looking forward to see how they do this week. Two tough road games. Knight has some chops -- struggled early against Yale, but settled in very nicely.

[billhoward]

Somebody on the Sunday Virginia at Notre Dame-broadcast (the Irish are another school with a football indoor field big enough for spring lax) said they think *every* team by Selection Sunday will have 2 losses. If Cornell or Princeton suffers one loss, it would come down to the last game of the Ivy RS for the hosting rights for the tournament, C vs P on Bethpage 4/26. If Ivy lax rules are this, then a one-loss team that beats a zero-loss team hosts because of the head to head record.

[upprdeck]

syracuse has one indoor lax facility and the new fball indoor practice field will also be big enough. they may hold womens games and some other HS type events in that facility i am told.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Today's polls are out:  Loyola, Cornell, and Duke are 1,2,3 in both polls.

[jeff '84]

Today's polls are out:  Loyola, Cornell, and Duke are 1,2,3 in both polls.

And #1 in Quint's Top 20. http://www.insidelacrosse.com/news/2014/03/24/quints-top-20-one-undefeated-remains-elite-contenders-emerge


1. Cornell (8-0)
The win over Virginia, coupled with Loyola's earlier loss to the Cavs for me seals up the top slot for the Big Red, who also have the No. 1 RPI. Offense continues to deliver. Being undefeated has its merits. Ivy wins over Yale, 11-9, and Penn put Cornell in the Ivy driver's seat. Dan Lintner has found twine 29 times. Matt Donovan has 35 points and Connor Buczek has 20 goals. #GoBigRed

[billhoward]

Now that everyone else has lost, Cornell has to move up. Question is, if Cornell loses an RS game, how far does it fall and how quickly do critics say "This would happen once Cornell met some really stiff competition"? Interesting that what is perhaps the least heralded team of the past 5 years is doing so well on the field and in the rankings. Syracuse game April 8 will be huge; it is at Schoellkopf.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

Today's polls are out:  Loyola, Cornell, and Duke are 1,2,3 in both polls.

And #1 in Quint's Top 20. http://www.insidelacrosse.com/news/2014/03/24/quints-top-20-one-undefeated-remains-elite-contenders-emerge

Ah well. That's the kiss of death.