Making Sense: Gauchos Back to Form?
by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne Archive | Twitter
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| One of the most recognizeable teams in the MCLA, UC
Santa Barbara is back to its winning ways. The Gauchos downed Cal
in overtime on Friday night before cruising against UC Davis on
Sunday. © Nick Schooler |
With UC Santa Barbara trailing by five goals on Friday night at Cal, Lane Jaffe looked around the Gaucho sideline for signs of panic. Jaffe, who was coaching his first game with UCSB after taking over for Mario Waibel in the fall, was pleased with what he saw.
"Our guys had the expectation that we were going to come back and win the game," said Jaffe on Sunday. "There was no question we were going to win."
With the help of middie Oisin Lewis, who won a series of critical face-offs in the fourth quarter, the Gauchos did indeed rally to defeat the Bears, 11-10 in overtime. On Sunday, Jaffe rolled all 44 players on his active roster in UCSB's comfortable win over UC Davis, 15-9.
The 2-0 start has fulfilled team-held beliefs, but expectations have been a challenging task for the Gauchos to live up to recently.
After establishing themselves as the signature program in the MCLA under the watchful eye of Mike Allan, who is now the offensive coordinator at Towson, including two national championship and two runner-up finishes, there has been a drop-off.
The Gauchos were eliminated in the first round of the 2008 and 2009 tournaments and failed to qualify for Denver last spring with a 10-6 record – the first time UCSB didn't make the tournament since 2000. With an influx of talent aided by the recruiting acumen of Waibel, Santa Barbara appears to be on the way back to prominence.
The team is certainly not tempering its expectations – "We'll always have just one goal, and that's to win the national championship," said Jaffe – but it might take a little longer to get a solid feel for just how good this team is.
It is, after all, an extremely young squad.
There are just three seniors on the roster and seven juniors; an upperclass contingent that is dwarfed by the combined freshman (26) and sophomore (8) classes. And while Cal and UC Davis are maturing programs, they aren't yet in the same league as No. 12 Cal Poly and No. 4 Colorado State – a pair of teams the Gauchos will face before the end of February.
Archrival Poly is next on the docket this Friday night in San Luis Obispo. Most people in the MCLA will have their eye on that result because of the rivalry and UCSB's stature as a marquee team. The contest will be dissected and opinions formed about the Gauchos.
Jaffe knows that. But he also knows his team is 2-0.
"There were enough people speculating about it," said Jaffe. "Now we're in it."
They're in it, and showing no signs of panic.
Terror Threat Elevated
There are three teams that have made the four-team Centennial
Conference tournament in the last two years. Gettysburg and
Haverford are obviously two of those squads, but did you have the
Green Terror of McDaniel as the third? Probably not, but with the
group Matt Hatton has coming back this spring, you might not make
the mistake again.
"If you follow from a distance, we had some ups and downs last
season and early on there were more downs than ups, unfortunately,"
said Hatton. "Some of the young guys were called on and we were
able to get their stuff together so we were able to get back to the
conference tournament. We had a decent showing against Gettysburg
and had we been a little more experienced and executed a little
better, maybe we could have made a push on Gettysburg like
Haverford did on the following Sunday."
The Green Terror is now a year older and Hatton finally has a team
made up of kids he recruited. As a result, Hatton has put together
the strongest schedule since he took over the program five years
ago. Along with the hyper-competitive Centennial slate, the Terror
will take on Montclair State, No. 3 Salisbury, Mary Washington and
St. Mary's.
"You have to bring it every day in this conference or you're going
to be on the outside looking in," said Hatton. "The true
competitors – the student-athletes we're trying to get
– want to play a schedule like that. You have to have things
sharpened up when we get into conference play. A lot of the coaches
would have less gray hair if we were in a different conference, but
our guys wouldn't have it any other way."
The schedule is, in essence, taking a page out of the Haverford
playbook from last year: schedule tough games early with the goal
of peaking when the conference tourney comes around. Will it work?
We'll see, but just don't be surprised if the Green Terror are in
the mix at the end again.
Cabrini Enters Post-Grugan Era
He was one of the dominant players in Division III last year,
scoring 65 goals and dishing out 32 assists for a 15-4 Cabrini
squad that made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. But
now Casey Grugan has graduated. It's doubtful the Cavaliers will be
better without their All-American attackmen, but they could give
opponents a whole new look.
"The danger is if you have one or two guys who say, 'Okay, he's
gone, now I have to assume that role,'" said Cabrini coach Steve
Colfer. "If that happens, we'll be in a big trouble. If we spread
[Grugan's points] out among five, six or seven guys and they each
own a little piece of it, we'll be okay. Hopefully that scenario
will play out. I don't think we have any great players yet, but we
have a lot of good-to-very good players. Hopefully that will make
us a little more dangerous and the opposition's scouting reports a
little deeper."
Senior attackman Paul Skulski (35g, 23a) will be one guy who'll
share the load, but also look for production from sophomore Jeff
Crosby and junior Joe Arrell, who combined for just 14 goals and
six assists last spring. Even with the promise these guys have
shown, Colfer knows there will be times when having Grugan for
another year would come in handy.
"It was always nice when you needed a goal," said Colfer with a
chuckle. "We've been tinkering and staying positive with the young
guys and talking ourselves through situations; just sort of
teaching on the fly. We didn't have to do that as much last year
when we had a field general, but we're doing more of that this
spring. It is rewarding in that sense, but it does get frustrating
at times when things don't go the way we hoped. But we always show
up the next day ready to go."
They better figure it out quick. The Cavs come out of the gate
against No. 6 Haverford (Feb. 26), No. 13 Lynchburg (March 5) and a
highly regarded Hampden-Sydney team (March 9). And on March 16,
Colfer will bring his troops to play No. 7 Gettysburg.
Fortunately for Cabrini, even though they don't have Grugan, they
still have the CSAC, which should punch the Cavaliers' ticket to
the tournament once again.
Thin It to Win It
When you have to play four games in five days – the
tournament grind you must endure to win an MCLA national
championship – depth can have just as big an impact on a
team's chances as a dominant face-off man or All-American finisher.
This fact is what makes the tiny roster size of Simon Fraser, which
advanced to the national semifinals last year, so alarming.
Brent Hoskins, the Clan's co-head coach along with Jeff Cathrea,
isn't terrible worried about the fact he only has 17 field players
and two goalies on the roll.
"We probably won't have too many players complaining about playing
time," deadpanned Hoskins. "We'd like to have a higher number, but
we typically run a smaller roster than most teams. When you make a
run, it's nice to have depth. But with that said, we're confident
in the guys we have and we're fortunate that even though we only
have 19 players on the roster, all 19 players are capable of
playing at an elite level of the MCLA. We're happy with what we
have."
In addition to being thin, the Clansmen will be young. There are
just four seniors and one junior on this year's edition, with the
remaining players either freshmen (8) or sophomores (6).
Sophomore Colton Dow, who scored four goals in Fraser's first
round win over Florida State last year, will be one of the top guns
and Hoskins is also high on rookie Calvin Craig on attack and
sophomore Stuart Mills in the midfield.
"It's probably realistic to expect – and I think every team
goes through growing pains – that there will be a transition
period for us," said Hoskins. "We're still confident that we're
going to be in every game and prepared to win it. But the
experience we gain playing a lot of those early match-ups, win or
lose, will prepare us for the games we need to win at the end of
the season.
"With the pieces we lost from last year there is going to be a bit
of an adjustment period. We're prepared for that, but ultimately
the goal is to be back in Denver in May."
Games Balls
Ted
Ferrin – Midfield, BYU
It was a solid first outing for the junior attackman. Not only did
Ferrin score four goals, but he set up four others in the Cougars
17-3 hammering of Boise State.
Christian Furbay – Attack, Dayton
The junior struck for four goals and an assist in the Flyers' 17-3
dismantling of D-I foe Kentucky. Furbay also chipped in with a
team-high eight ground balls. Hat tip to Dayton teammates Connor
Carrols (2g, 2a), Gerry Jehling (4g, 1a) and Alex Reynolds (16 svs,
2ga).
Jamie Bridgman –
Attack, UCSB
The junior scored a goal and set up five others to help the
Gauchos roll past UC Davis on Sunday.
Benny Krinecik – Midfield, South Florida
The junior scored a pair of goals and dished out a trio of helpers
in leading the Bulls to a 15-13 victory over North Florida. You can
also tack on a team-high seven ground balls for Krinecik.
Josh Puckett –
Attack, Indiana Tech
The rookie is adjusting quite nicely to the MCLA. Pucket racked up
11 goals and one assist in the Warriors 3-0 start to the season.
His game came in Tech's 14-8 win over Palm Beach Atlantic when he
netted a five-spot.
Ronnie Rothstein – Goalie, Western Oregon
Western Oregon put to bed any notion that they won't be winning
the PNCLL championship again by dispatching Gonzaga, which just
moved down from Division I, in the opener, 13-4. Rothstein was
clutch, making 16 saves on the afternoon against just four goals
allowed.
Power Fives
NCAA Division II
1. C.W. Post (0-0) – Good that the Pioneers
are giving some Western teams a taste this spring.
2. Le Moyne (0-0) – There are really on two
potential losses on the Dolphins schedule.
3. Mercyhurst (0-0) – Seven of the Lakers'
first eight games are on the road.
4. Merrimack (0-0) – This year is gravy for
the Warriors. Next year they could be favored to win it.
5. Limestone (0-0) – I was surprised to see
how close the Conference Carolinas preseason poll was.
NCAA Division III
1. Tufts (0-0) – One week and the Jumbos can start
practicing!
2. Cortland (0-0) – Steve Beville became a Hall of
Famer this offseason.
3. Salisbury (0-0) – The Gulls play their
first game before Tufts can officially practice.
4. Stevenson (0-0) – Haverford game is just
two short weeks away.
5. Middlebury (0-0) - One week and the Panthers
can start practicing!
MCLA Division I
1. Michigan (0-0) – The Wolverines continue
their tour of the NCAC with Kenyon up next.
2. Arizona State (0-0) – We'll get an idea what the
Devils are about in the opener vs. Utah.
3. Colorado State (0-0) – Still lingering questions
about that loss to Simon Fraser in Denver.
4. Chapman (0-0) – Will the uneven SLC
divisions have an impact on the season?
5. Oregon (0-0) – The opener against Cal
next weekend is looking more perilous now.
MCLA Division
II
1. St. Thomas (0-0) – For my money, St.
Thomas has the toughest schedule around.
2. Davenport (0-0) – A healthy Jordy Sayers
will be key this spring.
3. Westminster (0-0) – Opening with Western
Oregon sets the tone for the Griffins.
4. Dayton (1-0) – Nothing like starting the
season with a rout against a D-1 team.
5. Utah Valley (0-0) – If you're going to play Utah
in the middle of the season, why a scrimmage?
Slides & Rides
NCAA Division II
Hang tight, D-II fans. The season is almost here. I posted a story on Corey Lunney and the Merrimack young
guns last week. Other than that, we're just waiting for things
to pick up in a couple of weeks.
NCAA Division III
- My weekly "Weekender" notebook that is posted every
Friday touched on the new coach at Montclair State in the wake of
John Greco's passing in November. Well, guess who's starting the
season against the Red Hawks? Yup, it's McDaniel. Green Terror
coach Matt Hatton understands what he's going against.
"I'm sure that they are going to be playing with a pretty good
fire and rightfully so," said Hatton. "It's going to be
interesting. There is no question they are good and we're lucky to
have them on the schedule."
- It's almost an annual conversation, but I always end up talking
with Cabrini coach Steve Colfer about the state of the Colonial
States Athletic Conference. Colfer has always had to front-load his
schedule with a brutal mix of teams to make up for the general
weakness of the CSAC. While the league is maturing, Cabrini's run
over the past five or six years has given the others schools like
Marywood and Gwynedd-Mercy something to shoot for.
"When we have recruits that have spent some time on one of their
campuses or met the coaching staffs, they say, 'Coach, man, all
they talk about is beating you guys.' That's how they recruit and
how they practice," said Colfer. "We wear a bulls-eye. I get it. I
really like the guys who are coaching in the conference. They are
good guys and they are doing things the right way. I know they are
coming after us and it is our challenge to keep them at bay the
best we can. It's going to become more and more difficult as the
years go on, but that's a good thing. It will push our
program."
Don't expect anyone to catch Cabrini this year, however.
- Happened to call Hatton on Friday, which was also his 32nd
birthday. Hope he enjoys the cake now because the Green Terror's
schedule would give most people indigestion...the Midwest Lacrosse
Conference is about to start up its last season without an
automatic qualifier. The tourney AQ kicks in next year, but with
four Pool B spots around this spring the potential is there for an
MLC team to earn a nod to the dance. The likely candidate: Adrian.
The Bulldogs would have to put together a strong record and win two
out of three against the Wooster, Wittenberg and Kenyon
trifecta...the MAC should be fun to watch this year. Not only does
it feature 12 teams, but there are several contenders for the
crown, including Widener, FDU-Florham, Lycoming, Elizabethtown and
Messiah.
MCLA Division I
- A loss is a loss, but there's reason for some optimism in
Milwaukee after Marquette lost to No. 9 Minnesota Duluth on
Saturday evening, 13-6. Why? Because the Golden Eagles lost to the
Bulldogs twice last year by the scores of 17-3 and 19-1. After
falling behind early, 5-1, Marquette tightened up the defense and
kept Duluth off the board in the second quarter. At the end of
three, it was UMD leading by the count of 7-4 before putting the
game away in the final stanza. Much of the good vibes must be
tempered because Mankato State pounded Marquette on Sunday, 18-7
– five goals worse than last year's loss to the
Mavericks.
- On the flip side, we probably shouldn't read too much into
Duluth's performance. They were missing a couple of offensive
players and still picked up an important league win. Brandon Nispel
delivered as advertised, scoring four goals and setting up one
other. The Bulldogs will get tested again next Sunday when they
play an improved Mankato State team before they hit the road for
consecutive games against No. 6 BYU, Utah, No. 8 Oregon and No. 7
Colorado. After those games we'll be able to better evaluation
Duluth.
- This will be the fifth time in school history that Simon Fraser
will be below the 20-man mark. I probably should have saved this
factoid for "Trivia!" but the Clan has previously been sub-20 in
'01, '02, '03 and '06 along with this season, according to Fraser
co-head coach Brent Hoskins.
- We can tell by the scheduling that Washington is getting more
serious about its lacrosse program and the Huskies got off the a
decent start by beating Western Washington, which is ranked No. 16
in Division II, 15-10...It's a shame that the Lindenwood had their
tour of the LSA canceled due to weather, but the loss of the games
– against Texas State, SMU and Texas – isn't terribly
important in the grand scheme of things. Both the GRLC and the LSA
are one-bid leagues this year, so the only game that really matters
for both of these teams is the conference championship
contest...Clemson continues to improve, and the Tigers showed it in
the 10-3 walkover against Tennessee and a 16-1 smashing of East
Carolina...Texas blasted Rice, 23-1...from what I understand,
Chapman lost to its alumni team. Honestly, if the Panther alums had
half the guys they lost in the last three years, that's not a bad
loss...Florida scored 30 goals in a pair of conference wins over
Miami and South Florida...Schooling Schooler Pick 'em competition
begins this week.
MCLA Division II
- I'll man up and admit it: I thought Gonzaga was going to make a
real splash this year after moving down from Division I into the
junior circuit. That notion was quashed on Saturday after No. 10
Western Oregon smashed the Bulldogs, 13-4. I suppose despite the
score Gonzaga can take the optimistic approach and believe they'll
have another crack at the Wolves in the PNCLL championship game.
However, after this beatdown, can we expect the Bulldogs to even
make it that far? They did rally to beat Southern Oregon on Sunday,
8-2. Meanwhile, at this point WOU is just playing for a seed in
Denver.
- As we headed into the season it appeared the SLC was again going
to be a battle between Biola and Cal State Fullerton, but there is
suddenly a new contender. With Concordia's 13-12 victory over UC
Santa Cruz – once thought to be a contender for an at-large
bid out of the non-AQ WCLL – the Eagles are a threat. And
with No. 4 Westminster, Biola and No. 10 Western Oregon on the
schedule, Concordia will be in the mix for an at-large bid if they
can snag one against that trio. As much as I hate to write it in
February, you can probably put a fork in the Slugs.
- Indiana Tech is off to a 3-0 start after sweeping their
three-day, three-game southern swing this past weekend. The
Warriors didn't exactly schedule the big dogs, beating Appalachian
State, Palm Beach Atlantic and Liberty, but the record looks pretty
right now. Tech now as a month off before playing again, and
they'll do it by playing No. 5 Grand Valley State and No. 2
Davenport in the span of seven days.
- St. Mary's wasn't able to get one of the games it needed in
Georgia, but the Gaels proved that they are a team on the rise.
Finishing with a win over Emory on Sunday was a good finish...rough
first weekend for Western Washington. The Vikings decided to play
three games in a 19-hour span and ended up finishing second in all
three. WWU is ineligible for the postseason after some off-season
contretemps, but despite the rough start they could upend a couple
of favorites before the season is over.
