Schooling Schooler: Lacrosse as Baseball?

by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne Archive | Twitter

If Nick and the rest of the California softies get their way, you might as well put a lacrosse stick in this kid's hand.

Is lacrosse slowly turning into baseball?

No, not the interminable waits between action or the fact that only nine players on each team play for three-straight hours.

Rather, has lacrosse turned into a “no weather” sport?

Nick reminded me of something I’ve been pondering with his commentary on the Arizona at Loyola Marymount game.

He attempted to defend the Lions' season-defining loss because it was played in the rain. According to Nick, LMU’s setback to San Diego State was somehow mitigated by the wet stuff, almost necessitating an asterisk or something similar.

This past weekend, the Division III men’s game between Gettysburg and Haverford was postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to “heavy rains and high winds.”

Is this what we are now?

Is lacrosse only to be played in the most pristine of weather conditions, on the most manicured of surfaces? Are today’s players so delicate as to be unable to handle a little meteorological adversity? It seems like every program of consequence has a turf field, so why’d they build it if not for the express purpose of playing in bad conditions?

I fear there has been a general softening of the men’s game that needs to be addressed. With the kids and their video games and their Facebook consuming 14 sedentary hours a day, the last thing we need to do is eliminate an activity because youngsters might get wet.

But here we are: postponing games because of rain and wind, and Nick is essentially equating playing in a drizzle to the lacrosse equivalent of climbing K-2.

I might have to start referring to quarters as innings from now on.

On to the games…

No. 17 Arizona (5-3) at No. 22 Loyola Marymount (5-3), 1 p.m. PT, Saturday
SCHOOLER: I think LMU is one of the most underrated teams in the league. People overlook them because they had an early season, one-goal loss to San Diego State during a torrential downpour. It doesn't rain like that in San Diego. It actually never rains in San Diego. The Lions’ other losses came to Florida State and Chapman, both very good teams. Arizona has also done very well this season, but has a loss on the road to Texas. Because this game is being played in Los Angeles, I'm going with Coach Frey and the Lions in this one.

COYNE: See above rant.

Mickey-Miles Felton, Arizona’s loquacious coach, is a Long Island boy. He’d play if it was raining galvanized nails. I’ve got the LaxCats, rain or shine, by three.

No. 7 Brigham Young (5-2) at No. 13 Simon Fraser (1-4), 1 p.m. PT, Saturday
COYNE: I promised in my Making Sense column I wouldn’t talk about Simon Fraser any more, but the Clansmen managed to somehow pop up in the competition. Why? Good question. I suppose it’s a vestige of preseason hopes and dreams that this game would actually hold some deep meaning in the grand scheme of MCLA things. As the game stands now, it’s like watching two aging boxers, both past their primes, battling it out for one last shot at relevance.

I’ll take the Cougs by a deuce.

SCHOOLER: I'm going for it; I need to make up some ground. I have seen BYU play this year, and they looked pretty sluggish. They are not the BYU of the past. This game is finally on frozen, Canadian soil. If SFU loses this game I will never pick them again...ever! I’ll take Simon Fraser in a close one.

No. 5 Minn.-Duluth (5-1) vs. No. 20 California (5-2), 12 p.m. MT, Saturday (at Tempe, Ariz.)
COYNE: It’s difficult to get too invigorated by a loss, but the one-goal setback to Arizona State should be a cause for optimism for Duluth. It’s not that the Sun Devils are that much better. Rather Duluth was coming off a long lay-off having played only weak competition, and still stayed close to a quarterfinal-quality squad. With that rust-buster out of the way, the Bulldogs can get down to business with the rest of their schedule. The Golden Bears will just be a speed bump. Bulldogs, 12-7.

SCHOOLER: It is so tough to pick against your second-favorite team, but after the showing the ‘Dogs had against ASU, I can't pick Cal. Even with all the Berkeley High alumni on the Cal roster it hurts me to say this, but Duluth wins easily.

On a Golden Bear sidenote: great goal last week, Jon Chee. Way to stick it to Sonoma in six overtimes.

Coyne’s Pick
Northeastern (1-2) at Boston University (2-1), 8:30 p.m., Friday
COYNE: Ah, a little Beanpot action. It brings back fond memories of watching college hockey on Monday nights in the old Boston Garden (my father’s friend and college classmate, Billy Cleary, was the former Harvard athletic director, so we had great seats on the glass). Each year you could hang your hat on Northeastern finishing second in the consolation game and Boston University players skating around with the trophy when the evening closed.

We’ll see the PCLL equivalent of that this weekend in a late start at Nickerson Field. The Huskies played Florida tough, but the Terriers will be bolstered by the home field advantage, taking the two-goal victory.

SCHOOLER: Great! Two unranked teams. How about something a little more exciting? You are boring our two readers: my mom and your mom.

I'm not sure what to make of this Northeastern team. They had a great showing against Florida, making a late-game comeback. Then the following day they were destroyed by Central Florida. BU at least kept that game close. But I'm going with past success. Plus, I need to make up some ground. So Northeastern in a close one. What kind of school has a Terrier as a mascot anyways? Very scary...

COYNE: …said the “Gaucho.”

Schooler’s Pick
San Diego (2-5) at UNLV (3-4), 1 p.m. PT, Sunday
SCHOOLER: This game was not picked in order to get back at Jac for selecting two unranked teams. I picked it because of the Jersey Shore-like drama that has unfolded over the past season between UNLV and the SLC/MCLA. Earlier this week, the SLC decided to suspend head coach Gary Campo and one of his players.

In this contest, the Running Rebels will square off with one of the individuals responsible for laying down the suspension on Campo and his player – San Diego coach Mike DeWan, who is also the SLC's vice president. Let's just say that both sides are not happy with each other. I can see this being quite a thriller, like the final episode of Lost. Who knows what will happen next?

I do! USD takes home the W.

COYNE: The drama is a shame because these two teams appear to be at the same competitive level. UNLV made strides this year, losing to Utah by a lone goal. It’s important to remember that 15 of the 21 players on the roster are either freshmen or sophomores, including leading scorer Kyle Morse (33g, 13a).

I think (and hope) cooler heads will prevail. If they do, the Rebels will squeeze out a one-goal victory with about three minutes remaining.

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