Coyne: The Calming of the Coaches
by Jac Coyne | Lacrosse Magazine Online Staff | Coyne Archive
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| Has Tim Santye and the rest of the WNEC team made
enough adjustments to overcome the 11-goal deficit from the first
time they met Tufts? See predictions below. © WNEC Athletics |
There's a peaceful vibe for coaches the week after Selection
Sunday.
They've been grinding away for four months just to see their
program's name appear on the television screen as the talent
talking over the graphic pretend they know something about Division
III. After that happens, there's an overall calmness evident when
you talk to coaches.
The usual angst has melted away literally overnight.
Sure, they're concerned about their NCAA tournament games, but
that's the fun part of coaching.
It's the payoff for all the travel plans, budget concerns and
whiney parents. It's the reward for not receiving that phone call
early on Sunday morning informing you that one of your players did
something stupid the night before.
So it's fun to just shoot the breeze with coaches during this time.
I enjoy speaking with coaches during the season, as well, but
usually they are preoccupied with film or other duties, meaning
often times they are just trying to answer the questions and get
back to business.
The week before tourney games they'll explore wider topics.
Prior to his loss to St. Lawrence on Wednesday, Rob Randall, the
head coach of Nazareth, expounded about his concern about Ithaca's
omission from the tournament. He talked about the strength and
depth of the Empire 8 and how it stacks up with any league, the
NESCAC included. While the respect is always there, often times you
don't hear heated conference rivals sticking up for each other
until the competition has been put to bed for the year.
Michael Caravana, Denison's head coach, spoke about rivalry games -
he was heading into Wednesday's clash with NCAC foe Ohio Wesleyan,
which the Big Red won handily - and at length about the importance
of having an experienced team. It might have been a bit too
esoteric for the casual lacrosse fan, but I found it
fascinating.
We've spoken on the topic before, but Steve Colfer, the Cabrini
head man, and I prattled on about the maturation of the Colonial
States Athletic Conference - formerly the PAC - and how only two of
his opponents have managed to stay within 13 goals of the Cavs
since late March. Does that impact how he ramps his team up for the
tournament? If he did, it worked, as Cabrini rocked Montclair
State, 17-3 in the first round.
Nothing had changed, however, when I spoke with Jim Berkman at
Salisbury. He's as sanguine in April as he is in May - eight
national championships will do that for you - but he still provides
interesting insights, such as the impact of travel on a team and
why the Capital Athletic Conference plays its tourney so early.
I sprinkle the information I receive in my write-ups and
predictions because there was not enough for an entire story this
time, but hopefully it helps me paint a picture for you. Because as
calm as the coaches are in May, the opposite is true for those of
us trying to cover the sport.
Saturday's Games in Three Sentences...
Springfield
(12-6) at Cortland (15-2), 1 p.m.
This is a very similar scenario to last year, when an
11-6, but battle-tested Springfield team was tied with Cortland
with six minutes left in the game. The Red Dragons eventually
pulled it out, 12-9, but one could argue this year's Pride team is
better than last year's and Cortland doesn't have the experience of
the '08 squad. Ultimately, the game will be close again, and with
the same order of finish: Cortland 11, Springfield 9.
Western New England (16-2) at Tufts (13-4), 1 p.m.
Despite only out-shooting WNEC, 48-43 in the first match-up on
April 7, Tufts blasted the Golden Bears, 15-4, taking advantage of
seemingly every opportunity. Is it possible to chalk up a
convincing win like that to a couple of bounces, which the WNEC
staff will likely do as it pumps its kids up for the contest, or is
there something more fundamental that needs to be retooled? I'm
guessing the later, and it's a little too fundamental: Tufts 10,
WNEC 7.
St. Lawrence (13-3) at Middlebury (13-2), 1 p.m.
The Panther defense is competent, but it's nothing like the
Midd defenses of old as we saw all too clearly in the NESCAC
semifinal loss to Wesleyan. This makes the Panthers susceptible to
trouble if they run into a really good defensive team, and that's
exactly what St. Lawrence is - the Saints stifled a pretty decent
Naz offense on Wednesday. This one should be low-scoring and tight,
but I see an upset brewing: St. Lawrence 8, Middlebury 6.
Eastern Connecticut (15-3) at Wesleyan (14-3), 1 p.m.
This is when the Wesleyan zone can be a bear: a non-conference
team sees it for the very first time and must try to prepare for
it. Even good teams - and make no mistake, EConn is a good team -
can't replicate what they are going to see in such a short time
frame on the defensive end, not to mention trying to stop a
Cardinals offense that is playing sublimely right now. The Warriors
will get a feel for the zone at some point, but as is common
against Wesleyan, it'll be too late: Wesleyan 14, Eastern Conn.
7.
Cabrini (15-3) at Stevenson (15-1), 1 p.m.
Stevenson is the No. 1 team in the country and the No. 1 seed
in the tournament - a pair of honors they've certainly worked hard
to achieve - but we're in the money rounds now. As talented and
well-coached as the Mustangs are, they are still NCAA tournament
novices going against a team that is not only a tourney staple, but
familiar with battling high-end programs with everything on the
line. Stevenson will win this one, but they'll have to earn every
one of the 60 minutes: Stevenson 15, Cabrini 13.
Salisbury (15-3) at Haverford (13-3), 1 p.m.
Jim Berkman thought the Gulls had a shot at a home seed in
this one, but he's comfortable with the pairing, especially since
he was able to take a peek at the Black Squirrels during the
Centennial tourney. Catching the Salisbury coach's eye was Joe
Banno, the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Haverford goalie who alters every
angle he plays. Throw in the fact that the Gulls are on the road
and you can almost convince yourself that the defending champs are
underdogs: Salisbury 13, Haverford 8.
Denison (13-2) at Roanoke (17-1), 1 p.m.
What kind of mentality does a team have when it wins its first
17 games of the season, but loses the last one heading into the
NCAA tournament? I'm guessing it will be one of a team that really
wants to get back on the field and reconnect with its winning ways,
even if it's against a team as dangerous as Denison. I don't doubt
the fact that Big Red's dynamic offense is going to get its points;
I just don't think it will get enough: Roanoke 16, Denison 13.
Washington & Lee (16-3) at Gettysburg (13-3), 1 p.m.
This game is as much a referendum on how good FDU-Florham -
the team that got no respect and still took W&L to overtime in
the first round - is as much as it is about the Generals and
Bullets. Putting that aside, Gettysburg has to feel pretty good
about playing at home against a team unable to tame a second-tier
conference champion. That will come pretty close to costing them a
victory, but they Bullets will figure it out just in time:
Gettysburg 11, Washington & Lee 10 (overtime).
