Week 12 was actually somewhat sane when it came down to it. That’s rare. While a ton of my Top 20 lost, most of those losses were to other Top 20 teams. It made sorting through it all pretty simple in the end, and week 12 is actually looking sensible and solid!
HOWEVER, the week 12 point of the year is also when we start to see more and more teams ending their seasons. Several teams have already taken the field for the last time, and we are about to have a bunch more this week, with the trend continuing until a 2018 champ is crowned on Memorial Monday.
Also, Fenzel. Notre Dame. Mario. Groundball mushrooms.
So, here are my personal top 20 votes, some sort of description of where this team is currently standing, and a note of where that team has been placed in the national media poll (which can be found here: https://www.insidelacrosse.com/league/DI/polls).
Totally serious poll format reminder:
My Rank/Team/My Rank Last Week
Record
Games this week
National Media Poll Rank
Ramblings, the glorious ramblings!
Week 12 – Totally Serious Poll Votes
1 Yale LW: 1
12-2
Games: 16-8 W vs. Harvard
National Poll: 1
They have been the team to beat in the Ivy all season, and nothing has changed. But instead of hosting, they go down to New York City to sort things out for the Ivy this weekend. The only league team who has come close has been Cornell, so we’ll see if that repeats itself over the weekend. Yale is athletic, strong, skilled, savvy, and they just might be the most physical team in the country, at almost every single position.
2 Maryland LW: 3
11-2
Games: 8-7 W vs. Hopkins
National Poll: 2
What. A. Win. Maryland with the instant classic win over Hopkins was excellent. They’re getting 4 #1 votes right now in the national poll, and I can’t fault any one of those voters. This is a truly excellent team, and the 2018 Terps are another great example of the resilience we are used to seeing from John Tillman teams. It happened last year, and it’s happening now. Win, reboot, reload, win again. Beyond impressive.
3 Denver LW: 4
11-2
Games: 7-4 W vs. Marquette
National Poll: 3
Denver’s prize for beating Marquette is… another game against Marquette! The Pios can still lose a game here and not be too affected by it, but why risk it? Denver is Denver, but they are also a bit of an enigma, which is kind of shocking this late in the year, but it adds another level of excitement to a very talented field of contending teams.
4 Duke LW: 2
12-3
Games: 14-11 L vs. ND
National Poll: 5
This was not a good loss for Duke, but it could have been worse. They’re still going to host an NCAA game, and they are going to be a very tough out for anyone for as long as they are alive. They still get BU this week for one last tune-up before the “real” games begin.
5 Albany LW: 5
12-2
Games: 16-6 W vs. Hartford
National Poll: 4
Connor Fields is out on the field again, and Albany was rolling. Just avoid a slip-up in the conference tournament (it’s happened before!), stay healthy, and get a home game. That’s the formula they’re looking for this week.
6 Hopkins LW: 6
9-4
Games: 8-7 L vs. Maryland
National Poll: 7
Hopkins definitely wishes they had won that game in front of that crowd, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t hurt them too much. They still have a chance in the B1G tournament and they should get another crack at making those Homewood fans cheer in person again. One amazing thing from this game that may go under the radar was that Richard Pasternak, class of 1938 (that’s 80 years ago!), was in attendance and received a standing ovation from the crowd. Richard graduated at 18 years old in 1938, and his son, Gavril, played at Hop, as did his grandson, Max Levine (2009 graduate).
7 Loyola LW: 8
12-3
Games: 13-8 W vs. BU; 15-8 W vs. Lehigh
National Poll: 6
Done, but still playing! Winning the Patriot League was the expectation, and Loyola met it. Now they sit and wait to see who they play in round 1 as they are the only team to clinch a playoff berth so far.
8 Rutgers LW: 7
9-5
Games: 10-7 L vs. Ohio State
National Poll: 11
Rutgers has had no consistency since entering B1G play. Now is the time to find it. Hosting a game would be a huge deal, and a conference tourney title would go a long way to ensuring a favorable path forward.
9 Cornell LW: 9
10-4
Games: 14-8 L vs. Princeton
National Poll: 9
Ew. 14-8? Really Cornell? They were one of the hottest teams in the country and I was kicking myself for not putting them in my top 5 last week. It’s only one loss in a run of wins, and they have the opportunity to bounce back against a Brown team that they blew out just two weeks ago. They’re in, but now they are playing for a home game. Last time that happened, Blaze Riorden ran all the way down the field and scored in an Albany win. Maybe hosting isn’t a great idea?
10 UVA LW: 11
11-5
Games: 10-11 W vs. Cuse; 17-7 L vs. ND
National Poll: 10
UVA scored that big ol’ W over Syracuse to win their first ACC playoff game in years, but ND just dominated them on Sunday after the turnaround. The Hoos should still keep on playing, even after their VMI date this weekend.
11 Bucknell LW: 10
11-4
Games: 12-11 L vs. BU
National Poll: 15
Done. For now, or until 2019? This was a rough way for Bucknell’s season to end for sure. They had so much momentum built up that a Patriot League final appearance almost seemed like destiny. But, alas. Now they have to hope their wins over Loyola and Yale are enough to carry them into May.
12 Notre Dame LW: 15
8-5
Games: 14-11 W vs. Duke; 17-7 W vs. UVA
National Poll: 8
The Irish earned two big ACC wins and take the 2018 ACC title. Their offense exploded for their most goals on the season in a game on Saturday with 14 (the old standard was 12 goals), and then they improved on that number by 3 more, dominating UVA 17-7. The ACC tourney Notre Dame team looked like everything the regular season team was supposed to look like. If the Irish do the same to Army on May 5th, watch out now.
13 Syracuse LW: 12
7-6
Games:10-11 L vs. UVA
National Poll: 12
You can’t crush Cuse for this loss to UVA. It was essentially a road game and they had every chance in the world to seal the win, but just couldn’t do it. Those late shots off the crossbar were killer, but now they sit on the bubble. A win over Colgate now is an absolute must, and it should probably be of the “big margin” variety, just to remind people what the Orange can do.
14 Villanova LW: 13
10-4
Games: 10-9 W vs. Providence
National Poll: 14
After a great start to the season, ‘Nova has really been slipping in a big way. A one point win over Providence after a two point win over St. John’s? Wins are wins to a certain extent, but they just never recovered from the 22-6 rout to Denver. Next up is Georgetown, a team they lost to by 2 just two weeks ago.
15 Navy LW: 14
9-5
Games: 10-9 L vs. Lehigh
National Poll: 17
Done, or are they? Losing to Lehigh to start the Patriot tournament was not a way to carry on the momentum of the Cuse win. They’ll now be sweating out that bracket announcement.
16 Penn State LW: 16
8-6
Games: 10-9 L vs. Michigan
National Poll: 19
Not good, Penn State. Not good. This loss also knocked Penn State out of the B1G tournament, so they are likely down for the count. Penn State is definitely a team on the cusp of being a national mainstay, though.
17 St. Joseph’s LW: 19
10-3
Games: 8-7 W vs. Robert Morris
National Poll: 20
They started 0-3 and haven’t lost since. A win over Penn, and another over Robert Morris, are definitely good but they still need to get that conference AQ to keep on playing. I also love Redshirt Freshman goalie Mike Adler on this squad. He’s putting up serious numbers in his first year between the pipes. Keep an eye on him.
18 Vermont LW: 17
11-3
Games: 9-6 W vs. UMBC
National Poll: UR
Vermont has a chance to avenge their one point loss to Stony Brook in the AE tournament. Given that it’s their only loss to a team not in the top 10, let alone ranked, I’d say they want to get that done. I can’t see it being anything but AQ or bust for the Catamounts, though.
19 Ohio State
8-6
Games: 10-7 W vs. Rutgers
National Poll: 13
Not many teams have had a better 2 weeks than Ohio State. Maryland and Rutgers back to back is a major statement. They not have a shot in the B1G tournament with Hopkins up first.
20 Penn LW: 20
7-7
Games: None
National Poll: UR
I’m still probably the only person with Penn ranked, but I still stand by it. They have good wins and have a ridiculous schedule. Barring nothing short of pure insanity, they’re done for the year. Beating Yale really would be pure insanity, for the record.
Dropped from my ballot: Robert Morris
Dropped from national poll: Robert Morris
Also considered, but not in order: UMASS, Georgetown, Richmond, Princeton, OSU, Michigan
Who did I leave out?
Robert Morris. They had a weak schedule and lost to St. Joseph’s. What else is there to say? Of course I’m going to vote them off of the island.
