Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
Originally Posted by Anonymous
This is the nonsense that just has to stop. Having a gauntlet of a schedule isn't some rarity that's unique to the MIAA. There are teams inside and outside of the MIAA that have 5-6 games in a row against quality opposition. SJC themselves have already played 3-4 quality opponents in a row twice. They opened with GP, BL, and CH back-to-back-to-back and handled all with ease. They just played Hill Academy, Paul VI, and Gonzaga back-to-back-to-back and the only one that was remotely close was the first game of the three.

Yeah, but the rarity is the quality of opponents. What you’re missing is the rigors of facing good opponents— 10 in a row, midweeks, that know your team, tendencies and have a full scout on you. And they are teams that are built to specifically combat your tendencies, and exploit your weaknesses, just like teams in the same NFL divisions. The early-season and OOC lax games just don’t replicate that level of in-conference intensity.
I don't agree. While I will concede that the league as a whole is deeper than most, I don't believe for a second that a run of MIAA games is more difficult than the mix of quality league and OOC games that other top teams deal with as their schedules ramp up.

What the contingent from SJC doesn't understand is most MIAA ADs require film exchange and lots of in person scouting from their lacrosse coaching staffs. This is in contrast to an OCC opponent's staff who may or may not watch the available film (usually these games are played earlier in the season when less film is available) and definitely aren't in town every Tuesday and Friday to watch an opponent live. Why does this matter? Long term in person and film analysis of an opponent (sometimes this function is outsourced to outside consultants (ie retired or in transition former top collegiate coaches)) allows a team to better exploit an opponent's schematic and personnel weaknesses. Assuming a team has the personnel to exploit these weaknesses, a lesser team can upset a superior one via better game planning/in game adjustments. In conclusion, SJC may have a great 3-4 year run regionally but they haven't faced the twice a week hurdle of being in a deep and well coached Conference. Let's look at the facts on the ground: Until CHC recently, no one has won the MIAA A Conference three years in a row in the last fifty years. Very few A Conference championship teams have gone undefeated in the League. In contrast, doing that in the WCAC has been and will be lot easier given that League's relative lack of depth.