RI Lacrosse Insider UPDATED

RI Lacrosse Insider UPDATED

The pain and suffering continues for the Boy's Lacrosse program at LaSalle.  For the third consecutive year, LaSalle was the top ranked team going into the Division I playoffs and for the third consecutive year the wheels came off the wagon.  Loaded with the top ranking, the most All-Staters and All-Americans, the team failed in the most painful performance yet - this year in overtime.

Division I - Moses Brown wins back-to-back, LaSalle Upset again

In 2008 before Moses Brown joined the Interscholastic League - LaSalle entered the playoffs with the #1 seed, but got physically dominated by North Kingstown and lost 13-10.

Again in 2009, LaSalle entered the playoffs #1, the best record and all the buzz, but they got knocked out in the semi-finals by an undermanned, overachieving Hendricken team led by now Holy Cross goalie Ian Garrahy.

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But this season may be the most painful.  Loaded with talented recruits, the LaSalle team went undefeated running their record to 14-0 before entering the finals  against Moses Brown. Lead by Championship MVP Nick Capalbo, beat the Quakers topped LaSalle 9-8 in overtime.  LaSalle had a 7-5 lead early in the fourth quarter, but could not close the game out.

Moses Brown deserves a lot of credit.  Coach Mike Fraioli, former Brown assistant, has been patient with his team that took time to adjust to the loss of Stuart Sheehan (Redshirt freshman at Bowdoin College, recovering from a serious staph infection) and Ian Deveau (rookie of the year for the NESCAC at Cobly College).  His willingness to let the team develop was a key factor to Moses Brown taking the Championship.  

Coaching Carousel in NCAA in D-I?

With some big-time jobs open, will Mike Pressler jump from Bryant to Maryland?  The rumor mill has mixed indicators, but the chance for Pressler to return to the ACC has got to be tempting.  The path to the job is now easier as Gary Gait has removed himself for consideration.  The Maryland job is difficult as expectations are high, but the ability to recruit in Maryland is unmatched. Bryant finished the season #24 in LaxPower's ranking, but their SOS was #48 in the Country

Lars Tiffany is still considered in the mix for Penn State, and he might be an outsider for the Maryland job too.   Brown finished the season ranked #19 in the country by the NCAA, but the reality is with Princeton and Cornell now both perennial powers, the path for a third Ivy League team into the tourney is difficult at best.

 

Reality is both may stay and it will be difficult for either program to pierce the top eight power programs - Syracuse, Virginia, Princeton, Hopkins, Duke, North Carolina, Cornell and Maryland.  

The next tier: Navy, Notre Dame, Army, Stony Brook, Hofstra, and Delaware all have big time advantages via geography and long-term strength of program.

Brown senior Thomas Muldoon got drafted this weekend in the Major League Lacrosse draft.  The All-Ivy Attackman will play for the Chesapeake Team (Formerly Washington DC).  He was the only RI-based college player drafted by the pro-league this year.  

Girls High School Championships

Kudos to Bay View Academy for their Division II championship and running off 14 consecutive wins after dropping their first game of the year to Cranston West 10-11.  They finish #1 in LaxPowers RI rankings.  Barrington continues to be the long-term dominate program in Division 1, with an 11-9 win over LaSalle Academy girls.  LaSalle was undefeated going into the finals on Saturday.  

In Division III, South Kingstown beat a solid and athletic East Providence team.  East Providence dropped only 3 games this year - twice to South Kingstown.

Mount tops Mounties in Finals

Mount Saint Charles Boys Lacrosse felll to a talented Mount Hope team loaded with seniors at RIC Monday night.  The Mount Hope broke open a 2-2 tie late in the second quarter and dominated in the second half.  The Huskies were led by Nilton Alves and Captain midfielder Alan Williams who dominated the offensive play.  Mount Saint Charles goalie Mike Rocchio kept the Mounties in the game.  This is the second straight year that Mount Hope topped the Mounties in the D-II finals.

Check the LACROSSE INSIDER later this week for final rankings.