Tag Archives: Chapman

NCAA Lacrosse: Redlands Women’s Lacrosse Defeated Chapman 10-5 In SCIAC Tournamant Championship On May 4; Earns “At-Large Bid” To “2013 NCAA Div III Women’s Lacrosse Championships” And Hosts Augustana On May 8

Posted on May 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

Redlands Women's Lacrosse SCIAC Champions Earn NCAA Div III Women's Lacrosse Championships Bid

With Saturday’s 10-5 win over the visiting Panthers of Chapman University, the University of Redlands women’s lacrosse team captured the 2013 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship Tournament title while also securing the regular-season championship for the second year in a row. With an accumulation of points from the dual matches and the tournament results, the Bulldogs garnered 16 points to the second-place Panthers’ 13.

Equipped with a 15-4 overall record and the 2013 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) regular-season and tournament 2013 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championshipstitles, the University of Redlands women’s lacrosse team garnered an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Championships as the host of a first-round game against Augustana College (IL).  The Bulldogs welcome the Vikings to Farquhar Field on Wed., May 8, for a 7 p.m. game.

The Bulldogs make their third consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships, following last season’s historical run that included the program’s inaugural NCAA tournament victory.

On Feb. 21, Redlands knocked off Augustana in the Vikings’ season-opener by a score of 18-6.  The Bulldogs led wire-to-wire after rattling off seven unanswered goals to start the game.  Senior attack player Aimee Dewan (Alamo, CA), junior midfielder KK McCaslin (Portland, OR), and freshman midfielder Stephanie Garrett (San Diego, CA) led the onslaught with two goals apiece during the opening 20 minutes.

In only its third year of varsity competition, Augustana punched its inaugural ticket to the NCAA Championships by winning the Midwest Women’s Lacrosse Conference Tournament in a frenetic 10-9 win over North Central College (IL) on Saturday.  The Vikings held off a late push by the opponents to hold on for the championship and the automatic bid while recording their 13th triumph in a row.

Augustana also captured the regular-season title with an 8-0 run through the MWLC during the Vikings’ first season in the league.

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MCLA Lacrosse: New Rules Have Not Increased The Pace Of Play According To Chapman Men’s Lacrosse Head Coach Dallas Hartley

Posted on March 26, 2013 | Leave a comment

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When the new rules came out, Chapman head coach Dallas Hartley thought it would be a boon for his team. He figured it would force some of the grinding teams in the MCLA to play more at the pace that the Panthers’ were accustomed. As such, he and his staff went into the season conjuring up ways to maximize the team’s potential.

Lacrosse Magazine
Jac Coyne

After Chapman lost two of its first three games, it was clear the rules weren’t going to completely revamp the way the game is played.

“We had originally intended to play three lines as much as possible and not go with too many specialists,” Hartley said of his initial plan. “That was kind of hurting us. We feel like we have two really strong lines in the midfield, not necessarily three, and we’ve got some good specialists defensively. We tried to work with the new rules and play faster, but in reality, it was hurting us personnel-wise. I don’t think we’ve been playing great, necessarily, but we’re just playing a bit more consistently.”

Hartley admits to being a little surprised that the rules haven’t impacted the pace of play, but he feels that the contrasting tactics he’s seen this year have kept his team on its toes.

“I was under the impression there would be a lot more run and gun, but I haven’t seen much change in the speed of the game,” Hartley said. “There have been a lot of different styles. Grand Canyon has a couple of Canadian attackmen running sort of a pairs offense. We had never seen Richmond before; Oregon has a brand new coach. BYU has all new moving pieces. A lot of different teams we’ve seen in the past are doing new things. That’s kind of the beauty of the MCLA. There is so much attrition and turnover, you don’t know what you’re going to get from year to year.”

For more: http://www.laxmagazine.com/blogs/author/coyne/03.25.2013_at_10.02_a.m._by_Jac_Coyne

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MCLA Lacrosse: #1 Colorado State Men’s Lacrosse Rallies From Two Goals Down In 4th Quarter To Beat #5 Chapman 5-4 In 3 Overtimes On March 25

Posted on March 26, 2013 | Leave a comment

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Trailing the 5th ranked Chapman University Panthers by two goals, the #1 Colorado State University Rams rallied to tie the game in the last four minutes and Sean Smith (Amherst HS / Amherst, NY) stuck the game-winner with 2:43 remaining in the third overtime period to get a key out of conference victory on a cold night at the Loveland Sports Park.
With the game tied 2-2 going into the fourth quarter, Chapman broke through with two goals, including what looked like a back-breaker by Ryan Welch with 4:44 remaining to make it 4-2. But the Rams, who struggled to beat the Chapman defense and goaltender Warren Nielsen all evening, finally wore down the Panthers and got goals from sophomore Mike Wolff (Don Bosco Prep / Ramsey, NJ) and senior Austin Fisher (Rock Canyon HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) to tie the game and set up the dramatic overtime sequence.
The two teams combined for seven shots over the first two overtime periods as both Nielsen and CSU junior Koltin Fatzinger (Wheat Ridge HS / Thornton, CO) made several nice saves. After a key groundball by Chapman in the third overtime, Colorado State’s defense forced a turnover, drew a flag on the clear, and got the ball to Smith, who drove from behind the cage to beat Nielsen on a bouncer to end the game.
The Rams, who benefited from a stellar 11/14 night at the face-off ‘x’ by senior Dan Warfield (Smoky Hill HS / Aurora, CO), were unable to turn the extra possessions into production on the offensive end for most of the night. Nielsen recorded 15 saves in a stand-out effort for Chapman, turning aside several outstanding opportunities. It was only the second time all season that the Rams hadn’t scored double digits.
Meanwhile, the CSU defense held its own to keep the Rams in the game, holding Chapman’s dangerous offense to its lowest scoring output in almost two years. Seniors Hayden Porter (Heritage HS / Littleton, CO) and Tyler Zabor (Rock Canyon HS / Highlands Ranch, CO) led the charge while goaltenders Jack Regan (Sunset HS / Beaverton, OR) and Fatzinger combined for 10 saves on the evening.

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MCLA Lacrosse: Top Games Of The Week Feature #5 Chapman At #3 Colorado, #12 Sonoma State At #17 Virginia Tech And #6 BYU Vs #8 Oregon

Posted on March 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

MCLA

No. 5 Chapman (7-2) at No. 3 Colorado (9-0) – Saturday, 7 p.m. MT

COYNE: Chapman was having trouble closing the deal earlier this season against Oregon and BYU, but the Panthers appear to have corrected that problem, rattling off six straight wins, including two one-goal triumphs against Arizona State and Grand Canyon and a two-goal victory over Richmond. That’s a big mental hurdle to have conquered, and should be a huge benefit once Greenville rolls around.

Speaking of nationals, depending on how the seeds play out, this could very well be a semifinal preview. Chapman’s speed out of the midfield will be where it has to make its money against Colorado, but the Buffs have been excellent at matching up well with talented middies and has been equally consistent quashing transition opportunities – always a Chapman staple. It’s going to be close and low-scoring, but I’ll be the Buffs at home, 7-6.

SCHOOLER: Coming off a fresh viewing on the Buffs, I think they are a good team, but not the third best team in the league. That position lies with ASU or Chapman. Call it SLC bias, but the Panthers will shut down the Buff’s offense. Colorado has scored seven, eight, and six goals against Oregon, LMU, and UCSB, respectively. One of those teams is not even ranked. So unless Colorado can turn things around, I think Chaptown takes this one home, 8-5.

No. 12 Sonoma State (4-2) at No. 17 Virginia Tech (6-3) – Saturday, 5 p.m.

COYNE: The jury is still out on these two teams. Both came into the season with a lot of promise and both have underwhelmed to this point in the season, so it’s appropriate that they square off on the Seawolves’ trip to Virginia. Both of these teams have struggled on big trips this year — ‘Noma couldn’t handle their sojourn to Oregon and the Hokies were humbled in Colorado.

Both teams will get a chance to scout each other out — Sonoma plays Richmond on Wednesday and VT faces George Washington on Friday night — so there won’t be any surprises. With a pair of decent defenses, this one will come down to who can find a way to score. So far this year, both have been weak in that department, but the Hokies have more untapped offensive resources. Tech, 8-7.

SCHOOLER: I commend the Seawolves (still hard to call them this) for making a trip to the east coast in March. Not many teams would do that. While it is a bit chilly right now, it is supposed to warm up for the weekend to temperatures similar to that of Northern California. So I do not think weather will be an issue.

The key for Doug Carl will be shutting down the high powered Hokies attack. So far this has not been an issue for many of the top teams and I put Sonoma in that category. Seawolves win, 11-8.

No. 6 BYU (8-1) vs. No. 8 Oregon (7-2) – Monday, 7 p.m. PT (at Berkeley, Calif.)

COYNE: BYU brings some traditional family values to the bacchanalia of Nick’s hometown with the hopes of getting the ship back on course after stumbling against Arizona State over the weekend. Meanwhile, Oregon is trying to build on its modest, three-game winning streak with games against Cal on Saturday and then the Cougars on Monday.

Both of these teams have jelled a lot quicker to this point than I thought they would and now they are both in midseason form. Mike Fabrizio (5.1 ppg) has filled the shoes of the departed Ted Ferrin for BYU while the Ducks have kept their usual balance between midfield and attack scoring. As such, this game will come down to the little things. The biggest little thing is going to be faceoffs. The Cougars struggled against ASU in that department and it showed on the scoreboard while Oregon boasts one of the top draw-men around in Trey Norris. Extra possessions will be the key as the Ducks win, 10-8.

SCHOOLER: I don’t know what is going on with these two teams. Both have some consistency problems, so I guess this will make for an interesting game. BYU has been slipping recently with the loss to ASU and near loss to GCU. That must have been a tough trip to Arizona. Oregon has similar problems with a crushing defeat early in the season to Stanford and a close win over Simon Fraser.

So I like this game as the game of the week. This is a defining game for both teams. The winner moves up and the loser moves down. Senior Matt Johnson has been solid for the Ducks while Mike Fabrizio and Jake Ferrin have been a solid attack/mid combo for the Cougars. This is a coin flip, but my gut tells me that BYU will pull this off, 11-10.

For more:  http://www.laxmagazine.com/college_men/club/2012-13/news/032113_schooling_schooler_handicapping_the_player_of_year_race

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NCAA Div III Lacrosse: Chapman Women’s Lacrosse (8-2) Tops Puget Sound 22-7 On Mar 18

Posted on March 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

Chapman Women's Lacrosse vs Puget Sound

An impressive second-half performance featuring a 13-2 run led the Chapman University women’s lacrosse team to its fourth straight win as they defeated Puget Sound, 22-7 on Monday afternoon at Wilson Field. Freshman midfielder Kelsey Mackin scored seven goals off the bench for the Panthers, four of which came in the second half.
With 10:35 remaining in the first half, senior Julia Schulman pulled the visiting Loggers within one on an unassisted goal, narrowing the score to 5-4. This was the closest Puget Sound would get as Chapman went on a 4-1 run to close the half with a 9-5 lead.
Schulman scored six goals for the Loggers, five of which came in the first half.
After allowing a goal to sophomore Rachael Silva to open the second half, the Panthers stepped it up on both sides of the field with a 12-0 run that started with 27:14 on the clock and a Shelley LaMotte free position goal. The Loggers were limited to 10 shots by the Panther defense in the half and were unable to score until 1:46 remained in the game.
LaMotte and freshman attacker Kylee Moore finished with three goals each and were two of 10 Panthers to score in the game. The second half run was held together by senior goalkeeper Anjali Thota, who allowed just two goals on eight shots-on-goal. She split time in the net with junior Kara Podesta, who collected eight saves in the first half.

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NCAA Div III Lacrosse: Chapman Women’s Lacrosse (6-2) Is Tied For Second Place In SCIAC Conference In First-Year After Jump From Club Team To NCAA

Posted on March 7, 2013 | Leave a comment

Chapman Women's Lacrosse

It’s no surprise to see Chapman hovering near the top of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings in its first Division III season. The school is located five miles from Disney Land. Somewhere along the line the women’s lacrosse program must have hitched a ride on the back of a monorail, because, from Day One, they’ve forged ahead at an accelerated pace.
In 2007, Chapman had no women’s lacrosse program. Then they were one of the worst club teams in the country. By 2011 they were undefeated WCLA Division II champions. Last year they were highly-competitive in WCLA Division I.
Now they’re tied with Occidental for second place in the SCIAC. The Panthers are 5-2 with both losses coming to 2012 NCAA tournament teams, Redlands and Occidental, by a combined three goals.
The man at the wheel for this whole ride has been Brian Eisenberg, who grew up in Baltimore, played at Chapman and built its women’s program from the ground up. The vast majority of his first team had never picked up a stick before, but Eisenberg saw the success the men’s program had and thought he could follow its blueprint on the women’s side.
“I had a vision,” Eisenberg said. “But I never dreamed it would happen this quick.”
They’re used to quick transitions, on and off the field. So far in Division III, the Panthers have outscored opponents by an average score of 16-11. And the transition to Division III has been even smoother than expected. There a couple of rule differences, some new rivalries, but, overruling all of that, the team doesn’t have to pay dues this year.
And they’re taking their club experience and making an NCAA impact.
Tori Wilkinson, who transferred to Chapman from Louisville before last season, led the team in scoring last year. She currently leads the Panthers with 25 goals. Nine players return from the 2011 championship team including midfield grinder, Lauren Mah, and rotating goalies, Kara Podesta and Anjali Thota.
The Panthers will need to draw on that championship experience because the SCIAC is having its best season ever. Redlands is 8-2. Occidental (4-3) beat Redlands and Chapman. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (2-4) defeated Occidental. Pomona-Pitzer (4-3) defeated Oxy and CMS. Eisenberg said the only thing that’s surprised him about the league so far is that Whittier (1-6) isn’t also pulling upsets.

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MCLA Lacrosse: Top Games Of The Week Feature #4 Colorado Men’s Lacrosse Vs #10 Virginia Tech, #11 Sonoma State At #8 Oregon, #12 Texas At #6 UC Santa Barbara And #18 Cal Poly At #7 Chapman

Posted on March 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

MCLA

No. 10 Virginia Tech (4-0) at No. 4 Colorado (4-0) – Saturday, 1 p.m. MT

COYNE: Virginia Tech is a good team, and is the odds-on favorite to win the SELC title, but they are going against two hurdles this weekend. The first is the altitude. I know a lot of people pooh-pooh the concept, but Michigan went out to Denver three days early each time they went to Denver. That kind of tells me there’s something to it, even if it’s just psychological. The Hokies will be getting off their plane on Friday night and playing their opening game in Boulder less than 24 hours later. Not good.

Second, Tech will have to deal with Brad Macnee, Colorado’s netminder and the best keeper in the country. Last year, I wouldn’t be quite as concerned because the Hokies were scoring goals. They are struggling so far this season to produce on the offensive end, and that’s trouble against Macnee, who is probably going to rob you of at least four markers. Virginia Tech will be in this game because they are good team, but they can’t fight these obstacles. Buffs, 10-6.

SCHOOLER: Props to the Hokies for finally making a trip out West. The RMLC has the best teams in the league and hopefully they can steal a win in the Rockies, but I don’t see that happening.

You never know what you are going to get with the Buffs early in the season, but they pulled out an impressive win against the Ducks last week. Even with the return of Matt Giannelli for his final season, coach Galvin and his defense will be able to shut down the one dimensional Hokies. CU wins, 12-9.

No. 11 Sonoma State (2-0) at No. 8 Oregon (5-2) – Saturday, 1 p.m. PT

COYNE: It wasn’t much of a trip, but the road win for ‘Noma against California was a big deal. It showed that the Seawolves could match some of the preseason hype that was surrounding them. I’m sure it also gave them a good confidence boost, along with a pivotal WCLL win. However, now Sonoma is on the brink of the Top 10 and is heading to play No. 8 Oregon on the road. I’m afraid it’ll have to prove itself again.

Trey Norris (70-for-114 on faceoffs) has been a weapon all season for the Ducks, and he should dominate once again versus the Seawolves. And while Cal’s Dan Cohen and Sean Hayden are a dynamic one-two punch on attack, Oregon’s Matt Johnson (16g, 15a) and Benton Souers (17g, 6a) have proven it against some of the top teams in the country. Sonoma won’t get embarrassed, but they’ll struggle to keep up with the Ducks for four quarters. UO, 10-7.

SCHOOLER: This will likely be the best game the weekend has to offer. I think these are evenly matched teams. I have heard a lot of good things about Sonoma throughout the offseason. Until they took down Cal, that’s all it was…talk.

The Ducks have a strong attack while Sonoma has a strong defense. So get ready for a battle. I see another overtime game with the Seawolves coming out on top. 10-9.

No. 12 Texas (6-1) at No. 6 UCSB (4-2) - Sunday, 1 p.m. PT

SCHOOLER: Texas came through Santa Barbara in 2010, but was too scared to play the Gauchos. They plays FSU instead, taking the W and setting the tone for their whole season. All kidding aside, I really wish I could have seen the ‘Horns take on the Gauchos. Three years later, I’ll have my chance.

I dog on Texas and the LSA a lot, but I actually have a lot of respect for the Longhorns. They have stepped up their game over the last few seasons and elevated themselves above everyone in the conference. The Gauchos have no trouble coming out hot against teams. Their issue is sustaining that fire for all four quarters. I can see UCSB going up early and Texas clawing back. But I have the Gauchos holding on for the 10-8 win.

COYNE: If Texas had pulled out the win over Boston College on Monday night, I would have been more inclined to take a flyer on them in this game, but it should still be competitive regardless. I won’t build up the suspense — UCSB will win — but this game, along with Tuesday’s matchup with Sonoma State, are important for the development of the UT program under new head coach Andy Garrigan. Not only does it put the program on a different plane in terms of respectability, but just making this West Coast swing will be good for a seed or two at nationals, regardless of the outcomes.

Nick has it spot on with the flow of this game. The Gauchos will jump the ‘Horns early, and then coast home for the win. UCSB, 11-8.

Coyne’s Pick

No. 18 Cal Poly (2-3) at No. 7 Chapman (4-2) – Saturday, 1 p.m.

COYNE: Is there really a chance that this Cal Poly team can go down to Chapman and knock off the Panthers? Absolutely. I know the nine-goal loss to UC Santa Barbara sticks in everybody’s mind, but the Mustangs were neck-and-neck with Duluth in an overtime game and gave ASU everything it could handle. This team isn’t very far off. Plus, this Chapman edition isn’t quite as complete (yet) as it has been in the last couple of years.

If this game is played in SLO or even at a neutral field, I’m take Poly in an heartbeat. Alas, Chapman is traditionally a much different team at home than on the road, and that saves the Panthers here. Chappy, 9-8.

SCHOOLER: Chapman has had some crazy and close games this season. Take last weekend for example. They beat ASU by a goal then turn around and barely beat a lesser Grand Canyon by a goal. Earlier in the season, they crush San Diego then lose to Oregon. What team are we going to get?

While Cal Poly has improved since they were stomped by the Gauchos (you knew I would have to bring this up), they have improved. A two goal loss to ASU is commendable, but not enough to convince me that they can put together what is needed to beat Chaptown. Panthers win, 12-8.

For more:  http://www.laxmagazine.com/college_men/club/2012-13/news/030613_schooling_schooler_is_duluth_already_in_trouble

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MCLA Lacrosse Games: Arizona At #19 Simon Fraser, #9 Chapman At #2 Arizona State, #5 Colorado Vs #8 Oregon, #7 UC Santa Barbara Vs #1 Colorado State, #16 Boston College At #15 Texas and #17 Sonoma State At #12 Cal Berkeley

Posted on February 27, 2013 | Leave a comment

MCLA

Arizona (1-2) at No. 19 Simon Fraser (4-1) - Friday, 1 p.m. PT

COYNE: They’re a little raw right now, but the Wildcats will be a handful in the SLC postseason when they have a little more experience. Much respect for making the trip to Burnaby, but the Clansmen will be a bit too much. SFU, 15-10.

SCHOOLER: Neither team has looked very good this season. All Simon Fraser has to brag about is a close loss to Oregon in a game where both teams played sloppily. But I don’t see Arizona winning this game. The Clan wins at home 9-6.

No. 9 Chapman (-2) at No. 2 Arizona State (4-0) - Friday, 7 p.m. MT

COYNE: If it doesn’t figure things out quickly, Chapman could conceivably be a seven-loss team in the regular season. Alas, Arizona State is an underwhelming team in relation to its ranking. Devils barely, 8-6.

SCHOOLER: Chapman has had a rough start, but they seemed to bounce back against UNLV. This is a toss up in my mind, but I don’t see the Panthers winning this on the road. ASU, 11-10. Possibly overtime.

No. 5 Colorado (2-0) vs. No. 8 Oregon (4-1) - Saturday, 1 p.m. MT (at Boise)

COYNE: Oregon enters this game with the advantage of having Colorado play the night before against Boise State and having played tougher competition so far this spring. Will that be enough? I think it might be. Ducks, 10-9.

SCHOOLER: Colorado is the most intriguing team since I graduated. You never know what to expect with them. So I am going out on a limb here and picking the Buffs, 10-9.

No. 7 UC Santa Barbara (3-1) vs. No. 1 Colorado State (2-0) - Saturday, 1 p.m. PT (at Las Vegas)

COYNE: UNLV is no pushover, and the Gauchos have to play the Rebels the night before CSU. UC Santa Barbara was a long shot to upset the Rams anyway, and the schedule just made it even longer. Colorado State, 10-6.

SCHOOLER: Gauchos win 12-9 and take the No. 1 seed. Boo-ya!

No. 16 Boston College (2-0) at No. 15 Texas (6-0) - Monday, 7 p.m. CT

COYNE: The Longhorns are staring at games against UCSB and Sonoma next week, so this should be a nice tune-up. Boston College will be playing its third game in four days, which can’t be downplayed. Texas gets a signature win, 12-9.

SCHOOLER: Boston College had a great season opener signature win against FSU, but from what we have learned, that Seminole team was not riding the success of past seasons. I hate to pick Texas, but I don’t see any other outcome. ‘Horns, 10-6.

Schooler’s Pick

No. 17 Sonoma State (1-0) at No. 12 California (3-2) - Saturday, 7 p.m. PT

SCHOOLER: What have you done for me lately? For Sonoma, that’s nothing. For the Bears, they played a great game against my Gauchos and Northeastern. For that, I have Berkeley winning, 10-7.

COYNE: This is a very important WCLL match-up and it comes at a point of the season that definitely favors the Golden Bears, who have played some of the best teams in the country already. The fact that the Seawolves are playing in Berkeley makes it more difficult for ‘Noma. Cal, 12-10.

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MCLA Lacrosse: “Game of The Week” Features #2 Arizona State Men’s Lacrosse Hosting #9 Chapman On March 1 (Video)

Posted on February 27, 2013 | Leave a comment

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MCLA Lacrosse: Top Games Of The Week Include #3 BYU Men’s Lacrosse Vs #9 Chapman, #4 Stanford Vs # 21 Northeastern, #15 Cal Poly Vs #18 Minnesota-Duluth And #24 Arizona Vs Grand Canyon

Posted on February 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

MCLANo. 21 Northeastern (0-0) at No. 4 Stanford (3-0) – Friday, 3 p.m. PT

COYNE: Can anyone slow down the Stanford juggernaut? At this point, it appears that Colorado State and Arizona State are the only two with the goods to bring the Cardinal back down to earth. The two-headed monster of attackman Jack Farr, who had eight goals and two assists against Oregon, and midfielder Peter Doyle, who torched UCSB for a fiver, is proving to be nearly unstoppable.

Northeastern is certainly a program on the rise, and the Huskies Golden State trip to play No. 13 Cal, No. 4 Stanford and No. 7 UC Santa Barbara in a four-day span to start the season is commendable. With Chris Tecca (30g, 19a in ’12) returning up front, Northeastern will provide stiff competition, but I worry the Huskies might suffer the same fate as Boston College last year. The Eagles flew to California and played Chapman, Cal Poly and UCSB in four days and took the broom. It’s just too much, too soon for a New England team. Cardinal, 12-7.

SCHOOLER: It is only a matter of time until teams figure out how to stop Peter Doyle — or at least slow him down. The Gauchos were not prepared for the dual threat. But the question is whether Northeastern has the defense to stop Farr and Doyle. The Huskies keep most of their defense intact, but losing first team PCLL defenseman Kyle Bedell has to hurt. I am going against my Berkeley roots and picking the Cardinal, 10-6.

No. 15 Cal Poly (2-1) at No. 18 Minnesota-Duluth (3-0) – Friday, 9 p.m.

COYNE: There’s a lot riding on this game for both of these teams. Cal Poly bounced back from the UCSB debacle with wins over Grand Canyon and Loyola Marymount last weekend, but continued its poll nose-dive. The Mustangs need a ranked win to remind pollsters that they came up two goals short of all the marbles last year, as well give themselves a little confidence for the WCLL slate. Duluth needs a ranked win to give it a chance when selection Sunday rolls around without the AQ safety net.

New coach Sam Litman said Duluth will once again be predicated on its defense, and that has been confirmed so far with only 12 goals allowed in three games (albeit against some lightweights). In order to win this game, however, the UMD staff has to break free of the conservative Graff/Clark regimes and unshackle the offense, letting guys like attackman Ryan Butts (9g, 2a) and middie Stan Drutowski (5g, 6a) be creative.

I may be the only person left in America right now outside of SLO who thinks Poly is far better than its No. 15 ranking, and I’ll stick to my guns. ‘Stangs, 10-9.

SCHOOLER: I don’t know how they do it, but the Bulldogs manage to put together a quality team every season. Maybe it’s the coaching. Maybe it’s the proximity to the Canadian border. Who knows?

But I know one thing for certain: this is not the Cal Poly team we saw last year. They had their chance and one bad game cost them. The Mustang’s performance against UCSB on their home turf was atrocious. This is Cal Poly’s chance to put their name back in the conversation. Unlike Jac, I do not see this being a one goal game. I have Duluth winning comfortably, 12-9.

No. 3 BYU (1-0) vs. No. 9 Chapman (1-1) – Friday, 7 p.m. (at Las Vegas)

COYNE: If we’ve learned one thing from the last two times these programs have met, it’s that Chapman has a hard time holding a late lead. In the regular season matchup last year, the Panthers held a 10-6 advantage going into the fourth quarter and lost, 12-11, in overtime. When they met again in the national quarterfinals, Chapman took a 9-7 edge into the final frame before allowing the Cougars to notch an eight-spot for the 15-12 win. The fact that Dallas Hartley’s squad had an 8-6 fourth-quarter lead over Oregon last weekend and still lost 9-8 doesn’t instill a lot of confidence in their closing ability.

Fortunately for Chapman, BYU is very different than last year’s senior-laden squad. In addition, the young Cougars only have one game under their belt and will have to play UNLV on Thursday night. Alas, considering its current late game woes, it’s difficult picking the Panthers. Percentages say they’re due to pull one of these out, however. Chappy, 11-10.

SCHOOLER: It’s a toss up. I would be lying if I said that I am confident with my picks this early in the season. My pitiful performance last week proves that point. Last week, I would have guessed that this game would be a close one, but Chaptown lost to the Ducks. I’m doubting just how good Chapman is. Could this be the year that my Gauchos get back on top on the Panthers? This game will be a good measuring stick.

You can never count BYU out. Year in and year out, they are a contender, and nothing changes this year. Cougars win, 14-11.

No. 24 Arizona (1-1) at Grand Canyon (1-1) – Saturday, 7 p.m. MT

COYNE: It’s easy to get blinders on when covering the MCLA. It’s routine to fall into the trap of seeing certain scores and extrapolating them out over the course of the season to predict outcomes. It wasn’t one of our picks last week, but based on its opening-game performance against San Diego State, I thought Grand Canyon could hang with Cal Poly. The Mustangs cured me of that notion with a convincing, 15-11 result over the ‘Lopes. Unfortunately, I just can’t quit GCU.

The ‘Lopes enter the game with Arizona as underdogs – the Wildcats boast a No. 24 national ranking even after being dispatched by California, 14-5. ‘Zona has proven weapons, notably Zach Johnson (3g, 3a) and William Stanaback (4g), but they are frighteningly young on the backline, with rookie Philp Pierce as the last line of defense. That’s spells trouble. Grand Canyon, 12-8.

SCHOOLER: I’m down by a few games and my gut is telling me to go with Grand Canyon. But doesn’t that go against what I said early in the season when analyzing the jump from Division II to Division I? So I am conflicted here. Arizona had a less than average season last year, so I am hesitant in picking the ‘Cats. Plus, I do not trust the voters this early in the season.

I picked the ‘Lopes last week over Cal Poly. That proved to be stupid, but I guess I should stick with my gut and take Grand Canyon again, 10-9.

For more:  http://www.laxmagazine.com/college_men/club/2012-13/news/022013_schooling_schooler_where_are_we_headed_next

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