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LaxPower Forum Poll Men's Division I 03/31/03
Rank	Team	Points	1st	Previous
1	Johns Hopkins	279	(13)	1
2	Princeton	251		3
3	Maryland	237		7
4	Georgetown	235	(1)	4
5	Virginia	229		2
6	Syracuse	225		5
7	North Carolina	201		8
8	Rutgers	183		10
9	Duke	156		11
10	Massachusetts	148		6
11	Towson	115		17
12	Loyola	112		9
13	Cornell	103		14
14	Hofstra	92		13
15	Notre Dame	81		15
16	UMBC	78		16
17	Navy	72		12
18	Villanova	47		20
19	Ohio State	31		19
20	Bucknell	24		RV
Received votes: Penn State (21), Yale (16), Pennsylvania (2), Dartmouth (2)
Number of voters: 14 (Artful Dodger, Baldo, ColumbiaBlueBlack, DALaxDad, HU34, John Henry, Laximus, StanDPeterson, surferlax, timbucthree, TomL, VTD, WNY Lax, Wombat)
Pollster Comments Johns Hopkins: A tenuous hold on #1. If they beat Maryland in two weeks, it should be clear sailing the rest of the way. I wouldn't bet that they will win the NCAA Cahmpionship. (Artful Dodger) — Fortunate to escape a determined UNC team. (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — Will the long hours of practice take its toll later in the season? (Laximus) — #1 - good comeback against tough UNC team makes them #1, but not by much. (timbucthree) — Unquestionably the #1 team in the country. We are still waiting for them to play 60 minutes of inspired lacrosse. Yesterday they played about 15 and still won. Scherr and UNC goalie Spellman get a lot of unnecessary insults thrown their way. Right now, they are playing like the two best goalies in Division I. (VTD) — The Kyles carry the day. Harrision looks like he may have arrived. (WNY Lax) — Barely stays at #1, requiring 60 minutes and 54 seconds this week to beat UNC. JHU should now be a unanimous #1 pick by my fellow pollsters. But maybe someone will surprise me and pick Georgetown #1. JHU is still not quite hitting on all cylinders yet. If they turn it on in May, they might be unstoppable. But at the moment, they have flashes of a train wreck waiting to happen. But week in and week out, they are taking care of business, even if it is ugly some times. And these tests in close matches will make them that much tougher in May - they are proving that, like last year, they know how to win close games. That might come in handy during the tourney. (Wombat) Princeton: I do not see them making the finals this year, but they should easily win the Ivy League. On the other hand, the back end of their schedule will allow plenty of time for fine tuning and the realization of their substantial potential. (Artful Dodger) — Rounding into form after tough start against two quality teams. (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — Can anyone stop Hartofilis? The Tigers look solid all around. (Laximus) — #5 - beat a good Rutgers team and manhandled Yale. (timbucthree) — After losing two games early, the Tigers have become consistent, something that cannot be said for most other teams this year. (VTD) — Strong win. (WNY Lax) — Princeton vaults from #4 to #2 for me, riding a four-game winning streak and ready to run through the Ivy. A great win over a tough Rutgers, and a big pay back win over Yale. (Wombat) Maryland: I'm placing Maryland high in the poll on the basis of their win over Virginia at Klockner. I've always felt that they could win it all, but a loss to UNC has me wondering somewhat. (Artful Dodger) — The crazy ACC. (Laximus) — #3 - good win over UVa. Defense put it back together. (timbucthree) — Showed character by going to Klockner and beating UVa after losing a tough one to a very good Tar Heel team. Is this Walters kid a stud or what? (VTD) — Big win for the Terps. They look like they may capture a top 4. (WNY Lax) — Maryland makes a major leapfrog on my list, from #8 to #4, vaulting them ahead of UVa. Why? Well, Md beat UVa on the road, an impressive, tough, gritty defensive win. UVa has two losses and Md only one. The Terrapins put themselves back on the map of the Top 5 Saturday, and the next two weeks against Navy and JHU will prove whether or not they deserve to stay in the top 5. (Wombat) Georgetown: Notwithstanding lousy conditions, four goals against Navy doen not imbue confidence in their offense. They did dominate in virtually every category except finishing. (Artful Dodger) — Gaudy record umatched by play on field. (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — Like an old, crafty boxer, the Hoyas refuse to fall under fire. (Laximus) — #7 - squeaked by a Navy team on a rollercoaster. Very little difference between ECAC teams this year. This appears to be the breaking point. 7-20 are all competitive, but 1-6 are a cut above. (timbucthree) — Still needs to find more offense to be a major title threat, but they're #2 because they've yet to lose, and they've played some pretty good teams. (VTD) — They do keep winning. (WNY Lax) — GT stays at #3 for me this week. I still rank them ahead of the teams with two losses. Their hyperventilating win over Navy in OT is not enough to push GT up to #2 on my list, and I am wary that this may be a bit high for the Hoyas, but they are the only undefeated team left in the land now and deserve some credit, even if they have squeaked out some of these wins. Others have squeaked out wins too, like JHU this week vs. UNC. And their schedule isn't that weak - it is much stronger than that of UMass. (Wombat) Virginia: Can they score more than 7 goals against the best defenses? The answer better be yes, or they will once again be a bridesmaid. (Artful Dodger) — The crazy ACC. (Laximus) — #4 - lost two in a row to tough competition. Missing Conor Gill. (timbucthree) — It seems everyone has finally discovered what some (including me) knew before the season started: UVa REALLY misses Conor Gill. There is no offensive leadership or cohesion on this team. (VTD) — Two losses to higher ranked teams. W/o Gill and other D's adjusting, it looks to be getting tougher for the Hoos. (WNY Lax) — UVa falls from #2 to #5. I have to rank them behind the Terps after the Terps stuffed them for over 30 minutes. Big questions in Hooville now: Can the coaching staff get the most out of their talented offense? Why are the Cavs losing with all this offensive firepower? Can they make game time adjustments to tough defenses? Big questions. The turnaround is going to have to start from the coaching staff on down, and they need to rebuild their confidence fast, because conference leader (yes, leader) UNC is coming up next with their 2-0 ACC record. (Wombat) Syracuse: Limitless offensive potential, but the defense better start getting better. Goalie play has not been outstanding. (Artful Dodger) — They have loads of talent, but are they all on the same page? (Laximus) — #6 - beat Hobart and Brown as they should. (timbucthree) — The offense is not going to be able to save the defense like they are doing almost every game when we get into the NCAAs. (VTD) — Too much for Brown. (WNY Lax) — Syracuse slips a notch from #5 to #6 mainly due to the Md win over UVa. That might seem a bit unfair, but SU didn't exactly put away Hobart this week - which was a bit of tarnish on their otherwise fine record. I think Syracuse is hitting cruise control mode, which would worry me if I were Desko. (Wombat) North Carolina: Looks like this team finally has its sh#@ together. Win over Maryland and overtime loss to #1 JHU are impressive enough for a good jump in the polls. (Artful Dodger) — Very disciplined team; clearly improved since early losses to ND and Navy. (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — The crazy ACC. (Laximus) — #2 - discounting early losses, this is not the same team. Convincing win over UofM makes them #2. (timbucthree) — The past three weeks have proven they're for real. I would not want to be the team that draws these guys in May. (VTD) — A team resurrected. (WNY Lax) — UNC stays at #7 for me this week because of their respectable showing vs. JHU. Got to wonder about all the transfer talk though. Everyone needs to shut up and play as a team - bad chemistry could kill this team, right as they get on a major roll. (Wombat) Rutgers: The real tests still lie ahead, but this team deserves top ECAC ranking for now. (Artful Dodger) — No shame in close loss to Princeton. (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — Gotta love the fight in the boys from Jersey. (Laximus) — #8 - excellent win over UMBC, good loss to Princeton. They will battle for ECAC title. Tempted to rank them over Georgetown. (timbucthree) — From a preseason unranked, all the way up to my #8, and they just keep getting better. Syracuse, Gtown, and UMass better be very wary of this team. (VTD) — The Knights move up two notches to #8 for me this week after a very solid outing vs. Princeton and a tough OT win over UMBC. That warrants a move upward when coupled with the losses by teams in the lower 10. They have proved that they will be a force in the ECAC this year. (Wombat) Duke: This team better work its ACC Tourney magic, otherwise no quality wins and otherwise outside the bubble. (Artful Dodger) — The crazy ACC. (Laximus) — #9 - spanked Harvard; down one spot given Rutgers performance over the past week. (timbucthree) — Has Swami abandoned these guys yet? With the talent on their roster, they should be fighting for a Top 4 seed, not fighting to stay in the Top 10. (VTD) — Up two spots to #10. The Harvard whooping isn't much, but it was a good rebound after the tough prior week when they lost to UNC and the Hoyas. (Wombat) Massachusetts: Penalized for losing to Penn State. With no quality wins in the cards, they better solve some problems at the faceoff before they face Georgetown, or there will be some crying in the Herst First. (Artful Dodger) — Seriously, a home loss to PSU? (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — #11 - down one spot; lost to unranked, but tough PSU team. Maybe now the rest of the pollsters will realize a #6 ranking was not justified. (timbucthree) — Will the UMass faithful quit talking about a Final Four until after they beat somebody? Only time will tell. If the Minutemen don't win the ECAC or beat both Syracuse and Georgetown, there is a good chance they get left out this year. (VTD) — Looks like every team has a bad game in them this year. (WNY Lax) — Falls from #6 to #9 on my list, since they now have Nittany Lion claw marks all over their backs. Their weak schedule is now starting to look suspicious. A repeat entry into the expanded tourney field is NOT a given! (Wombat) Towson: Nice win over Loyola, but I expected that. Games against Hofstra and Villanova for the CAA will be no cakewalk. (Artful Dodger) — Never take these guys lightly. (Laximus) — #12 - good win over Loyola brings TSU up and sends Loyola down. Saved their season. (timbucthree) — Looks to be getting back on their feet with a 15-10 (and it wasn't even that close) stomping of Loyola. (VTD) — Big win for the Tigers. (WNY Lax) — Up two notches from #16 to #14 after the great win for the program over Loyola for some local bragging rights. Still, though, they have a 3-3 record against tough competiton, and I will move them up even further if they can beat Hofstra next week. A must win. (Wombat) Loyola: May not win another game this season and will continue to drop in the polls. (Artful Dodger) — #13 - down 4 spots with loss to TSU. Unlikely to make tournament this year given strong play of ACC and ECAC teams. (timbucthree) — A change is in order, but first someone has to figure out exactly what keeps going wrong. (VTD) — Down from #9 to #11, the loss of Summers to a deep thigh bruise might have cost them dearly against Towson. But that alone can't explain a 2-7 first quarter. Flat, outplayed, and beaten, and next up, Syracuse! (Wombat) Cornell: Good start on the Ivy League title, but will finish second to Princeton. I thought they would be better than they've shown. (Artful Dodger) — Looking more like a contender every game. (Laximus) — #17 - I suspect this is an underranking but can't justify placing them any higher. (timbucthree) — The season is halfway over, and I still don't have a clue about what to think about this team. (VTD) — Up one notch from #14 to #13. Cornell is off to a 2-0 start in the Ivy, with a solid win over Penn. Riding a four-game winning streak after the tough start. (Wombat) Hofstra: Another team with a good shot at the CAA title. Parity is closing in on most of the conferences. (Artful Dodger) — Which Hofstra team will show up next game? (Laximus) — #15 - beat Drexel as they should. Still looking like #3 in CAA. (timbucthree) — Their season (despite something wacky happening) almost depends on them beating Towson next weekend. Lose to Towson, the CAA suddenly becomes a two horse race between Towson and Villanova. (VTD) — Up one notch from #13 to #12. Hofstra's game of the year is coming up this week versus Towson. (Wombat) Notre Dame: Next week is the GWLL Championship against Ohio State. Notre Dame will win a close one. (Artful Dodger) — #16 - no movement from last week. Beat Denver, barely. This team is better than they are playing. I suspect the coaching. (timbucthree) — Despite some letdowns, they are still in great shape to win the GWLL. (VTD) — Stays at #15 on my list this week with a 9-8 win over a tough Denver team, and the refs disallowed a Denver goal. Almost a bad loss for the Irish, but they pull another one out. Next week could be the one that decides the GWLL: Ohio State on the road. (Wombat) UMBC: It's too bad the Gallagher kid went down. I really like this team, and they have typically shown grit. There's always next year. (Artful Dodger) — #10 - two losses, both close to GT and Rutgers. This team is for real. (timbucthree) — One of my preseason surprise picks, Zimmerman has a lot of talent on this team. (VTD) — Stays at #18 on my list after the OT loss to Rutgers. The Retrievers have to be kicking themselves for letting such a big lead slip away. (Wombat) Navy: One-goal games and losses must give Coach Meade some sleepless nights. Navy is always fun to watch, and there is always the Army game. (Artful Dodger) — Tough team with a tough schedule. (Laximus) — #20 - lost to Air Force and Georgetown this week. Put a fork in them; they are done. Not a bad team, just not good enough. Probably not as good as PSU, but they have a better record at this point. (timbucthree) — They play so well against excellent teams (UNC, Georgetown) and yet they find ways to lose to teams like Air Force, whose only other victory is over 1-4 Siena. (VTD) — Tough loss doesn't hurt my poll ranking for them. (WNY Lax) — Navy sinks from #11 to #16 because of their awful loss 6-8 to Air Force, which was totally inexcusable. Add the 3-4 OT loss to Georgetown, and the Mids find themselves 0-3 in the ECAC. Ugly. But they can right the ship if they beat Maryland or JHU later. (Wombat) Villanova: I am rooting for this team to win the CAA. They have a good shot with outstanding goalie play and a great mix of upper and lower classmen. Defense has been great. (Artful Dodger) — #14 - good win over Sacred Heart, but closer than expected. No movement; stay at #14. (timbucthree) — They're doing it with great defense and no scholarships. Randy Marks ought to be given a medal. (VTD) — The Cats break into my top 20 from #21 to #19 this week. I don't like their weak schedule, but their only loss was by one goal to Duke. Was it a fluke? (Wombat) Ohio State: The only team with any hope of challenging Notre Dame for the GWLL this year. (VTD) — Up two from #19 to #17 on my list - they have played some tough competition, with respectable losses to UNC and Navy. Now the test - can they beat Notre Dame at home next week? That could be the game of the year for the Buckeyes. (Wombat) Bucknell: Played Maryland tight for three quarters and just beat a Hobart team that gave Syracuse fits. (Artful Dodger) — Big win over conference foe. (ColumbiaBlueBlack) — #18 - Should go to the tourney as Patriot Champ. Solid win over Hobart. Next up, Villanova. I am betting on Nova, but it should be a good game. (timbucthree) — Bucknell breaks in at #20, up from #22, after beating Hobart to take the Patriot lead, 2-0. Rounding out my list of near misses were: #21 Hobart, down one notch. #22 Penn, down five. #23 Penn State, up five notches and the best 2-5 team in the nation. #24 Dartmouth, which is probably one of the weakest scheduled 6-1 teams, but deserves a mention, and #25 Yale, which will not go quietly in the Ivy and could be a spoiler like last year. So Bucknell rounds out my Top 20 and will play my #19 Villanova next week to prove if the Cats are for real or not. (Wombat) Penn State: A 2-5 team in the top twenty? They've played good teams tough and just defeated UMass. Future ECAC foes (i.e., Navy and Rutgers) beware! (Artful Dodger) — Which Penn State team will show up next game? (Laximus) — After losing those close games so many times in the past few years, they finally came out on top and shut up the whining Minutemen. (VTD) — A very big win that might save their season. (WNY Lax) Yale: #19 - suspect this is an overranking, but they did beat PSU. (timbucthree)

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