Liberty League

Started by Saint of Old, August 12, 2014, 12:14:06 PM

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deutschfan

Coach Taylor issued a press release on the incoming Clarkson class. Defenders and midfielders with no USSDA platers identified. He had a bunch of forwards already on his roster so maybe he didn't think he needed another frontrunner or one simply did not sign up. I wish other LL teams would post releases about their new classes. SLU did so last year and some other D3 schools are getting in the act. If a soccer power like Cal Tech does it everyone should. It is SOP for D1 schools.

sokermom

Quote from: deutschfan on July 21, 2017, 12:56:31 PM
Coach Taylor issued a press release on the incoming Clarkson class. Defenders and midfielders with no USSDA platers identified. He had a bunch of forwards already on his roster so maybe he didn't think he needed another frontrunner or one simply did not sign up. I wish other LL teams would post releases about their new classes. SLU did so last year and some other D3 schools are getting in the act. If a soccer power like Cal Tech does it everyone should. It is SOP for D1 schools.

Clarkson is a good school but so darn difficult to get to.  No airport no nothing.  My son was courted by Coach Taylor but once we figured that flying or driving it takes one full day to reach there and in winter all roads become impassable we took a pass on that school.  Great engineering school with co-op and 100% job assurance after graduation.  Good opportunity for kids living near by driving distance in NY. But can understand why they can't attract players. 

SandyMac

Quote from: sokermom on July 21, 2017, 01:38:38 PM
Quote from: deutschfan on July 21, 2017, 12:56:31 PM
Coach Taylor issued a press release on the incoming Clarkson class. Defenders and midfielders with no USSDA platers identified. He had a bunch of forwards already on his roster so maybe he didn't think he needed another frontrunner or one simply did not sign up. I wish other LL teams would post releases about their new classes. SLU did so last year and some other D3 schools are getting in the act. If a soccer power like Cal Tech does it everyone should. It is SOP for D1 schools.

Clarkson is a good school but so darn difficult to get to.  No airport no nothing.  My son was courted by Coach Taylor but once we figured that flying or driving it takes one full day to reach there and in winter all roads become impassable we took a pass on that school.  Great engineering school with co-op and 100% job assurance after graduation.  Good opportunity for kids living near by driving distance in NY. But can understand why they can't attract players.

Funny, because SLU is 10 minutes away and attracts players from California, the mid-Atlantic, the Toronto area, and the Caribbean on a regular basis.  I don't think that's a valid argument.

sokermom

@SandyMac, in our case that was the reason.  Maybe I am wrong in generalizing it. 

Ommadawn

Quote from: deutschfan on July 21, 2017, 12:56:31 PMI wish other LL teams would post releases about their new classes. SLU did so last year and some other D3 schools are getting in the act. If a soccer power like Cal Tech does it everyone should. It is SOP for D1 schools.

As a fan, I really appreciate and enjoy the press releases announcing the incoming classes. Some coaches, however, do not want to "tip their hands" regarding their new players, and some institutions refrain from such announcements to avoid perceptions of "overemphasis" on sport.

deutschfan

Two valid points but I don't think schools like Cal Tech and the University of Chicago are too worried about being characterized as jock schools.  Same is true with all the Nescacs, UAAs,  the Centennials, and the Liberty League schools.  That is not to say that fine athletes are not on the campuses of all of those schools. Union won the D1 men's hockey championship in the near past.  However, even for those athletes the primary concern is academics and life afyer college athletics.

Dog Face

We've been really impressed by Coach Taylor's marketing- he's at the tournaments, follows up with emails, send updates and videos on how they're doing and what they're trying to accomplish.  Selling the strong points of the school and explaining what he's trying to do in building a program.

He's got some obstacles in recruiting (not a recognized LL program historically, middle of nowhere, 70% guys, D1 hockey).  I never met the guy, as it wasn't what my sons were looking for (we did visit St. L- flew into Albany), but based on his marketing (based on the content, and the fact that he seems to be putting in the effort to build a program), I've recommended that kids looking for engineering give it a look.


sokermom

@Dog Face, agree 100% with you regarding Clarkson.  Seems like a good school with a program looking to rise above the fray.

stlawus

If you flew into Albany then you could have flown into Ogdensburg which is pretty close to Clarkson/SLU.  It's a small plane but gets you there. 

deutschfan

Coach Taylor has great rapport with his players and that has to help recruiting.  Clarkson looks like it is on a similar trajectory to the program of another Andy Jennings former assistant, Nate Gibboney.  In 5 years Coach Gibboney turned around a program at a 1300 student liberal arts college in the middle of Pennsylvania to dethrone Messiah.  Incredible accomplishment.  The SLU win last year should have been program defining for Clarkson.  Alas, the committee gifted SLU an NCAA birth so I assume players looking at SLU and Clarkson will hear from the SLU side that we always go to the playoffs pretty much no matter what.  That is a tough fact for Coach Taylor to recruit against.  Back to back wins against SLU, and SLU not making the NCAA playoffs in 2017 would start to level the playing field. 

Saint of Old

Clarkson is a program that made it to the Final 4 in the mid 90s and was consistently one of the best teams in the region during hat decade. It has been a rough 15 years for the program.

Taylor was a class player and accomplished a lot during his college years.
The former Coach was also an All American and quality player in college.

Hopefully the local law enforcement does not try and frame Taylor as well and the program should fight for that 6th and final playoff spot.

deutschfan

Honored to put up the first August 2017 LL thread post.  Coaches preseason poll out and no LL team received any votes.  Since the poll usually mirrors the previous year's NCAA performance, the absence is not surprising given SLU and Vassar's early exits.  However, looking at the number of players who graduated from those teams in 2017 both should have been ranked or at least received votes imho.  Both teams have a tremendous core of impact players returning.  On a different subject, RPI's summer trip to Costa Rica gives them an edge going into the season.  Last time they went to Costa Rica in 2014 they made waves in the LL and wound up losing in the LL playoff finals 1-0 to SLU.  RPI should have received an NCAA bid that year.  The snub probably resulted in the gift they received in 2015.  That is neither here nor there to the main point that teams that travel abroad to play in the summer have a substantial advantage over teams that don't.     

stlawus

I would prefer to stay unranked entering the season.  SLU's reputation still carries a lot of weight, but a ranking puts a target on your back early.  Decent core returning for this year's SLU squad.  5th year senior Rob Brandell is going to be a major presence on the team.  Tosh got a good haul of recruits as well.  I think the league is going to be the toughest it's been in quite some time.

deutschfan

Hobart and Bard rosters up.  Anyone familiar with the abilities of the new additions or are there any notables expected to have returned but not?

Ommadawn

Bard lost a lot of strong players from last year's senior class, so it could be a rebuilding year.  Hobart returns most of their strongest players from last year, so expectations are high that this might be the year for a breakthrough.  I am not familiar with the newcomers on either side, though.