Each week I am going to be breaking down different conferences within the MCLA and what will be expected within and from those conferences in the 2014 season. I will start this off with the PCLL, which consist of teams from the Northeast. In division one we have SUNY Buffalo, Northeastern, University of Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, University of Rhode Island, and last years champion Boston College. I believe that 2014 can hold a changing of the tides for the PCLL at the division one level.
Out of the past eight years there has only been two where the Eagles of Boston College have not won the championship, the inaugural year of 2006 and then again in 2012. Seeing what teams have put forth and how they are preparing this fall makes me think that this could be our third time seeing a different team atop the division one podium. I really like what I have seen for UConn this fall and the end of last year, they seem to be a team that is putting everything together correctly. While they did not make it to South Carolina last year and lost to BC twice by four and six goals respectively I believe the huskies may have found a couple of those missing pieces needed for last year. Another team that is also worth putting on the radar will be SUNY Buffalo, who is sort of the Jekyll and Hide team of the PCLL. One year Buffalo will be firing on all cylinders ready to blow your doors down, and the next they are the team who can barely put a decent game together. With all but one of the players on the roster last year hailing from the lacrosse rich state of New York there is certainly no shortage of talent on the team, so one must think maybe the “club” atmosphere is really getting to the team?
This league should bring lots of interesting twists and turns as the year goes on in this conference with Boston University joining the NCAA division one ranks and UConn really putting things together here is my predictions for the final 2014 PCLL division one standings.
1. University of Connecticut
2. Boston College
3. Northeastern
4. SUNY Buffalo
5. University of New Hampshire
6. University of Rhode Island
Now for division two of the PCLL we have what could turn out for one heck of a showdown this year. With the resignation of Coach SeanMichael Pagano from Briarcliffe and Coast Guard having their best year in recent memory. With this being Coast Guards last year for a shot of the PCLL crown you better believe they will be gunning for their chance to hoist the trophy. Coast Guard loses their third and fourth total point earners to graduation they are going to have to find that third piece to fit in with Stuart Carley and Eric Schmid at attack.
Briarcliffe on the other hand loses their previous head coach, their three previous All Americans, one of those All Americans being Timmy Dillon who holds the record for most faceoff wins in all of Briarcliffe lacrosse history. Cue new Head Coach Donny Denning along with his announced staff Timmy Dillon, former standout defenseman at The Ohio State University Pat Sullivan, and John Austin a current New York Lizards midfielder. While many of the media outlets expect the Bears to steal the conference, if the student athletes of Briarcliffe still have the same heart and hustle they have always held then there should be a five peat in the future for the Bulldogs of Briarcliffe. Stonehill College will look to hold its reign on the PCLL north. Here are my predictions for the finale 2014 standings in the division two PCLL.
South
1. Briarcliffe
2. Coast Guard
3. Central Connecticut
4. Southern Connecticut
5. New Haven
North
1. Stonehill
2. Bridgewater
3. WPI
4. Maine
Next week we will focus on the CCLA and see what we can expect from that conference in the 2014 campaign.
