What a waste of a season

[GreatDanes06]

sucha good season, and because we had trouble with 1 stinking team...Maine...the season is a waste. Something to look foward to in the future, but it s a waste we cant make the NCAA, and a team like Stony Brook, which we own this year, has a chance to.

[DaneFan2k3]

Overall 37-14 is nothing to sneeze at, although like you said we were 3-0 vs. SB and only 1-4 against Maine, including 0-2 this weekend.

 

Certainly a disappointing end to the season, especially when you consider that the TU's poster boy, Shawn Ryan, absolutely imploded in John Rocker-like fashion. Has a 1.5 or something ERA coming in, but the lead goes from 1 to 6 in a hurry.

 

That stuff happens, though, that's why there is postseason play.

[Dane Pound]

A disappointing loss at the tourney but I don't see how it tarnishes the season at all. Going from a 30+ loss season last year to as 35+ win this year was fantastic no matter what happened in the tourney. It would have been a dream season to go through to the NCAA's but it was still a great season that will pay dividends in recruting and experience.

No one onthe team had experience in the post-season tourney before. It's pretty hard to have your first taste of tournament play be a good one no matter how well you've been playing. This team seemed to peak a little too early in the season.

It's a sign that the program has taken a huge step forward when we are disappointed we didn't win the AE tournament. Last year we would have been happy to just have made in there.

Between the regular season title in softball with the coach of the year and player of the year, a top three finish in baseball-also with the coach and player the year, a conference championship in golf, a tournament championship in lacrosse with a game in the dome in Syracuse and sending two track athletes to the NCAA it's been an unbelievable spring. To me, the winning this spring has legitimized our move to D1 and there will be no looking back.

[UAalum72]

Between the regular season title in softball with the coach of the year and player of the year, a top three finish in baseball-also with the coach and player the year, a conference championship in golf, a tournament championship in lacrosse with a game in the dome in Syracuse and sending two track athletes to the NCAA it's been an unbelievable spring.

And how close Albany was to the men's T&F championship, losing to Northeastern 163 - 162.5 while finishing behind them in the 4x100 by 0.08 seconds.

[mainejeff]

Congrats on your great season. Unfortunately, it is usually the hottest team at the end of the season that wins the tourney, and for the 2nd year in a row the #4 seed (Stony Brook) won the tourney. The experience and winning attitude that the Danes displayed this season will be a definite boost to the program in the future. If Maine, Stony Brook, and Albany can win their out-of-conference games and make it to 35+ wins in the same season, an at-large bid is not out of the question. If you guys would have won 40 games this year, you would have had a decent shot at an at-large IMHO.

 

By the way, I'm hoping that you guys get the tourney next season. I bet Albany would support the baseball tourney pretty well.

[Dane96]

Thanks for the compliments. UA has definately risen to the occassion and I think a tourney at Joe Bruno stadium could bring out a couple of thousand people. It makes me proud, as an alumn, to see how far we have come with a TOTAL program. I think it was DaneFan2k who said it best earlier, look at our program and look at Siena. 30+ years and they have a decent women's hoop team and a regionally know hoop program....THAT'S IT. UA; 5 years, a solid adminsitration in athletics, dedication to coaches (hiring full-time coaches in all sports), talks of stadiums, etc.

I think back when I was recruited in 1991 and they told us...yeah by your Sr. year will be DI....and not seeing it happen, well most of us said it would never happen.

 

It is a shame that there is a possibility (well NU definately) of BU and UNH leaving. I think the SUNY's have much more potential than Towson, Drexel and Hofstra. Delaware I give credit too. But the other three...whatever. I thinko the addition of SUNY's and UMBC have given this conference a boost. In a few years, if we stick together and add maybe one or two schools, this league could give the CAA a run for its money as a solid mid-major confernence.

 

In any event, I would like to see Maine become a part of Canada, as they have been an ultimate thorn in UA's neck!!!! (SOFTBALL and BASEBALL)!!!

[statefan]

Please correct this if I am wrong, but I believe our Baseball team was 5-1 against NCAA teams, with three wins over Stony Brook, wins over CCSU and St. John's and a loss to Coastal Carolina.

 

Also we are the only America East school to make the conference final four in all four spring team sports, baseball, softball and both lacrosses.

[Dane96]

You are correct sir! You could bet your butt if UA had 40 wins we would have received an at-large based on that number you gave!

Edited June 2, 2004 by Dane96

[mainejeff]

6-1......Don't forget your win over Missouri.

[AlbanyObserver]

A good fight by Albany in the AE Tourney, but I still believe they would have won the championship with Zimniewicz in the lineup and a healthy Vallone. Zimniewicz could have easily been chosen conference player of the year over Schoonmaker if he wasn't dismissed from the team during the final week.