Tentative Schedules are up...some very impressive!

[Dane96]

Tentative Fall Schedules are up. Some notable observations:

 

UA FOOTBALL: Hands down the most difficult schedule in our short 30 year history (aside from the 84-85 schedule...I think that was the year).

 

Men's Soccer- We get SIENA at home early on. Oneonta is always a top NE program...we get them at home!!!! The OOC is further highlighted by a home match with Syracuse. Are you guys noticing the trend. We are pretty much playing the 'Cuse in most sports (outside of football and basketball...but we have one year left on that deal). The conference schedule is very attractive at home....NU, UMBC, UVM, the BROOK, and arch-rival Binghamton. Those are the toughest teams! No West Coast trip this year.

 

Women- you guys know they signed a JC All-American. CCRI is probably one of the best in the country. Our new coach...head at Wisconsin (men's), UMASS (5 straight NCAA semi-finals) and one final). We play Siena on the road, up at the Shen Fields) and the schedule is nothing to write home about...though I think it was designed to give the girls confidence.

 

Field Hockey- NEW HEAD COACH- and a daunting schedule. At UCONN, versus Pacific (a decent West Coast program) at the Carrier Dome, Home versus SIENA, at DII power LOCK HAVEN (they are ridiculous and might as well be DI) and at the 'Cuse, all highlight a strong schedule.

 

Volleyball- REALLY STEPPING IT UP. This is a very solid team, most have been together for two/three years. They are starting to recruit heavily in the Mid-West (where hoops and volleyball rule) and the schedule reflects it. Early season trips to IUPU (owns DI independant), BALL STATE (a power house in Men's and Women's volleyball(they have a spring schedule of 40 games)...a good friend played for the Men's side), at UD (let's see what the CAA has). Interesting that there is no ALBANY TOURNEY this year. I am assuming that is because we are playing more solid single match teams. Play A-Ten squad G. Washington and Big West squad NEW MEXICO at UD. SETON HALL is coming to town as well!

 

Who else expects Siena to drop us after we wax them in all the above sports? All i all, these are probably the strongest overall schedules UA has ever had.

Edited June 4, 2004 by Dane96

[DaneFan2k3]

Interesting that you posted this, as I just looked at a few of these schedules as well.

 

For Field Hockey, though, they dont' actually play UConn - just at the UConn Classic. The two games listed below it (American and Sacred Heart, I think) are at that classic, so probably rather than an actual tournament it's just a chance to get a few games in on one weekend all in one spot. The Lock Haven game, I went to their site (curiously its not lockhaven.edu, but whatever) and they were D-II semifinalists. Also, they probably have a turf field, which is why we go there to play both them and St. Francis, Pa. at the same time.

 

Interesting to note that the team plays at Union (listed as "Frank Bailey Field") for all of their "home" games. They will be one team that needs the turf field and welcomes it the most.

 

The soccers' and field hockey all play Siena, which is just one more reason why this mythical Mayor's Cup competition should get underway. Siena is just plain old scared.

 

Also, is it just me, or do we need to establish some sort of "Cup" to be given away to the winner of the UAlbany-Stony Brook football game each year?? It's a natural rivalry that would only be heightened by having something to play for, bragging rights if you will, each year. Nothing extravagent, but the winner of the game gets to keep it each year.

[Dane96]

I think a bit before you signed up for the site (it was on here or at the AEAST board) we posted stuff about a cup. It was for hoops, and the idea would be to have a tourney rotating the school sites, at Buffalo, Albany, Bing, SBU. THAT WOULD BE TREMENDOUS.

 

Yes, I agree, a cup should happen between UA and SBU. The teams dont like each other much, the fans cant stand each other, both are good ballclubs, and the rivalry is pretty deep. The players respect each other though they hate each other.

 

Something about the Empire State, or considering the Dutch founded both Albany (Peter Stuyvesant) and Long Island (Brooklyn first then east) maybe something Dutch (that would royally piss Hofstra alumns off as they hate the "PRIDE") related (shoes, peglegs, something).

 

You up for sending an email to McElroy and the new AD at SBU? I am. If enough people do it...they will start it!

 

 

And you are right about Lockhaven....THEY ARE DII Field hockey. For as long as I can remember they have been at the top.

Edited June 5, 2004 by Dane96

[mainejeff]

Your scheduling is getting there, but I wasn't overly impressed with your fall sports schedules. It will be interesting to compare them to other America East programs.

[DaneFan2k3]

I think you have to remember that two of our sports have been on relative life-support for a while and are under new coaches. Field Hockey is playing without a turf field, which I imagine means they are one of the only schools playing field hockey not to have one. So they can't exactly go out and get the big recruits, let alone schedule the big boys. (Not unless you want psyche-breaking, let's-go-out-to-the-bars-every-night-type 8-0 scores plastered all over their team homepage).

 

Same thing for the atrocious women's soccer program, who finally has a head coach with some credibility. The man was a legend during his time at UMass; that isn't to say that UA women's soccer is going to be legendary any time soon. However, he should get us pointed in the right direction quickly and I'm sure he has his eye on scheduling that will not break down a whole new group of girls that will be coming in to play under him (and further break down the players who have a combined terrible-and-even-worse record during their current tenure at the school).

[Dane96]

Not sure why we have faired poorly at DI. Deb Fiore did a tremendous job w/ the ladies at DII but just couldn't translate the same at the DI level. Lets give it some time.

[DaneFan2k3]

You have to think that top players, who probably have turf fields at their home high school stadiums, would not want to come and play on grass. At the D-II level, you're recruiting a different type of athlete.

 

I bet there are only 10-15 schools with grass field hockey fields at the Division I level, Albany being one of them. And the America East is traditionally a highly-rated FH Conference.

 

Playing a strong schedule isn't going to do anything for the Danes at this point, considering they play all their games on the road. They would be better off sticking to what they've got - other mid-tier D-I schools that they can build up confidence against. Hopefully the new coach is a good recruiter.

 

Fiore did bring in the league's rookie of the year last season, however sometimes that can be misleading in that on a good team a rookie won't play as much as they would at UA, being that the Danes were terrible.

[mainejeff]

No question that your spring programs are way ahead of your fall programs at this point. You are right about field hockey.....there will be a glass ceiling until they get an artificial turf field. Maine is playing Michigan at home this year in field hockey.......would never happen if they didn't have turf.

[DaneFan2k3]

Any idea how many schools don't have turf at this point? I know that Vermont didn't, but now they do (I think I'm right on that?). The number has to be very, very small.

[mainejeff]

Maine, UNH, and Northeastern have artificial turf.