Women's Lax keeps rolling

Beat Lehigh 12-9 today behind Tara Casey's four goals. One more win and we claim the league again and head to the NCAAs.

Amazing to think there is really only one senior on the team (Lauren Price) - not counting Ozor walking on.

Sunday is Holy Cross for all the marbles. Let's Go 'Gate!

Fordham's Football Prospectus is Out Too

PDF Link

Give it a read. They will be contenders this year with a lot coming back on offense. They have serious holes to fill at linebacker and in the defensive backfield, but they will be competitive nonetheless.

Football Spring Prospectus is Out

Colgate Spring Football Prospectus (PDF file)

Some key facts:

6 home games, with UMass, Fordham, Lehigh and Bucknell all coming to Andy Kerr. That's VERY nice. The big away game will be Lafayette. I don't want to get complacent about HC or G'Town, but... let's be realistic. Just had a random thought: maybe something will go wrong with the G'Town field construction and we get another home game? That would be nice!!!!

We lose 23 letterwinners, return 27. 10 starters returning/12 lost. We know who the lost ones are: Branch, Brown, Graham, Long... a lot of skill. But let's focus on the positive: we return some great players.

Geoff Bean - should be even more of a star in the defensive backfield.
Tom Cassono - I'd like to see him emerge as a solid DE.
Conn Davis - switched from TE to DE. Maybe he'll find a spot there.
Zach Dollar - got the defensive nod for the spring. Looks like it will be him and Nepa. I like that.
Jeff Galletly - he made a name for himself towards the end of last year. I like him back in 2005. He should help shore up the run.
Ryan Hall - BIG (306) OG back on the line.
Ray LaMonica - if he can carry the load for the O, we'll be in good shape. He should be able to rush for 1000 yards.
Ronnie Millen - another DT I look to shore up the run.
Andrew Moore - experience at FS should help us. Him and Bean are here for 2 more years. Awesome.
Todd Mulligan - returning OT.
Mark Mushel - returning OT. I like the sound of both of those. We needed experience here last year. Throw a solid O line with LaMonica running strong, and we can make a run for the title.
Jared Nepa - solid inside. Could be D player of the year in the PL. He's a leader and a playmaker. Just stay healthy and we'll be alright on D.
Kenny Parker - Was the #3 TB last year but could challenge for some more time at WR. He's fast, good moves... can he make the transition though?
Chris Petrone - more returners on the D line...
Mike Rava - I hope he can replace Lane for the field goal duties. Lane was solid.
Mike Saraceno/Lee Sloan - please, one of you take the reigns at QB and run with it. This is our biggest question mark.
Jake Sulovski - another lineman (C) returning with experience. I just love saying that.
Jason Sutton - two more years for our punter. Special teams wins games...
Chris Williams - the 3rd member of the D backfiled with good experience. Our D backfield is set once another corner emerges.
The Wurst Twins - return on both sides of the line. They will be names you hear a lot.

The prospectus gives some insight into the positions. Give it a read!

New football schedules released

Colgate football future schedules

This is an interesting development. If I recall correctly, Columbia was on there for at least '06 and '07. Now they're gone and Albany and Monmouth come on board. Albany's not bad - they are going to a full scholarship program and could be on the rise by then. Monmouth was good last year (in a mid-major way; they beat G'town) and they have dreams of being in the PL or at least getting an auto-bid for the playoffs. I wish Monmouth was the opener before heading back to UMass.

Note that Towson is back on as a home and home and University of Buffalo wants another ass-kicking. I would have liked a different CAA team (they will be CAA and not A-10 by the time we play) but they're still coming from the top power conference in I-AA.

Also interesting is that we're getting six home games for '06 and '07; that's nice for the fans. The last part that I find interesting is that we have some space for a 12th game should that proposal go through in the NCAA. Every year has a off week and '08 has two. I believe that year is a 12 game year no matter what because of the calendar (much like 2003). Hopefully we will find another home game that year. Looking at who's already scheduled, it might be another NEC team making the trip to Andy Kerr.

Softball lands a good one

Montclair Times Article

"On Monday at 1:35 p.m., in the conference room of Montclair High’s front office, senior Meg Mylan signed a national letter of intent to play Division 1 collegiate softball for Colgate University next year. Mylan, a co-captain for the Mounties who plays catcher and bats cleanup, received a partial athletic scholarship worth about $20,000 per year.
Colgate, better known for its academics over athletics as an unsaid Ivy League type of institution in Hamilton, N.Y., was Mylan’s first choice over Bucknell and Holy Cross."

This is a nice grab for Colgate, and it also shows what a good recruiter Coach Sax is. I've often been impressed with the diverse types of students that she is able to have come to Colgate. This program will benefit nicely from athletic scholarships and the strides made by Coach Sax in the past several years.

I'm hoping the team will do some damage in the playoffs.

Lafayette's Spring Game Will be Televised

If anyone is in the RCN cable area, you can watch the Leopard's spring game this Saturday at 6 pm. It could be a good watch as the Pards return some key players and should be in the mix for the title.

Link: Lafayette Release

I'd be looking at their receivers and at Hurt (the new TB) to see what kind of offense they will have. They return a lot on D - the key to their season will be what can they do on O.

Recycling information

I've posted this early preseason ranking/thought list for the Patriot League elsewhere (you know who you are AGS...) but I thought it should at least find a home here too. I've added some minor edits, but I still think this ranking is on:

1 - Lehigh - top 15 AGS poll consideration
2- Lafayette - top 20 AGS poll consideration
3 - Colgate (the sentimental favourite of course)
4 - Fordham
5 - Bucknell
6 - Holy Cross
7 - Georgetown

1 - Lehigh returns a potent offense and some key defensive personnel. They have Lafayette at home and are smarting from a loss. That said, it has been noted elsewhere that Lehigh has failed to make the playoffs in years following a Lafayette loss. This could be the year to break that spell, but it's interesting to note. I've recently learned that Lehigh lost some key lineman, so it will be worth watching to see how they respond to some new faces in the trenches compared to 'gate last year.

2 - Lafayette. Last year's surprise team returns a solid group and gets Colgate at home - a team they've lost to since Biddle's been the coach. They just have the bullseye on their back this year and we'll see how they respond to pressure. I'll go out on a limb now and say I'll be surprised to see if they can win it two years in a row. Only Lehigh and Colgate have been able to do that since the mid 90s. But hey, if they can, more power to them.

3 - Colgate's going to have some new faces in the skill positions, but the defense will return some solid athletes and the O line got some good experience last year. LaMonica is no slouch at TB and I look for some youngsters to step up (such as Kenny Parker or transfer JJ Bennet and contend for the title. Colgate's got LU, FU and BU all at home this year, which helps. I think if 'gate gels early, they'll be in the title hunt at the end. I also look for Colgate's defense to regain some of its swagger with who they return.

4 - Fordham was young and rebuilding last year. They lose an all-american CB and a solid LB but otherwise they can make some waves in 2005. The real thing that I'm looking at is, this is now year two under Foley. Can be a winner?

5 - Bucknell loses their QB. He was a one man show in many games (see Colgate obviously). If they can replace him, then we'll have a different story for the Bison. If not, their defense will have to keep them in games.

6 - Holy Cross is young but they're making strides. They've still got some years to go but this could be the year they take someone down other than G'Town.

7 - G'Town at some point might break out, but until I see it, I won't believe it. They've got talent - they just need to learn how to win. Maybe the new stadium is what they need!

The artists rendering... Looks nice. The right hand side is phase one. Hopefully that will be done for Nov. 19th! 

The main field area. 

It has begun... G'Town's new multi-purpose facility has broken ground. This is great news for the Patriot League. 

No word on Branch or Graham yet

The Utica O-D ran a little bit on Jamaal and Luke:

http://www.uticaod.com/archive/2005/04/25/sports/26305.html

Nothing yet. After not being drafted, one would hope they will be picked up as a FA soon. They really have a shot to catch on somewhere much like Frieser.

My personal belief is that Graham might have more of a long term shot in the NFL than Branch, unless Branch can catch on with the right team and get a few breaks. I see Graham as a great possession receiver that some team will always want on the squad. 3rd down situations and he's your go to guy with the height, leaping ability and hands.

Branch has to find a team that will give him the shot to be an Eddie George or Tommy Vardell type back and get 30 carries a game. If, and that's a big if, that can happen - then we might just hear Jamaal's name on Sundays.

Some spring practice new

Colgate announces Zach Dollar and Jake Sulovski as top defensive and offensive players out of spring practice.

Colgate Release

Interesting to note the players. One would have thought Nepa or Bean would be inside track for defense and maybe LaMonica on O.

Some Love From Cornell?

Cornell's student newspaper has once again lifted up Colgate as an example to the Ivy League on how I-AA football and NCAA playoffs are not incompatible with 1st class academics..

"In 2003, Colgate's football team advanced to the Division I-AA national title game. Colgate is virtually on par with the Ivies as an academic institution, and it's participation in the I-AA tournament did not serve as a detriment at all to its players' academic standing, while at the same time giving those student-athletes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play on a national stage. There is no reason to believe that such an ill-effect would occur at Ivy schools either."


Cornell Sun Article

If I didn't hate them so much, I could kiss them.

So let's try pictures...

Colgate's John Frieser - currently with the Berlin Thunder of NFL Europe.



Colgate's Jared Nepa - returning leader for Colgate's defensive unit.

Let's try this on for size

hmmm...blogging. Is this respectable yet? I mean, seriously - who's "blogging" and who's reading this crap anyway? Well, let's try it on for size, see what we think of it all and go from there.

Here's the intital priority plan:

#1 - Colgate football
#2 - Patriot League football
#3 - I-AA football
#4 - Colgate Ice Hockey
#5 - ECAC Ice Hockey
#6 - other Colgate athletics
#7 - other Patriot League athletics
#8 - my witty humour and policital insight
#9 - wisdom for the masses

You get the general idea. I'm thinking Colgate football and PL (that's Patriot League for short) football along with my other brand of commentary on every subject that worthy to me.

Sounds like a noble adventure? We'll give it a shot.

"Damn the torpedos. Full Speed Ahead!"