Buffs drop in recent poll
Even though every sport differs greatly from the next, there is one common bond that ties them all together: rankings.
For almost every college sport, whether it is football, basketball, track, varsity or club, rankings matter.
Lax World MCLA Division I Top 25
1. Michigan
2. Chapman University
3. Minnesota-Duluth
4. Brigham Young
5. Simon Fraser
.7. Colorado State
.16. CU
.19. Utah
The same can be said for the Colorado club lacrosse team. It is currently ranked No. 16 out of nearly 200 teams in the latest Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association poll, which was released April 9. The Buffs dropped from No. 12 in the previous poll, and they were ranked within the top 10 earlier this season.
While the Buffs may have achieved Top 10 glory a few weeks back, it is actually the current ranking that will matter more to the team. With one game left in the regular season, the Buffs’ standing has become a crucial aspect of their chances of advancing past the regular season.
Junior captain Alex Mical said that while the rankings do not normally have a large influence on the players’ performances, they do play an important role in the postseason.
“They’re important in the sense that at the end of the season the top 16 teams go to the national tournament,” Mical said.
Despite the added pressure of remaining one of the top 16 teams, the players said they realize that their hard work has not always been reflected in the rankings.
Junior captain Mike Emerson said their opponents this season have been some of the most competitive teams they have had to face.
Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Standings
1. Brigham Young 9-4 (2-0)
2. University of Utah 7-7 (2-0)
3. Colorado State 9-5 (0-2)
4. CU 3-5 (0-2)
“We’ve played the hardest schedule out of every team in the nation,” Emerson said. ” The losses we’ve had have been overrated.”
With CU at the tail end of qualifying for a postseason spot, the Buffs must look to beat their rival CSU at their final regular season game on April 26.
Coach John Galvin said both teams will be eager to play this game, and the rankings will not affect how they play against one another.
“Regardless of polls, it’s still always just a big game,” Galvin said. “The teams could be ranked 159 and 160 and we would still get emotionally charged for it.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Rachael Fischer at
rachael.fischer@colorado.edu.
