College: Yale bests Brown, 11-8. Tim Jacob and JW McGovern meet once again

JW McGovern and Tim Jacob

Two former NorCal All-Americans met on the Lacrosse field tonight in New Haven – Frosh JW McGovern repping Yale's Bulldogs and Soph Tim Jacob repping the Brown Bears. Both Yale and Brown are solid Ivy League teams, in a year when the Ivy League – top to bottom – is, arguably, the best Lacrosse conference in the country.

Both guys saw good playing time tonight, with Tim having LOTS of PT. JW had good PT, too, lots on EMO and some in 6 v 6 situations. The game was tied at least twice, lastly at eights. Brown was pumped, and Yale fans – and maybe the team – were nervous. Brown turned very aggressive, which was working fine, 'til Bruno got a bit too aggressive for the refs. Yale subsequently put in the last three goals, pulling away to win, 11-8. I REALLY enjoy watching Brown, and Tim is, clearly, an integral part of who the Bears are! JW? Well, he continues to contribute and his minutes are increasing.

Just as a recollection, these two NorCal hotshots played against each other in NCJLA (Redhawks v Lamorinda), with each other on NorCal Youth Travel teams, against each other for three years in HS –  Tim for Bellarmine College Prep and JW at St. Ignatius College Prep, with each other again for the Alcatraz Outlaws. Currently, against each other in college. One can hope they both end up back in SF and play WITH each other once again! Got my fingers crossed.

2012 season stats for NorCal NCAA DI players

Here is a compilation of season statistics for all NorCal NCAA DI players for the 2012 season. If I have forgotten any DI players from NorCal, please send a comment.

Please note that I have included John Glesener, who played his Youth Lacrosse with the Diablo Scopions (and played for DLS as a Freshman). I also include Billy Baird, who played his Youth Lacrosse with the Lamorinda Lightning. Nineteen NorCal guys playing DI Lacrosse. A very few years ago, who'd have believed it!

NorCal DI category leaders are:
Goals: Rob Emery, 24, Alex Capretta 23, Parker Brown 20
Assists: Parker Brown 20, John Glesener 17, Alex Capretta 11
Points: Parker Brown 40, Alex Capretta 34, John Glesener 33
Ground Balls: Rob Emery 27, Roy Lang 23, Parker Brown 21
Caused Turnovers: Kevin Downs 8, Billy Baird 6, Giancarlo Sangiacomo 3

NorCal lacrosse & the Ivy League Tournament

Alex Capretta

In an earlier post, I've written about the NorCal pipeline to the Ivy League. Without spending much time on that, the summary is that every Ivy League school has at least one NorCal guy playing or committed to it.  And they're contributors, sometimes HUGE contributors. This weeks final regular season games, setting the field and the seedings for the Ivy League Tournament, proved that point.

• The Princeton v Cornell regular season ender would determine the #1 and #2 seeds in the Ivy tournament, Recall that the winner of the Ivy tournament – not the regular season champ – gets the automatic bid to the big dance. In that game, Princeton prevailed 14-8, with Alex Capretta, former SI HS AA, had five goals for the Tigers. But, Roy Lang, former SI HS AA and 1st team NCAA AA, scored  one for the Big Red and was named to the Tewaaraton candidates list. Connor Hunt, former DLS HS AA, also plays for the Big Red.

• The Harvard v Yale regular season ender would determine whether Yale would be the #3 seed or the #4 seed in the tourney – and whether Harvard would be in the tourney – or not. Yale prevailed, 10-8, and secured the third seed. Harvard was out! Yale recruit JW McGovern, SI HS AA '12, was rooting for the Bulldogs, while Spencer Evans, SI '13, was rooting for the Crimson.

• Both Dartmouth and Brown had a chance to be the #4 seed if Harvard lost. Brown prevailed, defeating Dartmouth 10-8, securing the fourth seed in the Ivy tourney. In this game, Parker Brown, former UHS HS AA, had 2 goal and 1 assist, while Thomas Mattimore, former SI HS AA, had 1 goal and 1 assist. Two Dartmouth recruits, Jack McCormick, DLS '13, and Wiley Osborne, Menlo '13, were rooting for the Big Green! Brown Attackman, Tim Jacob, former Bellarmine HS AA, saw action in this game.

UPenn was not in the hunt for the tourney this year, but Nick Richards, former DLS AA, saw plenty of action this year.

Quite a testament to the athletic – and academic – prowess of all these guys!

SI alum Alex Capretta nets 2 against Brown

Former SI All-American Alex Capretta, has been on a roll for Princeton this year. A starter for the Tigers in all eight of their games, Capretta ranks third in points for Princeton with 17 and is tied for second in assists for the highly-rated squad. Princeton overwhelmed the Brown Bears, 13-2. Former NorCal HS All-Americans Parker Brown and Tim Jacob both played in this game for the Bears, but were held without points by the stingy Tiger defense.