Matt Ward not a 1'st Team AA? [Archive]

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Espositos Chops

12-28-2005, 04:12 PM

broslax16

12-28-2005, 04:19 PM

Matt Ward is a very good player no doubt. It is unfortunate that he was not on the 1st team AA list, but something could change by the end of the season.

Espositos Chops

12-28-2005, 04:29 PM

thanks - I'm actually quite aware of how AA's are chosen. And I appologize if I was alarmist sounding. I just saw Inside Lacrosse's pre- season All American's and was stunned to see him omitted. And for what its worth - I didn't go to Virginia.

cbhslacrossemid

12-29-2005, 09:14 PM

Lax101

12-29-2005, 11:21 PM

You gotta remeber this is pre-season. It could all change by the time they chose AA's. I'm with you, I think Ward should have gotten 1st team (especially over Sean Morris-IMO). But all in all I'm satisfied with the list, but I think Paul Rabil should have gotten 1st team.
Morris was a Tewaaraton finalist. Are you kidding me?

This is all ironic since IL did a spread on Matt Ward in their Team USA issue, where it talked about a lot of the nuances and characteristics of Ward, and two months later he gets snubbed. However, Morris definitely deserved to be on the list.

Espositos Chops

12-30-2005, 10:42 AM

First of all, dont freak out, these are PRESEASON selections we are talking about here.

Second, the other four guys up there are no joke either. Its not like Ward got beat by a bunch of 80 pound middle school kids. All four of those guys carry their respective teams, and all of them are certainly good enough to be a first team AA.

Listen - they are all phenomenal players and I really don't mean to slight ANY of them. And actually, perhaps Im reacting so negatively because I am viewing this through the wrong post-season lense. But here goes: were you in Philly? I just refuse to accept that any of the pre-season AA's showed more leadership and clutch plays against the best in the nation then Ward did last year. And I totally respect that a ton of people will think Im nuts. He was unstoppable against Hopkins.... They had no answer for him and as you know, that game could have gone either way. And honestly, as in that game. I just feel like so many people wrote him (and UVA off) - it was like a Hopkins love fest and Virginia almost shocked everyone. I pick Virginia to win it all this year.

cannonslax624

12-31-2005, 10:21 AM

Dude, youre right. Ward should have been first team, no doubt.

Sanchez

12-31-2005, 01:48 PM

I think you should weigh how these guys do individually, because AA is an individual honor. If you look last year, matt ward wasnt necessarily the number one threat at attack, with johnny christmas there. Same with paul rabil, hes nasty, when you got kyle harrison right next to you drawing the pole everytime, its a little easier to produce. Dont get me wrong, these guys are amazing, and preseason all american doenst really mean that much, but thats some of the logic behind these guys not getting first team, not just bias on behalf of the selection board. All though matt ward had a very good appearance in semifinals, it was infront of the biggest crowd of his life and that does bring the best out of players. But on an individual level, after weighing the entire season last year, i dont see him cracking into those top 4 spots, look at those people. I dont think anyone can argue that danowski, walters, walker and morris should be any lower on the honors.

DukeLax2

12-31-2005, 02:04 PM

matt ward usually had the best pole on him, christmas was not as dangerous as ward after he lost his speed

CoUgArLAX18

12-31-2005, 02:26 PM

Matt ward should have made it but the other 4 are really good 2

cannonslax624

01-01-2006, 10:40 AM

I think Ward could have been first. Wasn't the number one threat at attack with CHRISTMAS there? Dude come on. Christmas struggled last year, as he did the year before (albeit to injuries). Ward carried that offense.

devillax57

01-01-2006, 11:27 AM

he should definitely be up there...he is an amazing player...but don't worry we can complain about it if he doesn't make the final list...this one doesn't count

ex-lax

01-01-2006, 07:11 PM

from what i saw of matt ward all he could do is finish really to get him set up you would need christmas to do something so it was really his teammates that were good he just happened to be the one who they passed to but thats what i saw of him im probably wrong

merrychristmas

01-05-2006, 01:10 PM

Rabil got poled last year most of the time. All the Hopkins first middies got poled more often than not. Usually two attackmen got shorties.

DukeLax2

01-05-2006, 01:57 PM

matt ward is more of a shooter than passer but he is still a sick passer

ColtsLax

01-05-2006, 02:57 PM

Hey ,i was at Philly, and i saw him, but THAT DOES NOT MATTER. if they had maybe won some more games during the season, and he showed that type of leadership during the year, he may have gotten it, but since the post season does not count, he wont get it

quakerlaxattack

01-09-2006, 07:02 PM

blows my mind...what's the bias against Virginia on this board? His numbers speak for themselves - the guy virtually sent Hopkins packing last year in what was arguably the greatest lacrosse semifinal in history....he lit them up.

Yea that is surprising, but even more so is that 2006 US World Team member Joe Walters, with 167 career points and look at these awards
2005 USILA Second Team All-American
2005 Tewaaraton Trophy Semifinalist
2005 NCAA All-Tournament Team
2005 All-ACC
2005 ACC All-Tournament Team
2005 Preseason First Team All-American
2004 USILA First Team All-American
2004 Tewaaraton Trophy Semifinalist
2004 ACC Player of the Year
2004 ACC Tournament MVP
2004 All-ACC
2004 Preseason Honorable Mention All-American
2003 USILA Hon. Mention All-American
2003 ACC Rookie of the Year

Yet still right next to Matt Ward as second team.

cannonslax624

01-12-2006, 05:37 PM

Walters OR Ward not on first team is a joke. And how can you say ColtsLax that he didn't show leadership during the season? Because they didn't win as many games as Duke or Hopkins? Since when has wins had to do with leadership? You may need leadership for big wins, but even an 0-15 team can have good leaders.