SWC75
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Notre Dame just won the NCAA lacrosse title by winning each game by at least 5 goals. I wondered how that compared to past champions.
These are the teams that have won champions plus the margins of victory in their games, the totals and the average since the NCAA began its tournament in 1971. I’ve added their season record. Then I decided to complete the comparison by subtracting the losses from the average victory margin. That should give us a good ranking of the most powerful teams during this period.
1971 Cornell 2 + 1 + 6 = 9/3 = 3.0 13-1 = 2.0
1972 Virginia 3 + 7 + 1 = 11/3 = 3.67 11-4 = -0.33
1973 Maryland 12 + 11 + 1 = 24/3 = 8.0 10-0 = 8.0
1974 Johns Hopkins 8 + 1 + 5 = 14/3 = 4.67 12-2 = 2.67
1975 Maryland 12 + 10 + 7 = 29/3 = 9.67 8-2 = 7.67
1976 Cornell 14 + 8 + 3 = 25/3 = 8.33 16-0 = 8.33
1977 Cornell 4 + 16 + 8 = 28/3 = 9.33 13-0 = 9.33
1978 Johns Hopkins 12 + 6 + 5 = 23/3 = 7.67 13-1 = 6.67
1979 Johns Hopkins 14 + 9 + 6 = 29/3 = 9.67 13-0 = 9.67
1980 Johns Hopkins 4 + 7 + 1 = 12/3 = 4.0 14-1 = 3.0
1981 North Carolina 7 + 9 + 1 = 17/3 = 5.67 12-0 = 5.67
1982 North Carolina 14 + 7 + 2 = 23/3 = 7.67 14-0 = 7.67
1983 Syracuse 3 + 7 + 1 = 11/3 = 3.67 14-1 = 2.67
1984 Johns Hopkins 7 + 5 + 3 = 15/3 = 5.0 14-0 = 5.0
1985 Johns Hopkins 6 + 3 + 7 = 16/3 = 5.33 13-1 = 4.33
1986 North Carolina 2 + 1 + 1 = 4/3 = 1.33 11-3 = -1.67
1987 Johns Hopkins 1 + 5 + 1 = 7/3 = 2.33 10-3 = -0.67
1988 Syracuse 18 + 1 + 5 = 24/3 = 8.0 15-0 = 8.0
1989 Syracuse 7 + 10 +1 = 18/3 = 6.0 14-1 = 5.0
1990 Syracuse 8 + 11 + 12 = 31/3 = 10.33 13-0 = 10.33
1991 North Carolina 2 + 6 + 5 = 13/3 = 4.33 16-0 = 4.33
1992 Princeton 1 + 2 + 1 = 4/3 = 1.33 13-2 = 0.67
1993 Syracuse 12 + 6 + 1 = 19/3 = 6.33 12-2 = 4.33
1994 Princeton 1 + 3 + 1 = 5/3 = 1.67 14-1 = 0.67
1995 Syracuse 7 + 7 + 4 = 18/3 = 6.0 13-2 = 4.0
1996 Princeton 16 + 2 +1 = 19/3 = 6.33 14-1 = 5.33
1997 Princeton 2 + 1 + 12 = 15/3 = 5.0 15-0 = 5.0
1998 Princeton 2 + 1 + 10 = 13/3 = 4.33 14-1 = 3.33
1999 Virginia 7 + 5 + 2 = 14/3 = 4.67 13-3 = 1.67
2000 Syracuse 4 + 2 + 6 = 12/3 = 4.0 15-1 = 3.0
2001 Princeton 1 + 1 + 1 = 3/3 = 1.0 14-1 = 0.0
2002 Syracuse 1 + 1 + 1 = 3/3 = 1.0 15-2 = -1.0
2003 Virginia 11 + 5 + 10 + 2 = 28/4 = 7.0 15-2 = 5.0
2004 Syracuse 8 + 1 + 6 + 1 = 16/4 = 4.0 15-2 = 2.0
2005 Johns Hopkins 16 + 10 + 1 + 1 = 28/4 = 7.0 16-0 = 7.0
2006 Virginia 4 + 12 + 7 + 8 = 31/4 = 7.75 17-0 = 7.75
2007 Johns Hopkins 1 + 8 + 5 +1 = 15/4 = 3.75 13-4 = 0.25
2008 Syracuse 17 + 2 + 11 + 3 = 23/4 = 5.75 16-2 = 3.75
2009 Syracuse 7 + 5 + 10 + 1 = 23/4 = 5.75 15-2 = 3.75
2010 Duke 13 + 8 + 1 + 1 = 23/4 = 5.75 16-4 = 1.75
2011 Virginia 1 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 13/4 = 3.25 13-5 = -1.75
2012 Loyola 12 + 1 + 2 + 6 = 20/4 = 5.00 18-1 = 4.0
2013 Duke 1 + 1 + 2 + 6 = 10/4 = 2.5 16-5 = -2.5
2014 Duke 11 + 8 + 3 + 2 = 24/4 = 6.0 17-3 = 3.0
2015 Denver 6 + 2 + 1 + 5 = 13/4 = 3.25 17-2 = 1.25
2016 North Carolina 1 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 11/4 = 2.75 12-6 = -3.25
2017 Maryland 3 + 9 + 1 + 3 = 16/4 = 4.0 16-3 = 1.0
2018 Yale 2 + 3 + 9 + 2 = 16/4 = 4.0 17-3 = 1.0
2019 Virginia 9 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 15/4 = 3.75 17-3 = 0.75
2020 None
2021 Virginia 2 + 11 + 1 + 1 = 15/4 = 3.75 15-1 = 2.75
2022 Maryland 16 + 9 + 5 + 2 = 32/4 = 8.00 18-0 = 8.0
2023 Notre Dame 13 + 3 + 1 + 4 = 21/4 = 5.25 13-2 = 3.25
2024 Notre Dame 5 + 5 + 7 + 10 = 27/4 = 6.75 15-1 = 5.75
Firstly, as regards my initial question, The 1975 Maryland team, the 1978 and 1979 Johns Hopkins teams and the 1990 Syracuse team won all their games by at least five goals but none of them had to win four games to get the title.
Here are the ten most powerful teams by the measure I came up with, (subtracting the seasonal losses from the average margin of victory in the tournament). I think it’s pretty good ranking, (at least I like the result). It should be noted how much more competitive the sport has become over the years.
1990 Syracuse 10.33
1979 Johns Hopkins 9.67
1977 Cornell 9.33
1976 Cornell 8.33
2022 Maryland 8.00
1988 Syracuse 8.00
1973 Maryland 8.00
2006 Virginia 7.75
1975 Maryland 7.67
1982 North Carolina 7.67
All those teams were undefeated except 1975 Maryland. I think the game had probably advanced over what it was, (and what it took to win the title) in the 1970’s by the time of our 1990 team. Can the same be said of the winners since then?
In a way, I’m more impressed with the teams that had to pull out close games to win the title. By that measure, 2001 Princeton and 2002 Syracuse were the most impressive teams, as they each had to win three one goal games to win the title.
These are the teams that have won champions plus the margins of victory in their games, the totals and the average since the NCAA began its tournament in 1971. I’ve added their season record. Then I decided to complete the comparison by subtracting the losses from the average victory margin. That should give us a good ranking of the most powerful teams during this period.
1971 Cornell 2 + 1 + 6 = 9/3 = 3.0 13-1 = 2.0
1972 Virginia 3 + 7 + 1 = 11/3 = 3.67 11-4 = -0.33
1973 Maryland 12 + 11 + 1 = 24/3 = 8.0 10-0 = 8.0
1974 Johns Hopkins 8 + 1 + 5 = 14/3 = 4.67 12-2 = 2.67
1975 Maryland 12 + 10 + 7 = 29/3 = 9.67 8-2 = 7.67
1976 Cornell 14 + 8 + 3 = 25/3 = 8.33 16-0 = 8.33
1977 Cornell 4 + 16 + 8 = 28/3 = 9.33 13-0 = 9.33
1978 Johns Hopkins 12 + 6 + 5 = 23/3 = 7.67 13-1 = 6.67
1979 Johns Hopkins 14 + 9 + 6 = 29/3 = 9.67 13-0 = 9.67
1980 Johns Hopkins 4 + 7 + 1 = 12/3 = 4.0 14-1 = 3.0
1981 North Carolina 7 + 9 + 1 = 17/3 = 5.67 12-0 = 5.67
1982 North Carolina 14 + 7 + 2 = 23/3 = 7.67 14-0 = 7.67
1983 Syracuse 3 + 7 + 1 = 11/3 = 3.67 14-1 = 2.67
1984 Johns Hopkins 7 + 5 + 3 = 15/3 = 5.0 14-0 = 5.0
1985 Johns Hopkins 6 + 3 + 7 = 16/3 = 5.33 13-1 = 4.33
1986 North Carolina 2 + 1 + 1 = 4/3 = 1.33 11-3 = -1.67
1987 Johns Hopkins 1 + 5 + 1 = 7/3 = 2.33 10-3 = -0.67
1988 Syracuse 18 + 1 + 5 = 24/3 = 8.0 15-0 = 8.0
1989 Syracuse 7 + 10 +1 = 18/3 = 6.0 14-1 = 5.0
1990 Syracuse 8 + 11 + 12 = 31/3 = 10.33 13-0 = 10.33
1991 North Carolina 2 + 6 + 5 = 13/3 = 4.33 16-0 = 4.33
1992 Princeton 1 + 2 + 1 = 4/3 = 1.33 13-2 = 0.67
1993 Syracuse 12 + 6 + 1 = 19/3 = 6.33 12-2 = 4.33
1994 Princeton 1 + 3 + 1 = 5/3 = 1.67 14-1 = 0.67
1995 Syracuse 7 + 7 + 4 = 18/3 = 6.0 13-2 = 4.0
1996 Princeton 16 + 2 +1 = 19/3 = 6.33 14-1 = 5.33
1997 Princeton 2 + 1 + 12 = 15/3 = 5.0 15-0 = 5.0
1998 Princeton 2 + 1 + 10 = 13/3 = 4.33 14-1 = 3.33
1999 Virginia 7 + 5 + 2 = 14/3 = 4.67 13-3 = 1.67
2000 Syracuse 4 + 2 + 6 = 12/3 = 4.0 15-1 = 3.0
2001 Princeton 1 + 1 + 1 = 3/3 = 1.0 14-1 = 0.0
2002 Syracuse 1 + 1 + 1 = 3/3 = 1.0 15-2 = -1.0
2003 Virginia 11 + 5 + 10 + 2 = 28/4 = 7.0 15-2 = 5.0
2004 Syracuse 8 + 1 + 6 + 1 = 16/4 = 4.0 15-2 = 2.0
2005 Johns Hopkins 16 + 10 + 1 + 1 = 28/4 = 7.0 16-0 = 7.0
2006 Virginia 4 + 12 + 7 + 8 = 31/4 = 7.75 17-0 = 7.75
2007 Johns Hopkins 1 + 8 + 5 +1 = 15/4 = 3.75 13-4 = 0.25
2008 Syracuse 17 + 2 + 11 + 3 = 23/4 = 5.75 16-2 = 3.75
2009 Syracuse 7 + 5 + 10 + 1 = 23/4 = 5.75 15-2 = 3.75
2010 Duke 13 + 8 + 1 + 1 = 23/4 = 5.75 16-4 = 1.75
2011 Virginia 1 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 13/4 = 3.25 13-5 = -1.75
2012 Loyola 12 + 1 + 2 + 6 = 20/4 = 5.00 18-1 = 4.0
2013 Duke 1 + 1 + 2 + 6 = 10/4 = 2.5 16-5 = -2.5
2014 Duke 11 + 8 + 3 + 2 = 24/4 = 6.0 17-3 = 3.0
2015 Denver 6 + 2 + 1 + 5 = 13/4 = 3.25 17-2 = 1.25
2016 North Carolina 1 + 5 + 4 + 1 = 11/4 = 2.75 12-6 = -3.25
2017 Maryland 3 + 9 + 1 + 3 = 16/4 = 4.0 16-3 = 1.0
2018 Yale 2 + 3 + 9 + 2 = 16/4 = 4.0 17-3 = 1.0
2019 Virginia 9 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 15/4 = 3.75 17-3 = 0.75
2020 None
2021 Virginia 2 + 11 + 1 + 1 = 15/4 = 3.75 15-1 = 2.75
2022 Maryland 16 + 9 + 5 + 2 = 32/4 = 8.00 18-0 = 8.0
2023 Notre Dame 13 + 3 + 1 + 4 = 21/4 = 5.25 13-2 = 3.25
2024 Notre Dame 5 + 5 + 7 + 10 = 27/4 = 6.75 15-1 = 5.75
Firstly, as regards my initial question, The 1975 Maryland team, the 1978 and 1979 Johns Hopkins teams and the 1990 Syracuse team won all their games by at least five goals but none of them had to win four games to get the title.
Here are the ten most powerful teams by the measure I came up with, (subtracting the seasonal losses from the average margin of victory in the tournament). I think it’s pretty good ranking, (at least I like the result). It should be noted how much more competitive the sport has become over the years.
1990 Syracuse 10.33
1979 Johns Hopkins 9.67
1977 Cornell 9.33
1976 Cornell 8.33
2022 Maryland 8.00
1988 Syracuse 8.00
1973 Maryland 8.00
2006 Virginia 7.75
1975 Maryland 7.67
1982 North Carolina 7.67
All those teams were undefeated except 1975 Maryland. I think the game had probably advanced over what it was, (and what it took to win the title) in the 1970’s by the time of our 1990 team. Can the same be said of the winners since then?
In a way, I’m more impressed with the teams that had to pull out close games to win the title. By that measure, 2001 Princeton and 2002 Syracuse were the most impressive teams, as they each had to win three one goal games to win the title.
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