Periodically throughout this past season I have graded the teams around the league on their on and off the field moves. Now it's final exam time as the regular season has concluded. Many teams are going for extra credit this week but for the most part the teams around the league have completed their courses and will receive their grades this week.
First, we'll touch on the teams in the Northern Conference so here are their grades in the order that they finished (preseason grades in parentheses):
1. Hershey: A (C+/B-) The Wildcats looked a bit timid out of the gates this year as they got warmed up but they hit their stride near the half-way point and never looked back. They really did well in doing all that was needed to hold off the rest of their Conference. Heading into the playoffs they look very strong. Their chances took a hit after the Mitchell trade but in the long run that is the A-League season they showed they had much more in the tank than chocolate syrup.
2. Rochester: B- (B+) The Rhinos did not have one of their better seasons but at least they didn't tank as bad as some formerly high-powered clubs did this season. Some of their signings didn't quite pan out as expected but we're still talking about Rochester here. The postseason is here and the Rhinos are in it and as I said last week not to be against these beasts come playoff time and I reiterate those thoughts here.
3. Pittsburgh: C (C-/D+) The Hounds saw their grade go up largely due to the fact that they pulled their season together at the very end to get into the playoffs. A solid effort and some very good strides were made through this season and it looks like the Hounds may catch up sooner rather than later with their neighbors in Hershey. Despite the questionable timing of bringing in a new coach at the beginning of this year it appears that Haaskivi has something to work with.
4. Montreal: D+/C- (B-) Really, their grade comes more from the off the field distractions and pitfalls that Ionian ran into before finally dropping their affiliation with the Impact. Montreal could've turned into a disaster area but the guys on the field narrowly missed the playoffs after picking things up again under Joey Saputo's leadership. Hopefully he can captain the Impact to normalcy again with this club that will eventually become a tremendous part of the Canadian top flight.
5. Connecticut: B-/C+ (B) The Wolves grade dropped a little bit because they didn't seem to capitalize on their early success. Granted, they massively improved over last season's team but, at the same time with the names on their roster they should have done much better. Would you like to hear some of those names again? How about Throop, Vaudreil, Sewell, Maruti, and Suarez among others? If they can keep some of these guys around they could become a legitimate contender. One big thing: keep Throop healthy and in goal.
6. Long Island: C- (C+) This team really didn't do any worse than expected when you look at how they finished but the bottom five in the Northern Conference were equally weak by the end of the year. The fact that the Roughriders had any shot to make the playoffs at all at the halfway point suggests the general weakness of the northern boys this year. As in many other cities during this off-season Long Island will need to find a bonafide goal-scorer to compete for honors next year. This was by any standard a rather disappointing year for the loyal at the Mitch.
7. Toronto: F (B+) At the beginning of the year I labeled the Impact an enigma but this club truly was one. It's hard to explain what really went wrong with this team other than the fact that they just didn't put the ball in the back of the net. Too many times this team showed an inability to score or hold their temper. A lot of work needs to be done to the psyche of this club and signing a forward or three should help. Either way the rabid following the Lynx have deserve a better performance from their guys.
That's the way my grades shake out for the Northern Conference. Next week I'll hand out grades to our pals on the West Coast and maybe mention a few words on the continuing playoffs.
Speaking of which, as we go to press the Timbers and Flash have jumped out to commanding 2-0 leads in their series' against Charlotte and Atlanta respectively. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh scored a huge 2-1 home win over Charleston in the first game of their series. The Coppertops will need to come out fast at Blackbaud Stadium on Saturday if they want to get another shot at Rochester.
Milwaukee is a step closer to a meeting with Richmond in the next round after beating Nashville at Ezell Park 3-2. The Metros don't plan on going silently into that good night but they may not be able to avoid the inevitable. If there's a coach out there that can prepare a team to give its all in a do or die situation it's Brett Mosen.
On one last note I must admit it's nice to be getting back to some normalcy after the past couple of weeks. After speaking with fans and front office alike it appears that we are all ready to get back to the games. It has been a trying time but I think it's safe to say as the games begin again, that we're all just glad to be getting back in the game.
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