Notwithstanding the April snow storm in the Northeast, we're starting to see the first signs of spring - postings of Fall 2025 Men's Soccer schedules!  I'm interested to see if the new NPI rules will affect the nature of non-conference games.  Last year's schedules were largely done before the NPI rules were finalized and while many schedules are still affected by prior year scheduling decisions because of home-and-away contracts, it will be interesting to see if we notice signs of scheduling adjustments now that teams are not necessarily chasing wins against regionally ranked opponents.

Below are a few early ones. As with last season, the upper Midwest tends to post earlier, possibly because they want to wish spring into existence!  This region also may be less revealing about scheduling changes since the distances are greater and teams tend to stay playing teams in the same circles.

Coe College

Wisconsin-Platteville looks to be the second half of a home-and-away series, but North Central is a strong new addition.

Augsburg

Linfield traveling to Augsburg for an early season match.  Maybe this helps Linfield's strength of schedule, which is something the Northwest Conference struggles with given their isolation and double round-robin conference schedule, but I suspect this was in the works for awhile since many teams, particularly in Region X, budget for one big pre-conference trip every four years as kind of a reward for the players and as a recruiting foray for the coaches and to raise the profile of the school in a big metro area like Minneapolis.  For Augsburg, unless Linfield dramatically improves this season or Augsburg collapses, it provides the Auggies with an easier early season opponent.

North Central

The is the first schedule that seems less loaded than last season (at least based on preseason expectations in both years).  Gone are St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus, Wisconsin-Platteville, and University of Chicago.  In their place are Wartburg and Coe, which are part of an Iowa weekend, Monmouth, and Illinois Institute of Technology

Wisconsin-Whitewater

They play North Park and Loras on return trips, but Macalester is gone from the schedule and they pick up teams like Webster and Greenville in a trip south to return a game against Westminster

Aurora

They play University of Chicago in a return trip, but replace Wash U and Wisconsin Eau Claire with North Park and one less non-conference game.

North Park

Lots of familiar teams, but replaces Wisconsin Eau Claire with Wisconsin Platteville

Central College

Replaces Macalester and Westminster with Wisconsin River Falls and Blackburn

Calvin

Calvin hosting Ohio Wesleyan on opening weekend for perhaps OWU's first or second game in the post-Jay Martin era should be interesting.  Otherwise, a pretty different schedule from 2024.  Not sure Oberlin will compare to Mount Union or Ohio Northern.

Those trips to the two Pacific Northwest schools has got to be brutal.

To me....the problem of the Lone Star Conference for a small school like SRSU is resources.

Obviously I have no idea what their financials are being a state school.....but I have a hard time believing a school the size SRSU has the same resources as those schools in the LSC that are 4 or 5 (or more) times the size they are.  The enrollment differences are astronomical.

Not to mention....based on things I saw posted on the D2 boards a few months ago....the athletic budgets in the LSC are generally a lot higher than even most other D2 conferences.  Which is why so many schools bolted the LSC for the GAC a few years ago.  The GAC was MUCH cheaper to be competitive than the LSC.

Trips to the Pacific Northwest for 2 schools- Strike one
Budgetary differences in the LSC- Strike two
Small fish in a big pond (one of the biggest D2 ponds in the nation)- Strike 3
Finishing last or next to last in most sports- Strike 4

I guess I'm struggling to see the upside of this transition for them.

They might not have been competitive in football in the ASC....but they were generally competitive in other sports.

CWRU takes 3 of 4 from #21 Chicago on the road to move into first place in the UAA.

Cortland ekes out 11-inning 6-5 victory to sweep Sunday DH from Oneonta at CSt. Corts prevail 5-3 in the first game. Deal Oneonta first conference losses and present coach Joe Brown 900th career win.
    First game: N. Marola and Z. Kringdon solo home runs in fourth and sixth innings the difference. Blows break up 3-3 tie. Corts post three spot in the third on Kringdon one-out rbi single, T. Elkins double and Marola two-run base knock to left-center. OSt immediately answers in the third on A. Foglia two-run single to right and throwing error. Combining for 17 strikeouts were host's L. Misla (WP 6-2, 6inn, 7h, 3r, 2er, 2bb, 10k, 101p) and N. Hanson (3inn, 2h, 1bb, 7k, 49p). Kringdon 3x4, 2r, 2bi, sb, hr; Marola 2x3, r, 3bi, hr; M. Stockhausen 2x3, bb, 2bh. Z. Rowe LP (6inn, 7h, 5r, 5er, 2bb, 5k, 94p). Foglia 3x3, 2bi, bb, 2bh; N. Jacoby 2x5, r. Corts 5-9-2, Oneonta 3-9-0.
    Second Game: Pinch hitting L. Schartner two-out single to left in OT drives home winner. C. Bonacci aboard via single and bunted to second. Oneonta in pursuit early after Z. Kringdon second inning solo home run, his second of the day. B. Duffy homer ties it in the fifth. N. Marola second homer of the afternoon a two-run shot quickly gives hosts 3-1 advantage. OSt squares it 3-3 before M. Stockhausen home run and Bonacci sac fly make it 5-3 Cortland into the ninth. Oneonta loads the bases with no outs. Two outs follow, then J. Monserrat dramatically delivers two-run tying single to right-center. T. Lynch, third Cortland hurler, gets the win (2.1inn, 1h, 5k). CSt pitchers fan 18 (starter M. Nochowitz 13 in 5.2inn). J. Quigley (5inn, 5h, 3r, 3er, 3bb, 2k, hpb 87p) absorbs the loss in relief of starter K. Roper. Pacing CSt bats with two hits each M. Kelly (2 2bh), JJ DeLawder (2bh), Kringdon (2bh, hr), Bonacci. OSt's Duffy 2h, 2bi; Monserret 2h, 2bi. Corts 6-13-1, One 5-10-1
    Cortland 7-3, 16-10. Oneonta 6-2, 16-8-1. Play series finale Monday

Canton wins 11-3 Sunday closing game of series with Fredonia in most improbable manner. Kangaroos score 10 time in the top of the ninth inning to obliterate early 3-1 deficit. All 10 runs earned. Eight hit frame includes E. Rosado go-ahead bases loaded-clearing double. S. Diaz caps barrage with two-run homer. Diaz 3x5, 2r, 2bi, hr. Canton 11-13-1, Freds 3-8-1
    Canton 2-7, 5-15 and hosts Plattsburgh in Monday DH. Fredonia 2-7, 9-11

Oswego rebounds Sunday from dropping 3-2 10-inning opening contest at Keystone PA to capture 7-3 nightcap. Laker T. Featherstone homers in the first game while J. Hayner (5.1inn) notches second game pitching win while E. Sander (2h) homers.
    Oswego 15-9 and DH home Monday vs. Clarkson. Keystone 18-6

Agreed, but last year's selection process was completely different, and the committee had the option for two-team regionals. This year, they will have to fly a team out and then fly another team in to spread SCIAC teams across regions. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Quote from: Bmo on April 13, 2025, 10:27:42 AMThe pool c bubble is actually closer to 47 due to pool a teams between between the cutline and NPI 65.

The SCAC hasn't had a good weekend as far as pool c is concerned. The SCIAC had a great weekend and is now is position for 4 total bids.  The downside being the SoCal regional might be the SCIAC tournament part 2 due to travel.

Last year they put the 4 SCIAC teams in different regionals. Pretty sure the SCAIC complaints were heard and accommodated.

The pool c bubble is actually closer to 47 due to pool a teams between between the cutline and NPI 65.

The SCAC hasn't had a good weekend as far as pool c is concerned. The SCIAC had a great weekend and is now is position for 4 total bids.  The downside being the SoCal regional might be the SCIAC tournament part 2 due to travel.

The WARHAWKS (19-2, 10-2) and Eagles (19-4, 10-2) split yesterday's twin bill with the Eagles winning a run ruled 12-1 game one and the WARHAWKS winning game two 8-3. Cade Hansen (4-1) took the loss struggling in his 2 innings allowing 7 runs on 6 hits with a pair of walks and 3 Ks.  Wickman, Tazy and Dupor pitched in relief.  Holland had a pair of hits including a home run for the WARHAWKS only run.  Kaatz (5-1) pitched a complete game for the Eagles allowing 6 hits and striking out 6 with a single walk.

Frank homered and drove in 3 runs while Thies, Scolon, Hopper and Paden all drove in runs in game two as the WARHAWKS took and early 2-1 lead which held till the sixth when we added 5 runs.  Ben Lee (4-1) went 5.2 innings allowing 4 hits, 3 runs with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts for the win. George Hansen and Koening combined to pitch the final 3.1 innings. Hansen had a couple walks and 4 strikeouts.
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Outstanding recruiting recap! FYI - Blake Marshall recommitted from UWRF and will be attending Nebraska Wesleyan.

Looking at the box scores makes me even sicker.  3 errors by the catcher in game 1 and 4 errors by the team in game 2.  Hard to overcome 7 errors in a day.