CCIW

[Gotberg]

NPU 2
UW-W 1

Grahn with both NP goals.

[Gregory Sager]

Excellent! A big road win for NPU! UWW came into the match undefeated and ranked eighth in the country!

(UWW is also currently #1 in the North Region; North Park came in to tonight's match ranked #4 in the Central Region.)

Grahn's game-winner came two minutes and change into overtime. The two goals that the Vikings scored tonight are as many as anyone has scored against the Warhawks all season long.

Looks like the Vikings have shrugged off that bad week they had and have righted the ship.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Congrats to NP on a huge win!

Greg, now you've got me in a puzzler.  Did IWU precipitate the 'hell week' for NP, or just benefit from it?   I saw the Titan women play during my homecoming weekend - they have (IMO) a legitimate (albeit, outside) chance of going all-the-way.  But the men played during the time I had an already paid-for $35 reunion dinner, so I have no idea whether or not they are for real!

History tells me they are probably not, but the women never used to be good at soccer OR basketball.

[thePietist]

UWW came into the match undefeated and ranked eighth in the country!

Ahem!  Greg, UWW was actually bumped up to 6th this week (I relish any opportunity to correct the statistical wizard).  Big win for the Vikings--let's hope that carries into conference play this week to ensure their place in the CCIW tourney.  The road to the postseason goes through Wheaton (it always does!).

[Gregory Sager]

Greg, now you've got me in a puzzler.  Did IWU precipitate the 'hell week' for NP, or just benefit from it?

Precipitated it, I'd say. I talked to a couple of people close to the NPU program after the match at IWU, and they told me that there was a lot of frustrated Vikings players and coaches afterwards. They definitely felt as though the Titans were a team that they should've beaten, and expected to beat, and that they were just stymied by crossbar-hitting misses, a hot Titans keeper, etc.

I doubt that the frustration bled into or in any way affected the Wheaton match -- I cannot imagine an NPU soccer player thinking about anything besides Wheaton when it comes time to face the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance -- but that tie against the Titans was definitely the first in a series of letdowns for the Park.

UWW came into the match undefeated and ranked eighth in the country!

Ahem!  Greg, UWW was actually bumped up to 6th this week (I relish any opportunity to correct the statistical wizard)

Not according to this.

Big win for the Vikings--let's hope that carries into conference play this week to ensure their place in the CCIW tourney.

Yep ... can't afford a letdown against Millikin on Saturday evening at the corner of Foster and Albany.

The road to the postseason goes through Wheaton (it always does!).

It does look more and more like the CCIW tourney is going to be held at Joe Bean Stadium.

[Jim Matson]

...as it should be, Greg.

[Gregory Sager]

Revenge is always sweeter when it takes place in the other guy's house, Jim.

[tjcummingsfan]

So in the NCAA rankings that just came out, the CCIW put 2 teams in the top 7 in the Central Region, IWU at #3 and North Park at #4.  Does that mean we have a better shot at putting two teams in the tournament?

[Gregory Sager]

There was a big shift in the standings yesterday, as Augustana dealt Illinois Wesleyan its first conference loss, 2-1. Coupled with NPU's second straight 5-0 romp, this time over Millikin, the standings are now thus:

team	CCIW	overall
Wheaton	5-0-0	8-6-3
North Park	3-1-1	9-4-1
Illinois Wesleyan	3-1-1	6-6-2
Augustana	3-2-0	7-9-1
Carthage	2-2-0	9-6-1
Elmhurst	1-4-0	8-8-0
North Central	0-3-1	5-7-3
Millikin	0-4-1	5-9-1

Wheaton and IWU still have yet to play each other, and the tiebreaker between NPU and IWU would be overall record, so the Vikings look like they're in good shape to claim a first-round home match in the CCIW tourney.

[Gregory Sager]

Congrats to NPU's Sehten Hills and Ryan McNaughton, as the Vikings swept the CCIW's Player of the Week awards -- Hills is the OPOTW and McNaughton, who was recently moved back to the back line, is the DPOTW. That makes five Vikings who've won POTW awards thus far this season ... and, interestingly, All-CCIW first-teamer Kris Grahn isn't one of them, even though he trails only Hills among the league's leading scorers.

[thePietist]

Wheaton and Augie take wins tonight, cementing their place in the conference tourney.  NP and Carthage end in a draw, meaning they will battle over those last 2 spots with IWU.
With NP and Wheaton both playing winless teams this weekend, it looks as though Carthage and IWU hold their fate in their own hands.  Whoever wins that game keeps their season alive.

Anyone have any commentary on the games tonight?

[Gregory Sager]

I had a meeting at church, so I didn't see last night's match. I have to think that NPU is pretty disappointed with the tie, especially since it was at home, since it meant that the Vikings haven't clinched a playoff berth yet and may have squandered an opportunity to host a first-round match.

[Gregory Sager]

NPU beat North Central in Naperville today, as expected, by a score of 3-0. Coupled with Elmhurst's somewhat surprising 1-0 win over Augustana, it means that NPU will host a first-round game after all. NPU will host the winner of tomorrow afternoon's Illinois Wesleyan @ Carthage match, while Wheaton will host Augie. Those semifinal matches will be played on Wednesday, with the championship match at the highest-remaining seed on Saturday.

In essence, Sunday's Illinois Wesleyan @ Carthage tussle is a play-in. Winner survives, loser's season is over.

[pad3fan]

Greg, have you accounted for a tie in tomorrow's match? If IW and Carthage tie, they both will have 11 points while Augy will have 12. Will PK's decide a winner then? Further, that winner will still have only 11 points and finish 4th wouldn't they?

[Gregory Sager]

Yeah, that's a good point. In case of a tie today, I think that NPU hosts Augie. So who would win the fourth and final slot, then, in the event of a draw, since Carthage and IWU come into the match with identical 3-2-1 records?

Here's the CCIW soccer tiebreaking procedure:

1. Head-to-head competition
2. Goal differential in conference up to 3 points per game.
For example Team A defeats Team B 2-0, Team A shall be awarded 2 tie breaking points. Team C defeats Team D 5-1; Team C is awarded 3 tie-breaking points the maximum allowed.
3. Fewest goals allowed in conference.

Carthage's goal differential in CCIW play is +3 (11-8). Illinois Wesleyan's is -1 (8-9). Since a draw would, naturally, not result in a change in goal differential for either team, Carthage would win the tiebreaker and gain the fourth seed and the right to face Wheaton at Joe Bean Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Thus, IWU needs to win today to keep its season going. Carthage needs a win or a tie to stay alive.