Liberty League

[Flying Weasel]

SLU will not lose to Clarkson....When was the last time that has happened???   

So SLU will host no matter what. Hobart will be heading up to Canton,NY no matter what. Also, I said Hobart is the better team but RIT is fighting for their lives so they MUST WIN. Hobart will either be the #2 or #3 seed which has no importance whatsoever except for taking the home teams bench and home fields scoreboard side. Those are not biggies to be playing for. NOW if Hobart moves up the Regional Rankings tomorrow to say #4 or #5 then they HAVE A LEGIT SHOT AT AN AT LARGE which will make that RIT game and the semi-final game MUST WINS.

The last time Clarkson beat SLU was 1993

Am I am proud to say that I was at that game in 1993 watching my brother as a freshman starter on that Final Four Clarkson team.  For some reason the name Manny Brito sticks in my head as a player my brother was asked to man-mark in that game.  That was before they had the magnificent MacAllaster field at St. Lawrence.

[stlawus]

Brito was a freshman that year as well, but your brother must have been a good defender considering Brito remains 4th on the all time points list for SLU soccer. 

[d3d3d3]

Bard 2, Skidmore 1 - Final

[Part_Bart]

Congrats to Andy McCabe and Bard Soccer!  And, now an even more intriguing last two games for Union.

[Saint of Old]

Brito was a freshman that year as well, but your brother must have been a good defender considering Brito remains 4th on the all time points list for SLU soccer.

And the West African also holds the single season scoring record (16)set his set his senior year in 1996.

Talk about true Saints of Old!

Mid to late 1990s were some great rivalry games between SLU and Clarkson.
Both were yearly  NCAA participants.
1998 Sweet 16 game was also a classic!

[Saint of Old]

Bard 2, Skidmore 1 - Final

Bard are deserving of COY.

Led St. Lawrence late
Led Hobart by 2 goals
Led Clarkson late
Lost 1-0 to RPI when RPI was red hot.
Beat a hungry and desperate Skidmore.

Watch out for this team.

This means there are no easy games in the Liberty League from here on out.

[deutschfan]

Your right.  All the rest of the games have potential playoff implications. With Skidmore, the unthinkable has become a real possibility--missing the LL playoffs.  Whether they were a viable Pool C candidate before last night, they certainly aren't now.  Even Bard is playing for a spot in the ECAC tourney.  Crazy year.  Unfortunately only two teams have any shot at an NCAA bid unless a dark horse wins the playoffs, SLU and Hobart, and neither of those teams can afford not to make the finals. 

[Part_Bart]

Bard 2, Skidmore 1 - Final

Bard are deserving of COY.

Led St. Lawrence late
Led Hobart by 2 goals
Led Clarkson late
Lost 1-0 to RPI when RPI was red hot.
Beat a hungry and desperate Skidmore.

Watch out for this team.

This means there are no easy games in the Liberty League from here on out.

Agreed on COY for Bard
Will be great to watch the LL going forward -- as a fan -- and to participate -- as a player!
Curious to see how the LL coaches respond to this relative to other games on their schedule.

[deutschfan]

So riddle me this--RPI loses at home to Vassar, is eliminated from LL postseason contention, and moves up from 7th to 4th in the second regional rankings with Hobart no where to be found??

[SandyMac]

So riddle me this--RPI loses at home to Vassar, is eliminated from LL postseason contention, and moves up from 7th to 4th in the second regional rankings with Hobart no where to be found??

Baffling.

[Part_Bart]

Frustrating for the Statesmen, indeed.

Hobart beat Clarkson, a sub .400 team with a strong SOS. 
RPI has a good win/loss record, even in the loss to Vassar. Plus, Vassar has a .579 win record and an SOS similar to Clarkson.
But, it appears RPI nudges out Hobart this week (my quick, back of the envelope assessment is that Hobart is 8th in East).
The top SUNYAC schools all played each other this past week, so winners went up lots, and losers went up some, in the East region rankings -- especially relative to Hobart.

RPI's last game v. Keene will not improve their position all that much, but Hobart v. RIT outcome will help Hobart (IF they win) as RIT's SOS is high and their win/loss record is better.

Hobart has been in a seven game "win or be done at end of regular season" playoff race since the OT loss to Skidmore -- any loss removes them from playoff contention. They beat Fredonia on 27 Oct (easily, after Fredonia self-destructed with kids kicking players and getting ejected, ugly and sad) and will need to win their final game against RIT this Saturday.

Then, Hobart will need to be in LL final to have a chance at a pool "C" bid to NCAA's (but at this point it looks like they will ALSO need Stevens and Oneonta to win, and either Plattsburgh or Cortland to fade out this week to have that chance).
In writing this I'm thinking the final opponent is likely to be St. Lawrence. I also am thinking its hard for any team in the LL to beat the same opponent twice in one season, and then add to this that (a) STLU likely feels that the PK in OT loss to Hobart was unjust and (b) the game will be played in Canton!

Worth noting that Hobart have been winning and dropping in the Hero Sports ranking, too.

Hobart needs to keep winning: simple to say and hard to do.

[Mr.Right]

Stevens always wins the Empire 8 which could be a bad thing this year. This is the 1st year where I have noticed Stevens quietly dropping game or 2 which has not happened since they joined. Stevens has enough good wins with another one today over MIT that will get them a Pool C. SLU and Brockport with 3 ranked wins look good also. I do understand the Cortland ranking or for that matter the RPI one but neither will matter. Neither team will get an at-large for various reasons. Hobart is a legit team as is Skidmore. Either team could win the LL even up at SLU.  Not sure the tiebreakers in LL but Skidmore beat Vassar and RIT and if they beat Union they will be in.


Both Hobart and Skidmore killed their SOS with wins over Nazareth...Plain and simple the system needs to be changed on the bottom end...Hobart and Skidmore had some VERY good wins that should outweigh ONE game on your schedule with a 1-13-0 Nazareth side

[Shooter McGavin]

Stevens always wins the Empire 8 which could be a bad thing this year. This is the 1st year where I have noticed Stevens quietly dropping game or 2 which has not happened since they joined. Stevens has enough good wins with another one today over MIT that will get them a Pool C. SLU and Brockport with 3 ranked wins look good also. I do understand the Cortland ranking or for that matter the RPI one but neither will matter. Neither team will get an at-large for various reasons. Hobart is a legit team as is Skidmore. Either team could win the LL even up at SLU.  Not sure the tiebreakers in LL but Skidmore beat Vassar and RIT and if they beat Union they will be in.


Both Hobart and Skidmore killed their SOS with wins over Nazareth...Plain and simple the system needs to be changed on the bottom end...Hobart and Skidmore had some VERY good wins that should outweigh ONE game on your schedule with a 1-13-0 Nazareth side

I am not saying this to be funny like before but Skidmore is 9-5-1 and on a 3 game losing streak and 0-3-1 in their last 4 games...they have no shot at an at-large bid and will be lucky to make conference playoffs at this point. LL is a top 4 league correct? I would say Skid has the better chance compared to RIT but anything could happen.

[Mr.Right]

I did not say they had ANY shot at an at large bid , what I said was they have a chance to beat SLU as does Hobart.

[Saint of Old]

Anyone can beat anyone at anytime in soccer.