Liberty League

[Mr.Right]

Big Weekend in the LL with every team playing 2 games except Skidmore who has the weekend off. Skidmore has a LOCK on winning the Title this year and hosting. They will have 4 games left against Bard, Clarkson, RPI and Union. They have all the tiebreakers in their favor especially with SLU. I caught Skidmore against Williams on Tuesday for the 1st time this year and came away impressed. With Okoye, Oyeniyi and Santos they have 3 players that would start for any team in the country IMO. They are extremely organized defensively and have a decent GK in net.  I did not realize Santos was injured to start the year which most likely is the reason for the slow start to the season. Had they beaten Cortland, Plattsburgh and Baruch to start the season they would be 8-1-3 with a Pool C bid likely and really they could be 9-0-3 had they beaten Elmira. I know they are a better team than all of those schools as I have seen Cortland and Plattsburgh play. It's unfortunate that Skidmore never got to taste the NCAA"s in Adam Beek's tenure but this is their chance to qualify this year by winning the LL Title.

SLU should sweep the weekend at Union and RPI which would put some added pressure on Skidmore to get the wins they need to get to host. The Vassar v Hobart game on Saturday could determine 2nd / 3rd place. Clarkson and RIT absolutely need to sweep the weekend if they have any hopes of getting into the Top 4. I think Union needs to beat Clarkson on Saturday or they will not get 4th place. I still say it will finish like this:

1. Skidmore
2. Hobart
3. SLU
4. Vassar

[Saint of Old]

Cannot argue with solid reasoning backed up by facts!!

True that strikers like  Jansen (Union) and Gorman (SLU)only come about once per generation.
The Union v. SLU matchup would have much more fireworks this weekend for sure.
Ofcoarse were Adam Beek still playing Skidmore could well claim the league title now as well.

Perhaps the lack of clinical strikers lately is a league wide not just SLU issue.

I agree Mr. Right it seems like St. Lawrence's 3 year run of being League/Tourney champs might come to an end this season, but this is such a competitive league I think in the long run that might not be a bad thing.

This is a league that deserves at least 2  dance berths per year (As does SUNYAC I think).

This weekend might decide whos in and who is out.

I see Union/Vassar/Skidmore/Hobart all making it in this year... I also see SLU in the mix...
4 spots 5 teams, this is why we love October soccer in D3.

[stlawus]

I agree with most of the above points.  I think SLU rights the ship this weekend, but I don't think they'll have enough to be LL hosts.  Skidmore and Hobart won the battle of the match ups, and Hobart have had some guys out due to injury.  I still can't put my finger on Union.  Don't feel like I can make an honest assessment on them yet.  Their record looks impressive at first glance but they have an extremely soft OOC schedule.

I will say, I thought SLU was dead in the water as far as winning the league last year.  They rattled off 4 straight shut outs to win the league.  This team always finds a way to make it interesting in the end.  Obviously I want to see them pull off 4 straight regular season titles, but I have to be honest and say I don't mind seeing some parity in the league.  I love our league, and I will never be upset with it getting more national attention.

[deutschfan]

I don't want to commit sacrilege but Skidmore is not winning the Liberty League automatic bid or getting a NCAA at large tournament berth.  They lost to ELMIRA, a mediocre team at best who was thoroughly dominated by Vassar.  They were outshot by large margins in the SLU and Vassar games.  They do have the easiest remaining schedule but they will not survive the playoffs.  If SLU wasn't the gang that couldn't shoot straight (see Skidmore and Bard games for example) I would be picking them to win it all.  However, as everyone has observed their offense has been anemic, especially production from their up top players.  Thus I am still sticking with my Vassar pick.  With Hobart and Union at home Vassar will be playing at home in the LL playoffs.   

[Part_Bart]

Agreeing with deutschfan on Skidmore. Skidmore fields three great players, are very well organized, and play with heart.  Not going to carry them outside of conference playoffs.  Increasingly thinking Vassar/SLU -- and Vassar's more creative attack seems to be the difference. If Hobart or RIT holds Vassar to a tie (or, egads, beats Vassar) this weekend, then I'll shift away from Vassar, but stay with SLU for finals. 

My thinking is that it is unlikely anyone from LL advances to NCAAs other than the AQ. If the AQ is NOT SLU, that means they have (at least) three losses.  IF the AQ is SLU, then other teams that could be in finals have tossed out hairball losses.   Plus, a quick eyeball of Union, Vassar and Skidmore's schedules suggest to me their SOS/RPI are not strong enough to overcome the top three teams from SUNYAC - and Rochester (which is having a very good season). Hobart already has several losses to weak teams so they know it is win out or watch....

[Mr.Right]

I don't want to commit sacrilege but Skidmore is not winning the Liberty League automatic bid or getting a NCAA at large tournament berth.  They lost to ELMIRA, a mediocre team at best who was thoroughly dominated by Vassar.  They were outshot by large margins in the SLU and Vassar games.  They do have the easiest remaining schedule but they will not survive the playoffs.  If SLU wasn't the gang that couldn't shoot straight (see Skidmore and Bard games for example) I would be picking them to win it all.  However, as everyone has observed their offense has been anemic, especially production from their up top players.  Thus I am still sticking with my Vassar pick.  With Hobart and Union at home Vassar will be playing at home in the LL playoffs.

If you read my full post you would have seen that I said IF Skidmore had Santos to start the year they might have beaten Cortland, Plattsburgh and Baruch. I have seen Cortland and Plattsburgh this year and believe Skidmore are a better team. They have a seriously talented spine and are extremely organized. Vassar does not have Skidmore's athleticism. I did SAY that Skidmore is a lock to win the league because of their remaining schedule and previous results which would give them all the tiebreakers. They could finish 2-1-1 or 2-0-2 and still win the league. I think Vassar has a real possibility for the #4 seed but I think they are in for a tough weekend against Hobart on Saturday and if RIT sits in today they might only come away with a draw. We shall see.

[Mr.Right]

Vassar up 1-0 over RIT with about 10 minutes left but 2nd Half RIT has been on the move trying to get the tying goal. Frankly, 2nd Half RIT looks the better more aggressive side and possessing the ball all the way up to the final 3rd very well. There biggest issue is THEY CANNOT FINISH. They have had 3-4 excellent chances to score and just cannot get composed and finish.

[d3d3d3]

Bard and Hobart headed to OT

[d3d3d3]

Hobart beat Bard, 1-0, in second OT. Nice header.

[deutschfan]

Nothing like a regular season game against Union to get SLU back on track again.  Only scored half as many goals as they did last year but SLU will take it. 

[stlawus]

Another awful, awful game from SLU.  Horrific.  Nice goal off a volley from RPI, but SLU is just downright terrible.  Another game of toying with it too much in the back, criminal first touches and no vision going forward.

[stlawus]

Extreme panic time for SLU.  Terrible loss to RPI.  I have never seen a SLU team have a worse collective first touch than this one.  Unbelievably bad.  Misplayed passes all over the face, costly fouls killing momentum.  Lucky that Hobart and Vassar drew, or else this season outlook would look extremely grim.

Oh wait, I thought that Vassar Hobart game ended in a draw.  My mistake.  Didn't see the OT.

[deutschfan]

Hobart beat Vassar on a pk in overtime after going a man up in regulation.  It will be interesting to see what the support will be for a SLU pool C if they don't make the LL playoffs ala RPI last year.  I thought it was a debacle last year and my opinion this year will be no different. 

[Mr.Right]

Hobart beat Vassar on a pk in overtime after going a man up in regulation.  It will be interesting to see what the support will be for a SLU pool C if they don't make the LL playoffs ala RPI last year.  I thought it was a debacle last year and my opinion this year will be no different.

There will be no Pool C for SLU. They will have to win the LL to get a bid. They will have only 1 ranked win(Cortland St) at the end of the day which will not be enough. I am a believer in the Liberty League and I know how tough the league can be but teams like Hobart and Skidmore did themselves no favors with their out of conference results. It is a definite 1 bid league and I know they deserve 2. SLU got unlucky by playing Brockport and Plattsburgh who had down years as usually those would be regionally ranked teams. This is where your schedule can kill you as SLU should have NEVER dropped Oneonta and UR.

[stlawus]

I agree.  I'm not sure why we dropped UR.  I'm pretty sure we've actually tried to keep them on the schedule but it wasn't agreed upon on the other end.  Haven't played Oneonta in years, and I'm not sure why.  I'd rather have them on the schedule over Oswego or Geneseo.  I didn't even see the OT between Vassar-Hobart, my mistake saying it ended in a draw.  One of the rare years where SLU will have to rely on other teams to sneak into the top 4.