Liberty League

[PaulNewman]

I think that win today gives them a very good chance at Pool C if they lose against Skidmore.  #2 in regional rankings as it stands. 

If they win saturday I wonder what this does for SLU's Pool C's chances.  I don't think they should get a bid, but they have wins against the #1 and #2 teams in the east region.

How do you get Vassar to #2 in the regional rankings?  They're sitting today at #7.

[stlawus]

I'm looking at the East region rankings and they're sitting at #2 below Cortland and above Oneonta.

[PaulNewman]

I'm looking at the East region rankings and they're sitting at #2 below Cortland and above Oneonta.

You must be looking at the one that doesn't count.  Vassar is at #7 in the NCAA rankings (as opposed to NSCAA).

[stlawus]

Oh my mistake then, I've been lied to! 

Interesting to see SLU at #4.  Team's not really deserving in IMO, then again me thinking that NSCAA were the actual rankings proves why I wouldn't know ha.   Lots of parity this year. 

[Christan Shirk]

I'm looking at the East region rankings and they're sitting at #2 below Cortland and above Oneonta.

You must be looking at the one that doesn't count.  Vassar is at #7 in the NCAA rankings (as opposed to NSCAA).

stlawus, might I suggest one of these:

October 15, 2016
Coming Wednesday: the rankings that matter
By Christan Shirk


2016 NCAA Regional Rankings

[Mr.Right]

This is Vassar's tournament to lose and playing Saturday at home they won't.  Have to seriously consider a freshman for LL POY.  Hat trick in the semis is very compelling and even if the evaluations are based on the regular season still difficult to forget this performance.  If Vassar wins, Skidmore will not get a bid.

You are very confident on this Vassar team. I think they are overrated and under ranked if that makes any sense....Skidmore wins the AQ and I will be happy to take odds on that. They can SLAM the door shut defensively if they play to their potential. Santos scores the game winner in the 78th minute and Skidmore wins 1-0

[stlawus]

I'm looking at the East region rankings and they're sitting at #2 below Cortland and above Oneonta.

You must be looking at the one that doesn't count.  Vassar is at #7 in the NCAA rankings (as opposed to NSCAA).

stlawus, might I suggest one of these:

October 15, 2016
Coming Wednesday: the rankings that matter
By Christan Shirk


2016 NCAA Regional Rankings

Thanks for the literature!  This whole time I thought NSCAA were the end all be all...

[SandyMac]

SLU will be watching this one intently. A win for Vassar is basically their only hope, and even then it's a long shot.  But then again, you just never know with the selection committee.

If SLU gets in, I think they could really be a dark horse.  Don't forget that at one point, this team was 9-0 and seemed to be winning in every way possible. If they're granted a chance, don't count them out.

Hoping Vassar pulls this one out. Great program and deserving to win one at home.

[Saint of Old]

Liberty League Takeaways So far...

Vassar will be good for a long time to come.
Everything the program has done for the last 5 years prepared them for powerhouse status.
Top scorer is a freshman.
Consistently beat good teams
Consistently compete in the post-season.
The LL and the region should look out for this team.

Hobart are just the most unlucky team there is...
They should have danced last year but didn't, should have danced this year but wont.

Union is a tricky one. They have to play a stronger early schedule to get ready for the league.
They should be a post season team and with hard work and beter scheduling I think they should be.

Skidmore has proved they are an elite team in the league
back to back Finals appearances, but sadly hasn't danced which is very necessary to get respect.

RPI is a class act, they are always a playoff team.

Clarkson seems poised to make a move, but it will take a very impressive freshman class or two more to do so.

I expected more out of Bard this year, but still an improving team.

RIT was a bit unlucky this season, but I just don't see them getting into top half of table for another few years.

Still trying to analyze SLU.

[Ommadawn]

SLU will be watching this one intently. A win for Vassar is basically their only hope, and even then it's a long shot.  But then again, you just never know with the selection committee.

Given what Mr. Right said about other teams in the region not being able to jump SLU in the rankings and Coach Durocher being involved with the selection of Pool C teams, it seems the odds of the Saints making it into the tournament are pretty good regardless of who wins on Saturday.

[Ommadawn]

Have to seriously consider a freshman for LL POY.  Hat trick in the semis is very compelling and even if the evaluations are based on the regular season still difficult to forget this performance.

I had intended to get my nominees in for postseason honors prior to the semifinals, but life got in the way.  Anyhow, here are my choices:

Player of the Year - There doesn't seem to be a clear cut favorite in this category, and a number of players had great seasons and proved invaluable to their teams' success.  Nevertheless, I'm going to go a bit against the grain here and advocate for Devon Baughen (RPI). He didn't have much help on the offensive end and much of the team's success in conference play can be directly attributable to his performance on the pitch.  He's not a flashy player, but he gets the job done.

Defensive Player of the Year - As with the Player of the Year race, there were many players who had outstanding seasons and helped keep the ball out of the goal for their squad.  I can think of no more dominant player on the defensive end than Adebare Oyeniyi (Skidmore).  He's a huge reason why the Thoroughbreds are playing in the LL final.

Rookie of the Year - Unlike the previous two categories, there seems to be one player who stands out above the rest.  Following ably in the footsteps of his brother Zander and charting his own path in the attacking third, Mattie Mrlik (Vassar) richly deserves Rookie of the Year honors.

Coaching Staff of the Year - As Saint alluded to, a lot of LL coaches are building strong programs.  I think that there are 4-5 coaching staffs deserving this award, but if pressed to name just one, I would choose the Hobart coaching staff.  Coach Griffin and his colleagues battled back from an 0-3-1 record in a challenging early season schedule  to claim the regular season title. 

[d3d3d3]

Only thing I might disagree with there is COY. My vote would go to Clarkson. But as you said, several viable candidates this year.

[Ommadawn]

Only thing I might disagree with there is COY. My vote would go to Clarkson. But as you said, several viable candidates this year.

I agree that Coach Taylor and his staff did a great job with the team, keeping them in contention for the playoffs until the very end and vanquishing their conference rival.  They won the award two years ago for turning the program around and will, in my opinion, need to reach the playoffs to earn this award again.

[stlawus]

Can't really disagree with your choices Ommadawn.  All much deserving of the awards. 

Being a SLU alum and knowing Durocher, I would like to think he'd ignore bias as chair of the East Region.  He loves SLU as much as anyone, so I'm not going to say he won't 

[Ommadawn]

Can't really disagree with your choices Ommadawn.  All much deserving of the awards. 

Being a SLU alum and knowing Durocher, I would like to think he'd ignore bias as chair of the East Region.  He loves SLU as much as anyone, so I'm not going to say he won't 

I didn't intend to convey that he would be biased.  It would be more a case of his knowing how good the team really is and how well they performed out of conference.  I think that SLU's case this year is MUCH stronger than RPI's last year, and RPI acquitted themselves admirably when given the chance in the tournament.  I could see SLU getting to the Sweet 16 if they finish a few of the many opportunities they create...