Liberty League

[Saint_Dad]

Agreed Deutschfan, RPI is the team to worry about.  They would love to return the favor to SLU after last year.  I'm still hoping SLU takes a corner kick.  I may be beating a dead horse, but I believe they will at least get through the first weekend of the NCAAs if they decide to put corners and free kicks into the box.  With Marvin up front, they played over the top more.  It was nice to see them mixing it up with long diagonal balls to the wings.  Mogul causes a lot of problems when he gets the ball on the wing.  He is pretty much unstoppable when he gets the defender 1 v 1.  Should be an exciting weekend of soccer, hopefully all in Canton.

[deutschfan]

Revenge is a dish best served cold.  Vassar also was knocked out of a Pool C by SLU last year but if Vassar and SLU meet in the Final my guess is that they both are in the Dance.

[PaulNewman]

I looked again, and while I'm sure I'm missing something...

Plattsburgh is not gonna replace New Paltz...NP has the better record, much better SoS, and same RvR of 1-3-1.  I suppose Platt could edge out Clarkson but I'm not sure the numbers work there either.  So, assuming NP stays ranked and Platt isn't...Vassar has a RvR of 1-3-2 or 1-3-1 (if tie with Clarkson drops off.  SLU has a RvR of 1-1-1 which would be 1-1-0 if Clarkson falls out.  SLU has the better record and Vassar has the better SoS. 

The problem (or one of them) with those RvRs is that puts them in that cluster of teams in the NESCAC and elsewhere with very average looking records but equal or higher SoSs and more ranked wins by at least 2 wins.  If Vassar loses their semi they finish 9-4-4 or in final 10-4-4 (presuming not advancing on a draw or "winning" semi on a draw).  Hamilton is 8-4-4 with virtually same SoS and RvR of 3-5-1 (losing another tie assuming Wes drops out).  So two more ranked wins and a larger number of ranked games.  There are at least a handful of other teams around the country with very similar resumes.

[PaulNewman]

I'll just add that for one of them to get a Pool C the other needs to get the AQ.  If they both fail to get AQ I would guess at least one stays home and very possibly both.

[deutschfan]

The Hamilton comparison is an excellent one.  Other than New Paltz which is a lower regionally ranked team, if it even remains regionally ranked, Vassar has no wins against ranked opponents.  Alternatively Hamilton has wins against Midd, and the two past National Champions Conn and Tufts.  Also, Hamilton has never been to the NCAA tourney since it joined the NESCAC.  Will there be a sentimental aspect when Hamilton is evaluated?  My hope is that there is room enough for both.

[LL_Alum]

The ref in the RPI-RIT match is having an absolute nightmare... completely misses an RIT player haul an RPI CB down in the box to get open for a cross . Also just generally has completely failed to keep the game under control.

In other news, my stomach is about halfway up my throat right now

[LL_Alum]

The ref in the RPI-RIT match is having an absolute nightmare... completely misses an RIT player haul an RPI CB down in the box to get open for a cross . Also just generally has completely failed to keep the game under control.

In other news, my stomach is about halfway up my throat right now

And RIT get a second off a free kick after a horrible call for dangerous play. Unless something drastic happens here, RPI loses their 4th straight LL playoff game in either ET or PKs and has their first losing season since 2006

[stlawus]

I am going to differ from my Laurentian brother and predict that the league will be top heavy with 2 or 3 teams and then everyone else. The league has been snubbed in Pool C in recent years (Ithaca in 2018 comes to mind) so I don't know if I'll go as far as to say 2 teams will make the dance, but I get the feeling there won't be as much parity.    This take will most likely age like milk, but I'm sticking with it.

Close enough, I'll chalk it up as a W on my part!      Only regular season wise, as everyone else has said anyone can get hot in the playoffs.   Deutsch is down on RIT but they've been playing much better lately, I think they'll give RPI a good game with upset potential.

Hmmm....

[deutschfan]

Ok, I will eat crow on the RIT/RPI result.  My view was clouded by SLU and Vassar's earlier beat downs of RIT.  I should have put more weight on the fact that RPI hasn't won a home playoff game since 2014 and the last two times they hosted as the No.1 seed they lost in the semis.  I believe this is good news for SLU but what do I know.

[deutschfan]

I just saw LL Alum's earlier posts.  He/she is absolutely right that the dangerous play foul that was called in the second overtime was incredibly soft.  That being said, the service into the box was excellent and RPI's goalie failed to punch the ball or otherwise intercede in the connection.  RIT's fans were far more vociferous than the RPI fans.  I don't know if that was a function of where they were sitting versus the camera or if they were that much more vocal.  They will certainly be traveling to Sandy to cheer RIT on.

[stlawus]

I just saw LL Alum's earlier posts.  He/she is absolutely right that the dangerous play foul that was called in the second overtime was incredibly soft.  That being said, the service into the box was excellent and RPI's goalie failed to punch the ball or otherwise intercede in the connection.  RIT's fans were far more vociferous than the RPI fans.  I don't know if that was a function of where they were sitting versus the camera or if they were that much more vocal.  They will certainly be traveling to Sandy to cheer RIT on.

I think you got that reversed, the RPI student section were the ones jeering the whole game.  I heard a few clap backs from RIT fans but that was the RPI crowd.

[deutschfan]

My bad.  I thought I heard a bunch of pro-RIT fans and there was a dude with a RIT flag.  I could be 0-2 in my predictions.  Hobart defender shanks a clearance and league's leading scorer finishes the mis-hit.

[LL_Alum]

I just saw LL Alum's earlier posts.  He/she is absolutely right that the dangerous play foul that was called in the second overtime was incredibly soft.  That being said, the service into the box was excellent and RPI's goalie failed to punch the ball or otherwise intercede in the connection.  RIT's fans were far more vociferous than the RPI fans.  I don't know if that was a function of where they were sitting versus the camera or if they were that much more vocal.  They will certainly be traveling to Sandy to cheer RIT on.

oh absolutely correct on the analysis of the play, the alum side of me chose to ignore that part )

[Saint of Old]

RIT Costa Rico trip really paying  dividends.
Hats off to Coach Clinton, once again maximizing the talent he had to make another post season.
RIT v SLU
Throw everything out, this is a new season.
SLU knows well how dangerous a 5th seed can be and will be ready.

Vassar v.Skidmore
Skidmore looks good and Vassar has not been beat in the LL all season. I think it ends here for Vassar and Skidmore moves on to the championship game.

[deutschfan]

So LL Alum—What is the intel on where Gaudiano was this season?  Saint, I hope you're wrong about the Vassar/Skidmore result but since I am 0-2 in playoff predictions I am not going to proffer a different scenario. I think the Skidmore/Vassar game is a play-in game for the Dance.