2014 D3 Season: National Perspective

[PaulNewman]

Midwest, don't forget that the DePauw vs OWU game comes first, at OWU, and that should be a classic as neither team can afford to drop another game.

[PaulNewman]

chelseafan, I think you are on the money on your NCAC observation, but why focused on just the NCAC?  A good number of conferences, and certainly a good number of preseason highly ranked teams, have struggled.  Outside of Brandeis and Emory, the other UAA big names have dropped games.  NESCAC teams have some losses against non-conferences foes and some closer than expected wins.  Rutgers-Camden, Stevens and York all have lost multiple games.  Which conferences would you say have outperformed thus far?

[wchandy22]

Does anyone know where i can find a good strength of schedule rating?

The only source of which I am aware that provides Strength of Schedule data is the NCAA Regional Rankings (which contains this and other related data).  It is these rankings and supporting data that is used by the selection committee for the at-large bids.  In the past, these rankings have been released on the last three Wednesdays of the season.  So this year, I would expect them to be released on October 22nd, October 29th and November 5th.  The supporting data sheets (I believe there is one for each of the eight regions) lists all schools, their record, winning percentage, opponents' winning percentage (OWP), opponents' opponents' winning percentage (OOWP), strength of schedule (SOS) and record against ranked teams.  If I find any other source within the next three weeks, I will let you know. 

[Durantula]

Which conferences would you say have outperformed thus far?

After Wartburg beat Luther last night my prediction is that the new regional rankings will have the Top three being Loras Luther Wartburg which means the top 3 are all from the IIAC. I suppose you could say the IIAC is doing well or maybe the rest of the region is just down, but I still think they may have the combined three strongest teams from any conference.

[PaulNewman]

Durantula, agreed.  I don't know a ton about these programs but am very interested in them and know all 3 are very good and capable of deep runs.  They all appear to take their programs very seriously, and all 3 have large reserves squads.  Also noticed that Luther has a bunch of players from Shattuck St. Marys and the Carribean, as well as multiple D1 transfers.

Saint of Old, any update on SLU?  They were one of my preseason favorites and wondering if you think they will be an elite 8/final 4 contender by tournament time.

[Saint of Old]

It will not be easy.

The young boyz are doing well stepping up to the plate and taking the opportunity, but when you lose your best striker, defender and goalie for a majority of the year then depth gets hit even when underclassmen step up.

This year was indeed supposed to be good, but no one could have predicted this.

In fairness though, many good teams have been hit hard by injuries this year.
Just seems the players across the nation are going down a whole lot more than they did 15-20 years ago.

[Cheesehead Henry]

Just seems the players across the nation are going down a whole lot more than they did 15-20 years ago.

I always attributed this to just simply going too hard for too long.. Kids starting competitive soccer from the time they hit age 7, they test their bodies from the get-go. Combine that with playing year round, boom. Their bodies are always pushed and never given time to rest.

[LaPaz]

I attribute it to kids being "softer"

[KICKIN95]

I attribute it to kids being "softer"

I think that kids are actually stronger and faster than 15 years ago,  but the extra strain from that speed and torque is taking it's toll.  Look at all sports across the board,  kids are bigger, stronger,  and faster,  but are getting injured at a much higher rate.  Bodies are pushed more to perform better. 
  I was playing DIII 20 years ago and prided myself on being the hardest,  toughest,  player on the pitch,  but the speed of today's game is just a notch above and at some point somethings got to give.  More often than not it's the tiny little bastard in your knee that is so crucial to stability (ACL). I think maybe kids are labeled softer because there is so much more diving going on now versus 20 yrs ago. Some will argue that field turf is to blame,  but I tend to lean more toward the above mentioned. reasons

[lastguyoffthebench]

Does anyone know where i can find a good strength of schedule rating?

The only source of which I am aware that provides Strength of Schedule data is the NCAA Regional Rankings (which contains this and other related data).  It is these rankings and supporting data that is used by the selection committee for the at-large bids.  In the past, these rankings have been released on the last three Wednesdays of the season.  So this year, I would expect them to be released on October 22nd, October 29th and November 5th.  The supporting data sheets (I believe there is one for each of the eight regions) lists all schools, their record, winning percentage, opponents' winning percentage (OWP), opponents' opponents' winning percentage (OOWP), strength of schedule (SOS) and record against ranked teams.  If I find any other source within the next three weeks, I will let you know.

http://www.masseyratings.com/rate.php?s=csoc2014&sub=11620

LORAS          SOS 76
LUTHER        SOS 203
WARTBURG  SOS 111

[jknezek]

Just seems the players across the nation are going down a whole lot more than they did 15-20 years ago.

I always attributed this to just simply going too hard for too long.. Kids starting competitive soccer from the time they hit age 7, they test their bodies from the get-go. Combine that with playing year round, boom. Their bodies are always pushed and never given time to rest.

Playing year round and only playing one sport year round. Same stress on the same failure points. If kids didn't specialize so much, i.e. different sports in different seasons like it used to be, you wouldn't constantly be acting on the same stress points. We know repetitive motion injuries exist, the logical extension of those injuries is an increase in specialization equals more injuries over time. A kid that played soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring was probably less susceptible to injuries common in each sport than the kid that plays three seasons of one sport. Let alone we've now basically gone to four season, single sport specialization at the mid-tier and above youth levels.

You also can add in that we have a much lower "stopping point" for injuries right now. Things that 20 years ago you used Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation and Time to cure now end up with much fancier methods. And what parent wants their child coming back from a small injury, after expensive PT or other therapies, to step back on the field right away? So even smaller injuries are bigger deals.

[PaulNewman]

Muhlenberg and F&M deadlocked at 0-0 and headed to OT.

SLU and Union also 0-0 and headed to OT.

Oneonta gets a PK call late (that seemed shaky but hard to tell) to cause heartbreak at Brockport, yielding 3-2 Oneonta win.

[Saint of Old]

SLU edges Union 1-0 away in OT
RPI beats Clarkson 3-0

Sets up a good showdown tomorrow between St. Lawrence and RPI.

Winner is basically in the conference tourney.

[KnightFalcon]

Wheaton(IL) over Elmhurst 1-0 tonight in gusty/rainy conditions

[LaPaz]

Im telling you 15-20 years ago kids would play thru some of these injuries. I totally agree about bigger, stronger, faster but it is also true that you had more kids playing thru these little knack injuries and playing with some or moderate pain. Today they are to cautious and they tend to baby the players more.