2015 D3 Season: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

lastguyoffthebench · September 13, 2015, 05:20:38 PM

0s at the half in Camden. CNU with one quality chance, Camden with 4 1v1 w GK and only managed a shot off the post.

PaulNewman · September 13, 2015, 05:36:45 PM

Thomas More falls at home to Denison 1-0.

Congrats to UMass-Boston, beating Puget Sound 2-0.

Chicago wins in double OT over St. Olaf.

Tufts struggling to score against Plymouth St. Punched through around 60th minute.

Whitworth over Santa Cruz 2-0.

NCAC looking good so far.....clearly the 15th best conference in the country lol...

Kenyon 5-0
Wabash 5-0 (but really soft schedule)
Denison 4-0 (likely to be 7-0 heading into game with OWU)
OWU 5-0-1
DePauw 4-0-1 (Loras next @ DPU)
Oberlin 4-1

Error: Whitworth still in progress, now 2-1.

And Texas-Dallas just scored in 74th minute to go up 1-0 on Trinity!

Lastguy, any stats or video for Camden??

PaulNewman · September 13, 2015, 05:41:36 PM

And Colorado College handling Wartburg 3-1 with just couple of minutes left.

lastguyoffthebench · September 13, 2015, 06:00:58 PM

No live feed. Just stats. Quick restart for CNU. Everyone thought it went in...hit inside of post. No goal

lastguyoffthebench · September 13, 2015, 06:12:07 PM

13 to go. Camden with another breakaway missed

PaulNewman · September 13, 2015, 06:18:21 PM

Trinity comes back to win in OT 2-1.

lastguyoffthebench · September 13, 2015, 07:13:08 PM

CNU 0 Camden 0. CNU very direct and quick...remind me of MSU. Relied on serviced balls from flanks. Chippy game that either team could have won, but Camden finishing woes continue. I felt as though Camden was as good a team and the #1 ranking for CNU is just bizarre.

On the plus side for Camden, FIVE freshman started.

lastguyoffthebench · September 14, 2015, 09:03:09 AM

Never thought I'd make this statement... EVER.

ECSU deserves the #1 Ranking. If not ECSU then my vote goes for Trinity (TX).

Throw out the traditional names. Rankings are supposed to be done on a year-by-year basis. Only 1 conceded goal in 5 games and are unbeaten with an incredibly high SOS (#9 on Massey). They beat two strong teams from the New England Region and an up and comer from the Mid Atlantic (Muhlenberg)...

Chicago (#73 SOS)
CNU (#114 SOS)
F&M (#167 SOS)
Kenyon (#242 SOS)
MSU (#232 SOS)
Trinity (#35 SOS)
Tufts (#61 SOS)
Whitworth (#169 SOS)
Williams (#1 SOS)
UWW (#115 SOS)

Even though it is only a poll, I think Loras (#17 SOS) should be in the mix...

Mid-Atlantic Fan · September 14, 2015, 10:17:45 AM

LastGuy: I agree. ECSU makes perfect sense and I think that might be the right call. Chicago has a case to make as well with their great start. 5-0 I believe? But honestly should Tufts be uncrowned already? Defending champs and are 3-0. It makes sense to keep them at #1 until they get tripped up. Especially when they will be receiving everybody's best shot.

PaulNewman · September 14, 2015, 10:40:15 AM

I would pump the brakes just a little on ECSU. Fantastic start but at least a couple of their games could have gone the other way, and now their schedule gets noticeably soft. The Wesleyan win appears to be the best of the bunch as Muhlenberg is really struggling.

My top 4 right now would be Tufts, Chicago, Trinity, and probably F&M. Williams is a consideration but would like to see if they get a sweep of Skidmore and two road wins in Maine this weekend.

PaulNewman · September 14, 2015, 10:52:36 AM

Maybe this is irrelevant, but to vote a team #1 (or top 5 or top 10 for that matter) I think I personally need to be able to confidently picture the team advancing out of the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

Corazon · September 14, 2015, 11:18:30 AM

Agree with NCAC on this one. ECSU has had a great start, but #1?

Brother Flounder · September 14, 2015, 11:19:42 AM

Quote from: Corazon on September 14, 2015, 11:18:30 AM
Agree with NCAC on this one. ECSU has had a great start, but #1?

Also agree with NCAC...... They are doing great now but that would be a GIANT leap.....

Mid-Atlantic Fan · September 14, 2015, 11:59:32 AM

Fair enough and all great perspectives! Like I said earlier I think Tufts should be #1 and Chicago should be considered as well. With that being said I want to comment on the "GIANT leap" remark. I think a better example of a giant leap would be a team like Etown. They took a great leap to #15 in the most recent D3 Soccer Poll. 15th? This is a team that lost in their conference final 2 years ago, then left that conference to join an easier one (by easier I mean without Messiah), to then not even qualify for their conference playoffs last season? Now they start 5-0 after beating one quality team (Dickinson) an average team (PSU-Harrisburg) and 3 cupcakes and are ranked top 15 in the country. To me that "leap" is far more noticeable and undeserving than ECSU being in the top 5. I don't know a lot about the New England area schools compared to Middle Atlantic area schools, but based off of their 5-0 start, 3 quality wins against tough opponents, and only allowing 1 goal in 5 games, I think they should be top 10, maybe even top 5. Not #1 but they make a good case. As LastGuy said earlier, rankings should be based off of performance so far this year, not past years or by a "name" like my Etown example. Any thoughts?

lastguyoffthebench · September 14, 2015, 12:10:44 PM

Hmm, replies from the NESCAC (we are the best) bias.

I'm not saying they are the BEST team in the nation, but given the results so far ECSU does not appear to be a fluke. Last year, Coast Guard got a ton of love on the rankings, so there is no reason not to give ECSU their respect.

Tufts hasn't played anyone...

How I think the rankings will end up (in terms of NSCAA format).

1. Tufts (because returning champs rarely get bumped until a blemish) (Williams #2 (9), ECSU #3 (17), Amherst (21).
2. Trinity (Whitworth #2 (10), #3 Texas-Dallas (RV)
3. Chicago (Calvin #2 (14), North Park # (24), Wheaton (RV)
4. Montclair St (CNU #2 (12), Camden #3 (25), TCNJ (RV). Voters in a tricky spot with Camden losing @ Salisbury, but tying CNU.
5. F&M (Messiah #2 (15), Etown #3 (20)
6. Loras (UWW #2 (11), could they possibly bump Loras? #3 St. Thomas (19), GAC #4 (RV)
7. Kenyon (OWU #2 (13), DePauw #3 (18), CMU #4 (23), Denison #5 (RV). Could see Denison bumping CMU.
8. SLU (RPI #2 (16), Oneonta St #3 (22), Plattsburg St (RV)
9. Williams
10. Whitworth
11. UWW
12. CNU
13. OWU
14. Calvin
15. Messiah
16. RPI.
17. ECSU
18. DePauw
19. St. Thomas
20. Etown
21. Amherst
22. Oneonta St (bumped by RPI, could see unbeaten Plattsburgh here even with the weak SOS)
23. CMU (is the Messiah win enough to keep them ahead of Denison, could see them being switched as well).
24. North Park
25. Rutgers-Camden

RV: TCNJ, GAC, Denison, Plattsburgh St, Texas-Dallas, Wheaton (Ill)