2015 D3 Season: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

[PaulNewman]

Macalester just went up 2-1 on the Johnnies on a rip on the ground from long range.  Gotta love the orange and blue Mac kits.

Loras up on Dubuque 2-1 early in the 2nd.

Macalester wins it, remains unbeaten, takes MIAC regular season crown.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Polls are up.

[Flying Weasel]

http://www.d3soccer.com/rankings/2015/men/regional-rankings-2

[jknezek]

Please tell me Emory and Henry is supposed to be Emory...

[blooter442]

http://www.d3soccer.com/rankings/2015/men/regional-rankings-2

Good to see Endicott in there, even with their less-than-impressive SOS they're still the best team in the CCC IMHO. Wonder if - had the game been in time for this week's RRs (aka Sunday or before) - beating Gordon would have been enough to flip-flop the two.

My only initial question was why Hobart - my darkhorse team this year - wasn't ranked, but one look at the SOS and I can see why. But if Hobart manages to get the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the LL playoffs - and that's a big if, as Hobart closes the regular season playing home vs. RIT while St. Lawrence is on the road at Clarkson - then I would consider them to be very dangerous. Even without that, given their wins over SLU and Rochester and 12-2-2 record, I still think they're dangerous.

[Saint of Old]

Hobart is an extremely dangerous team.
I have doubts about the phantom penalty called for their winning goal against St. Lawrence, but they deserved that win by the overall way  they played.

I think that SLU will love a rematch at home with the Statesmen.

[blooter442]

I think that SLU will love a rematch at home with the Statesmen.

I agree. That's why I think - for Hobart to have any shot - they have to get home advantage, because as many have said, beating SLU at MacAllaster is a near-impossible task.

[Dark Knight]

Interesting.

Calvin beat a couple of mediocre MIAA teams 5-0 and 4-0 and as a result dropped from #1 to #3 in the regional ranking, because their SOS dropped.

I'm not convinced that beating mediocre teams 5-0 and 4-0 is evidence that you're getting worse...

[blooter442]

I'm not convinced that beating mediocre teams 5-0 and 4-0 is evidence that you're getting worse...

That's true, and raises a good point. Sometimes I think that SOS is perhaps too much accounted for, like in this case, but in other cases (*cough NSCAA National Rankings and even All-American choices cough*) it is perhaps undervalued. The big thing is that you can only beat what's put in front of you, so beating weak teams is important, but when you don't go and schedule tough games then, all other things equal, it's tough to take you as seriously. A conundrum indeed.

[Mr.Right]

Interesting.

Calvin beat a couple of mediocre MIAA teams 5-0 and 4-0 and as a result dropped from #1 to #3 in the regional ranking, because their SOS dropped.

I'm not convinced that beating mediocre teams 5-0 and 4-0 is evidence that you're getting worse...

Calvin;s whole schedule is MEDICORE...I'm not convinced they deserve the #3 ranking..

[PaulNewman]

Ramapo beats Kean?

Congrats to W&L.  Good win for Calvin as I thought KZoo would pull the upset.  Could not believe MIT came back from 3-1.  I'm gonna guess they don't win the NEWMAC tourney but get bid and whoever wins the tourney between Babson, Wheaton or WPI (Springfield?) will be a tough 1st round game for somebody.  F&M and Montclair really laid the wood to Gettysburg and RUN.  Big win for Greensboro.

[dontshootthegoose]

Platteville with tonights shocker as they defeat Whitewater 3-2 in overtime.

[Flying Weasel]

http://www.cacsports.com/sports/msoc/2015-16/releases/FSU_forfeits

Frostburg State has had to forfeit three conference games due to a rules infraction (player receiving 2nd red card of season only sat out 1 game instead of 2 games as required starting last year) and had their conference record drop from 4-2-2 to 2-5-1 before tonight's final conference games. They won tonight, but the forfeits had dropped them from fourth and comfortable for making the playoffs to eighth and tonight's win only lifted them into a tie for seventh and out of the playoffs.  What's seems a little odd is that the article on the conference website said that Frostburg State's overall NCAA record remains unaffected, but I guess that's so that other team's OWP and OOWP numbers (and thus SOS) are not negatively impacted by the forfeits.

[Flying Weasel]

http://www.mascac.com/sports/msoc/2015-16/releases/Updated_Standings

Bridgewater St. has also had to vacate (I guess that's the technical term) four conference (MASCAC) games and four non-conference games.  Unlike Frostburg St., they probably make the playoffs as the sixth (and last) seed.  The rule infraction seems to have to do with a player participating in outside competition during the season. Again, their overall record is not adjusted, just the seeding for conference playoffs.

[backyarddawg]

With conference playoffs and last regular season games approaching this weekend what are the key match-ups?