Middlebury Got Screwed

[CC1984]

How does the committe give Tufts the nod over Middlebury with only 9 wins? Yes, they beat Middlebury 1-0, but they got knocked out of the NESCAC tournament in the first round, and they only had 9 wins overall, and Middlebury finished 2nd in the NESCAC regular season while Tufts finished 3rd. It is outrageous that the committe likely gave Tufts the benefit of the doubt because they won the NCAA championship last year.  Unfortunately, you need to perform to get in the tournament, and Tufts had a mediocre year. 

[Mr.Right]

That had nothing to do with it. Frankly if Saward went out and played a couple decent teams non-conference then I would sympathize with you. I think the SOS was good but the committee took a HUMAN look at it and said it was not up to snuff. I wen tover this yesterday they finished 13-2-2. Throw out all 5 non conference games because those teams were horrendous at best. So now 8-2-2. Throw out Colby , Bates and Hamilton. So now 5-2-2. 2 wins vs a medicore Trinity side. So now 3-2-2. A win against Wesleyan and Williams who both were just at .500 in down years. Now 1-2-2. The one win was against a 10-5-1 Conn team. Not going to cut it any way you slice it. They got slammed for playing 5 sh*t teams which some of us(ME) predicted would happen in August.

[Shooter McGavin]

How does the committe give Tufts the nod over Middlebury with only 9 wins? Yes, they beat Middlebury 1-0, but they got knocked out of the NESCAC tournament in the first round, and they only had 9 wins overall, and Middlebury finished 2nd in the NESCAC regular season while Tufts finished 3rd. It is outrageous that the committe likely gave Tufts the benefit of the doubt because they won the NCAA championship last year.  Unfortunately, you need to perform to get in the tournament, and Tufts had a mediocre year.

Midd should have gotten in over RPI not Tufts. I personally believe that if you win the national title that you should automatically be put in the field the next year no matter what your record is. Should always have a shot at defending your crown. I don't think Tufts is a shocker for anyone. RPI is and Midd not getting in is also a shock. Great Lakes region did not help the cause either.

[Mr.Right]

I am starting to think the Thomas More bid was as bad. I mean if RPI qualified for the LL none of us would really have a problem with them getting in.

[Shooter McGavin]

DePauw as well is questionable...

[blooter442]

I mean if RPI qualified for the LL none of us would really have a problem with them getting in.

I'd still have thought it was a little fishy, even with them being ranked in the NSCAA top 10 at one point IIRC. I mean who else did they beat besides Oneonta (home)? Regardless, if it came down to Middlebury or RPI I'd have taken Midd.

[Bucket]

That had nothing to do with it. Frankly if Saward went out and played a couple decent teams non-conference then I would sympathize with you. I think the SOS was good but the committee took a HUMAN look at it and said it was not up to snuff. I wen tover this yesterday they finished 13-2-2. Throw out all 5 non conference games because those teams were horrendous at best. So now 8-2-2. Throw out Colby , Bates and Hamilton. So now 5-2-2. 2 wins vs a medicore Trinity side. So now 3-2-2. A win against Wesleyan and Williams who both were just at .500 in down years. Now 1-2-2. The one win was against a 10-5-1 Conn team. Not going to cut it any way you slice it. They got slammed for playing 5 sh*t teams which some of us(ME) predicted would happen in August.

I'm in agreement with you on this, MR, so I'm not as much arguing your point as I am arguing against what the committee may have done (if they did, indeed, do what you describe).

There is selection criteria for a reason. And you know what's not part of the criteria? Disregarding a stated criterion (SOS) in favor of a gut feel for what the strength of that schedule really was, numbers be damned. Also not part of the criteria—selectively regarding or disregarding wins against certain opponents. So as described, the committee would simultaneously disregard Midd's win over Bates or their win over Hamilton, while ALSO disregarding Tuft's tie against Bates and loss against Hamilton? That makes no sense. Against the same NESCAC opponents that we're tossing out as irrelevant wins for Midd, Tufts lost to Hamilton (Midd won), tied Bates (Midd won), and tied Wesleyan (Midd won). Both teams beat Colby, Conn, Trinity, and Williams. Both lost to Amherst, 1-0. and Tufts beat Midd 1-0. So it seems like the 1-0 win trumps the 3-0-0 v 0-2-1 record. Or, actually, the win plus OOC trumps 3-0-0 v 0-2-1, which still seems like a stretch to me. Whatever.

I would so very much like to see Midd play Skidmore, RPI, and Plattsburgh instead of GMC, Castleton, and Colby-Sawyer, and I think it's possible to want those things and still think the Panthers were screwed this year! (Though, as stated, I think a far greater mistake was in the inclusion not of Tufts, but of RPI.)

[Mr.Right]

The whole New England Region got 3 Pool C's. That is WAY DOWN. Usually 4-5 every year. Well you can blame the AR who called back a goal on the PK shootout or you can blame the crossbar for turning away a chance in the 1st Half but either way their lockers are being cleaned out today if not yesterday and they are finished.

[NEsoccerfan]

That had nothing to do with it. Frankly if Saward went out and played a couple decent teams non-conference then I would sympathize with you. I think the SOS was good but the committee took a HUMAN look at it and said it was not up to snuff. I wen tover this yesterday they finished 13-2-2. Throw out all 5 non conference games because those teams were horrendous at best. So now 8-2-2. Throw out Colby , Bates and Hamilton. So now 5-2-2. 2 wins vs a medicore Trinity side. So now 3-2-2. A win against Wesleyan and Williams who both were just at .500 in down years. Now 1-2-2. The one win was against a 10-5-1 Conn team. Not going to cut it any way you slice it. They got slammed for playing 5 sh*t teams which some of us(ME) predicted would happen in August.

When you break it down like this, it seems to make a lot of sense to me. Well done, Mr. (usually) Right.

[PaulNewman]

How does the committe give Tufts the nod over Middlebury with only 9 wins? Yes, they beat Middlebury 1-0, but they got knocked out of the NESCAC tournament in the first round, and they only had 9 wins overall, and Middlebury finished 2nd in the NESCAC regular season while Tufts finished 3rd. It is outrageous that the committe likely gave Tufts the benefit of the doubt because they won the NCAA championship last year.  Unfortunately, you need to perform to get in the tournament, and Tufts had a mediocre year.

Midd should have gotten in over RPI not Tufts. I personally believe that if you win the national title that you should automatically be put in the field the next year no matter what your record is. Should always have a shot at defending your crown. I don't think Tufts is a shocker for anyone. RPI is and Midd not getting in is also a shock. Great Lakes region did not help the cause either.

Completely disagree with you on this one, Shooter.  It's not a monarchy for heavens sakes.  Thank goodness Tufts is actually a very good team and legitimately in the mix, but imagine if they were 6-8-2.  Still get an automatic bid?  This is friggin D3 soccer!

[CC1984]

First of all, the automatic bid thing is nonsense; no one gets that in any sport/any division. As for SOS, I can't disagree with anyone regarding Middlebury's non-conference games, as it is perplexing why they would play Green Mountain and Colby-Sawyer (they are in-state and Vermont simply doesnt have good D3 teams; Tufts played Brandeis, Endicott and Gordon which are all in Massachusetts with Plymouth State the only out of state non-conference game).  However, Tufts only really tough win was against Gordon and they lost to Brandeis (which is a loss regardless of the 1-0 score).  The NESCAC, although not as top notch this year as other years, is still a very tough conference. And, Tufts had only 5 wins vs. 7 wins for Middlebury and only 9 wins overall.  Im not suggesting that Middlebury is a great team (and I am not a grad), but their conference play should have given them the nod over Tufts this year.

[jknezek]

First of all, the automatic bid thing is nonsense; no one gets that in any sport/any division.

Huh? All of DIII works this way. As does DII on a modified basis (depending on the sport I believe) and even DI works on AQ slots. Pretty much all of college sports uses AQ conferences.

[CC1984]

im talking about getting an automatic bid just because you were the previous year's NCAA champion. That's what Shooter wrote, "I personally believe that if you win the national title that you should automatically be put in the field the next year no matter what your record is".  Also, my point is that Tufts ALSO lost in the first round of their conference championship in addition to only winning 5 conference games.  They simply didn't deserve to make the NCAA this year.

[jknezek]

im talking about getting an automatic bid just because you were the previous year's NCAA champion. That's what Shooter wrote, "I personally believe that if you win the national title that you should automatically be put in the field the next year no matter what your record is".  Also, my point is that Tufts ALSO lost in the first round of their conference championship in addition to only winning 5 conference games.  They simply didn't deserve to make the NCAA this year.

Got it. That makes more sense.

[Mr.Right]

First of all, the automatic bid thing is nonsense; no one gets that in any sport/any division. As for SOS, I can't disagree with anyone regarding Middlebury's non-conference games, as it is perplexing why they would play Green Mountain and Colby-Sawyer (they are in-state and Vermont simply doesnt have good D3 teams; Tufts played Brandeis, Endicott and Gordon which are all in Massachusetts with Plymouth State the only out of state non-conference game).  However, Tufts only really tough win was against Gordon and they lost to Brandeis (which is a loss regardless of the 1-0 score).  The NESCAC, although not as top notch this year as other years, is still a very tough conference. And, Tufts had only 5 wins vs. 7 wins for Middlebury and only 9 wins overall.  Im not suggesting that Middlebury is a great team (and I am not a grad), but their conference play should have given them the nod over Tufts this year.

There is no reason they cannot hop on the bus and play anyone of Union, RPI and Skidmore. Especially Skidmore. Union would most likely not play them but RPI is always begging for games. Skidmore is only 1 1/2 hrs away if that. I get the Castleton game because they are so close and Norwich is also fine but the others need to be dropped. Next year they travel to Conn College and Trinity on seperate Saturdays. They might have to work in a back to back on the Sunday folowing those games with an ECONN or a WNEC or Springfield. ECONN always begging to play games but not sure about the other 2. ECONN is no picnic to play out of conference because they sit 10 deep and frustrate you which is a headache all in itself. Midd used to play Keene St but that game has long passed. Maybe cross the bridge on your BYE weekend and play Plattsburgh or even a 2 1/2 hour trip to SLU. They must get a little bit more creative