2016 National Championship Contenders

[D3soccerwatcher]

Lycoming did not face Messiah in Grantham, PA in 2015.  But in the three years prior to that I believe Lycoming is 0-4-1(tie - advanced via PK's) at Grantham. None-the-less the game this year @ Messiah is one to circle on the schedule.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

With over a third of the season gone and conference play just starting up I think it's time for everyone's thoughts on pretenders, contenders, in-betweeners, sleepers, and dark horses. Think we did something similar last season so add to what it was like because I forget the formatting of it all...old age 

Contenders:
Rowan, Chicago, Amherst, Oneonta St, St. Lawrence, Trinity (Tx), Calvin, Washington & Lee

Pretenders:
Christoper Newport, Etown, Carnegie Mellon, Centre, Redlands, OWU, Rochester, Whitworth, Carthage, Wheaton (Ill.)

In-Betweeners:
Kenyon, F&M, Fords, Mass-Boston, ONU, Macalester, Plattsburgh St, Scranton, Wash. U, Montclair, Williams, Lycoming, RUC, Cortland St, Brandeis, Loras, Tufts, Capital

Sleepers:
Eastern, RUN, Kean, Leb Val, Bowdoin, Clark, Springfield, Lynchburg, Dubuque, St. Norbert, Colorado College, Ramapo, Gettysburg, Grove City, Gordon, Buffalo St., Luther, North Park, Potsdam St,

Dark Horses:
St. Thomas, Oberlin, Union, Vassar, Morrisville St, Alfred, WPI, UW-Platteville, Concordia (Wisc&Tx), Mary Washington, Hood, St. Mary's (Md),  Randolph, Endicott, St. Olaf, Misericordia, Bard

[SuperSub15]

Interested in hearing your thoughts on Carthage being a pretender? Starting line up consists of 2 seniors, 3 soph, and 6 freshman, including a freshman GK.

There has been a lot of banter on these forums about teams playing their youth. I haven't seen another team with this kind of a line up. Correct me if I am wrong but need to give credit where credit is due. Of course I am a bit biased but if you have watched Carthage play this year you will see some very exciting soccer.

[jknezek]

As a W&L alum I think you have them too high. Yes they have 2 good wins, and yes Oneonta is looking better because they have picked up the pace. But W&L hasn't been there. It's pretty rare for a team to come from nowhere and push through that tournament grind. Had they gotten past the Fords last year and gotten a little run, I'd be more on board.

Either way, I think we'll get a good view in a few weeks when Messiah and Lynchburg come to town in the same week. That is the kind of competition they'd need to beat a few games in a row to make a tournament run. Beating up on Shenandoah isn't worth much other than it shows W&L can do what they are supposed to do, and they have a long ODAC schedule. Very few of the ODAC teams qualify as an "acceptable blemish" for a good team, and yet we all know there are days the ball just won't go in the net.

We'll see. I'm proud of them. Can't remember the kind of wins we've had early this year. Huge fan of Coach Singleton who has breathed serious strength into a program that spent a long time content in simply being ODAC good.

[PaulNewman]

 Favorites -- Chicago, Rowan, Amherst, Kenyon, Oneonta St, Trinity TX (because of likelihood of favorable quadrant)

Serious Contenders -- Middlebury, Calvin, SLU, F&M, Messiah, Montclair St, OWU

Darkhorses -- Ohio Northern, Lycoming, W&L, Haverford, Wash U, Brandeis, Tufts, Rochester, Christopher Newport, UMass-Bos, Loras, Williams, Macalester, Gordon, Plattsburgh St, Wheaton Ill (if ever get back to full strength with likelihood of still getting AQ)

Pretenders -- Everyone else


P.S. Loras easily could move into "serious contender" category if they get on a roll with likelihood of favorable quadrant with teams like Macalester and then only Trinity to beat.

[Gregory Sager]

Interested in hearing your thoughts on Carthage being a pretender? Starting line up consists of 2 seniors, 3 soph, and 6 freshman, including a freshman GK.

Actually, Carthage coach Steve Domin has put more experience into his starting lineups than you've indicated. He's done a lot of juggling with his lineups -- 20 different players have started at least three matches, and 15 have started four or more -- but in Carthage's last two matches he started a senior, a junior, five sophomores, and four freshmen. In the match prior to that he had three more juniors in the starting lineup.

There has been a lot of banter on these forums about teams playing their youth. I haven't seen another team with this kind of a line up. Correct me if I am wrong but need to give credit where credit is due. Of course I am a bit biased but if you have watched Carthage play this year you will see some very exciting soccer.

Carthage isn't the only CCIW contender that's fielding a young team. North Park starts two seniors, a junior, six sophomores, and two freshmen. The top four scorers are all sophomores.

[SuperSub15]

Great insight Greg. Exciting to see 2 CCIW teams with a ton of youth and a ton of potential! Great NP win against a strong Dubuque team. Carthage vs North Park have been exciting matches in the past few years.

[Gregory Sager]

Great insight Greg. Exciting to see 2 CCIW teams with a ton of youth and a ton of potential! Great NP win against a strong Dubuque team. Carthage vs North Park have been exciting matches in the past few years.

NPU is a different outfit than it's been throughout most of this decade. The Vikings had been very dependent upon one extremely talented scorer, first Jonas Pettersson, who was CCIW POY three seasons ago, and then his fellow Swedish import Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh over the past two seasons. This season's NPU side lacks that big gun, but it looks to come at you with a lot of different people. The midfield is still a work in progress, but the Vikings are backstopped by two-time All-CCIW selection Wesley Woodley in goal (who missed all of last season due to a knee injury), and they've got more size on the pitch this season than they've had in recent years as well, which helps in terms of the air game and set pieces.

Nevertheless, I think that Carthage is the side to beat this season in the CCIW. Wheaton is always dangerous, but the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance appear to be down in terms of talent from what they were over the past few years, even when they're healthy. Elmhurst scares me as well, because the Bluejays are so physical and do such a good job of suppressing the score and keeping matches to one-goal decisions. The fact that Chicago, which impressed the heck out of me when I saw the South Siders here on the North Side a couple of weeks ago -- they are a legit Final Four contender this season -- erupted for four goals against Elmhurst speaks volumes about how good the Maroons are. If you can put four in the net against Elmhurst, you are loaded. As far as NPU is concerned, if the Park can find itself and gain some consistency in terms of midfield possession and getting the young forwards to finish, the Vikings can make themselves heard. North Park also has the advantage of hosting the three other top sides this season.

But I still think it's Carthage's league to win in 2016.

[Ommadawn]

Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance

I can't give karma yet, but I would certainly give you positive karma for that if I could 

[Flying Weasel]

Contenders:
Rowan, Chicago, Amherst, Oneonta St, St. Lawrence, Trinity (Tx), Calvin, Washington & Lee

Pretenders:
Christoper Newport, Etown, Carnegie Mellon, Centre, Redlands, OWU, Rochester, Whitworth, Carthage, Wheaton (Ill.)

In-Betweeners:
Kenyon, F&M, Fords, Mass-Boston, ONU, Macalester, Plattsburgh St, Scranton, Wash. U, Montclair, Williams, Lycoming, RUC, Cortland St, Brandeis, Loras, Tufts, Capital

Sleepers:
Eastern, RUN, Kean, Leb Val, Bowdoin, Clark, Springfield, Lynchburg, Dubuque, St. Norbert, Colorado College, Ramapo, Gettysburg, Grove City, Gordon, Buffalo St., Luther, North Park, Potsdam St,

Dark Horses:
St. Thomas, Oberlin, Union, Vassar, Morrisville St, Alfred, WPI, UW-Platteville, Concordia (Wisc&Tx), Mary Washington, Hood, St. Mary's (Md),  Randolph, Endicott, St. Olaf, Misericordia, Bard

Left off Messiah.  Pretender?  In-Betweener?  or what?

[PaulNewman]

Also left off Middlebury...

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

I'd put them both in the "in-betweener" category. Sorry guys it's a Monday 

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Interested in hearing your thoughts on Carthage being a pretender? Starting line up consists of 2 seniors, 3 soph, and 6 freshman, including a freshman GK.

There has been a lot of banter on these forums about teams playing their youth. I haven't seen another team with this kind of a line up. Correct me if I am wrong but need to give credit where credit is due. Of course I am a bit biased but if you have watched Carthage play this year you will see some very exciting soccer.

4 solid wins over Gordon, Endicott, Loras, and UW-Platteville but 2 ugly losses to Wabash and Hanover correct? Which team will show up? For me they are a pretender come tournament time if they even make it.

[PaulNewman]

With over a third of the season gone and conference play just starting up I think it's time for everyone's thoughts on pretenders, contenders, in-betweeners, sleepers, and dark horses. Think we did something similar last season so add to what it was like because I forget the formatting of it all...old age 

Contenders:
Rowan, Chicago, Amherst, Oneonta St, St. Lawrence, Trinity (Tx), Calvin, Washington & Lee

Pretenders:
Christoper Newport, Etown, Carnegie Mellon, Centre, Redlands, OWU, Rochester, Whitworth, Carthage, Wheaton (Ill.)

In-Betweeners:
Kenyon, F&M, Fords, Mass-Boston, ONU, Macalester, Plattsburgh St, Scranton, Wash. U, Montclair, Williams, Lycoming, RUC, Cortland St, Brandeis, Loras, Tufts, Capital

Sleepers:
Eastern, RUN, Kean, Leb Val, Bowdoin, Clark, Springfield, Lynchburg, Dubuque, St. Norbert, Colorado College, Ramapo, Gettysburg, Grove City, Gordon, Buffalo St., Luther, North Park, Potsdam St,

Dark Horses:
St. Thomas, Oberlin, Union, Vassar, Morrisville St, Alfred, WPI, UW-Platteville, Concordia (Wisc&Tx), Mary Washington, Hood, St. Mary's (Md),  Randolph, Endicott, St. Olaf, Misericordia, Bard

MAF, could you explain your categories?  Is 'Pretenders' the 2nd best category?  What is difference between a 'Sleeper' and a 'Darkhorse'?  Wouldn't you agree that a sleeper or darkhorse has to have at least a puncher's chance of winning the national title?  With the topic being National Title Contenders I'm curious about your inclusion of most of the schools in your last two categories.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

With over a third of the season gone and conference play just starting up I think it's time for everyone's thoughts on pretenders, contenders, in-betweeners, sleepers, and dark horses. Think we did something similar last season so add to what it was like because I forget the formatting of it all...old age 

Contenders:
Rowan, Chicago, Amherst, Oneonta St, St. Lawrence, Trinity (Tx), Calvin, Washington & Lee

Pretenders:
Christoper Newport, Etown, Carnegie Mellon, Centre, Redlands, OWU, Rochester, Whitworth, Carthage, Wheaton (Ill.)

In-Betweeners:
Kenyon, F&M, Fords, Mass-Boston, ONU, Macalester, Plattsburgh St, Scranton, Wash. U, Montclair, Williams, Lycoming, RUC, Cortland St, Brandeis, Loras, Tufts, Capital

Sleepers:
Eastern, RUN, Kean, Leb Val, Bowdoin, Clark, Springfield, Lynchburg, Dubuque, St. Norbert, Colorado College, Ramapo, Gettysburg, Grove City, Gordon, Buffalo St., Luther, North Park, Potsdam St,

Dark Horses:
St. Thomas, Oberlin, Union, Vassar, Morrisville St, Alfred, WPI, UW-Platteville, Concordia (Wisc&Tx), Mary Washington, Hood, St. Mary's (Md),  Randolph, Endicott, St. Olaf, Misericordia, Bard

MAF, could you explain your categories?  Is 'Pretenders' the 2nd best category?  What is difference between a 'Sleeper' and a 'Darkhorse'?  Wouldn't you agree that a sleeper or darkhorse has to have at least a puncher's chance of winning the national title?  With the topic being National Title Contenders I'm curious about your inclusion of most of the schools in your last two categories.

No problem! I think you started a similar topic last year so I did my best to replicate that since I enjoyed it, but know some of the headings are probably a bit off. For me, the Contenders are the few that I think have a real chance at winning it this year. The heavyweights as some might say. The In-Betweeners are the next best category in that I don't think they have reached contender level but they also haven't fallen off as a pretender or a wanna be. They are in that gray area of pushing for a contender spot but haven't done enough to put themselves in that category yet or they are hanging on to an in-betweener but could be lurking as a pretender if results don't change in their favor. Pretender I briefly touched on but they are the teams that I had high hopes for out of the gate but have fallen off recently or teams that I think will fall off here soon. The wanna be or fake category. Almost an "overrated" category would be a better phrase for this? I think sleepers and dark horses are different. Sleepers, to me, are the teams that no one is really talking about to succeed and can sneak up on you quickly. I wouldn't be shocked to see a sleeper go far in the tournament. This could be the "underrated" category. Dark horses are the longshots. These teams are new to the party. You would win a lot of money with a Vegas bet on any of the teams to win it all and that's why they are dark horses.

Hope this helps clarify my thoughts. If there are any teams you want rationale on let me know! I am going to narrow this list down further and further as the season goes on but with it being still early I didn't want to omit anybody, which was hard to do considering I somehow missed putting Messiah and Middlebury in a category!