2016 D3 Season: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

[Central Region Follower]

NSCAA NCAA Division III Men - National - Poll 5 - October 11, 2016
Rank    School    Prev.    W-L-T

1    Trinity University (Texas)    1    13-0-0
2    University Of Chicago    2    12-0-0
3    Rowan University    3    11-0-1
4    University Of Massachusetts-Boston    6    11-0-1
5    Ohio Northern University    7    11-0-2
6    Franklin & Marshall College    12    9-1-3
7    SUNY Oneonta    22    10-2-1
8    University of St. Thomas    24    10-0-2
9    University of Rochester    4    7-1-2
10    Washington University (Mo.)    8    7-1-1
11    Amherst College    16    9-1-1
12    Messiah College    21    9-0-3
13    University of Redlands    13    11-2-0
14    Lynchburg College    20    9-0-2
15    Oberlin College    17    10-1-1
16    Luther College    9    9-2-2
17    Haverford College    5    8-2-2
18    Capital University    23    10-1-1
19    Middlebury College    14    6-1-2
20    Colorado College    19    9-2-1
21    Carthage College    25    10-3-0
22    Christopher Newport University    RV    11-2-0
23    SUNY Cortland    RV    10-2-0
24    Macalester College    15    8-2-2
25    Calvin College    18    10-2-0

Also receiving votes: Gordon College (5), Carnegie Mellon University (3), Washington & Lee University (2), St. Lawrence University (1)

[NokeAlum15]

W&L falls completely out of Top 25 after Messiah loss?   Ouch!

[Flying Weasel]

W&L falls completely out of Top 25 after Messiah loss?   Ouch!

Yep, following NSCAA "logic" there's no way four teams from more than one region could be Top 25.  So when they slipped to #4 in the South Atlantic, they only had a 1 in 8 chance of snagging the 25th and final spot in the National Rankings.  But that spot went to the Central Region #4 team, Calvin (I'm surprised that Carthage was considered ahead of Calvin in the Central).  Interesting to note that the Mid-Atlantic #4 (Elizabethtown) was not "Receiving Votes".  Neither were the North #4 and West #4.

[rudy]

W&L falls completely out of Top 25 after Messiah loss?   Ouch!

This has more to do with them following from 2 to 4 in regional rankings. If you aren't in top 3 regional rankings then you generally fall out of top 25 national. If a team ahead if them loses this week and they win  2 games then chances are they will move up in regional ranking back into top 3

[Flying Weasel]

Just to illustrate for anyone new to this, the NSCAA's national rankings have traditionally followed a rather rigid framework/template in which they slot their regional #1's in spots 1 thru 8, the regional #2's in spots 9 thru 16, the regional #3's in spots 17 thru 24, and one regional #4 in the final spot with some other regional #4's listed as "Receiving Votes".  Last year or the year before, they loosened up a little, typically still holding to three teams per regions, but not having all the #1's ranked before any #2's and all #2's before any #3's.  And they even occasionally let a couple regions get four teams in and one region only get two.  But they apparently have reverted to their age-old OP as this week can illustrate.



NSCAA NCAA Division III Men - National - Poll 5 - October 11, 2016
Rank    School    Prev.    W-L-T

WEST #1      1    Trinity University (Texas)    1    13-0-0
CENTRAL #1   2    University Of Chicago    2    12-0-0
SO.ATL. #1   3    Rowan University    3    11-0-1
NEW ENG. #1  4    University Of Massachusetts-Boston    6    11-0-1
G.LAKES #1   5    Ohio Northern University    7    11-0-2
MID-ATL. #1  6    Franklin & Marshall College    12    9-1-3
EAST #1      7    SUNY Oneonta    22    10-2-1
NORTH #1     8    University of St. Thomas    24    10-0-2

EAST #2      9    University of Rochester    4    7-1-2
CENTRAL #2   10    Washington University (Mo.)    8    7-1-1
NEW ENG. #2  11    Amherst College    16    9-1-1
MID-ATL. #2  12    Messiah College    21    9-0-3
WEST #2      13    University of Redlands    13    11-2-0
SO.ATL. #2   14    Lynchburg College    20    9-0-2
G.LAKES #2   15    Oberlin College    17    10-1-1
NORTH #2     16    Luther College    9    9-2-2

MID-ATL. #3  17    Haverford College    5    8-2-2
G.LAKES #3   18    Capital University    23    10-1-1
NEW ENG. #3  19    Middlebury College    14    6-1-2
WEST #3      20    Colorado College    19    9-2-1
CENTRAL #3   21    Carthage College    25    10-3-0
SO.ATL. #3   22    Christopher Newport University    RV    11-2-0
EAST #3      23    SUNY Cortland    RV    10-2-0
NORTH #3     24    Macalester College    15    8-2-2

CENTRAL #5*  25    Calvin College    18    10-2-0

NEW ENG. #4  RV    Gordon College (5)
G.LAKES #4   RV    Carnegie Mellon University (3)
SO.ATL. #4   RV    Washington & Lee University (2)
EAST #4      RV    St. Lawrence University (1)

Not sure how/why a regional #5 is ranked ahead of its regional #4 who then doesn't even get listed as receiving votes.

[Flying Weasel]

Just noticed that Calvin was #5 in the Central region rankings, but #25 nationally ahead of Central #4 North Park who wasn't even listed as receiving votes.  Mistake?  Or intentional?

[NokeAlum15]

Thanks guys.  I knew how NSCAA rankings worked.  Just always a harsh tumble.

[D3soccerwatcher]

Serious question and I'm not trying to be smart here...
Do you think a team that loses a game by a 4 goal margin (W&L) to a lower ranked team should remain in the top 15 in the country?  I would think perhaps not. A goal or maybe 2, but 4 goals?  Wondering about everyone's thoughts on that.

My thoughts are that (a) Messiah is a legitimate Elite Eight team that snuck up on many of us this year, owing to a slightly (not drastically) weaker early schedule and the fact that many probably didn't realize how young they were last year and how much maturation has taken place; and (b) W&L is considerably better than Lynchburg, based on what I saw from both teams vs Messiah.  Lynchburg parked the bus and showed no evidence of having top-10 talent, while W&L played the Falcons straight up and for 20 minutes played them about evenly. 

Obviously I could be wrong about both (a) and (b), but that's my answer to your question.  W&L plays Lynchburg this Wednesday, so we'll know very soon whether (b) is wrong. If I am right about (b), then I would keep W&L in or near the top 10.

Score lines are tricky...  Stats can be one thing, but we can't see the tactics and how the game opened up once W&L went down 2-0.  At that point, I'm sure they were chasing the game and exposed.

Messiah outshot W&L 7-4 first half, scoring twice...
W&L makes 2nd half adjustments, can't connect in mid to final third, Messiah gets in behind W&L with ease... [assumption]
Messiah outshot W&L 13-2 second half, scoring twice.

Messiah controlled much of the game versus W&L.  It was sorta "even" for about the first 15 minutes.  After that the Messiah possession game took control.  W&L was soon out of ideas, got of gas, and out of motivation.  A dominating performance by the Falcons.  As I thought might happen, W&L subsequently dropped out of the NSCAA Top 25 all together.

[Golden_Fan]

UPSET ALER!!

Oneonta lose to New Paltz 1-0 and Fredonia take down Plattsburgh 3-2

[Mr.Right]

UPSET ALER!!

Oneonta lose to New Paltz 1-0 and Fredonia take down Plattsburgh 3-2

Oneonta can deal with that loss as it will not hurt their Pool C chances unless they go on a 2-3 game losing streak which I doubt will happen as they are to good for that. Plattsburgh on the other hand is in a total tailspin as it looks like they will not even be Top 6 in SUNYAC.

[Golden_Fan]

UPSET ALER!!

Oneonta lose to New Paltz 1-0 and Fredonia take down Plattsburgh 3-2

Oneonta can deal with that loss as it will not hurt their Pool C chances unless they go on a 2-3 game losing streak which I doubt will happen as they are to good for that. Plattsburgh on the other hand is in a total tailspin as it looks like they will not even be Top 6 in SUNYAC.

Plattsburgh and Potsdam could both miss out on the playoffs if they both go 0-2 next weekend vs geneseo and brockport

[PaulNewman]

NCAC NE Top 15 (Pre-NCAA Regional Rankings #1)

1) Chicago
2) Trinity (TX)
3) Messiah
4) Rowan
5) Amherst
6) Frankin and Marshall
7) Ohio Northern
8) Rutgers-Newark
9) Calvin
10) UMass-Boston
11) Cortland St
12) Haverford
13) Oneonta St
14) Christopher Newport
15) Kenyon

16 thru 25 (random order) -- Redlands, Capital, Middlebury, Carthage, Rochester, Wash U, Lynchburg, Washington & Lee, Colorado College, Maryville (TN)/Dominican/Oberlin (TIE)

Watch List -- Tufts, Babson, Williams, Bowdoin, St Thomas, Macalester, Springfield, Dubuque, Loras, St Mary's, Mary Washington, OWU, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Emory, Montclair St, Rutgers-Camden, St Lawrence, North Park, Texas-Dallas, Whitworth, Geneva, Rhode Island College, Clark, Hanover, Elizabethtown, Scranton, Wabash, Gordon

[firstplaceloser]

does anybody think there could be a chance newark overtakes rowan at #1 for fort regional rankjngs

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

October 18, 2016
D3soccer.com Men's Top 25, Week 7
Through games of Sunday, October 16, 2016

#   School (1st Pl. Votes)   Record   Pts.   Prev.
1   Chicago (17)   14-0-0   991   1
2   Trinity (Texas) (5)   15-0-0   969   2
3   Messiah   11-0-3   873   6
4   Amherst   11-1-1   862   5
5   Ohio Northern   13-0-3   833   4
6   Rowan   12-1-1   788   3
7   Franklin & Marshall   10-1-3   767   7
8   Kenyon   11-2-0   713   9
9   Calvin   12-2-0   653   11
10   Chris. Newport   12-2-1   544   12
11   Washington & Lee   10-3-0   521   10
12   Mass-Boston   12-1-1   485   8
13   St. Thomas   11-0-3   452   17
14   Elizabethtown   10-2-1   420   20
15   Haverford   9-2-2   416   18
16   Lynchburg   10-1-2   403   14
17   Colorado College   12-2-1   363   25
18   Rutgers-Newark   15-2-0   332   —
19   Rochester   8-1-3   330   22
20   Middlebury   8-1-3   304   21
21   Carnegie Mellon   9-2-2   272   13
22   Capital   11-1-2   259   19
23   Oneonta State   11-3-1   257   16
24   Tufts   7-3-2   130   —
25   St. Lawrence   10-3-0   126   15
Dropped out: No. 23 Washington U., No. 24 Springfield

Receiving Votes: Redlands 106, Oberlin 89, Lebanon Valley 71, Cortland State 64, Ohio Wesleyan 38, Washington U. 36, Springfield 36, Dubuque 20, Luther 16, St. Mary's (Md.) 13, Randolph-Macon 7, Montclair State 5, Clark 5, Connecticut College 2

The D3soccer.com Top 25 is voted on by a panel of coaches, Sports Information Directors and D3soccer.com staff, and is published weekly.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

NSCAA NCAA Division III Men - National - Poll 6 - October 18, 2016

Rank   School   Prev.   W-L-T
1   Trinity University (Texas)   1   15-0-0
2   University Of Chicago   2   14-0-0
3   Franklin & Marshall College   6   10-1-3
4   Ohio Northern University   5   12-0-3
5   Amherst College   11   11-1-1
6   University of St. Thomas   8   11-0-3
7   Rutgers University-Newark   NR   15-2-0
8   SUNY Cortland   23   12-2-0
9   Messiah College   12   11-0-3
10   Rowan University   3   12-1-1
11   University of Redlands   13   13-2-0
12   University of Rochester   9   8-1-3
13   Haverford College   17   9-2-2
14   Carthage College   21   12-3-0
15   Middlebury College   19   8-1-3
16   University Of Massachusetts-Boston   4   12-1-1
17   Lynchburg College   14   10-1-2
18   SUNY Oneonta   7   11-3-1
19   University Of Dubuque   NR   12-2-0
20   Colorado College   20   11-2-1
21   Oberlin College   15   11-2-1
22   Washington University (Mo.)   10   8-2-1
23   Kenyon College   NR   11-2-0
24   Luther College   16   10-3-2
25   Calvin College   25   12-2-0
Also receiving votes: Elizabethtown College (6), Tufts University (4), Christopher Newport University (3), North Park University (1), Macalester College (1)