2017 Season - National Perspective

[Shooter McGavin]

Tufts is a clear #1, and IMO it's not a close call. A single own goal allowed all season in the toughest conference in the country with an above average out of conference schedule.

Tufts will beat Messiah in the Elite 8 and then lose decisively to Calvin in a national semifinal.

Don't necessarily disagree as I think the Jumbos are incredible this season but I couldn't reward them for adding another blemish to the resume. As for predictions in the tournament a lot of that will hinge on what kind of draw a team may get. Certainly Tufts will be the favorite in almost any circumstance but I'd rather not predict a final 4 until the brackets are released. Although LastGuy has a nice final 4/5 listed.

[firstplaceloser]

Tufts is a clear #1, and IMO it's not a close call. A single own goal allowed all season in the toughest conference in the country with an above average out of conference schedule.

Tufts will beat Messiah in the Elite 8 and then lose decisively to Calvin in a national semifinal.

Don't necessarily disagree as I think the Jumbos are incredible this season but I couldn't reward them for adding another blemish to the resume. As for predictions in the tournament a lot of that will hinge on what kind of draw a team may get. Certainly Tufts will be the favorite in almost any circumstance but I'd rather not predict a final 4 until the brackets are released. Although LastGuy has a nice final 4/5 listed.

do we really think NESCAC is the best Conference or has their conference gone down in the last year? don't get me wrong they are a very strong conference but i say this in regards to Amherst this season... i will also never forgive Amherst for dropping the elite 8 in 2013 to Williams and messiah played a freebie in the semis. but they have not been consistent, neither has Brandeis this year. in the last few years i agree they are top programs in the country but idk what it is this year.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

I would argue that the UAA has been stronger than the NESCAC this season but both are top 3 leagues this year. Toss up for which is the most competitive.

I'd rank them like this...

1. UAA
2. NESCAC
3. OAC
4. Centennial
T5. Commonwealth/NJAC

[Mr.Right]

Tufts is a clear #1, and IMO it's not a close call. A single own goal allowed all season in the toughest conference in the country with an above average out of conference schedule.

Tufts will beat Messiah in the Elite 8 and then lose decisively to Calvin in a national semifinal.

Don't necessarily disagree as I think the Jumbos are incredible this season but I couldn't reward them for adding another blemish to the resume. As for predictions in the tournament a lot of that will hinge on what kind of draw a team may get. Certainly Tufts will be the favorite in almost any circumstance but I'd rather not predict a final 4 until the brackets are released. Although LastGuy has a nice final 4/5 listed.

do we really think NESCAC is the best Conference or has their conference gone down in the last year? don't get me wrong they are a very strong conference but i say this in regards to Amherst this season... i will also never forgive Amherst for dropping the elite 8 in 2013 to Williams and messiah played a freebie in the semis. but they have not been consistent, neither has Brandeis this year. in the last few years i agree they are top programs in the country but idk what it is this year.

Nescac is down this year...I would also give it to UAA...Ahh 2013 Amherst was not 2012 Amherst...Williams was just as good they just decided to play Messiah straight up and had an off game..Very poor GK'ing. Amherst would of played Messiah differently but would have still lost in 2013 to Messiah prob 2 or 3-0. Messiah was that good that year. Your failure to beat them is all on you bud no one else..

[rudy]

When are the NCAA selections made? Next Monday?

[PaulNewman]

Yeah, whether NESCAC is THE toughest or ONE OF THE toughest kind of misses my overall point.  Tufts has allowed one own goal in a tough conference and also with an out of conference slate that included teams like Brandeis.

As for the UAA, my knee-jerk reaction agrees, but.....After Chicago (which has its own surprise losses), who isn't beatable?  Brandeis?  UR?  CMU and Emory have not set the world on fire.  Wash U faded badly.  Credit to Case for being one of the best 6-8-2 teams ever, but they are still 6-8-2 or whatever the record is.  And then there's NYU.  I could still make a case for the NESCAC.  And no other conference comes close to those top two, at least this year. 

[Shooter McGavin]

Tufts is a clear #1, and IMO it's not a close call. A single own goal allowed all season in the toughest conference in the country with an above average out of conference schedule.

Tufts will beat Messiah in the Elite 8 and then lose decisively to Calvin in a national semifinal.

Don't necessarily disagree as I think the Jumbos are incredible this season but I couldn't reward them for adding another blemish to the resume. As for predictions in the tournament a lot of that will hinge on what kind of draw a team may get. Certainly Tufts will be the favorite in almost any circumstance but I'd rather not predict a final 4 until the brackets are released. Although LastGuy has a nice final 4/5 listed.

do we really think NESCAC is the best Conference or has their conference gone down in the last year? don't get me wrong they are a very strong conference but i say this in regards to Amherst this season... i will also never forgive Amherst for dropping the elite 8 in 2013 to Williams and messiah played a freebie in the semis. but they have not been consistent, neither has Brandeis this year. in the last few years i agree they are top programs in the country but idk what it is this year.

Nescac is down this year...I would also give it to UAA...Ahh 2013 Amherst was not 2012 Amherst...Williams was just as good they just decided to play Messiah straight up and had an off game..Very poor GK'ing. Amherst would of played Messiah differently but would have still lost in 2013 to Messiah prob 2 or 3-0. Messiah was that good that year. Your failure to beat them is all on you bud no one else..

That 2013 Messiah team is arguably the best team ever. No one was stopping them and they could have easily put up 4 or 5 on Camden in the final. They out shot them 32-18 but credit to Camden for battling until the end and giving themselves a chance. Any other year and it may very well have been them winning it all. One of the better finals that I have seen over the years.

[D3soccerwatcher]

I'm sure some people will throw me under the bus for this...but...how about comparing MAC Commonwealth to NESCAC this year?  Both have two teams in the top 15 nationally.  And MAC Commonwealth has a very strong Lebanon Valley College who took Messiah to 2OT, plus solid and very under rated Alvernia and Arcadia. MACC has three teams in the Mid-Atlantic Top 5 and NESCAC has three teams in the NE Top 5 (four in the Top 6).  Some might also want to consider NJAC, but the top team in the NJAC has two losses - both to MAC Commonwealth teams. 

[PaulNewman]

Wow.  By the end of this season the OAC and MACC will be considered the top two conferences in the country. 

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

When are the NCAA selections made? Next Monday?

Yes November 6th.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

See you guys. Good luck in tournament! I'm out of here.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/paul-newman-daytona-rolex-sells-230249233.html

Paul--Congrats on the new adventure. Best of luck! 

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

MAF Top 10 Power Rankings
1. Calvin
2. Tufts
3. Messiah
4. St. Thomas
5. Lycoming
6. Chicago
7. Trinity
8. Oneonta St
9. Kenyon
10. Rowan
---------------------
11-25 (no order): Springfield, Amherst, JC, JHU, Newark, Drew, Lynchburg, St. Joe's, Brandeis, North Park, Bowdoin, Cortland, UR, Ogelthorpe, Otterbein

Not much has changed from last week 

[firstplaceloser]

Tufts is a clear #1, and IMO it's not a close call. A single own goal allowed all season in the toughest conference in the country with an above average out of conference schedule.

Tufts will beat Messiah in the Elite 8 and then lose decisively to Calvin in a national semifinal.

Don't necessarily disagree as I think the Jumbos are incredible this season but I couldn't reward them for adding another blemish to the resume. As for predictions in the tournament a lot of that will hinge on what kind of draw a team may get. Certainly Tufts will be the favorite in almost any circumstance but I'd rather not predict a final 4 until the brackets are released. Although LastGuy has a nice final 4/5 listed.

do we really think NESCAC is the best Conference or has their conference gone down in the last year? don't get me wrong they are a very strong conference but i say this in regards to Amherst this season... i will also never forgive Amherst for dropping the elite 8 in 2013 to Williams and messiah played a freebie in the semis. but they have not been consistent, neither has Brandeis this year. in the last few years i agree they are top programs in the country but idk what it is this year.

Nescac is down this year...I would also give it to UAA...Ahh 2013 Amherst was not 2012 Amherst...Williams was just as good they just decided to play Messiah straight up and had an off game..Very poor GK'ing. Amherst would of played Messiah differently but would have still lost in 2013 to Messiah prob 2 or 3-0. Messiah was that good that year. Your failure to beat them is all on you bud no one else..

That 2013 Messiah team is arguably the best team ever. No one was stopping them and they could have easily put up 4 or 5 on Camden in the final. They out shot them 32-18 but credit to Camden for battling until the end and giving themselves a chance. Any other year and it may very well have been them winning it all. One of the better finals that I have seen over the years.

i love how out of that entire post you say something like"your failure to beat them is all on you bud." you seem to always have something to say if you don't agree with someone. but let's get back to the more important convo... i believe Messiahs conference, Chicago's, tufts conference are probably top 3 not in that order. i was just trying to get you to look at it differently. i could see a messiah tufts final being probably one of the best finals in d3 history. maybe even throw calvin in the mix against one of those teams.

and side note a 2-1 loss in 2OT to " the best d3 team" in history is absolutely fine with me. at least we got there...

[rudy]

MAF Top 10 Power Rankings
1. Calvin
2. Tufts
3. Messiah
4. St. Thomas
5. Lycoming
6. Chicago
7. Trinity
8. Oneonta St
9. Kenyon
10. Rowan
---------------------
11-25 (no order): Springfield, Amherst, JC, JHU, Newark, Drew, Lynchburg, St. Joe's, Brandeis, North Park, Bowdoin, Cortland, UR, Ogelthorpe, Otterbein

Not much has changed from last week 

The problem I have with Calvin is they have played a weak schedule.  Maybe through no fault of their own given their league and location.  Messiah and Tufts have had a much stronger schedule and are battle tested.   Hard to put them #1 when they really have not beaten any top teams.   

[firstplaceloser]

MAF Top 10 Power Rankings
1. Calvin
2. Tufts
3. Messiah
4. St. Thomas
5. Lycoming
6. Chicago
7. Trinity
8. Oneonta St
9. Kenyon
10. Rowan
---------------------
11-25 (no order): Springfield, Amherst, JC, JHU, Newark, Drew, Lynchburg, St. Joe's, Brandeis, North Park, Bowdoin, Cortland, UR, Ogelthorpe, Otterbein

Not much has changed from last week 

The problem I have with Calvin is they have played a weak schedule.  Maybe through no fault of their own given their league and location.  Messiah and Tufts have had a much stronger schedule and are battle tested.   Hard to put them #1 when they really have not beaten any top teams.

i think it's the consistency that Calvin has brought in the last few years. they continually do the right things