Pool C Amateur Predictions and Prizes

[PaulNewman]

Unfortunate but ultimately self made for UST to not make the playoffs.  I am curious with even 1 win out of all those ranked matchups do they get a bid given the choices of today?  A learning lesson for UST to make sure to get a result in all games next year as it is to be the final D3 season.  Interesting the MIAC got 3 bids last year (a bit undeserved) and zero this year.  The ebb and flow of the conference makes it hard for teams to get ranked wins vs conference opponents.  Typically Macalester and Carleton receive regional rankings aiding the cause.  Good luck to Gustavus and hope they represent the conference well.

Hearing that the decision for the final Pool C bid was made b/w Trinity and St. Thomas. Also hearing that what ended up pushing the committee towards Trinity was indeed the lack of a ranked win for UST. When you compare the two (below), UST's win % is significantly higher than Trinity's, UST's SoS is higher (marginally, but higher), but then you go to RvR and Trinity has 3 wins, UST has 0. Apparently no team has ever gotten a Pool C without a ranked win, and that trend continues this year.

I could take some flack for this, but I also believe that last year played a role in this years selection for Pool C's. The West region felt very hard done by last year, and I know they made some noise about it, particularly the fact that Claremont-Mudd-Scripps didn't get a Pool C when they had a strong case for one. I think the committee was slightly more favorable to the West as a result, hence both Colorado College and Trinity receiving Pool C's. This one was less credible, but I heard that, had UST had one ranked win, they would have gotten in ahead of Trinity.

At the end of the day, UST can really only look at themselves as despite recent legacy in the national tournament (9-3 record over last 3 years) and many other pluses to their body of work, like win % and SoS, they didn't take care of non-conference opponents early in the season and of course, did not win their AQ despite playing in the MIAC Championship game


Trinity (Texas)   10-5-2   0.595   3-4-1   11-6-2   3
St. Thomas   12-4-3   0.598   0-4-2   12-4-3   3

You underscored an important point.  The cmte could look at 0-4-2 more positively but assuming you are correct sounds like they never have done so.

[Hopkins92]

I must say all the hosts this year with grass fields that I'm aware of have traditionally always been extremely well maintained (CNU, MWU, And W&L) so hopefully field conditions don't have an impact on the results this weekend. Messiahs field is okay, not as nice as the other three which have Short Bermuda grass. I'm just happy there isn't a team like Etown or Muhlenburg hosting whose field could definitely influence a result.

W&L's field is the best field I've ever played on. It was like a damn fairway at Augusta.

[Mr.Right]

-I think it is fair to say the committee is looking at the number of losses you are collecting against ranked teams now(Dickinson, Otterbein and Loras).
-The East region effectively blocked and tackled Clarkson out of the field by ranking a Vassar team in front of them that was never coming off the board. I do not care that Vassar beat them H2H as Clarkson's 4-2-3 RvR was plenty with a decent SOS....

[Mr.Right]

Side note----Amherst facilities/fields are some of the best in the country...It is the size of the field and the reasoning behind it that annoys most people.

[Mr.Right]

Side Note #2----Having Men and Women both hosting NCAA fixtures at the same time used to happen all the time at Williams until that odd/even rule went into effect...If support staff / facilities could handle it then I am sure they can handle it now with an extra round of b*tching for dessert.

[Hopkins92]

Swooping in is what falcons do best.

Well played, +K (not that it moves the needle that much  )

I'm clutching pearls over here, as I worded it that way for a reason.

[Hopkins92]

Swooping in is what falcons do best.

Well played, +K (not that it moves the needle that much  )

Hopkins92 should get a piece of that +k, since the Hopkins grad knew what he was saying when he used "Falconer swoops in."  At a minimum, a hockey assist.  Or put another way, Mr. Sager tapped in a ball already going in the net.

Ha!

All's good.

[susanc]

I must say all the hosts this year with grass fields that I'm aware of have traditionally always been extremely well maintained (CNU, MWU, And W&L) so hopefully field conditions don't have an impact on the results this weekend. Messiahs field is okay, not as nice as the other three which have Short Bermuda grass. I'm just happy there isn't a team like Etown or Muhlenburg hosting whose field could definitely influence a result.

W&L's field is the best field I've ever played on. I was like a damn fairway at Augusta.

Last year Luther's grass field for the first pod was frozen solid and was basically unplayable but had to be played on. It is in a valley and had obviously frozen while the ground was super saturated. Some players wore indoor flats and got better traction. Turf seems preferable this late in the season.

[PaulNewman]

Mr.Right, a little off topic but how would you rank the fields and overall facilities among the NESCACs?

I would guess that Midd is top 3....I remember going in the hockey arena when my kid went there to a hockey camp.  Blown away.  And I've heard that Colby is spending massive amounts of money on upgrades.

[Mr.Right]

Fields:

Best Grass:

1. Williams
2. Bowdoin
3. Amherst-If he would go back to sensible width

Worst Grass:
Tie-Wesleyan / Bates / Conn grass fields

Best Turf:
1. Trinity
2. Colby

Worst Turf:
1. Midd

[blooter442]

Ha!

All's good.

Late in the day — my brain doesn't go for anything but low-hanging fruit at this hour. That said, you can have one too.

[jknezek]

I must say all the hosts this year with grass fields that I'm aware of have traditionally always been extremely well maintained (CNU, MWU, And W&L) so hopefully field conditions don't have an impact on the results this weekend. Messiahs field is okay, not as nice as the other three which have Short Bermuda grass. I'm just happy there isn't a team like Etown or Muhlenburg hosting whose field could definitely influence a result.

W&L's field is the best field I've ever played on. It was like a damn fairway at Augusta.

I'm proud to say that ALL of W&L's athletic facilities are either top notch or about to be. Both soccer fields were rebuilt to top tier specs in the mid 00s. With the current rebuilding of the gym and wrestling facilities currently in progress, and the recently finished natatorium, there will be almost no facilities that have not been completely rebuilt since about 2000 when the baseball field opened. The Duchosis Indoor Tennis Center, temporarily hosting basketball and wrestling, might be the oldest facility. And it is still one of the best indoor tennis centers in D3.

[Middlebury Dad]

Fields:

Best Grass:

1. Williams
2. Bowdoin
3. Amherst-If he would go back to sensible width

Worst Grass:
Tie-Wesleyan / Bates / Conn grass fields

Best Turf:
1. Trinity
2. Colby

Worst Turf:
1. Midd

Agreed on worst turf.  And why would Amherst go to a wider field when it would reduce the effectiveness of the dreaded 50 yard flip throw on every restart?

[PaulNewman]

I must say all the hosts this year with grass fields that I'm aware of have traditionally always been extremely well maintained (CNU, MWU, And W&L) so hopefully field conditions don't have an impact on the results this weekend. Messiahs field is okay, not as nice as the other three which have Short Bermuda grass. I'm just happy there isn't a team like Etown or Muhlenburg hosting whose field could definitely influence a result.

W&L's field is the best field I've ever played on. It was like a damn fairway at Augusta.

I'm proud to say that ALL of W&L's athletic facilities are either top notch or about to be. Both soccer fields were rebuilt to top tier specs in the mid 00s. With the current rebuilding of the gym and wrestling facilities currently in progress, and the recently finished natatorium, there will be almost no facilities that have not been completely rebuilt since about 2000 when the baseball field opened. The Duchosis Indoor Tennis Center, temporarily hosting basketball and wrestling, might be the oldest facility. And it is still one of the best indoor tennis centers in D3.

I looked at W&L's facilities earlier today.  Very impressive.  Since I almost went to W&L but instead went to Davidson I've always considered those two peers rather than other D1s or other D3s (while sharing much in common with the New England and MidAtlantic and Midwest LACs).  I thought of that because W&L's and Davidson's facilities seem similar for schools of that size.

[jknezek]

I must say all the hosts this year with grass fields that I'm aware of have traditionally always been extremely well maintained (CNU, MWU, And W&L) so hopefully field conditions don't have an impact on the results this weekend. Messiahs field is okay, not as nice as the other three which have Short Bermuda grass. I'm just happy there isn't a team like Etown or Muhlenburg hosting whose field could definitely influence a result.

W&L's field is the best field I've ever played on. It was like a damn fairway at Augusta.

I'm proud to say that ALL of W&L's athletic facilities are either top notch or about to be. Both soccer fields were rebuilt to top tier specs in the mid 00s. With the current rebuilding of the gym and wrestling facilities currently in progress, and the recently finished natatorium, there will be almost no facilities that have not been completely rebuilt since about 2000 when the baseball field opened. The Duchosis Indoor Tennis Center, temporarily hosting basketball and wrestling, might be the oldest facility. And it is still one of the best indoor tennis centers in D3.

I looked at W&L's facilities earlier today.  Very impressive.  Since I almost went to W&L but instead went to Davidson I've always considered those two peers rather than other D1s or other D3s (while sharing much in common with the New England and MidAtlantic and Midwest LACs).  I thought of that because W&L's and Davidson's facilities seem similar for schools of that size.

W&L and Davidson were very much peers back in the day before the enforced split. They shared a conference for a while pre D3 and played football until the late 90s. If they hadn't stolen our football coach I would consider them one of my favorite D1 colleges!