Go WEST young man (and NORTH)

[BTXCru18]

REGION X - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 25, 2023

Rank	School	. Div. III . Record	. Div. III . SOS	. R-v-R .	. Overall . Record	. Prev. . Rank
1.	Colorado College	11-2-1	0.598	4-1-1	11-2-1	Y
2.	Texas Lutheran	14-2-0	0.536	2-2-0	14-2-0	Y
3.	St. Thomas (Texas)	10-2-0	0.544	2-1-0	11-2-1	Y
4.	Trinity (Texas)	9-2-1	0.554	1-2-0	9-2-2	Y
5.	Redlands	8-1-2	0.536	-0	11-1-2	Y
6.	Mary Hardin-Baylor	9-3-1	0.536	0-3-0	9-3-2	Y
7.	Pacific Lutheran	11-1-4	0.517	1-1-0	11-1-4	Y

The three teams at the bottom of this list basically have to win their AQs because they have no chance of generating any more RvR wins at this point. Redlands might get one if a SCAC team falls out and someone like Occidental jumps up by default (since there is unlikely to be anyone in the NWC or ASC that will have the record to do it).  That's about it though.

For sure. PLU the most likely as they could lock it up this weekend if they take care of business and Whitworth drops any points. MHB and Redlands should control their own destiny as well which would open the door for the committee to throw another SCAC team in.

Big game for Redlands tonight as they are on the road to #2 Occidental. A win would lock up the top seed for Redlands.

[Kuiper]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

[Kuiper]

Pomona 1 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 0

P-P scores a beautiful one-touch goal in the 19th minute from the top of the box after they steal a casual pass out of the box from the CMS midfielder and quickly pass it ahead.  Big crowd with lots of Pomona-Pitzer supporters who walked across the street for this one.

UPDATE:  P-P 2 - CMS 0

In the 37th minute, CMS' GK takes down a P-P attacker in the box who got a beautiful slipped through ball that left the defender in the dust.  P-P converts the PK.

UPDATE:  P-P 2 - CMS 1

CMS converts a PK to get right back into the game 42nd minute after an ill-advised challenge by a P-P defender takes down a CMS winger at the edge of the box.  A Sixth Street rivalry never disappoints!

UPDATE:  P-P 3 - CMS 1

CMS takes down the P-P striker in the box and P-P converts the PK

FINAL:  Pomona-Pitzer 3 - Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 1

Big rivalry win for P-P, even if I think they are out of the playoffs regardless.  This wasn't a flukey win either.  P-P was better than CMS in this game.  Big (622 according to the box score) and rowdy crowd too for a Wednesday night, with what looked like lots of P-P students in attendance.

[D3Navy]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

2000 people?  That's unreal.  Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.

[Kuiper]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

2000 people?  That's unreal.  Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.

2003 to be precise.  UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State.  Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess).  Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area.  Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc.  In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events.  It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.

[Kuiper]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

2000 people?  That's unreal.  Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.

2003 to be precise.  UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State.  Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess).  Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area.  Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc.  In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events.  It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.

Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers

[westroadsf]

With a 0-0 result versus George Fox, congrats to Lewis and Clark for their first point (and clean sheet) in their new era of Mens Soccer!

[Kuiper]

With a 0-0 result versus George Fox, congrats to Lewis and Clark for their first point (and clean sheet) in their new era of Mens Soccer!

Thanks westroadssf!  I neglected to post about that in the excitement of the SCIAC games last night.  Very cool for Lewis & Clark!  It's noteworthy that all but three of the starters were freshman and they all played 78 minutes+.  They have a brutal end to the season (Pacific Lutheran, Whitman, and Whitworth), but their freshman class is getting a lot of experience and getting better.

Also hard to figure out George Fox, which beats Willamette 2-1 on Sunday and then ties Lewis & Clark 0-0 on Wednesday at home.  I guess it was the ultimate trap game, although GF won the statistical battle.  Reality is probably that NWC games toward the end of the season can be about which team has found something to motivate them because almost all teams are out of the race for winning the conference or getting a Pool C bid.  The absence of a conference tournament removes another source of motivation for a lower middling team like George Fox even though it has three games remaining and could have climbed into contention for a playoff spot if that existed.  Ironically, the fact that Lewis & Clark was on a 22 game loss streak offered them more motivation than George Fox.  At best, GF could have been pushing to finish above .500 in the conference.  I get why the NWC doesn't do a conference tournament (there are not enough schools nearby to play a full schedule, so they do a round robin), but it would be nice if they did a playoff and consolation bracket or something like that.

[westroadsf]

Yes agree that its too bad the NWC doesn't have some additional lever to use to add more meaning for those mid-to-upper table team's last few matches. I'm sure additional travel costs for a conf tournament are a factor, so I get it, but seems something creative could be developed. Perhaps if NCAA would allow conferences without a conf tournament to play regular season OT, golden goal, pens, etc., to eliminate all the ties, that might add some excitement to the regular season and tighten up the table?

[Ron Boerger]

It has been raining in Texas a good deal yesterday and today, rain is in the forecast later today and tomorrow which could make for an iffy playing surface in San Antonio for the key matchup between St. Thomas and Trinity(TX) tomorrow night, especially after the preceding women's game.  The forecast I'm looking at projects a 70% chance of rain between 5-8PM.

[Kuiper]

Games of interest to me in Region X, Friday-Sunday

Friday 10/27

St. Thomas @ Trinity

This is probably the biggest game of the weekend in the region.  In recent years, this has been the actual or de facto championship game in the SCAC.  This year, they are both 4-2 in conference and the loser of this game could be out of the SCAC playoffs entirely.  There are 5 teams in contention for 4 spots and 3 losses would likely put a team on the bubble.  St. Thomas should be back close to full strength and has won four in a row.  Trinity is coming off a loss at Colorado College.  @Ron Boerger reports that there is significant rain in the forecast, which could be a problem for Trinity's natural grass field.  Not sure which team that benefits, but it could definitely alter the style of play for both teams. 

Colorado College @ Austin

Colorado College is top ranked in Region X and has won 8 in a row.  Austin has lost to Texas Lutheran and Southwestern in its last two games.  Should be an easy game for CC, but it is away and Austin's Louis Catchpole* has scored 14 goals this year, including two against Texas Lutheran, so Colorado College won't be able to coast. 

*For those interested, "Catchpole" isn't a Cherokee surname like TLU's Cole Sixkiller, but it apparently was originally used to describe medieval tax collectors and later sheriff's officers or debt collectors.

Hardin-Simmons @ UT Dallas

H-S needs to win to give it a chance to pass Concordia TX for second seed in the ASC playoffs if MHB beats Concordia on Saturday.  UT Dallas is in a precarious spot.  It could jump all the way to second seed or drop to fifth.

Saturday 10/28

Redlands @ Cal Lutheran

This takes on a little bit of added significance for Redlands given its loss to Occidental, but it would require a Redlands win and an Oxy tie or loss to La Verne for Redlands to move back into first.  Cal Lutheran, on the other hand could drop into a tie with Chapman for the fourth and final playoff spot if it loses and Chapman beats Pomona-Pitzer.  I don't know for sure the tie-breaker, but Cal Lu has beaten Chapman this year, so they would have the edge on head-to-head

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps @ Cal Tech

CMS is already in the playoffs, but I'm sure it would prefer not to drop behind Cal Lutheran and would like to get the bad taste of its mouth after the loss to Pomona-Pitzer.  Cal Tech, with a win, would finish 7-6-3, which would be its first winning season ever.

Pacific @ Pacific Lutheran

A PLU win, coupled with a Whitworth loss or tie, should give PLU the NWC automatic bid

Linfield @ Whitworth

Whitworth has to win to keep its faint hopes in the NWC alive

Concordia TX @ Mary Hardin-Baylor

MHB has the top spot locked up, but Concordia needs to win to assure itself of second seed in the ASC tourney.

Southwestern @ Texas Lutheran

These two teams are currently tied for second in the SCAC.  Loser could drop to 4th and winner could challenge Colorado College for 1st.

McMurry @ UT Dallas

UTD needs a victory to maintain the fourth seed or jump higher. in the ASC.

Occidental @ La Verne

Oxy has to win to maintain its hold on first seed in the SCIAC.

Sunday 10/29

Willamette @ Whitworth

Whitworth needs to win (and hope Pacific Lutheran does not) to give it any chance of catching Pacific Lutheran for the NWC's automatic bid.  If it loses, Whitworth is out.

[D3Navy]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

2000 people?  That's unreal.  Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.

2003 to be precise.  UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State.  Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess).  Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area.  Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc.  In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events.  It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.

Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers

Tomorrow night at Trinity against St. Thomas - a pivotal game between teams that have a stressful recent history - we'll probably see no more than 200 fans.  I'll add a little volume to my cheers to make up for things.

[Kuiper]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

2000 people?  That's unreal.  Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.

2003 to be precise.  UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State.  Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess).  Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area.  Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc.  In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events.  It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.

Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers

Tomorrow night at Trinity against St. Thomas - a pivotal game between teams that have a stressful recent history - we'll probably see no more than 200 fans.  I'll add a little volume to my cheers to make up for things.

If it's raining with a chance of thunderstorms, that will actually be a good crowd!

[BTXCru18]

Redlands up 1-0 on Occidental very early (6th minute) on a great shot that hit the cross bar and then was hit back in on the rebound.

UPDATE:  Oxy ties up just before halftime on a cross from the endline over the GK to an Oxy striker rushing into the box for a headed goal.  1-1

UPDATE:  Oxy goes up 2-1 on a corner kick in the 69th minute

FINAL:  Oxy 2 - Redlands 1

Huge win for Occidental in front of a massive crowd of over two thousand people(!).  Oxy jumps ahead of Redlands to first place in the SCIAC with Oxy sitting at 7-1-3 and Redlands dropping to 7-2-2.  Oxy's last game is against La Verne, while Redlands plays Cal Lu (which beat Whittier 1-0 tonight).

2000 people?  That's unreal.  Would like to see more local/student support like that in these parts.

2003 to be precise.  UCLA Men's soccer only got 760 for its last game against San Diego State.  Occidental has always drawn well, especially since they dropped football and soccer took over the football stadium and changed the turf to remove the lines (although the goal posts remain in homage to Jack Kemp I guess).  Beyond students, lots of community members go from the area.  Very festive atmosphere with vuvuzelas blaring etc.  In some respects, Oxy soccer has become like HS football games for small communities for people in a large city looking for something to follow that isn't the glitz and glam (or cost) of LA sporting events.  It's also one of the very few D3 schools in a big city and the population base just from Eagle Rock, Pasadena, La Cañada, and Glendale is massive.

Of course, this was bigger attendance than normal because it was such a big game and Redlands fans came in numbers

Tomorrow night at Trinity against St. Thomas - a pivotal game between teams that have a stressful recent history - we'll probably see no more than 200 fans.  I'll add a little volume to my cheers to make up for things.

If it's raining with a chance of thunderstorms, that will actually be a good crowd!
[/quote

I'm just going off of recent memory, but I don't think it's often that Trinity has home double-headers. Usually the women and men seem to flip flop home/away on the same night. That could lend itself to increased attendance.

[Ron Boerger]

No, it's typical that TU, like other SCAC schools, has double-headers.  The exception comes on weekends when the men play Colorado College because the CC women are D1, so it throws off the usual scheduling.   Usual conference play is women then men on Friday against one opponent, Sunday against another.