UAA Soccer 2022

[Maine Soccer Fan]

Not gonna argue that the Nescac is not the Champions Lge of D3 soccer. As far as who is next in line, I think we need a whole new topic thread to settle that debate. I am sure many conferences would nominate themselves...Off the top of my head, @least 2 from the Upstate NY region would fancy their chances.

So the Amherst v SLU game people have been talking about and hoping for is indeed going to occur today. Two questions:

1. Has anyone heard which field they'll be playing on?
2. I haven't seen SLU in action. Could someone give me a quick rundown on their style of play?

Thanks,

[Buck O.]

Not gonna argue that the Nescac is not the Champions Lge of D3 soccer. As far as who is next in line, I think we need a whole new topic thread to settle that debate. I am sure many conferences would nominate themselves...Off the top of my head, @least 2 from the Upstate NY region would fancy their chances.

If you're just looking at the top half of the conference, then I agree.  But the whole conference matters, and most of these conferences have anchors that drag the average quality down.  The SUNYAC has Fredonia and Potsdam, for example, and they count just as much as Oneonta or Cortland.  As for your Liberty League, they have Ithaca, Union and (especially) Bard.  The weakest teams in the UAA were Emory and 'Deis, which are really completely decent teams. 

[Buck O.]

And that's barely.  Chicago almost gave up a goal on a wide open look 10 minutes in.  I thought Chicago was rock solid but between its showing here, the weakness of the UAA in the tournament, and Kenyon's shellacking of Calvin now I am not so certain.

CMU did poorly, but both NYU and CWRU were eliminated in PKs.  I think this was a weaker than usual year for the UAA in general, but basing any conclusions on the results of a couple of coin flips is a stretch.  The UAA was still probably the second strongest conference in the country, although the gap between it and the NESCAC was wider than usual.

Actually, Williams beat NYU 2-1, in 2 OT.

Oh, sorry about that.  I think I was thinking it was a tie because Williams was involved!

[Saint of Old]

Not gonna argue that the Nescac is not the Champions Lge of D3 soccer. As far as who is next in line, I think we need a whole new topic thread to settle that debate. I am sure many conferences would nominate themselves...Off the top of my head, @least 2 from the Upstate NY region would fancy their chances.

If you're just looking at the top half of the conference, then I agree.  But the whole conference matters, and most of these conferences have anchors that drag the average quality down.  The SUNYAC has Fredonia and Potsdam, for example, and they count just as much as Oneonta or Cortland.  As for your Liberty League, they have Ithaca, Union and (especially) Bard.  The weakest teams in the UAA were Emory and 'Deis, which are really completely decent teams.

Ithaca Bombers were dancing 2 seasons ago BTW.

[Buck O.]

Not gonna argue that the Nescac is not the Champions Lge of D3 soccer. As far as who is next in line, I think we need a whole new topic thread to settle that debate. I am sure many conferences would nominate themselves...Off the top of my head, @least 2 from the Upstate NY region would fancy their chances.

If you're just looking at the top half of the conference, then I agree.  But the whole conference matters, and most of these conferences have anchors that drag the average quality down.  The SUNYAC has Fredonia and Potsdam, for example, and they count just as much as Oneonta or Cortland.  As for your Liberty League, they have Ithaca, Union and (especially) Bard.  The weakest teams in the UAA were Emory and 'Deis, which are really completely decent teams.

Ithaca Bombers were dancing 2 seasons ago BTW.

I was talking about this year.  But if we want to talk about the last several years, I think that's just going to strengthen the UAA's argument, as in 2017 and 2018, I think that the UAA was actually stronger than the NESCAC (4 Elite Eight teams and 2 Final Four teams in 2017, 4 Elite Eight teams and 2 Final Four teams in 2018).

[PaulNewman]

Saint, no filtering desired, right?

Your confidence and loyalty are off the charts.  I am envious.

In a UAA thread this morning challenging for 2nd best conference?  On the back of two PK advances, one of which involved an opponent with a shootout win literally on their foot?

[Another Mom]

I dunno, I watched a bit of the Case Western game yesterday,  and was unimpressed.

[Saint_Dad]

Not gonna argue that the Nescac is not the Champions Lge of D3 soccer. As far as who is next in line, I think we need a whole new topic thread to settle that debate. I am sure many conferences would nominate themselves...Off the top of my head, @least 2 from the Upstate NY region would fancy their chances.

So the Amherst v SLU game people have been talking about and hoping for is indeed going to occur today. Two questions:

1. Has anyone heard which field they'll be playing on?
2. I haven't seen SLU in action. Could someone give me a quick rundown on their style of play?

Thanks,

1. I'm told they are playing on the grass.  Hitchcock. 
2.  SLU plays a completely different style than Amherst.  SLU works the  ball up the field on the ground. Marvin Sibanda (10) controls the game.  Some good wingers and defenders. Weaknesses.  Set pieces for and against. Strengths.  Controlling the ball.  Toughness. Desire. Team chemistry.  If the field is in decent shape I give them a shot.

[PaulNewman]

I dunno, I watched a bit of the Case Western game yesterday,  and was unimpressed.

You dunno what?  That the UAA is the 2nd best conference?  Let's say they're wildly overrated and not the 2nd best?  Who do you think is 2nd best?

CWRU is a very solid, good team.  It's hard to look good against Muhlenberg...just ask Gettysburg, F&M, and Hopkins.  W&L should be fine because they have a lot more of an offensive orientation than those teams, but seems like a leap to go from being unimpressed with CWRU to even a vague conclusion about the UAA.

[coach analytics]

I wrote a thread a while ago talking about the UAA.  I really do love the conference and the schools but i think they get over rewarded for NCAA bid based on the system.  Whereas most (maybe all) conferences have a concentration of all of their teams in a particular region which somewhat limits their ability to get regional wins, UAA is spread across several regions and can have literally their entire conference regionally ranked.

In addition with only 7 conference games and no conference tournament they have much more scheduling flexibility to schedule "high mid majors" and boost their regional wins and SOS.

They have been rewarded with the highest percentage of conference at large bids over the last several years.  To be perfectly crass, they have not delivered in the NCAA tournament over the last 3 years.  Besides Chicago, which has had some great runs, I think they are well under .500 as a conference.

[Another Mom]

I don't know if they are the 2nd best conference, (only because I don't know all the other conferences) but Emory, Carnegie Mellon, Rochester, and Case all would need to be playing higher level soccer before I would say that the conference is really strong.

Eta and we can probably add in WashU and Brandeis this year. Isn't that most of the conference not playing up to its potential?

[PaulNewman]

No question there have been years the UAA has underperformed in the tournment given their reputation.  That said, Brandeis also made two final fours in the past 7 years and Rochester one.  Not many conferences can say one of their bottom dwellers this year made two final fours since 2015. 

[Hopkins92]

I'm absolutely not making a case for 2nd best conference, but wanted to highlight the Centennial had all 3 teams advance yesterday. It actually kind of helps make the point: You can't just take one day/round of the NCAAs to make a realistic case about the relative strength of a conference.

But when you stack up 3-5 years of results, it starts to build up a body of work. I'd love to see some of the stats on that and probably in the off season I'll do that for Centennial, ODAC, SUNYAC, LL, etc.

[PaulNewman]

Almost forgot...besides Chicago in final 4 twice, Brandeis twice, and Rochester once, Case and Emory also made the Elite 8 within the past 5 years.

Not trying to defend UAA as much as counter some pretty wild claims.  Look, no way CMU should have been in the tournament over Montclair.  CWRU should not have failed against Muhlenberg (but as I noted several Centennial teams ad similar trouble with the Mules).  NYU lost a toss-up game.  That's it...only four teams this year and should have been three.

[PaulNewman]

I'm absolutely not making a case for 2nd best conference, but wanted to highlight the Centennial had all 3 teams advance yesterday. It actually kind of helps make the point: You can't just take one day/round of the NCAAs to make a realistic case about the relative strength of a conference.

But when you stack up 3-5 years of results, it starts to build up a body of work. I'd love to see some of the stats on that and probably in the off season I'll do that for Centennial, ODAC, SUNYAC, LL, etc.

Can save you some time.  On that measure it's not close.  Out of the four conferences you noted, only one team has made the final 4 (W&L) in the past 3-5 years and then you have to go back several more years to Oneonta.