Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 02, 2017, 01:54:04 pm

Quote from: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on December 02, 2017, 11:22:01 am

No. Teams who lose are traditionally sent home the next day (or that night in some sports/cases). If teams stay, the schools have to foot the bill - ala I wonder if Chicago men will stay to support the women.

Also, if they do stay to Sunday... they can't always go home Sunday night. Furthermore, if you had a Hope, Calvin, Wheaton, etc. here, the games would then be pushed to Monday and that is even more money.

Back to my original point: DII gets 5.0% of the NCAA overall operating budget and they have 1/3 or so the numbers DIII has... whose operating budget is 3.1%. Those are the cards dealt. They aren't going to change. DIII has looked into changing aspects of all their tournaments like adding a day in between - it has been talked about often. The costs have not been favorable to make such a change especially after having just come out of a major budget tightening few years.

you aren’t really proving anything here... yeah losing team goes home when they lose what does that have to do with the winning teams playing on sunday.. in 2013 we played friday night and saturday night. we still had the hotel on sunday and if the game was at 12pm they would be able to leave later that night. I experienced it first hand. it’s not fair to the players.

So who knows what you want for "proof" ... but this is the rules by which Division III has chose to govern themselves. You are trying to compare to another division who governs itself under a different set of numbers budget wise and it's own rules as well. Apples and oranges on many levels.

My point about the losing team going home is that they aren't even in town when the championship game is played. The winning teams only stay one more night. You are asking for the championship teams to possibly stay two more nights. Sure, they could play a noon game, however is that fair either? To play an early game when maybe no one can watch? (I.E. football has chosen to play on Friday nights under the lights to have a better TV crowd than to play on Saturday at noon when less people will see the game.)

As for Sunday, you are ignoring the biggest issue... a lot of good soccer problems have rules about not playing on Sundays. Messiah is about the only Christian-based school I know that has chosen to allow for games to be played on Sunday. Hope, Calvin, Wheaton (both), etc. will do allow it. So... in your scenario, they are playing the games Friday and Sunday... paying for hotel rooms for at least Wednesday-Sunday... and one of the three (four) schools listed get to the title game... and can't play until Monday. That is now another night of rooms and missed class time especially at a time of year where final classes for the semester or finals in general are taking place.

Everything I have just mentioned is what presidents will tell you are reasons they will not allow for a day in between for a day off. Financial, missed class time, chance of a delay, etc.

Many say it is unfair to the student-athlete... I was once a college soccer player myself. I understand the challenges, but it happens in most sports in the NCAA for a lot of very good reasons. They even included rules to keep games from being played too soon after one another (thus why Messiah didn't go Saturday/Sunday a few weeks ago with their schedule).

It has been discussed a number of times, it has been researched and debated... it isn't going to be changed.

Quote from: Mr.Right on December 02, 2017, 01:56:55 pm

I agree and not only that I am surprised that D2 gets 5% of the overall NCAA budget and D3 only get 3.1% as D2 has WAY less teams and IMO is slowly dying out as more and more programs are leaving D2 and even NAIA to go D3..

DII isn't dying as much as people think. Yes, there has been a decline in numbers, but that has plateaued. Also, most of where schools are coming from to DIII is NAIA and otherwise. DII isn't as popular a destinations as it used to be for DIIIs, but it does happen occasionally as well.

And despite numbers going up or down, changing the budget distribution would take an entire NCAA vote - all three divisions. Those numbers are how it was set-up when the three divisions were formed. DI would have to be willing to give up more of it's money and DII willing to lose money or allow DIII to get a bigger piece of the pie. Lot of politics involved in that and highly doubtful it will ever happen. DIII nearly two years ago approved a measure to increase dues. Technically, they should have gotten 3.1% of that increase. However, the NCAA approved that DIII keep all of the increase. That was the solution to try and add more money to the DIII budget because it was well known asking the NCAA to bump up the percentage was basically a non-starter.

For better or worse, DIII Benedictine seems as if they will indeed move to D2 in the 2018-19 season...everything I hear has them filing the papers this Winter. As my son plays there, it will put us in the mode of trying to understand the pluses and minues...perhaps exploring other options. Oh well...we'll see.

How good are they? I am surprised they got one of the two first round byes. Assumed they would get a nice draw but never expected the bye.

They have been excellent, but I guess we will be getting a better indication of how much so soon enough. I watched them in 3 matches, and a few sections of others...they control the run of play, consistently create good scoring chances, and have been appropriately lucky to get this far. I'll certainly defer to others that have seen more of them to give more thorough analysis, but that is my take.

Dominican wins the league Tourney defeating MSOE 2-1.
Hard to see any other team making the NCAA field, but Benedictine at least gets a mention with #5 Regional rank. All the teams ahead of them are locks/already in (Chicago, North Park, Calvin, and Dominican).

I wonder the reason for the Dominican-Lake Forest cancellation? Hurts DU for sure in their semifinal bid.

After seeing a few squads live and almost all via online streams, I'll go with this as my NACC Tourney quarter-final predictions.

#6 Marian @ #3 Benedictine - In a rematch of a recent, feisty 1-0 win for BenU, I see the Eagles coming out strong on their home turf looking to repeat as Conference Tournament champions. Marian hasn't made a NACC tourney appearance since 2010 so none of their players are experienced in postseason play while BenU made the run to the NCAA Sweet 16. BenU cruises to a 2-0 victory.

#5 MSOE @ #4 Aurora - Aurora takes this one 3-1 I think unless Braden Andryk can carry MSOE. The Raiders have been quite average this season in my opinion and Aurora is playing well at the moment.

Those were not bad predictions casualfan...certainly what would have been "expected"...but when the dust cleared, BenU seemed incredibly fortunate to get a 3-1 victory, and MSOE went on the road and pulled off the upset over Aurora.

The BenU/Marian match was flat out crazy. Benedictine was playing a man down for most all the second half, after Center Back Hugo Gomez picked up his second yellow of the match (thought it was a reasonable call). In the 66th minute, Marian GK Chacon and BenU Forward Lukas Sulka both received straight red cards for borderline fighting, and what amounted to full blown lack of maturity and control. Now playing 10 v 9, with 22 to go, Marain scored after a header/deflection  found its way to an unmarked Sabre (Rodriguez) at the edge of the box - solid shot.  Minutes later, Alonso Fragoso (league's leading goal scorer) who had made a night of hurling himself to the pitch and/or folding up at any contact, navigated his way through the defense and forced a challenge that seemed to be a legit foul. He took the PK, but was turned away by Keeper Marti Polo, shifting some hope BenU's way.  Ben U took advantage of the moment and the back up keeper, with three goals (Stammer x2, Kapetanos) scored between the 81st and 85th minutes...it was an amazing change of fortunes, and a somewhat unbelievable result.
It was a physical, chippy, and often petty match that had fans from both camps alternatively seething and raucously celebrating. BenU was lucky, and will be missing 2 starters vs Dominican, but strangely, I think they have the talent and depth to make it a good game.

I have seen Aurora look both good and bad this season, and though MSOE has size and talent, I am stiil surprised at the result. I have not seen the video of the match, so I have no real comment on the match, other what has been chronicled in the recap. Concordia Wisconsin would seem to be a big favorite on Tuesday, but even if unlikely, another upset is not out of the realm of possibility.

I cannot say I love the 1pm and 2pm statrt time on the the Tuesday semi-finals, but so it goes...

Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 am

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 01:15:07 am

North Park clinched the CCIW championship and home pitch in the conference tourney by downing second-place North Central tonight, 3-0. The Vikings, who now find themselves in first place in the Central Region rankings, trading places with Chicago atop the region after having beaten the Maroons last Wednesday, advance to 14-1-1 on the season.

NPU's archrival and fellow traditional CCIW power Wheaton went in the opposite direction, as WC suffered a shocking draw at the hands of lowly Millikin tonight, 2-2. That eliminates Wheaton (4-3-1 in CCIW) from contention for a spot in the four-team CCIW tourney, as fourth-place Carthage (4-2-1) owns the tiebreaker with one league match remaining for the Red Men. After making the first 15 CCIW tourneys, Wheaton's streak is snapped, and WC will instead clean out the lockers after the final regular-season match on Saturday. The last time Wheaton's season ended without at least one extra match tacked on to the end of the schedule was 1992.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage both won, so the tourney field is set. All that remains to be seen is where the Titans, Cardinals, and Red Men will wind up in the seeding, as IWU and NCC, both now 5-2 in CCIW play, square off for second place and a first-round home match on Saturday in Naperville, while Carthage finishes up with a home contest against last-place Augustana.

Greg, I enjoyed the new broadcast service - seeing the score/time and the multiple camera angles (replays too?).  Not sure if others experienced the same, but the broadcast stopped for me about 40 minutes into the game.  Mentioning it, just so you have some feedback.

I hadn't heard that there were any problems, but I'll pass that along. My monitor wasn't working during the men's contest (it worked during the women's), but I'm used to not having access to a live monitor (or replays), so it didn't bother me.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 am

I said after the Benedictine game, that this could be a fabulous NP team, and they proved it all season long.  Congrats to them.

NPU seems very hungry. I do not think that this team is content to rest upon its laurels.

I was on hand for that NPU/Benedictine match and have seen them a few more times on vid...I am rooting for them, and do believe they have a good chance to make some noise. Very good team!

It has been a few weeks since I last updated, and of course there have been many ups and downs in the NAAC.

Concordia Wisconsin (8-1) would seem extremely lkely to hold on for the regular season championship, needing a win or draw vs. Rockford on Wednesday.

Dominican (8-2), after recently losing to (semi surging) Aurora and a fiesty Concordia Chicago, they righted the ship yesterday with a 4-2 victory over Edgewood to secure the second spot in the league -- in position for a first round bye in the NACC tourney, and the possibility of a league chamionship, should UCW falter.

Benedictine (7-2) is locked into third place regardless of their result over Wisc. Lutheren on Wednesday, as they hold the head to head tie breaker v Aurora, and are on the wrong side of that v. Dominican and UCW. BenU has strung together 5 straight wins, including victories v (5-1) Aurora and (3-1) @MSOE, and seem to be playing their best right now. Goal and point leader Nick Kapetanos was banged up in the last match, but they look for him to return by Saturday.

Aurora (6-3) -- winners of 5 of their last six, their one loss in that stretch was to Ben U.  Aurora in the 6 team playoff field, but could finish anywhere between 4th and 6th seed. UCC remains on their schedule and Aurora holds the tie breaker v. Marian and MSOE, but not Edgewood. With a Wednesday win, they will host a Saturday match.

Edgewood (5-4) -- hosts Marian on Wednesday and would grab a spot with a victory or draw. A loss would likely eliminate them from the post season. They own the tie breaker v Aurora, but not MSOE.

MSOE (5-4) -- Lost three in a row to good squads -- UCW, Benedictine and Aurora. They have win-less Lakeland on Wednesday, so look likely to still secure a spot.

Marian (4-5) -- could still find their way in with a win vs. Edgewood.

Having seen most of these teams play in the past few weeks, I'd say it is nice to have a bye, because there is plenty of possibility for upset in this group. Though UWC has been the most consistent throughout, I would not be at all surprised to see Dominican, BenU or Aurora emerge the eventual winner. Who can get hot for 2 or 3 games? Should be interesting to watch!

I saw both Benedictine matches from the past week:
3-1 loss to Chicago -- BenU played their best brand of team defense in the first half, albeit not perfect, they seemed somewhat inspired - actually having a 1-0 lead early. I was surprised at how many long balls Chicago played in the first half, when their passing,possession game looked strong, even dazzling at moments. BenU tired in the second half, and became more stretched out resulting in a number of good Chicago chances, with two goals off nice crosses. Chicago was clearly the better side, but credit BenU with making it a game.

5-3 win over Edgewood -- to be honest, I was unsure how Edgewood would be able to score after watching the first 20 minutes, but they showed good resilience, and were aided by two 2 PK goals (one call reasonably debatable, the other being a silly, but fully legit foul) they climbed back in to make the score 4-3 with around 10 minutes to go. Tougher defense and the addition of another Lukas Sulka goal and brought the victory home. The three BenU forwards had a very strong night as Kapetanos had a goal and an assist, Stammer with 2 goals and 2 assists, and Sulka adding two goals. After a tough day finding the frame at Concordia Wisconsin, this trio had a very good day. Edgewood is a plucky squad, and I can see how they might sneak up on a  team like that had just done to Aurora.

BenU takes on Dominican at home on Wednesday night....a must win if the BenU if they have any hopes of competing for the league title. It looks like a tough task, but that is why they play the games...