While the new season is still some months away, in something of a surprise, John Carter has left DePauw after 24 seasons as head coach. He had a 255-155-24 record with one trip to the NCAA final four in 2003. Lisa Link has been named interim Head Coach. It will be interesting to see if there are any other changes to the NCAC coaching roster this off-season.
DePauw has named its new coach. Congratulations to Megan McCormick: http://depauwtigers.com/sports/wsoc/2013-14/releases/201405295iuh28
DePauw Women checked in last night and are beginning their preparations for the new season. Will look forward to learning more about the incoming class at DePauw as well as the freshman classes at the other NCAC schools.
The NCAC coaches' preseason poll is out and not surprisingly, defending champion Allegheny is at the top with Wittenberg and Denison closely behind. Here is the entire poll:
2014 North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
1. Allegheny (5) 73
2. Wittenberg (2) 67
3. Denison (2) 66
4. DePauw 50
Wooster 50
6. Kenyon 39
7. Ohio Wesleyan 29
8. Hiram 21
9. Oberlin 10
The inaugural weekend had a mixed bag of scores and results. Denison posted several baseball like scores with a team that's predominately Sophomores & Freshmen.
SoccerLAN,
Thanks for joining the conversation. It was getting a little lonely in here. :)
I agree that it was a mixed bag of scores and results for NCAC teams this opening weekend.
On Friday, the conference went 3-4-0 with Denison (6-1 over Adrian), Kenyon (2-1 over Manchester) and Hiram (4-0 over D'Youville) picking up wins while Allegheny (0-3 loss to Nazareth), Witt (1-6 loss to Thomas More), OWU (0-2 loss to CWRU) and DePauw (0-4 loss to Birmingham-Southern) incurring the setbacks.
Saturday was much the same with the conference going 2-3-1. Denison picked up its second win (11-0 over Manchester) and Wooster opened its season with a 2-1 win over Albright in OT. Kenyon tied Adrian 1-1 and Oberlin (0-5 loss to PSU-Behrend), Allegheny (0-1 loss to Rochester), and DePauw (0-1 loss to Ohio Northern) picked up losses.
There was no success for the conference on Sunday as the two teams in action, Wooster (0-1 to York) and Oberlin (0-1 to SUNY-Geneseo) both lost.
Overall, this leaves the conference at 5-9-1 after the weekend. Individually, Denison ended up 2-0-0, Kenyon 1-0-1, Hiram 1-0-0, Wooster 1-1-0, Witt 0-1-0, OWU 0-1-0, and Allegheny, DePauw, and Oberlin all at 0-2-0.
Given the proximity of the schools in the conference to each other, it isn't a surprise that they share many non-conference opponents. For instance, Kenyon and Denison both played Adrian and Manchester this weekend. While time has shown that the "transitive property" doesn't always apply to sports, I think there are some common non-conference opponents that may serve as a good barometer of which teams will be strong in conference play (and even catch the eye of the selection committee). Six opponents of multiple schools in the conference that I identified are: Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J. So far, the conference has not been successful against any of the six (DePauw lost to ONU, Witt to Thomas More, and OWU to CWRU). Over the coming weeks, I think it will be interesting to see how conference teams perform against them and other schools that play multiple NCAC teams.
The first full week of the season, all non-conference play, had some good results for NCAC members.
Allegheny went 3-0-0 with wins over the OAC's John Carroll (1-0), Baldwin-Wallace (4-0), and then ranked #17 Capital (2-1). Wooster also went 3-0-0 with wins over Bluffton (8-0), Defiance (3-1), and Marietta (4-0).
Four conference teams went 1-1 with DePauw getting its first win (over NAIA foe Marian) 4-2 and losing to Centre 0-2. Witt also broke into the win column with a 4-0 victory over Wilmington before losing to CWRU 0-1. Denison lost to #13 Thomas More 0-5 but rebounded to beat Hanover 2-1. OWU lost to Baldwin-Wallace (0-2) but came back with a victory over Washington & Jefferson (2-1).
Kenyon dropped its only game last week, losing to John Carroll 1-3 while Hiram dropped a pair, losing to OVR Augustana (2-4) and Carthage (0-3). Oberlin did not play last week.
Overall, this leaves the conference with a 15-16-1 record in non-conference play. Wooster is 4-1-0, Denison 3-1-0, Allegheny 3-2-0, Kenyon 1-1-1, OWU 1-2-0, Witt 1-2-0, Hiram 1-2-0, DePauw 1-3-0, and Oberlin 0-2-0.
Against the "barometer" teams (Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J), the conference was 0-3-0 going into the week. Allegheny and OWU had wins, beating John Carroll and W&J respectively. However, Denison, Witt, Kenyon and DePauw suffered losses, so the conference stands at 2-7-0.
In another week of non-conference play, the conference had its ups and downs.
Allegheny had another successful week, beating Grove City (1-0) and Mount Union (4-1), brining its overall record to 5-2 (and 4-0-0 against OAC teams). Denison split the week, beating Otterbein (2-0) but losing to #12 Chicago (0-2), and settling its record in at 4-2-0. Denison also picked up 4 votes in the D3 Soccer poll.
Wooster lost to Wilmington (1-3) and now sits at 4-2-0 for the season as well. Hiram also sits on a winning record (3-2-0) after beating Thiel (3-1) and Hilbert (3-0).
Kenyon is at 2-3-1 so far, losing to ORV Ohio Northern (1-4) and Berry (0-1) but rebounding against Agnes Scott (2-0). Wittenberg is at 2-3-0 after beating Heidelberg (1-0) and losing to #21 Illinois Wesleyan (2-3).
Oberlin is at 1-3-0 after losing to North Central (IL) (2-4) and beating Benedictine (IL) (1-0). Ohio Wesleyan and DePauw sit at 1-4-0 with OWU losing to John Carroll (0-3) and DePauw losing to #10 Thomas More (0-2).
Overall, this leaves the conference with a 23-25-1 record in non-conference play. Against the "barometer" teams (Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J), the conference was 0-4-0 this the week, leaving the conference record at 2-11-0.
DePauw and Hiram will open conference play on Saturday, September 20th, while the rest of the teams begin conference play the following weekend.
Congratulations to Denison (#3) and Allegheny (#7) for being ranked in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Poll released today. Allegheny also picked up two votes in this week's D3soccer.com poll as well.
GoBash...I saw Allegheny play. They had a slow start, but seem to be building momentum. Any predictions for the conference play? They look like the team to beat, but I don't have the insight into the conference that you do. How do you see the conference playing out?
gobash83,
Where do you locate the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Poll?
SoccerLAN, start with this link and then drill down a page or two and you can find them: http://www.nscaatv.com/rankings/college
Woacfan, sitting here today and with the standard caveats that I haven't seen everyone play yet this season and that injuries can change everything, I think that Allegheny and Denison are the class of the league this year and will likely end up 1 & 2 in conference play. Both teams have goal scorers up front and, in my opinion, having a natural goal scorer is usually the difference maker. I lean a little toward Allegheny right now as the winner between the two, but since their game is at Denison, I wouldn't rule out the Big Red topping the table based solely on winning the head to head as I don't think either team will have problems with the remainder of their conference foes.
After that, there is a group of teams that are hard to distinguish between. In the end, I think we will see 4 teams fighting for the final two spots in the conference tournament. Wooster is probably the strongest of that group while Witt, Kenyon, and perhaps DePauw are in the mix.
Honestly, I would love to see both Allegheny and Denison stay strong through their remaining non-conference games and sweep through the conference. While at-large bids are always hard to obtain, especially for a conference like the NCAC that isn't considered a women's soccer power, it would be the best chance either one to obtain an at large bid and increase the conference's visibility.
As conference play starts Saturday with DePauw visiting Hiram, I will soon have the opportunity to be proven wrong!
gobash83,
I concur.....although anything can happen, preliminary results of the Big Red & the Gators make for a good argument. The outcome of the conference title may occur in the first weekend of conference play!
I haven't really had a chance to look at Denison, but they are always good. Allegheny seemed a little unlucky in the first few weeks, but they looked like a quality squad from what I could see. I agree, a goal scorer is a must.
Overall, a pretty decent week for the NCAC. On Wednesday, the conference went 4-1-1 against a non-conference slate with Allegheny beating Buffalo St. (1-0), Wooster beating W&J (2-1), DePauw beating Franklin (1-0), and Denison beating Ohio Northern (1-0). Ohio Wesleyan tied Otterbein (1-1) and Hiram lost to John Carroll (2-3). The conference remained successful on Thursday, with Kenyon beating Defiance (3-0), Oberlin beating Mount St. Joseph (5-1), and Wittenberg beating Transylvania (2-1). A nice 7-1-1 streak for the weeknight games.
Saturday brought a mixed bag of non-conference results along with the first conference game of the season. On the plus side, Oberlin beat Marietta (2-1), Wooster beat Geneva (5-0), and OWU tied Franciscan (1-1). Denison and Allegheny both lost, with Centre beating the Big Red (0-1) and the Gators falling to Oneonta St (1-2). While Allegheny has had success against the OAC (4-0-0), it has not done as well against teams from New York (1-3-0), the home state for each of the teams that have beaten them this season.
Overall, this leaves the conference with a 32-29-3 record in non-conference play. Against the "barometer" teams (Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J), the conference was 2-2 this week, leaving the conference record against that group at 4-13-0.
In conference play, the Hiram vs. DePauw match was one of two halves. DePauw had the better of the first half, scoring two goals while Hiram came back with two of its own in the second, including the equalizer with 2:02 remaining in regulation.
Wooster tops the table with a 6-2 record, followed by Allegheny (6-3), Denison (5-3), Hiram (3-3-1). Kenyon (3-4-1), Oberlin (3-3), Wittenberg (3-3), DePauw (2-4-1) and Ohio Wesleyan (1-4-2). With only one conference match played, Hiram and DePauw are tied (like their game) with 1 point each and the remaining schools are at zero. That will change as conference play gets into full swing on September 27th, with the feature match being Allegheny traveling to Denison.
Gobash I still see Allegheny as a favorite. Oneonta is a quality side. I watched both Wooster and the Gators and the Gators seemed a little better. Any thoughts on any dark horses in the conference?
Denison drops a spot (from #3 to #4) and Allegheny goes up one (from #7 to #6) in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Poll released today. Wooster is listed in the "Also Receiving Votes" category as well. No NCAC team earned votes in the D3soccer.com poll this week.
Woacfan, as of now, I am staying with my predictions that Allegheny is the favorite with Denison as a close second. Oneonta is a quality team. Centre is as well and do not knock Denison for losing to them.
I am not sure yet about any "dark horses." While Wooster has built a good record and are on the regional ranking radar, their 6 wins come from teams with a collective record of 9-33-1 and their 2 losses are from the only teams that they have played with winning records (and have a collective record of 9-5-1). By comparison, Allegheny's 6 wins come from teams with a collective record of 18-20-4 and Denison's come from 5 teams with a collective record of 16-17-4. Even more telling perhaps is that Allegheny's 3 losses come from teams with a collective record of 12-5-4 and Denison's 3 losses come from teams with a collective record of 21-1-1. If anything, I believe that the competition for the 3 & 4 spots in the conference tournament has probably gotten tighter, with Hiram also showing potential to compete with Wooster, Witt, Kenyon and DePauw for those two spots.
Thanks Gobash. I watched Wooster v. JCU tonight. (I posted my thoughts on the OAC board.) Wooster got a little unlucky tonight. Looking forward to keeping an eye on them and the Gators as they move into conference play!
With a full slate of conference play tomorrow, I will take a shot at predicting outcomes (and risk the ridicule that goes with prognostication):
Allegheny at Denison--The premier match of the day and perhaps the season. Both teams have played strong non-conference schedules and fared well. I think Allegheny wins this by a goal, but wouldn't be shocked if it goes the other way.
Kenyon at DePauw--Last year, these two teams played a double OT thriller that DePauw won in the 104th minute. With both sides having many of the same key players back, I would expect another close one. The one difference is that it is likely that the Tiger's starting 'keeper will not play after a serious injury last week at Hiram. I think Kenyon wins this one by a goal.
OWU at Wooster--The Scots should control this match and come away with a decisive victory over the Battling Bishops, likely by 2 goals or perhaps even 3.
Wittenberg at Oberlin--I think this match may be closer that you'd expect. In the end, I think the Tigers prevail by a goal but a tie wouldn't surprise me.
In the one non-conference match (remember that the conference only has 9 women's programs), Hiram takes on Heidelberg. I like the Terriers in this one by 2 goals as they are playing some strong soccer recently.
Hope everyone has good weather and safe play.
Another up and down week for the NCAC in non-conference play and an interesting start to the conference race on Saturday.
Oberlin and Hiram opened the week with wins, the Yeowomen defeating Defiance 1-0 and Hiram besting Marietta by the same score. The next day, Witt tied Ohio Northern 2-2 and John Carroll beat Wooster 0-2. Wednesday had the conference going 3-2-0, with Oberlin (defeating Muskingum 1-0), Allegheny (over Pitt-Bradford 4-0) and Denison (beating Earlham 7-0) all winning and losses by Kenyon (losing to Otterbein 1-2) and Ohio Wesleyan (defeated by Wilmington 1-3). Thursday had Hiram beating Bethany 2-0.
Saturday had a full conference schedule. Allegheny beat Denison 1-0 on a goal in the 63rd minute in what appeared to be a match of two halves, with Denison controlling play in the first (though not capitalizing) while Allegheny was able to control more of the pace in the second to win. Oberlin beat Wittenberg 2-1 in OT, with Oberlin getting the game-winner in the 104th minute. Kenyon beat DePauw 1-0 on a goal in the 5th minute in what then played out to be a fairly even match. Wooster beat Ohio Wesleyan 1-0 on a PK in the 67th minute in a much closer match that expected. And, in the sole non-conference slate, Hiram lost to Heidelberg 1-2.
I picked Allegheny and Kenyon right on the nose, was right about Wooster winning (though I failed to give OWU enough credit), and missed on Oberlin (or Witt) and Hiram.
The conference is now 37-34-4 in non-conference play. Against the "barometer" teams (Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J), the conference is now 4-13-1.
Overall, Allegheny tops the list with a 8-3 record, followed by Wooster (7-3), Oberlin (6-3) Denison (6-4), Hiram (5-4-1). Kenyon (4-5-1), Wittenberg (3-4-1), DePauw (2-5-1) and Ohio Wesleyan (1-6-2). In the conference, Allegheny, Wooster, Oberlin and Kenyon are tied at 1-0-0, Hiram (0-0-1) and DePauw are tied with 1 point each (0-1-1) and the remaining schools (Denison, Witt, and OWU) are at 0-1-0.
In conference play next week, OWU visits Witt on Friday while Denison travels to Hiram, Allegheny goes to Kenyon, and Wooster makes the trek to DePauw on Saturday.
As the weekend is upon us (I may be early but since OWU visits Witt on Friday, it is closer than one thinks), I will give another shot at prognostication for the conference matches this weekend:
OWU at Witt: Still not sure what to make of Wittenberg. I had them pegged in the hunt for a conference tournament spot but am starting to have some doubts. The match today against OWU may tell us more. I see this one as a 2-0 win by Witt but won't be too surprised by a closer win or tie.
Denison at Hiram: This is a chance for Denison to make up some ground in the conference race while Hiram can make its bid for a tournament spot. I see this one as fairly wide open, with Denison winning 3-2.
Allegheny at Kenyon: I still see Allegheny as the class of the conference and believe they win on Saturday. Kenyon has two goal scorers and I think they will get something on the board. I pick this one to be 2-1 for the Gators.
Wooster at DePauw: While Wooster struggled a bit more with OWU than I expected, it did find a way to prevail. I think Wooster is number 3 in the conference now and should prevail over the Indiana Tigers. Other than its opening game, the DePauw defense has been respectable, so I put this one at 1-0 for the Scots.
Good luck to everyone and here is hoping for safe and entertaining play at all venues.
An interesting Saturday in conference play ended a mixed week for the NCAC.
Allegheny and Denison came into the week as #4 and #6 respectively in the NSCAA Great Lakes Region Poll, though neither received votes in the d3Soccer poll.
Three conference teams faced non-conference opponents on Tuesday, with Witt posting a 2-0 victory over Manchester and Oberlin beating St. Vincent 1-0 while OWU lost to Capital 1-2. Wednesday saw Otterbein beating Hiram 0-2 and Thursday brought an Oberlin victory (3-1 over Baldwin-Wallace) and a Kenyon loss (0-1 to Case Western).
Conference play opened Friday, with Wittenberg dominating OWU 5-0. The Tigers got ahead early and lead 3-0 at the half.
Saturday brought some interesting results, with Kenyon defeating Allegheny 3-2. Like last week against DePauw, Kenyon got on the board early with a goal in the second minute. Allegheny tied it in the 11th minute and the game went to half 1-1. Early in the second half (48th minute), Kenyon took the lead again and carried it to the 79th minute when Allegheny evened the score. It remained 2-2 through regulation and OT until Kenyon scored the winner in the 106th minute.
Denison got its first conference win, defeating Hiram 1-0. The Big Red dominated the game, outpacing Hiram in shots (33-7) and shots on goal (16-2), yet it wasn't until the 70th minute that Denison was able to put one in the net.
The last game of the day was Wooster and DePauw, which tied at 0-0. A game of two halves, with DePauw in control the first half and the Wooster in the second. While DePauw picked it back up in the OT periods, neither team were able to score.
The picks didn't fare as well this week. I did select the correct result in picking Witt over OWU and Denison over Hiram, though I underestimated Witt and underestimated the defenses of both Denison and Hiram. Kenyon and DePauw proved me wrong.
The conference is now 40-37-4 in non-conference play. Against the "barometer" teams (Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J), the conference is now 4-14-1.
As we have some conference games under everyone's belt, I will start to show the standings based on conference play. Kenyon is at the top of the table with a 2-0-0 (5-6-1) record. Wooster follows at 1-0-1 (7-3-1), then Oberlin 1-0-0 (8-3), Allegheny 1-1-0 (8-4), Denison 1-1-0 (7-4) and Witt 1-1-0 (5-4-1). DePauw holds the next spot with a 0-1-2 (2-5-2) record, with Hiram 0-1-1 (5-6-1) and OWU 0-2-0 (1-8-2) closing out the table.
Next week, Hiram opens conference play with a Friday night match at Oberlin. Saturday brings Wooster to Kenyon, DePauw visiting OWU and Witt at Denison.
Busy with the day job this week, but I wanted to get my predictions on record for the conference matches this weekend:
Hiram at Oberlin: I think this will be a competitive match and I like the home team by a goal. I see Oberlin winning 2-1.
Wooster at Kenyon: Kenyon is playing well and the Ladies win this one 2-0.
DePauw at OWU: The Tigers get their first conference win, defeating OWU 2-0.
Witt at Denison: I see this one as close and low scoring, and pick Denison to win 1-0.
A quiet week for the NCAC, with just three non-conference games during the week and one round of conference matches on the weekend.
The conference did not fare well in non-conference play, with Allegheny losing in OT to Fredonia St. 1-2, Wooster losing to CWRU 0-2, and DePauw losing to Illinois Wesleyan 0-3. The conference is now 40-40-4 in non-conference play. Against the "barometer" teams (Ohio Northern, CWRU, John Carroll, Centre, Thomas More, and W&J), the conference is now 4-15-1.
In conference play, there were a lot of high scoring and exciting matches. It kicked off on Friday, with Oberlin beating Hiram 2-1 in double overtime. On Saturday, Kenyon remained undefeated in the conference with a 4-3 win over Wooster. DePauw traveled to OWU and came away with a 3-2 win and Denison beat Wittenberg 4-2.
As things now stand, Kenyon is at the top of the table with a 3-0-0 (6-6-1) record. Oberlin is second at 2-0-0 (9-3-0), then Denison 2-1-0 (8-4), DePauw 1-1-2 (3-6-2), Wooster 1-1-1 (7-5-1), Allegheny 1-1-0 (8-5), Witt 1-2-0 (5-5-1), Hiram 0-2-1 (5-7-1) and OWU 0-3-0 (1-9-2) closing out the table.
In my picks, I got all the results correct, picking Oberlin, Kenyon, DePauw, and Denison as winners. I also picked the score of the Oberlin match correctly, but missed on how high scoring and competitive the other matches would be.
Next week is all conference play and presents some interesting matchups. On Tuesday, Oberlin travels to Allegheny, Kenyon visits Denison, and Hiram is at Wooster. I think Oberlin's 9 win streak comes to an end with Allegheny prevailing 2-0. Kenyon has staked out a solid position in the league but in a close match, I see Denison winning at home 3-2. Wooster should handle Hiram 2-0.
On Saturday, Allegheny hosts OWU, Wooster has Denison at home, Oberlin entertains DePauw, and Hiram visits Wittenberg. I pick the Gators over the Battling Bishops 3-0, the Scots losing to the Big Red 1-3, the Tigers from Indiana beating the Yeowomen 2-1, and the Terriers losing to the Tigers from Ohio 1-2.
Here's hoping for a good week of soccer.
It was an interesting evening yesterday in the NCAC as Kenyon took a big step in cementing its place in the conference tournament and as a possible #1 seed. Senior Becca Romaine scored for the Ladies in the 66 minute to lead Kenyon to a 1-0 victory over host Denison. This puts Kenyon at the top of the conference with a 4-0-0 record and victories over Allegheny, Denison, Wooster and DePauw. In other action, Allegheny beat Oberlin 2-0 while Wooster prevailed over Hiram 2-0 as well.
In my picks for Tuesday, I was spot on when it came to the Allegheny and Wooster wins and scores, but missed the boat completely when it came to Kenyon.
In the conference standings after Kenyon, Wooster is second at 2-1-1 (8-5-1), then Oberlin 2-1-0 (9-4-0), Allegheny 2-1-0 (9-5-0), Denison 2-2-0 (8-5), DePauw 1-1-2 (3-6-2), Wittenberg 1-2-0 (5-5-1), Hiram 0-3-1 (5-8-1) and OWU 0-3-0 (1-9-2). Saturday's slate has OWU at Allegheny, Denison visiting Wooster, Oberlin entertaining DePauw, and Wittenberg hosting Hiram.
Yesterday's regional rankings have Denison at #5, Oberlin at #10 and Allegheny OVR and no conference teams making the Top 25 in the national polls. At this point in the season, I suspect that the NCAC may be a one bid conference in this year's NCAA tournament.
Hope we have a competitive and safe Saturday in conference play!
Yesterday, Allegheny had its way with OWU (5-0), Denison beat Wooster (1-0), DePauw picked up a road win over Oberlin (2-0) and Wittenberg handling Hiram (4-1). While I picked the winners correctly, I underestimated the Gators and Ohio Tigers offensive prowess and the defense of the Scots and Indiana Tigers.
Kenyon stands at the top of the conference at 4-0 (7-6-1) with Allegheny 3-1-0 (10-5-0), Denison 3-2-0 (9-5), and DePauw 2-1-2 (4-6-2) rounding out the top 4. Wooster 2-2-1 (8-6-1), Oberlin 2-2-0 (9-5-0), Wittenberg 2-2-0 (6-5-1), Hiram 0-4-1 (5-9-1) and OWU 0-4-0 (1-10-2) are on the outside looking in.
This week brings almost all conference matches. On Tuesday Wednesday, Denison is at OWU, Kenyon visits Wittenberg, Wooster travels to Oberlin, and Hiram hosts Allegheny. On Saturday, Allegheny travels across the conference footprint to face DePauw, Wittenberg plays Wooster, Hiram is at Kenyon, Oberlin visits OWU, and, in the sole non-conference match this week, Denison hosts Case.
Congrats to Denison (#7), Kenyon (#8) and Allegheny (#10) for making the NSCAA Great Lakes rankings this week. The first NCAA Regional Ranking comes out tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how the NCAC fares.
Yesterday's matches brought Kenyon back to the group with a 0-1 loss to Wittenberg while Allegheny and Denison tied with the Ladies in points as a result of wins over Hiram (1-0) and OWU (6-0) respectively. In yesterday's remaining match, Wooster beat Oberlin 2-0. As a result, Kenyon (4-1-0), Allegheny (4-1-0), and Denison (4-2-0) are all tied with 12 points, though Kenyon and Allegheny both have a game in hand. Wooster is next with 10 points (3-2-1), then Wittenberg with 9 (3-2-0), DePauw with 8 (2-1-2), Oberlin with 6 (2-3-0), Hiram with 1 (0-5-1) and OWU with 0 (0-5). I didn't make picks for the Tuesday matches, but let me say that the only result that surprised me was Kenyon's loss. Good job by the Ohio Tigers in knocking off the conference leader.
Saturday has Allegheny at DePauw, Wittenberg visiting Wooster, Kenyon hosting Hiram, Oberlin at OWU, and, in the sole non-conference match this week, Denison hosting Case. I have a feeling that the Indiana Tigers may pull it out 2-1, while Wittenberg beats Wooster 1-0, Kenyon wins 2-0, and Oberlin gets a win 2-1. I think Case proves to be too much for the Big Red and wins 2-0.
Here is to a good Saturday of safe, competitive soccer.
The Case/DU game was perseverance paying off. The 1-0 losses to Centre, Allegheny, and Kenyon, suffered by DU were fodder for Saturday's win. DU has been a formidable contender in each of these derbies but struggles with finding the back of the net. The conviction in the win my be timely as their momentum is building heading into the conference finals.
Congrats to Denison on its big non-conference win (1-0) over Case. In addition to proving me wrong, it may have revived the slight possibility of the NCAC being in the hunt for a Pool C bid, depending on how the conference schedule and tournament play out over the next 14 days.
In the other Saturday matches, Allegheny also proved me wrong by winning at DePauw 1-0 in a well-played, close match. Wittenberg beat Wooster as I predicted, though more handily than expected (4-1). Kenyon beat Hiram (2-1) and Oberlin did the same against OWU (1-0). I got the right results again, though the scores were off.
In the race for the conference tournament, Kenyon (5-1-0) and Allegheny (5-1-0) are at 15 points, then Denison (4-2-0) and Wittenberg (4-2-0) are 12 points. Wooster is next with 10 points (3-3-1), then Oberlin with 9 (3-3-0), DePauw with 8 (2-2-2), Hiram with 1 (0-6-1) and OWU with 0 (0-6).
The conference schedule wraps up this week with games on Tuesday and Saturday. On Tuesday, DePauw visits Wittenberg, Kenyon goes to OWU, Denison hosts Oberlin and Wooster is at Allegheny. I think the new Tigers beat the old Tigers 2-1, Kenyon wins 2-0, Denison wins 2-0, and Allegheny prevails 3-0.
Saturday brings the end of the regular season with Denison at DePauw, Wittenberg goes to Allegheny, Kenyon visiting Oberlin, and Ohio Wesleyan traveling to Hiram. I will make my picks before then.
Here is to a good week and great soccer.
Congrats to Denison (#5), Allegheny (#7), and Kenyon (ARV) for making the NSCAA Great Lakes rankings this week. Good moves by both Denison and Allegheny, while Kenyon's loss to Wittenberg likely hurt them. With the next NCAA Regional Ranking tomorrow, Denison should be in pretty good shape, as it will have 4 wins over regionally ranked opponents (Hanover, Case, Ohio Northern, and Otterbein) and Case will likely have bumped up its SOS (though OWU may have pushed it down). Allegheny will have 1 win over a regionally ranked opponent--Denison. It will be interesting to see if Allegheny remains ahead of Denison by virtue of that win or if Denison jumps Allegheny by having beaten the higher ranked Case and the greater number of victories over regionally ranked opponents.
As I said earlier, the Denison win over Case may have opened the door to a second NCAC bid to the NCAA, depending how this week and the tournament play out--though there is a lot of soccer to be played and plenty of UAA, NESCAC, and CCIW schools (among others) in contention for the at-large spots as well.
We received clarity in the race for the conference tournament, with Kenyon (6-1-0 after beating OWU 3-1), Allegheny (6-1-0 after beating Wooster 1-0), and Denison (5-2-0 after beating Oberlin 5-0) all clinching spots tonight. DePauw beat Wittenberg 1-0 to tighten the race for the fourth spot. Right now, depending on the outcome of Saturday's matches, Wittenberg (4-3-0), DePauw (3-2-2) and Oberlin (3-4) all have a chance to secure the final berth. Wooster at 3-4-1 (and done for the season), Hiram at 0-6-1 and OWU at 0-7 will be on the outside looking in.
While I picked the winners correctly tonight, I didn't get any scores correct.
On Saturday, Wittenberg controls its own fate as a win at Allegheny clinches the last spot for the Tigers. Anything less than that and the permutations start to multiply as a tie opens the door for DePauw and a loss opens the door for both DePauw and Oberlin.
On the other hand, Oberlin must win over Kenyon to get in the mix for the final spot or it is out for sure. If Oberlin wins and both Witt and DePauw lose, the Yeowomen make the field by virtue of holding the tie-breaker over Witt (assuming that the tie-breaker is the H2H result).
DePauw needs points on Saturday against Denison. A win over the Big Red and a Witt tie or loss to the Gators puts DePauw in the tournament. A tie with Denison and a Witt loss leaves the conference's Tigers tied, with DePauw holding the tie-breaker based on H2H (again, I think that's the tie-breaker). A DePauw win or tie, Oberlin win and Wittenberg loss puts DePauw in either by points or by holding the H2H over Oberlin.
As for tournament seeding, whoever comes out of the DePauw, Oberlin, and Wittenberg tangle will be the fourth seed and on the road. Also, I think that Denison is locked in as the third seed and traveling as well, as best it can do is tie either Kenyon or Allegheny and both own the H2H tie-break. And so, both Kenyon and Allegheny are playing for the shot to host both rounds--a benefit that each would want.
And finally, Hiram and OWU face off with each having the chance to end their season with their first conference win. That would be a fitting ending for challenging seasons for both squads and I am sure both will play hard to end on a high note.
So it is safe to say that Saturday's games all have something riding on them and should be entertaining.
Saturday brought the conclusion of the NCAC regular season with Kenyon finishing at the top of the table after beating Oberlin 2-0. Allegheny finished second, ending the season with a 2-0 win over Wittenberg, which could have proven to be problematic for the Tigers. However, third-place Denison came back from a 1-0 deficit with a goal in the 85th minute and a second in the 95th minute to beat DePauw 2-1, which put Wittenberg into the fourth spot in the conference tournament. In the last match of the day, Hiram earned its first conference win with a 1-0 victory over OWU.
Congratulations to all of the teams in the conference. While there were some uncompetitive matches, most were tightly contested, which is good for the conference. Now, the focus shifts to the tournament, with #1 seed Kenyon hosting Wittenberg and #2 seed Allegheny hosting Denison. In these matches, I think we will see Kenyon and Allegheny prevail, with the Ladies winning 2-1 over the Tigers and the Gators once again defeating the Big Red 1-0 in another close match.
It will be interesting to see how the NCAA will treat the loser of the Allegheny/Denison tilt when it comes to a possible at-large bid. Last week, they were #3 and #4 in the Regional Rankings, behind CMU and Thomas More, both of whom have a strong chance to receive their respective conference's AQ. While the loser today will have another loss, it will be to a regionally ranked opponent. It may take the winner of the Allegheny/Denison match winning the NCAC tournament and Otterbein winning the OAC to allow the loser to have a shot at an at-large bid.
Needless to say, it will be interesting. In the meantime, here's hoping for entertaining and safe play for everyone in their matches today.
Quote from: gobash83 on November 05, 2014, 10:37:38 AM
Now, the focus shifts to the tournament, with #1 seed Kenyon hosting Wittenberg and #2 seed Allegheny hosting Denison. In these matches, I think we will see Kenyon and Allegheny prevail, with the Ladies winning 2-1 over the Tigers and the Gators once again defeating the Big Red 1-0 in another close match.
Well, I pick the winners but missed on the margins...badly. I am surprised at how Allegheny took it to Denison in the second half of their match. That may have pushed Denison out of the running for an at large bid, though we will have to wait and see what happens this weekend.
As for the conference final, I have picked Allegheny from the beginning to win the AQ and I am not going to change now. Kenyon has had a successful season in the conference and challenged itself out of conference. It deserves recognition for getting to this point and I think the program is going in the right direction (though it will be hard for the Ladies to replace Becca Romaine and the other talented seniors). However, I think Allegheny is the better squad and see the Gators winning 3-2.
Wrong on all counts. Perhaps the appropriate way for my predictions to end. Congrats to the Ladies of Kenyon on their conference title and bid to the NCAA tournament. Other than a hiccup against Witt in the regular season (which was avenged in the conference tournament), Kenyon proved to be the best of the NCAC.
Good luck in the NCAA tournament!
Mixed day for the conference with the champion, Kenyon beating #13 Emory 1-0 but Allegheny falling to #10 TCNJ 3-0. Best of luck to the Ladies, as they tackle #9 Thomas More tomorrow.
Unfortunately, the season has ended for Kenyon and the conference as the Ladies fell 1-2 against Thomas More. Congrats to Kenyon and Allegheny on making the tournament and representing the NCAC well. Best of luck to all the seniors as they move on to their next experiences!
ALL-NCAC Women's Soccer Team selections are out:
OPOY - Romaine (KEN)
DPOY - Wallace (ALL)
NOTY - Wentzel (DEN)
COTY - Bryan (KEN)
First Team
Kenyon (4) -
Allegheny (3)
Denison (3)
Wittenberg (2)
Wooster (1)
Second Team
Hiram (3)
Depauw (3)
Denison (2)
Wittenberg (2)
Kenyon (1)
Wooster (1)
Oberlin (1)
Honorable Mention
Kenyon (2)
Allegheny (2)
Wooster (2)
DePauw (2)
Ohio Wesleyan (2)
Hiram (2)
Oberlin (2)
Wittenberg (1)
Denison (1)
Congratulations Ladies!!!!
2015 Pre Season Coach's Poll is out;
http://northcoast.org/sports/wsoc/2015-16/releases/PreseasonPoll
Denison
Allegheny
Kenyon
Wittenberg
Let the soccer season begin! ;D