Perhaps, everyone is packing before Canada builds their wall. No politics, just wondering.
Does Williams have enough to repeat? Any teams that will surprise? My early pick, as always, is UCSC. Gotta love the Banana Slugs.
Can you really count out Williams? Your early pick could be a sleeper as long as they don't get sent to Texas again.
Preaseason Top 25 is out. http://www.nscaa.com/web/Rankings/web/rankings/2016/Preseason/NCAA_DIII_WOMEN.aspx
Looks like the usual suspects. Only surprise is no Wheaton in the Top 25.
I will be interested to see how Trinity (TX) is impacted by the coaching change there. 7th might be a bit high to start the season given the necessary adjustment period to a new coach and new styles, and he'll also have to make adjustments returning to D3 after dealing with D1 players/politics for the last seven years.
Hero Sports D3 Womens rankings are out...http://herosports.com/colleges/sports/d3-womens-soccer
Seems odd that Williams, after losing in a shootout in the championship game two seasons ago, winning the title last year, and returning players responsible for 44/50 goals scored as well as both GKs, would be ranked fourth. Not a ton of respect -- maybe a little extra motivation! The Ephs have a monster senior class who will be motivated to repeat, but of course never easy with a target on your back every single game.
I think the Ephs' offense will actually be stronger this year as some of the main offensive weapons should benefit from better health (Albaneze, who emerged during the tourney as a major threat, should now be fully recovered from a major knee injury, all-American caliber striker Thomas was out or limited by a leg injury much of last year and should have a huge senior year, and championship game hero Alvarado is now a sophomore). That group, plus top returning scorer and likely all-American Kirshe, talented playmaking midfielders Swarr and Feeney, and two talented strikers who are now experienced in Kaesar and Turner-Wyatt (Kaeser in particular could have a breakout year, seems like she was involved last year in a lot of near-misses), should give the Ephs more depth and firepower up front than they had last season, and I think they will be more dynamic offensively. The Ephs had a lot of games where they struggled to finish and I don't see that reoccuring. They do lose Mitsuyama, a huge loss who helped control the middle of the field, and that will be the biggest hole to fill by far; they also graduate their top defender. But the Ephs have plenty of talented midfielders and defenders who are ready to step up into bigger roles, and I imagine another very strong incoming class.
I also think it's odd that William Smith is not ranked higher. They outplayed the Ephs in the round of 8 (the only team in the tourney to do so) and the Ephs were frankly fortunate to beat them in penalty kicks. They lose two elite players including their top goal scorer, but bring everyone else back. I'm not sure I'd put Wash U. first, but they do bring back their amazing GK and most of their offense (although they do lose an all-American midfielder / top point-scorer), certainly they belong in the top 3. Messiah is always loaded but does lose a TON of talent, including the top three goal-scorers, one of whom was a three-time all-American who accounted for an insane 77 points, a two-time all-American midfielder, and the GK who started every game. Seems like a lot of uncertainty for a team ranked above both of last year's finalists, each of whom graduated far less talent.
Seems like Williams, William Smith, and Wash U. should be the top three in some order, followed by Messiah and then Carnegie Mellon (who returns most of its roster but also lost in the third round last year) and Amherst (which had a very young team last year and should be really tough).
Looks like some pretty good schedule break down done by a couple of folks over on the Bigsoccer boards.
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/division-3-2016.2034211/
For the season being 2 days away, it is pretty quiet here. :( :o
It should be an exciting start to the season in the Mid Atlantic and the East. William Smith, Messiah and Hopkins all start with interesting games. Stevens may surprise a young Messiah side early.
Dylan Harrison's Trinity (TX) coaching career got started with a bang, as the Tiger women (1-0) opened their season with an 8-0 defeat of #21 NAIA Our Lady of the Lake (3-1). Eight different players scored for Trinity. The margin of defeat was the largest in Our Lady of the Lake's short (10 year) history.
And in a surprising early season matchup of two top-ten teams, #7 Trinity (TX) yesterday defeated #8 Illinois Wesleyan by a surprising 5-0 margin. Trinity outshot the visitors 18-2 and dominated the ball throughout.
Lance Who? My goodness Trinity is off to quite a start.
Meanwhile here in the Mid-Atlantic and East..Messiah lost to Stevens and has 3-0 William Smith and 1-1 Hopkins this week. Messiah starting 1-3 is very possible. The Falcons have a lot of work to do.
Quote from: 2xfaux on September 01, 2016, 04:59:25 PM
It should be an exciting start to the season in the Mid Atlantic and the East. William Smith, Messiah and Hopkins all start with interesting games. Stevens may surprise a young Messiah side early.
Great call! Messiah just wasn't ready for the adversity of getting down early. Young team, they will get better. But props for calling the upset...
The first d3soccer rankings of the season (http://www.d3soccer.com/top25/top25-wk1) are out:
# School (1PV) Record Pts. Prev.
1 Williams (9) D.N.P. 964 —
2 Wash U. (2) 2-0-0 956 —
3 William Smith 3-0-0 920 —
4 Stevens 2-0-0 818 —
5 Trinity (Texas) 2-0-0 796 —
6 Thomas More 3-0-0 785 —
7 Centre 3-0-0 778 —
8 Chicago 2-0-0 618 —
9 Messiah 1-1-0 611 —
10 Swarthmore 2-0-0 545 —
I don't have the time or energy (it is really hot) to think too much about this but I am wondering who in the D3 Top 25 has the most to prove (or at stake) this weekend.
I think Wheaton at 1-2 needs a good weekend at Va. Beach. Hopkins needs to rebound from a painful loss at home to Messiah but they have TCNJ this weekend. Lynchburg, who tied Hopkins has Emory (I think) at home. CMU is maybe also at Va. Beach. Messiah is at home with William Smith at noon Saturday. Should be 100 plus degrees on the field at Shoemaker..Ugh.
The William Smith website says the game at Messiah has been moved up to 10:30 AM to escape the noon day heat. I don't know about other games in the east but if you plan to attend, watch or listen I would check. Hopefully it will be fall soon.
Lynchburg looks like the real deal beating Emory 4-0.
CMU leaves Va. Beach with a win and a loss.
Hopkins ties TCNJ after a long weather delay in the last few seconds of regulation on a PK ouch and we end with 1-1 draw.
Messiah loses to William Smith and is 2-2 (per their website) for the first time since 1998.
And Wheaton drops 2 to fall to 1-4..ugh.
Breaking news: The NCAA will move all championships from North Carolina, including the men's and women's soccer championships originally scheduled for Greensborol
http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/ncaa-relocate-championships-north-carolina-2016-17
Obviously (in my opinion) the NCAA did what they needed to do. It is a shame. Cary and Greensboro are great venues and from my experience very friendly and inclusive areas. I am sure I could have fried okra (it is really good) and beer at most places in Greater Greensboro with Trans friends and nobody would know or care where they relieved themselves. HB2 goes way beyond the bathroom issue and that is the problem. I hope to I live to see the day when LGBT folks are just folk. I am old enough to remember when schools tried to turn us lefties into righties. My oh my..... Where will the games be? Does anyone know??
I heard on the local Louisville radio station that UofL is putting in a bid.
Quote from: The Saint on September 13, 2016, 07:19:47 PM
I heard on the local Louisville radio station that UofL is putting in a bid.
I hope that wherever the championships go, there is an actual D3 school behind them.
Agree with that sentiment!
Wheaton Ill. is now 1-6. Anyone have a clue as to what is happening there? Yes they lost to Wash U and Chicago but...
Any word on where the final four is headed?
Help!! I need a fix.
Quote from: 2xfaux on September 26, 2016, 05:57:55 PM
Any word on where the final four is headed?
I think I read somewhere that the Final Four is heading to Roanoke VA? Not sure if I read it correctly. Does anyone know the number of At Large bids available for the Women's Tournament?
Quote from: bricullen on October 13, 2016, 11:07:09 AM
Quote from: 2xfaux on September 26, 2016, 05:57:55 PM
Any word on where the final four is headed?
I think I read somewhere that the Final Four is heading to Roanoke VA? Not sure if I read it correctly. Does anyone know the number of At Large bids available for the Women's Tournament?
It is. Sadly both Men's and Women's will be played on turf at Roanoke College. Link to the stadium here:
http://www.roanokemaroons.com/facilities/donald-j-kerr-stadium/index
It's a really nice facility, aside from the turf. And the is fairly new and provides a guarantee of surface quality deep in the season. I just don't like soccer on turf.
Quote from: bricullen on October 13, 2016, 11:07:09 AM
Quote from: 2xfaux on September 26, 2016, 05:57:55 PM
Any word on where the final four is headed?
I think I read somewhere that the Final Four is heading to Roanoke VA? Not sure if I read it correctly. Does anyone know the number of At Large bids available for the Women's Tournament?
Yep, the City of Salem (which has a great history of hosting other Div III championships) submitted the winning bid.
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/colleges/ncaa-division-iii-soccer-finals-moving-to-roanoke-college/article_9b1f5f41-2391-56f3-bc6f-b26efa457d85.html
Per the NCAA Pre-Championship manual (http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2016_DIIIMWSoccer_PrechampsManual_20160920.pdf) there are 43 AQs (pool A), 1 pool B, 20 pool C bids, so either 20 or 21 depending on your definition of at-large.
Thanks for the info. I guess the easiest way in is to just win the conference and not have to worry about it.
Is this the first time the d-3 championship has been played on an artificial surface?
Tomorrow, when the first NCAA rankings come out some (perhaps many) will insist that the NCAA is rigged. I, for one, will accept the final outcome in a few weeks and will make the drive to Salem for the crowning of this years champions. It is how we do things in a civilized world.
I am 2xfaux and I approved this message.
Trinity (TX)'s reward for an undefeated regular season is a plane trip to Illinois Wesleyan (where they will play Mount Union in first round). Yay NCAA.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 07, 2016, 02:47:33 PM
Trinity (TX)'s reward for an undefeated regular season is a plane trip to Illinois Wesleyan (where they will play Mount Union in first round). Yay NCAA.
Ouch.
Trinity men are hosting
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 07, 2016, 02:47:33 PM
Trinity (TX)'s reward for an undefeated regular season is a plane trip to Illinois Wesleyan (where they will play Mount Union in first round). Yay NCAA.
When I head down I 81 next month I expect to see Trinity (TX), TCNJ, Stevens and Chicago.
Did I say TCNJ and Stevens? My New Jersey relatives made me say it. Great games so far.
At least I got Chicago.
Great job by Roanoke College hosting the final four on relatively short notice. Tremendous games both men's and women's. Congratulations to Wash. U.