So the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) absorbs the American Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) and rebrands as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C).
https://adobe.ly/36J4OCs
https://vimeo.com/478382828
https://www.c2csports.com/landing/index
Members (11)
Christopher Newport [CAC]
Finlandia [ACAA]
Mary Washington [CAC]
Mills [ACAA]
Mount Mary [ACAA]
Pine Manor [ACAA] <being absorbed by Boston College in 2021-22>
Pratt [ACAA]
St. Mary's (Md.) [CAC] <leaving for the NEAC in 2021-22>
Salisbury [CAC]
Southern Virginia [CAC] <leaving for the USA-South in 2021-22>
UC Santa Cruz [ACAA]
Reminder to anyone who doesn't know (and I have run into many so far elsewhere):
These teams won't be playing full conference schedules. CAC members will play against one another; ACAA members will continue to do their thing. CAC member competition will determine who gets into the conf tournament; ACAA members will be determined another way (I think I remember, but don't want to put it out if wrong).
A conference tournament will take place at a predetermined school.
Not the best sign when your shiny new conference is going to lose three members its first full year; then again, that was probably the impetus for the tie-up in the first place.
Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 20, 2020, 03:37:16 PM
Not the best sign when your shiny new conference is going to lose three members its first full year; then again, that was probably the impetus for the tie-up in the first place.
Um ... I thought you already knew this ... the fact they will lose two members (York is gone already) was the impetus to come together.
Also, Mills is tossing in the towel as an institution. But they are a women's college.
Any insight into the Mary Washington vs UVA game today? I don't imagine this was scheduled at the beginning on the season.
Quote from: futbol_watcher on October 25, 2021, 05:11:24 PM
Any insight into the Mary Washington vs UVA game today? I don't imagine this was scheduled at the beginning on the season.
It seemed like the UMW Eagles put up a respectable showing versus their opponent from the ACC today. UMW was able to get 6 shots on target to the 7 SOG for the Cavs (or as UVA followers call UVA-- the 'Hoos.) Unfortunately, the video for this game was not made available to all ESPN Plus subscribers-- you had to subscribe to the ACC Network via either a cable provider or through Sling or Youtube TV subscription to get the live streaming video for this one. Result was as expected-- I did not expect Virginia to come away with anything less than a clean sheet win.
Update-- According to the box score, the Mary Washington goalkeeper saved a PK in the 47th minute. That is especially not easy to do against a DI college soccer team with the caliber of Virginia. (UVA).
I would have liked to watch it. Apparently no goals in the run of play. It looked like UMW opened up with a few shots before UVA put up like 10 in a row. UVA did post some highlights.
https://youtu.be/OIsaFLEz3es
Reviving this thread because a preseason poll from the C2C doesn't fit in a regional post.
Also, it provides context for the fact that there are only 5 teams in this year's poll. Many of the schools in the first post in this thread have closed or been acquired. Others have moved to new conferences (including some not listed that joined later and left before this year, such as Wisconsin-Platteville and Whitewater)
C2C 2024 Coaches Preseason Poll (https://www.c2csports.com/sports/msoc/2024-25/releases/20240821Mens_Soccer_Preseason_Poll)
Despite being only 5 teams, it is a little insight into how these schools see Mary Washington v. Christopher Newport.
2024 C2C Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
Rank Team Points (1st)
1. Mary Washington 16 (4)
2. Christopher Newport 13 (1)
3. Salisbury 9
4. UC Santa Cruz 8
5. Warren Wilson 4
Christopher Newport has posted its 2024 Roster (https://www.cnusports.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster)
A few observations:
- 33 on the roster, compared with 38 last season
- 7 freshman. One player is listed as a redshirt freshman, which doesn't make sense to me. Covid (and D1 transfers) aside, I thought DIII did not allow redshirt years for injury if you are enrolled all four years, but maybe that is a conference rule that most conferences follow or maybe this player didn't actually enroll until spring last season.
- One player listed as a returning grad student using a Covid Year, but he's an important one: 2nd Team All Region midfielder and leading scorer Mason Field. Only 4 others who are seniors on the team, but they do have a solid contingent of juniors (9)
- A few transfers, including GK Aidan O'Mahony a transfer from DII Regis who did not receive any minutes in two years there, and forward Bruno Franco, a transfer from Messiah, who appeared in 18 games last season as a freshman and scored 1 goal.
- Most notable departures are 2nd team All Region midfielder Kyle Stenzel and 2nd team all C2C defender Jonathan Leiding, as well as regular starting defender Jacob Dudley
I would be willing to bet that it's a medical redshirt, not a redshirt in the true sense.
Quote from: stlawus on August 22, 2024, 01:36:47 PMI would be willing to bet that it's a medical redshirt, not a redshirt in the true sense.
You are probably right. He would have had to remove himself from the team completely before the first contest of the season for medical/injury reasons, which presumably happened here.
Quote from: Kuiper on August 22, 2024, 03:35:31 PMQuote from: stlawus on August 22, 2024, 01:36:47 PMI would be willing to bet that it's a medical redshirt, not a redshirt in the true sense.
You are probably right. He would have had to remove himself from the team completely before the first contest of the season for medical/injury reasons, which presumably happened here.
Not true, at least not 2 years ago. In the 2022 season, as long as your injury occurred before 50% of the schedule was played and you participated in less than 33% of the games, you could still get your medical red shirt. The interesting thing was you didn't have to request it immediately, but rather just before you graduated. So my soph. son who got hurt in game 1 and was out for the season could still request a medical red shirt for that season.
Quote from: Ejay on August 22, 2024, 06:07:18 PMQuote from: Kuiper on August 22, 2024, 03:35:31 PMQuote from: stlawus on August 22, 2024, 01:36:47 PMI would be willing to bet that it's a medical redshirt, not a redshirt in the true sense.
You are probably right. He would have had to remove himself from the team completely before the first contest of the season for medical/injury reasons, which presumably happened here.
Not true, at least not 2 years ago. In the 2022 season, as long as your injury occurred before 50% of the schedule was played and you participated in less than 33% of the games, you could still get your medical red shirt. The interesting thing was you didn't have to request it immediately, but rather just before you graduated. So my soph. son who got hurt in game 1 and was out for the season could still request a medical red shirt for that season.
Interesting. Thanks for clarifying. I did some searching and see that this has been extended (https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/governing-bodies/article/15636837/diii-council-approves-new-rules-for-championships-hardship-waivers-and-cannabis-testing) to mental health hardship waivers for the last year and this year.
I was wondering why there is no discussion of the reason that UVA is scheduling Mary Washington again this fall. It seems extremely rare that a Division I soccer program would schedule a Division III program during the regular season. I can understand an exhibition match or a spring match but not a regular season match. Does anybody have any insight on this in spite of them doing this already in 2021? What does UVA gain from this? Kudos to Mary Washington participating in this again.
Quote from: shoremensoccer98 on August 30, 2024, 10:11:57 PMI was wondering why there is no discussion of the reason that UVA is scheduling Mary Washington again this fall. It seems extremely rare that a Division I soccer program would schedule a Division III program during the regular season. I can understand an exhibition match or a spring match but not a regular season match. Does anybody have any insight on this in spite of them doing this already in 2021? What does UVA gain from this? Kudos to Mary Washington participating in this again.
Maybe just to keep sharp before the ACC tournament. About a week and a half in between.
Mary Washington advances to the C2C finals over Salisbury in PKs after the two teams tie 1-1 in regulation and two OT periods. The Salisbury keeper was great in PKs. His teammates just skied a few balls.
I think there will be a few coaches studying the tape of this game in preparation for how to deal with Mary Washington in the NCAA tournament because Salisbury clearly was on it.
UC Santa Cruz v. Christopher Newport is the other semifinal game. I don't have a full-blown preview, but UCSC has a certain brand of size and chaos ball that can catch teams off guard (EDIT: and by "brand" I mean they have a decent amount of technical skill and passing mixed in). We'll see how it translates on the east coast. It's probably more common there than on the west coast.
CNU up 2-0 with 30 left in 2nd
Captains have controlled the game for the most part
Quote from: eaglesoccerdad on November 08, 2024, 03:42:56 PMCNU up 2-0 with 30 left in 2nd
Captains have controlled the game for the most part
UC Santa Cruz gets a consolation goal in the 90th minute, but Christopher Newport wins 2-1.
HALF: Christopher Newport 1 - Mary Washington 1
A nice, tight, affair turned into a goal fest in a minute. CNU scored in the 27th minute on a strong run through several defenders and then a slip ball into the box that Drew McWhinney hit past the onrushing GK to the far post. Mary Washington answered less than a minute later, though, with a slip ball of its own where Carter Berg evaded the sliding GK and shot it just hard enough so that the CNU defender was only able to deflect it after it snuck past the near post.
UPDATE: Mary Washington 2 - Christopher Newport
UMW's Joel Albritton scored in the 47th minute on a give-and-go that left Albritton 1 v. 1 on the GK and he hit it one time to give UMW the lead.
It's now 5:44 to go and UMW is lucky not to be down a man on a take-down from behind that looked like a WWE move
UPDATE: CNU 2 - UMW 2
McWhinney scores again in the 89th minute to equalize on a great cross and header
It's going to OT!
FINAL: Mary Washington 3 - Christopher Newport 2
Berg scores on a set piece in the 93rd minute for the golden goal to win the C2C
Berg with the Golden Goal!!!
C2C 3 peat
Not surprisingly considering that Christopher Newport serves as its sponsor on its application to DIII, exploratory DIII member Regent University will be joining the Coast-to-Coast conference starting in 2025-2026 (https://www.regent.edu/news/regent-university-joins-coast-to-coast-athletic-conference/?site=law).
QuoteThe Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) is excited to welcome Regent University as its newest member institution following unanimous support from the C2C Board of Directors. Regent will become the conference's sixth core member and begin competition during the 2025-2026 academic year.
"The C2C is delighted to welcome Regent University as the latest addition to the league," said University of Mary Washington President Dr. Troy Paino, Chair of the C2C Board of Directors. "We eagerly anticipate the Royals' continued growth and success in the years ahead."
Regent University is a private Christian institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Regent is currently in its Exploratory Year with the NCAA prior to submitting application for the NCAA Division III Provisional Membership process in January. The Royals will be immediately eligible to compete in all C2C championships and are on pace to become a full NCAA Division III member for the 2028-29 academic year.
"Regent University is pleased to join the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference," said Gordon Robertson, Chancellor of Regent University. "Conference membership is an important milestone in the strategic growth of the Regent Royals athletic program. We look forward to this new partnership as we continuously pursue Regent's values of excellence, innovation, and integrity."
Regent men's soccer competed in the NCCAA this past season and had a record of 5-7-1. Among D3 opponents, it had wins against Greensboro (2-0), Gallaudet (2-0), and Mary Baldwin (2-1), tied North Carolina Wesleyan (1-1), and lost to Virginia Wesleyan (0-3), Guilford (0-5), Randolph-Macon (0-1)
A bird told me they were sniffing around the ODAC for a sponsor originally but couldn't get any takers. The ODAC is so big already, unless you are bringing football it's hard to justify more members.
I do wonder if a few more teams in the area will cause a split, but with the losses of Ferrum and E&H to D2 I think that possibilty faded.
Coast-to-Coast Conference Announces Johnson & Wales Charlotte as its Newest Member (https://c2csports.com/general/2024-25/releases/20250114newMemberJWUCharlotte)
QuoteThe Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) is excited to welcome Johnson & Wales University (JWU) Charlotte as its newest member institution following unanimous support from the C2C Board of Directors. JWU Charlotte will become the conference's seventh core member and begin competition during the 2025-2026 academic year.
"The C2C is thrilled to welcome JWU Charlotte as the newest member of the conference," said University of Mary Washington President Dr. Troy Paino, Chair of the C2C Board of Directors. "We look forward to the Wildcats' continued growth and success in the years to come."
JWU Charlotte is a private institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina. JWU Charlotte is currently in its Exploratory Year with the NCAA prior to submitting an application for the NCAA Division III Provisional Membership process later this month. The Wildcats will be immediately eligible to compete in all C2C championships and are on pace to become a full NCAA Division III member for the 2028-29 academic year.
"Joining the C2C will elevate JWU Charlotte by giving our student-athletes the opportunity to compete against teams nationwide, excel in academics and leadership, and strengthen our impact while reflecting our core values," said Richard Mathieu, Ph.D., president, Charlotte Campus, Johnson & Wales University.
JWU Charlotte will sponsor the following C2C sports: men's cross country, women's cross country, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's basketball, women's basketball, women's volleyball, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's baseball, women's softball and women's outdoor track and field. The Wildcats currently compete as a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) where they have won the last two Director's Cup titles.
"We are excited to join the Coast-to-Coast Conference, a top-notch NCAA Division III athletic conference. Not only will membership provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete for championships, but it also demonstrates how the philosophies of the other member universities align closely with JWU's values," said Trudi Lacey, director of JWU Charlotte athletics.
The C2C will consist of seven full-time members in 2025-26: University of California-Santa Cruz, Christopher Newport University (Va.), Johnson & Wales University Charlotte (N.C.), University of Mary Washington (Va.), Regent University (Va.), Salisbury University (Md.) and Warren Wilson College (N.C.).
This team could be reasonably competitive in D3. They were USCAA DII Nat'l Champions two years ago. Last season, J&W Charlotte men's soccer was 6-4-5. Among D3 opponents, it lost to Pfeiffer 2-1, tied NC Wesleyan 1-1, beat Greensboro 2-0, and beat Methodist 2-1. I assume they will continue to play USA South members and Warren Wilson from the C2C, plus some ODAC teams.
I wish them better luck than their defunct location in Denver which went bellyup in the middle of their first or second year in the SCAC.
The C2C is a southeastern member or two away from being able to cut loose UCSC and become an actual conference that does more than just conference tournaments and player awards. Don't get me wrong, it's still a conference tied together only because no one else wants them, but it would be nice to have full conference seasons.
They are still long road trips, Salisbury to Warren Wilson is almost 10 hours I think, and JW-C can't be much better, but it might be better than having to find a million non-conference games in every sport every year.
Quote from: jknezek on January 15, 2025, 03:16:25 PMThe C2C is a southeastern member or two away from being able to cut loose UCSC and become an actual conference that does more than just conference tournaments and player awards. Don't get me wrong, it's still a conference tied together only because no one else wants them, but it would be nice to have full conference seasons.
They are still long road trips, Salisbury to Warren Wilson is almost 10 hours I think, and JW-C can't be much better, but it might be better than having to find a million non-conference games in every sport every year.
After Regent and JW-C are full DIII members in 2028-2029, I think C2C will have the required 6 members for a men's soccer AQ without UC Santa Cruz, assuming they don't lose anyone in the interim.
By then, C2C might have picked up some more new members from Texas if the last remaining ASC schools decide they need to join for the benefit of their non-football sports getting access to an AQ option.