The Empire 8 has significantly shifted in the post-Stevens era. During their time in the conference from 2007-2018, Stevens won the conference tournament and AQ 11 times in 12 seasons - only being eliminated once in the 2016 E8 tournament to eventual Champions St. John Fisher after 7 rounds of PKs.

Since then, a handful of programs have had their crack at cementing themselves as the team to beat. Naz lost to Stevens in 2018 and won the first post-Stevens era E8 title in 2019. They fell victim to the shortened COVID season after losing some key players who graduated in the Fall semester (season played in Spring 2021). St. John Fisher won the COVID title, but Naz quickly bounced back in 2021. Since then, Naz have failed to advance past the Quarterfinals of the now 8-team tournament.

Medaille looked like the team to beat in their brief stint in the conference, winning the 2022 Championship with promise for the future. Unfortunately, the College closed it's doors and the window was back open for another program to step up.

Elmira won the 2023 title over Fisher, who eventually reclaimed the title in 2024 with a win over Elmira. Last season, the relatively new SUNY programs (Geneseo & Brockport) competed in the 2025 Championship that was won by Geneseo.

Because of the parity in the league, several teams will feel like they have a genuine chance of lifting the E8 trophy, including Brockport, Naz, Fisher, Geneseo, Alfred, and possibly even Utica & Elmira if things go their way.

Home field advantage will be at a premium - every E8 Champion since 2017 has won the title on their home field.

Curious if anybody else has more insight heading into the final stretch of regular season conference play.

Thriller of a match in Cortland. #9 Cortland, who conceded just 5 goals in the regular season (2nd fewest in the nation) go down 3-0 with all three goals coming in an 11 minute span. Not long after, Oneonta's GK is sent off for deliberately handling the ball just outside the box. Cortland scores on the ensuing FK and gets a second before halftime. Cortland came out of the break on the front foot and got the tying goal with over 20 minutes remaining in regulation.

After the equalizer, Cortland seemed to let up a bit as Oneonta still retained their danger to get the game winner & extend their season. Big time recognition for Oneonta's Freshman GK, Nico Osorio, for stepping in after logging only 39 minutes in the regular season. Despite conceding 3 goals, Osorio stood tall with confidence as he denied Cortland's first PK attempt to instill doubt into their Red Dragon rivals.

Osorio has a tall task ahead of him in the SUNYAC Championship as they will travel to Buffalo State & the nation's leading scorer, Diego Rivera (26G, 8A; 2024 1st-Team All-American). Both are potentially fighting for their season's to continue as Buffalo State is on the bubble with Oneonta on the wrong side of the line.

Could wait until after today's game to give some background on the Empire 8 representative, but some interesting notes/stats heading into the reverse fixture of the 2023 E8 championship.

FISHER:
-GK Christian Burkhart currently leads the nation in shutouts (12). Made some game/season altering saves down the stretch, including an incredible double save (from point blank & quickly reacted to punch the ball away from a tap-in) to preserve a 1-0 lead late against Nazareth to secure the top seed. Burkhart also stopped two PKs against Brockport to send the Cardinals to the Championship game.
-Fisher is 8-1-1 since the beginning of October. They rarely concede clear cut chances (3 goals conceded in that stretch) but are inconsistent up front.
-Their hot streak came with 5th year midfielder Matt Gentile (2021 COVID Spring E8 Tournament MVP) in the lineup. Fisher is 7-1 with Gentile & 3-3-5 without him. Important to note that 4/5 games with 2+ goals came with Gentile playing, but he has missed the previous two matches.
-Fisher boasts an experienced lineup and have shifted from their deep rotation late in the season using only 12 field players. With Gentile, they utilized 11 Grads/5th years/Seniors (including GK), 1 Junior, and 1 Sophomore. They have not replaced Gentile other than a defensive substitute late to preserve a lead.

ELMRIA:
-Elmira entered the season with immense uncertainty after winning the E8 title in 2023. They lost 2023 E8 POY/2nd-team All-Region Forward Martin Harguindey, 1st-Team All-E8/3rd-team All-Region defender Kerfalla Toure, and 2023 COY Lamine Balde (who left just weeks prior to the start of the season).
-Similar to 2023, the Soaring Eagles struggled in non-conference play this season going 0-4-2 (compared to 1-6-1 in 2023).
-Elmira lost 0-3 at Fisher in their first E8 game on 9/14. The Soaring Eagles have not won a game at Fisher since 2009.
-Since their loss to Fisher, Elmira has scored in 13/14 games. In nine of those matches, they have scored 2+ goals.


This game will come down to who can stick to their game plan. Fisher played an even match against Brockport and were arguably lucky to not concede a PK with about 15 minutes left in regulation. Brockport took a firm hold of the momentum before Fisher almost finished the game in OT. Elmira overcame a 1-0 deficit vs. Nazareth with two quick goals (less than one minute apart) in the 65th minute and have looked like they have the same belief that lead them to the Empire 8 title last season.


BOTTOM LINE:
It is Fisher's game to lose. Fisher's athleticism will likely be too much for Elmira to handle. They will want to assert themselves early to avoid Elmira believing they can pull off a repeat. If Elmira does get multiple goals, Fisher will need to switch their game plan to earn the result. It is a blessing for anybody who watches that this season's Championship will not be played on a horrid surface like it was last year.

Although they are not deep, Fisher could cause problems for an NCAA Tournament opponent if they are able to continue their shutout streak. With that being said, they have struggled out of conference against average and below-average competition. Regardless of who wins, they will once again play against a top 10 opponent and would do well to keep the match respectable.

Quote from: stlawus on September 10, 2024, 03:24:07 PMRochester continues to be the Alabama of division 3 soccer. It does not matter what their results are they are always darlings of the d3 soccer powers that be.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that this is more of a reflection of how the USC does it's national rankings compared to UR being given special treatment. The coaches in Region III seem to give more credit to their 2-1 loss at Cortland compared to Buffalo State's opening run against lower level teams.

All in all, it's the first poll and the rankings will work themselves out - evenly representing each region along the way.

SUNY Poly (2023 North Athletic Conference champions) will be joining the Empire 8 in 2024-2025.

https://empire8.com/news/2023/11/20/general-suny-polytechnic-institute-to-join-empire-8-as-12th-full-member-in-fall-of-2024.aspx

The conference will now include 12 members:
Alfred
Brockport
Elmira
Geneseo
Hartwick
Houghton
Keuka
Nazareth
Russell Sage
St. John Fisher
SUNY Poly
Utica

Interesting how a conference that once had schools like RIT, Ithaca, and Stevens has been so aggressive to bring in additional schools in recent years (including the recently shut down Medaille). Perhaps being proactive in the event of further departures or bracing for possible school closings?

Unfortunately field conditions are an element of the game that is no different than the varying levels of officials that you get from match to match. Both teams have to play with the same circumstances so you have to adjust. I can imagine that Fisher can point to several moments in each of their three E8 draws that could have secured themselves home field advantage and avoided a situation where a poor field could decide the conference.

As for the Final - Fisher must've felt there was no way they could execute the game plan that they implemented for the majority of the season. Switch in shape, 1st or 2nd ball direct, and to be fair they did generate 4-5 very dangerous chances. Finishing continued to haunt them as it has most of the season. A few miscues lead to the Elmira PK in 2OT just moments after scoring what could have been the game winner.

Elmira played the same game that they had played all season. They connected when they could, switched the ball to exploit 2v1s, and pounced on mistakes in the box. Martin Harguindey should have been rewarded as MVP for his two goals and setting the tone with the first PK, but the staff must have wanted to spread the love. Their season continues and while they could have some moments in their first round match, their last nonconference win came on the opening day of the season.

Incredible work by Head Coach Lamine Balde and his staff in his third season at Elmira. They will return almost all of their top players next season (barring transfers) and have earned an opportunity to double down on their success in recruiting as well.

Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 06, 2023, 09:27:25 AM

Quote from: College Soccer Observer on November 06, 2023, 09:26:08 AM
No worries.  This is what happens when rookies try to fill the void.  Thanks,

My prediction for Pool C bids. This is organized by Region just to keep things easier for me.  Total of 22 bids available.
Region I (4):  Conn, Middlebury, Tufts, Bowdoin
Region II (1):  Babson
Region III (3):  Oneonta, Rochester, Brockport
Region IV (2):  Franklin and Marshall, Washington College
Region V (1):  Rowan
Region VI (2):  Christopher Newport, Washington and Lee
Region VII (5):  Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan, Case Western, John Carroll, Otterbein
Region VIII (2):  Chicago, North Central
Region IX (2):  UW Platteville, Carleton
Region X (1):  Colorado College

How critical was that Emory match for Rochester? Strictly from an "eye test" perspective, Brockport looked run down at home against Oneonta in the SUNYAC semifinals. They left the door open for a team to spoil their Pool C hopes and Rochester (separated by roughly 20 miles) took full advantage.

Will be intriguing to see how much weight Brockport's SOS (.579 as of week 3) holds compared to Carleton of Region IX who entered the week with a lower SOS and lost to an unranked opponent. Maybe Gustavus Adolphus moves into the final rankings and the committee takes note that both of Carleton's losses were against ranked teams (one being St. Olaf). Brockport might be kicking themselves for their missed opportunity.

Can imagine that the deep debates between resumes only comes into account for maybe a handful of bubble teams.

Thank you Christian for your insightful posts on the selection process - much appreciated!

Incredible equalizer by Connor Koschineg. Hobart starting the second half much better after losing Madsen in the 1st half.

Quote from: Soccer BTN on November 03, 2023, 11:27:13 AM
Appreciate the work!

If anybody wants to track the conference championships: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17-ic3NbeU2Qo8urgoQ_Oh5PXVNixK0vrjlbeza7-YK8/edit?usp=sharing

Due to different time zones and game times changing, there may be a discrepancy between the time listed and actual game time.

Have it restricted at the moment and will do my best to update in the evenings/mornings. If anybody has an interest in assisting, feel free to shoot me a message.

Updated to include Pool C tracker. Stayed away from teams that are on or near the bubble, but looks like there are 14 Pool C bids at play contingent on results this weekend. Feel free to chime in if you have thoughts.

Will clean it up in the evenings/mornings. Excited to watch it all unfold.

#1 Cortland 5-0 #5 Buffalo State
#2 Brockport 0-1 #3 Oneonta

Cortland once again showing that they mean business. 4-0 going into halftime and were able to rotate to keep their guys fresh. Jack Coleman, who had been absent from the lineup since 10/7 vs. Geneseo (looks like it could have been due to a challenge late in the game), scored the game's second goal and will look to build his confidence after totaling 5 goals & 1 assist in the 2022 NCAA tournament. Never a doubt in this one.

Oneonta vs. Brockport was the game to watch. Both teams know that you don't want to leave your tournament fate in the hands of the selection committee - especially knowing Rochester has a massive opportunity to beat UAA champions Emory over the weekend. Oneonta got the game started with an early dangerous free kick by Ali Somow that hit the near post. Brockport had their first big chance of the half from a counter-press as Chuck Domm found his brother Russ just inside the box, but he was unable to make Oneonta GK Nate Hanna work too hard on the initial chance and rolled the subsequent chance wide. On a free-kick with just under 10 minutes remaining in the first, Brockport had an open header at the back post that was once again denied by Hanna.

Early in the second half, 2022 SUNYAC ROY Milton Mancias Magana took advantage of slow/sloppy play from Brockport in the back as he ignited the counter, driving centrally and finding Somow who earned a corner. After a delay due to an injury, Oneonta were able to make Brockport pay as they had a free header hit the crossbar from the initial cross and were able to bury the rebound. Frustrating from Brockport's perspective to be switched off during such a critical moment, but unfortunately that was the story of the day as they made several unforced errors throughout the game.

Oneonta had another chance late to put the game away, but were denied by Brockport GK Drew Taylor. Worth noting that the two goalkeepers are both graduates from Baldwinsville HS - and both had MOTM performances for their respective teams.

Tomorrow's Cortland vs. Oneonta match is the class of the SUNYACs, as the two programs have combined to win 9 out of the last 11 conference championships (Oneonta - 7, Cortland - 2). Despite Oneonta's history, I'm taking Cortland with a decisive win. Coach Steve Axtell has his sights set on a deep NCAA Tournament run and I have little doubt that their focus will be on anything else with each opportunity that they have the remainder of the season. They have 4-5 guys who are a constant threat in the final third and they go into matches with the mindset of imposing their will on every opponent. A win should give them enough to justify hosting at least the opening weekend.

Appreciate the work!

If anybody wants to track the conference championships: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17-ic3NbeU2Qo8urgoQ_Oh5PXVNixK0vrjlbeza7-YK8/edit?usp=sharing

Due to different time zones and game times changing, there may be a discrepancy between the time listed and actual game time.

Have it restricted at the moment and will do my best to update in the evenings/mornings. If anybody has an interest in assisting, feel free to shoot me a message.

In response to the SLU fans that have voluntarily voiced their frustrations throughout the season - I do hope that you can view the games with some sort of pride. They keep the ball well, play in 1-2 touches and do well to keep their opponents chasing for stretches of the game. You can understand the frustration with the lack of dangerous chances to show for their possession, but constantly questioning the gaffer's tactics does no good for the players or the team's success. It also does no good for your blood pressure...and I doubt that anybody can afford to add more stress into their lives these days!

You have to think that there has been a shift in D3 soccer that has been even further highlighted with recent changes to the OT rules. In years past, a team that plays the style that SLU does would greatly benefit from having an extra 20 minutes to find a game winner. A team that has spent the better part of 90 minutes chasing their opponent would be content with sitting back and looking to hit on the counter - and you rarely find teams that consistently find success playing "not to lose" rather than "playing to win." We would love to think that D3 soccer can be played the same way that we see on TV at the highest levels, but the name of the game is creating dangerous chances and denying chances - which you have to say RPI did a phenomenal job of getting numbers back, staying compact, and being brave in the box.

Tosh clearly does a good job coaching his players to follow what he believes is the way to play - keeping the ball. Whether or not this is the style that will take SLU as far as their fans would like is a different discussion. If he changed his tactics to neglect possession and create as many chances as possible, I am sure there would still be complaints about the style. Tosh has done well recruiting in the past and all you can do is hope that this fuels his hunger to repay the faithful alumni.

All in all - glad that a fanbase has so much representation on these boards. Reading your posts gave context as I watched their games that I might not have tuned in to without your presence here.

As for the remainder of the LL tournament - what are the predictions for Hobart vs. RPI & Union vs. Ithaca?

Have followed this conference quite a bit this season in hopes of finding a gem that could make noise in the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Naz was in the driver's seat for the entire season prior to conceding with 2:23 remaining vs. Elmira to drop crucial points. Elmira closed the season out looking like somebody took a baseball bat to a beehive as they exploded for four goals in the first half of their final game to secure the top seed.

Elmira - Their response to going down early away @ Naz and the energy that they came out with vs. Alfred show this team is peaking at the right time. Players seem to fight for HC Lamine Balde - who has turned this program around after missing the conference tournament last season to win their first ever regular season title. Their home field is a nightmare for any opponent to play on. If they wind up hosting the Empire 8 Championship, I encourage anybody who is unfamiliar with this conference to tune in. Torn up grass field, camera right on top of the benches so you can hear everything. Who doesn't love a rugby match to decide who advances to the NCAA Tournament?

Fisher - Got a crucial 3 points against rivals Naz to earn a bye. They keep it pretty clean in the back but don't generate a ton of clear chances in the final third. Biggest thing to keep an eye on - who does the staff trust in net after rotating between both keepers in the final four games of the season? Firm believer that when a Coach thinks that they have two #1s, they really don't have any...

Naz - What happened down the stretch? They were strategic to get a few players their 5th yellow cards early enough so they wouldn't risk being suspended for Elmira/Fisher/E8 tournament, but did the staff think they had the one seed locked up too soon? Luckily they don't have much time to think about it as they turn around tomorrow vs. Alfred. Would love to see another rivalry match (vs. Fisher) to determine who advances to the E8 finals.

Hartwick - HC John Scott (who has stayed with the program during their transition from D1 to D3) has a well organized group. They play the right way and keep games tight. If they do win vs. Utica tomorrow, it will be intriguing to see how their style changes on a beat-up Elmira surface.

Utica - Fell incredibly short of expectations after a runner-up performance in 2022. Have yet to win back-to-back games in 2023, but did enter the 2022 conference tournament on a four-game losing skid and advanced out of the 4v5 game as well. My guess is that they would do well to upset Hartwick but would need PKs to advance past Elmira.

Alfred - Unpredictable team that is hoping to pounce on Naz's recent downturn. They are 1-6-1 in away matches, with their tie coming on September 1st and win coming on September 6th. In their most recent six away games, they have been outscored 5-21. Maybe they can shock Naz and get hot, but don't expect them to be a real threat at earning the AQ.


2023 awards (stats based - would love to hear what others think):
Coach of the Year - Lamine Balde (Elmira)
Player of the Year - Martin Harguindey (Elmira) - 11g (3 gwg), 2a
Rookie of the Year - Gavin Culley (Alfred) - 8g (2 gwg), 1a

Long story short - the AQ is most likely going to get a difficult opening weekend matchup against Cortland or travel to one of the top teams in the country. They would do well to fight & hold on for a chance late into the game, but it will be a tall task for any of these teams. No team from the conference has appeared in the Region III polls throughout the season. The top two seeds combined for a nonconference record of 2-10-3.

Anybody else have insight that they can add heading into the conference tournament?

Cortland with a statement 3-0 win over Oneonta. Have felt since the start of this season that this was going to be the team to make a run from Region 3.

Their 4-1 loss to Rochester to open the season was largely influenced by the three PKs they conceded. They have proven to learn from this as they have yet to concede more than one goal in each of the last 11 matches (+34 goal differential in that time).

Coach Axtell has been consistently knocking on the door of the Elite 8 with five Sweet 16 appearances in the last eight seasons. They impose their will on opponents and look to be up to the challenge this season.

https://sunyacsports.com/general/2023-24/releases/20231005jcgtfr

SUNY Canton & SUNY Morrisville to join the SUNYAC in 2024-25. They will replace SUNY Brockport & SUNY Geneseo - who will both be joining the Empire 8.