Quote from: kansas hokie on November 08, 2025, 12:26:46 AMHere's the bubble with new Saturday NPI

1) VA Wesleyan
2) Brandeis if they lose to NYU
3) Denison if they lose final to Depauw
4) Lake Forest if they lose final to Grinnell
5) Amherst
6) W&L if they lose ODAC final
7) CNU if they lose C2C final
8) Edgewood
9) Hobart if they lose LL final
10) UW-Whitewater
11) Scranton
12) Hampden Sydney (yes, if armageddon happens, even this bid is not safe)

The following teams need to win title games or they will fall out...

Buffalo St.
Southwestern
Ohio Northern
Catholic
Dickinson

The top 21 in Friday's NPI are all safely in except Lake Forest and CNU.

So if 7 bids are stolen, then CNU would be out etc.?

Anyone have word on what the NPI at large bubble line will be? Any predictions on the number based on the current conference final matchups?

Quote from: jknezek on October 19, 2025, 11:27:48 AM

Quote from: Garden12 on October 19, 2025, 11:22:38 AMIt's looking very possible that 4 Odac teams make the NCAA tournament. I doubt that's happened in a very long time

Call me pessimistic. Bridgewater has a tough stretch. They re going to pickup o inflict blemishes on 3 of those 5. The tournament will add more for all but one. I could see 3 bids depending on how the season plays out. I think it comes down to Lynchburg and H-SC for the auto bid. W&L and Va Wes try and hang on for a third bid. Bridgewater looks like a paper tiger to me, and not enough SoS if they pick up the blemishes I think are coming.

Looking at NPI, as long as W&L, HS, and VW finish relatively neutral, they'll all make the tournament. Can't say for sure whether that will happen but each team seems to have the ball in their court

It's looking very possible that 4 Odac teams make the NCAA tournament. I doubt that's happened in a very long time

From my perspective, W&L seems to have one of the best back lines in the country. They've played n extremely difficult SOS and have barely allowed any goals. If their attack was stronger I could see their junior cb being an all American (as all American status seems to follow team success for defenders)

Can anyone explain Roanoke's complete slide from being nationally ranked to losing 7 games in a row. Were they never that good or just have had a rough stretch?

If the Conn keeper was replaced by someone slightly worse, that game could have easily finished 3-0 to W&L.

Going off of the conversation in the liberty league chat, if W&L were in the Nescac where would they fall year after year?

Anyone who watched W&L vs Dickinson and Babson vs Midd, what were your thoughts

On a separate note, if the 16 remaining teams had to be ranked from 1-16 on most likely to take it all home. How would it look?

Quote from: Hopkins Walk-On on November 17, 2024, 08:09:24 PM

Quote from: Garden12 on November 17, 2024, 07:55:25 PMIs it possible that the Hopkins style of play just doesn't work in the tournament? Their endless possession just doesnt seem to consistently create chances against teams that are solid defensively. Maybe they sometimes make a small run but I could never see them winning the 6/6 needed to win a tournament.

Maybe. That has been a concern for Hopkins fans (or at least this one) for some time. This year's team seemed capable of playing a number of styles, however. As I noted earlier, they have demonstrated an ability to absorb a lot of pressure and then play more directly (Centennial Conference semi-final v. Dickinson). I thought they had the upper hand in the second half of today's game and in the two overtimes after nearly getting run off the field in the first half.

That said, they are never going to be volume shooters. They spend a lot of time and effort (maybe too much) trying to get good shots instead of ripping it from 20 yds on occasion. Jason Pan's game winner yesterday was a notable exception to the rule.

Quote from: Hopkins Walk-On on November 17, 2024, 08:09:24 PM

Quote from: Garden12 on November 17, 2024, 07:55:25 PMIs it possible that the Hopkins style of play just doesn't work in the tournament? Their endless possession just doesnt seem to consistently create chances against teams that are solid defensively. Maybe they sometimes make a small run but I could never see them winning the 6/6 needed to win a tournament.

Maybe. That has been a concern for Hopkins fans (or at least this one) for some time. This year's team seemed capable of playing a number of styles, however. As I noted earlier, they have demonstrated an ability to absorb a lot of pressure and then play more directly (Centennial Conference semi-final v. Dickinson). I thought they had the upper hand in the second half of today's game and in the two overtimes after nearly getting run off the field in the first half.

That said, they are never going to be volume shooters. They spend a lot of time and effort (maybe too much) trying to get good shots instead of ripping it from 20 yds on occasion. Jason Pan's game winner yesterday was a notable exception to the rule.

Even having a slight upper hand they really didn't have any clear cut chances. The goal was a gift from W&L. Not having their best CB definitely played a role but who knows how much. And even if they won what were the odds of them getting through Williams.

Is it possible that the Hopkins style of play just doesn't work in the tournament? Their endless possession just doesnt seem to consistently create chances against teams that are solid defensively. Maybe they sometimes make a small run but I could never see them winning the 6/6 needed to win a tournament.