2016 Rankings

[Shooter McGavin]

Might as well start this post with the first preseason poll released today from the NSCAA.

http://www.nscaa.com/web/Rankings/web/rankings/2016/Preseason/NCAA_DIII_MEN.aspx

Do we know when the D3Soccer Preseason poll will be released?

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

Looks to be the same or very similar to last seasons final top 25 poll by the NSCAA. Also, typically D3Soccer has not done a preseason top 25 poll, although I think it is something the fans would enjoy.

[Flying Weasel]

Looks to be the same or very similar to last seasons final top 25 poll by the NSCAA. Also, typically D3Soccer has not done a preseason top 25 poll, although I think it is something the fans would enjoy.

<sarcasm>How would D3soccer.com possible do a pre-season ranking?  There's no tournament finish to base it on.  You know . . . the champion ranked No. 1, runner-up #2, The other semifinalists #3 and #4, the other Elite 8 teams in spots 5 thru 8, the rest of the Sweet 16 from #9 to #16, etc. Unless . . . the previous year's tournament would be used, ignoring losses to graduation, changes in the experience-level of squads with returning players moving up (and stepping up), incoming classes, coaching changes, etc. Yeah, that could be done. . . ohh, wait a minute, someone (the NSCAA) beat D3soccer.com to the punch.</sarcasm>

OK, more seriously, as I ask every season, what's the point of a pre-season ranking/poll if it's exactly the same as the final ranking/poll from the previous season?  Did the NSCAA really do a new poll and the results came out identical (same 25 teams in same exact order) to the poll they did eight months ago?  You mean to tell me that no team in the final 2015 Top 25 has lost a lot to graduation and would reasonably be expected to be at a lower level this year, at least out of the gate?  You mean to tell me that no team has all their key players back and could reasonably be expected to be better this year?  Etc...  At least the NSCAA women's coaches mixed things up a little with some changes in position even if 24 of the 25 teams are the same from the final 2015 poll (http://www.nscaa.com/web/Rankings/web/rankings/2016/Preseason/NCAA_DIII_WOMEN.aspx).  But I still fail to see the point if things like losses to graduation, changes in the experience-level of squads with returning players moving up, etc. are not taken into account.

[blooter442]

While I don't think Chicago and WashU are underrated, per se, I do think both teams will outperform those rankings (probably able to finish #10-16 in the year-end poll). Chicago brings back pretty much everyone bar Bilbao and I think the freshmen Koh and Lopez will be better with a year of experience under their belts. Jack West coming back for WashU is huge and the Sproule kid looked good as a freshman.

So, uh, MIT loses their 20-goal-a-season striker who was a part of 50+ percent of his team's goals, their starting 'keeper, and their best midfielder...and are ranked 13th? "Well, they made it to the Sweet 16 last year, so they must be that good this year." - #NSCAAlogic

(I will happily eat my words if MIT proves me wrong. That said, Bovell did have a tendency to park the bus a lot last year, and it worked well for them, but I really don't see Itani carrying the goalscoring load and this team back to NCAAs.)

Re: the rest of New England's teams

I think Tufts will be good this year, probably also able to finish in the #10-16 range. Greenwood will be a year more experienced, they return three of their back four, and Majumder will be up top. Only issue for me is midfield, where they lost 2 out of 3 starters (Kayne and Pinheiro) but if this kid Rojas is as good as Mr.Right says he is then he could definitely help out. Either way, Tufts has a strong enough bench that I think they'll cope.

Brandeis brings back a lot of experience but I think losing Picard and Lanahan will result in some early growing paints. That said, Ocel is an All-American midfielder who is a really solid all-around player and he and Hernandez played for FC Boston this summer and will no doubt be better as a result. Woodhouse in net is good, a little indecisive at times this past year but he came into his own and is a solid GK all-around. Goals might be a bit of an issue again but Brandeis has been able to combine attacking prowess with being very hard to beat, so I think they'll do OK.

Not sure if Amherst will retain its title but I don't see any other team that is supremely poised to usurp the Jeffs. Losing NPL and Bull will be tough. We know Owen is a solid PK stopper from his NCAA appearances in 2014 but I will be curious to see how he is in open play. Can't hurt having Bull to train with.

Gordon and Bowdoin have both been knocking on the Sweet 16 door the past couple of years. Big question is whether they can make the jump. Gordon brings back a lot and Caleb Cole had a good year. Bowdoin doesn't have a ton of goals in them but 1. that's not their style and 2. Van Siclen will keep them in lots of games. Think both could finish top 25, although I'd over-emphasize the Italics in that statement.

[Shooter McGavin]

Last season we had 8 different changes at #1 in 11 polls which included 6 different teams in those spots. Do we expect this to be the same trend for this upcoming season? Are the days of a team or 2 being #1 start to finish over? Messiah did it in 2014 starting #1 and ending #1 until the final postseason poll where they were picked #4 after losing in NCAAs. In 2013 it was only Messiah and Ohio Wesleyan battling for the #1 spot in every poll. There are so many good teams and none that are overly dominant to hold onto a #1 spot for even 5+ weeks let alone a whole season like Messiah has done. My opinion is that we will see similar trends at#1 with multiple teams switching in and out of the spot.

[NEPAFAN]

What is one team not in the rankings that you think could end up in the top 25 at the end of the year?

[Shooter McGavin]

RPI, Case Western, Frostburg, York, Middlebury, Endicott, Messiah

Sorry that is more than 1 but those schools I think have a good chance this upcoming season to crack the top 25 in the final poll. Great question NEPAFAN!

[NEPAFAN]

RPI, Case Western, Frostburg, York, Middlebury, Endicott, Messiah

Sorry that is more than 1 but those schools I think have a good chance this upcoming season to crack the top 25 in the final poll. Great question NEPAFAN!

That is okay. I am trying to get more insight into D3 outside of the Mid Atlantic... can't wait for September..

[luckylefty]

Cabrini and Eastern both have a chance too as well.  Cabrini graduated one player from last years team.  They return every starter from last year.  Their schedule wasn't very good last year, but they thankfully have the Eastern game back on their schedule.

Eastern lost a few good players, but that camp they run there has been huge.  I think it's helped with their recruiting.

[NEsoccerfan20]

RPI, Case Western, Frostburg, York, Middlebury, Endicott, Messiah

Sorry that is more than 1 but those schools I think have a good chance this upcoming season to crack the top 25 in the final poll. Great question NEPAFAN!

I agree with most of these Shooter especially Middlebury and RPI... but you think Endicott has a chance to crack the top 25 with all of the goals they graduated? Very very solid back line and GK but will be interesting to see if they can grind out some low scoring results with a tough out of conference schedule.

[Shooter McGavin]

RPI, Case Western, Frostburg, York, Middlebury, Endicott, Messiah

Sorry that is more than 1 but those schools I think have a good chance this upcoming season to crack the top 25 in the final poll. Great question NEPAFAN!

I agree with most of these Shooter especially Middlebury and RPI... but you think Endicott has a chance to crack the top 25 with all of the goals they graduated? Very very solid back line and GK but will be interesting to see if they can grind out some low scoring results with a tough out of conference schedule.

I am not huge on the New England area teams with info so I digress this question to others who follow that area more closely than I do. Mr. Right? NCAC New England? Thoughts on this? They will have a better grasp on it than I do 

[Mr.Right]

Endicott had an impressive year last year and were rewarded with an ECAC berth. I saw them play a couple times and was impressed with the GK and the backs and that striker they had was very dangerous. I have heard they got a decent recruiting class but they graduated a ton. This team will have some growing pains this season I believe and there BIGGEST GOAL should be to win their conference and get the AQ. They are again playing a challenging schedule but if I were laying money today I would say they will not see the postseason next year.

I have talked about Midd extensively in either this forum or another one and do believe they will be an NCAA team this season after maybe their most 4 year disastrous stretch in a long long time.

RPI over-achieved last season after graduating a ton in 2015. They made the NCAA's and notched a win in the Brandeis sectional last year. Adam Clinton might have done his finest coaching job last year at RPI. In Clinton's tenure they have always defended well and had solid GK'ing.  At times they can be absolutely anemic up front especially against better teams but they always hang around in games and have a knack of scoring out of nothing. Clinton always plays a challenging schedule but I think they miss out of the LL play-offs this year finishing 5th. For some reason I see the top 4 LL teams this year being SLU, Hobart, Skidmore and Union / Vassar.

[Ommadawn]

RPI over-achieved last season after graduating a ton in 2015. They made the NCAA's and notched a win in the Brandeis sectional last year. Adam Clinton might have done his finest coaching job last year at RPI. In Clinton's tenure they have always defended well and had solid GK'ing.  At times they can be absolutely anemic up front especially against better teams but they always hang around in games and have a knack of scoring out of nothing. Clinton always plays a challenging schedule but I think they miss out of the LL play-offs this year finishing 5th. For some reason I see the top 4 LL teams this year being SLU, Hobart, Skidmore and Union / Vassar.

I agree with Mr. Right's assessments of all three teams and would add that RPI actually missed the LL playoffs last year (I think they finished 7th in conference play, IIRC).  RPI had an outstanding September last year, performing exceptionally well against out-of-conference opponents.  By the end of the season, they appeared to be running on fumes a bit, but rebounded nicely to win their first round game in the NCAAs.  Barring a windfall of new recruits, the team is likely to struggle to reach last year's heights.

[Saint of Old]

RPI over-achieved last season after graduating a ton in 2015. They made the NCAA's and notched a win in the Brandeis sectional last year. Adam Clinton might have done his finest coaching job last year at RPI. In Clinton's tenure they have always defended well and had solid GK'ing.  At times they can be absolutely anemic up front especially against better teams but they always hang around in games and have a knack of scoring out of nothing. Clinton always plays a challenging schedule but I think they miss out of the LL play-offs this year finishing 5th. For some reason I see the top 4 LL teams this year being SLU, Hobart, Skidmore and Union / Vassar.

I agree with Mr. Right's assessments of all three teams and would add that RPI actually missed the LL playoffs last year (I think they finished 7th in conference play, IIRC).  RPI had an outstanding September last year, performing exceptionally well against out-of-conference opponents.  By the end of the season, they appeared to be running on fumes a bit, but rebounded nicely to win their first round game in the NCAAs.  Barring a windfall of new recruits, the team is likely to struggle to reach last year's heights.

Clinton is one of the best Coaches in the Liberty League.
RPI will be there.
They are like Arsenal, always find a way to champions league (Playoffs).
Last year seemed to be lost, but with good and intelligent schedule and some key wins RPI managed to sneak in.
They also won their first round game in order to prove they belong.

This year it will be (in no particular order):
RPI/Union/Hobart/Vassar/SLU fighting for 4 spots.
I will expand soon on the LL page.

[Mid-Atlantic Fan]

What is one team not in the rankings that you think could end up in the top 25 at the end of the year?

Rochester, Plattsburgh St., York, Stockton