2022 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[Ejay]

WestConn has been raised extensively as unfortunate, and I would generally agree with that assessment while recognizing the SoS factor. To me, it's most crazy to think that a team missed out on a Pool C with literally 3 times the number of wins (20) as Williams (6).

SoS be dammed.  Western CT was 4-0-1 against teams that made the tournament. Combine that with a 20-0-2 record and they got shafted. Pure and simple. 

[Maine Soccer Fan]

Just to add one more metric to the Williams conversation, in 11/17 games they scored 0 or 1 goal.

In 1 game they scored 4 - Bates.
In 1 game they scored 3 - Mount Aloysius.
In 4 games they scored 2

What exactly did they earn?

[4samuy]

You can put the full blame on the regional committee for west conn not jumping Hamilton in the regional rankings. Blame probably isn't the right word, but the committee looked at the resumes and primary an secondary criteria and determined that Hamilton had a better resume, thus blocking western conn from even getting to the table for debate.

If you don't get to the table, you just don't have a shot.

[4samuy]

Imho the committee put a significant emphasis on ties due to the rule changes made by the NCAA as it relates to the OT rule changes.

[futbolfan]

There sure is a lot of talk about Hamilton "blocking" WestConn in the regional rankings.  But consider this - maybe both teams deserved to make the NCAAs.  Perhaps the committee should reward wins at 2.5 or 3 instead of 2, placing a greater emphasis on wins and less on ties.  Tufts skipped ahead of Hamilton after their NESCAC quarterfinal "loss" in Pks to Williams, which counted as another tie, pushing them to 7-2-7 instead of 7-3-6, and putting them ahead of Hamilton.  So everything being said about Williams applies to Tufts - too great of a reward for ties benefitted both teams.  A greater win value in the rankings model should be considered in this tie-happy world we are now in.

[paclassic89]

Thoughts on potentially expanding the tournament?  https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-predictions-2022-23-expert-picks-for-2023-final-four-and-ncaa-tournament-champion/  There has been some discussion about this regarding D1 sports this year. We know there is an issue with too many AQs and not enough Pool C's.  Would expanding the field help?  Just some food for thought   

[SierraFD3soccer]

Thoughts on potentially expanding the tournament?  https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-predictions-2022-23-expert-picks-for-2023-final-four-and-ncaa-tournament-champion/  There has been some discussion about this regarding D1 sports this year. We know there is an issue with too many AQs and not enough Pool C's.  Would expanding the field help?  Just some food for thought

Interesting, but no D3 AD would go for it, I'm thinking.  Add another weekend? 64 teams seems enough qualifiers. Always going to be teams that feel that they should have made it.

How about eliminating stupid conference tournaments?? AQ goes to the team that does the best in the conference

[Gregory Sager]

Thoughts on potentially expanding the tournament?  https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-predictions-2022-23-expert-picks-for-2023-final-four-and-ncaa-tournament-champion/  There has been some discussion about this regarding D1 sports this year. We know there is an issue with too many AQs and not enough Pool C's.  Would expanding the field help?  Just some food for thought   

It's not going to expand. D3 tournaments have been capped at 64 teams by the NCAA, even for sports that exceed the 6.5:1 access ratio in terms of 64 tournament slots (i.e., sports with more than 416 teams, of which there are several at the D3 level). Why? The long and short of it is because D3 tournaments are not self-supporting. The revenue to finance most of D1's tournaments and national meets and all of D2's and D3's tournaments and national meets comes from two sources: television contracts for D1 Bowl Division football, and television contracts for D1 men's basketball (particularly March Madness). Essentially, national competition is possible at this level only because of the largesse the NCAA provides from those two sources. D3 tourneys don't generate nearly enough revenue to fund the airfare, hotel bills, facilities costs, staffing, etc., that make those tourneys possible.

[Gregory Sager]

Thoughts on potentially expanding the tournament?  https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/college-basketball-predictions-2022-23-expert-picks-for-2023-final-four-and-ncaa-tournament-champion/  There has been some discussion about this regarding D1 sports this year. We know there is an issue with too many AQs and not enough Pool C's.  Would expanding the field help?  Just some food for thought

Interesting, but no D3 AD would go for it, I'm thinking.  Add another weekend? 64 teams seems enough qualifiers. Always going to be teams that feel that they should have made it.

How about eliminating stupid conference tournaments?? AQ goes to the team that does the best in the conference

The NCAA's intent is to promote self-governance among conferences wherever possible or practical. That includes the manner by which each conference determines its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament or national meet for each sport. The NCAA is not going to dictate policy with regard to how each league assigns its AQs. That would run completely counter to the way that the NCAA's member schools have set up the organization's polity.

[Saint of Old]

Calvin (16-2-2)   

Calvin is 36-2-6 in the NCAA tournament.

This is their 20th appearance.

Wow, just wow. How has this team never won the entire thing.
I know they have made many deep deep runs, but definitely the Dutch of D2 soccer.

[Domino1195]

They year they lost to Tufts in the final: saw them in person several times - the Elite 8 win at Kenyon was a great game (both teams played excellently).

Concede the winning goal at the 109? minute mark off a corner. They attacked relentlessly but couldn't get one in. Most unlucky finalist in NCAA D3 soccer.

Love the nod to the Dutch - my first WC final I saw was 74 - closed circuit broadcast in a sold out Madison Square Garden. It was like being at the game - so much crowd noise! Changed my jersey number to 14 afterwards. . . .

So the ridiculous weather we've been having in Ohio is coming to an end. The mild mid to high 60's gives way to true fall weather this weekend.  It is projected to rain most of the day Friday at Kenyon. We've not had much rain and ground is very firm. Played golf yesterday and the ball was running like it would normally in July and August. This type of scenario - slick surface, rock hard ground - makes selection of footwear important. Screw-in's should be avoided - a better choice would be ice skates - at least you can use your edges to maneuver. Molded aren't much better, I would wear turf shoes.

Once the front passes , Saturday and Sunday's high temps forecast to be 40's, high 30's.  ONU's turf surface won't be an issue and winds aren't projected to be very strong.

[Saint of Old]

They year they lost to Tufts in the final: saw them in person several times - the Elite 8 win at Kenyon was a great game (both teams played excellently).

Concede the winning goal at the 109? minute mark off a corner. They attacked relentlessly but couldn't get one in. Most unlucky finalist in NCAA D3 soccer.

Love the nod to the Dutch - my first WC final I saw was 74 - closed circuit broadcast in a sold out Madison Square Garden. It was like being at the game - so much crowd noise! Changed my jersey number to 14 afterwards. . . .

So the ridiculous weather we've been having in Ohio is coming to an end. The mild mid to high 60's gives way to true fall weather this weekend.  It is projected to rain most of the day Friday at Kenyon. We've not had much rain and ground is very firm. Played golf yesterday and the ball was running like it would normally in July and August. This type of scenario - slick surface, rock hard ground - makes selection of footwear important. Screw-in's should be avoided - a better choice would be ice skates - at least you can use your edges to maneuver. Molded aren't much better, I would wear turf shoes.

Once the front passes , Saturday and Sunday's high temps forecast to be 40's, high 30's.  ONU's turf surface won't be an issue and winds aren't projected to be very strong.

Johan da great man.
Its a game of inspiration, I remember watching Zico in 86 and thinking this guy is like a super hero, but I can maybe do the things he does! Now Diego was playing at the time, but we love who we love.

Kenyon is dangerous man, almost had an undefeated season. Newman and the boys should have high hopes this season.

[nescac1]

Everyone is trashing Williams' resume, and the pile-on is a bit unfair.  I understand the criticisms.  But the other side of it is this:

First, Williams finished second in the regular-season, and made it to the conference semifinals, of the conference that has absolutely dominated D3 soccer over the past eight years (including the last FOUR national finalist teams over the past two years).  Williams would have, obviously, had a better record in any other conference, and likely a MUCH better record in most.  You do have to consider strength of opponents.

Second, yes, Williams had only six wins, but they also had only one loss playing in the best conference in the country.  It is hardly Williams' fault that NESCAC decided to eliminate overtime this year, skewing the entire league towards a lot more ties than it would have otherwise had.  You play by the rules your league establishes.   

Third, Williams had two huge wins, over Bowdoin and Middlebury, both highly-ranked regional teams also playing in the NCAA tourney.  Among its ties were Babson (top-ranked team in its region), Amherst (top ranked team in ITS region and a top overall seed in the tourney), Tufts twice (another NCAA tourney team and decade-long national power), Conn College (defending national champion), and Wesleyan and Hamilton (teams that were regionally ranked most of the year).  The only "bad" ties were Springfield, Wheaton, and Colby, and obviously, ties in those games are still not nearly as bad as a loss. 

Fourth, while they were not as has been pointed out a high-scoring team, Williams gave up only 9 goals in 17 games, which is certainly very impressive, especially vs. a schedule packed with national powerhouse teams. The Ephs had ten shutouts, and gave up only ONE goal in their last five games, all of which were big games vs. strong opponents.  Clearly, Williams is a national defensive powerhouse.   

It does not seem like Williams was even among last few teams into the tourney, based on where they are seeded, so it's not like they were the ones who knocked Western Conn or Montclair off the bubble.  I just think it's unfair to direct so much ire at a Williams team which did earn its place among the top 64 teams (and likely are one of the best 30 in the country all things considered).   

[camosfan]

Williams is legit, played in the toughest conference and lost only 1 game, could be a sleeper, reminds me of an Italian team in the World Cup some time ago that struggled until the knockout phase and then won the whole thing.

[paclassic89]

We'll find out pretty quickly how legit they are.  NYU first game.