"Faketional championship"

[lovelax]

Wow. Some real head scratchers in the women's field. I understand and agree the AQ is a great way to expand the game BUT when you omit key powerhouse programs in the field, have only 3 at-large bids, and seed for geography you have some absurd and unfair results. The selection committee is stuck with all of the AQs but now we have some exceptionally weak programs in the field and missing some key ones. I think the committee penalized teams who had limited schedules due to Covid (I get it....self-inflicted decisions by the schools)

For example in the Centennial, F&M who is # 1 beat Gettysburg #5 for the conference title in a close game. Neither team has an impressive win on their resume and no one really knows how good these teams are. Gettysburg does not get an at-large bid. Under the same selection criteria, F&M would not get a bid if they lost?

While rankings are somewhat subjective, York, CNU UMW and Gettysburg don't get at large bids but Carrol and Ithaca do? I don't get it.

As for seeding and locations, two top 4 teams W&L and Salisbury will likely play (if all goes chalk) in the quarters because of their geographic seeding. Meanwhile the Chicago region has 8 teams that get waffled every time they play a team outside of the Great lake area. Solely because of geography a Chicago region team will walk into the final four and get likely get blasted in the semis. Meanwhile either Salisbury OR W&L would win with a running clock in the quarters in that region.

The games on the F&M side of the Colby bracket will likely have four strong teams in the round of 16. Meanwhile the Chicago bracket has 0 in that round.

Lastly without some key Nescac teams including returning champ Middlebury, and Amherst Bowdoin opting out, whoever wins this year should have a huge ***** next to the team. NO fault of the players and I'm happy they will at least get to play this year which is important. Just wait until the men's teams are announced....there will be some serious howling on that message board with the AQs taking spots from the better teams.

Enough griping... I see very few interesting opening round games. I think Cortland wins two and beats Rhodes at Rhodes. Rhodes not ready for prime time yet. I also think F&M and Tufts get to the final four. Tufts has the easier route. Denison gets to its final four in the Midwest team bracket. The best quarter will be Salisbury and W&L. While W&L has home field on grass, I think Salisbury's schedule has them better prepared. Not an impressive win for W&L this year and winning games 30-2 helps no one.

Even though the winner of W&L/Salisbury will get some rest it the semis with a running clock, Tufts over Salisbury for its first NC! Good luck to all teams and players.

[Dr. Tact]

Wow. Some real head scratchers in the women's field. I understand and agree the AQ is a great way to expand the game BUT when you omit key powerhouse programs in the field, have only 3 at-large bids, and seed for geography you have some absurd and unfair results. The selection committee is stuck with all of the AQs but now we have some exceptionally weak programs in the field and missing some key ones. I think the committee penalized teams who had limited schedules due to Covid (I get it....self-inflicted decisions by the schools)

For example in the Centennial, F&M who is # 1 beat Gettysburg #5 for the conference title in a close game. Neither team has an impressive win on their resume and no one really knows how good these teams are. Gettysburg does not get an at-large bid. Under the same selection criteria, F&M would not get a bid if they lost?

While rankings are somewhat subjective, York, CNU UMW and Gettysburg don't get at large bids but Carrol and Ithaca do? I don't get it.

This really sucks for those programs that are deserving. It's like with D1 if UNC wins the ACC, no other ACC team gets in the NCAA's? Dumb.

[ah23]

Am I reading this right? The #5 team in the country was left out of the tournament in favor of Carroll (an unranked, three-loss team that lost by 16 goals in their CCG) and Illinois Wesleyan (an unranked, three-loss team than didn’t even make their CCG)? What?

[Dr. Tact]

Am I reading this right? The #5 team in the country was left out of the tournament in favor of Carroll (an unranked, three-loss team that lost by 16 goals in their CCG) and Illinois Wesleyan (an unranked, three-loss team than didn’t even make their CCG)? What?

This should get more outrage....I dont have a D in D3 right now, but will soon. It is a shame that a York or a Gettysburg lose their conference but get excluded. Like I said above. If Cuse got excluded from the NCAA's because they lost their ACC championship, the whole Lax world would be spun up....

[laxfan22]

Honestly it’s one of the most absurd decisions I’ve ever seen in sport. If I was Gettysburg or Colby or York I’d make a trip to Illinois next year and hang 30 on these teams.

Does anyone know who was on this committee? Taking 3 teams from that conference is a heck joke.

[seacoaster]

Even putting aside the teams left out, the thing is pretty sorry, and the culprit is the geography issue. The Chicago bracket is crazy; it is just a cluster of unproven teams, especially in this covid year. And meanwhile the W&L bracket is a dogfight.

[laxfan22]

At some point don’t even play it. If you can’t create a tournament with deserving teams and brackets that reflect some sense of balance, what’s even the point?

[lovelax]

laxfan22 that is why I named this thread "faketional championship". Will there be a "real" champ in 2021? I think not.

I do lay some blame on the administrations which made the hasty and overprotective decision that they could not play or just play limited games. Some administrations value athletics more than others which should be a factor when deciding where to go to college and play. That said the seedings are absurd with heavy emphasis on the South and Midwest teams. I have nothing against these teams but they don't see the level of play as the other lacrosse hotbeds. Not one has advanced past the round of 16.

[laxfan22]

That’s true but it wasn’t the kids who made those choices and in many cases it wasn’t the schools. Obviously some schools decided not to play at all while others went forward. At the end of the day, someone - no idea who - from the NCAA (which is hardly without blame too) made the most absurd decision I’ve ever seen in sport. Unfortunately not many people care but for dozens of coaches and players (most importantly) you just heck those kids over.

[netrip]

OP -- "in the Centennial, F&M who is # 1 beat Gettysburg #5 for the conference title in a close game. Neither team has an impressive win on their resume."

WAC played both teams to a tie well into the second half before the opponents' giant rosters pulled away. And WAC, in its first game, on the road at Salisbury, starting 6 FR and Sophs, fell behind 7-0 in the first 10 minutes before playing Salisbury 6-6 for the next 50. I am not making the argument that WAC should be in the tourney (although I have made that argument with the larger field in 2018 and 2019), but they finished 5-3, only losing to those three top 5 teams, and they are and have been for 4 years the clear 3rd best team in the Centennial, which, unike NESCAC only ever gets two bids. They've consistently whipped CMU, RM, St Mary's, Haverford, Dickinson, and Rowan (14-1 against those teams since 2018). I consider those F&M and GBurg wins over WAC impressive, and I think their coaches would agree.

[lovelax]

No disrespect to WAC intended. Only that Gburg and F&m did not play any top-ranked opponents (other than each other) this year due to the condensed schedule . WAC is a good team with good coaching and players....although with a short-bench. To Wac's credit they also open with a tough Salisbury team. That's how teams get better by playing good competition.

One point to this thread is that weaker teams are getting into the playoffs, even with the three at-large bids, where a program with 2 of the last 3 national championships is left out. That's one (of many reasons) this year's playoffs are "fake".

[laxfan22]

And let’s not pretend that Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan played any good teams at all - in conference or out of conference.

At the end of the day, no one cares except the girls and coaches that were totally screwed and a few dozen others. I’m hard pressed to recall a more absurd decision in any sport.

[Dr. Tact]

And let’s not pretend that Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan played any good teams at all - in conference or out of conference.

At the end of the day, no one cares except the girls and coaches that were totally screwed and a few dozen others. I’m hard pressed to recall a more absurd decision in any sport.

Amen

[laxfan22]

In case anyone cares, Illinois Wesleyan lost to someplace called George Fox in the first round.

Btw, anyone know who was on the selection committee?

[lovelax]

I see Tufts as a "lock" in the final 4. TCNJ will pay hard but should lose that quarter. The Midwest-team bracket is anyone's guess but maybe Denison gets into the final 4 in the weakest bracket?

The "old F&M" bracket is a dogfight with four tough teams equally matched. I always saw this as the toughest up and down bracket and all remaining teams has a pretty full schedule of 14+ games which helps.

The most interesting game will be W&L and Salisbury in the quarters. These are two teams in the top 4 and should be the best game of the weekend. I think Salisbury prevails due to W&L's tougher Saturday game with Ithaca and Salisbury not playing late until 10 pm or later like W&L. Some home field....

[Matnum PI]

The rankings are not based on projected finish in National Championships. The rankings are based on each team's resume (Ws and Ls) thus far this season.

Today's Best Games:
1- St. John Fisher #1 vs #2 Messiah 05/16/2021
2- TCNJ #9 vs #5 Tufts 05/16/2021
3- Ithaca #20 vs #4 Salisbury 05/16/2021
4- Chicago #57 vs #28 Denison 05/16/2021

[Matnum PI]

D3 WOMEN: Next Weekend’s Semifinals

These are next weekend’s Semifinal Games in order of Best Games:

https://fanlax.com/2021/05/16/d3-women- ... emifinals/

[YCOLaxFanSU]

Actually Tufts beat TCNJ 11-10.

[Lurker]

Am I reading this right? The #5 team in the country was left out of the tournament in favor of Carroll (an unranked, three-loss team that lost by 16 goals in their CCG) and Illinois Wesleyan (an unranked, three-loss team than didn’t even make their CCG)? What?

Not sure how/why the College Conference of Illinois & WIsconsin go so much respect. No way either Carroll or IWU deserved to get in. I'm not saying Mount Union and/or Wooster should have been selected, but both have as good or better arguments than Carroll or IWU. Wooster lost the NCAC championship game on a last second goal to a Denison team now in the Final Four. Mount Union has been to the NCAA tournament several, at least 5-6 years in a row as the OAC AQ and lost in the championship game to a ranked John Carroll team. Heck, Capital (OAC #3 and John Carroll's only regular season loss) has as good as better resume as IWU. On a national level is there some reason that a midwest conference like the CCIW gets or got more respect than the NCAC and OAC? I could see if the at large bids went to traditional powers in lax hotbed areas but come on?

[ah23]

On a national level is there some reason that a midwest conference like the CCIW gets or got more respect than the NCAC and OAC? I could see if the at large bids went to traditional powers in lax hotbed areas but come on?

I don't think it has anything to do with respect for the CCIW or belief in those teams. IWU and Carroll objectively, inarguably did not deserve to be in the tournament based on resume/competitiveness. I assume the NCAA wanted to just fill geographic regions, which is a farce. That's not how postseason tournaments are supposed to work.