While the news about the realignment of the NCAA regions was released in 2008, many fans are still asking about the details behind the new regional alignments.  As there have been some fairly significant changes to the regions, including a brand new North Region, we thought that a complete list would help fans sort out the changes.  How will the new alignments affect your school?  Let us know.

North Region (new): IIAC, Midwest, and the MIAC.  Pool B includes the WIAC conference (no AQ), and Nebraska Wesleyan.  Also included are Bethany Lutheran, Crown, Martin Luther, North Central University, Minn-Morris, Northwestern College (MN), and St. Scholastica.

West Region: SCIAC, Northwest, American Southwest, and 5 in the SCAC – Austin, Colorado, Hendrix, Trinity, and Southwestern.  Pool B includes Cal State East Bay, UC-Santa Cruz, and Chapman.  La Sierra is provisional this season.

Central Region: SLIAC, MIAA, CCIW, NAC, 2 from the UAA – Chicago and Washington University, and 1 from the North Eastern Athletics Conference – University of Dallas.

Great Lakes Region: NCAC, Allegheny Mountain Conference, OAC, Heartland, PAC, 2 from the UAA – Carnegie Mellon and Case Western, and 2 from the SCAC – DePauw and Centre.

Mid-Atlantic Region: Colonial States, Commonwealth, Landmark, Centennial, Freedom, and 3 from the North Eastern Athletics Conference – Penn State Abington (provisional), Penn State Harrisburg (provisional), and Penn State Berks College.  The Pool B candidate is Lancaster Bible (provisional).

South Atlantic Region: ODAC, Capital Athletic Conference, USA South, NJAC, 5 from the SCAC – Millsaps, Oglethorpe, Rhodes, University of the South, and Birmingham-Southern (provisional), and 1 from the UAC – Emory.  The Pool B programs are Rust College, and the Great South Athletic Conference – Huntington, La Grange, Maryville (Tenn.), and Piedmont.

East Region: Liberty League, SUNYAC, Empire 8, CUNYAC, Skyline, 2 from the UAA – NYU and Rochester, 5 from the North Eastern Athletic Conference – Cazenovia, Keuka, SUNY-Utica/Rome, Wells, and SUNY-Cobleskill (provisional), and 3 from the Allegheny Mountain Conference – Hilbert, D’Youville, and Medaille.

New England Region: Little East, Commonwealth Coast, NESCAC, North Atlantic Conference, NEWMAC, Great Northeast, MSCAC, and 1 from the UAA – Brandeis.  The Pool B programs are Elms, Lesley, Becker, Daniel Webster, University of Main-Presque Isle, Southern Vermont, Newbury, and Mitchell (provisional).

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Yes, it is never too early to think about the 2009 National Championship.  This year marks a change as the Men’s and Women’s Tournament moves to San Antonio, Texas after several years in Greensboro and Orlando.  The San Antonio Sports Foundation led the charge to get the event in town, as San Antonio was named a “Championship City” by the NCAA.  Several other NCAA Championship events will be hosted by the city this year.

Continuing a good idea from last season, the Tournament remains slated for the first weekend in December as opposed to the past practice of scheduling it over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  In 2008, the schedule change was announced late in the season as a result of the huge travel rush during Thanksgiving.  This busy travel weekend in addition to the cutbacks in schedules by the airlines made it difficult and expensive for the NCAA to get the teams to Greensboro.

Hopefully we’ll see some warmer weather in San Antonio this December.  In 2008, the portable heaters were working overtime to keep everyone warm in the 42 degree chill.  Obviously not the norm in North Carolina in early December.

Oh, and the season kicks off in 6 months and 6 days…

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Yes, it is never too early to think about the 2009 National Championship.  This year marks a change as the Men’s and Women’s Tournament moves to San Antonio, Texas after several years in Greensboro and Orlando.  The San Antonio Sports Foundation led the charge to get the event in town, as San Antonio was named a “Championship City” by the NCAA.  Several other NCAA Championship events will be hosted by the city.

Continuing a good idea from last season, the Tournament remains slated for the first weekend in December as opposed to the past practice of scheduling it over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  This past season, the schedule change was announced late in the season as a result of the huge travel rush during Thanksgiving.  This busy travel weekend and the cutbacks in schedules by the airlines made it difficult and expensive for the NCAA to get the teams to Greensboro.

Hopefully we’ll see some warmer weather in San Antonio this December.  In 2008, the portable heaters were working overtime to keep everyone warm in the 42 degree chill.  Obviously not the norm in North Carolina in early December.

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So here we are, ready for first-timer Stevens to try and bring down Messiah and claim their first ever title.  I am sitting right next to the Messiah radio guys and down the row from the Steven’s SID Rob Kulish, so I’ve got an even amount of bias surrounding me – and a lot of free opinions, I’m sure.

I think the key in this match is the Duck’s Terrance Johnson.  If Johnson can get a lot of touches in today’s match, we could see some good back and forth action.  It is a given that Pezon and the Thompsons will be pushing hard on the Duck’s keeper Zach Carr, and so Stevens has to be able to control the midfield and distribute effectively to Johnson.

We had two rather lopsided contests yesterday, so here’s hoping for a tight, well-played match that takes us down to the wire.

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What a match this was.  No on ehad scored more than a goal or two on Amherst all season long and here is Stevens puttng up two in the first half.  After the break, a third goal by Stevens resulted in some problems for the refs.  After the goal by Johnson, the goal was announced, but then waved off.  It seems that an Amherst player was injured and down, but the play continued.  Both Johnson and his Lord Jeff defenders continued play as there was no whistle.  Some of the Amherst team behind the play had slowed down in anticipation of play stoppage.  After the goal, it was argued that the goal shouldn’t count due to the injured player on the field.

This situation was a tough one as both coaches knew that the play should stop, but yet there was no way to communicate that to the players involved downfield.  The goal ultimately counted as there was no whistle, but there was no love lost between benches after that incident.

Amherst came back with a goal minutes later off a strike by Ducker, but Stevens could not be kept off the board.  They scored again to make it 4-1.  It was not a score nor a loss that Amherst had experienced this season.  And it was a departure from the last two matches for the Ducks.

And now it is Stevens and Messiah in the finals tomorrow at 1:00.  Stevens knows that it has it’s hands full with the Falcons.  But Stevens should match up well as they have more speed and offensive power than Messiah saw today in Loras.

Greensboro College staff is doing an excellent job hosting this event.  Kudos all around to the Pride!

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Messiah scored two more times in the second half to make 3-0 and now look to return once again to the finals.  Last season, Messiah was eliminated in the semis by Trinity.

The stats will tell the story of this match.  Even as Messiah rotated their players through the second half, the pressure only increased on Loras.  It was also obvious that the DuHawks were feeling the pressure as they were forced into a defensive posture for most the remaining minutes.

While Loras and their fans will feel demoralized with this loss, it is important to remember that this DuHawk squad has now played in the Final Four two years in a row.  Through the season, they proved that they were clearly one of the top programs in the country – and that is something about which to be proud.  Congrats on a great season, Loras.

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It is sunny and 45 degrees.  Not Florida-like weather, but better than Chicago!

Greensboro College and the Bryan Park administration has set up a great venue here for the tournament.  And there is a very vocal Messiah and Loras crowd here adding to the atmosphere. 

Messiah has taken a 1-0 lead on a beautiful goal by Nick Thompson.  It was set up as a cross from a throw in by Pezon.  The oportunity for Thompson was too good to miss and DuBois really didn’t have a chance for a save.

Loras has been on their heals a bit after the goals but at the 35 minute mark, they started applying pressure, creating some nice opportunities.  Loras is good when they can control the midfield – and slow down Messiah’s attack as a result.

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Another great third round in the making for 2008.  I’ve been watching NCAA play-off soccer for 28 years now and every year seems like I see something new.

I am thinking about the upsets thus far in the tournament and can only see one that was a real surprise.  And that is of course Johns Hopkin’s win over York.  I have mentioned to more than a few fans that I figured York for a Final Four position, and earlier in the season, noted on this board that short of a Wheaton (Ill.) type PK upset, York would be a championship contender.  Well, I guess the Blue Jays pulled a Wheaton…

Tomorrow’s toughest match to predict has to be undefeated Montclair State against Messiah.  If one looks at common opponents, MSU might have an edge, but Messiah can’t be overlooked in the post-season.  The Falcons did play a tight one with Medaille and that match haunts me a bit, but the MSU offense will be up against J.D. Binger.  If he comes up big in tomorrow’s match, we may see yet another round of PKs.  Otherwise, the Red Hawks have to be a one goal favorite.

At Swarthmore, Trinity and Ohio Wesleyan face off.  That’s another tough one to call.  While Trinity has played strong all season, they do seem to prefer a come-from-behind mentality that might fail them against a Jay Martin coached team.  This one will have some offense and some great scoring action, but Trinity should come away with the upper hand and with the win.

Amherst has been quietly making its way to the Final Four.  Jake Ducker and the Lord Jeffs have been building momentum with strong consistent play and should they make it past Swarthmore, they will give the OWU/Trinity winner some trouble.  The Garnet won’t be easy though.  They are consistent and while not a high scoring team, they don’t give up many goals either.

Now that Johns Hopkins has made it past York (and believe me, they are relieved), I’m doubtful they’ll get past the Ducks.  Stevens has been playing well; their 2-0 win over Rhode Island College was a good win, and they haven’t been scored on in the last five matches.  Their only bad loss was early in the season against Swarthmore 2-0.  I give Stevens a one goal win in regulation.  In the earlier match, Middlebury has to play Carleton without some key defensive players due to injury.  This has been the Panthers hallmark and how the team adjusts will make all the difference in this match.  Brian Bush is one of Division III’s top goalkeepers and should the Panthers provide a solid line on front of him, Carleton will have tough time scoring.

At Loras, Ohio Northern continues their surprising run.  No one figured they’d beat Wheaton 4-1, and then they wore down a strong Carroll side.  With their scoring ability, they have a real chance to make a run at the Final Four.  But they have to avoid the inconsistent play that has dogged them a bit this season.  Hobart will be a big challenge and may win by two goals if Ohio Northern doesn’t bring their best to the match.  Otherwise, this could go to overtime and PKs.

On the women’s side, Williams will be tough to beat and I see them defeating TCNJ and moving on to the Lynchburg/Ithaca winner.  The Ephs have been consistent all year and should be able to contain TCNJ’s high-powered offense.

On paper, Messiah should be all over the Maroons.  This could be a two goal win for Messiah.  But Chicago is playing their best soccer of the year right now and with matches against Wash U and Wheaton (Ill.) earlier in the season, they’ll be ready for the Falcons.  But it will be an uphill battle.  Falcon senior Kacie Klynsta has seen her sister win two national championships at Wheaton (Ill.) and would love to add another one for herself – and the Falcons have been to four straight Final Fours, narrowly losing to Wheaton in championship in 2007.  They will be a motivated team.

And speaking of Wheaton, Coach Peter Felske and the women’s soccer program has won three out of the last four national titles, while Messiah won the title in 2004.  These two programs have developed quite a recent history but haven’t faced each other many times and so the real rivalry remains with the men’s programs.  But should the Thunder and the Falcons meet again in the final match, a sudden and high-level rivalry will be born.

Wheaton plays Carleton on Saturday after already defeating Wash U 3-0.  That was a surprising result as the Bears have been strong all year.  If the Thunder team is really on a roll, they may walk off with a 2-0 or 3-1 win against Carleton.  It will be tough for Carleton to win this one, but with a steady defensive effort, they’ll have a chance – if someone can shut down Thunder All-American Taryne Lee.

On the other side at Messiah, UW-Stevens Point makes it’s second straight appearance in the Sweet 16.  And with Amanda Prawat in the Pointer uniform, I think we’ll see Eastern’s surprising run in this year’s post-season come to an end.  I like what Eastern has done this year, especially in their upset of Rowan last weekend, but I doubt they can overcome the Pointers.  

Johns Hopkins and William Smith might be the key match-up for the women on Saturday.  These two programs are both playing well, and neither has a clear advantage.  Although the Blue Jays may have the edge, it will be a close match – hopefully settled before the second overtime is complete.  In the other match, I think Amherst keeps it’s run alive with a 1-0 win.

Keep an eye on all the matches and let’s see how this all comes out on Sunday evening! 

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The men’s and women’s regular season wrapped up this weekend with a lot of action, a few upsets, and more than enough penalty kick decisions. And now the annual ritual of Pool C predictions is in full swing; the “locks” feel confident, and the bubble teams considering their fate, looking high and low for any justification that the committee needs to select for their chance at fame. It is a stressful time for any of the teams that slipped in the conference tourney, but for anyone who has followed the scene for more than a few years, thanks be to the NCAA for the expansion of the post-season system. Now there are never more than two or three teams that feel the pinch of missing the coveted post-season.

Every season is great when you are a fan of Division III soccer. The legacy programs struggle, stumble, and sometimes fall, while the up-and-comers make their own noise, surprising some while disappointing others with what could be. But best of all is the sight of a real math major (probably with a minor in foreign languages) nailing a shot from 20 yards out for a win in overtime. Or the English major making a key save against a monster opponent. And while that shot or save won’t make the highlight reel at ESPN, it is perhaps a more important indicator of our sports culture than anything we might see on the tube (or panel).

We’ve tried to capture shots and stories of those student-athletes throughout the season, but the best, I’m certain, we’ve missed. But in the coming years, with the help of students, fans, SIDs, and families, we’ll try and do our part to get this information in front of you in order to promote both the game that we all love and the philosophy that is Division III athletics.

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Here is the latest on the Men’s Regional Rankings from the NCAA. This is the last poll that will be released this season.

Central In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Trinity (Texas) 14-0-0 17-0-0
2. Wheaton (Illinois) 12-2-2 14-3-2
3. North Park 10-4-1 10-7-1
4. Dominican (Illinois) 16-2-1 16-2-1
5. Carroll (Wisconsin) 15-3-0 15-3-0
6. UW Platteville 11-3-1 13-4-1
7. Texas-Tyler 10-2-3 10-3-3
8. Carthage 10-4-1 10-6-3
9. Texas-Dallas 11-3-2 11-5-2
10. Washington U. 8-5-1 11-5-1

Great Lakes In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Ohio Wesleyan 13-4-0 15-4-0
2. Wittenberg 14-3-0 15-3-0
3. Case Western 12-4-1 13-4-1
4. Capital 10-2-1 13-4-1
5. Calvin 12-1-1 14-3-1
6. Hope 10-2-3 13-2-3

Metro In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Montclair State 16-0-0 18-0-0
2. Rutgers-Camden 13-3-2 15-3-2
3. Richard Stockton 15-4-1 15-4-1
4. William Patterson 13-4-2 13-4-2
5. Merchant Marine 10-5-0 11-7-0

Mid-Atlantic In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Swarthmore 14-2-1 14-2-1
2. Carnegie Mellon 12-2-1 13-2-1
3. Drew 14-2-2 14-2-2
4. Messiah 12-2-2 14-2-2
5. Johns Hopkins 9-3-3 11-4-3
6. Dickinson 10-4-2 11-4-2
7. Muhlenberg 12-5-1 12-5-1
8. Gettysburg 9-4-4 9-4-4

New England In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Middlebury 12-1-2 12-1-2
2. Babson 13-3-1 14-4-1
3. Clark (Mass) 11-3-2 11-3-2
4. Trinity (Conn) 11-4-0 11-4-0
5. MIT 12-2-2 14-2-2
6. Eastern Conn State 13-2-3 13-2-3
7. Salem State 13-3-1 13-3-1
8. Amherst 10-3-2 10-3-2
9. Norwich 15-2-1 15-2-1
10. Western New England 14-1-5 14-1-5
11. Framingham State 14-3-1 14-3-1

Northeast In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Hobart 16-0-2 16-0-2
2. Rochester 10-2-2 12-2-2
3. Ithaca 8-2-3 10-3-3
4. Rensselaer 12-3-0 13-4-1
5. Union (New York) 11-3-3 11-3-3

South In-Region Record Overall Record
1. York (Penn) 18-0-0 18-0-0
2. Emory 15-0-0 15-0-0
3. Christopher Newport 8-2-2 13-3-3
4. Lynchburg 11-2-3 14-2-3
5. Roanoke 10-3-2 13-3-2

West In-Region Record Overall Record
1. Carleton 15-1-2 15-1-2
2. Loras 14-2-1 15-3-1
3. Redlands 14-1-2 14-4-2
4. Whitworth 12-2-3 12-2-3
5. Augsburg 10-2-5 10-3-5
6. Gustavus 12-4-1 13-4-1
7. Colorado Coll 10-3-1 13-4-1

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