Top 25 D2 Results for Poll #6

[Gvlax]

Either UNC needs to move up or Fort needs to move down.

both

[wapiti]

Agree with the above. Check the respective strength of schedules as well.

[WallyLaxFan]

So as almost all of the conference tournaments are this weekend, I would like to here some predictions as to who will win each one.

[Gvlax]

So as almost all of the conference tournaments are this weekend, I would like to here some predictions as to who will win each one.

I'm done with predictions im gonna go to practice or hit the wall...

[Laxer19]

This is just a guess. For the AL bids, as of the games right now. I would throw in Dayton, GVSU (assuming they do not get killed by Dayton), SJU(assuming they dont get killed by UST), and the fourth would go to Elon for taking out Emory. I believe Fort is out of it after the loss to UNC.

This guess is assuming that Elon does not get an AQ for winning the conference. I could very well be wrong in this fact.

Food for thought... where does GVSU go if they lose big to Dayton? As we have stated, they are a very good, yet hardly tested team (one win keeping them in a top 5 team). Would this be enough to knock them out of an AL bid?

What if SJU gets tossed big by UST? A less consistent team, yet has been tested more this year and has been there in the past. Would this be enough for voters to drop their AL bid?

[dgr01002]

This is just a guess. and the fourth would go to Elon for taking out Emory. I believe Fort is out of it after the loss to UNC.

This guess is assuming that Elon does not get an AQ for winning the conference. I could very well be wrong in this fact.

Elon has an automatic bid for winning the SELC championships. They are in.

[laxtube2]

UNC's Strength of Schedual
Wins:
#7 Fort Lewis 13-12 OT
#12 UVSC 12-5
#24 Mines 12-8

Loses:
#2 St. Thomas 16-10
#5 St Johns 15-8
#11 MSU 15-14 OT
#22 Metro 12-11 OT

Fort Lewis's SOS
Wins:
#12 UVSC 15-11
#22 Metro 17-5
#24 Mines 16-2

Loses:
#1 Westminster 14-7
#17 UNC 13-12 OT

[Gvlax]

i think emory is still knocking at the door for that AL. SJU has to play tough to keep an AL but history helps.

[wapiti]

In the bcs, quality wins toward the end of the season count.
Rgarding UNC, they have wins against 2 of the teams going to the RMLC playoffs ( Mines and Fort Lewis ) with a 1 goal overttime loss against a good Montana State team. They are not going to the RMLC playoffs due to a tiebreaker. They did not play Westminster. Looks like a
bubble team, who will have to wait until all this gets sorted out.

[laxtube2]

I agree that UNC should be a bubble team for an AL. I don't even know why they went down all the way to #17. After poll 3 they were still at #9. I don't know what losses they have had to move them down so dramatically. They have made good appearances at Nationals the last two years and picked up momentum coming off of their Minnesota trip. With a close win over Fort Lewis why not send them.

[TheRev34]

I agree that UNC should be a bubble team for an AL. I don't even know why they went down all the way to #17. After poll 3 they were still at #9. I don't know what losses they have had to move them down so dramatically. They have made good appearances at Nationals the last two years and picked up momentum coming off of their Minnesota trip. With a close win over Fort Lewis why not send them.

UNC is a great team, with that said however there is simply no way that they could jump the current bubble teams without a chance to make some waves at the conference tournament.

This year is really showing why there need to be 16 teams going to nationals in DII, there are simply too many great teams who can compete with anyone in the nation who aren't going to get a shot, while weaker teams get to go simply because their conference is not as competitive

[Gross]

While I agree that the ideal scenario would be to have the D2 tourney at 16 teams like the D1 field, anyone who has followed D2 for the last 2-3 years should know that this is still a couple years away from becoming a reality. The actions of a few D2 teams have given some people a bad taste in thier mouths about what would happen if the D2 field was expanded, and rightfully so considering the past couple years. I think the best thing that we, as a division, can do is to establish a positive track record at the Tournament, beginning with this year and continuing on for years to come. In time, hopefully these isolated incidents will be overshadowed by the showing that D2 teams have at the tournament, and the competitiveness of the games.

All that being said, I think that this year, more than any since the inception of what is now D2, is proof that the parity among D2 teams is growing and that with the inherent limits that a tournament field of just 12 (when there are 9 AQ's) can cause means that several worthy and deserving teams will not get the invite to the Tournament each year. Unfortunate, but, like I said, I think it is something that will change in time.

[James Foote]

While I agree that the ideal scenario would be to have the D2 tourney at 16 teams like the D1 field, anyone who has followed D2 for the last 2-3 years should know that this is still a couple years away from becoming a reality. The actions of a few D2 teams have given some people a bad taste in thier mouths about what would happen if the D2 field was expanded, and rightfully so considering the past couple years. I think the best thing that we, as a division, can do is to establish a positive track record at the Tournament, beginning with this year and continuing on for years to come. In time, hopefully these isolated incidents will be overshadowed by the showing that D2 teams have at the tournament, and the competitiveness of the games.

All that being said, I think that this year, more than any since the inception of what is now D2, is proof that the parity among D2 teams is growing and that with the inherent limits that a tournament field of just 12 (when there are 9 AQ's) can cause means that several worthy and deserving teams will not get the invite to the Tournament each year. Unfortunate, but, like I said, I think it is something that will change in time.

I agree completely. It's unfortunate we can't send 16, but we need to be 100% legitimate before expanding. We need to get this 'developmental' view of DII taken care of, become consistent, and go from there. I think the 'parity' (and I say that loosely... for lack of a better term) is great for the division and is a positive thing. Yeah, there are teams more deserving to go to the tourney than ones that do, but it's like that in various platforms, sports, leagues, etc. (see: NCAA Bball Tourney). Once we expand to 16 teams, we'll be asking the question 'why only 16?'

It's great for the division, but a pain in the rear... and will continue to be so.

[WallyLaxFan]

While I agree that the ideal scenario would be to have the D2 tourney at 16 teams like the D1 field, anyone who has followed D2 for the last 2-3 years should know that this is still a couple years away from becoming a reality. The actions of a few D2 teams have given some people a bad taste in thier mouths about what would happen if the D2 field was expanded, and rightfully so considering the past couple years. I think the best thing that we, as a division, can do is to establish a positive track record at the Tournament, beginning with this year and continuing on for years to come. In time, hopefully these isolated incidents will be overshadowed by the showing that D2 teams have at the tournament, and the competitiveness of the games.

All that being said, I think that this year, more than any since the inception of what is now D2, is proof that the parity among D2 teams is growing and that with the inherent limits that a tournament field of just 12 (when there are 9 AQ's) can cause means that several worthy and deserving teams will not get the invite to the Tournament each year. Unfortunate, but, like I said, I think it is something that will change in time.

I agree completely. It's unfortunate we can't send 16, but we need to be 100% legitimate before expanding. We need to get this 'developmental' view of DII taken care of, become consistent, and go from there. I think the 'parity' (and I say that loosely... for lack of a better term) is great for the division and is a positive thing. Yeah, there are teams more deserving to go to the tourney than ones that do, but it's like that in various platforms, sports, leagues, etc. (see: NCAA Bball Tourney). Once we expand to 16 teams, we'll be asking the question 'why only 16?'

It's great for the division, but a pain in the rear... and will continue to be so.

I am interested as why some DII teams chose not to show up to the tournament last year. as mentioned, if more teams show up, there is a greater chance of expanding the field to 16.

[Gross]

Wally, I would GUESS that it is a combination of the timing, money, and possible short notice. Those are just the things that have come up as potential issues for us at St. Thomas in years past. Luckily, we have been able to work around them and even tentatively plan ahead for the possibility of guys having to pay extra money at the end of the year, guys having to coordinate with their teachers to move their final exams, etc.

My hope is that, after two straight years of having "mishaps" regarding teams and Nationals, (ALL) the individual conferences would try to take some action to avoid similar scenarios. Something like only allowing teams that could and would make the trip to Dallas compete in the conference tournament might go a long way in preventing a "sleeper" team from winning the conference and then having to scramble to coordinate a week long trip for 30+ people on one week's notice.