2nd Div A poll (3/9/05) is out!

[CATLAX MAN]

The Florida State loss came after the 2nd poll was voted on so as of this poll they should be higher.

This statement is just not true. They lost to Sonoma State on 3/5. The poll was released on 3/9. If you allow for a couple of days of voting, this result was already in.

[LaxGuru]

Like I said, I went by scores on the MDIA front page, it wasn't listed, Please allow me to correct.

[WaterBoy]

Laxguru-

I don't understand some of your logic in your poll. You have Michigan (#6) dropping, but staying high because they killed Arizona (#8). Understandable.

So Arizona stays at #8 after losing to #6.

Then you have V Tech at #13 because of a three goal loss to Noma at #3.

I'm not saying that you whole poll is out of whack, cause I do think you raise some interesting points, but I'm wondering whether your frame for judgment is somewhat questionable.

[LaxGuru]

Then you have V Tech at #13 because of a three goal loss to Noma at #3

.

Virginia Tech appears to be the recipients of favorably ranking due to everyone taking a loss around them the knocking Chapman out of the top 25.

[WaterBoy]

Virginia Tech appears to be the recipients of favorably ranking due to everyone taking a loss around them the knocking Chapman out of the top 25.

... What?

I think one of the most distubing things I've heard anyone say on any of the ranking posts has been the idea of a team moving up because of other teams' losses. You made a similar statement about UCSD in your post, and I think it's disrespectful to any team's effort to claim that a climb up the poll is simply because of other teams' poor performance.

I think it speaks to how tightly matched a lot of the top 25 is when you look at a team like V Tech and Chapman going 10-8. It may speak of Chapman taking in a second wind, and it may speak of V Tech having a great game against Noma with their three goal loss, but either way, to claim that any team is moving up only because of "fate" of the other teams losing is.... not cool.

[LaxGuru]

That's exactly how polls work, when you lose you pray that teams ranked around you lose also and hopefully by more. and to lesser competition. It doesn'ttake anything away from your effort. It means you were lucky that your loss occurred when it did.It may not be cool, but it happens, they would have fallen, but every one else's losses were to lesser competition or by more goals or more losses. The league poll has them jumping 6 spots, justify that. It also has Chapman going 1-2 and moving up 1. While other teams start undefeated and not getting the consideration of their effort.
I edited the poll, to factor in your argument. Please remember, I threw this together in minimal time based on scores posted and the first poll.

[Dan Wishengrad]

Absolutely not, I referenced that in means of the voting polls, not the BCS.
I believe the voting should be done by the head coach of each team. If he does not want to he designates it to an assistant coach. The votes should be posted so accountability can be held. I understand how Arizona, Michigan and BYU all beat each other but they each lost a game and should each fall a spot allowing the undefeated teams behind them to move up.One spot reflects acknowledgement of their loss and quality of opponant. If Michigan had beaten them both and dropped a game to say (for no particular reason) Auburn, the loss should far outweight the fact of the wins. In football, Michigan beats Miami but loses to say Penn State they would still plummet. If they beat Miami but lose to Oklahoma they would fall a few spots regardless of their previous victory. That's what needs to start happening here to give any legitimacy to the polls. Right now I see them more of a popularity contest.

My vote is eerily similiar to your Guru, and if you want accountability I'll send mine to you in a pm. A couple teams higher, a couple lower, many in almost exactly the same spot as you have them. I don't think it's a popularity contest, I think we voters do our homework and TRY to be fair. Biases to creep in, sure. But by the end of the year I think we have a good track record on getting the best sixteen teams to nationals.

[onpoint]

Which is another reason that there are 30 voters. Having that many people from all around the country help minimize one type of bias over another. I think the MDIA poll does a pretty good job overall. I want to keep stressing that people shouldn't think the voters just take last week's poll and "adjust" them. Each voter should have their own poll that they go off every week and try to adjust their own version, not the one that is released. It is a constant struggle to figure out which teams belong where, especially in the middle of the pack.

[Chicolaxalum34]

yeah and duluth goes from 12 to 21 with 2 1 goal losses (miami and lindenwood, both ranked highly) and a convincing 11-5 win over a good Illinois team and Washington is ranked lower then both teams UMD lost to yet simon fraser is still 16????

SFU was ranked #14 in the previous poll, and played three games. The Clansmen won two big road games since then, over Oregon (then a top ten team) and ranked Chico State. One bad loss to an unranked team (us, now ranked) shouldn't negate what was accomplished the week before, at least shouldn't completely. We voters try to consider ALL the results instead of any one game.

And by the way, SFU is a very good team, as I trust Poly and LMU will find out this weekend. We'll all also know if they are ranked too high or too low.

all the teams 10-30 are very good teams and should have a shot at moving up if a team ranked above them gets absolutely dominated by an unranked team. If a team is not going to move down after a loss like that, what is it going to take?

no It should Matter!, last Season, Chico dropped a close game to Stanford at the beginning of the season, that loss dropped chico from 12th to like 23rd, even when chico dominated oregon(ranked something like 8th) they only moved up one or two spots. My point is, losing to and unranked team means alot!!!

[BClax16]

speaking of Chico, any thoughts on what their performances vs. boston college (5 goal loss) and Noma (1 goal loss in a game that aparently came down to the wire) and what impact these games will have on the next poll?

[CATLAX MAN]

speaking of Chico any more details on their one goal loss to Noma?

From WCLL.COM - each team's report entry. I thought I read somewhere that Chico's leading scorer, Dan Yob, did not play due to injury, but I can't confirm that.

Sonoma State
It was a sloppy game. Both teams threw the ball away numerous times, and consequently the game never found a rhythm. The difference was Sonoma's dominance on face offs--10 of 12 face offs were controlled by the Noma squad. If not for that and several key ground balls and the goaltending of Warren Pringle (13 saves) the outcome would no doubt have been different. It was Chico's third game in four days and hats off to their squad for bringing their A game.


Chico State
In a good game Sonoma beat Chico 5-4. Sonoma led 3-1 at the half. Chico then out scored Sonoma 3-0 in the third for the lead. Sonoma put in the game winner with just 20 seconds on the clock. Goalie Blake Wahrlich played outstanding in the cage and recorded 18 saves.

[Dulax31]

Minnesota beats Florida state 9-8 in overtime, how do you guys feel this will affect the upcoming polls?

[KerrLax]

We are talking about the unranked Gophers right?

[Big D]

This result will probably cause FSU to fall a few spots in the next poll and Minessota should definately jump into the top 25, maybe somewhere like 20.

[Danny Hogan]

they also lost to a 2-5 auburn team that is not going to make the playoffs.