Conference Tournament Weekend

November 6

This weekend, most conferences around the country hold their playoffs, and while we did not qualify this year there is still a lot for us to keep an eye on. In the Liberty League, host Hobart takes on Union in the first semifinal. Union (11-3-3 overall) is a great team, but Hobart (16-0-2) is the top-ranked team in the Northeast and the #4-ranked Division 3 team in the country. Union will be a tough test, but Hobart is almost unbeatable at the moment and playing on their home field will be a big advantage as well. In the other semifinal, second-seeded RPI takes on St. Lawrence. RPI was the surprise team this season, after not making the league playoffs last year they have risen to second place in the league and are ranked #25 in the country. St. Lawrence is a consistent contender, having won the Liberty League championship in 2005 and 2006 before finishing second last season. My prediction is that Hobart takes the title over St. Lawrence in the final, but we’ve learned that anything can happen in Liberty League action.

There are other results for us to watch this weekend, as teams on the ECAC selection list have an opportunity to win automatic bids to the NCAA tournament and leave more spots open in the ECAC tourney. There are three teams in the Empire 8 final four that have also applied to ECACs. However, the final team in the tournament is powerhouse Stevens Tech, so it will be very difficult for one of these squads to emerge victorious. Stevens takes on Utica in one semifinal, while St. John Fischer plays league-leader Ithaca (who upset Stevens in the regular season to grab the top seed). A win by anyone but Stevens in the Empire 8 will help us out, although Ithaca, currently ranked #23 in the country, could also claim an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament if they fall short of an automatic qualifier. Elsewhere, Medaille is in the AMCC championship game against Penn State-Behrend, while Brockport will be playing in the SUNYAC semifinals tomorrow.