September 10, 2011
Friday Notes, Weekend Questions
Friday Night Notes:
• #3 Ohio Wesleyan (2-1-0) defeated visiting #24 Wheaton (Ill.) (2-1-0) by a 3-1 count.
• #4 Trinity (Tx.) (3-0-1) was held to a 1-1 tie by Hardin-Simmons (0-1-1) at the ASC-SCAC Challenge.
• #6 Christopher Newport (3-0-0) needed a comeback and overtime to edge Virginia Wesleyan (2-1-0) in a high-scoring 4-3 affair.
• #13 Stevens (1-2-0) slumped to a second loss in three outing with their 2-1 double overtime loss to Brockport St. (3-1-0).
• #18 Johns Hopkins (1-1-1) fell to TCNJ (2-1-0) in 1-0 road loss.
• #22 St. Lawrence (3-0-0) dominated Rochester (2-1-0) and ran out 4-0 winners at home.
• Ohio Northern (5-0-0) struggle to put away winless Oberlin (0-4-0) in a 3-2 victory, but do become the first team to five wins.
• Roanoke (3-0-0) scored 3 goals for the third time in as many games to edge host Kean (1-1-2) by a goal.
Some Weekend Questions:
• Can #11 UW-Whitewater (0-3-0) stop the bleeding and start the recovery from their dreadful start. A Sweet 16 team in 2010 with a 14-2-4 record, the Warhawks surprisingly dropped three straight home games to Pacific Lutheran, Whitworth, and Loras to open the new season. They now hit the road Sunday to Dubuque (3-0-0), a team on the rise in recent years.
• Is Ohio Northern (5-0-0) for real? They already upset #2 UW-Oshkosh. Will they be the first team to reach six wins? With a pretty strong non-conference schedule, up next is Penn State-Behrend (1-1-1) at home Saturday.
• Can St. Lawrence (3-0-0) keep their momentum and prove they are a national title contender? They dominated a usually solid Rochester in a 4-0 Friday night win and now host Geneseo St. (2-0-1) Saturday.
• Is North Park (3-0-0) a legit Top 25 team? Can they run their record to a perfect 4-0 with a second win over a Top 10 team? Having already beaten #7 Dominican, they host #2 UW-Oshkosh (1-1-0) Saturday.
• Will #10 Emory (0-2-0) finally get a win? Could they level their record with a weekend sweep? After dropping a pair to Lynchburg and Roanoke away from home, they host Methodist (1-0-1) Saturday and Rowan (2-0-0) Sunday.
• Can Roanoke (3-0-0) make a case to be included in the Top 25? They have outscored Richard Stockton, #10 Emory, and Kean 3-1, 3-2, 3-2, respectively, and are at a wounded #13 Stevens (1-2-0) Saturday.
• Will the four ranked NESCAC schools hold serve as they finally play their first games of the season? 2011 national semifinalist Bowdoin will have the toughest test when they travel to Wesleyan Saturday in a rematch of last year's NESCAC semifinal.
• Will Hamilton win their debut game in the NESCAC? It's their inaugural season as a full member of one of the nation's toughest and deepest conferences, and with their non-conference season opener having been postponed they kick things off with a trip to Trinity (Conn.). (Another question: How much did the NESCAC strengthen their case for being the best conference with the addition of Hamilton?)
• Who is the best independent school from California: Chapman (4-0-0) or UC Santa Cruz (4-0-0)? They both face tests this weekend: Santa Cruz hosts Gustavus Adolphus (3-0-0) Saturday while Chapman is at Redlands (1-1-0) Sunday. It's an early season opportunity for both teams to start building their Pool B resumes.
• Did #4 Trinity (Tx.) (3-0-1) and #6 Christopher Newport (3-0-0) lose their shot to go #1 in the new rankings with their Friday struggles. #1 Messiah could only tie Hiram on opening weekend, but this Friday Trinity was held to a 1-1 tie by Hardin-Simmons while Christopher Newport needed a comeback and overtime to edge Virginia Wesleyan 4-3. Trinity plays UT-Dallas (2-0-0) Saturday on the second day of the ASC-SCAC Challenge and Christopher Newport travels to Marymount (1-0-1).
• Should #3 Ohio Wesleyan stand pat in the rankings if they win their third straight following a hard-fought loss to #1 Messiah in the season opener? They routed Hamline 8-0 and defeated Wheaton (Ill.) 3-1, and up next is Carnegie Mellon (1-1-1) who visits Saturday.
Comments or feedback for the author? Email Christan Shirk.
