That's how I understand the tiebreakers, though it rankles that a Western Conference team can get in with an inept 3-4-3 record, while Long Island in the Northeast Division is 7-4-0 but might yet miss out. (And a world-class choke job by the Colorado Rush, who had four chances to clinch a playoff spot with a win but could never manage it.)
Yeah, way to go USL for not getting the Long Island-Hudson Valley score up as of 11:15 PM. Not like the regular season championship hinges on the outcome or anything. *grumble*
Yes, I was thinking that of all the matches not to report, it's the one that the fate of at least five teams* depends upon. *The two teams involved, New Jersey, Buffalo, and whichever team gets in if Buffalo is the regular-season champ instead of Hudson Valley.
Hudson Valley 1, Long Island 0. Congratulations to the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues on their second straight regular-season championship. I'll leave it to Demitri to provide a complete list of the final standings and the playoff matchups.
Here are what the matchups SHOULD be, with overall seedings which don't come into play until the semi-finals: Opening Round (8) Toronto Lady Lynx vs (10) Laval Comets Central Conference Playoffs (at Buffalo or Ottawa) (4) Ottawa Fury vs (7) Chicago Red Eleven (2) Buffalo Flash vs TOR/LAV Eastern Conference Playoffs (at Washington or Atlanta) (5) Atlanta Silverbacks vs (9) New Jersey Wildcats (3) Washington Freedom Futures vs (11) Charlotte Lady Eagles Western Conference Final (6) Vancouver Whitecaps vs (12) Pali Blues W-League Semi-Finals (in Santa Clarita, California) (1) Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues vs TBA TBA vs TBA I'll probably open a new thread once everything is made official.
According to the Buffalo Flash website - they will host the Central Conference playoffs. Unfortunately there is a conflict with the Flash regular home field and the semifinal games (5:30 pm ET/8:00 pm ET.) on Saturday and the championship game (6:00 pm ET) on Sunday will be played near the campus of Niagara University in Lewiston, NY. (The Buffalo Flash will be playing in the 5:30 pm ET semifinal.) The conflict? - The Empire State Games are taking place in Buffalo, NY this week (Thursday-Sunday) and the mens lacrosse competition is being played at the Dempske Sports Complex. Edit: The Buffalo Flash can't get away from the sport of lacrosse it seems - as the Empire State Games womens lacrosse competition will be taking place on the same field as their soccer playoffs. Unless there are long weather delays - the sports should not run into each other as Saturdays lacrosse games should be done by 2:30 pm ET while Sundays lacrosse games should be done by 1:30 pm ET. LB...
Got off the phone with one of my sources, and the Silverbacks are probably hosting the Eastern Conference playoffs, but it's not 100% set in stone right now. I might know more later today. EDIT: Atlanta is definitely hosting, just waiting for official times for all the matches to set up a new thread specifically for the playoffs.