TUESDAY UC Santa Barbara (15-2-1 overall, 6-2-0 Big West Conference) hosts Cal State Northridge (9-4-2, 4-1-2) A UCSB win clinches an automatic bid for them. A win for the CSN puts them in first place with two conference games on the weekend and gives them another quality win for an at-large bid in case they don't win the automatic bid. CSN has two games they should win on the weekend to help their at-large chances if they don't win Tuesday. FRIDAY Florida International (11-4, 5-0 Atlantic Soccer Conference) @Hartwick (13-2-3, 5-0) Winner wins the ASC title and its automatic bid. Loser has to hope for an at-large bid and last year Hartwick had a good overall record but missed out on an at-large bid. Loyola Marymount (10-6-3 overall, 8-2-1 West Coast Conference) @ Santa Clara (13-5, 7-4). If LMU wins, they clinch the WCC championship and its automatic bid. If they lose, San Francisco can win it all. Also, if LMU loses, they're overall record may not be good enough for an at-large bid. Santa Clara can't the WCC but they need a win to help their chances of a first round bye in the NCAAs. Portland (10-6-2, 5-4-1 WCC) San Francisco (12-4-1, 7-3). As stated above, a USF win combined with a Loyola Marymount loss puts USF in first place and they can win the WCC if they finish out with a win over Gonzaga Sunday. USF should be in good shape for an at-large bid even if LMU wins but they don't want to take any chancs and another win or two would seal the deal. Portland is right on the bubble and needs wins. After USF, they play St. Mary's Sunday. SUNDAY Brown (8-6-2, 4-2-0) @Dartmouth (6-3-6, 4-0-2) This is pretty cut and dry. Winner takes first place in the Ivy League and the automatic bid and the loser goes home as its overall record isn't good enough for an at-large bid. Florida International (11-4, pending Friday's game) @ South Carolina (11-6-1) If FIU beats Hartwick, this game won't mean much for them but if they lose, they'll need another win to help their NCAA chances. Independent South Carolina has stumbled in the second half of the season and needs another W to make their NCAA case stronger. If FIU loses Friday, the winner of this game could be in and the loser's season over.
"If LMU wins, they clinch the WCC championship and its automatic bid. If they lose, San Francisco can win it all. Also, if LMU loses, they're overall record may not be good enough for an at-large bid. Santa Clara can't the WCC but they need a win to help their chances of a first round bye in the NCAAs." LMU got an at-large bid in 2003 AND a 1st round bye with a 12-6-1 record. SCU won the conference 5-1-0 but NO 1st round bye. Is LMU head coach Paul Krumpe still on the 10 member NCAA D1 Selection Committee? I think SCU needs 2 wins this weekend and a lot of luck with other non-ranked teams losing to get a bid. Hats off to USF. It's been a long while since their glory days.
UCSB, despite playing the game without two of their best starters who were out with yellow cards, wins the game 2-1 on two goals by Crew McAthy, and with it, the Big West Conference. CSN has two games this weekend they must win to get an at-large bid.