Given D3 teams have been so competitive this year I wanted to start a thread discussing rankings, analysis, etc as we approach the end of the season. Do we think anyone can hang with cms? Who has been the biggest surprise?
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Short answer would seem to be, no! PP doesn’t play them until end of the month, so we’ll get an answer then.
Separately, with Hopkins moving to MPSF, there will be no DIII Eastern Championships this year - which means MIT is automatically in the National Championships - I think.
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This year since JHU left Easterns for MPSF, MIT gets an auto bid. In the future, this will change to an at-large eastern bid(plus 2 CA teams and the MPSF Winner). Here are my predictions for this year(I’m only taking into consideration the teams that I think will be at nationals):
SCIAC Winner: CMS, SCIAC Runner-Up: PP, MPSF Winner: JHU, MIT
This would leave the following nationals matchups:
CMS vs. MIT: MIT doesn’t stand a chance, CMS is good and they win close games. MIT could keep it close through 2 or 3Q, I just can’t see them coming out on top. Give me CMS by 8
PP vs. JHU: Absolute toss up for me. Similar teams, strong defensively, extremely gritty. PP beat JHU a couple weeks back 9-8, but JHU was up the entire game til 2 mins into Q4. Goalie switch proved to me a pivotal factor for the PP defense. I like JHU here by 1 in OT to be the first East Coast team in the DIII finals. This is the best opportunity an East Coast team has had.
CMS vs. JHU: JHU is a step above MIT, but will only marginally give CMS a closer game. CMS by 5 and championship.
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I’d be careful sleeping on Pomona-Pitzer. Some of their top players have been injured and should return. They also have an incredible freshman class contributing substantially.
Should be fun!
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Definitely not sleeping on them. Maybe my bias for wanting an East Coast team in the finals is just weighing me a little more one way 
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The same could be said about the previous season only to be upset by a motivated Chapman during the playoffs and miss out on a bid to Nationals.
PP’s best chance is to play with discipline and composure in every facet. They have the tactics to be successful, but discipline and playing a full game always truncates even the most talented of teams
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Quite the engineering done by the MIT polo team.
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Well it’s been a thrilling season. The SCIAC tournament should be as exciting as ever.
Pomona-Pitzer colleges are seeded #1
Claremont McKenna-Harvey Mudd-Scripps colleges earned the #2 seed
The University of Redlands gained the #3 seed.
While Occidental College will host Whittier College in a play in game for the #4 seed.
The remaining SCIAC schools fell short in order:
- Cal Lutheran University
- Chapman University
- University of La Verne
- California Institute of Technology
Are there any updates amongst the DIII programs back East?
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MPSF East championships are this weekend with Johns Hopkins and Augustana as 1 and 2 respectively. Would be surprised to see anyone else in the finals there, winner gets the bid. MIT gets the at-large. It all comes down to Sunday in the Augustana JHU game.
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MIT beats Iona 15-11. Don’t sleep on The Engineers in that D3 championship. Hopkins only beat them 1, and that was way back on 9/20.
These top D3 teams are playing some good polo at the end of the year!
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Completely agree, all the D3 teams have been playing D1 teams competitively and have been beating D2 teams (even though the D2 teams have MUCH more internationals and funding🙂). MIT and Hopkins are playing the SCIAC teams in the semis, so if they meet in the finals or 3rd place game it will be a close game due to their rivalry. Should be a great day of (American) water polo in the IE.
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CMS up 4-2 after 1 against PP
7-3 CMS over PP at the half
13-11final CMS over PP
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(1) CMS v (2) PP in the DIII Championship Game tomorrow. It’s also rematch of SCIAC conference championships from a couple weeks ago.
Pretty good polo played by all four teams today, even if final scores didn’t reflect it.
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2-0 CMS over PP after 1st
I hate the camera focusing on the goalie. Who cares after he blocks and holds the ball. Let us see the transitions. Missing the exclusions and offensives being called while the camera is focusing on goalie
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3-2 CMS at the half. Think we’re at 14 Exclusion called in the game. PP has converted 1 and I think the same for CMS.
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4-4 end 3rd. PP has 3 starters in foul trouble. CMS has 2-3 I believe.
7-4 CMS 2:27 left. TO PP