UConn and the 2018 NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament

[huskymedic]

 

[ASweet3781]

After what was done to our Field Hockey team, I will be watching closely to see if we get snubbed here all together.

 

[dbmill]

UConn sounds rather confident in this tweet that they will be getting a bid. With an RPI of 24, I would like to think that they are in good shape.

However, having said that, there are a some things that worry me about a possible snub to UConn. UConn is 0-3-1 against teams in the RPI top 25, and 1-1 against teams from 26-50. Not a lot of positive results against the RPI top 50. UConn is 10-1-1 against teams below 50 in the RPI. Perhaps more worrisome is will the NCAA take 3 teams from the AAC, which finished 6th in the RPI. SMU won the AAC conference tournament on penalty kicks, so they get the automatic bid. Without the automatic bid, it is very possible SMU would not have made the field. Regular season conference champion Central Florida (RPI 13) will most certainly get a bid as well. So UConn would be the third bid from the conference.

 

[huskymedic]

Here: DI Men's Soccer: 2018 Selection Show | NCAA.com

 

[ASweet3781]

LOL 2 regions revealed. Still no UConn.

 

[HawkHusky]

SMU at Oregon State

 

[huskymedic]

LOL 2 regions revealed. Still no UConn.

UConn hosting URI.

 

[ASweet3781]

Last team in! Get to play the URI game that was cancelled. If they win Indiana.

 

[HawkHusky]

Wow. That was suspenseful.

 

[huskymedic]

Link to Bracket. 2018 Division I Men's Soccer

Face Indiana if they get past URI.

 

[dbmill]

Not surprised that they are playing URI, as the first round games for men's soccer tend to be very localized with short distance travel on the agenda. Should be an interesting game, considering their regular season game got cancelled. UConn played at Indiana a few years ago in the NCAA tournament second round as well.

 

[huskymedic]

Daniel Connolly @DanielVConnolly 5 minutes ago
UConn will most likely play the game at Rentschler Field. The other possibility is UHart. Morrone Stadium isn't an option due to construction.

 

[dbmill]

Link to Bracket. 2018 Division I Men's Soccer

Face Indiana if they get past URI.

Indiana is the 2 seed in the tournament. Also, Rhode Island did not play anybody in the RPI top 50 this season. As mentioned before, UConn was on the schedule but the game got cancelled.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[dbmill]

I'm guessing WHUS will not have radio coverage of the game. John Tuite presumably has PA duties in Hartford that night for the UConn women's basketball exhibition game. Lately it seems that if Tuite cannot make a men's soccer game due to other conflicts, WHUS does not carry it.

 

[huskymedic]

>>STORRS, Conn. – For the 18th time in the last 21 seasons, the UConn men's soccer team will continue its season in the NCAA Tournament after receiving and at-large bid into the 2018 competition during Monday's selection show, which was broadcast on NCAA.com. The Huskies return to the tournament after a two-year hiatus, and will play the University of Rhode Island in a First Round match on Thursday, Nov. 15 at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET<<

 

[huskymedic]

 

[husky8273]

>>STORRS, Conn. – For the 18th time in the last 21 seasons, the UConn men's soccer team will continue its season in the NCAA Tournament after receiving and at-large bid into the 2018 competition during Monday's selection show, which was broadcast on NCAA.com. The Huskies return to the tournament after a two-year hiatus, and will play the University of Rhode Island in a First Round match on Thursday, Nov. 15 at Pratt and Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET<<

snow and freezing temperatures expected

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

By conference:

ACC - 9
B1G - 4
Pac12 - 4
AAC - 3
Big 12 - 1
SEC - 1

 

[ASweet3781]

Why not just play at EO Smith? I read on twitter that it's gonna cost money to play at the Rent. And why not play in the afternoon seeing there's gonna be snow?

 

[dbmill]

By conference:

ACC - 9
B1G - 4
Pac12 - 4
AAC - 3
Big 12 - 1
SEC - 1

The Big 12 and the SEC don't sponsor men's soccer, so technically West Virginia and Kentucky made the tournament as affiliate members of other conferences. Same thing with Air Force, the Mountain West doesn't sponsor men's soccer as well, so Air Force got in with the WAC.

 

[huskymedic]

The Big 12 and the SEC don't sponsor men's soccer, so technically West Virginia and Kentucky made the tournament as affiliate members of other conferences.

Point taken - I debated including them but my football/basketball/baseball head took over... it just didn’t seem right putting West Virginia in the MAC.

 

[dbmill]

I debated including them but my football/basketball/baseball head took over...

Definitely understand the reasoning. These affiliate memberships for various olympic sports can be all over the place. Of course, as every Husky fan should know, UConn's field hockey team is an associate member of the Big East since the AAC doesn't sponsor the sport.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Link to Bracket. 2018 Division I Men's Soccer

Face Indiana if they get past URI.

Well, UConn got it and gets to host. That said, my prediction is that they look past URI to a nearly impossible road game against IU in Bloomington and thus UConn will lose at home to URI on PK's in the middle of a Nor'easter.

Glad UCF made it it. SMU should have been treated better and given a home game.

Of the 16 seeded teams, 8 are from the ACC. Just 1 ACC is not seeded, NC State. I get Wake and UNC being highly ranked; but ND at #7 and V Tech at #12 with 6 losses each and Syracuse at #16 with fewer votes than UConn at 7-6-4 and 1-4-3 in the ACC including a 1st round exit in the ACC tournament is insane.