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Games of the Week
From an excitement standpoint, there's good news and bad news as we approach the mid-way point of the MAAC season.
We'll start with the bad news and get it out of the way: Barring a wholly unexpected set of circumstances, Siena is going to win the regular season title with room to spare, depriving fans the excitement of anything resembling a contested race.
Sure, Siena was the clear frontrunner from start to finish last year as well, but the Saints didn't clinch the regular season title until Feb. 18 and edged Niagara by a mere two games in the final standings.
By contrast, the Saints' win Saturday at Fairfield demonstrated -- in case it wasn't already clear -- that there's a bigger gap between spots 1 and 2 in the league than there is between spots 2 and 6.
But that brings us to the good news: Five teams are within two games of second place as we enter what should be a fun week.
My top five games to watch:
5. Iona at Manhattan, Friday, 9 p.m., ESPNU
This game is here more from a local rivlary standpoint than because of the implications it will have on the standings. After all, it's two tradition-rich schools separated by 10 miles, and the fact that it's on TV should add some extra juice. But it's not without its importance, either. The Jaspers have showed signs of life in certain games and are certainly capable of taking down the Gaels at home. For the Gaels, it's another chance to prove they're an upper-tier team by winning on the road.
4. Rider at Iona, tonight, 7:30 p.m.
As I wrote after Friday's loss to Saint Peter's, it's a virtual certainty that Rider will fall short of its expectations. But with that out of the way, the Broncs need to make sure they avoid the play-in round. To get going in the right direction, they to win at least one of their next three games, which are all on the road against quality opponents. I figured when looking ahead to this game a few months ago that one team would need to avoid a letdown. It turns out that team is Iona, which simply needs to take care of business and beat a team that it easily dispatched of nine days ago in Lawrenceville.
3. Canisius at Fairfield, today, 1 p.m.
The Golden Griffs are on a short list of the most improved teams in the MAAC and with a 4-3 record entering today's matinee, they could be headed for a top-half finish if they win a few games they're not expected to win. One such game is today in Bridgeport, where the Stags will be eager to get back in the win column after Saturday's loss to Siena.
2. Fairfield at Iona, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Few would have made this prediction two months ago, but it's possible this could be a preview of the 2-3 matchup in the MAAC tournament semifinals. The better Saint Peter's and Canisius play, the more impressive the Stags' wins in Jersey City and Buffalo look, but winning in New Rochelle would help separate them from the rest of the pack. Yet if Iona is the elite team it hopes to become, this is exactly the kind of game it needs to win.
1. St. Peter's at Niagara, Friday, 7 p.m.
Talk about teams heading in different directions. Ugly as the Peacocks' 48-43 win yesterday over Loyola may have been, the Peacocks are on a roll, having won three straight to gain at least temporary possession of third place in the standings. As for the Purple Eagles, the only reason their fall hasn't looked as hard as Rider's is the level of competition they've played. But like the Broncs, they need to win some games to make sure they're not playing on Friday night in Albany. Oh, yeah. This game being a rematch of last Monday's double-OT thriller certainly doesn't hurt.
We'll start with the bad news and get it out of the way: Barring a wholly unexpected set of circumstances, Siena is going to win the regular season title with room to spare, depriving fans the excitement of anything resembling a contested race.
Sure, Siena was the clear frontrunner from start to finish last year as well, but the Saints didn't clinch the regular season title until Feb. 18 and edged Niagara by a mere two games in the final standings.
By contrast, the Saints' win Saturday at Fairfield demonstrated -- in case it wasn't already clear -- that there's a bigger gap between spots 1 and 2 in the league than there is between spots 2 and 6.
But that brings us to the good news: Five teams are within two games of second place as we enter what should be a fun week.
My top five games to watch:
5. Iona at Manhattan, Friday, 9 p.m., ESPNU
This game is here more from a local rivlary standpoint than because of the implications it will have on the standings. After all, it's two tradition-rich schools separated by 10 miles, and the fact that it's on TV should add some extra juice. But it's not without its importance, either. The Jaspers have showed signs of life in certain games and are certainly capable of taking down the Gaels at home. For the Gaels, it's another chance to prove they're an upper-tier team by winning on the road.
4. Rider at Iona, tonight, 7:30 p.m.
As I wrote after Friday's loss to Saint Peter's, it's a virtual certainty that Rider will fall short of its expectations. But with that out of the way, the Broncs need to make sure they avoid the play-in round. To get going in the right direction, they to win at least one of their next three games, which are all on the road against quality opponents. I figured when looking ahead to this game a few months ago that one team would need to avoid a letdown. It turns out that team is Iona, which simply needs to take care of business and beat a team that it easily dispatched of nine days ago in Lawrenceville.
3. Canisius at Fairfield, today, 1 p.m.
The Golden Griffs are on a short list of the most improved teams in the MAAC and with a 4-3 record entering today's matinee, they could be headed for a top-half finish if they win a few games they're not expected to win. One such game is today in Bridgeport, where the Stags will be eager to get back in the win column after Saturday's loss to Siena.
2. Fairfield at Iona, Sunday, 3:30 p.m.
Few would have made this prediction two months ago, but it's possible this could be a preview of the 2-3 matchup in the MAAC tournament semifinals. The better Saint Peter's and Canisius play, the more impressive the Stags' wins in Jersey City and Buffalo look, but winning in New Rochelle would help separate them from the rest of the pack. Yet if Iona is the elite team it hopes to become, this is exactly the kind of game it needs to win.
1. St. Peter's at Niagara, Friday, 7 p.m.
Talk about teams heading in different directions. Ugly as the Peacocks' 48-43 win yesterday over Loyola may have been, the Peacocks are on a roll, having won three straight to gain at least temporary possession of third place in the standings. As for the Purple Eagles, the only reason their fall hasn't looked as hard as Rider's is the level of competition they've played. But like the Broncs, they need to win some games to make sure they're not playing on Friday night in Albany. Oh, yeah. This game being a rematch of last Monday's double-OT thriller certainly doesn't hurt.
posted by Kyle Franko at
12:47 AM
5 Comments:
Can we please relxas with mid-January/not hal;f way through league schedule, potential semifinal and PIG match up commentary.
ya. this guy has it all figured out. two years ago, the top 6 seeds were up for grabs on the final day of the regular season.
please, let the teams play the games and talk to us on valentine's day about potential seeding.
As Yogi Berra once said, "It's getting late early."
It's getting late for RT to make a run at 3rd team all-MAAC.
This isn't about figuring out specific matchups. THAT is what we'll do in mid-to-late February. It's about outlining the direction some of these teams are or could be headed in. And it's not a stretch at all to say if Rider loses its next three games, it will have a long way to go to finish in the middle of the pack.
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