[Viking_Guy]

Sorry, meant to come back to this yesterday, but the men's game was exhausting.  Gunn's boys won 1-0, but UCLA for the most part looked the better team - they hit the woodwork 3 times, and had at least one or two saved off the line by Cardinal defenders.  I don't think they have the horses for another championship, but Stanford (and the Bruins) will definitely be a tough out for anyone.  And if they win out, the Cardinal MIGHT get to host a quarterfinal, rather than be on the road in ACC country yet again.

In any case, the women's NCAA field will be announced at 1:30 PT this afternoon.  Right now, I would be they will stack the seeding so that all of the top western teams are in one half of the bracket - no way in hell the Selection committee wants another all Pac-12 final, it might give people the idea that the best soccer is being played on the west coast right now.

My bet?  Stanford 1, either SC or UCLA 4, Santa Clara 5, and the other LA school 8.  But, given the RPI, it could be Stanford 1, Santa Clara 8 (they're 7 in the RPI) and SC on the road as the top #2 seed, with UCLA perhaps dropping as far as a 4.

Either way, you can bet the "competitive balance" part of the mission will get overridden as necessary to minimize costs.

Will report back soon.

VG

[Viking_Guy]

Sorry, meant to come back to this yesterday, but the men's game was exhausting.  Gunn's boys won 1-0, but UCLA for the most part looked the better team - they hit the woodwork 3 times, and had at least one or two saved off the line by Cardinal defenders.  I don't think they have the horses for another championship, but Stanford (and the Bruins) will definitely be a tough out for anyone.  And if they win out, the Cardinal MIGHT get to host a quarterfinal, rather than be on the road in ACC country yet again.

In any case, the women's NCAA field will be announced at 1:30 PT this afternoon.  Right now, I would be they will stack the seeding so that all of the top western teams are in one half of the bracket - no way in hell the Selection committee wants another all Pac-12 final, it might give people the idea that the best soccer is being played on the west coast right now.

My bet?  Stanford 1, either SC or UCLA 4, Santa Clara 5, and the other LA school 8.  But, given the RPI, it could be Stanford 1, Santa Clara 8 (they're 7 in the RPI) and SC on the road as the top #2 seed, with UCLA perhaps dropping as far as a 4.

Either way, you can bet the "competitive balance" part of the mission will get overridden as necessary to minimize costs.

Will report back soon.

VG