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MAAC

RPI – School (WLT Record)

39 – Fairfield (6-1-1)
78 – Manhattan (5-3-0)
87 – Rider (5-2-0)
95 – Niagara (3-1-2)
146 – Monmouth (5-2-0)
259 – Siena (3-4-1)
261 – Iona (3-5-0)
292 – Marist (1-4-0)
311 – Quinnipiac (1-4-0)
325 – Saint Peter’s (0-7-0)
327 – Canisius (0-7-0)

How many other conferences can boast four teams in the RPI Top 100 and three outside of the RPI Top 300? While the former is likely to change as the season rolls along, it does accurately portray the divide between the haves and have nots in this league. Fairfield looks a good bet for a title challenge with solid wins against the likes of Hartford and Stony Brook and a creditable draw with unbeaten Holy Cross. Manhattan also look improved, with a win over Ivy League side Yale the highlight. Rider’s mostly fed off weaker teams lately, but a season opening win at Seton Hall was nice feather in their cap. Niagara has also largely punched above their weight, but an expected all-conquering Monmouth side has disappointed in defeats to Delaware and Bucknell, though they also have a win against Seton Hall. The league falls off a cliff at this point. Losses to UMass-Lowell and Albany could dog Siena the whole season, while Iona also has to be longing for mid-table security after brutal defeats to Binghamton and Hartford, shipping five in each. Marist has scheduled relatively aggressively but has nonetheless been disappointing, with their sole win coming against UMass-Lowell. Quinnipiac began with four losses on the road, not scoring once but beat Vermont in their last match, hopefully a catalyst to a turnaround in the league season. Few expected Canisius would be this pitiful at 0-7-0 with just one goal scored. The same can’t be said for hopeless Saint Peter’s who had two coaches sent off in the loss to NJIT. That’s been as interesting as the season has got for the Peahens, who have conceded thirty goals in seven straight losses to open the season. In a macabre twist, the two 0-7-0 sides meet in the league opener, with a winless season a real possibility for the loser.

Southland

RPI – School (WLT Record)

96 – Central Arkansas (4-2-1)
101 – Abilene Christian (1-5-0)
135 – Stephen F. Austin (4-2-1)
147 – Southeastern Louisiana (7-1-0)
174 – Nicholls State (4-3-0)
225 – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (1-2-2)
239 – Northwestern State (2-5-0)
241 – Sam Houston State (1-6-0)
248 – Houston Baptist (1-5-1)
253 – Lamar (2-5-0)
303 – McNeese State (2-4-1)
324 – Incarnate Word (0-7-0)

Stephen F. Austin and Southeastern Louisiana are the duo likely to battle it out for a league title come season’s end, but they aren’t top of the heap right now. Central Arkansas’ not exactly put together big wins, but the losses aren’t bad, keeping them in the RPI Top 100 for now. Abilene Christian’s played a murderous non-conference schedule, explaining their spot here despite a 1-5-0 record. Stephen F. Austin has a win over Oregon State and draw with LSU, which isn’t going to get it an at-large bid, but it does show the Ladyjacks should be moving up the RPI with many wins likely against their smaller opposition in the league. League rivals SELA has had fun pounding regional minnows but lost their one true test against Memphis…which doesn’t mean much in the context of their league season. Nicholls State beat Southern Miss earlier, while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi drew with Houston and UTSA, indicating both could be dark horses in the league this year. The likes of Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, Houston Baptist, and Lamar have all been differing shades of bad thus far, though the latter somehow beat San Jose State in the opener. At the bottom of the barrel are McNeese State, who somehow lost to Jackson State in August, and Incarnate Word, who have experienced a shocking decline after seemingly taking to DI relatively decently in their first season in the division last year.

Patriot

RPI – School (WLT Record)

25 – Colgate (5-1-1)
55 – Boston University (4-3-1)
81 – Holy Cross (7-0-1)
100 – Navy (3-2-3)
139 – Bucknell (5-3-0)
175 – Loyola (MD) (4-4-0)
195 – Army (3-5-0)
236 – Lehigh (2-2-1)
256 – Lafayette (3-4-0)
279 – American (3-5-0)

Four clubs in the RPI Top 100. Three expected…and one not so much. You have to tip your cap to Holy Cross, a club who hasn’t finished in the RPI Top 250 in the past four seasons. They’re 7-0-1, and though they haven’t beaten a club with a record over .500, are you seriously going to begrudge their success this year? The draw against Fairfield shows it’s not all smoke and mirrors either. Colgate’s probably not getting an at-large bid, but wins over Providence, Syracuse, and Harvard and a draw with Colorado College mark the Raiders as a dangerous team who could be a pain for a bigger club in November. Boston University appeared to be in a great position after beating Boston College and La Salle on opening weekend. But they’re winless in their last three and may need to win almost all of their games down the stretch to stay in at-large contention. Considering their reputation, Navy’s an underwhelming 3-2-2, with a draw with Ball State and loss to UMBC largely undoing draws with South Florida and Maryland and a win against James Madison. Bucknell, Loyola (MD), and Army have been in the middle of the road thus far, with the latter the most impressive with a win over Saint John’s (NY) to their credit. None of Lehigh, Lafayette, or American have done much to distinguish themselves thus far, but they haven’t been appallingly awful either and will be looking for a step up in the RPI in the league.

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