Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Five-Star Matchups


It's the penultimate game of the regular season in field hockey, men's soccer and volleyball. Playoff spots are on the line ... home field is up for grabs ... it doesn't get much better than this. Enjoy the games!

McDaniel at Johns Hopkins (Field Hockey)
The Green Terror (5-3, 7-8) and the Blue Jays (6-2, 11-4) meet in a game that has implications that will ripple throughout the Conference. McDaniel sits in fourth place, a game behind second-place Hopkins and Gettysburg. A Terror win puts the Green and Gold in position to lock up a first-round bye, while a loss throws the race for the final two playoff spots into a five-team chase. This is the 35th time that the two schools have met with JHU holding a 22-10-2 edge, including wins in the last four outings. McDaniel is 0-8 against Hopkins at Homewood since the inception of the Conference.

Muhlenberg at Swarthmore (Men's Soccer)
With all due respect to their season-ending opponents, this match could decide the top seed and home field advantage for next week's Centennial championship tournament. The Mules (6-1, 10-3-1) hold a two-point edge on the Garnet (5-1-1, 13-1-1) and Johns Hopkins and can lock up the #1 seed with wins tonight and Saturday against Ursinus. Swarthmore, who holds a tie-breaker advantage on the Blue Jays, could become the top seed with a victory tonight and a win against Haverford on Saturday. This is the 55th meeting on the pitch against the two teams with 'Berg holding a slim 28-24-2 lead. Each of the last two matches have ended 1-0 with the visiting team ending up on top.

McDaniel at Dickinson (Men's Soccer)
The Green Terror (3-3-1, 7-7-1) is in a must-win situation to keep its playoff hopes alive, while a Red Devil (5-2, 11-3-1) victory clinches a playoff berth. It promises to be a tight match, as the teams are tied at 8-8 since the inception of the Conference in 1993. Dickinson head coach Brian Redding has a 2-3 coaching record against his alma mater.

Swarthmore at Haverford (Volleyball)
This traditional rivalry reaches new heights tonight with playoff positioning on the line for both teams. The 25th ranked Fords (8-0, 26-3) need a victory to secure the #1 seed and home court for next week's Conference championship tournament. The Garnet (6-2, 18-7) looks to break a five-match losing streak to their arch-rivals and keep their hopes alive for a first-round bye. Swarthmore has not won at Haverford since 1993 - a streak of seven trips to the Main Line.

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