With one slate of games left in the Metro Conference men’s soccer regular season, there’s still plenty to play for. The 10th and final matchday on Wednesday will total six games, with five playoff spots still to be finalized between nine different programs.
Fairfield (10-2-3, 8-1-0 Metro) has already clinched the top seed, but since the Stags are leaving to join the CAA Conference next season, they are ineligible to host any postseason games. This means that the semi-finals and championship games, which are usually hosted by the No. 1 seed, will be played at the lower seed if Fairfield is involved.
The current playoff format gives six teams a shot at the Metro championship, with the highest two seeds getting a bye into the next round. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds host the No. 6 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, before the No. 1 seed takes on the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game, and the No. 2 seed plays the winner of the No. 3 vs. No.6 game.
This year, the No.2 seed has a chance to host the championship even if the No.1 team makes it into the final. That seed is still up for grabs, with both Quinnipiac (7-5-2, 5-2-2 Metro) and Marist (7-3-5, 5-2-2 Metro) fighting for it on the last day. The two are tied on points and will potentially be separated by a tiebreaker after Wednesday’s games.
Marist plays Siena on Wednesday at 6 p.m., who themselves are fighting for a playoff berth. The Saints (4-5-7, 2-1-6 Metro) are at the bottom of a three-way tie for fifth, which would see them eliminated if the season ended today. The Battle of I-87 went to Siena last year, who won the entire conference.
Quinnipiac, meanwhile, hosts Merrimack (4-3-9, 2-1-6 Metro), another school in that three-way tie. Wins for either of those fifth-placed schools could be enough, but Siena is the only one that doesn’t control its own destiny. Kickoff for Quinnipiac vs. Merrimack is set for 2 p.m., meaning that Marist and Siena will know what is required of them by the time they begin play.
Fairfield and Sacred Heart (5-5-7, 3-2-4 Metro) square off at 6 p.m. in a battle of Connecticut, with the Stags already having clinched the top spot and the Pioneers looking to secure their own berth. A draw for Sacred Heart is not enough to guarantee a spot in the postseason, but a win would lock up the No. 4 seed and give them a home game.
The first game of the day features an already-eliminated Manhattan (3-10-2, 1-6-2 Metro) taking on Iona (3-6-6, 2-3-4 Metro). Iona is on the outside looking in as they sit in ninth place with 10 points. A win gives them a shot, but the Gaels will also need other games to go their way.
Another eliminated team, Canisius (2-12-1, 1-7-1 Metro), hosts a potential playoff team in Niagara (4-6-4, 3-3-3 Metro). The Battle of the Bridge kicks off at 6 p.m. and could be a huge match in the contest for fifth place. The Purple Eagles are atop the three-team grouping in fifth, and a win would be enough to lock them into a playoff spot.
The latest start of the day sees two New Jersey schools face off when Rider (7-5-3, 3-4-2 Metro) hosts Saint Peter’s (5-6-4, 3-4-2 Metro) at 7 p.m. These two programs are currently tied for eighth in the conference, and would need a lot to go their way to make the postseason. A draw significantly hurts both teams’ chances, so both squads should be going all-out for the win. The late kickoff means that other results around the league could eliminate both teams even by halftime.
There is a potential for a five-way tie for fifth; Rider and Saint Peter’s would have to draw, while Siena, Niagara, and Merrimack all need to lose. This scenario sees all five programs on 12 points, and it would digress into a very complicated tiebreaker.
Mount St. Mary’s has already played its 10 matches, but a 2-4-4 record (2-7-8 overall) was not enough to earn a playoff spot.
The tiebreakers are complex, but for over half of the nine teams still looking to secure a postseason berth, a win should be enough. Two teams are battling for the No. 2 seed, with seven duking it out for the final three spots. Six games fill a day packed with action, with it all to play for.
Edited by Max Rosen and August Lieberman
Photo by Jaylen Rizzo
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