Hard to believe that there's only one week left in the regular season. So let's see what we're looking at from my latest Power Rankings on this Sunday:
1. GAC
2. Bethel
3. Hamline
4. (tie) Concordia & CSB
5. SMU
6. St. Kate's
7. St. Scholastica
8. Macalester
9. Carleton
10. Augsburg
11. St. Olaf
It's hard to differentiate the two from the conference standings but I still give the nod to GAC for the top spot in my Power Rankings on this day as the Gusties routinely took care of biz this last week - smothering St. Olaf over in Northfield this last Wednesday night and then winning a shootout yesterday with CSB. And this last week doesn't look taxing for the Gusties at all as they make a return trip to Northfield to face Carleton on Wednesday night before finishing up the regular season on Saturday against St. Kate's........Bethel meanwhile got a big win up in Moorhead this last Wednesday night against Concordia and constricted the offensive life out of Hamline yesterday at home in Robertson Center. The Royals meanwhile have to venture up to the frigid shores of Gitche Gumee on Wednesday night to face St. Scholastica before hosting another explosive offensive team in CSB this next Saturday. The guess here is that we'll be looking at a coin flip to decide the top two seeds of the MIAC Playoffs this next weekend.
Still entrenched in the third spot on this day is Hamline and although the Pipers got a rather routine win at home against Carleton this last Wednesday night, they were virtually shut down at Bethel yesterday in a dreadful performance. While conventional wisdom has Hamline hanging onto the third playoff spot, the Pipers have to be aware that this last week of the regular season is going to be tricky as they run over to St. Kate's on Wednesday night before finishing up at home against St. Olaf on Saturday.......I've tried like hell to find some differentiation between the two teams that still share the fourth spot in my Power Rankings on this Sunday and simply am unable to do so. The Cobbers got bounced badly at home by Bethel this last Wednesday night and were living (very) dangerously yesterday at St. Scholastica before eeking out a narrow victory. But again, there's no time to celebrate as Concordia absolutely has to lay it all out on the line this last week of the regular season to snare the fourth spot in the MIAC Playoffs as they'll have to make another trip down US Highway 10 and the BNSF's Staples Sub mainline to take on a very tricky and tough Macalester team (a team they had to hang on for dear life against back home in Moorhead a few short weeks ago) before finishing things up at home on Saturday against Carleton......CSB also had to settle for a split this last week as they pulled away from Macalester this last Wednesday night before running out of ammo at GAC yesterday. But here's the tough proposition for the Bennies in this last week of the regular season: They host Augsburg on Wednesday night before coming down to the Twin Cities on Saturday to finish up at Bethel. With the Cobbers having the leg up on the head-to-head element, CSB is going to be left with no choice but to roll the dice and lay it all on the line and hope to come out with two dubs and hope Concordia gets tripped up once this week. Such is life in the MIAC......
The team that should probably be getting the most attention on this day is SMU as the Cardinals have now captured three straight dubs - including their latest victims this last week in beating Augsburg at home on Wednesday night and Carleton over in Northfield yesterday. So it's all laying out there for SMU this week as the Cardinals make a return trip to Northfield on Wednesday night to take on St. Olaf before hosting Macalester in their regular season finale on Saturday......St. Kate's recorded a pair of wins this last week in thumping St. Scholastica on Wednesday night and then getting a convincing win over at Augsburg yesterday. The thing of it is, the 'Cats are still on the outside looking in and given that they host Hamline on Wednesday night before traveling down US Highway 169 and the Union Pacific's Mankato Sub mainline to St. Peter this coming Saturday to take on GAC, their fate appears all but sealed.......And, speaking of fates that are sealed, look no further than St. Scholastica as the Saints have been in a free fall; losing four straight including blowing an eleven-point lead at home yesterday against Concordia. And things don't appear any brighter this last week as the Saints host Bethel on Wednesday night before finishing things up down in the Cities on Saturday against Augsburg.
So that's how things look on this day before we dive into the last week of the regular season. As always, please feel free to fire away with thoughts.
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