Disappointing to be no.2
Aaron O'Connell
Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: Sports
Yes, the ACC is a difficult conference in which to compete, but does not explain losses to an unranked Virginia and a tie with unranked Duke. The Seminoles trail the Pilots in both RPI and NSCAA rank.
But do these obstacles even matter?
Maybe, maybe not. Head Coach Garrett Smith is certainly not going to bother the Pilots with the trifles of the seeding committee. The Pilots won their first national championship as a no. 8 seed in 2002.
The number of games they need to play in order to win the championship doesn't change. But, in order to win, the Pilots may need to play both undefeated Stanford and (overrated?) UCLA.
Couple this with the untimely injury of senior WCC player of the year Michelle Enyeart, and the committee's seeding seems like an insult (because they're adding insult to injury. Get it? Ha-ha).
But a championship team will beforced to overcome the obstacles, and the Pilots are certainly a team capable of taking the championship.
And as much as Enyeart's injury may afflicts the Pilots, Smith seems confident that the Pilots will overcome the odds.
And why shouldn't they?
It's almost becoming tradition that the Pilots play without some of their most elite players, the Pilots have not had a full roster since 2005.
Last year the Pilots lost multiple players to injuries and national team commitments, but still clawed their way to the quarterfinals, losing a close game 1-0 against Stanford.
With any luck the Pilots are out to prove something this year to the selection committee and the NCAA.
At least we're at home for the first two games.
Aaron O'Connell is the Sports Editor of The Beacon.
He can be contacted at
oconnell11@up.edu
But do these obstacles even matter?
Maybe, maybe not. Head Coach Garrett Smith is certainly not going to bother the Pilots with the trifles of the seeding committee. The Pilots won their first national championship as a no. 8 seed in 2002.
The number of games they need to play in order to win the championship doesn't change. But, in order to win, the Pilots may need to play both undefeated Stanford and (overrated?) UCLA.
Couple this with the untimely injury of senior WCC player of the year Michelle Enyeart, and the committee's seeding seems like an insult (because they're adding insult to injury. Get it? Ha-ha).
But a championship team will beforced to overcome the obstacles, and the Pilots are certainly a team capable of taking the championship.
And as much as Enyeart's injury may afflicts the Pilots, Smith seems confident that the Pilots will overcome the odds.
And why shouldn't they?
It's almost becoming tradition that the Pilots play without some of their most elite players, the Pilots have not had a full roster since 2005.
Last year the Pilots lost multiple players to injuries and national team commitments, but still clawed their way to the quarterfinals, losing a close game 1-0 against Stanford.
With any luck the Pilots are out to prove something this year to the selection committee and the NCAA.
At least we're at home for the first two games.
Aaron O'Connell is the Sports Editor of The Beacon.
He can be contacted at
oconnell11@up.edu
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