Today will be a very busy day on the international soccer scene, but with the college postseason under way, have you noticed just how upside down things are in Washington. Check this out:
Who is playing this weekend?
– The George Washington men (9-6-2) vs. La Salle (7-8-4) in the Atlantic 10 tournament semifinals in St. Louis. Kickoff 8:30 p.m. (Watch here, or at Smith Center, where the game is tentative scheduled to be streamed on the video board following the men’s basketball team’s season opener against Maryland-Eastern Shore.) After being predicted to finish 13th in the Atlantic 10 before the season, the Colonials (9-6-2) instead finished tied for first to give head coach George Lidster a 7.5 game turnaround for the year before and coach of the year honors in his final season after 24 in Foggy Bottom. Lidster claimed his 200th career victory in GW’s regular-season title-clinching win. Potomac native Yoni Berhanu (Sidwell Friends) was named to the all-Atlantic 10 first tem.
– The 25th-ranked Maryland women (10-5-4) vs. No. 23 La Salle (15-1-3) in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Kickoff 6 p.m. at Ludwig Field. The Terps have lost three of their last four games, but with a victory, they’ll move on to face either No. 3 seed Auburn or Utah State.
Who isn’t playing?
– The Georgetown women. Here’s where you gotta love the NCAA. Does the following make any sense whatsoever? Obviously, the schedule for Big East midfielder of the year Ingrid Wells cleared up, allowing her to be with the U.S. women’s national team for a Nov. 19 match against Sweden at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.:
Team Record RPI
*Notre Dame 10-7-3 41
Georgetown 15-6 42
*Portland 9-9-1 49
*Texas 11-8-1 50
*Ohio State 10-8-2 51
*qualified for the NCAA tournament
– The Maryland men. After going 13-1-1 to start the season, the Terps are 0-2-2 in their last four, with a 2-1 loss at home to Boston College in the ACC quarterfinals likely to deny them any homefield advantage when the NCAA tournament field is announced on Monday afternoon. On the plus side, senior forward Casey Townsend (13 goals) and junior midfielder John Stertzer (14 goals) were named to the all-ACC first team.
– The Georgetown men. The Hoyas (10-5-4) came into the year with high expectations after making the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 1997 and advancing to the second round. But they also fizzled with a 3-4-1 record down the stretch this fall and suffered a first-round loss in the Big East tournament. One consolation: sophomore forward Steve Neumann (11 goals, 7 assists) was named first team all-Big East. But the Hoyas are unlikely to hear their name for the second season in a row when the NCAA tournament field is announced.
