The brackets are pretty similar to how I predicted earlier. Mount Sinai did earn the No. 2 seed despite falling into a tie with Miller Place. So good news for the Mustangs, who won't have to face Comsewogue until a county championship. Miller Place meanwhile gets Sayville in the first round. Yikes! Here's the rule with Sayville in soccer: You never, ever want to play them. I don't care what their record is.
So here it goes:
1. Comsewogue
vs.
8. Bayport-Blue Point vs. 9. Harborfields
5. Sayville
vs.
4. Miller Place
3. Hauppauge
vs.
6. SWR
7. Westhampton
vs.
2. Mt. Sinai
The outbracket game is Monday and the first round games are Thursday with the semifinals to be played Monday, Nov. 3. The county championship will be Thursday, Nov. 6 at Dowling Sports Complex.
I'd feel real good about Mt. Sinai winning its first game against Westhampton. The Hurricanes have struggled down the stretch and I think the Mustangs got their bad game out of the way Wednesday at Shoreham.
Our other two schools, however, I think are prime for one and done. I never pick against Sayville and Shoreham has been very inconsistent the last three weeks. If they play like they did Wednesday, they can win. If not, Hauppauge can run away with that game.
Onto FIELD HOCKEY:
Three local teams made it as expected.
1. Sayville
vs.
8. Huntington
5. East Hampton
vs.
4. Rocky Point
3. SWR
vs.
6. Bayport-Blue Point
7. Harborfields
vs.
2. Miller Place
I like all of our teams to win Tuesday and advance to the semis Thursday. The real confusing part of the bracket is how in the world Miller Place earned a higher seed than Shoreham-Wading River. Shoreham led Division III all year until at the very end, Miller Place jumped the Wildcats in power points. If anyone cared about field hockey, this would be causing a major stir right now. But it's field hockey, so I'm sure no one has noticed outside of Shoreham or Miller Place.
But Miller Place finished 12-2, 14-3. Shoreham finished 13-1, 15-2. OK, so Shoreham had a better record. But why would something like better records matter in determining standings? It comes down to power points. So MP gets the edge with 170.o10 to Shoreham's 166.43.
But look closer. Who did Miller Place lose to? Shoreham. TWICE!
Miller Place is a very good team that can win a county championship, but the Panthers have no business finishing ahead of Shoreham and to do so makes an absolute mockery of Suffolk County field hockey. Last I checked the Wildcats were defending county champions. And the Wildcats have won six of the last seven games between the two schools, including in the playoffs last year. Now this lower seeding doesn't hurt the Wildcats that much. It just means they have to play at Miller Place as opposed to home in the second round. But it's still perplexing and shouldn't be.
You can argue the power points could work into Miller Place's favor had Shoreham played a significantly worse schedule. They did not. The Wildcats' only loss came to Rocky Point, 1-0. The Eagles are pretty good this year, right? Seeded fourth in the playoffs?
Breaking down their schedules, Miller Place played:
SWR: 13-1
Rocky Point: 11-3
Pierson: 12-2
Port Jeff: 7-7
East Hampton: 7-7
Comsewogue: 5-9
Hampton Bays: 2-12
SWR played:
MP: 12-2
RP: 11-3
Port Jeff: 7-7
Riverhead: 7-7
East Hampton: 7-7
Comsewogue: 5-9
Southampton: 3-11
So Miller Place's opponents went: 57-41, a .582 percentage
Shoreham's opponents went: 52-46, a .531 percentage
One more note: SWR outscored opponents 54-7. MP outscored opponents 50-13.
Sorry, but that's nowhere near enough to give Miller Place a higher seed after losing TWICE to Shoreham. Unbelievable.
Onto GIRLS SOCCER:
1. Islip
vs.
9. Mt. Sinai vs. 8. Rocky Point
5. SWR
vs.
4. John Glenn
3. Harborfields
vs.
6. Bayport-Blue Point
7. Hauppauge
vs.
2. Sayville
Should be a quick girls soccer postseason. I like RP over Mt. Sinai for the right to lose to Islip. SWR should take care of Glenn and then the Wildcats will fall victim to Islip.
I'd be shocked to see anything but Islip playing Sayville for the county title.
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