Preliminary Spring Maple Brackets

[Unregistered]

They will probably expand the U12 Blue Division to 10 teams to make everybody happy unless NEFC NB and Scorpions decide to join the party in Maple. I would actually like to see these teams and a few other play each other. They all have some very talented teams and should be some good games.

I think that is a good idea to expand the GU12 Blue to 10 teams. All teams want to play the best and now they will. Should make for some great games this Spring. When does MAPLE post the brackets?

[Unregistered]

I think that is a good idea to expand the GU12 Blue to 10 teams. All teams want to play the best and now they will. Should make for some great games this Spring. When does MAPLE post the brackets?

The problem with a 10 team bracket is that it's only a 7 week season so not everyone would play each other, leading to more controversy.

My child plays for a team that is likely to get pushed out of Blue with the addition of BB's & JD's teams but I think that they should be in Blue and it should be limited to 8 teams. Let the top teams all play each other, including BB & JD.

[Unregistered]

U12 MAPLE Blue will not have 10 teams, they will place two more team that would of been in blue in green. Best two team to leave maple are now back and KI, needs them to be in top bracket. Wording on MAPLE site has changed about returning teams. As others have stated they were promised they would be in Blue.

SS Select 11's & Benefica will go to green

FALL FINISH 2011 MAPLE BLUE
1-SS SELECT 12's
2-NORTH SHORE
3-HAMLETS
4-STARS -GC
5-CRUSADERS
6-PASA

7-Stars JD
8-NEFC BB

[Unregistered]

So what happens to promotion, Galway won the green division. This would not be fair to them if not allowed to play in the blue division this spring. I agree that the stars and NEFC should be in the blue division but you can not punish other teams in the process.

[Unregistered]

So what happens to promotion, Galway won the green division. This would not be fair to them if not allowed to play in the blue division this spring. I agree that the stars and NEFC should be in the blue division but you can not punish other teams in the process.

You also can't further punish teams in blue that played tougher competition in blue. Galway should realize they'd be better off staying in green then getting beaten badly by NEFC and Stars. If they did decide to make a 10 team division they could avoid scheduling the bottom two teams against nefc and stars.

[Unregistered]

So what happens to promotion, Galway won the green division. This would not be fair to them if not allowed to play in the blue division this spring. I agree that the stars and NEFC should be in the blue division but you can not punish other teams in the process.

So move Galway up and PASA down... Then PASA, SS 11's and Benefica will argue that they are being punished in the process.

The reality is that no matter what teams end up in Blue there will be teams (parents) complaining.

[Unregistered]

So what happens to promotion, Galway won the green division. This would not be fair to them if not allowed to play in the blue division this spring. I agree that the stars and NEFC should be in the blue division but you can not punish other teams in the process.

Being honest, if you look at the makeup of likely Blue Div. teams now that NEFC and Stars have returned, I think many would say Galway doesn't fit in that same class (in spite of winning Green last fall). Of the seven games they won, only Smithfield was a blowout, so you'd expect that if as the other poster suggested, SSS U11 and Benfica join Green, Galway will continue to get some good, appropriately leveled competition in Green this spring. Of course, this doesn't make explaining lack of promotion to the Galway kids any easier, but if they can win Green this spring, they'll automatically make D1 next fall.

[Unregistered]

they did decide to make a 10 team division they could avoid scheduling the bottom two teams against nefc and stars.

So this would be fair to the team #1, 2, 3, 4 in blue, if finishing last would of helped them stay in blue by not playing top competition in blue.

If they were to have ten teams, # 1, #2, #3, #4 team should get the some latitude for finishing in top four not bottom three. Bottom three were destined to become division green teams anyways.

Galway played no one that was good in green, so they should stay in green or have a play in vs 6th place blue/Pasa for the spot. (if they can beat PASA, they are in)

NEFC BB, and Stars JD belong in a 8 team division called blue. Everyone plays everyone period.

But if they were to expand to 10 teams;
Teams finishing in top four should get any missed chances with those two THAT left the MAPLE league for GREENER PASTURES at nep ( that turned out to be a cow patties covered pasture with flea's)

Put them in the lower divisions, or the same lower division and only one can make Irwin.. Really this is about impressing parents at Irwin to entice players to join at tryouts..

Kathy knows that these TWO TEAMS will leave MAPLE again next season.. So getting them games against the best of the MAPLE teams should not be her priority.

Parents beware, if you are not a starter, on those top two teams, your spot is in jeopardy at the next tryout, as those two look to deepen their benches or pick up some new starters.

[Unregistered]

So this would be fair to the team #1, 2, 3, 4 in blue, if finishing last would of helped them stay in blue by not playing top competition in blue.

If they were to have ten teams, # 1, #2, #3, #4 team should get the some latitude for finishing in top four not bottom three. Bottom three were destined to become division green teams anyways.

Galway played no one that was good in green, so they should stay in green or have a play in vs 6th place blue/Pasa for the spot. (if they can beat PASA, they are in)

NEFC BB, and Stars JD belong in a 8 team division called blue. Everyone plays everyone period.

But if they were to expand to 10 teams;
Teams finishing in top four should get any missed chances with those two THAT left the MAPLE league for GREENER PASTURES at nep ( that turned out to be a cow patties covered pasture with flea's)

Put them in the lower divisions, or the same lower division and only one can make Irwin.. Really this is about impressing parents at Irwin to entice players to join at tryouts..

Kathy knows that these TWO TEAMS will leave MAPLE again next season.. So getting them games against the best of the MAPLE teams should not be her priority.

Parents beware, if you are not a starter, on those top two teams, your spot is in jeopardy at the next tryout, as those two look to deepen their benches or pick up some new starters.

Personnaly I think its a issue for nefc and stars to figure out. They lost their blue slot when they left and unless they bump another one of their teams maple owes them nothing. If hefc has another in blue they could swap them out and deal with the fact they have to many teams. Same with the stars IMHO. You get a slot only if you have one, plain and simple.

[Unregistered]

You also can't further punish teams in blue that played tougher competition in blue. Galway should realize they'd be better off staying in green then getting beaten badly by NEFC and Stars. If they did decide to make a 10 team division they could avoid scheduling the bottom two teams against nefc and stars.

This is unforunate but true. Galway will also get beaten badly by a few of the Fall Maple Blue teams. In defense, I do not know anything about the team but NEFC BB, Stars JD, SSS U12 E, NorthShore, etc all truly elite teams...I think Galway is better off staying in Green. I do not think it's fair to punish them but if you take emotion out of it, what good will come from demoloshing this Galway team in Blue? Wouldn't it be better to stay and legitimately compete?

[Unregistered]

This is unforunate but true. Galway will also get beaten badly by a few of the Fall Maple Blue teams. In defense, I do not know anything about the team but NEFC BB, Stars JD, SSS U12 E, NorthShore, etc all truly elite teams...I think Galway is better off staying in Green. I do not think it's fair to punish them but if you take emotion out of it, what good will come from demoloshing this Galway team in Blue? Wouldn't it be better to stay and legitimately compete?

I am torn. Stars and NEFC BB bailed on Maple. Sold the superiority of NEP to the parents and kids and now they want to return?

[Unregistered]

I am torn. Stars and NEFC BB bailed on Maple. Sold the superiority of NEP to the parents and kids and now they want to return?

They want back in just for a seasin. NEP U13 was a little too much for them, but they will cruise thru MAPLE blue and into the Irwin Cup.

[ForzaAzzurri]

Not exactly the same, but pretty darn close...

A little (very) recent history...

Spring 2011. MAPLE Boys U12. Blue division. Valeo (then called VFC) finishes 7th out of 8 teams in a relatively balanced group of the top 11v11 teams in MA/RI/NH. Team does NOT declare for Irwin Cup even though it qualifies for an automatic spot in the round-robin stage. On club website, there is a notice of club's intention to join NEP in Fall 2011, offering (my guess) the likely rationale for the decline.

[Keep in mind, for those unaware, that MAPLE's policy is/was to determine the 20 teams making up the subsequent Fall U13 D1 and D2 groups based on Irwin Cup participation/results; what this meant was that even teams losing play-in games...such as the first place finisher of the LAST division...i.e., White...would get priority over teams in much higher divisions that missed out on qualifying for the tournament/play-in games.]

Fast forward a couple months. Valeo's application to NEP is (apparently) NOT accepted, or they changed their mind (my guess is while NEP were willing to take anybody just a year earlier, with the mass migration that happened over last summer, they could be more "selective" and reject this boys-only club). So what does Valeo do now? Yup...re-apply to MAPLE. And, OWING TO THE VERY RIGID MAPLE BYLAWS, as a result, that very talented team, despite their steady upward progression from their U10 days, that had proved it could compete with the best teams in the region, was forced to BEGIN ANEW...just like any other "new" team/club...in D3 for the Fall U13 season.

And lest anyone did not notice...

9-0-0 with 70 GF and 0 GA in MAPLE play in the just-completed U13 Fall season. And for good measure, three straight 7-0 wins in State Cup play to earn a spot among the 12 teams still standing.

I have no skin in this game, and I'm all for doing what is best for the kids and the sport, but I offer the above as a reminder that once you set precedent in the face of existing rules/procedures, you go down quite the slippery slope...

[In any case, all this talk/conjecture could---should???---be a moot point since both NEFC/Stars have teams from their respective clubs qualified into D1 already, so the option exists for them to simply swap teams with them and keep the matter entirely in-house...but if MAPLE does bend the rules, they have quite a bit of 'splaining to do...].

Happy New Year, everyone!

[Unregistered]

A little (very) recent history...

Spring 2011. MAPLE Boys U12. Blue division. Valeo (then called VFC) finishes 7th out of 8 teams in a relatively balanced group of the top 11v11 teams in MA/RI/NH. Team does NOT declare for Irwin Cup even though it qualifies for an automatic spot in the round-robin stage. On club website, there is a notice of club's intention to join NEP in Fall 2011, offering (my guess) the likely rationale for the decline.

[Keep in mind, for those unaware, that MAPLE's policy is/was to determine the 20 teams making up the subsequent Fall U13 D1 and D2 groups based on Irwin Cup participation/results; what this meant was that even teams losing play-in games...such as the first place finisher of the LAST division...i.e., White...would get priority over teams in much higher divisions that missed out on qualifying for the tournament/play-in games.]

Fast forward a couple months. Valeo's application to NEP is (apparently) NOT accepted, or they changed their mind (my guess is while NEP were willing to take anybody just a year earlier, with the mass migration that happened over last summer, they could be more "selective" and reject this boys-only club). So what does Valeo do now? Yup...re-apply to MAPLE. And, OWING TO THE VERY RIGID MAPLE BYLAWS, as a result, that very talented team, despite their steady upward progression from their U10 days, that had proved it could compete with the best teams in the region, was forced to BEGIN ANEW...just like any other "new" team/club...in D3 for the Fall U13 season.

And lest anyone did not notice...

9-0-0 with 70 GF and 0 GA in MAPLE play in the just-completed U13 Fall season. And for good measure, three straight 7-0 wins in State Cup play to earn a spot among the 12 teams still standing.

I have no skin in this game, and I'm all for doing what is best for the kids and the sport, but I offer the above as a reminder that once you set precedent in the face of existing rules/procedures, you go down quite the slippery slope...

[In any case, all this talk/conjecture could---should???---be a moot point since both NEFC/Stars have teams from their respective clubs qualified into D1 already, so the option exists for them to simply swap teams with them and keep the matter entirely in-house...but if MAPLE does bend the rules, they have quite a bit of 'splaining to do...].

Happy New Year, everyone!

You don't think the 70-0 goal differential the last time they stuck to their priciples does the splaining for them ricky?

[Unregistered]

A little (very) recent history...

Spring 2011. MAPLE Boys U12. Blue division. Valeo (then called VFC) finishes 7th out of 8 teams in a relatively balanced group of the top 11v11 teams in MA/RI/NH. Team does NOT declare for Irwin Cup even though it qualifies for an automatic spot in the round-robin stage. On club website, there is a notice of club's intention to join NEP in Fall 2011, offering (my guess) the likely rationale for the decline.

[Keep in mind, for those unaware, that MAPLE's policy is/was to determine the 20 teams making up the subsequent Fall U13 D1 and D2 groups based on Irwin Cup participation/results; what this meant was that even teams losing play-in games...such as the first place finisher of the LAST division...i.e., White...would get priority over teams in much higher divisions that missed out on qualifying for the tournament/play-in games.]

Fast forward a couple months. Valeo's application to NEP is (apparently) NOT accepted, or they changed their mind (my guess is while NEP were willing to take anybody just a year earlier, with the mass migration that happened over last summer, they could be more "selective" and reject this boys-only club). So what does Valeo do now? Yup...re-apply to MAPLE. And, OWING TO THE VERY RIGID MAPLE BYLAWS, as a result, that very talented team, despite their steady upward progression from their U10 days, that had proved it could compete with the best teams in the region, was forced to BEGIN ANEW...just like any other "new" team/club...in D3 for the Fall U13 season.

And lest anyone did not notice...

9-0-0 with 70 GF and 0 GA in MAPLE play in the just-completed U13 Fall season. And for good measure, three straight 7-0 wins in State Cup play to earn a spot among the 12 teams still standing.

I have no skin in this game, and I'm all for doing what is best for the kids and the sport, but I offer the above as a reminder that once you set precedent in the face of existing rules/procedures, you go down quite the slippery slope...

[In any case, all this talk/conjecture could---should???---be a moot point since both NEFC/Stars have teams from their respective clubs qualified into D1 already, so the option exists for them to simply swap teams with them and keep the matter entirely in-house...but if MAPLE does bend the rules, they have quite a bit of 'splaining to do...].

Happy New Year, everyone!

Since were talking GU12 there is no D1, just the Blue division and although Stars does have a team in Blue, NEFC does not (they only had one GU12 team in MAPLE last fall and they were in Green and didn't fair that well).

However, I agree that this is about what's doing what's best for the players. There are lots of NEFC and Stars haters that would love to see these teams be placed in the lowest division, but what good would would that do the players? 7 weeks of dominating lesser opponents isn't good for anyone.

No one seems to argue the fact that BB and JD have the 2 best teams in the age group. So put them in Blue and make them play against the best competition, including each other (which they seem to have avoided for the last 2 seasons).