Conference Update: ECRC a Puzzle

Where’s Nate Silver when you need him? The situation right now in the East Coast Rugby Conference is a statistician’s dream (or nightmare).

There are a lot of ways league standings could settle out in the ECRC, contingent on win-loss records, points and match results— even American International College’s position at the top is not entirely secure.

AIC, sitting atop the league at 5-0, plays Middlebury (4-1) this weekend. A Middlebury win with a bonus point could create a tie for first, though that would require both a stellar offensive and defensive effort from the Panthers, who would would have to score at least four tries while holding AIC to less than four and keep them from getting within seven points.

Meanwhile, Middlebury’s position at second in the league could be upended if they lose and Boston College or UMass wins. BC plays Northeastern this weekend, while UMass takes on UConn.

A tie in the standings is broken by ranking division points; if the points are also tied match results between the two teams determine the ranking order. Because Middlebury lost to UMass early in the season, a tie would go in the Minutemen’s favor. Middlebury defeated BC but could fall to third if the Eagles win with a bonus point and the Panthers do not earn points.

The top two teams in the ECRC will get invites to the ACRC Bowl Series in Charlotte Nov. 21-22.

Are you excited for the weekend? You bet your abacus we are …

ECRC weekend matchups

Middlebury @ American International College

The current top team in the ECRC (AIC) takes on last year's conference champ (Middlebury) at Ronald J Abdow Field in Springfield, Mass.

Northeastern @ Boston College

Northeastern travels to Chestnut Hill, Mass. to take on Boston College.

UMass @ UConn

UMass takes on UConn in a match with major implications for final standings in the ECRC.

About the ACRC Bowl Series

High-level collegiate rugby competition comes to Charlotte, N.C. Nov. 21-22, 2014 with the inaugural American Collegiate Rugby Championship Bowl Series. This series of matches in traditional bowl format brings the very best college rugby teams from around the country to Charlotte’s Rugby Athletic Center, a sports and events venue located just three miles from downtown.

The ACRC Bowl Series will feature eight championship bowl games over two days. The tournament is managed by URugby, a division of Sevens Sports LLC, a sports event management and marketing company specializing in creating great experiences around the sport of rugby.

Competition gets underway under the lights Friday evening Nov. 21, and heats up Saturday as the best college teams in the nation take to the pitch to compete for hardware and glory.