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The Importance of the MAPLE Regular Season |
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| Often, you hear that the regular-season MAPLE games don't mean very much. Actually, they mean a lot for teams that don't end up very near the top. This discussion summarizes the confusing MAPLE rules as they affect teams that are currently playing U16. The outcome of the MAPLE season has no affect on this year, but it can have a dramatic influence on what happens next spring (U17). Keep in mind that there are only six teams in U17 division 1. At least two, and as many as four of the present division 1 teams will be relegated to division 2. | ||
The desired outcomes of the MAPLE season should
be as follows:
After the MAPLE season, before the State Cup is over, the only way to be certain of avoiding these above scenarios is to finish in first or second place! A key thing to remember is that the finishing order is not actually known until the State Cup is over. The State Cup finalists take slots 1 & 2. If a team's position improves by being a State Cup finalist, the positions of the lower-ranked teams must be adjusted down to make room. THis process can move a team down by one or two places. |
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| 1. Avoid the bottom. Eighth place after the State Cup is automatically relegated to division 2. The most dramatic scenario occurs when the teams finishing the regular season in places 7 & 8 make it to the final, which means that position 6 gets bumped to position 8, and is relegated. It is very risky to finish in position 6 or worse. | ||
| 2. Avoid playing promotion/relegation games this year. The teams in slots 1-5 after the U16 State Cup automatically are in U17 Division 1. The team finishing 8th is automatically in U17 Division 2. Typically, the teams finishing in Division 1 positions 6 & 7 after the State Cup must play a promotion/relegation series along with the top two teams from Division 2 to figure out who gets the one remaining U17 Division 1 slot. These games take place during, or immediately after the second State Cup weekend. In order to guarantee not falling into position 6, a team must finish in position 4 or better after the regular season. | ||
| 3. Avoid playing a challenge game in May 2003. The teams that finish in position 1-4 after the U16 State Cup are automatically in the U17 State Cup in 2003. The teams that finish in position 5-8 (two of them will be in U17 Division 2) must play a challenge game in May of 2003 to determine whether they make it to the State Cup. A team that finishes in 3rd place after the regular season could get bumped down to 5th place after the State Cup. For this reason, the only definitely secure places after the regular season are #1 and #2. Teams finishing worse than second place after the regular season are dependent on other teams to determine their destiny! | ||
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