Predicting the winners for the indoor soccer playoffs

Bosco is a senior English and secondary education double major and can be contacted at haley.bosco@drake.edu.

A collective, bitter-sweet feeling currently occupies the Drake Intramurals program, as our last few weeks of operation are winding down. The floor hockey victors were recently crowned, the initial rounds of indoor soccer playoffs have begun, a few weeks remain in softball, and our volleyball triples tournament is right around the corner (sign your team up by Wednesday). To serve the moderate consistency of the intramurals column, I will lend this week’s theme to the playoffs of our radical indoor soccer season.

New rules and regulations molded this year’s indoor soccer leagues to be more competitive than ever. Our co-rec league was very popular among the ones who approve of integrating genders in athletics, and the original leagues were just as worthwhile. As always, my personal predictions are typically more wrong than right in lieu of the favorable team’s misplaced Drake ID’s, failure to check the right schedule and reluctance to sign up on IMLeagues.com. Nevertheless, here are my predictions for the 2012 indoor soccer playoffs.

Sorority

Winners: Kappa Alpha Theta – I try not to be fooled by first-place rankings, but the Theta girls seem to always bring out the best in their competition and tend to always show up. No one hates commitment.

Almost Winners: Delta Gamma – The team’s unmatched 19 participants may outnumber the rest of the teams combined. Fresh feet on the sideline may prove to bring these girls to victory.

Potential Upset: Lambda Kappa Sigma – I try not to dismiss any pharmacy teams when it comes to going the extra mile.

Women’s Independent

Winners: Should’ve Played Tennis – After all the independent teams were extracted from the sorority bracket, a bare three squads remained. This team is already in the championship mainly as a result of showing up to their games.

Almost Winners: Phi Delta Chi – If this team can present enough players at its semifinal game, then it can give the top-ranked team a fair match.

Potential Upset: No one shows up

Men’s Recreational

Winners: Alpha Kappa Psi – I cannot overlook an undefeated team with all games played in a 12-team bracket. I’m also hoping the business fraternity can help me find employment after graduation.

Almost Winners: Plain White T’s – I think these guys sweat more than any other team. Any seasoned senior squad willing to give 110 percent without an alcohol-related reward deserves my vote.

Potential Upset: Phi Delt – I have to give it up for the few Phi Delt casualties still willing to play for the name.

Men’s Competitive/Frat

Winners: FIJI A/Linghamz – Both teams remain undefeated and have even showed up to a Friday night game or two.

Almost Winners: Toe Poke Express – Another committed Friday night squad who has played well under adversity all season long.

Potential Upset: SigEp A – We can only hope for another inevitable match between SigEp and FIJI.

CoRec

Winners: LSD Eindhoven – Their skill is remarkably familiar, but unmatched regardless.

Almost Winners: The Gorillas – May have karma on their side with the vast assimilation of freshman to senior team members.

Potential Upset: Unreal Madrid – Their goal differential evened out at the end of the season, and being called an underdog may really light their fire.

Tears come as I think about the stark number of columns I have left to express the grace of Drake Intramurals. Keep playing hard; we wouldn’t be here without your stories to tell.

Until next time, please play by the rules.