The “system” may have done in the NIU soccer squad again.

Despite building a 13-5-2 record this season, the Huskies were snubbed again by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. That 13-5-2 record is better than four schools who have received bids to the NCAA tournament.

Seton Hall (11-7-2) was one of the top two teams in its region. Vermont (12-6-2) received an automatic bid for capturing the North Atlantic Conference title. Wake Forest (10-6-4) “had the toughest schedule in the entire country,” according to Richard Lowe, selection committee member. Virginia (10-5-6) was the top ranked team in its region.

Wake Forest, 10-6-4, did play Virgina, Clemson, and North Carolina State, but they lost to those teams.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Huskies’ boss Willy Roy said. “There’s nothing I can do now, but I know what needs to be done for next year. I’m going to do everything possible to better prepare us to win the ISU, SIU, Indiana type games. We have to look at ourselves.”

It was most likely NIU’s failure to capitalize on some important matches that did them in. They had a successful season, including capturing the Mid-Continent Conference title, but a school like NIU seems to need an eye-opening record to get the recognition needed to earn an NCAA bid.

The key match this year turned out to be the 4-1 loss the Huskies suffered to Illinois State, who received an at-large bid and will take on Southern Methodist in a rematch of the key regional game that took place just last Saturday when ISU edged SMU 3-2.

“I’m proud that our (Midwest) region has three representatives,” Roy said. “ISU deserves to go because they beat us. But when things are going well for you, things really go well, because ISU lost a game 5-0 (against Florida International), but because Florida had an ineligible player, ISU won by forfeit.”

“The fact is, they (ISU) beat us,” NIU defender Tim Scarnato added. “But why do all the Eastern teams get the at-large bids?”

Because, it seems, the whole regional scheme is tilted towards the East. There are eight regions, and five of those regions are east of the Appalachian mountains. The Midwest is the largest. It includes Minnesota all the way down to Texas, and from Illinois all the way across to Colorado, and only three schools were given bids.

Lowe justified the regional scheme. There are more Division I soccer schools in the east. He said there are approximately 20 to 30 schools in each of the eight regions.

The five Eastern regions will be represented by 18 schools. Maybe the Eastern schools will justify all their representatives in the tournament.