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Scoring decline somewhat this past spring compared to a year ago in all three NCAA men's divisions. The overall average was 19.4 goals per game, and as in 2010 it differed relatively little across the three divisions. The scoring average also declined slightly (0.4 goals/game overall) for each of the women's divisions. The pattern changed little, and scoring in Division II was again the most prolific at 24.7 goals/game. Women's matches continued to result in almost 4 goals per game more compared to men's matches. For this analysis, we examined both scoring (average total goals per game) and high score differentials (15+ and 20+). Only games played within each division were included. The first two graphs below show the trends over the last 11 years. You can click graphs to view a larger (904 x 616) version.  
What has happened with score differentials over this 12-year period? The four graphs below show the percentage of games in each division with differentials of 20+ and 15+ goals. High goal differentials remain extremely uncommon in Men's Division I. In Division II, 8.2% of games had a 15+ margin and 2.5% a 20+ margin; both represent appreciable increases compared to 2010. The corresponding figures for Division III were 12.6% and 4.2%, respectively. On the women's side, the percentage of games with high goal margins is substantially greater, although it dropped in all three divisions this spring. In Division II, the percentage of both 15+ goal games (22.5%) and 20+ goal games (6.6%) remained appreciably higher compared to Division I (6.4%/0.9%) and Division III (16.3%/2.7%). Over the last three years in men's Division I, the average differential (not pictured) has stayed 4.5-4.7 goals per game. Division II has seen a decline, from 7.3 in 2008 to 5.9 in 2011. The average goal differential in Division III has edged up slightly (about .1 per year) from 2005-present and stands at 7.3 for this past spring. For the women's divisions, on the other hand, after very little change over the previous three years, the average differential dropped by about half a goal in Divisions I and II but remained unchanged in Division III.  
 
On a side note, for those interested in home field advantage, the average goals per game in favor of the home team for 2009 through 2011 are shown below. For all but MD1, the figures for 2011 are the lowest in the last three years. Div. 2011 2010 2009 MD1 1.49 1.16 1.63 MD2 0.46 1.28 2.03 MD3 1.60 1.79 1.95 WD1 1.25 1.87 1.41 WD2 0.75 1.95 1.73 WD3 1.49 1.59 1.77 |
