2017 Season - National Perspective

Started by D3soccerwatcher, August 11, 2017, 10:25:42 PM

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Gregory Sager

Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 09, 2017, 04:00:27 PM
I found Mr.Right's initial observations and questions on this topic rather benign, so in that regard I thought the reaction was over the top.  This was by far, IMHO, Mr.Right's "best year," and speaking of consistency he was quite so this year.

While I'm not going to offer a full rebuttal to your claim, because I don't really focus upon all of the New England and NY/PA chatter that goes on here in a decidedly northeastern-centric set of soccer chatrooms, I do have to point out that Mr. Right said, subsequent to NPU's win at Chicago, that the Vikings would lose a match within the next two weeks -- and NPU then went on to win eight straight matches after beating the Maroons. He also had North Park going out in the second round of the tourney (i.e., the first time that they set foot on the pitch following their first-round bye) to UW-Platteville -- and NPU eviscerated the Pioneers in that second-round match, 6-1. He also had NPU as a 35-1 pick in the Final Four, which I think we can all agree looks pretty silly in retrospect.

Just offering a little counterpoint from the NPU point of view.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

Laserpen123

Where was the Final Four All-tournament team posted? Chicago mentioned in their recap that Koh and Abedian were on the team, but can't find it anywhere.

Dave 'd-mac' McHugh

Quote from: Christan Shirk on December 09, 2017, 01:51:41 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 08, 2017, 11:28:20 PM

im going to go out on a limb here and say you are one of the ones who voted Chicago ahead of NPU...    you are very passionate about the NCAA it's cool to hve someone like that around here. but all we think is they screwed that one up a little. not the end of the world

I can unequivocally and authoritatively state that Mr. Dave McHugh is not a member of the D3soccer.com men's or women's Top 25 panels.   However, given the clear demonstration of his reason, level-headedness, and grasp on reality, maybe we should consider inviting him back.  :D

I hadn't had a chance to get back to this "discussion" since I've been a bit busy with basketball and football seasons - this hobby can be a bitch sometimes LOL - but, to confirm what Christian said, I am not a voter in the D3soccer poll. I have been a voter in the D3hoops MBB poll for a number of years, voted in the D3soccer poll one or two seasons awhile back (can't remember when exactly LOL), and voted on other polls in my tenure.

You can knock what I say all you want, but my point of view will remain especially being a voter and talking to voters around the country in several polls. Assumptions by those who don't vote result in a range of emotions/reactions and in this case... it is SMH. :)
Host of Hoopsville. USBWA Executive Board member. Broadcast Director for D3sports.com. Broadcaster for NCAA.com & several colleges. PA Announcer for Gophers & Brigade. Follow me on Twitter: @davemchugh or @d3hoopsville.

Mr.Right

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 09, 2017, 11:26:54 AM
For me this last page and a half is a classic example of how a back and forth on the internet can go astray based on one or two misunderstandings that then spiral (and I've been as guilty as anyone in this regard in the past).  In other words, it's sometimes hard to determine when there is a real difference of opinion (I've had plenty of those also) versus getting caught up in misunderstandings.

First of all, I'm not sure anyone cares about the polls or their outcome as much as taking the trouble to post about it suggests.  In the big picture, I don't care at all who is ranked #2 or #3.  That said, I also was surprised, and I say that as someone (like most here perhaps) who does believe Chicago was "better" than NPU.  Since I've been following, the final polls (both) generally have mirrored the Final Four outcomes with maybe the 4th team in the D3 poll getting downgraded to #5 or #6 but the finalists usually being #1 and #2.  The one thing nobody mentioned is that NPU climbed the highest in the D3 poll, so maybe that was a factor.

I do not buy that most voters put Chicago ahead because they "looked better" in the national semi.  Of course soccer may be the only sport where we have this odd thing about not losing but also not advancing (ties), so maybe that factors in, but I can't think of another sport where we say UCLA looked better in that Final Four semi but lost to UK and so UCLA ends up ranked higher.  Anyway, I don't think there is some difference between not seeing enough games during the season versus having more observation time in the tournament.  Just doesn't make sense, especially without getting into accounting for things like good or bad draws.  Did any voters take into account how great JCU looked in Round 1, for example?  I don't expect that from voters during the season or at the end of the season. 

I don't think a fan poll would address any of this either.  As I said, I personally think Chicago was better but as a poll voter, I would have voted NPU #2.

I found Mr.Right's initial observations and questions on this topic rather benign, so in that regard I thought the reaction was over the top.  This was by far, IMHO, Mr.Right's "best year," and speaking of consistency he was quite so this year.  Sometimes I think there is a bit of tension between the formal journalistic offerings on the site (which almost without fail are superb) and the informal but often regular contributions from persons like Mr.Right (and some others).  Both make the site what it is and something that so many of us truly enjoy.  And in this particular year Mr.Right's contribution (talking about the columns/articles and message board only) was as large and appreciated as anyone's this side of Mr. Blooter.


Thank you I appreciate the backup..You have never been shy about giving opinions good and bad about the site and that is much appreciated. Their is a little tension for sure between us posters and the official writers / staff for whatever reason. To me the tension is pretty rare and not really a big deal but I would be curious to know why it does sometimes exist. Personally, I am not afraid to criticize the site or opinions of said writers when necessary and usually not very often and neither are you so maybe that has a little to do with it. I do appreciate their work because it is a great site and I love my role of being able to post when I want about what I want without limitations or deadlines. You could ask my boss and he would flat out say how bad I am with deadlines and commitments so I enjoy the role i have. I also do appreciate the role that the official writers have and the back office staff because without them we would not have a site and I know how hard it is to commit to something without getting much if anything in return. Also, yes I have to agree I have really been well behaved this year and have really tried to mellow out a bit. Thank you for noticing.

Mr.Right

Quote from: Flying Weasel on December 09, 2017, 09:46:02 AM
Quote from: Mr.Right on December 09, 2017, 01:36:08 AM
This is the most asinine and unnecessary response. I understand your point and do understand the realities of D3 Soccer but to slam me for my addiction and knowledge of D3 Soccer on top of making your point only proves that I hit a small nerve that you feel every year to have to proclaim the D3soccer poll superior to the NSCAA poll.

OK, I went over the top with the hyperbole and facetiousness to make a point.  And you are probably right that is was unnecessary.  However, I did not slam your knowledge and addiction to D-III soccer, at least that was not my intent and I apologize if that is how my post could be interpreted. In a niche such as D-III soccer, it's quite possible that at the moment you have the broadest and deepest knowledge of the D-III landscape. I respect that for what it is.  In fact, because of the highly knowledgeable fans on this message board, I think it would be great to have a fan's Top 25, but since I don't have the time to organize it, I've never suggested it—until now, I guess.

In a previous decade, I was addicted (OK, I still am to some extent, but family and work life no longer allows me to feed my addiction like I once could) and I had a healthy knowledge of the D-III landscape back then.  Of course, that was before games were being webcast, so there were much greater limitations to what you could learn and know from across the whole nation. But it was fair to think that I probably had as good or better a handle of the national scene than many of the voters for the Top 25, just as that is probably the case today for you and some other addicts (and I use the term endearingly) and super-fans on this message board. And back then, in both my shortsightedness and pride, I sometimes had unrealistic expectations of the voters and leveled unfair criticisms at them. I'm more understanding and less critical these days, while still having some issues/criticisms (e.g. do some voters make any reasonable attempt to take into account strength of schedule when comparing W-L-T records and ranking teams throughout the season?!?).

I simply thought your particular criticism—that how they voted in the final poll, though seemingly more in line with how you want them to vote, was still wrong because you adjudged it to be inconsistent with the "incorrect" way they voted during the regular season—was either not talking into account or was ignoring some of the potential reasons/explanations for a shift (what you characterize as an inconsistency) in their approach. I thought it fair to mention those reasons and explanations.  I'm not denying an inconsistency on the part of some voters, nor agreeing that one exists.  But I think it reasonable, in light of the realities, that some shift would occur, and that it would be for the benefit of a better final ranking.

As to the D3soccer.com poll vs. NSCAA poll, I don't remember making any proclamations of superiority, now or on any kind of annual basis (correct me, if my memory is failing me that badly).  Unless making the simple observation that those who prefer the final rankings to reflect NCAA tournament finish will be more satisfied with the NSCAA rankings than the D3soccer.com rankings is considered a proclamation of superiority.  I prefer the D3soccer.com approach over the NSCAA's rigid framework that they largely though not strictly adhere to during the regular season and their approximate, though not strict, reflection of NCAA tournament advancement in their final rankings. Most years, somewhere along the way some discussion of the rankings comes up where it seems clear that someone hasn't yet heard or discovered how the NSCAA national rankings work, and if no one else steps up to help enlighten that person, I share that insight. From there, each person can reach their own conclusions.  I think D3soccer.com's approach gives it a better chance than the NSCAA to do an accurate ranking, but it's still only as good as its voters and I rarely think D3soccer.com has nailed the rankings.


There was no need to delete your original post. I have broad shoulders and can take criticism. I certainly dish it out enough. I just was a bit perplexed at your almost personal attack on top of making your point. Your point has merit yet i still believe mine does as well. That is fine and we can agree to disagree on this one.

Mr.Right

Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 09, 2017, 05:20:41 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 09, 2017, 04:00:27 PM
I found Mr.Right's initial observations and questions on this topic rather benign, so in that regard I thought the reaction was over the top.  This was by far, IMHO, Mr.Right's "best year," and speaking of consistency he was quite so this year.

While I'm not going to offer a full rebuttal to your claim, because I don't really focus upon all of the New England and NY/PA chatter that goes on here in a decidedly northeastern-centric set of soccer chatrooms, I do have to point out that Mr. Right said, subsequent to NPU's win at Chicago, that the Vikings would lose a match within the next two weeks -- and NPU then went on to win eight straight matches after beating the Maroons. He also had North Park going out in the second round of the tourney (i.e., the first time that they set foot on the pitch following their first-round bye) to UW-Platteville -- and NPU eviscerated the Pioneers in that second-round match, 6-1. He also had NPU as a 35-1 pick in the Final Four, which I think we can all agree looks pretty silly in retrospect.

Just offering a little counterpoint from the NPU point of view.


I know it is amazing that sometimes I can be wrong in my predictions. I was purely not sold at all on North Park and I was wrong. I can admit when I am wrong.

PaulNewman

Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 09, 2017, 05:20:41 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 09, 2017, 04:00:27 PM
I found Mr.Right's initial observations and questions on this topic rather benign, so in that regard I thought the reaction was over the top.  This was by far, IMHO, Mr.Right's "best year," and speaking of consistency he was quite so this year.

While I'm not going to offer a full rebuttal to your claim, because I don't really focus upon all of the New England and NY/PA chatter that goes on here in a decidedly northeastern-centric set of soccer chatrooms, I do have to point out that Mr. Right said, subsequent to NPU's win at Chicago, that the Vikings would lose a match within the next two weeks -- and NPU then went on to win eight straight matches after beating the Maroons. He also had North Park going out in the second round of the tourney (i.e., the first time that they set foot on the pitch following their first-round bye) to UW-Platteville -- and NPU eviscerated the Pioneers in that second-round match, 6-1. He also had NPU as a 35-1 pick in the Final Four, which I think we can all agree looks pretty silly in retrospect.

Just offering a little counterpoint from the NPU point of view.

I think occasionally posters react and "predict" based on the kind of attitude they they perceive other posters taking, especially posters of the "homerism" type, which of course describes almost all of us.  You have been a formidable poster over the past few weeks, which is great and an overall plus for the site but also inevitably creates exposure to potential reactions.  You and I had our own thing about Calvin's seeding, and as far as I can tell, we both strongly believe we proved ourselves right.  Humor helps, and let's concede that all of us take ourselves a little more seriously during the tournament.  At any rate, I would assume you would agree that Mr.RIght's reviews of the NESCAC schools looking ahead to next year were very well done (or at least you should know that his predictions relative to NPU were pretty ancillary to my overall point).

As for Northeast-centrism, I'm glad you raised that.  I've had the same thought before, which can leave the impression that the site skews that way.  There's nothing wrong with high participation levels.  The answer would be to get more PacWest, Trinity TX, Chicago and Michigan area, some CNU fans, ODAC fanatics, etc in the mix.  The internet work just as well across most of the country as it does in the Northeast corridor.

Saint of Old

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 10, 2017, 03:49:22 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 09, 2017, 05:20:41 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 09, 2017, 04:00:27 PM
I found Mr.Right's initial observations and questions on this topic rather benign, so in that regard I thought the reaction was over the top.  This was by far, IMHO, Mr.Right's "best year," and speaking of consistency he was quite so this year.

While I'm not going to offer a full rebuttal to your claim, because I don't really focus upon all of the New England and NY/PA chatter that goes on here in a decidedly northeastern-centric set of soccer chatrooms, I do have to point out that Mr. Right said, subsequent to NPU's win at Chicago, that the Vikings would lose a match within the next two weeks -- and NPU then went on to win eight straight matches after beating the Maroons. He also had North Park going out in the second round of the tourney (i.e., the first time that they set foot on the pitch following their first-round bye) to UW-Platteville -- and NPU eviscerated the Pioneers in that second-round match, 6-1. He also had NPU as a 35-1 pick in the Final Four, which I think we can all agree looks pretty silly in retrospect.

Just offering a little counterpoint from the NPU point of view.

I think occasionally posters react and "predict" based on the kind of attitude they they perceive other posters taking, especially posters of the "homerism" type, which of course describes almost all of us.  You have been a formidable poster over the past few weeks, which is great and an overall plus for the site but also inevitably creates exposure to potential reactions.  You and I had our own thing about Calvin's seeding, and as far as I can tell, we both strongly believe we proved ourselves right.  Humor helps, and let's concede that all of us take ourselves a little more seriously during the tournament.  At any rate, I would assume you would agree that Mr.RIght's reviews of the NESCAC schools looking ahead to next year were very well done (or at least you should know that his predictions relative to NPU were pretty ancillary to my overall point).

As for Northeast-centrism, I'm glad you raised that.  I've had the same thought before, which can leave the impression that the site skews that way.  There's nothing wrong with high participation levels.  The answer would be to get more PacWest, Trinity TX, Chicago and Michigan area, some CNU fans, ODAC fanatics, etc in the mix.  The internet work just as well across most of the country as it does in the Northeast corridor.

I agree.
Mr. Right is a fraud.
Who among us didn't know that NPU would of coarse make the finals and score first against Messiah.
We all knew that Brandies would beat Tufts and spoil a Messiah v. Tufts rematch.
Finally Mr. Right is always carrying on about how great of a team Williams are!!! What a homer :)

In all seriousness though, if any of us are batting a .333 on here we are perhaps the leading prophets on this sight.
I for one will say I love Mr. R's passion and love for d3 soccer over all as I do several other posters on here.
It really feels like a d3 family, regardless of which specific team us has beens and parents/fans cheer for.
I will miss all the fun comments and outlandish predictions on this board.

We always have next season.

P.S.
Apologies to many other regions.
I for one know how good the Midwest is, not many bigger Wheaton fans than myself.Texas brings it year in year out and are champions, and what can you say about PA, with Lycoming, back in the mix and the crusaders champs again.

Cant wait till next year!

Gregory Sager

Quote from: Mr.Right on December 10, 2017, 12:45:00 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 09, 2017, 05:20:41 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on December 09, 2017, 04:00:27 PM
I found Mr.Right's initial observations and questions on this topic rather benign, so in that regard I thought the reaction was over the top.  This was by far, IMHO, Mr.Right's "best year," and speaking of consistency he was quite so this year.

While I'm not going to offer a full rebuttal to your claim, because I don't really focus upon all of the New England and NY/PA chatter that goes on here in a decidedly northeastern-centric set of soccer chatrooms, I do have to point out that Mr. Right said, subsequent to NPU's win at Chicago, that the Vikings would lose a match within the next two weeks -- and NPU then went on to win eight straight matches after beating the Maroons. He also had North Park going out in the second round of the tourney (i.e., the first time that they set foot on the pitch following their first-round bye) to UW-Platteville -- and NPU eviscerated the Pioneers in that second-round match, 6-1. He also had NPU as a 35-1 pick in the Final Four, which I think we can all agree looks pretty silly in retrospect.

Just offering a little counterpoint from the NPU point of view.


I know it is amazing that sometimes I can be wrong in my predictions. I was purely not sold at all on North Park and I was wrong. I can admit when I am wrong.

I appreciate that! I respect your devotion to, and knowledge of, D3 soccer.

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 10, 2017, 03:49:22 PM
I think occasionally posters react and "predict" based on the kind of attitude they they perceive other posters taking, especially posters of the "homerism" type, which of course describes almost all of us.

Oh, I freely admit that I bleed royal blue and gold -- it's pretty obvious -- but at the same time I don't claim to have the extensive knowledge of the broader D3 soccer landscape that others who post here have, so I've tried to restrain my comments to sides that I've seen firsthand. And I think that I can be pretty objective, all things considered -- f'rinstance, I was very upfront in stating that Chicago thoroughly outplayed NPU in the semifinal, and I never attempted to rebut the consensus that the Vikings had a comparatively easy road to the Final Four (it wasn't a cakewalk, though; St. Thomas is another outstanding midwestern program that I sense is underrated on these boards).

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 10, 2017, 03:49:22 PMYou have been a formidable poster over the past few weeks, which is great and an overall plus for the site but also inevitably creates exposure to potential reactions.

Understood. As you can probably tell from my number of posts, I've posted on d3boards.com since it began 20 years ago, although my contributions in the realm of soccer have been limited to the CCIW board for the most part until this season. I'm as familiar with the conversational dynamics here as is anybody.

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 10, 2017, 03:49:22 PMYou and I had our own thing about Calvin's seeding, and as far as I can tell, we both strongly believe we proved ourselves right.  Humor helps, and let's concede that all of us take ourselves a little more seriously during the tournament.

I agree with you completely, but, at the same time, please try to see where I'm coming from on this. NPU is the new kid on the block as far as national attention goes, and with such familiar names as Messiah, Brandeis, Tufts, Stevens, Calvin, and Amherst getting into the latter rounds it was inevitable that the Vikings were going to be overlooked by a lot of people. That situation lent itself to a certain amount of zealousness on the part of the North Park faithful, me included.

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 10, 2017, 03:49:22 PMAt any rate, I would assume you would agree that Mr.RIght's reviews of the NESCAC schools looking ahead to next year were very well done (or at least you should know that his predictions relative to NPU were pretty ancillary to my overall point).

I haven't read them, but I'll certainly take your word for it. He obviously has a wealth of knowledge about D3 soccer in New England.

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 10, 2017, 03:49:22 PMAs for Northeast-centrism, I'm glad you raised that.  I've had the same thought before, which can leave the impression that the site skews that way.  There's nothing wrong with high participation levels.  The answer would be to get more PacWest, Trinity TX, Chicago and Michigan area, some CNU fans, ODAC fanatics, etc in the mix.  The internet work just as well across most of the country as it does in the Northeast corridor.

It is what it is. You can't force people to participate on the site. As great as it would be if every sport -- not just soccer -- had active posters in every room and for every conference, it just doesn't work out that way. The CCIW, for instance, has the busiest and most-trafficked room in men's basketball on d3boards.com, and the CCIW's football room gets very heavy participation and readership as well ... but for soccer and baseball the CCIW rooms don't get a lot of reads, and you can usually count the number of active posters in those rooms on one hand.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

PaulNewman

Mr. Sager, well replied....as expected.

My main point about comments regarding heavy Northeast involvement is that it's not the fault of the Northeast posters who participate that more people don't participate from other areas (i.e. the board isn't intentionally Northeast heavy).  Interesting to hear that there is broader appear and/or differences for other sports.  I wonder why there is a difference.  Like, how come there isn't a Mr.Right or PaulNewman for Whitworth or Dominican or Christopher Newport?  Even in the Northeast, the fan base is pretty hit or miss.  There are some strong " Mid-Atlantic" and Jersey posters but not really a posting superfan specifically for recently very relevant programs like F&M, Haverford, Dickinson or even in crazed New England for schools like Wheaton (MA), MIT, Babson, WPI, etc except for generalized overflow interest from fans like blooter and Mr.Right who maintain an interest in what's happening across the whole region.

blooter442

Quote from: PaulNewman on December 11, 2017, 09:32:04 AM
Mr. Sager, well replied....as expected.

My main point about comments regarding heavy Northeast involvement is that it's not the fault of the Northeast posters who participate that more people don't participate from other areas (i.e. the board isn't intentionally Northeast heavy).  Interesting to hear that there is broader appear and/or differences for other sports.  I wonder why there is a difference.  Like, how come there isn't a Mr.Right or PaulNewman for Whitworth or Dominican or Christopher Newport?  Even in the Northeast, the fan base is pretty hit or miss.  There are some strong " Mid-Atlantic" and Jersey posters but not really a posting superfan specifically for recently very relevant programs like F&M, Haverford, Dickinson or even in crazed New England for schools like Wheaton (MA), MIT, Babson, WPI, etc except for generalized overflow interest from fans like blooter and Mr.Right who maintain an interest in what's happening across the whole region.

Yeah, I've always wondered whether there are Babson/MIT/Wheaton (MA) players/alums/fans who read these boards but don't post -- I'm sure there are. It's very much a hit-or-miss kind of thing as far as which programs have fans who are active, and by that I mean posting regularly. I would certainly like to hear the perspectives from those folks, as well as those from outside the Northeast.

As for regional focus, I do keep up a bit with the Midwest and South UAA schools, and I've come to like watching heavyweights like Calvin and Messiah when I can for their style of play, but there are certainly huge gaps in my knowledge as far as teams outside of the Northeast region go (and teams in it, to be sure!).

Gregory Sager

The soccer boards on d3boards.com simply don't have that much traffic. That's why there's so many gaps in terms of fan coverage.

As of this moment, here's the number of posts in each of the five men's sports that have dedicated posting sections:

732,074 for football
394,285 for basketball
  68,576 for baseball
  34,706 for soccer
    1,708 for hockey
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

NESCAC43

Was just commenting on a Brandeis post in the UAA thread and made me realize the quality of the opponents they face in their conference. I looked at this year's standings as I don't get to follow the UAA as much as I hope and saw NYU at the bottom. After looking at their UAA performance in recent years, I was shocked. NYU's enrollment, granted the multitude of programs they offer, is much larger than the average D3 school (26,000 undergrad students was the most recent number I found). How is it that a university of NYU's caliber with such a large enrollment, foreign student attractiveness, and in one of the most desirable cities in the world not have a better soccer team? It made me think of University of Chicago in the sense that they're both in the middle of a big city with rigorous academics. NYU's campus is in Manhattan and I can't imagine they practice there, simply not enough space. Is that a contributing factor that might turn recruits off? I really hope it's not because they have a woman coach, as Kim Wyant is a largely decorated women's soccer figure. I know they made the Final 4 in the mid-late 2000's but ever since then, it seems like they have been underperforming. I'm sure someone has more knowledge about the program and I would appreciate it if they could share it, because I was completely surprised that they were not consistently at the top of the standings with the attractiveness of the university.

rolldeisroll

Quote from: NESCAC43 on December 11, 2017, 02:19:37 PM
Was just commenting on a Brandeis post in the UAA thread and made me realize the quality of the opponents they face in their conference. I looked at this year's standings as I don't get to follow the UAA as much as I hope and saw NYU at the bottom. After looking at their UAA performance in recent years, I was shocked. NYU's enrollment, granted the multitude of programs they offer, is much larger than the average D3 school (26,000 undergrad students was the most recent number I found). How is it that a university of NYU's caliber with such a large enrollment, foreign student attractiveness, and in one of the most desirable cities in the world not have a better soccer team? It made me think of University of Chicago in the sense that they're both in the middle of a big city with rigorous academics. NYU's campus is in Manhattan and I can't imagine they practice there, simply not enough space. Is that a contributing factor that might turn recruits off? I really hope it's not because they have a woman coach, as Kim Wyant is a largely decorated women's soccer figure. I know they made the Final 4 in the mid-late 2000's but ever since then, it seems like they have been underperforming. I'm sure someone has more knowledge about the program and I would appreciate it if they could share it, because I was completely surprised that they were not consistently at the top of the standings with the attractiveness of the university.

If I had to list reasons why recruits would not want to go to NYU, there are a couple of them.

1. The practices: like you said, they don't have room to practice. I believe they practice at the Manhattan Jasper's facility, which is a long way from campus. This is also where they play their home games, and they usually take a 45 min subway ride to get there. This in itself, having to commute 1.5 hours each day at such a rigorous school must not be fun at all. Better get used to studying on the train.
2. The school. A school like that does not get a lot of support from students. Just like at all the other UAA schools, there is a bit of a divide between the student athletes and the students. At Brandeis, its tough to get students to walk down the hill on a Friday night to watch the ranked men's team play, imagine trying to get them to drive 45 minutes for a home game.
3. The coach. Like you said, its unfortunate, but there are a lot of people who may not want to play for a woman coach. Add in their recent record, and there isn't really a reason why soccer should be on your top 5 reasons of going to NYU. Students who go there would go there for studies first and foremost, and then have soccer as a sort of extra curricular.

NEPAFAN

Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 11, 2017, 01:12:49 PM
The soccer boards on d3boards.com simply don't have that much traffic. That's why there's so many gaps in terms of fan coverage.

As of this moment, here's the number of posts in each of the five men's sports that have dedicated posting sections:

732,074 for football
394,285 for basketball
  68,576 for baseball
  34,706 for soccer
    1,708 for hockey

How long has each board been active?
A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.
Vince Lombardi