2018 Great Lakes Region

Started by bestfancle, August 28, 2018, 12:09:17 PM

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Domino1195

Heart-breaking loss for Denison. They absorbed and defended for a majority of the match but CMU finally got the two goals they needed. Nice contributions from new players - they should be an improved team over last year's squad. CMU very skilled -many players with deft touch in tight spaces. Kenyon will challenge tgem to be quicker with their press - should be a very even affair.

Capital jumps out to a lead 24 seconds into the match and dominates for 50 minutes, but Mother Nature wins on the night.  I believe NCAA requires 75 minutes before a game us official as does the MLS. They have Wabash on Sunday.

Domino1195

94 degrees on the turf - give credit to both Wabash and Capital. Both teams had leads, fell behind and retook the lead with Capital gaining the last comeback. 3-3 when Wabash went down to 10 men - about 20-25 minutes left in the second half.

Cap started strong and maintained had bulk of possession - a throw in that was mishandled by Cap's defense gave Wabash the lead.  Cap fights back to take a 2-1 lead - then Wabash grabs two to go ahead at half - the third a beauty of a free kick.  Wabash has a early second half goal (off a corner) erased due to a foul.

6 of the 7 goals from set pieces. I think both teams need to tighten up their marking!!!!

ncac_dad

Kenyon Ranked #8 and OWU Ranked #25 in today's NCAA D3 polls.

Kenyon and OWU should have be able to muster past Marietta and Ohio Northern, respectively, this week.  However, due to OWU field conditions, their match will be at a local high school field near OWU.

Both teams have looked good, OWU seems to have better offense this year.  We will see how the defense works when they play against a stronger attack.

Domino1195

We know not to place too much stock in preseason and early season rankings - the issues have been discussed at length.  One thing that is consistently "off" about the early season rankings is the lack of accounting for the loss of dominant senior classes and individual leaders.  John Carroll, Otterbein and Geneva are three examples that jump right out.  Even if the graduated seniors weren't starters, the loss of their leadership - in practices and games - takes time to rebuild.  Some of these teams expected to do better than their current records will rebound - some may find this to be a long season.  Still too early to say  . . .

Thoughts on conferences and post season:


       
  • NCAC: Kenyon, OWU, DePauw and Wabash are the foru I expect to make the NCAC tourney.  Wooster may sneak in there - I just don't know who'll drop out of this group of four.
  • Allegheny Mt: PSU-Behrend - it's their's to lose.  Frustrated by losing the conference championship last year I don't think hey do that again this year.  And they found out the hard way this is a one-bid conference.  Preseason must-win games for them include Grove City and Geneva.
  • Heartland: right now no one has a winning record, but to their credit most of thse teams set a challenging preseason schedule.  I think this is also a ne-bid conference and I believe it is a three-way battle with Transy, Hanover and Rose-Hulman.  I have seen two of these teams play - I like Transy's chances at this moment.
  • PRAC: with Thomas More's departure this is Grove City's year to get it done.  The Geneva rivalry might be enough to challenge them come post season tourney.  I saw them twice and they are playing as they have in previous years - connected lines, solid defending. They have some challenging preseason games vs CMU, Thomas More, Buff St (tourney team from last year)
  • OAC: does not look to be as strong as they were last year.  At this point I can't say who the top 6 will be to make the post season tourney or who will be the top two to receive byes. Capital is off to a good start - roster is set for two good years of potentially challenging for the OAC title.  Their schedue is not as strong as last year - and with the OAC expected to be off - that does not leave a lot of room for mistakes. Maybe back to a one-bid conference this year.
CMU looks very good right now; Case appears to have improved over last two years.  Thomas More plays a very strong schedule - kind of surprised they didn't go Pool B - but if they maintain a winning record against a schedue  expect to be over .600 they will grab a NCAA bid.

Flying Weasel

#19
Quote from: Domino1195 on September 12, 2018, 12:54:25 PMOne thing that is consistently "off" about the early season rankings is the lack of accounting for the loss of dominant senior classes and individual leaders.  John Carroll, Otterbein and Geneva are three examples that jump right out.  Even if the graduated seniors weren't starters, the loss of their leadership - in practices and games - takes time to rebuild.  Some of these teams expected to do better than their current records will rebound - some may find this to be a long season.  Still too early to say  . . .

Why should early season rankings account for the loss of dominant senior classes and individual leaders?  Rankings are not projections or predictions; they are an assessment of results and performances to date.  If a team is not playing at a Top 25 level in the early part of the season (or at any time), the reasons for that really shouldn't impact their ranking at all. It's the same thing when a star player suffers a season-ending injury, their team's ranking for the remainder of the season shouldn't be based on how well voters think they would be playing if their star player hadn't gotten injured.  Just the same, a team's ranking in the first few weeks shouldn't be based on how well voters think they will be playing by the end of the season.  That doesn't make the early rankings "off" unless you want them to be something that they are not.

Quote from: Domino1195 on September 12, 2018, 12:54:25 PMThomas More plays a very strong schedule - kind of surprised they didn't go Pool B - but if they maintain a winning record against a schedue  expect to be over .600 they will grab a NCAA bid.

Clarification: while Thomas More did not opt to play their final D-III season as an independent, they did go Pool B by joining a conference without an automatic berth.

Domino1195

When I saw JCU and Otterbein in the preseason top 25 I said - NFW. I even told an Otterbein player the same. I saw both Otterbein and JCU play. The "off" part is how much change there is from preseason to the time play gets underway.

We've this discussion countless times about the "history" of a program influencing rankings.  If rankings were truly based on performance ytd: explain OWU's higher ranking in the DIII poll versus Capital?

blooter442

#21
Well then...1-2-1 ONU which just got walloped 7-2 by Calvin is leading OWU 2-0 in the second half.

EDIT: Calvin score was actually 9-2; ONU wins 3-0 against OWU.

blooter442

Case does it again in OT, beating JCU 2-1. #17 who assisted on the winning goal then went and shushed the JCU crowd (not just for a second, but an extended period of time). On the face of it, I didn't think that was necessary, although maybe he was getting heckled, in which case fair enough. Another big win for Case.

Mr.Right

Love the shush....always gets peoples blood boiling...Expect JCU in 2019 to take the kids legs out. Amherst Assistant Coach Derek Shea did the shush when he played for North Adams St(MCLA) against Williams but he shushed the and taunted the bench after scoring a goal...Some of those Lax/Soccer players sitting on the bench FLIPPED and were held back but in the day you used to have some Lax/Socceer guys on the bench almost like ringers...Anyway Williams thought about that for a year until they played again unfortunately Shea had graduated.

blooter442

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 12, 2018, 09:08:50 PM
Love the shush....always gets peoples blood boiling...Expect JCU in 2019 to take the kids legs out. Amherst Assistant Coach Derek Shea did the shush when he played for North Adams St(MCLA) against Williams but he shushed the and taunted the bench after scoring a goal...Some of those Lax/Soccer players sitting on the bench FLIPPED and were held back but in the day you used to have some Lax/Socceer guys on the bench almost like ringers...Anyway Williams thought about that for a year until they played again unfortunately Shea had graduated.

I don't mind it if the crowd has been heckling a player all game. I just don't think it's necessary if it's unprovoked. We were giving Rashid the business in the '13 Sweet 16 and then he scored the 2nd goal to clinch it and did it to us...I was like, eh, fair enough, we deserved it.

ncac_dad

Ohio Northern (ONU) blanked OWU yesterday 3-0.

OWU was basically outplayed. OWU seemed to be a step behind ONU.

Defense blew it on the last goal. Centerback tried to slide tackle right when attacker shot the ball then, ONU had a clean rebound shot at the goal. Score.

OWU is in trouble if they do not pick-up their energy.

Domino1195

Something to consider:  with ONU coming off that blow-out - they were going to be over-the-top with energy. After the 4th Calvin goal ONU subbed 7 (SEVEN!) starters - 22nd minute.  They were embarrassed by Calvin and by playing less than half of the first half.  After Calvin's 7th goal 5 of those same starters were pulled from the game.

ncac_dad

Quote from: Domino1195 on September 14, 2018, 03:23:39 PM
Something to consider:  with ONU coming off that blow-out - they were going to be over-the-top with energy. After the 4th Calvin goal ONU subbed 7 (SEVEN!) starters - 22nd minute.  They were embarrassed by Calvin and by playing less than half of the first half.  After Calvin's 7th goal 5 of those same starters were pulled from the game.
Very good point.

I did not watch the Calvin match. By subbing that many starters, I can imagine that generated some motivation for the next match. Unfortunately, OWU ran right into it.

OWU did not match the energy. They need to do a better job.


Domino1195

Tonight will be interesting. I'll be there wearing a yellow and orange tie-dye shirt. Going to try to find Harry Kirsch and sit with him.

Domino1195

Except the game ISN'T at Rike field and Case - a fantastic school - can't provide a video stream. So i'll sit here in downtown Delaware and wait until someone figures it out . . .