UAA 2017

[blooter442]

Checked out the Brandeis Athletics website – the Judges have their schedule out: http://brandeisjudges.com/sports/msoc/2017-18/schedule

The Judges start the season at the Hobart Invitational, playing Hobart and Cortland State: the former, a perennial LL contender, and the latter a Sweet 16 team last year. The next big game is Babson home, and after that away tests against Tufts and Wheaton before the UAA schedule starts. Brandeis also plays in-state games against WPI, Elms, MA Maritime, and Clark.

At first glance, not quite as strong of a schedule as the past few years – no Trinity/Haverford/etc. in the opening weekend – but still a solid slew of tests nonetheless.

[Mr.Right]

That schedule is a pretty good schedule but you are correct the opening weekend is not quite as strong as the past few seasons BUT still a schedule that will garner an over .600 SOS and a high OWP. Cortland and Hobart is a very solid opening weekend and with all the players Brandeis has lost the past few seasons that schedule will be a buffer until Brandeis figures out their line-up and put players in the right positions. The great thing about Margolis is he was their for 10 years before taking over as Head Coach so the players will know exactly what to expect and since Margolis had his hands all over Coven's program the past 10 years I do not expect any major changes in formation or style of play. Hobart will have a very solid team coming back as they were inches away from the NCAA's. Cortland is always tough especially up there but they were a bit inconsistent IMO last year.

[Mr.Right]

Side Note:  Is it me or has Brandeis dropped a few teams from that schedule. Looks like they are only playing 17/18 games and if I remember correctly Coven used to play 20 games in a season.

[blooter442]

That schedule is a pretty good schedule but you are correct the opening weekend is not quite as strong as the past few seasons BUT still a schedule that will garner an over .600 SOS and a high OWP. Cortland and Hobart is a very solid opening weekend and with all the players Brandeis has lost the past few seasons that schedule will be a buffer until Brandeis figures out their line-up and put players in the right positions. The great thing about Margolis is he was their for 10 years before taking over as Head Coach so the players will know exactly what to expect and since Margolis had his hands all over Coven's program the past 10 years I do not expect any major changes in formation or style of play. Hobart will have a very solid team coming back as they were inches away from the NCAA's. Cortland is always tough especially up there but they were a bit inconsistent IMO last year.

Good points. Ocel and I believe Berg are both returning this year so that's huge. Most of the front line and both CBs graduate but Woodhouse and both outside backs are back. Definitely going to require some experimenting, but I think they'll figure it out.

Side Note:  Is it me or has Brandeis dropped a few teams from that schedule. Looks like they are only playing 17/18 games and if I remember correctly Coven used to play 20 games in a season.

Depends on the year, I think. From 2012 to 2015, it was 19 games per season. Last year, it was 18.

[OldNed]

That schedule is a pretty good schedule but you are correct the opening weekend is not quite as strong as the past few seasons BUT still a schedule that will garner an over .600 SOS and a high OWP. Cortland and Hobart is a very solid opening weekend and with all the players Brandeis has lost the past few seasons that schedule will be a buffer until Brandeis figures out their line-up and put players in the right positions. The great thing about Margolis is he was their for 10 years before taking over as Head Coach so the players will know exactly what to expect and since Margolis had his hands all over Coven's program the past 10 years I do not expect any major changes in formation or style of play. Hobart will have a very solid team coming back as they were inches away from the NCAA's. Cortland is always tough especially up there but they were a bit inconsistent IMO last year.

Good points. Ocel and I believe Berg are both returning this year so that's huge. Most of the front line and both CBs graduate but Woodhouse and both outside backs are back. Definitely going to require some experimenting, but I think they'll figure it out.

Side Note:  Is it me or has Brandeis dropped a few teams from that schedule. Looks like they are only playing 17/18 games and if I remember correctly Coven used to play 20 games in a season.

Depends on the year, I think. From 2012 to 2015, it was 19 games per season. Last year, it was 18.

Blooter,
I'm curious - the 2016 roster shows both Ocel and Berg as Seniors.  Do they still have eligibility and are they planning on using it?

[blooter442]

Blooter,
I'm curious - the 2016 roster shows both Ocel and Berg as Seniors.  Do they still have eligibility and are they planning on using it?

Yes. Ocel broke his leg during preseason his freshman year, so missed that whole season, and Berg missed quite a bit of time (believe it was this past season) so both have a season of eligibility. They marched with their class at graduation this spring, but will be back for another season and I believe will be finishing up their classes this fall (Ocel's older brother, Sam, also an All-American selection, did the same in 2013).

[OldNed]

Thanks Blooter - nice to hear from somebody in the know.

[MUFC9]

New to forum. Interested in everyones outlook on next season in the UAA? Is Chicago the clear favorite?

[UAA Insider]

New to forum. Interested in everyones outlook on next season in the UAA? Is Chicago the clear favorite?

Yes they are the clear favorite. However, I would throw Carnegie Mellon in there, as well. They only graduated two starters with a majority of their team being sophomores (soon to be juniors), with Zack Masciopinto leading the team. Him, Ocel, Capotosto and Lopez have to be the favorites for UAA POY going into the season.

[Buck O.]

My son's a rising high school junior.  He's going to play soccer in college, and if he goes D3, I expect him to be interested in several UAA schools.  Would any of you who have been watching these teams for a few years mind providing me with some thoughts as to the different teams' styles of play?

[deutschfan]

This may sound like sacrilege on a soccer board but I believe you are seeking an answer to the wrong question.  The right question, imho, is what UAA school is the best academic school in my son's area of academic interest that my son can gain admission to?  With the UAA you are in luck since in most academic areas the University of Chicago is tops, and it is playing beautiful soccer right now with deep recruiting classes that have parents or coaches who have given the same advice that I have.  How does Cal Tech recruit USSDA players with its history of last place SCIAC finishes and permitting girl players on the team?  It is because these recruits want to help put a human on Mars and hack into the scoreboard at the Rose Bowl more than play in the dance.  There are so many great academic d3 schools that play tremendous soccer in the UAA, NESCAC, Centennial, SCIAC, and Liberty League.  Have your son concentrate on life after college soccer in making his college choice.       

[Mr.Right]

Cal Tech has a girl on their roster? If true that should be a big feature on D3soccer.com along with the other story I have been interested since the winter about NYU's Men's Head Coach being a woman. Would love to hear from the players and how the transition has been.

[deutschfan]

Check out the career of Sarah Wright, Cal Tech class of 2013.  Stud women's basketball player and men's soccer player.  Also check out the 2011 roster.  Sarah is probably in astronaut training about now.  A soccer ball probably travels pretty far in zero gravity. 

[deutschfan]

Oops.  Saw Sarah's Linked In page.  Looks like she is completing medical school before she goes into space.  Sarah is the epitome of a d3 sports success story.

[Buck O.]

This may sound like sacrilege on a soccer board but I believe you are seeking an answer to the wrong question.  The right question, imho, is what UAA school is the best academic school in my son's area of academic interest that my son can gain admission to?  With the UAA you are in luck since in most academic areas the University of Chicago is tops, and it is playing beautiful soccer right now with deep recruiting classes that have parents or coaches who have given the same advice that I have.  How does Cal Tech recruit USSDA players with its history of last place SCIAC finishes and permitting girl players on the team?  It is because these recruits want to help put a human on Mars and hack into the scoreboard at the Rose Bowl more than play in the dance.  There are so many great academic d3 schools that play tremendous soccer in the UAA, NESCAC, Centennial, SCIAC, and Liberty League.  Have your son concentrate on life after college soccer in making his college choice.     

I understand that his college choice should not be primarily based on soccer.   In fact, that is one of the reasons that I think he will be interested in several schools in the UAA.  There are a lot of other schools he could go to if the sole consideration was soccer.

With that said, there are many factors that go into choosing a school, and it is reasonable for soccer to play some role in his decision, even if it is not the dominant criterion.  It's difficult to get information on styles of play, particularly in the case of a geographically dispersed conference such as the UAA.  We live in the Boston area, for example, so coaches around here are familiar with Brandeis soccer (and of course we can easily go watch them).   But people here are considerably less familiar with how Wash U or CMU or Rochester play soccer.  While I know about the academics at those places (I have degrees from two of them), I don't know anything about how they play soccer, either.  Hence my inquiry.