MIAA

Started by d3fan1, June 11, 2009, 11:42:22 AM

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fishercats

Results from Mar 25th. These are the first official conference games. Any games before this were non-conference, even if there were between conference opponents. Some of the games can still be viewed on the college websites or here: https://www.miaa.org/sports/msoc/2020-21/schedule


Olivet*   3
Alma           2
Olivet gets their second win. Good result for them. They were picked to be last in the conference.


Albion*   0
Kalamazoo   1
Looks like Kalamazoo dominated the game, but only one goal.

Hope*   1
Adrian   0
Hope dominated the box score similar to Kalamazoo, but could only get one in the back of the net.

Trine*   0
Calvin   3
Another three goals for the Knights. Three different goal scorers.

fishercats

Some other recent results/happenings:

Alma battled Calvin to a 0-0 game after 90 min. Calvin ended up winning with a goal in the first minute of OT.

Albion and Olivet have had to cancel recent games due to Covid.

Big Kalamazoo v Calvin game on Thurs 4/7.


fishercats

MIAA Tournament started tonight. Interesting night to say the least :o ??? :o

#1 Calvin looses to #8 Albion 1-2. Seems that Sam Twigg hasn't played in the last several games. Injury? Calvin only played 14 players in the game. Not sure I have ever seen Calvin have a bad loss. Anyone remember? Albion was 0-4 on the season and had a handful of games cancelled because they had covid in the team

#2 Kalamazoo 4-4 (2-4 Kicks) looses to #7 Alma. Instant classic with 2 goals in the final 3 minutes. Alma was 0-6 for the season.

In other news:
#3 Hope 3-0 #6 Adrian
#4 Trine 5-0 #5 Olivet

Next round on Thursday

#4 Trine hosts #8 Albion
#3 Hope hosts #7 Alma

fishercats

MIAA Coaches Poll is out. A few observations:

- Well, the biggest observation is that Calvin is not predicted to finish first. Unclear if this is about Hope getting better or Calvin declining. Calvin looks like they only lost 2 seniors from last year's abbreviated season. So, maybe this is more about Hope improving.

- Hope, Calvin and Kalamazoo were all in the NCAA tournament last time around and should have a shot again this year.

- Looks like some 5th yr seniors are sticking around. A quick review matching this write-up to the 2020-21 rosters for only Hope, Calvin, Kalamazoo and Trine show at least: Hope (Dalton, Byrne), Calvin (Van Andel), Trine (Hill).



Hope Tabbed-for-First in 2021 MIAA Men's Soccer Coaches Poll
Posted: Aug 23, 2021 
FREELAND, Mich. – In a preseason poll of eight Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) men's soccer coaches, Hope is slated to finish No. 1 after receiving six first-place votes.

Calvin earned the other two first-place votes to place second in the preseason poll with 12 points.  Kalamazoo tallied 21 points to edge Trine (23 points) for third.  Albion recorded 33 points for fifth place, followed by Alma in sixth with 36 points.  Adrian (43 points) and Olivet (47 points) rounded out the poll in seventh and eighth, respectively.

The preseason poll for MIAA men's soccer awards one point for a first-place vote, two points for a second-place vote, etc.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own programs.

Hope (5-1-1 overall, 2-1 MIAA in spring 2021), seeded third for the spring 2021 MIAA Tournament, claimed the tournament title for the first time since 2013.  Last season's Most Valuable Player, Ty Dalton (Sr. | M | Rockford,  Mich.), will return for a fifth year at Hope after securing the tournament victory for the Flying Dutchmen with the game-winning goal in overtime versus Trine in the final contest.  Hope's roster will also feature senior Ryan Flynn (Sr. | M | Bloomington, Ill.) and sophomore Brandon Fles (So. | D | Spring Lake, Mich.) who were both named to the All-MIAA First Team last season, as well as Second Team All-MIAA players Dominick Byrne (Sr. | D | Fremont, Mich.) and Jackson Strabel (Jr. | D | Grand Rapids, Mich.).

Calvin (7-2 overall, 6-0 MIAA) earned the regular-season crown for the 14th-straight season (including one co-championship) after going undefeated in league play.  Oliver Akintade (So. | F | Lake Forest, Ill.) returns for the Knights after being voted the spring 2021 MIAA Newcomer of the Year.  Akintade started all games last season and concluded league play first in goals (5) and second in both points (11) and shots (21).  The Calvin roster will also feature three-time All-MIAA selections Sam Twigg (Sr. | D | Auckland, N.Z.) and Drew Van Andel (Sr. | D | Grand Haven, Mich.), along with two-time All-MIAA honorees Aguma Muhumuza (Jr. | D | Baton Rouge, La.), Mason Smith (Sr. | M | Flint, Mich.) and Daniel Wunder (Jr. | GK | Grand Rapids, Mich.).

Kalamazoo concluded the spring 2021 season with an overall record of 5-1-1 and a 5-1 mark in conference contests.  The Hornet roster is headlined by seniors Luke Kastran (Sr. | GK | Rochester Hills, Mich.) and two-time All-MIAA recipient Alex Wallace (Sr. | D | Davie, Fla.) who were both named Second Team all-conference players last season.

Trine (11-5 overall, 4-3 MIAA) returns four-of-five spring 2021 All-MIAA players this season.  Jared Cromwell (Jr. | M/D |Grand Rapids, Mich.) represented the Thunder on the All-MIAA First Team last season.  The spring 2021 Second Team All-MIAA honorees who are returning are Beau Hill (Sr. | D | Allen, Texas), Brian Morris (Sr. | M | Metamora, Mich.), Tyler Murphy (So. | M | Greenfield, Ind.), and Alhasan Yahya (So. | M | Melvindale, Mich.).

Albion (1-5 overall, 0-3 MIAA) will look to Second Team All-MIAA selection Jason Warras (Sr. | F | Plymouth, Mich.) in the upcoming season.

The 2021 MIAA men's soccer season gets underway Wednesday, Sept. 1.  League play begins on Tuesday, Oct. 5, with Olivet hosting Alma (4:00 p.m.), Trine hosting Calvin (4:00 p.m.), Albion hosting Kalamazoo (7:00 p.m.) and Hope hosting Adrian (7:00 p.m.).

Rank, Team, Points, First-Place Votes
1.   Hope            9 points     6
2.   Calvin          12 points    2
3.   Kalamazoo   21 points   
4.   Trine           23 points   
5.   Albion         33 points   
6.   Alma           36 points   
7.   Adrian         43 points   
8.   Olivet          47 points   

Dark Knight

Quote from: fishercats on August 23, 2021, 07:28:26 PM
MIAA Coaches Poll is out. A few observations:

- Well, the biggest observation is that Calvin is not predicted to finish first. Unclear if this is about Hope getting better or Calvin declining. Calvin looks like they only lost 2 seniors from last year's abbreviated season. So, maybe this is more about Hope improving.
[...]

Rank, Team, Points, First-Place Votes
1.   Hope            9 points     6
2.   Calvin          12 points    2
3.   Kalamazoo   21 points   
4.   Trine           23 points   
5.   Albion         33 points   
6.   Alma           36 points   
7.   Adrian         43 points   
8.   Olivet          47 points

Yeah, I found this surprising too, especially given the pretty strong consensus among MIAA coaches. Calvin had only two starters who were seniors, and one of them is returning for a fifth year. I'm wondering if there is some news I haven't heard?

I don't know anything about Hope's team. Are there some new impact players?

Maybe it comes down to Calvin's 7-2 record in last year's abbreviated season, compared to Hope's 5-1-1. (Though one of Calvin's losses was a 0-1 bout at DI Notre Dame...)

Anyone have insight in this vote?

fishercats

I was struck by the unanimity of the the vote as well. Here is my take:

- Hope has improved under Coach Brandt. They are playing a good style of soccer with solid recruiting classes in the past few years. Last spring, some first year players got good minutes. On the other hand, Calvin is fielding much the same team as the past year and will be solid again.
- Hope won the Conference Tournament in the spring with some first year players having significant roles. So, perhaps the coaches gave the nod to Hope due to that spring 2021 conference title.
- Hope and Calvin didn't get to play one another in the spring 2021 season. Regular season game cancelled due to covid and then Calvin got knocked out early in the tournament. Plus it looks like Calvin was without their top player for much of the spring. So it is unclear how they match up head to head.
- However, in the 2019 tournament final, they battled to a 0-0 tie with Calvin winning in a shootout. Likely that this official tie gave Hope a boost to get in to the tournament.

In the end, it looks like both teams are pretty good and it is nice to see the local rivalry heat back up.

Should know more after the Sep 3-4 after Hope and Calvin face common opponents (Ohio Northern and Ohio Wesleyan) in a very solid weekend of games. Then on Sep 10-11 they play common opponents Carthage and Aurora.

Dark Knight

#351
Here are Massey's MIAA national rankings after last year's abbreviated season. There were fewer teams playing in D3 last year--214--and nearly 60 of those that did play played 5 games or fewer.


Calvin4
Kalamazoo26
Hope27
Trine59
Albion100
Adrian114
Olivet138
Alma161

Of course, with a reduced number of games, and the fact that most games were played in-conference, and with various players out at various times due to covid protocols and other reasons, these rankings are much less reliable than usual.

Dark Knight

Wow, what a game between Calvin and Ohio Wesleyan. Exciting and extremely well played. IMHO Calvin may have had a slight edge over all except that OWU had a forward Calvin just couldn't stop. The game went back and forth and ended 3-3. What a great regional rivalry.

Here are the comments from Calvin's coach:

"Objectively, that's an absolutely phenomenal college soccer game," said Calvin men's soccer coach Ryan Souders. "There were great moments from both teams and an incredible atmosphere. Honestly, it felt very like a postseason matchup. I thought we fought really well, and created some really excellent stuff. I think we can clean up some things moving forward, but there are definitely a lot of positives to take from the night."

Dark Knight

Getting a kick out of Massey's early-season ratings. Calvin started out at about #20 before any games were played, shot up to a strong #1 with the 10-0 win over a weak Grace Bible team, and then plummeted to #46 after the draw with an excellent OWU team.

Next time remind me not to look at Massey until 4-5 games have been played...

d4_Pace


fishercats

It has been awhile, so here is the latest in the MIAA:

             Conf      Overall
Calvin      5-0      13-2-2
Hope        4-0-1   10-2-2
Kzoo       4-1       9-3-2
Trine        2-2-1   7-7-1
Albion      2-2      4-6-1
Olivet      1-3       3-9
Adrian      0-5      2-12-2
Alma        0-5      2-12

This coming week will tell quite a bit. Kzoo at Calvin tonight (Calvin wins in OT 2-1), Calvin at Hope on Sat, Hope at Kzoo next weekend. in 2019, all three made it to the NCAAs.

Some notable results so far:
Calvin: Win vs Emory, Kzoo; Tie vs Ohio Wesleyan; Loss to Chicago
Hope: Wins vs North Park, Wash U; Loss to Ohio Wesleyan, Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo: Win vs Hope; Losses vs Wilmington, Chicago

My simple observations:
Calvin - not as good as past years, but still the top dog until proven otherwise. I feel like they are getting their high ranking in the various polls based mostly upon reputation and a few lopsided wins. Not scoring as much as in past years.
Hope - very disciplined, well organized and fit. But no matter how many successful passes and dribbles, they still need to put the ball in the net. Hope and Kzoo have very similar goals scored and goals against.
Kzoo - they just seem like a tough team. Don't score much, but have a very stingy defense. I don't believe that they are as technically skilled as Calvin and Hope, but they always play a close game.

My predictions:
1. Calvin league and tournament champs, NCAA bid
2. Hope league and tournament runnerup, NCAA bid
3. Kalamazoo 3rd, no NCAA bid

Gregory Sager

#356
Quote from: fishercats on October 19, 2021, 09:08:28 PM
My simple observations:
Calvin - not as good as past years, but still the top dog until proven otherwise. I feel like they are getting their high ranking in the various polls based mostly upon reputation and a few lopsided wins. Not scoring as much as in past years.

The numbers show otherwise, as far as your last point is concerned. Here's Calvin's scoring average this season and the decade previous:

2021: 3.76
2019: 2.96
2018: 4.00
2017: 3.70
2016: 2.96
2015: 3.12
2014: 2.91
2013: 3.20
2012: 2.81
2011: 2.19
2010: 1.88

In fact, Calvin is currently third in D3 in scoring average. Only PSU-Harrisburg (4.08) and Husson (3.94) have been more prolific.

You could argue that Calvin's two double-digit routs this season of opponents who never should've been scheduled in the first place by a program of Calvin's caliber (Grace Bible and Finlandia) have swollen the scoring stats of the Knights, although those games still count and therefore help to contradict your claim. But even if you replaced those 10-0 and 13-0 scores with two results in which the Knights scored their closest current round number (i.e., four goals), their season scoring average is still a 2.88 that's barely off of their 2019 mark and is more or less in line with what they've done over the past decade.

"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

fishercats

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2021, 10:59:33 AM
Quote from: fishercats on October 19, 2021, 09:08:28 PM
My simple observations:
Calvin - not as good as past years, but still the top dog until proven otherwise. I feel like they are getting their high ranking in the various polls based mostly upon reputation and a few lopsided wins. Not scoring as much as in past years.

The numbers show otherwise, as far as your last point is concerned. Here's Calvin's scoring average this season and the decade previous:

2021: 3.76
2019: 2.96
2018: 4.00
2017: 3.70
2016: 2.96
2015: 3.12
2014: 2.91
2013: 3.20
2012: 2.81
2011: 2.19
2010: 1.88

In fact, Calvin is currently third in D3 in scoring average. Only PSU-Harrisburg (4.08) and Husson (3.94) have been more prolific.

You could argue that Calvin's two double-digit routs this season of opponents who never should've been scheduled in the first place by a program of Calvin's caliber (Grace Bible and Finlandia) have swollen the scoring stats of the Knights, although those games still count and therefore help to contradict your claim. But even if you replaced those 10-0 and 13-0 scores with two results in which the Knights scored their closest current round number (i.e., four goals), their season scoring average is still a 2.88 that's barely off of their 2019 mark and is more or less in line with what they've done over the past decade.

Point taken and good to see the data. But something still feels a bit off. Maybe it is about "how" they are scoring. While the average may hold, it appears there may be a bit more variance this year...i.e., the blowouts are bigger and the rest of the games are closer. For example, this season Calvin has scored 38 of 64 goals (59%) in 4 games. I took a quick look at the past couple of seasons and the scoring appeared more spread out. Also curious how their strength of schedule compares...not sure if there is a way to compare partial seasons. 

Regardless, they are prolific.

Gregory Sager

That's a fair point about Calvin's tendency to cluster goals in certain games rather than spreading them out evenly across the schedule possibly affecting people's perceptions of the Knights.
"To see what is in front of one's nose is a constant struggle." -- George Orwell

fishercats

Final MIAA Regular Season Standings

SCHOOLS   CONF   OVERALL
Calvin           7-0   15-2-2
Kalamazoo     5-1-1   10-3-3
Hope            4-1-2   10-3-3
Trine            4-2-1   9-7-1
Albion          2-4-1   4-8-2
Olivet          2-4-1   4-10-1
Alma            1-6        3-13
Adrian          0-7   2-14-2

Not too much has really changed in the past couple years. And compared to the pre-season poll, Hope underperformed and Olivet overperformed.