Liberty League

Started by Saint of Old, August 12, 2014, 12:14:06 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Ommadawn

Quote from: deutschfan on September 27, 2017, 07:23:35 PM
Had the three screens going.

Gotta love it! Hardcore LL fan, no doubt about it! 

Quote from: deutschfan on September 27, 2017, 07:23:35 PM
Williams very dominsnt in first half in what could have been a 2 or 3 goal half instead of 1.  More even in the second half with Skidmore creating quality chances near end to no avail. Overall Williams a notch above. Vassar should have had 2 or 3 as well with Bard looking inept for large portions of the game. Vassar 2-0 in league against two winless teams. Union game should tell alot. Hobart possessed and built up while RIT played for counter. RIT could have easily won this game in the last 10 minutes with a counter attack goal. Moral of story--this league is wide open but for Bard.

I was unable to see any of the games and appreciate your summaries.  Your "moral of the story" is right on target.  I expect to see a logjam somewhere around 14 points as teams battle for playoff spots.

deutschfan

Big Saturday for the LL.  Fixture predictions follow:
Clarkson 1  RIT  1
Vassar 1  Union  1
Skidmore 2  RPI 1
Hobart 2  Bard 0
SLU 1  Ithaca 0


Ommadawn

Quote from: deutschfan on September 29, 2017, 02:23:59 PM
Big Saturday for the LL.  Fixture predictions follow:
Clarkson 1  RIT  1
Vassar 1  Union  1
Skidmore 2  RPI 1
Hobart 2  Bard 0
SLU 1  Ithaca 0

It's hard to quibble with any of these picks in the goal-challenged LL this year.  Two candidates for larger margins than those projected are Hobart at home against Bard and SLU on the road at Ithaca.

Part_Bart

Quote from: Ommadawn on September 29, 2017, 04:07:54 PM
Quote from: deutschfan on September 29, 2017, 02:23:59 PM
Big Saturday for the LL.  Fixture predictions follow:
Clarkson 1  RIT  1
Vassar 1  Union  1
Skidmore 2  RPI 1
Hobart 2  Bard 0
SLU 1  Ithaca 0

It's hard to quibble with any of these picks in the goal-challenged LL this year.  Two candidates for larger margins than those projected are Hobart at home against Bard and SLU on the road at Ithaca.

I'm thinking that Vassar will get a full result. Union will pack it in, making it hard for Vassar to get one goal (much less two). But, Union will have a difficult time getting forward.

Am expecting Skidmore and RPI to create a 0:0 tie -- Skidmore relies on direct, forceful play and set pieces. RPI will be very organized and it will be hard to go forward with a counter because of keeping nine behind the ball.

Want to believe that Hobart will score more, but they are averaging exactly one goal per game (7 goals for, 6 goals against) after seven games....

Mr.Right

Since I saw Skidmore on Wednesday I should make some comments. First off they desperately missed Santos in the middle of the pitch. To me that is why Williams dominated them for most of the game. The lone goal came on a 35 yard shot that was hit nicely but should have been saved by the GK. He was screened on the shot by his own defender and also a 5:30pm sun which was a huge factor. Other than that I thought Skidmore's GK was decent. Okoye was playing up top all game but Skidmore was struggling to get him the ball. In the last 20 minutes he started to come back into midfield himself a bit to get the ball. He had a couple chances with 1 very dangerous look. He is very cagey as he can lull the defenders asleep by not doing much and then out of nowhere he is running like mad..Still he was not to effective in this game. I thought #8 Zieff showed some great skill on the flank in the 2nd Half and #13 was skilled but kinda faded in the 2nd Half. With Santos they should beat RPI today IMO.

stlawus

#845
Nice road performance by SLU at Ithaca to get a 3-1 win.  Came out flat to start the second half and quickly conceded, but a freshman stepped up to get the game winner and they kept the pressure on.  Even with SLU being up at half I would say Ithaca was the better team for 60 minutes.  Liberty League play is a whole different beast.

Skidmore ties it up with a minute left against RPI, great game so far. Hobart and Bard are tied early in the 2nd half, don't think Bard can withstand the pressure.

Vassar wins easily at Union.  I'm not sure if I'm fully sold on the Brewers yet going by their schedule so far.

d3d3d3


Saint of Old

Quote from: Saint of Old on September 19, 2017, 03:02:47 PM
Totally agree with all points made.
Hobart seems to be rounding the corner and Vassar did the LL proud by holding Oneonta at home.
I think this year will be the most unpredictable in the last 10 years of the LL.
This is even moreso with the addition of two playoff teams.

Here is how I see it wrapping up:

6. Union gets in this year. First they hardly ever finish below this position and the program really needs a post season run.
5. RPI will get in. Since when do they not and Coach Clinton has them playing hard as usual.
4. Skidmore.Just a feeling about them dropping a couple games they should not.
3. SLU. Will have to win atleast a game on the road to get a
2. Hobart. Unfortunately for everyone else , I think Hobart have already experienced their early season slump and will be a favorite to add a tournament crown to last yeas league title.
1. Defending Champs will be tough to beat, but I still don't see them repeating unless they have home field throughout.
@ this point I am still sticking with predictions

deutschfan

Yes it is time again for notes on a scorecard from a pundit who was 1 for 5 on his Saturday predictions.  Most important game for the LL and its NCAA prospects was a UAA game in Rochester between UR and UC.  Why?  Because it shows how far LL teams have to go to catch the elite this year.  UC destroys UR in first 20 minutes, a team that decimated RIT and tied one of the league favorites Hobart away.  Now to the teams in order of standing: 1) Vassar--feasts on bottom part of the table having found a second up top threat in Novas, a development that should have all the LL teams worried; 2) SLU--Augustine's 1 v 4 run down the right against Clarkson for a superb finish jump starts the SLU LL season and puts them again among the LL elite; 3) Skidmore--But for last minute goal could have easily been 0-2 week and offense that is great on paper is looking anemic; 4) Hobart--Home tie against weak Bard is second most important LL game for NCAA purposes as one of league favorites should not have this kinda result, which could have easily been a loss if Bard finishes a six yard shot in the second OT; 5) RPI--mantra is defense wins championships and but for a lapse in the mixer would have had a big win against Skidmore; 6) Clarkson--3 shots in an OT game and an 0-2 week puts big dent in playoff aspirations; 7) RIT--Showing signs of life after missing chances to beat Hobart in OT and pulling off Clarkson win, although UR result provides a reality check; 8) Union--Letter to Coach Guinn, the days of making the NCAA tourney and not making the LL playoffs are over so an undefeated record against cupcake non-conference opponents actually does your team a disservice in not readying them for LL play; 9) Bard--Respectable results on the score line but still a team that is woefully overmatched by the top LL teams; and 10) Ithaca--Came into the league with a legacy of losing to LL teams in their non-conference fixtures and that legacy has not changed now they are in league despite looking good in preseason.       

Ommadawn

Nice recap as usual, Deutsch!

In response to stlawus:

Quote from: stlawus on September 30, 2017, 04:02:53 PM
Vassar wins easily at Union.  I'm not sure if I'm fully sold on the Brewers yet going by their schedule so far.

I'm not sure I'm sold on any  LL team yet.  Nevertheless, my default value is always to go with SLU.  Their talent level is above the rest in the conference and they show signs of coming out of their early season slumber.  I fully expect Hobart to get it going soon as well.  As long as they have Okoye and a decent defense behind him, Skidmore is a threat to win any one game, although prevailing in two or three consecutive tournament games may prove challenging.

Sandy

Quote from: deutschfan on October 01, 2017, 12:38:32 PM
Yes it is time again for notes on a scorecard from a pundit who was 1 for 5 on his Saturday predictions.  Most important game for the LL and its NCAA prospects was a UAA game in Rochester between UR and UC.  Why?  Because it shows how far LL teams have to go to catch the elite this year.  UC destroys UR in first 20 minutes, a team that decimated RIT and tied one of the league favorites Hobart away.

This might mean something or it might mean nothing. Just to play devil's advocate, in 2010 we (SLU) beat Houghton. Houghton beat St. Bonaventure. St. Bonaventure beat Cleveland State. Cleveland State beat Akron. Does that mean we were better than Akron in the year that they won the NCAA championship? I don't think so. The results, while on the surface may seem troubling, aren't as clear cut as you make them out to be. That being said I do think the LL has gotten a bit weaker overall since my time. I might be biased though.

deutschfan

I get it.  Many times the transitive property of soccer scores doesn't work.  Using it there would have been a whole bunch of mediocre teams better that the National Champ Jumbos last year.  Be that as it may, I do think the UR results are a litmus test for the league and agree with Omma that there are question marks surrounding every LL team.  On a different subject, every once in a blue moon I call out a player of week injustice, and it is almost always a Bard player that is underappreciated.  This week the defensive pow was a goalie who threw two shutouts by making a grand total of, wait for it, 4 saves.  The Bard keeper gave up two goals on the road and made 23 saves--an unbelievable two-game number that would have gotten my vote.   

stlawus

Quote from: Sandy on October 03, 2017, 12:37:55 PM
Quote from: deutschfan on October 01, 2017, 12:38:32 PM
Yes it is time again for notes on a scorecard from a pundit who was 1 for 5 on his Saturday predictions.  Most important game for the LL and its NCAA prospects was a UAA game in Rochester between UR and UC.  Why?  Because it shows how far LL teams have to go to catch the elite this year.  UC destroys UR in first 20 minutes, a team that decimated RIT and tied one of the league favorites Hobart away.

This might mean something or it might mean nothing. Just to play devil's advocate, in 2010 we (SLU) beat Houghton. Houghton beat St. Bonaventure. St. Bonaventure beat Cleveland State. Cleveland State beat Akron. Does that mean we were better than Akron in the year that they won the NCAA championship? I don't think so. The results, while on the surface may seem troubling, aren't as clear cut as you make them out to be. That being said I do think the LL has gotten a bit weaker overall since my time. I might be biased though.

Not sure when you played. but I think the league was strongest 09-13.   I guess you could make a case for 2015 with two teams winning NCAA tournament games.

Saint of Old

SLU v. RPI:

The battle of the three letters always produces fireworks.
It is weird but I still have not gotten a full read these teams.
SLU has been up and down and in the middle, summed up perfectly by a 4-4-2 record.
RPI playing well, but disappointed to see them fail to hold on for what would have been a BIG 3 points against Skidmore in their last outing.

I have this one as a nail biter that goes into OT.

Home team has slight advantage once there.


Hobart v. Ithaca
Hobart has to win.
They have the better team, but as SLU just realized, Ithaca plays really well at home. Ithaca also know that they are playing for their lives and do not want to start conference play 0-3 in a brand new league. More than the loss, this might have a negative impact on morale going forward.

Hobart really wants this one, not only to put that Bard tie in the rear view, but also to make sure the Vassar and company don't get too far ahead of them in terms of seeding in conference playoffs.

Hobart might send a message in this one.

stlawus

#854
SLU grinds out a 1-0 win at home against RPI.  Still a bit early but they appear to be righting the ship.  Hobart currently up 1-0 at Ithaca and look to be in control.  Pressure's on Vassar this weekend playing at home against Skidmore.