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D3soccer.com => Men's soccer => Topic started by: Mr. Ypsi on September 04, 2009, 08:57:08 PM

Title: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 04, 2009, 08:57:08 PM
It was drivin' me crazy that the CCIW did not have a page of its own.

Jim, how could you?! :o ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2009, 09:58:59 PM
I have a vague recollection of there once being a CCIW room, but that it was subsumed into what is now the larger regional room, back before other conference rooms started mushrooming around here.

Then again, that might just be an acid Old Milwaukee flashback.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 05, 2009, 12:22:59 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2009, 09:58:59 PM
I have a vague recollection of there once being a CCIW room, but that it was subsumed into what is now the larger regional room, back before other conference rooms started mushrooming around here.

Then again, that might just be an acid Old Milwaukee flashback.

Oh, c'mon - at least have a Sam Adams flashback! ;D

But how could our 'Hiker' let the CCIW room die?! ::)

[Now if NPU won the conference, but had to play the tourney at Wheaton, I bet THAT would keep the board going! :D]
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2009, 05:46:10 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 05, 2009, 12:22:59 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2009, 09:58:59 PM
I have a vague recollection of there once being a CCIW room, but that it was subsumed into what is now the larger regional room, back before other conference rooms started mushrooming around here.

Then again, that might just be an acid Old Milwaukee flashback.

Oh, c'mon - at least have a Sam Adams flashback! ;D

Sam Adams doesn't have psychedelic properties. Old Milwaukee does. That's why I've only had it once.

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 05, 2009, 12:22:59 AM
[Now if NPU won the conference, but had to play the tourney at Wheaton, I bet THAT would keep the board going! :D]

Been there, done that. Don't want to see it ever happen again, thankyouverymuch.

North Park opened its season this afternoon with a 2-1 victory over Concordia WI, by the way, at sweltering-hot Hedstrand Field. The Vikings will host Webster tomorrow afternoon.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WLCALUM83 on September 06, 2009, 09:46:17 AM
Let's see if this gets the board going:

9/5 shocker of the day

North Central IL 3, Carleton-MN 2 (2 OT)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2009, 05:02:52 PM
NPU beat Webster today, 3-1. Vikings sophomore Kristoffer Grahn now has five assists after only two games, pretty remarkable considering that, according to Coach Born, he's playing on a bad leg and is only at about 70%.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 06, 2009, 05:52:45 PM
That is a very good win for North Central, but when you combine this lose and the 3-0 lose to Wartburg, it looks like CarElton is offically struggling this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 07, 2009, 12:46:03 AM
Carleton is indeed struggling a bit, but it is good for the Cards to win a match like this one - especially in OT.  Let's see what they can do with that as the season gets underway.

Hey, I did have a CCIW space, but as Greg said, it took awhile for some us to catch some momentum around here! :P
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: DIIIdad on September 08, 2009, 11:52:50 AM
I was at the Wheaton v. Taylor game on Saturday night.  Having never been to a Wheaton men's regular season game, I was very impressed with the raucous atmosphere. 

As for the game itself, Taylor was simply outclassed in this game.  Wheaton dominated in every part of the game, coming away with a 4-0 victory.   I saw Wheaton scrimmage Judson in the preseason where Wheaton couldn't finish.  Against Taylor, they did not have this problem.  Very impressive.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2009, 09:04:48 PM
NP defeated Concordia-River Forest 4-0.  Grahn scored a hat trick.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 09, 2009, 09:10:29 AM
Good to hear from you Gotberg.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2009, 11:07:24 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 08, 2009, 09:04:48 PM
NP defeated Concordia-River Forest 4-0.  Grahn scored a hat trick.

Grahn now has eleven points (three goals, five assists) after only three matches. That's not a bad start to the season.

NPU is off to the West Coast this weekend to play NWC entries Willamette and Puget Sound.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 11, 2009, 07:09:26 PM
NPU defeated Willamette, 1-0 - Goal by Kriticos assist by Grahn.

Calvin defeated Wheaton, 2-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 11, 2009, 09:10:54 PM
Wheaton looked good, but Calvin is playing very well right now. Wheaton is going to be a very hard team to beat in conference! They are very physical and strong. #9 is 6'1" 205 and is really hard to handle.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2009, 09:11:18 PM
That's twelve points in four matches now for Kristoffer Grahn. He may be the most prolific Swede that John Born has ever brought into the NPU program, even more prolific than Freddie Airosto or P.J. Eriksson -- and he's only a sophomore.

The Vikings have a really nice 1-2 Svenska punch up front in Grahn and Tajinder (yes, he's really Swedish) Singh.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 12, 2009, 01:19:40 AM
Greg, it's time for some Norwegian talent, wouldn't you say?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 12, 2009, 08:49:40 AM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 12, 2009, 01:19:40 AM
Greg, it's time for some Norwegian talent, wouldn't you say?

North Park had a handful of Norwegian players back in the early 90s - but I don't remember seeing any more since then.

This Norwegian player almost played in a couple of games with North Park soccer players that played in an indoor league during the offseason.  Would have been fun to see him play, but he decided he shouldn't risk getting hurt:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Bohinen
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 12, 2009, 11:03:07 AM
North Park moves to 4-0 on the season with a 1-0 victory over Willamette in Tacoma, WA.  The Vikings take on Puget Sound on Sunday before returning to Chicago.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 12, 2009, 11:51:21 AM
UPS is tough and  will be a great "post-season" test for North Park.  Caroline Love is playing well! ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 12, 2009, 05:24:45 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 12, 2009, 01:19:40 AM
Greg, it's time for some Norwegian talent, wouldn't you say?

The Norwegian athletes at NPU are on the football team, Jim:

http://www.northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Football/Roster/Nygaard.aspx

http://www.northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Football/Roster/Lundgren.aspx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 13, 2009, 07:08:15 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2009, 09:11:18 PM
That's twelve points in four matches now for Kristoffer Grahn. He may be the most prolific Swede that John Born has ever brought into the NPU program, even more prolific than Freddie Airosto or P.J. Eriksson -- and he's only a sophomore.

The Vikings have a really nice 1-2 Svenska punch up front in Grahn and Tajinder (yes, he's really Swedish) Singh.

Greg - Grahn easily had the best resume coming over from Sweden.  Grahn played in the first division in Sweden, which probably equates to the USL here in the States.  There are very few d3 stars that have played in the USL.

The difference between the USL and Division 1 in Sweden, is that most Division 1 players in Sweden are Amateurs, while all USL players here are pro.   USL is one level below MLS - in case you're not aware.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 13, 2009, 07:40:21 PM
NPU defeats UPS, 3-2.  Grahn with 2 goals and Colago with 1.  All scoring was in the first half.

Ryan McNaughton has not played for NPU this year - anyone know if he is injured?

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2009, 04:29:59 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 13, 2009, 07:40:21 PM
NPU defeats UPS, 3-2.  Grahn with 2 goals and Colago with 1.  All scoring was in the first half.

Ryan McNaughton has not played for NPU this year - anyone know if he is injured?

Yes, McNaughton's been sidelined thus far with an injury. I suspect that he'll make his season debut sometime within the next week or so. He'll be a big addition at midfield once's he's back at full strength.

Grahn's currently averaging 3.20 points per game (five goals and six assists in five contests). His nearest competitor, Keith Thurman of Elmhurst (who won the CCIW's inaugural Player of the Week award last week), is averaging 1.80 ppg (four goals and an assist in five games). That's quite a disparity.

Quote from: Gotberg on September 13, 2009, 07:08:15 PMGreg - Grahn easily had the best resume coming over from Sweden.  Grahn played in the first division in Sweden, which probably equates to the USL here in the States.  There are very few d3 stars that have played in the USL.

The difference between the USL and Division 1 in Sweden, is that most Division 1 players in Sweden are Amateurs, while all USL players here are pro.   USL is one level below MLS - in case you're not aware.

Thanks for the 411, Gotberg. I've been told that NPU freshman Efy Restrepo, the Covenant missionary kid who broke his foot in preseason and is likely going to get a medical redshirt for this year, played on a very high level as well over in Spain. Do you know anything about his soccer background, and whether or not his prior level of competition was comparable to Grahn's?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 14, 2009, 09:29:09 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2009, 04:29:59 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 13, 2009, 07:40:21 PM
NPU defeats UPS, 3-2.  Grahn with 2 goals and Colago with 1.  All scoring was in the first half.

Ryan McNaughton has not played for NPU this year - anyone know if he is injured?

Yes, McNaughton's been sidelined thus far with an injury. I suspect that he'll make his season debut sometime within the next week or so. He'll be a big addition at midfield once's he's back at full strength.

Grahn's currently averaging 3.20 points per game (five goals and six assists in five contests). His nearest competitor, Keith Thurman of Elmhurst (who won the CCIW's inaugural Player of the Week award last week), is averaging 1.80 ppg (four goals and an assist in five games). That's quite a disparity.

Quote from: Gotberg on September 13, 2009, 07:08:15 PMGreg - Grahn easily had the best resume coming over from Sweden.  Grahn played in the first division in Sweden, which probably equates to the USL here in the States.  There are very few d3 stars that have played in the USL.

The difference between the USL and Division 1 in Sweden, is that most Division 1 players in Sweden are Amateurs, while all USL players here are pro.   USL is one level below MLS - in case you're not aware.

Thanks for the 411, Gotberg. I've been told that NPU freshman Efy Restrepo, the Covenant missionary kid who broke his foot in preseason and is likely going to get a medical redshirt for this year, played on a very high level as well over in Spain. Do you know anything about his soccer background, and whether or not his prior level of competition was comparable to Grahn's?

I am not familiar with Efy.  If I hear of anything, I will let you know.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 15, 2009, 02:45:38 PM
Grahn was named the CCIW's Offensive Player of the Week. That award in turn deserves a nice, big, resounding "Duh!" ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on September 15, 2009, 03:26:36 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 15, 2009, 02:45:38 PM
Grahn was named the CCIW's Offensive Player of the Week. That award in turn deserves a nice, big, resounding "Duh!" ;)

is the "Duh" in swedish or norwegian?  ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 15, 2009, 03:36:26 PM
In today's NSCAA poll, North Park jumped from 3rd in the Central region to 1st, and from 23rd in the nation to #8!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 15, 2009, 05:02:08 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 15, 2009, 03:36:26 PM
In today's NSCAA poll, North Park jumped from 3rd in the Central region to 1st, and from 23rd in the nation to #8!

That's great recognition for the Vikings' hot start, but NPU must not let itself become complacent. Edgewood looks like a decent team, and after that game tomorrow the Vikings will have to host a Hope team on Saturday night that's always good.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 16, 2009, 12:24:31 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 15, 2009, 03:26:36 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 15, 2009, 02:45:38 PM
Grahn was named the CCIW's Offensive Player of the Week. That award in turn deserves a nice, big, resounding "Duh!" ;)

is the "Duh" in swedish or norwegian?  ;D
I believe "Uff Duh!" is Swedish, but I might be mistaken.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 16, 2009, 01:03:34 PM
Yeah TJF, but is that the "good" poll? ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 16, 2009, 10:14:19 PM
Edgewood 3, North Park 2 in the 2nd overtime.

I watched the second half and the first overtime.  NP dominated the during the time I watched, but they didn't finish their opportunities and the Edgewood GK made 2 amazing saves.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: DIIIdad on September 16, 2009, 11:09:37 PM
Wheaton beat Dominican 1-0 tonight.  Wheaton scored off a restart in the last 8 minutes.  Dominican played low pressure in the first half, and took it to Wheaton in the second half, but couldn't get it done.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 16, 2009, 11:19:40 PM
It sure looks like the door is open for Calvin to step into the driver's seat in the central region.  They have 2 very tough games this weekend though against Wittenburg and Otterbein (who just tied OWU). Hopefully they can continue their strong play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Dutch Fan on September 17, 2009, 08:40:26 AM
Tough loss for Hope yesterday to Elmhurst, 3-2.  Hope held a 2-1 lead, until the Jays scored on a corner with 23 seconds left, and then scored the winning goal in OT.  Last game Hope will play on the Buys, natural grass field.  Next home game will be in the new Van Andel soccer stadium - with field turf.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 17, 2009, 12:02:21 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 16, 2009, 10:14:19 PM
Edgewood 3, North Park 2 in the 2nd overtime.

I watched the second half and the first overtime.  NP dominated the during the time I watched, but they didn't finish their opportunities and the Edgewood GK made 2 amazing saves.

This is why I said the other day that NPU fans shouldn't get too excited about the Vikings being ranked eighth in the nation. The Edgewood game had all the makings of a "trap game", and, sure enough, it bit the Park on the butt. Now the Vikings have to regroup and get it done against Hope at Hedstrand Field on Saturday night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 18, 2009, 11:28:23 PM
Wheaton over Loras 3-2. It sounds like Loras dominated everywhere but on the scoreboard. Wheaton has a knack for the goal though, especially at home.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 19, 2009, 12:38:39 AM
Loras really dominated this match.  But Wheaton was perfect with every opportunity - something that rarely happens for any team.  The shots look like this: Loras 27 shots, 9 on goal, Wheaton 9 shots, 3 on goal.  When you bat 1.000, you will be tough to beat.  Miguel Bonilla was all over the field and had 7 shots himself, scoring 1 of the DuHawk goals.  Josephs and Filipiak were also in the mix with 7 shots between them.

Loras is a good side that I think will come together well as the season progresses.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: DIIIdad on September 21, 2009, 02:03:09 PM
I missed the first half of this game but was back in the stands for the second half.  The score was 1-0 at the start of the second half. 

It seemed Loras was controlling play with attack after attack.  Wheaton was awarded a questionable corner about 5 minutes into the second half and scored of the scramble that ensued.  Loras appeared to have scored a few minutes later, only to have it called back on an offside.  Wheaton scored their final goal in the 58th minute off a lucky lob shot over the Loras keeper.  It was a nice shot, but the keeper didn't even move, thinking it was going way over the net.  Somehow, it knuckled down and under the crossbar for the third goal. 

Loras kept attacking wide with serve after serve into the area, and finally scored in the 60th minute.  They scored again in the 86th minute, but ran out of time to get the equalizer.  Wheaton played a man down for about the last 17 minutes due to a second yellow to a Wheaton player, but they were able to withstand the pressure.

As I said, I did not see the first half, but I still think Loras will be going back to the final four again this year.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 25, 2009, 10:16:59 AM
In North Park's 1-0 loss to Hope in Chicago, several visiting players shushed the crowd by placing their index finger over their mouths.  No big deal.  What I did not appreciate was the gesture from #9, the player who scored the game's lone goal.  He turned to the North Park student section, grabbed his crotch, and moved his hand up and down.  WTF?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Soccerfan18 on September 25, 2009, 10:32:47 AM
Maybe he thought he was Michael Jackson

but seriously - there really is no need for that
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 26, 2009, 10:55:12 PM
This isn't normal behavior for a Hope team.  Maybe something is different this year?  Or maybe the North Park was "in their face?"  Of course, a team is supposed to be used to that.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 27, 2009, 10:28:25 PM
Comments directed toward #9 did not contain any profanity, and foul language is not part of the repertoire of NP fans.  NP students did poke fun at the green* shoes of Hope's "right winger", and he did not react.

*Think Seattle Seahawk 2009 road uniforms.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 27, 2009, 10:49:12 PM
Good point.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: oldtrafford on September 28, 2009, 11:11:29 AM
North Park downed by Carthage?  They need to righten that ship if they're going to challenge for conference.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2009, 05:03:33 PM
Quote from: oldtrafford on September 28, 2009, 11:11:29 AM
North Park downed by Carthage?  They need to righten that ship if they're going to challenge for conference.

Absolutely true. NPU was outmuscled all night. Give Carthage credit; the Redmen are young but very physical, and their defense is very stingy. They're much better than their record indicates.

Meanwhile, NPU is really groping for answers right now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: oldtrafford on September 30, 2009, 12:37:16 AM
anyone heading to the NPU homecoming game on friday?? should be a great match against dominican
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 01, 2009, 12:41:53 AM
Should be a great match.  Dominican has to be the favorite, but it's at NP and the crowd should be loud.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 01, 2009, 01:41:59 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on October 01, 2009, 12:41:53 AM
Should be a great match.  Dominican has to be the favorite, but it's at NP and the crowd should be loud.

It's not a conference contest, but it's as close to a must-win for NPU as a non-conference match can get. The student turnout for the Vikings this year has been fantastic, but it'd be great if NPU could get some alumni support as well on Friday night, seeing as it's Homecoming weekend at the Park.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 03, 2009, 01:19:14 AM
North Park plays Dominican to a 1-1 draw.  Nicely called.  Any color on the match?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Central Region fan on October 07, 2009, 12:43:18 PM
I don't think the score resembled the game. Dominican had plenty of opportunities but couldn't capitalize. I hope North Park will do good in the second half of the season. Sure, they played easy games to boost their confidence up but I'm sure they will end up in the conference final.
I don't know much about this Kris Grhan from Sweden. I saw him against Cartage and Dominican this year and he was very skilled but to compare him to Freddie and PJ is unfair. I've played with Freddie and seen PJ play numerous times and I have to say Kris has more to prove before you can say his a better North Park player then Freedie and PJ. If you look to PJ's accomplishment, 3 time Conference champ and so on.
Any predictions for the Wesleyan game tonight? I would say 2-1 NPU.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 08, 2009, 12:11:43 PM
Good day to be an Augie men's soccer fan.

The Viking men pulled a nice upset last night, and in doing so, looked every bit like Wheaton's equal.  They played great defense and their coach had a game plan that worked.  The Vikes had a nice goal and it was their only real good opportunity - they executed well.  Wheaton had plenty of chances, but good stops on all of them.  The Thunder was given the midfield on a number of occasions, but could never really convert into strong opportunities.  I though they needed to take the ball outside a lot more often - way too many runs up into the middle, and with Augie emphasizing a defense approach at that point, trying to go 2 v 8 doesn't make a lot of sense.

Wheaton needs to regroup because if they can't play better than a 3-6 squad, they'll never see the post-season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 08, 2009, 01:50:50 PM
I missed my second straight home North Park game due to illness. Would anyone who went care to give his impressions? Sounds like an exciting game, as NPU edged Illinois Wesleyan, 3-2, on a late penalty kick by T.J. Singh.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 08, 2009, 07:31:50 PM
I didn't think you ever got sick, Greg.  I'll bet if it was a hoops event, you'd have been there, sniffles and all! ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Weasel on October 09, 2009, 10:41:18 AM
Augustana 1, Wheaton 0  What happened?  Stats indicate Wheaton dominated the game big-time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2009, 01:29:27 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on October 08, 2009, 07:31:50 PM
I didn't think you ever got sick, Greg.  I'll bet if it was a hoops event, you'd have been there, sniffles and all! ;)

The big difference is that basketball is an indoor sport. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 09, 2009, 02:38:10 PM
FW - as I said above, Wheaton just couldn't get much done against Augie's defense.  They were fast to the ball, and I would have to say that Wheaton's passing wasn't too crisp.  They did have a nmber of shots, but I don;t recall many being on goal.  Perhaps one or two better chances.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Weasel on October 09, 2009, 05:18:56 PM
Oooops!  I don't know how I missed your earlier post! 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The_Swede on October 10, 2009, 12:53:56 PM
The Wheaton men's soccer team got a scare against Carthage, but bounced back from an early 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 victory on Saturday. Drew Golz scored off a long free kick that was one touched to him and Matt Swartz scored his 8th goal of the season on a PK to tie the score in the first half. Tyler Risma scored the game-winner on a header off a corner kick.
http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2009/10/9/MSOC_carthage.aspx?path=msoccer
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 10, 2009, 11:57:06 PM
Augie beat NPU, 2-0, in Rock Island today. The season is rapidly getting away from the eastern Vikings, while the western Vikings appear to be on a serious roll.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 11, 2009, 06:17:03 PM
Augie certainly isn't acting like a sub .500 team, that's for sure.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 15, 2009, 09:09:48 AM
NPU v Elmhurst tied 0-0.

North Park started a freshman in goal.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 15, 2009, 09:14:20 AM
It looks like it paid off.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 03:32:34 PM
Very infrequent poster to the soccer boards and I'm not sure the best place to post this.  Since I'm not a soccer player, I'm not sure if this is a truly amazing shot vs. completely inept goalkeeper?  Probably both?

95 yard goal in SMU vs. Tulsa match:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news (http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on October 27, 2009, 04:15:52 PM
Quote from: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 03:32:34 PM
Very infrequent poster to the soccer boards and I'm not sure the best place to post this.  Since I'm not a soccer player, I'm not sure if this is a truly amazing shot vs. completely inept goalkeeper?  Probably both?

95 yard goal in SMU vs. Tulsa match:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news (http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news)

I'd say neither is more likely than both.  First, it almost certainly was not a shot - he had a teammate racing forward (briefly visible in the first showing); he badly over-led him.  The goalie was simply the victim of an incredibly fluky bounce (though he probably should have backed up a bit once the ball was in the air).

[The first goal I ever scored was similarly fluky (but didn't make ABC News :'() - I was attempting a pass to a teammate streaking forward, and accidentally put it in the upper left corner of the goal.  Idiot that I am, I even blurted out that it was intended as a pass! :o ;D]
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 06:21:27 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on October 27, 2009, 04:15:52 PM
Quote from: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 03:32:34 PM
Very infrequent poster to the soccer boards and I'm not sure the best place to post this.  Since I'm not a soccer player, I'm not sure if this is a truly amazing shot vs. completely inept goalkeeper?  Probably both?

95 yard goal in SMU vs. Tulsa match:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news (http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news)

I'd say neither is more likely than both.  First, it almost certainly was not a shot - he had a teammate racing forward (briefly visible in the first showing); he badly over-led him.  The goalie was simply the victim of an incredibly fluky bounce (though he probably should have backed up a bit once the ball was in the air).

[The first goal I ever scored was similarly fluky (but didn't make ABC News :'() - I was attempting a pass to a teammate streaking forward, and accidentally put it in the upper left corner of the goal.  Idiot that I am, I even blurted out that it was intended as a pass! :o ;D]

Well... right.  It surely was not intended as a shot, but it goes in the books as such.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on October 27, 2009, 06:47:51 PM
Quote from: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 06:21:27 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on October 27, 2009, 04:15:52 PM
Quote from: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 03:32:34 PM
Very infrequent poster to the soccer boards and I'm not sure the best place to post this.  Since I'm not a soccer player, I'm not sure if this is a truly amazing shot vs. completely inept goalkeeper?  Probably both?

95 yard goal in SMU vs. Tulsa match:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news (http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news)

I'd say neither is more likely than both.  First, it almost certainly was not a shot - he had a teammate racing forward (briefly visible in the first showing); he badly over-led him.  The goalie was simply the victim of an incredibly fluky bounce (though he probably should have backed up a bit once the ball was in the air).

[The first goal I ever scored was similarly fluky (but didn't make ABC News :'() - I was attempting a pass to a teammate streaking forward, and accidentally put it in the upper left corner of the goal.  Idiot that I am, I even blurted out that it was intended as a pass! :o ;D]

Well... right.  It surely was not intended as a shot, but it goes in the books as such.

Right ... as does mine (if we had books!) ;D

Bottom line - he and I both became heroes on really bad passes! :o ::)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 11:26:53 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on October 27, 2009, 06:47:51 PM
Quote from: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 06:21:27 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on October 27, 2009, 04:15:52 PM
Quote from: Mugsy on October 27, 2009, 03:32:34 PM
Very infrequent poster to the soccer boards and I'm not sure the best place to post this.  Since I'm not a soccer player, I'm not sure if this is a truly amazing shot vs. completely inept goalkeeper?  Probably both?

95 yard goal in SMU vs. Tulsa match:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news (http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=16244517&ch=&src=news)

I'd say neither is more likely than both.  First, it almost certainly was not a shot - he had a teammate racing forward (briefly visible in the first showing); he badly over-led him.  The goalie was simply the victim of an incredibly fluky bounce (though he probably should have backed up a bit once the ball was in the air).

[The first goal I ever scored was similarly fluky (but didn't make ABC News :'() - I was attempting a pass to a teammate streaking forward, and accidentally put it in the upper left corner of the goal.  Idiot that I am, I even blurted out that it was intended as a pass! :o ;D]

Well... right.  It surely was not intended as a shot, but it goes in the books as such.

Right ... as does mine (if we had books!) ;D

Bottom line - he and I both became heroes on really bad passes! :o ::)

Better than not being a hero at all...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 31, 2009, 12:17:45 AM
Presuming NP wins @ NCC, the 11/1 games will be interesting.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2009, 12:37:41 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 31, 2009, 12:17:45 AM
Presuming NP wins @ NCC, the 11/1 games will be interesting.

Don't assume anything this season where NPU is considered, Mark. The Vikings have been very up-and-down the entire campaign.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 07, 2009, 11:10:21 AM
So, will anybody on the board be at tonight's championship at Elmhurst?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 07, 2009, 11:10:57 AM
Better question:  is anybody ON the board?   ::)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2009, 11:15:11 PM
The CCIW site has the women's title result (Augie 1, IWU 0 :(), but still nothing for the men. 

Anyone know the outcome?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder Dutch on November 08, 2009, 12:42:33 AM
Wheaton wins in PKs, after finishing regular time 2-2.

Ryan Seager blocks 3 pks in the shootout


http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2009/11/7/MSOC_elmhurstCCIW.aspx?path=msoccer
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on April 14, 2010, 01:38:45 PM
I have been told that a Swedish friend of Grahn who is more talented than Grahn will play for the Vikings next fall.

Also, look for one or two former Viking defensive specialists to return to the squad while pursuing graduate degrees.  Not sure what the NCAA rule is on this.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 14, 2010, 04:15:17 PM
Quote from: markerickson on April 14, 2010, 01:38:45 PM
I have been told that a Swedish friend of Grahn who is more talented than Grahn will play for the Vikings next fall.

Also, look for one or two former Viking defensive specialists to return to the squad while pursuing graduate degrees.  Not sure what the NCAA rule is on this.

It's within both NCAA and CCIW rules for a graduate student to compete in athletics. I can think of three CCIW examples of grad student-athletes from within the past few years, all in men's basketball: Ed Whitaker of NPU and Kent Raymond and Ben Panner, both of Wheaton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on April 15, 2010, 12:07:34 PM
In specific, how much time can elapse between your first competitive season and the completion of your fourth year of competition in the same sport?

At the DI level, a case can be made for six years, but no more.  Someone has a RS year and then subsequently takes a year off because she got pregnant.  I wouldn't think DIII rules would give someone more than six years but am not sure.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 15, 2010, 03:50:15 PM
There is no eligibility clock in D3. You are allowed ten semesters / fifteen quarters of full-time enrollment in which to use your four seasons of eligibility, and those semesters or quarters do not have to be consecutive. For instance, you can be a full-time student for four years and play your sport in three of those years, take three years off of school, and then come back as a 24-year-old and play as a senior.

That's why Austin College was able to use a 61-year-old kicker (http://www.kxii.com/sports/headlines/70126607.html) in a football game last season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 16, 2010, 08:52:51 AM
Quote from: markerickson on April 14, 2010, 01:38:45 PM
I have been told that a Swedish friend of Grahn who is more talented than Grahn will play for the Vikings next fall.

Also, look for one or two former Viking defensive specialists to return to the squad while pursuing graduate degrees.  Not sure what the NCAA rule is on this.

Mark - have you been told his position?

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 05, 2010, 04:18:59 PM
The CCIW coaches have picked Elmhurst to repeat this fall. (http://www.cciw.org/fall_soccer_m/2010preseasonmspoll.php)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on August 13, 2010, 09:59:32 PM
I wonder who gave North Park its first place vote.

Is Elmhurst for real?  In other words, how many top starters return this year to defend their first-ever crown?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 14, 2010, 03:22:29 PM
Quote from: markerickson on August 13, 2010, 09:59:32 PM
I wonder who gave North Park its first place vote.

Is Elmhurst for real?  In other words, how many top starters return this year to defend their first-ever crown?

Elmhurst returns ten starters this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 30, 2010, 09:52:54 AM
It looks like the NPU roster is in the process of being updated:

http://northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Soccer/Roster

Greg - are you broadcasting home games this year?  I think you previously mentioned that possibility.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 30, 2010, 08:38:45 PM
NPU is going to have live webcasts this year for soccer as well as basketball. But I don't know who will be broadcasting for the booters; I haven't been asked to do so. I presume that John Born is looking for someone who can say "Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!" in one breath like the guy from Telemundo. ;)

NPU has 37 players listed on the roster this season. For the first time, the Vikings will field a junior varsity team reserve side. Nine of the 37 are Swedes, which is great -- there always seems to be a direct correlation between the number of Swedes on the NPU roster and the success of the team. I hope that it transfers over to the North Park golf team, of which eight of this year's sixteen players will be Swedes. They're talking about having their own intrasquad Ryder Cup. And word has it that NPU's Swedish golfers all dress as crazily as Jesper Parnevik.

I doubt that North Park has had this many Swedes on campus since Woodrow Wilson was in the White House. Why settle for Swedish-Americans to play the sports in which the sons of Svea excel when you can get the real thing, eh, Gotberg? ;) Now if we could only add hockey, biathlon, and bandy as varsity sports ...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 20, 2010, 11:29:27 AM
Greg scoooooooooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrressss.  The Swedes fared very well in the golf tournament, which NP won and broke a school record.  I'd like to know if Coach Brenegan is actually recruiting overseas or are these guys coming over based on word of mouth? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2010, 02:54:19 PM
I'll have to ask him the next time that I see him. I'm pretty sure that North Park isn't paying Paul Brenegan to go over to Sweden to recruit golfers. John Born has been to Sweden for recruiting purposes, but I'm not sure that he does it every year. Gotberg will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that the preponderance of Swedes that the NPU soccer program has had over the years has more to do with Born's having built up recruiting contacts over there and his using those contacts to help draw good players. NPU has good word-of-mouth over in Sweden, because the city of Chicago is such a great draw for international students who want to study business (NPU's international business major has been the preferred choice of study over the years among Vikings soccer players who hail from the homeland). The fact that Tre Kronor is across the street from the campus probably doesn't hurt, either, as Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson has attested. (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community/food/restaurants&id=7661605)

I'm very impressed with the NPU soccer team's new crop of Swedes. Sehten Hills, who is actually a Liberian by way of Sweden, has been starting at striker, but the two newcomers that have really wowed me are midfielder Filip Lindmark and defender Hannes Granlund, the latter of whom was the CCIW's Defensive Player of the Week last week. Lindmark's from Skovde and Granlund's from Trollhattan, which I mention because Mark Erickson and Gotberg may actually know where those two towns are located in Sweden. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 21, 2010, 09:13:37 PM
We've got a NPU grad coming up to cover the Wheaton/North Park.  We'll be putting is work on the front page that evening - even if North Park wins ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 22, 2010, 11:50:44 PM
Anyone see the NP game tonight?  Seems like a solid matchup and a good win for the Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 22, 2010, 11:55:39 PM
From the box score I see that Grahn put the game away on a free kick in the 85th minute.  Looks like Sehten Hills continues his target practice (5 shots on goal!).  Must have been an exciting match. 
But what's up with that red card in the 89th minute??
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 23, 2010, 08:15:47 AM
Quote from: thePietist on September 22, 2010, 11:50:44 PM
Anyone see the NP game tonight?  Seems like a solid matchup and a good win for the Vikings.

I watched a bit of the video stream.  It seemed like NP dominated play for the first 66 minutes, then it was pretty much even for the final 24.  I believe Hills hit the crossbar twice, but kind of hard to tell by the stream.

The new players this year from Sweden are really fantastic and assuming they stay for the remainder of their eligibility, NP looks to be in fanastic shape for the next several years.

I was away from the computer when the red card occured, so can't speak to what happened.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 23, 2010, 12:27:48 PM
NPU did indeed dominate the match for the first two-thirds of it, as Gotberg said. A lot of that has to do with Aurora's style, which is defense-oriented and predicated upon counterattacking, but most of it was simply North Park's superior ball-handling and passing ability, which was really spotlighted in this game. Special notice should be given to freshman defender Hannes Granlund's uncanny ability to make accurate airborne cross-field passes that started several NPU rushes. The reason why play evened out in the last third had a lot to do with NPU getting frustrated -- the Vikings had chance after chance after chance, and just couldn't finish -- and pressing too hard, and Aurora patiently waiting until those good counterattacking opportunities arose.

The winning goal, which came with five minutes left on a Kris Grahn free kick from 23 yards out, was a thing of beauty. Aurora's wall didn't completely block out the net, so he rocketed the ball just past the left arm of the Spartan on the far right side of the wall, and buried it in the extreme right side of the net.

The red card was just an inexcusably dumb play on NPU sophomore midfielder Chad Latka's part. With the clock ticking down under ten seconds left in the match and NPU having buried the Spartans deep in the far corner of the AU end of the field, Latka had a throw-in that he flung straight into the chest of the Spartan who was defending the throw-in, bouncing it off of him like a basketball player attempting to save a ball going out of bounds by throwing it at an opponent's legs. It was not only unsportsmanlike, it was completely unnecessary. With five seconds left in the match, how in the world is Aurora going to intercept the throw-in, get it from the corner at their end all the way down to the other end of the field, and score a goal, anyway?

His name isn't in the box score, but junior midfielder Ryan McNaughton made his first appearance of the year for the Vikings, coming off the bench to spell freshman Oskar Joelsson for a second-half stint. That was great to see; McNaughton, who has been fighting a quad injury, is a big piece to the puzzle for NPU.

Aurora's a good team. This was a strong win for the Vikings, who now get a respite until their big Homecoming match a week from tomorrow night against preseason CCIW favorite Elmhurst.

Pietist, you're much too young a North Park alumnus to be calling it "NP" like the oldsters who refuse to acknowledge the "U" part of the school's name. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 24, 2010, 05:48:02 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 23, 2010, 12:27:48 PM
Pietist, you're much too young a North Park alumnus to be calling it "NP" like the oldsters who refuse to acknowledge the "U" part of the school's name. ;)

No, just slightly too young.  NP went from a "C" to a "U" the year before I arrived, I believe.  And I saw plenty of basketball games before my college days!  In fact, old enough to remember a certain guy standing up from the old bleachers on the baseline starting the "Hail North Park" cheer.   ;) N-P-C!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 24, 2010, 09:28:38 AM
Talk about old...that certain guy!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 24, 2010, 01:27:18 PM
Whatever happened to that certain guy, anyway? They must've had him committed or something.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 24, 2010, 05:44:08 PM
Well, I'm not sure WHAT happened to him, because is a great supporter (now) of both his alma mater's successful soccer program, and this fine soccer message board.

Rock on buddy!!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 24, 2010, 06:18:19 PM
Thanks, Jim. But if you had told me back in the day that at some future date I'd be described as a "great supporter" of my alma mater's soccer team (or of anybody else's alma mater's soccer team, for that matter), I would've told you that you needed to be committed. ;) And I say that as someone who had a lot of friends on those early Hakes-era NPC soccer teams.

Not that I'm complaining. Naturally, I've found the sport more interesting because NPU is good at it, but becoming a regular at Vikings matches over the past dozen or so years has also helped me to at least know what everybody is talking about whenever I'm around my soccer-fan friends.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 28, 2010, 09:15:46 PM
I knew I should've gone to that Calvin-Hope game!  Dang it!

Ok, so for one who has to follow CCIW action from the other side of the Lake, I have a few questions:

1. What's up with Carthage?  I see they knocked off Elmhurst and have a couple other decent wins under their belt.  Are they a serious CCIW contender?
2. Can Wheaton bounce back to get a tourney bid (assuming they don't get a Pool A bid) after such a skid as this?  Their strength of schedule rivals any, but 7 winless games in a row....

And finally...will someone please beat Dominican?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2010, 10:49:49 PM
Hard to get a read on Carthage. Hard to get a read on Elmhurst, too, for that matter. Carthage does have some nice wins, and most of the Red Men's four losses have been to respectable programs, but the loss to lowly St. Norbert is a real head-scratcher. Carthage also lost to Chicago, 2-0, and Chicago lost to Elmhurst today, so ...

I'm not as familiar with the ins and outs of Pool C in soccer as I am in basketball, so I can't answer that question about Wheaton. All I can say is that I'm very impressed with the schedule that the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance is playing. Sure, they've gone seven matches in a row without a win, but they've included contests against the #1, #2, #3, #4, and #7 teams in the Central Region and the top two teams in the Great Lakes Region. Wheaton's 1-4-2 in those contests, but I gotta figure that the Orange and Blue will be better prepared for CCIW play than anybody else. Besides, this is not the sport in which I think it pays to underestimate Wheaton.

Quote from: thePietist on September 28, 2010, 09:15:46 PM
And finally...will someone please beat Dominican?

The Stars do look pretty close to unbeatable at this point, don't they?

Congrats to NPU keeper Tim Ahlberg upon being named CCIW Defensive Player of the Week, BTW.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 28, 2010, 11:43:38 PM
To really be considered for anything post-season, the Thunder will have to win out.  That won't be easy because they have to play the conference schedule.  They also have to play a very under-rated UW-Oshkosh team.

Probably not a great year for the toughest schedule in the country as they are a very young team.

Elmhurst and North Park will be around at the end and at this point, they should be the top two contenders for the title.

But as Greg said, weirder things have happened than Wheaton scraping by all season and then winning the CCIW Tourney in OT...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 01, 2010, 07:13:46 AM
It doesn't get any easier for Wheaton this next week either...playing UW Oshkosh (8-0-1) and then Elmhurst for their 1st CCIW game.  Should be interesting.  If Wheaton can't bounce back and win some games, they'll have to rely on winning the CCIW tourney (which is always a possibility) in order to make a post-season run.  If they do manage to bounce back, that'll put Elmhurst with 2 (hopefully 3!) conference losses to start, putting them on a must-win track in order to make the conference tourney.
It's the CCIW--anything can happen.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 01, 2010, 09:00:51 PM
Anyone have news on the NP-EC game?  The live webcast won't work on my Mac!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 01, 2010, 10:44:37 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 01, 2010, 09:00:51 PM
Anyone have news on the NP-EC game?  The live webcast won't work on my Mac!

NP 2
Elmhurst 0

Goals scored by Kriticos and Hills
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 01, 2010, 10:54:19 PM
Thanks, Gotberg.
Looking forward to hearing more about the game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 02, 2010, 02:09:59 AM
I watched most of the second half.  NP led 1-0 when I arrived.  Both teams had opportunities in the second half...Elmhurst hit the crossbar and NP missed a golden opportunity on the side.  Elmhurst's defense was not even 10 yards close to the scorer who was close enough to juke the goalie. Complete defensive breakdown...or a great offensive scheme.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 02, 2010, 08:26:59 AM
I see Wheaton lost 1-0 to Oshkosh last night.  53 fouls and 7 YCs!  The Thunder must be getting pretty frustrated at this point.  Likely Elmhurst isn't so happy about coming out 0-2 in the CCIW either.
Should be a great match on Wed: 2 teams fighting to regain their dignity.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2010, 08:17:02 AM
NPU won 2-0 on Friday night, but it was an evenly-matched game in terms of opportunities. Shots on goal and corner kicks were pretty even, and both teams had some very good opportunities. The difference in the game, I thought, was NPU's sophomore keeper Tim Ahlberg, who really had a terrific match for the Vikings, and NPU freshman midfielder Filip Lindmark's physical presence.

James Kriticos headed in a Lindmark corner kick early in the first half, and although both teams had their chances it was starting to appear as though that was going to be the only goal either team got. The second goal, late in the game, came on a combination of great NPU hustle, poor Elmhurst defense, and, perhaps, a case of the EC coach outthinking himself. As the second half stretched past its halfway point he took out six of his starters in an attempt to rest them for a final push. It was while the six Bluejays reserves were in the game that, in the 81st minute, Lindmark kicked the ball into Elmhurst's near corner. Gotberg, who was sitting next to me, said, "Smart move. Run out some clock." But Kris Grahn wasn't content to simply tie up the ball in the corner as a stall tactic. He outran two Bluejays, retrieved the ball in the corner, flipped it back to Lindmark, who then centered it to a wide-open Sehten Hills, who was standing in front of the Elmhurst goal all by himself. I thought for a split second that he'd muff it up, he was so wide open, but he slipped the ball past Elmhurst keeper Sebastian Domczewski's left to ice the game.

Elmhurst picked up two yellow cards in the match that were a result of Bluejays grabbing Lindmark and pulling him down to the turf. They were seriously afraid of his playmaking abilities. He's quite a remarkable find for the NPU soccer program.

Combined with Augustana's surprising win over Carthage on Saturday, this win appears to put NPU in the driver's seat in the CCIW. However, there's an awful lot of soccer that remains to be played. The Vikings can't afford a letup in Bloomington on Wednesday.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 06, 2010, 04:15:12 PM
Congrats to NPU freshman Hannes Granlund upon being named the CCIW's Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. I didn't realize until I read the press release that he played the entire match against Elmhurst while suffering from the stomach flu. Wow.

NPU has moved up to #4 in the Central Region in this week's NSCAA rankings. Elmhurst drops to #10.

Incidentally, the only CCIW team to receive votes in the latest d3soccer.com poll is ... Elmhurst? I don't get that at all. The poll covers games played thru Sunday, and NPU defeated Elmhurst 2-0 two days earlier to take over first place in the league. And if you're arguing that Elmhurst has the better overall resume, you're talking about a 6-5 team (the Bluejays) getting votes while the 6-2 team (the Vikings) isn't.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 06, 2010, 10:30:44 PM
Looks like Wheaton decided they didn't want another winless month and took it to Elmhurst tonight 3-0.  Rough start for Elmhurst in conference play, I would imagine that'll guarantee they won't get votes the next time around in the d3soccer.com poll.

Does this end Elmhurst's hopes to even make the tournament?  It'll sure be tough from here on out I would imagine.

North Park left Bloomington with a draw (1-1).  Hopefully they'll be able to find the net a few more times this weekend when Wheaton heads to Holmgren field. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 06, 2010, 11:29:51 PM
Congrats, Wheaton.  Elmhurst...whoa.
Looks like NP continues to have trouble putting away the CCIW teams they "should" beat.  At least, that's been an issue in the past. 
The rankings are screwed up.  Perhaps better that the Park stays off the national list.  That tends to be short lived and a recipe for a quick loss.  But its a shame that the CCIW isn't represented in the national rankings--usually we can at least count on Wheaton to bear that buden.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: DIIIdad on October 07, 2010, 12:18:09 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 06, 2010, 11:29:51 PM
But its a shame that the CCIW isn't represented in the national rankings--usually we can at least count on Wheaton to bear that buden.


The women of the CCIW are representing well with 3 teams in the top 10 - IWU at 4, Augie at 6 and Wheaton at 10.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 07, 2010, 02:32:02 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 06, 2010, 10:30:44 PMNorth Park left Bloomington with a draw (1-1).  Hopefully they'll be able to find the net a few more times this weekend when Wheaton heads to Holmgren field. 

The house will be rocking, I can guarantee that. NPU students have even launched a Facebook page promoting Saturday night's WC @ NPU match. I expect to see a lot of blue and gold body paint and hear a whole lotta noise on Saturday.

Quote from: thePietist on October 06, 2010, 11:29:51 PM
Looks like NP continues to have trouble putting away the CCIW teams they "should" beat.

It looks as though it must've been a very frustrating evening for the Park. NPU had a penalty kick that didn't beat the keeper and a crossbar shot in the first half, but the Vikings didn't even score until the last ten minutes of regulation. However, the Vikings got off a bunch of shots at the Titans net in the two overtimes, while IWU didn't even get off one shot -- but NPU just couldn't bring it home.

Quote from: thePietist on October 06, 2010, 11:29:51 PMPerhaps better that the Park stays off the national list.  That tends to be short lived and a recipe for a quick loss.

That's fine with me, too. Better to be the hunter than the hunted.

Quote from: thePietist on October 06, 2010, 11:29:51 PMBut its a shame that the CCIW isn't represented in the national rankings--usually we can at least count on Wheaton to bear that buden.

It's just not a soccer league -- at least not yet. Throughout most of CCIW history soccer was a sport that was basically ignored by all but one member school. The league didn't even sponsor soccer as an official sport until 1988, which really tells you something when you consider that the league was founded in 1946. Heck, when the CCIW started playing soccer in '88 it was only a six-team circuit; Carthage didn't even field a men's soccer team until 1995, and Elmhurst didn't add one until 2004. Wheaton was a national soccer powerhouse in spite of its CCIW membership, not because of it, which is a weird thing to consider if you follow this league and know how good it tends to be on a national basis in multiple sports. Wheaton could basically sleepwalk its way through the league for years; the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance lost only one CCIW match in the first fifteen years that the league offered the sport. NPU's ascendancy in the middle of the last decade ended that, and Carthage and Elmhurst -- ironically, the two latecomers to soccer -- have each won a CCIW title since then as well.

But there just isn't the tradition here that there is in other leagues, aside from Wheaton, and I think we have more of a situation in which Wheaton has fallen back to the pack a bit as a program rather than NPU, Carthage, Elmhurst, or anybody else rising up to join the orange and blue at a higher level. However, Jim might disagree with me about that, and he's the CCIW guru when it comes to this sport.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 08, 2010, 09:56:43 AM
I know Wheaton recruited a teammate of mine who was a year behind me.  He was all-state his senior year (1982), and I believe Wheaton won a national championship at some point during his undergraduate years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 08, 2010, 11:25:07 AM
Wheaton won the national championship in 1984.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on October 08, 2010, 11:39:01 AM
They also won a national title in 1997 and were national finalists in 2006.

This year they are exceptionally young, having started nine freshmen at one time or another.  Playing the toughest schedule in the country (according to the NCAA) hasn't helped in the win loss column, but these kids are becoming battle tested and could still go on a run.

North Park is the team to beat this year.  Interesting matchup at North Park on Saturday will tell us a lot.  Regardless, the future looks bright.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 08, 2010, 07:32:16 PM
Quote from: augie77 on October 08, 2010, 11:39:01 AM
They also won a national title in 1997 and were national finalists in 2006.

I know. I was just responding to Mark's comment, since he wasn't sure which year his former teammate helped win the Big Doorstop for Wheaton.

Quote from: augie77 on October 08, 2010, 11:39:01 AM
This year they are exceptionally young, having started nine freshmen at one time or another.  Playing the toughest schedule in the country (according to the NCAA) hasn't helped in the win loss column, but these kids are becoming battle tested and could still go on a run.

That, plus Wheaton's reputation, is why every NPU fan is wary about tomorrow evening's matchup.

Quote from: augie77 on October 08, 2010, 11:39:01 AM
North Park is the team to beat this year.  Interesting matchup at North Park on Saturday will tell us a lot.  Regardless, the future looks bright.

... for both programs, I'd say, given what NPU's freshmen and sophomores have contributed to the success of the Vikings this season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 09, 2010, 10:14:59 PM
Anyone have NP v WC results/wrap-up?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: radchii on October 09, 2010, 11:27:35 PM
The CCIW.org website has Wheaton 3 and North Park 1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 10, 2010, 06:59:32 AM
Looks like it was an exciting match.  I hope some of you have some commentary.  I see that Wheaton's Golz not only had 2 goals but 2 yellows, getting tossed at the end of the game right after his 2nd goal.  What's up with that?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 10, 2010, 06:26:56 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 10, 2010, 06:59:32 AM
Looks like it was an exciting match.  I hope some of you have some commentary.  I see that Wheaton's Golz not only had 2 goals but 2 yellows, getting tossed at the end of the game right after his 2nd goal.  What's up with that?

I logged off my computer right after Wheaton's 3rd goal, but based on your description I would assume the Wheaton player took his shirt off in celebration of the goal.  That's an immediate yellow card.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: oldtrafford on October 11, 2010, 09:41:22 AM
Second Yellow was for the celebration....Elmhurst drops a non-conference game to Lake Forest? that's not going to sit well with mr. coach.  time to start worrying about the remainder of the season?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on October 11, 2010, 04:58:43 PM
Don't look now, but Wheaton looks ready to sweep the conference and get the AQ. Carthage could be a road block, but I predict the young Wheaton squad will come of age after the grueling schedule they played and make to the National tournament with the AQ.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 12, 2010, 08:33:36 AM
Quote from: d3fan1 on October 11, 2010, 04:58:43 PM
Don't look now, but Wheaton looks ready to sweep the conference and get the AQ. Carthage could be a road block, but I predict the young Wheaton squad will come of age after the grueling schedule they played and make to the National tournament with the AQ.

Don't count out the conference tourney.  Anything can happen.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 12, 2010, 01:13:17 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 09, 2010, 10:14:59 PM
Anyone have NP v WC results/wrap-up?

NPU made three mistakes in the game. Each one was a bad one, and each one led to a Wheaton goal. The first came early in the first half, when NPU keeper Tim Ahlberg gave up a rebound by failing to catch a shot that hit him in the chest. Wheaton banged home the rebound for a goal. The second came later on in the half when an NPU defenseman whom I won't name let a Wheaton attacker slip past him and a Wheaton midfielder hit the forward with a perfect pass. The forward, however, who had a clear breakaway, lost control of the ball and the attack momentarily appeared to be a missed opportunity for the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance. However, the NPU defenseman tackled him anyway, and since he was in the crease it led to a Wheaton penalty shot. Wheaton banged that one home, too.

The third mistake was one of the most ghastly errors I've ever seen in a soccer match. Own goals I can understand, as they're usually inadvertent. But on this occasion, with the last few minutes of the game ticking down and NPU pressing to tie the game, the Vikings really blew it in a major way. NPU got a free kick in its own end, and everybody cleared out towards the other end except for one NPU defenseman (who, again, shall remain nameless -- but it was a different one than the one whose mistake led to the second goal) and one Wheaton forward who was there for forechecking purpises. Inexplicably, rather than boot it down the field, the defenseman passed the ball over to Ahlberg, who then, equally inexplicably, kicked the ball twenty yards downfield straight to the Wheaton forward, who then had a ridiculously easy lope to the goal for the third Wheaton score.

Wheaton, by contrast, made no defensive mistakes at all. NPU's goal was purely earned on an amazing play by freshman Filip Lindmark -- he weaved through three Wheaton defenders with a breathtaking combination of speed and razzle-dazzle footwork, then placed a shot perfectly into the near side of the net where the Wheaton keeper could not make a play on it. The only mistakes Wheaton made were the aforementioned second yellow card and a couple of offsides on potential second-half breakaways when NPU was pressing to try to tie the game, offsides that really weren't necessary in order for Wheaton to get the odd-man rush. Ultimately, Wheaton didn't need either missed opportunity; NPU did all the work in handing the Wheaties the opportunities necessary for the visitors to win the match.

Wheaton looked every bit the team that has been hardened physically and mentally by the nation's toughest schedule. NPU played Wheaton evenly but made those mistakes that cost it the game.

It was a very disheartening loss in front of such a large and raucous crowd, and one can only hope that the Vikings will get a chance to see Wheaton again in the conference tournament and atone for it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 12, 2010, 01:23:43 PM
Getting to the conference tourney may be easier said than done for NPU, though. The Vikings are a M*A*S*H unit right now. Lindmark sat out last night's match against Berry; I'm not sure about his current health status. Kris Grahn and Sehten Hills both had to leave last night's match against Berry because of leg injuries, and both sat out the second half. Hills could barely walk; it took him about ten minutes to cross from one side of the Holmgren Athletic Complex to the other. Mike Herbst and Hannes Granlund also came up gimpy. John Born basically decided to concede the match early on in the second half, with NPU trailing 1-0, by taking out his starters one-by-one in an attempt to keep any more of them from getting hurt.

NPU has to travel to Augie on Saturday, and Augie has been a thorn in NPU's side on the soccer pitch far too often in the past. I just hope that the Park can get healthy for this one, because a loss could really make things dicey in terms of qualifying for the CCIW tourney.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 14, 2010, 08:46:43 AM
Even though North Park didn't get it done this time, I hope you all enjoyed the front page story.  A good take on the rivalry, well written by a NPU grad/player.

There is more to this story!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 14, 2010, 02:05:07 PM
It's an excellent recap, Jim. Everybody ought to go to the d3soccer.com front page and read it. My only quibble is that Derrick didn't mention that Connelly's foul on Musgraves that led to the Wheaton score on the penalty kick was unnecessary, given that Musgraves had already lost the ball.

I was surprised to learn that Wheaton's players take the NPU soccer program this seriously. Surprised, and grateful, because as I've said so often on this website it's not really a rivalry unless both sides take part in it, and it seems to me that Wheaton is now actually beginning to share some of the intensity that will make it at long last a genuine rivalry. As every Parker knows, Wheaton has a long tradition of not taking NPU seriously with regard to anything, which is part of the reason why Parkers loathe Wheaton so passionately. (That was true even when North Park was a basketball powerhouse and Wheaton was a mediocrity in that sport; my lingering memory of Wheaton students at the NPC @ WC games during the 1980s is that they'd basically sit there and talk to their friends and not pay any attention to the game, while the North Park students screamed their heads off and carried on.) But when Wheaton soccer greats like Stephen Rigby and Justin Risma give NPU props by saying that their intensity was dialed up when they faced the Vikings, you know that at long last the Park is finally getting under some orange-and-blue skin.

John Born's description of NPU being the little brother in this rivalry is apt. It's just nice to know that big brother is now forced to pay attention to his upstart sibling.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 17, 2010, 08:14:21 AM
According to the Augie website, it looks like North Park took out the frustrations of two straight losses (one of which was to Wheaton!) on the other Vikings. 5-0

http://www.augustana.edu/x22497.xml  (http://www.augustana.edu/x22497.xml)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2010, 05:37:47 PM
Big, big win on the road for a banged-up NPU team that needed to stop its slide. Lindmark, Hills, and Grahn not only played, the former two each scored a pair of goals and the latter had three assists. Good to see freshman Effy Restrepo, who is reviving North Park's missionary-kid tradition (the Vikings used to have a lot of MKs on the soccer team back in the day) notch the first goal of his career as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on October 17, 2010, 11:01:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2010, 05:37:47 PM
Big, big win on the road for a banged-up NPU team that needed to stop its slide. Lindmark, Hills, and Grahn not only played, the former two each scored a pair of goals and the latter had three assists. Good to see freshman Effy Restrepo, who is reviving North Park's missionary-kid tradition (the Vikings used to have a lot of MKs on the soccer team back in the day) notch the first goal of his career as well.

Considering that Augie was 2-0 going in, and the game was in RI, that IS an impressive bounce-back!  Congratulations!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 18, 2010, 09:39:43 AM
Great win for NP this weekend.  Good to put away a team like that.

I missed the cover story on d3soccer.com
How do I find it now?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2010, 01:29:06 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 18, 2010, 09:39:43 AM
Great win for NP this weekend.  Good to put away a team like that.

I missed the cover story on d3soccer.com
How do I find it now?

As with all scrolled-out front-page stories, it's moved over to the Notables section (http://www.d3soccer.com/notables/), Rev. I-Didn't-Go-To-A-University. ;) :D

Tomorrow NPU is going to travel north of the border to take on #12 UW-Whitewater (10-0-2) before returning to Holmgren Athletic Complex on Saturday for the 7:30 pm culmination of a tripleheader that'll feature a football game against Augustana, a women's soccer game against Millikin, and a men's soccer game against Millikin.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 19, 2010, 08:19:34 AM
Nice article.  Glad to see that NP is finally a big game for Wheaton.  We tried so hard to make it a viable rivalry when I was a Viking (yes, Greg, in the early "U" days) but for the most part, our seething hatred for the Crusunders was met with confused looks: "N-P-who?"  It didn't help, of course, that Wheaton was far superior in every sport.  However, what the Vikings lacked in wins in the late 90s they made up for in fan support.  I seem to remember fan buses to Wheaton ensuring that NP fans outnumbered Wheaton's on their home turf.  I doubt that's possible anymore.
That 2004 NP win at Wheaton was a wake-up call to a long-dominant Wheaton program--and one of the most exciting games I've ever attended.  At long last, we have a rivalry.

And Greg, for the record, I was at enough games "in the olden days" to refrain from using the U.  In fact, I have an official NPC Alumni sticker on the back of my car (I bought the car from a friend!)  But I prefer the 2-letter moniker.  And let this be a word of warning to you: don't ever criticize a minister's brevity--you may not like what you get in return!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on October 19, 2010, 11:57:55 AM
I'm a newcomer to CCIW soccer, though I've long followed other sports.  Can someone provide a brief synopsis of how the D3 playoffs work.  In particular, how are teams selected for the various districts.  It appears that the CCIW champion wll go to the Central district.  The same may be said for the MIAA champion. Dominican appears to be a lock.  What other conferences or states constitute this district?  Are there any early thoughts on who else might be selected?  And is there any shot of the CCIW getting two teams in (I doubt it...)?

Finally, can anyone knock off Dominican?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 19, 2010, 12:35:22 PM
augie77, welcome!

The summary is this: most conferences have tourneys for the AQ (the automatic berth in the post-season), while a few do not.  MIAA awards their AQ to the regular season winner - at least they did that last year.  The Regions come into play with regard to the Pool C consideration, although there is also a national component to this.

The NCAA Regional Rankings will be out on Wednesday.  This will give us our first look at who is in consideration for a Pool C berth (at-large).  By the third week of this poll, it will be safe to assume that no one who is not on this list will have a shot at a Pool C berth.

The CCIW has little chance (in my opinion) of getting two programs in the post-season.  Wheaton is playing well now and certainly has a strong SOS (strength of schedule), but I see no one else stepping up.  Elmhurst is having a down year, for instance.  But we'll see what we see tomorrow from the NCAA.  If we see two CCIW programs in the top 8 or so, that would be a good sign.

The NCAA release will be on the front page of our site, as well as available on the NCAA site.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 19, 2010, 12:37:43 PM
Oh, and yes, someone can knock off Dominican.  Concordia-Wisconsin played them to a draw.  But they are a good team that usually has no trouble scoring.

I think that you have a great bunch in Dominican, Whitewater, Oshkosh, and Wash U, if you are considering some of the logical post-season possibilities.  Don't count out Wheaton or Chicago for an upset team either.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2010, 05:00:59 PM
Congrats to NPU senior midfielder James Kriticos upon being named CCIW Defensive Player of the Week. He's the third Viking to win that award thus far this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 19, 2010, 10:07:40 PM
NPU 2
UW-W 1

Grahn with both NP goals.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2010, 11:47:30 PM
Excellent! A big road win for NPU! UWW came into the match undefeated and ranked eighth in the country!

(UWW is also currently #1 in the North Region; North Park came in to tonight's match ranked #4 in the Central Region.)

Grahn's game-winner came two minutes and change into overtime. The two goals that the Vikings scored tonight are as many as anyone has scored against the Warhawks all season long.

Looks like the Vikings have shrugged off that bad week they had and have righted the ship.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on October 20, 2010, 12:11:18 AM
Congrats to NP on a huge win!

Greg, now you've got me in a puzzler.  Did IWU precipitate the 'hell week' for NP, or just benefit from it? ;)  I saw the Titan women play during my homecoming weekend - they have (IMO) a legitimate (albeit, outside) chance of going all-the-way.  But the men played during the time I had an already paid-for $35 reunion dinner, so I have no idea whether or not they are for real! :D

History tells me they are probably not, but the women never used to be good at soccer OR basketball. :P
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 20, 2010, 09:19:42 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2010, 11:47:30 PMUWW came into the match undefeated and ranked eighth in the country!

Ahem!  Greg, UWW was actually bumped up to 6th this week (I relish any opportunity to correct the statistical wizard).  Big win for the Vikings--let's hope that carries into conference play this week to ensure their place in the CCIW tourney.  The road to the postseason goes through Wheaton (it always does!).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2010, 04:21:01 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on October 20, 2010, 12:11:18 AMGreg, now you've got me in a puzzler.  Did IWU precipitate the 'hell week' for NP, or just benefit from it? ;)

Precipitated it, I'd say. I talked to a couple of people close to the NPU program after the match at IWU, and they told me that there was a lot of frustrated Vikings players and coaches afterwards. They definitely felt as though the Titans were a team that they should've beaten, and expected to beat, and that they were just stymied by crossbar-hitting misses, a hot Titans keeper, etc.

I doubt that the frustration bled into or in any way affected the Wheaton match -- I cannot imagine an NPU soccer player thinking about anything besides Wheaton when it comes time to face the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance -- but that tie against the Titans was definitely the first in a series of letdowns for the Park.

Quote from: thePietist on October 20, 2010, 09:19:42 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2010, 11:47:30 PMUWW came into the match undefeated and ranked eighth in the country!

Ahem!  Greg, UWW was actually bumped up to 6th this week (I relish any opportunity to correct the statistical wizard)

Not according to this. (http://www.d3soccer.com/top25/2010/week-7/mens)

Quote from: thePietist on October 20, 2010, 09:19:42 AMBig win for the Vikings--let's hope that carries into conference play this week to ensure their place in the CCIW tourney.

Yep ... can't afford a letdown against Millikin on Saturday evening at the corner of Foster and Albany.

Quote from: thePietist on October 20, 2010, 09:19:42 AMThe road to the postseason goes through Wheaton (it always does!).

It does look more and more like the CCIW tourney is going to be held at Joe Bean Stadium.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 21, 2010, 02:15:35 AM
...as it should be, Greg.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2010, 02:04:11 PM
Revenge is always sweeter when it takes place in the other guy's house, Jim. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 22, 2010, 03:49:10 PM
So in the NCAA rankings that just came out, the CCIW put 2 teams in the top 7 in the Central Region, IWU at #3 and North Park at #4.  Does that mean we have a better shot at putting two teams in the tournament?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2010, 10:22:45 AM
There was a big shift in the standings yesterday, as Augustana dealt Illinois Wesleyan its first conference loss, 2-1. Coupled with NPU's second straight 5-0 romp, this time over Millikin, the standings are now thus:

team  CCIW  overall
Wheaton  5-0-0  8-6-3
North Park  3-1-1  9-4-1
Illinois Wesleyan  3-1-1  6-6-2
Augustana  3-2-0  7-9-1
Carthage  2-2-0  9-6-1
Elmhurst  1-4-0  8-8-0
North Central  0-3-1  5-7-3
Millikin  0-4-1  5-9-1

Wheaton and IWU still have yet to play each other, and the tiebreaker between NPU and IWU would be overall record, so the Vikings look like they're in good shape to claim a first-round home match in the CCIW tourney.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2010, 01:34:50 PM
Congrats to NPU's Sehten Hills and Ryan McNaughton, as the Vikings swept the CCIW's Player of the Week awards -- Hills is the OPOTW and McNaughton, who was recently moved back to the back line, is the DPOTW. That makes five Vikings who've won POTW awards thus far this season ... and, interestingly, All-CCIW first-teamer Kris Grahn isn't one of them, even though he trails only Hills among the league's leading scorers.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 28, 2010, 12:01:27 AM
Wheaton and Augie take wins tonight, cementing their place in the conference tourney.  NP and Carthage end in a draw, meaning they will battle over those last 2 spots with IWU.
With NP and Wheaton both playing winless teams this weekend, it looks as though Carthage and IWU hold their fate in their own hands.  Whoever wins that game keeps their season alive.

Anyone have any commentary on the games tonight?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2010, 05:20:02 PM
I had a meeting at church, so I didn't see last night's match. I have to think that NPU is pretty disappointed with the tie, especially since it was at home, since it meant that the Vikings haven't clinched a playoff berth yet and may have squandered an opportunity to host a first-round match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2010, 10:14:01 PM
NPU beat North Central in Naperville today, as expected, by a score of 3-0. Coupled with Elmhurst's somewhat surprising 1-0 win over Augustana, it means that NPU will host a first-round game after all. NPU will host the winner of tomorrow afternoon's Illinois Wesleyan @ Carthage match, while Wheaton will host Augie. Those semifinal matches will be played on Wednesday, with the championship match at the highest-remaining seed on Saturday.

In essence, Sunday's Illinois Wesleyan @ Carthage tussle is a play-in. Winner survives, loser's season is over.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: pad3fan on October 30, 2010, 11:29:40 PM
Greg, have you accounted for a tie in tomorrow's match? If IW and Carthage tie, they both will have 11 points while Augy will have 12. Will PK's decide a winner then? Further, that winner will still have only 11 points and finish 4th wouldn't they?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2010, 02:52:49 PM
Yeah, that's a good point. In case of a tie today, I think that NPU hosts Augie. So who would win the fourth and final slot, then, in the event of a draw, since Carthage and IWU come into the match with identical 3-2-1 records?

Here's the CCIW soccer tiebreaking procedure:

Quote1. Head-to-head competition
2. Goal differential in conference up to 3 points per game.
For example Team A defeats Team B 2-0, Team A shall be awarded 2 tie breaking points. Team C defeats Team D 5-1; Team C is awarded 3 tie-breaking points the maximum allowed.
3. Fewest goals allowed in conference.

Carthage's goal differential in CCIW play is +3 (11-8). Illinois Wesleyan's is -1 (8-9). Since a draw would, naturally, not result in a change in goal differential for either team, Carthage would win the tiebreaker and gain the fourth seed and the right to face Wheaton at Joe Bean Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Thus, IWU needs to win today to keep its season going. Carthage needs a win or a tie to stay alive.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 31, 2010, 08:01:01 PM
Carthage wins 1-0. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on October 31, 2010, 08:50:06 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 31, 2010, 08:01:01 PM
Carthage wins 1-0. 

[sigh]

Ah, well, the Titans have NEVER been particularly good in men's soccer.  The women weren't either until the 2000s, so maybe there is hope.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 01, 2010, 02:50:25 PM
Wednesday night's semifinals:

#3 Carthage @ #2 North Park, 7 pm

#4 Augustana @ #1 Wheaton, 7 pm
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2010, 07:12:14 PM
Congrats to NPU freshman midfielder Mike Herbst upon being named CCIW Offensive Player of the Week. That make seven POTW awards this year for the Vikings, distributed to six different players. No other team won more than three POTWs, and no other team had more than two players named. It really doesn't seem to mean much, as league champion Wheaton only got two POTWs all season; Illinois Wesleyan's the team that won three POTWs, and the Titans didn't even make the CCIW tourney field.

Still, it's a nice recognition -- especially since five of the six players who've won the award for the Vikes this season are non-seniors. When you look at how young both NPU and Wheaton are, you have to think that the rivalry is going to be ratcheted up a few degrees over the next several seasons, since there's a very good chance that they'll be the two teams that are vying for CCIW hegemony.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FreeScrimp on November 03, 2010, 08:50:51 PM
North Park 1, Carthage 0. Goal by Kriticos about 1/2 way through the first half. It seems to have lit a fire under Carthage; after playing timid and uninspired for the first half of the period, they are now putting the pressure on Park, who can't seem to regain their possession/control style that gave them success for the first 30 minutes.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 03, 2010, 09:01:53 PM
And via the North Park announcers 0-0 Wheaton and Augie at the half
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 03, 2010, 09:26:25 PM
1-0 Wheaton with about 35 left in the second half
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FreeScrimp on November 03, 2010, 09:35:20 PM
Grahn adds to Park's lead 10 minutes into the 2nd half. 2-0 North Park over the Redmen. Park's looks reenergized after halftime.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 03, 2010, 09:55:49 PM
Final 2-1 Wheaton
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 04, 2010, 11:28:20 AM
Both of NP's goals were beautiful to see develop.  Carthage had its moments.  The Redmen hit the crossbar once, had two shots fisted over the goal, and the NP goalie laid out to stop a low shot.  Overall, I believe NP dominated between the 20 yard lines and simply hustled more often to get to the ball.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 04, 2010, 02:25:41 PM
As Mark said, the two NPU goals last night were things of beauty. The Vikings were clearly the quicker and more skilled team, and it showed. The problem was that they were also fairly sloppy on the defensive end, particularly in the second half. Carthage got way too many shots off in the latter stanza, and Tim Ahlberg had to work harder than he should've in order to preserve the shutout. While I hate to be the glass-half-full guy, I mention it because Wheaton is not the kind of team that will let you off the hook if you make a mistake in the back half. They proved that in spades in the first NPU/WC matchup, in which all three of their goals came off of blunders by the Park. The Vikings will have to clean it up considerably, especially since they won't have those same quickness and skill advantages against a very talented Wheaton side.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 06, 2010, 09:09:40 PM
I appreciate that Wheaton is broadcasting the game over the radio.  However, I do think it is strange they chose to broadcast a choir concert on video and the soccer game on radio only.   ???
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 06, 2010, 10:27:32 PM
Agreed, Gotberg!
Listening to the game as I prepare for All Saints Sunday.  1-0 NP @ half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 06, 2010, 11:10:02 PM
NP up 2-1 until Drew Golz equalizes with :45

Overtime, folks!  Good thing we get an extra hour tonight!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2010, 11:14:47 PM
NPU wins in overtime!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 06, 2010, 11:16:02 PM
NP wins in first minute of OT off a corner.  AQ goes to NP.  

Let's hope Wheaton gets the nod for a pool C bid.

Congrats, Vikings!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2010, 11:18:19 PM
Grahn knocked in his second goal of the game, and his tenth of the season, six and a half minutes into OT.

Great game. Wish I could've been there, but I'm glad that WETN carried it online.

Wheaton dominated the shooting stats, but NPU did a better job of capitalizing on its opportunities.

Great gut-check win, since it must've been devastating to have the win slip away in the last minute of regulation. To snap back from that and win it in OT really says a lot about the fortitude of the Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2010, 11:20:15 PM
I hear a lot of screaming in the background. Sounds like NPU's student body was well-represented at Joe Bean Stadium tonight.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: coat on November 06, 2010, 11:27:08 PM
So, I know I'm jumping the gun a little, but does NP have a decent shot of hosting a game in the tourney?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 06, 2010, 11:33:50 PM
The Coat!

Sager will tell you for sure but I'm guessing that it all depends who else gets AQ bids in the region.  If its the usual suspects, I'd say NP is gonna travel.  If there are some upsets...who knows?

Normally I wouldn't wish it upon the Vikings to play Calvin but seeing as that might be my only shot of seeing a game I wouldn't mind if Calvin hosted.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FreeScrimp on November 06, 2010, 11:37:19 PM
Indeed. Looked like a typical North Park/Wheaton final game, as far as fan representation. ($5 to the Wheaton Boosters who were simulcasting the game was worth it). North Park taking the entire right side of the stands, Wheaton taking the left. From the sounds of the game, I'm happy that I didn't hear an overhead announcement directed towards the stands (albeit the end of the game where NP students rightly rushed the field in celebration). I always get nervous that the in-stands banter gets worse and worse each year, but it seemed respectful. (Maybe a person who was actually at the game can comment more directly).

From what I saw today, as a North Parker, I'm nervous about the 2011 and 2012 Wheaton team. Their back line was solid and they will only get better. They had a strong schedule this year and have experience of big games in their back pockets. Their season is likely over at this point, but we'll see what Pool C results show.

Here's hoping NP can get out of the first round of the tourney this year.

My brother posts on this message board?!?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 06, 2010, 11:59:33 PM
WOW!!  Wheaton hosts three conference championships today (American football and both genders of the real football ;)) and goes 0-3!!  Who'd a thunk it?! :D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:00:22 AM
Quote from: thePietist on November 06, 2010, 11:33:50 PM
Normally I wouldn't wish it upon the Vikings to play Calvin but seeing as that might be my only shot of seeing a game I wouldn't mind if Calvin hosted.

I don't want NPU to play Calvin. My nephew is a freshman at Calvin. That would make it hard enough for me to deal with ... but my brother is an NPU grad, too, and it could make life in his house very tough. ;)

Quote from: FreeScrimp on November 06, 2010, 11:37:19 PM
Indeed. Looked like a typical North Park/Wheaton final game, as far as fan representation. ($5 to the Wheaton Boosters who were simulcasting the game was worth it). North Park taking the entire right side of the stands, Wheaton taking the left. From the sounds of the game, I'm happy that I didn't hear an overhead announcement directed towards the stands (albeit the end of the game where NP students rightly rushed the field in celebration). I always get nervous that the in-stands banter gets worse and worse each year, but it seemed respectful. (Maybe a person who was actually at the game can comment more directly).

I wasn't too thrilled with the "We love Jesus, yes, we do / We love Jesus, how about you?" cheer that the NPU student section used in the earlier match between the two schools at the corner of Foster and Albany. Then again, I've got a serious legacy regarding questionable student cheers that puts me in the "people who live in glass houses" category, so that's all I'll say about that. :D

Quote from: FreeScrimp on November 06, 2010, 11:37:19 PMFrom what I saw today, as a North Parker, I'm nervous about the 2011 and 2012 Wheaton team. Their back line was solid and they will only get better. They had a strong schedule this year and have experience of big games in their back pockets.

Wheaton's gonna be scary. Great thing is, NPU's gonna be scary for the next few seasons, too. Should really ratchet up the rivalry a few notches, which is what I think we all want here, Jim Matson included. Even the WETN guys were saying that, and, aside from their sincere respect for Kris Grahn they weren't exactly generous with their compliments of the Vikings.

Quote from: FreeScrimp on November 06, 2010, 11:37:19 PMTheir season is likely over at this point, but we'll see what Pool C results show.

I honestly don't see Wheaton getting in, which is a shame -- both for them and for the CCIW. However, Chris Shirk, who knows the ins and outs of the situation better than I, is more sanguine of Wheaton's chances. (http://www.d3soccer.com/landing/Pool_C_preview)

Since Wash U is the top-ranked team in the Central Region, my best guess is that NPU is headed to St. Louis. However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Park ends up in River Forest, with Central #2 Dominican hosting. I'd rather have that ... River Forest is practically walking distance from NPU.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:00:58 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 06, 2010, 11:59:33 PM
WOW!!  Wheaton hosts three conference championships today (American football and both genders of the real football ;)) and goes 0-3!!  Who'd a thunk it?! :D

World's smallest violin, etc. ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2010, 12:29:47 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:00:58 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 06, 2010, 11:59:33 PM
WOW!!  Wheaton hosts three conference championships today (American football and both genders of the real football ;)) and goes 0-3!!  Who'd a thunk it?! :D

World's smallest violin, etc. ;D

Your lack of sympathy is disgus ... exactly what I would have expected! ;D

I confess, I can't summon a whole bunch of sympathy myself. ;)  Though I think it would be a travesty if ANY of the Thunder teams failed to make their national tournieys.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:38:19 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2010, 12:29:47 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:00:58 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 06, 2010, 11:59:33 PM
WOW!!  Wheaton hosts three conference championships today (American football and both genders of the real football ;)) and goes 0-3!!  Who'd a thunk it?! :D

World's smallest violin, etc. ;D

Your lack of sympathy is disgus ... exactly what I would have expected! ;D

In all honesty, it's Wheaton's legacy of soccer greatness that really makes this win sweet, even more so than the rivalry per se. For as much crap as I and the rest of the people who bleed royal-blue-and-gold deal out towards Wheaton, the fact of the matter is that Wheaton is very good in most sports, which makes beating the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance a mark of excellent performance. But when you beat WC in soccer, you've really done something special ... especially when it's the biggest game of the year and it's on their pitch. And Wheaton's team this year is certainly worthy of that legacy, as can be seen in the fact that the Wheaties ran the table in the conference season and won the CCIW title.

In other words, our respect for Wheaton soccer is what truly makes NPU's win tonight special.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2010, 12:56:22 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:38:19 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2010, 12:29:47 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 12:00:58 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 06, 2010, 11:59:33 PM
WOW!!  Wheaton hosts three conference championships today (American football and both genders of the real football ;)) and goes 0-3!!  Who'd a thunk it?! :D

World's smallest violin, etc. ;D

Your lack of sympathy is disgus ... exactly what I would have expected! ;D

In all honesty, it's Wheaton's legacy of soccer greatness that really makes this win sweet, even more so than the rivalry per se. For as much crap as I and the rest of the people who bleed royal-blue-and-gold deal out towards Wheaton, the fact of the matter is that Wheaton is very good in most sports, which makes beating the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance a mark of excellent performance. But when you beat WC in soccer, you've really done something special ... especially when it's the biggest game of the year and it's on their pitch. And Wheaton's team this year is certainly worthy of that legacy, as can be seen in the fact that the Wheaties ran the table in the conference season and won the CCIW title.

In other words, our respect for Wheaton soccer is what truly makes NPU's win tonight special.

EXACTLY why I am so happy about the Titan women's win.

And someday the Titan men will join the party. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 01:02:53 AM
Note that I said that Wheaton's soccer excellence is what makes it special, Chuck ... not that it's the happiest element of the win. Or even the second-happiest thing. ;)

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2010, 12:56:22 AM
And someday the Titan men will join the party. ;)

Is the Kool-Ade always lime-flavored, Chuck, or is it sometimes pistachio- or spinach- or broccoli-flavored? ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: pad3fan on November 07, 2010, 08:08:01 AM
Quote from: FreeScrimp on November 06, 2010, 11:37:19 PM
Indeed. Looked like a typical North Park/Wheaton final game, as far as fan representation. ($5 to the Wheaton Boosters who were simulcasting the game was worth it). North Park taking the entire right side of the stands, Wheaton taking the left. From the sounds of the game, I'm happy that I didn't hear an overhead announcement directed towards the stands (albeit the end of the game where NP students rightly rushed the field in celebration). I always get nervous that the in-stands banter gets worse and worse each year, but it seemed respectful. (Maybe a person who was actually at the game can comment more directly).



Took in my first North Park/Wheaton match live Saturday night. It was, a great game! On the field it was a well fought battle by both teams. To FreeScrimp's comment, SOME of the banter, from SOME of the NP student section was not respectful. After the second goal, a group ran the length of the stands to the Wheaton student section and taunted the section with their celebrations. Additional comments (language) were shouted at the students. It came off as looking rather "class less"  and nothing like I see here from the North Park supporters .
















Title: Re: CCIW - the veil of the temple was rent
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on November 07, 2010, 10:55:34 AM
Yes i made it to the wheaton pitch last night - along with several hundred other north park fans.  A number of us less-vociferous types took up the section to the immediate left of the entrance, while the NP students were police herded into the far left section.

Slimmo and I arrived in time to see most of the 2nd half and the overtime of the women's championship.  There were no police present for that match !!!  The titan ladies played inspired defensive football and was happy when they won it on penalty kicks.  Wheaton kept shuffling in fresh bodies, but played a very uninspired game.  Good for IWU.

In the men's match it was quickly evident that the officials were going to have to take control - and thankfully they did, as bodies were flying and lying all over the pitch.  Krahn's first goal was a long one.  (and the homers on the WETN radio broadcast should give it a rest - wow were they bad - the sun doesnt rise or set on wheaton guys).

The wind picked up after the first game and it was real cold for the 2nd game.

Seems to me a more sensible CCIW commissioner would have forced the games to be played in the afternoon, rather than bowing to pressure to keep all three contests in Crusaderland.


And what in the hell were police doing at the game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 07, 2010, 11:38:10 AM
Quote from: pad3fan on November 07, 2010, 08:08:01 AM

Additional comments (language) were shouted at the students. .


If you're wondering about the language, it was probably Swedish.  Seems like have of North Park's student population is from Sweden these days....

:P














[/quote]
Title: Re: CCIW - the veil of the temple was rent
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2010, 03:54:18 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on November 07, 2010, 10:55:34 AM
And what in the hell were police doing at the game.

As the infamous "Wheaton Police Department SWAT team" basketball game of three years ago demonstrated, the good folks in the Wheaton College administration seem convinced that North Park is a school whose students take the whole concept of Vikinghood (i.e., sail into town and rape, plunder, and pillage the locals) a bit too literally. I find the whole thing to be hugely amusing, both because of the epic overkill of Wheaton's reaction and because NPU resident students are perennially nothing more than a bunch of totally harmless kids in desperate search of a sports team identified with their school that doesn't cause them to cringe in humiliation.

I'd much rather deal with a noisy but non-threatening handful of skinny frisbee-playing slackers in blue and yellow face paint than with the football players who constitute Wheaton's main student section behind the east basket at King Arena. Unlike the Carlson Crazies, those Wheaton guys look like they could handle themselves in a melee.

North Park students have been traveling to the Wheaton campus for sporting events for generations, and I've yet to hear of any serious incidents arising from their presence -- unless you consider North Park students eating in the Wheaton dining hall without using utensils, or North Park men's basketball players dressing up in drag and trying to sneak into the Wheaton women's dorm to be "serious incidents."

Note to Wheaton administrators: When North Park students show up on your campus for a sporting event, the NPU on their shirts does not stand for "Nasty Pillagers of the Unwary."

Quote from: Gotberg on November 07, 2010, 11:38:10 AM
Quote from: pad3fan on November 07, 2010, 08:08:01 AM

Additional comments (language) were shouted at the students. .


If you're wondering about the language, it was probably Swedish.  Seems like have of North Park's student population is from Sweden these days....

:P

As I said a month ago, I'm counting on the increased population of Swedes on the NPU campus to provide the men's golf team with a shot in the arm as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: pad3fan on November 07, 2010, 04:41:23 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 07, 2010, 11:38:10 AM
Quote from: pad3fan on November 07, 2010, 08:08:01 AM

Additional comments (language) were shouted at the students. .


If you're wondering about the language, it was probably Swedish.  Seems like have of North Park's student population is from Sweden these days....

:P

I know no Swedish and I fully understood the language and what was said ;)













[/quote]
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thunder38 on November 08, 2010, 02:29:47 PM
The bubble burst on the Thunder....too many losses left them on the outside...good luck to North Park against Hope
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 08, 2010, 04:39:43 PM
North Park will play Hope this weekend (date and time TBA) up in Oshkosh. The host Titans of UWO will play Carroll in the other match.

Here's the bracket. (http://static.psbin.com/5/y/l8g2de8wneomzn/msoc-bracket-2010-tag.pdf)

Quote from: thunder38illini on November 08, 2010, 02:29:47 PM
The bubble burst on the Thunder....too many losses left them on the outside...good luck to North Park against Hope

Thanks, thunder38illini. With North Park as the league's only representative in the tournament, it doubles my desire to see the Vikings do well. Nobody from the CCIW has ever made any headway in the tournament besides Wheaton; NPU is 0-2, Carthage and Elmhurst are both 0-1, and the other four schools have never even made it into the tournament. A deep run by the Vikings might get the league a bit more respect in D3 soccer circles.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 08, 2010, 05:54:59 PM
It was a great match on Saturday evening.  North Park was a more skilled team, but ddin't play that advantage very well.  But the rivalry and the students made the match memorable.  And really, the better team won.

I did think that the second North Park goal was really a breakdown on the Wheaton side than anything else - several opportunities to clear, yet the Wheaton backs couldn't get it out of the area.  NP did their job to press and be there when the opportunity presented itself.

Wheaton's first and second goals were neat.  When Wheaton scored their first, they had already come close a few times - they were doing well breaking NP's attempts to hold their line and force an off-sides situation.  But what made the equalizer special (as I was sitting in a North Park section with relatives) was that the Yellowbeards had just started off the typical "Hail North Park" chant when Wheaton broke the line and scored ;)  Wheaton's second goal was more the timing than anything else.  It was a great corner, and it was well placed in the corner, beating the Viking keeper easily.  But to score for the tie in the final minute is just a gerat feeling for any fan.

But the Viking goal to win it was a thing of beauty.  Off another weak clearing attempt from the Wheaton back line, a Viking player took the ball away from the goal and then passed it off to #11, who was moving back towards the box. He took a fairly quick shot from the corner of the box that I thought the Wheaton keeper would easily stop.  But the shot was ideal - he pushed it outside-in with some neat Swedish spin and in a 1' window, he was spot on.  One of the nicer goals I've seen at Wheaton in a number of years.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thunder38 on November 08, 2010, 06:54:27 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 08, 2010, 05:54:59 PM


But the Viking goal to win it was a thing of beauty.  Off another weak clearing attempt from the Wheaton back line, a Viking player took the ball away from the goal and then passed it off to #11, who was moving back towards the box. He took a fairly quick shot from the corner of the box that I thought the Wheaton keeper would easily stop.  But the shot was ideal - he pushed it outside-in with some neat Swedish spin and in a 1' window, he was spot on.  One of the nicer goals I've seen at Wheaton in a number of years.



The goal was extremely well executed by the Vikings and well placed.  Unfortunately for the Thunder both Seager(keeper) and Weaver(back) could have saved or cleared easily but both looked at the other expecting action and the ball just trickled between them...definitely a heartbreaking way for a season to end but a fitting one for the Thunder as they just had those temporary lapses all season long.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 08, 2010, 07:07:54 PM
Quote from: thunder38illini on November 08, 2010, 06:54:27 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 08, 2010, 05:54:59 PMBut the Viking goal to win it was a thing of beauty.  Off another weak clearing attempt from the Wheaton back line, a Viking player took the ball away from the goal and then passed it off to #11, who was moving back towards the box. He took a fairly quick shot from the corner of the box that I thought the Wheaton keeper would easily stop.  But the shot was ideal - he pushed it outside-in with some neat Swedish spin and in a 1' window, he was spot on.  One of the nicer goals I've seen at Wheaton in a number of years.

The goal was extremely well executed by the Vikings and well placed.  Unfortunately for the Thunder both Seager(keeper) and Weaver(back) could have saved or cleared easily but both looked at the other expecting action and the ball just trickled between them...definitely a heartbreaking way for a season to end but a fitting one for the Thunder as they just had those temporary lapses all season long.

Turnabout is fair play, I'd say, since in the first match between the two teams back on October 9 it was NPU's mental errors that spelled the difference in Wheaton's win.

What are your thoughts on the respective futures of the two teams and their chances for dominating the league, Jim? After this season, NPU loses its center midfielder (James Kriticos) and the right and left backs (Greg Domanico and Kyle Connelly). Wheaton loses two forwards, starter Stephen Mesko and reserve Cameron Risma. NPU started three freshmen on Saturday night, Wheaton started four.

Getting back to this season ... is the conference tournament taken into consideration when the coaches pick the All-CCIW team, or is it regular-season conference games only? I have to think that Kris Grahn has a very solid shot at Most Outstanding Player if the tournament is part of the equation. He scored the game-winner in the semi against Carthage, and two goals -- including the golden goal in OT -- in the title game at Wheaton. Heck, even the Wheaton head coach has referred to Grahn as the league's best player. If the tournament's not taken into consideration, though, I have to think that Wheaton's Drew Golz will win the MOP award, as I think that any support for an NPU player might be split among several of them (Grahn, Filip Lindmark, Sehten Hills, etc.), with NPU's Tim Ahlberg and Wheaton's Ryan Seager basically canceling each other out in terms of any keepers being considered for the award.

In the past, the coaches have almost always simply handed the MOP to whichever Wheaton player shined the most. I'd love to see a Viking win it this year; the only North Park player who's ever been selected as MOP was Austin Person back in '05.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 09, 2010, 08:04:32 AM
Hope beat Calvin for the MIAA AQ, which puts both those teams in, probably had a hand n costing Wheaton a shot at the tourney field (that and the month of September).

North Park plays Hope up in Osh Kosh in the first round (UW-O takes on Carroll) Friday, ncaa.com still says TBA for the time. 

I'm hoping/assuming it'll be shown somewhere, is that a reasonable assumption?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 09, 2010, 06:23:14 PM
Hope vs. NPU will be Friday at 7:30 pm Central, 6:30 pm local time.

I don't think that it'll be shown anywhere, unless Benj Ecker has an iPhone and makes a conference call with it. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 09, 2010, 09:59:39 PM
Congrats to the six Vikings who made the All-CCIW first team (senior James Kriticos, juniors Kris Grahn and Sehten Hills, sophomore Tim Ahlberg, and freshmen Hannes Granlund and Filip Lindmark). Congrats as well to Grahn for winning the league's Most Outstanding Player, and to John Born for winning the Joe Bean Award as the CCIW's Coach of the Year. A pretty good haul of prizes!

Wheaton had four first-teamers, which means that NPU and Wheaton had ten of the thirteen slots on the All-CCIW first team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 10, 2010, 01:57:37 AM
That's a great showing for North Park!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 11, 2010, 07:56:32 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 09, 2010, 06:23:14 PM
Hope vs. NPU will be Friday at 7:30 pm Central, 6:30 pm local time.

I don't think that it'll be shown anywhere, unless Benj Ecker has an iPhone and makes a conference call with it. ;)

Alas, Benj Ecker neither has an iPhone nor will be at the match.  If only the game were being played on the OTHER side of the lake...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 11, 2010, 09:58:17 AM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 08, 2010, 05:54:59 PM
It was a great match on Saturday evening.  North Park was a more skilled team, but ddin't play that advantage very well.  But the rivalry and the students made the match memorable.  And really, the better team won.

I was surprised to hear this, coming from Jim.  The numbers (SOG, etc) seem to tell a different story.  And, of course, the WETN guys tell a very different story when broadcasting...
Good to know that NP is the real deal.  Perhaps this is the year for a deep run in the tourney by the Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 03:36:16 PM
Quote from: thePietist on November 11, 2010, 09:58:17 AM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 08, 2010, 05:54:59 PM
It was a great match on Saturday evening.  North Park was a more skilled team, but ddin't play that advantage very well.  But the rivalry and the students made the match memorable.  And really, the better team won.

I was surprised to hear this, coming from Jim.  The numbers (SOG, etc) seem to tell a different story.  And, of course, the WETN guys tell a very different story when broadcasting...

WETN's had some great student broadcasters in the past (Paul Carr, Bryan Holmgren), but the two guys who are on the call now (and were on the call last year) are total homers. At least they don't scream or make up ridiculous Bermanesque nicknames ("Joel Kolmodin Dragon!" "Martin 'the Chicago' Trimiew!"), but you need a crowbar to pry a compliment of an opposing player or play out of them. I think that they referred to NPU's Kris Grahn once as "dangerous," and that was about it. Based upon their call, you never would've had the impression that NPU was capable of scoring on Wheaton, let alone have the lead for most of the match.

Quote from: thePietist on November 11, 2010, 07:56:32 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 09, 2010, 06:23:14 PM
Hope vs. NPU will be Friday at 7:30 pm Central, 6:30 pm local time.

I don't think that it'll be shown anywhere, unless Benj Ecker has an iPhone and makes a conference call with it. ;)

Alas, Benj Ecker neither has an iPhone nor will be at the match.  If only the game were being played on the OTHER side of the lake...

I posted that with the assumption that the ferry was still running. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KnightFalcon on November 11, 2010, 07:52:55 PM
Wheaton will be fine for the next few years.  They had a huge freshman class and many of them played large minutes during the season.  I think Clark and Musgraves are the real deal and will be big contributors for the next 3 seasons.  Not sure what Giuliano has coming in next year, but if they bring in another strong class, they will be back on the national stage starting next year.  Too much youth hurt them early in the season, but by the time they got to the conference games, the team started to gel and it showed in their record.  I think they would beat Calvin right now so it is ironic (tragic?) that in all likelihood, Calvin took their spot in the tournament.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: pad3fan on November 11, 2010, 10:13:27 PM
Greg, I don't really get your "beef" with the Wheaton broadcast. In fairness to any program that broadcasts, Wheaton is one of, if not the best in this area for college soccer. It's not like it is a "network" like FOX, CBS, ESPN, etc. that broadcasts that other sport that thinks it's the real "football!" It would be more like listening to the local broadcast of any pro sports team. WETN is paid for and supported by Wheaton College, it's fans, alumni, etc. To expect that it wouldn't be geared to that group, I don't think would be normal or realistic. I'm sure that North Park could have provided a broadcast of their own, if they would want one slanted toward their team. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 10:46:15 PM
North Park does provide a broadcast of its home soccer matches, pad3fan. I have never watched any of them -- I'm almost always in the stands when NPU is playing at home -- but if the PBP and analysis in an NPU soccer webcast was as compromised as Wheaton's was last weekend, I'd say something.

Yes, it's Wheaton's broadcast. Yes, it's expected that the broadcasters will focus upon Wheaton's players, Wheaton's team, Wheaton's relative worthiness in the league, Wheaton's ongoing season, etc. That's pretty obvious. But being "geared to that group" and being "slanted toward their team" doesn't mean "ignore the other team completely to the point where it's invisible."

I am the broadcaster for NPU's men's basketball webcasts. I make it pretty plain on the air that: a) North Park University is producing the webcast; b) the target audience is primarily Vikings fans; and c) I myself am a Vikings fan, to the point that I get excited and put some emotion into my call when North Park makes a great play (as do the Wheaton broadcasters for their team). But here's the difference: I acknowledge the opponent and point out what the opposing players have done (or are doing) right. If they make a great play, I point it out. I give them credit by name. That doesn't compromise me or the fact that I'm doing the webcast on behalf of NPU. I'm simply doing my job as a reporter (which is what a broadcaster is) by being honest and factual about the game at hand. To me, at least, that's the right way to broadcast a game. Otherwise, it's as though you're watching a game where only one team is playing ... and that's absurd on its face.

And this is not me being anti-Wheatie, either. As I said in my previous post, WETN's had some terrific guys behind the mic in the past. I even cited two of them by name, one of whom is now an ESPN employee.

Oh, and I vehemently disagree with the idea that, "Well, it's not a TV network, so it's not a 'real' broadcast ... therefore, it's OK to do a half-assed job." If you're going to do something, do it right, do it professionally, and do it in such a way that you'll be proud to put your name on it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: pad3fan on November 11, 2010, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 10:46:15 PM
North Park does provide a broadcast of its home soccer matches, pad3fan. I have never watched any of them -- I'm almost always in the stands when NPU is playing at home -- but if the PBP and analysis in an NPU soccer webcast was as compromised as Wheaton's was last weekend, I'd say something.

Greg, I realize that NPU does home games. If they wanted a more home flavor at the away games, they could do like Wheaton does and send a crew to the away games as well.

Yes, it's Wheaton's broadcast. Yes, it's expected that the broadcasters will focus upon Wheaton's players, Wheaton's team, Wheaton's relative worthiness in the league, Wheaton's ongoing season, etc. That's pretty obvious. But being "geared to that group" and being "slanted toward their team" doesn't mean "ignore the other team completely to the point where it's invisible."

I am the broadcaster for NPU's men's basketball webcasts. I make it pretty plain on the air that: a) North Park University is producing the webcast; b) the target audience is primarily Vikings fans; and c) I myself am a Vikings fan, to the point that I get excited and put some emotion into my call when North Park makes a great play (as do the Wheaton broadcasters for their team). But here's the difference: I acknowledge the opponent and point out what the opposing players have done (or are doing) right. If they make a great play, I point it out. I give them credit by name. That doesn't compromise me or the fact that I'm doing the webcast on behalf of NPU. I'm simply doing my job as a reporter (which is what a broadcaster is) by being honest and factual about the game at hand. To me, at least, that's the right way to broadcast a game. Otherwise, it's as though you're watching a game where only one team is playing ... and that's absurd on its face.
Greg, I was present at the game we are discussing. In addition, I listened to the broadcast. I can understand as a NPU fan you may feel as though the broadcast ignored your team but I can recall times that the announcers spoke of NPU, their fans, Grahn's laser shot for the first goal, that the JR. Hills is a handful come to mind at the moment. Basketball isn't my sport, so I can't say that I have ever listened to one of your broadcasts. From reading your posts on here, I would  expect them to be done well. I guess what I don't get is you feeling the need to "lash out" at the Wheaton crew.To me as a reader here it comes across pretty harsh. 


And this is not me being anti-Wheatie, either. As I said in my previous post, WETN's had some terrific guys behind the mic in the past. I even cited two of them by name, one of whom is now an ESPN employee.

Oh, and I vehemently disagree with the idea that, "Well, it's not a TV network, so it's not a 'real' broadcast ... therefore, it's OK to do a half-assed job." If you're going to do something, do it right, do it professionally, and do it in such a way that you'll be proud to put your name on it.Please re-read what I wrote. I am not sure what you are vehemently disagreeing with.I said nothing of a broadcast not being done well in "comparing the network to the local broadcast." The difference would be like listening to the local broadcast of the Sox or Cubs and listening to the same game being broadcast by ESPN. I would expect the ESPN one to be a more balanced one than the "homeboys." I don't think I said one was real and one wasn't but if that is how it sounded it wasn't my point. I'm sorry if it was confusing that way.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 12, 2010, 12:18:58 AM
One of the first good old CCIW-type throw downs on the soccer board!  Now it feels a little like the old CCIW FB board...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2010, 03:02:25 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 12, 2010, 12:18:58 AM
One of the first good old CCIW-type throw downs on the soccer board!  Now it feels a little like the old CCIW FB board...

Not quite.  On this board Greg gets to talk about NPU wins! :o

(Sorry, Greg - couldn't help myself. :-[)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2010, 03:54:24 PM
Quote from: pad3fan on November 11, 2010, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 10:46:15 PM
North Park does provide a broadcast of its home soccer matches, pad3fan. I have never watched any of them -- I'm almost always in the stands when NPU is playing at home -- but if the PBP and analysis in an NPU soccer webcast was as compromised as Wheaton's was last weekend, I'd say something.

Greg, I realize that NPU does home games. If they wanted a more home flavor at the away games, they could do like Wheaton does and send a crew to the away games as well.

No, they couldn't. The funds aren't there for it. Not every school has the money to broadcast road games as well as home games. Only two sports at NPU have webcasts, men's basketball and men's soccer, and both of them only do home games. I'm simply thankful that North Park is putting home men's soccer matches on the web now, even though I don't have the chance to see them.

Quote from: pad3fan on November 11, 2010, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 10:46:15 PM
Yes, it's Wheaton's broadcast. Yes, it's expected that the broadcasters will focus upon Wheaton's players, Wheaton's team, Wheaton's relative worthiness in the league, Wheaton's ongoing season, etc. That's pretty obvious. But being "geared to that group" and being "slanted toward their team" doesn't mean "ignore the other team completely to the point where it's invisible."

I am the broadcaster for NPU's men's basketball webcasts. I make it pretty plain on the air that: a) North Park University is producing the webcast; b) the target audience is primarily Vikings fans; and c) I myself am a Vikings fan, to the point that I get excited and put some emotion into my call when North Park makes a great play (as do the Wheaton broadcasters for their team). But here's the difference: I acknowledge the opponent and point out what the opposing players have done (or are doing) right. If they make a great play, I point it out. I give them credit by name. That doesn't compromise me or the fact that I'm doing the webcast on behalf of NPU. I'm simply doing my job as a reporter (which is what a broadcaster is) by being honest and factual about the game at hand. To me, at least, that's the right way to broadcast a game. Otherwise, it's as though you're watching a game where only one team is playing ... and that's absurd on its face.
Greg, I was present at the game we are discussing. In addition, I listened to the broadcast. I can understand as a NPU fan you may feel as though the broadcast ignored your team but I can recall times that the announcers spoke of NPU, their fans, Grahn's laser shot for the first goal, that the JR. Hills is a handful come to mind at the moment. Basketball isn't my sport, so I can't say that I have ever listened to one of your broadcasts. From reading your posts on here, I would  expect them to be done well. I guess what I don't get is you feeling the need to "lash out" at the Wheaton crew.To me as a reader here it comes across pretty harsh. 

I have no recollection of the broadcasters saying anything about the Vikings as a team. They did mention the fans in passing at one point, saying that a Wheaton player did not want to have to throw in around the NPU fans -- but if you didn't hear the cheering in the background, you'd never know that the Vikings enjoyed such a huge following at Joe Bean Stadium that night. Their commentary about Sehten Hills was not complimentary about him other than in a backhanded fashion; i.e., Dan Pavlak had him completely marked and had turned him into a non-factor. I do remember them calling Grahn's first goal a "laser shot," and (as I said earlier) they did call him "dangerous" at one point. But that's pretty slim pickings if that's all that you can point out in the entire two-hour broadcast that was complimentary of Wheaton's opponent.

As for what you felt was my harsh tone, I'm probably more sensitive to the poor job that the WETN guys did last Saturday because the Vikings were the neglected opponent in question. But I'm not the only one who noticed it; two other posters here pointed it out as well. As I said, I didn't post those thoughts in order to rattle the cage of Wheaton fans; I did it because it was disappointing to have to listen to commentary that seemed not to notice that Wheaton's opponent even existed.

Quote from: pad3fan on November 11, 2010, 11:54:21 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 10:46:15 PM
And this is not me being anti-Wheatie, either. As I said in my previous post, WETN's had some terrific guys behind the mic in the past. I even cited two of them by name, one of whom is now an ESPN employee.

Oh, and I vehemently disagree with the idea that, "Well, it's not a TV network, so it's not a 'real' broadcast ... therefore, it's OK to do a half-assed job." If you're going to do something, do it right, do it professionally, and do it in such a way that you'll be proud to put your name on it.Please re-read what I wrote. I am not sure what you are vehemently disagreeing with.I said nothing of a broadcast not being done well in "comparing the network to the local broadcast." The difference would be like listening to the local broadcast of the Sox or Cubs and listening to the same game being broadcast by ESPN. I would expect the ESPN one to be a more balanced one than the "homeboys." I don't think I said one was real and one wasn't but if that is how it sounded it wasn't my point. I'm sorry if it was confusing that way.

I'm not sure where you live and thus what you had in mind in your earlier post when talking about a local pro team. For all I knew, it could've been some hick town whose Single A minor-league baseball team has an egregiously slanted broadcaster. The team-oriented broadcasters you cite (Cubs, White Sox) are certainly slanted towards the team they cover, but they are all professional enough to discuss opponents at length when the vicissitudes of the game require it, and they never shirk from complimenting opponents who are accomplished players or who make a great play. It's not about balance per se; it's about honest reporting.

Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2010, 03:02:25 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 12, 2010, 12:18:58 AM
One of the first good old CCIW-type throw downs on the soccer board!  Now it feels a little like the old CCIW FB board...

Not quite.  On this board Greg gets to talk about NPU wins! :o

(Sorry, Greg - couldn't help myself. :-[)

You're still here, Chuck? IWU's men's soccer season has been over for two weeks now. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2010, 05:27:13 PM
Yeah, Greg, I'm still here.  And am now a Viking fan (despite your low blow :P).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 12, 2010, 07:15:23 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2010, 10:46:15 PM
But here's the difference: I acknowledge the opponent and point out what the opposing players have done (or are doing) right. If they make a great play, I point it out. I give them credit by name.
Greg,

You're forgetting another key difference -- you actually know something about the opponents North Park plays, far beyond the names on their rosters.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 12, 2010, 10:13:31 PM
North Park goes up 1-0 vs Hope on a goal by Grahn in the 65th minute.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 12, 2010, 10:42:37 PM
North Park holds on for a 1-0 victory!  Congratulations to the team as they move on to face UW Oshkosh tomorrow!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2010, 10:46:43 PM
Way to represent the CCIW, NPU!  Keep it going!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2010, 10:56:31 PM
You had the feeling that NPU was knocking on the door throughout the first half and early in the second, but the Vikings forwards just couldn't get their timing down on the through passes and they kept getting called offsides. Finally, Kris Grahn and Sehten Hills were able to get the two-man game going and did a beautiful give-and-go that resulted in Grahn's goal. After that, North Park went into a shell; Hope had some nice chances, but Tim Ahlberg had one fantastic lay-out save, and on Hope's best chance of all -- a midfield free kick by keeper Logan Neil -- the ball apparently crossed the goal line but was called offsides (hard to tell, because the UWO camera crew didn't track that particular play).

Congratulations to the Vikings, who not only achieved the school's first-ever NCAA tournament win tonight but the CCIW's first-ever tournament win by a team other than Wheaton. North Park will face host UW-Oshkosh tomorrow night at 6:30.

Great to see so many North Park students braving the long drive and the cold to be at tonight's match, too.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 13, 2010, 09:39:34 PM
Awesome!  Mpls got 6" of wet, sloppy snow today.  Chicago got cold and showers.  What were/are the conditions in Osh Kosh?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 13, 2010, 10:25:23 PM
Congrats to NPU on a very successful season. The Vikings just ran into the wrong team tonight in terms of having to play from behind; UW-Oshkosh has only given up five goals all season, and tonight we saw that there's a reason for that.

Still, any season that includes both the program's first-ever NCAA tourney win and an electrifying win over that orange-colored school over in DuPage County -- on the orange-colored school's home pitch, no less --- to win the CCIW tourney and the NCAA berth has to be considered a big step forward. For as young as the Vikings were this season, I look forward to their continued success in 2011. John Born has North Park soccer moving in the right direction.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 13, 2010, 11:36:02 PM
I thought we'd see a tighter match than 2-0.  I think North Park's season-long bout of inconsistency reappeared, perhaps?  I saw both teams this season, and I thought both had some strengths - maybe Oshkosh a bot stronger, but not overly so. 

It has been a good season for the Vikes.  They keep building on their tradition, and that certainly can help with recruiting.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: pad3fan on November 15, 2010, 08:48:49 AM
Greg, in respect to you and the other NPU fans here, I wanted to wait until after the weekend games to respond to your last post about the NPU /Wheaton broadcast. It was my desire to allow you guys to enjoy the success of your team and hopefully enjoy the NCAA's. Congratulations on your run this year.

That being said, with the season over for both teams now....

I have no recollection of the broadcasters saying anything about the Vikings as a team. They did mention the fans in passing at one point, saying that a Wheaton player did not want to have to throw in around the NPU fans -- but if you didn't hear the cheering in the background, you'd never know that the Vikings enjoyed such a huge following at Joe Bean Stadium that night. Their commentary about Sehten Hills was not complimentary about him other than in a backhanded fashion; i.e., Dan Pavlak had him completely marked and had turned him into a non-factor. I do remember them calling Grahn's first goal a "laser shot," and (as I said earlier) they did call him "dangerous" at one point. But that's pretty slim pickings if that's all that you can point out in the entire two-hour broadcast that was complimentary of Wheaton's opponent.

Greg, I respect that you have no recollection of the Viking fans but in listening during the "heat of the battle" it may have slipped past you. There were at least three mentions during the contest. And your comment about if you didn't hear the Viking fans cheering, you wouldn't have known there was such a large following is not true. The beginning of the broadcast started out with the large number of NPU fans and that NPU even had more students present than Wheaton.

As for the Hills comment, Hills didn't have a good game that evening. I happen to think he is a very nice player, can score some goals and can be dangerous, but he wasn't a factor in that game. I suggest that it was an accurate statement and to give Pavlak credit for that non-factor would seem appropriate given the season Hills had.

Please know that while I mentioned a few examples on my last post, they were not the only ones. I could continue, as could you, to go back and forth on a line by line account, yet I don't know what purpose it would serve either of us or the programs. You wanted to hear more about your team, that I get. Yet your statements are just not true when you say that the broadcast didn't even let a listener know there was another team present. I feel it is important for those readers out there that were not part of the events and the broadcast that evening, to understand your account of the broadcast and to be given a balance to that view.

Looking at this thread, it seems to me that you suggest that the Wheaton crew was just not being honest in the broadcast. If it wasn't your intent to rattle the cage of the Wheaton fans,suggesting that the crew wasn't being honest and it wasn't honest "reporting", does rattle my cage!

As Wheaton does provide alot of broadcasts, has them open for anyone to listen to and watch for free  in almost every case, it would be my hope that all the soccer fans out there could appreciate and be thankful for the access to these services rather than feel the need to "rip them."
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 15, 2010, 02:12:57 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 13, 2010, 11:36:02 PM
I thought we'd see a tighter match than 2-0.  I think North Park's season-long bout of inconsistency reappeared, perhaps?

I don't really think it was inconsistency. Greg Domanico made a tackle in the box -- it's questionable whether or not the UWO player had a good enough angle or enough of a step on Domanico to get off a decent shot, but that's 20-20 hindsight -- and the Vikings paid for it by getting scored upon on a penalty kick. And the goal off the corner kick a couple of minutes later was just a great play by UWO. Those were just two tough-situation set pieces, not really a case of NPU being up-and-down in the game itself (although the Vikings have played better over the course of 90 minutes than they did on Saturday night; albeit UWO had something to do with that).

I simply give UWO credit. The Titans are a very good team, and they played better than did the Vikings. I never had the sense that the Vikings were shooting themselves in the foot the way that they did in the first Wheaton match, though.

Quote from: pad3fan on November 15, 2010, 08:48:49 AM
Greg, in respect to you and the other NPU fans here, I wanted to wait until after the weekend games to respond to your last post about the NPU /Wheaton broadcast. It was my desire to allow you guys to enjoy the success of your team and hopefully enjoy the NCAA's. Congratulations on your run this year.

That being said, with the season over for both teams now....

I have no recollection of the broadcasters saying anything about the Vikings as a team. They did mention the fans in passing at one point, saying that a Wheaton player did not want to have to throw in around the NPU fans -- but if you didn't hear the cheering in the background, you'd never know that the Vikings enjoyed such a huge following at Joe Bean Stadium that night. Their commentary about Sehten Hills was not complimentary about him other than in a backhanded fashion; i.e., Dan Pavlak had him completely marked and had turned him into a non-factor. I do remember them calling Grahn's first goal a "laser shot," and (as I said earlier) they did call him "dangerous" at one point. But that's pretty slim pickings if that's all that you can point out in the entire two-hour broadcast that was complimentary of Wheaton's opponent.

Greg, I respect that you have no recollection of the Viking fans but in listening during the "heat of the battle" it may have slipped past you. There were at least three mentions during the contest. And your comment about if you didn't hear the Viking fans cheering, you wouldn't have known there was such a large following is not true. The beginning of the broadcast started out with the large number of NPU fans and that NPU even had more students present than Wheaton.

As for the Hills comment, Hills didn't have a good game that evening. I happen to think he is a very nice player, can score some goals and can be dangerous, but he wasn't a factor in that game. I suggest that it was an accurate statement and to give Pavlak credit for that non-factor would seem appropriate given the season Hills had.

Please know that while I mentioned a few examples on my last post, they were not the only ones. I could continue, as could you, to go back and forth on a line by line account, yet I don't know what purpose it would serve either of us or the programs. You wanted to hear more about your team, that I get. Yet your statements are just not true when you say that the broadcast didn't even let a listener know there was another team present. I feel it is important for those readers out there that were not part of the events and the broadcast that evening, to understand your account of the broadcast and to be given a balance to that view.

Looking at this thread, it seems to me that you suggest that the Wheaton crew was just not being honest in the broadcast. If it wasn't your intent to rattle the cage of the Wheaton fans,suggesting that the crew wasn't being honest and it wasn't honest "reporting", does rattle my cage!

As Wheaton does provide alot of broadcasts, has them open for anyone to listen to and watch for free  in almost every case, it would be my hope that all the soccer fans out there could appreciate and be thankful for the access to these services rather than feel the need to "rip them."


I did not hear the opening minutes of the broadcast, so if the Wheaton broadcasters mentioned the size of the NPU crowd, then kudos to them. That and the throw-in comment makes two mentions, not three. And I did not say that they were inaccurate when they cited Pavlak's excellent marking of Hills; I said that they did not give any context at all to the statement by giving Hills credit for being a great player, which is true.

Look, I do appreciate the fact that Wheaton broadcasts its games for free on the Internet, just as I appreciate it whenever any school does so. It's a great service for fans, not just the fans of that particular team ... and as someone who is involved with D3 sports webcasting himself, I think it's great when people who do not follow my team click on the link and watch the games I call. But just because a service is free does not make it immune to criticism. The fact of the matter is that the Wheaton guys just did not do a good job in the CCIW tourney championship game, and they did neglect mentioning the NPU team to the degree that it adversely impacted their coverage. Sorry that you take such umbrage at that, but it's nevertheless true.

The UWO broadcasters did a much better job than did the Wheaton guys, incidentally, in terms of describing the play of both teams and being even-handed with their compliments and criticisms this past weekend. Where they were lacking, though, was their pre-game prep. They obviously didn't check with anyone from NPU before either the match vs. Hope or the match vs. UWO, because they continually referred to Filip Lindmark as "Peter Gauss." Now, if you look at the online roster for North Park you'd figure that the player wearing #21 is Pyotr Gwozdz and that Lindmark is #20, so it's easy to understand how they made that mistake when they saw #21 on the field. But that's why, if you're going to be working behind a microphone, you ask a coach or a trainer before a game how to pronounce the names of players; the UWO guys were obviously winging it with the pronunciation of #21's presumed name (you can't tell me that you'd know how to pronounce Pyotr Gwozdz's name without having to ask first ;)), and they didn't pronounce Sehten Hills' first name correctly, either.

It's important for P.A. announcers and for broadcasters to check with the staff of an opposing team to make sure that: a) the roster as printed is correct; and b) any possibly dicey pronunciation problems with regard to player names are cleared up.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 18, 2010, 10:41:52 AM
Lots of commentary on the commentators here.  I can't say that I have much experience listening or watching games online but did so for the NP-Wheaton match and I appreciate the fact that Wheaton provides this service.  Though I'm certainly no neutral party, I agree with Greg's assessment.  Case in point: as a listener (I couldn't get the video the whole time) I couldn't even tell when NP scored.  The WETN guys didn't announce it for quite some time after the fact; they simply got quieter and markedly less excited (which was my best indication that something good had happened for the Vikings).  I understand that it was a Wheaton broadcast.  Be biased--that's fine.  But at the very least report the game and acknowledge the opposition. 

On another note, anyone get in on the D3sports.com Pick'em Contest?  I entered my picks before everything got going but apparently they didn't go though because my bracket is blank and I'm not scoring any points.  As best I can tell, I should have 38 points and be tied for 8th.  Anyone else have this problem?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: DRC on November 19, 2010, 05:11:54 PM
Hey Sager - For one so adamant about completing your advance research and getting the facts & names correct during your broadcasts, I recommend that you set a good example and correct the error in your message posted on 11/15 at 2:12 PM.  Unfortunately, you misidentified the NPU player who was whistled for the foul in the box.  If you must ID the player by name (which is really unnecessary), take your own advice and get the facts straight.  And please don't blame your mistake on what you might have heard during the UWO broadcast; you shouldn't try to be a sideline reporter from > 100 miles away.   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 22, 2010, 06:11:32 PM
I don't agree that it's unnecessary to identify the player in question. And I don't see anything wrong with trying to analyze a game seen via video, as long as you make it clear that that's what you're doing. And the UWO announcers did identify Greg as the NPU player who committed the foul in question. (The player's number was obscured during the play.)

Nevertheless, since Greg was not the one who committed the foul and I incorrectly attributed it to him, I apologize to him.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 23, 2011, 10:36:49 AM
Great news for the NPU soccer team, announced on the air of the North Park basketball broadcast last night during my halftime interview with John Born. Kris Grahn, reigning CCIW Player of the Year, has elected to return to NPU to finish out his career. He is graduating early in May, but he has decided to return in the fall to start the MBA program at NPU, so he'll play his senior season as a grad student. Great to hear if you're a Vikings fan!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on January 26, 2011, 09:14:36 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 23, 2011, 10:36:49 AM
Great news for the NPU soccer team, announced on the air of the North Park basketball broadcast last night during my halftime interview with John Born. Kris Grahn, reigning CCIW Player of the Year, has elected to return to NPU to finish out his career. He is graduating early in May, but he has decided to return in the fall to start the MBA program at NPU, so he'll play his senior season as a grad student. Great to hear if you're a Vikings fan!

Thanks for the update.  I hope the other new Swedish players return as well.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on January 26, 2011, 09:53:55 AM
Is there reason to think they won't?

As the father of a Wheaton player, the most fun we had all year was the two North Park games.  I just wish the second game had turned out differently. :'(
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on January 26, 2011, 10:52:00 AM
Quote from: augie77 on January 26, 2011, 09:53:55 AM
Is there reason to think they won't?

As the father of a Wheaton player, the most fun we had all year was the two North Park games.  I just wish the second game had turned out differently. :'(

Living abroad isn't for everyone - or perhaps they just wanted a 1 year experience. 

Just possibilities.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 26, 2011, 05:37:39 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on January 26, 2011, 10:52:00 AM
Quote from: augie77 on January 26, 2011, 09:53:55 AM
Is there reason to think they won't?

As the father of a Wheaton player, the most fun we had all year was the two North Park games.  I just wish the second game had turned out differently. :'(

Living abroad isn't for everyone - or perhaps they just wanted a 1 year experience. 

Just possibilities.


John Born also said in the interview that in the locker room after the loss to UW-Oshkosh in the second round of the D3 tourney, one of the key Swedes for NPU, freshman forward Filip Lindmark said, "We can't be satisfied. Next year we'll go farther." That leads me to believe that he, at least, is coming back. I haven't heard anything about any other member of the team who still has eligibility not coming back.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: matblake on June 23, 2011, 01:31:33 PM
Wheaton coach back for Uganda:
http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2011/6/23/MSOC_0623111806.aspx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on August 03, 2011, 04:09:57 PM
The Wheaton men's soccer team is leaving today for a 13 day trip to Kenya where they will play top Kenyan teams, build soccer fields as a service project, and lead soccer camps for many of Nairobi's poorest youth.  More information will be contained on a blog to be found on Wheaton's athletic website at www.wheaton.edu
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 14, 2011, 01:18:55 PM
The CCIW preseason poll is out, and there's a dead heat for first place. (http://www.cciw.org/news/2011/8/3/MS_0803115708.aspx) Both 2010 tournament champion North Park and 2010 regular-season champion Wheaton received 45 points and four first-place votes in the poll.

Circle Saturday, October 8 on your calendar. That's the date that the next iteration of the rivalry will take place, as NPU and Wheaton will mix it up at Joe Bean Stadium that evening.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on August 15, 2011, 10:30:28 AM
There were rumors last year about some of the Swedish-born North Park players possibly transferring out.  For the sake of competitiveness, I hope this isn't the case.  Can you provide an update?

Wheaton's men's team will be scrimmaging at Northwestern this Friday evening at 7:00.  It will be an interesting test for this young Wheaton team that graduated just one regular starter from last season.  The Thunder are winding down their trip to Kenya, and will land at O'Hare on Wednesday, with official training to start on Thursday.  Then on to Evanston for the scrimmage.

The Wheaton trip to Kenya is reported in a blog on the Wheaton athletic website.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 15, 2011, 11:12:30 AM
Quote from: augie77 on August 15, 2011, 10:30:28 AM
There were rumors last year about some of the Swedish-born North Park players possibly transferring out.  For the sake of competitiveness, I hope this isn't the case.  Can you provide an update?

It wasn't really a rumor, per se. It was just Gotberg's acknowledgment of the fact that not every Swede finds schooling in America to be to his or her liking. As far as I know, all of the Swedes from last year's NPU side were planning to return for the 2011 season. I'll give an update on the Vikings roster when I know more.

North Park opens up with the annual varsity vs. alumni contest a week from Saturday, always a spirited affair. And I like the NPU schedule this year; three teams that were highly-ranked in last season's final d3soccer.com poll, #3 UW-Oshkosh, #10 UW-Whitewater, and #13 Dominican, will be visiting Hedstrand Field this fall. The Vikings will also be traveling to North Carolina, where they will take on North Carolina Wesleyan (which spent almost all of last year in the Others Receiving Votes category in the d3soccer.com poll) and Methodist.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on August 15, 2011, 11:34:58 AM
Likewise Wheaton, as usual, has a make-or-break schedule.  Sadly, last year was a "break".

In addition to the Northwestern scrimmage, they play the following teams from last year's final d3soccer.com poll:

3-UW-Oshkosh
5-Ohio Wesleyan
6-Calvin
13-Dominican

ORV-North Park and Hope

Of these, only Dominican and North Park are at home.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 15, 2011, 02:11:53 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 15, 2011, 11:12:30 AM
Quote from: augie77 on August 15, 2011, 10:30:28 AM
There were rumors last year about some of the Swedish-born North Park players possibly transferring out.  For the sake of competitiveness, I hope this isn't the case.  Can you provide an update?

It wasn't really a rumor, per se. It was just Gotberg's acknowledgment of the fact that not every Swede finds schooling in America to be to his or her liking. As far as I know, all of the Swedes from last year's NPU side were planning to return for the 2011 season. I'll give an update on the Vikings roster when I know more.

North Park opens up with the annual varsity vs. alumni contest a week from Saturday, always a spirited affair. And I like the NPU schedule this year; three teams that were highly-ranked in last season's final d3soccer.com poll, #3 UW-Oshkosh, #10 UW-Whitewater, and #13 Dominican, will be visiting Hedstrand Field this fall. The Vikings will also be traveling to North Carolina, where they will take on North Carolina Wesleyan (which spent almost all of last year in the Others Receiving Votes category in the d3soccer.com poll) and Methodist.

Greg,

I look forward to hearing about incoming players and glad to hear key eligible players seem to be returning. 

Sorry augie77 if my question last year about the Swedes returning caused confusion.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on August 22, 2011, 11:22:31 AM
Quote from: augie77 on August 15, 2011, 11:34:58 AM
Likewise Wheaton, as usual, has a make-or-break schedule.  Sadly, last year was a "break".

In addition to the Northwestern scrimmage, they play the following teams from last year's final d3soccer.com poll:

3-UW-Oshkosh
5-Ohio Wesleyan
6-Calvin
13-Dominican

ORV-North Park and Hope

Of these, only Dominican and North Park are at home.

Wheaton also plays Loras ranked #15, at wheaton
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 25, 2011, 11:45:19 AM
I caught an NPU scrimmage last night. (By the way, it was awfully impressive to see about 150 students in attendance, considering that yesterday was the first day of North Park's New Student Orientation and most of the non-freshmen aren't even required to be on campus until this weekend.) The Vikings roster is at about forty or so players again, and there's a lot of size; this team's less likely to be physically manhandled than was the case with last year's edition. It's also less likely to use English as its language on the field, as there's either fourteen or seventeen Swedes on the roster this year (depending upon whom you ask, as the official roster isn't posted yet). There's also a Norwegian, who looks really good, and a few players from other countries as well (Spain, England, etc.).

It's going to be a very, very good NPU side. I'm really looking forward to this season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on August 25, 2011, 12:46:00 PM
How did the Vikings do--and who was the opponent? 

Wheaton scrimmaged at Norhwestern last week-end, losing 4-0.  The encuraging thing is that despite Wheaton missing three starting defenders due to nagging injuries it was scoreless until nearly halftime, and Wheaton had chances to score.  Northwestern poured it on against a busload of Thunder reserves in the second half (Northwestern only dressed 25 or so).  The pre-season roster of 38 has since been cut to 29.  Updated roster is on the web site.

I believe Wheaton is taking North park seriously these days, as well they should.  I expect some tremendous rivalry games between the two teams in the years to come.

Northwestern has a tremendous soccer venue; the three year old stadium is right on Lake Michigan, with the lake immediately behind the field and player benches (fan's perspective).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 25, 2011, 01:33:30 PM
Quote from: augie77 on August 25, 2011, 12:46:00 PM
How did the Vikings do--and who was the opponent?

They beat Oakton, 5-2, which doesn't mean much. Oakton's the Chicagoland area's premier soccer juco, but, nevertheless, it's still just a juco. The Vikings scored five goals in pretty rapid succession in the first half, gave up a surprise goal late in the half that demonstrated that the regular-season mental focus still isn't quite there yet, and then John Born cleared his bench for what was a scoreless second half until Oakton added another goal very late.

The Vikings didn't dress a couple of starters due to injury, one of them being All-CCIW first-team midfielder Filip Lindmark, so last night was a showcase for a lot of new faces. And that was what was so impressive: The skill level of the newcomers who were playing with the first team is extremely high. Once these guys all get used to playing with each other, the Vikings should be a real force.

Saturday night's the annual match with the alumni, and I'm really looking forward to that.

Quote from: augie77 on August 25, 2011, 12:46:00 PMI believe Wheaton is taking North park seriously these days, as well they should.  I expect some tremendous rivalry games between the two teams in the years to come.

It's already been a good rivalry for several years now, although I think it's going to get even better. I know for a fact that the Wheaton players get very keyed up to play NPU.  It's gratifying to finally see Wheaton start reciprocating the zealous antipathy that North Park has always demonstrated towards Wheaton, even if it is only in one sport. Wheaton's perennially blithe indifference towards North Park has only made Parkers even angrier when the subject of Wheaton comes up. Nice to see that there's now some rivalry juice on the opposite side of the fence as well.

Every NPU soccer fan has circled Saturday, October 8 on his or her calendar.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 26, 2011, 08:46:56 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 25, 2011, 01:33:30 PM
Quote from: augie77 on August 25, 2011, 12:46:00 PM
How did the Vikings do--and who was the opponent?

They beat Oakton, 5-2, which doesn't mean much. Oakton's the Chicagoland area's premier soccer juco, but, nevertheless, it's still just a juco. The Vikings scored five goals in pretty rapid succession in the first half, gave up a surprise goal late in the half that demonstrated that the regular-season mental focus still isn't quite there yet, and then John Born cleared his bench for what was a scoreless second half until Oakton added another goal very late.

The Vikings didn't dress a couple of starters due to injury, one of them being All-CCIW first-team midfielder Filip Lindmark, so last night was a showcase for a lot of new faces. And that was what was so impressive: The skill level of the newcomers who were playing with the first team is extremely high. Once these guys all get used to playing with each other, the Vikings should be a real force.

Saturday night's the annual match with the alumni, and I'm really looking forward to that.

Quote from: augie77 on August 25, 2011, 12:46:00 PMI believe Wheaton is taking North park seriously these days, as well they should.  I expect some tremendous rivalry games between the two teams in the years to come.

It's already been a good rivalry for several years now, although I think it's going to get even better. I know for a fact that the Wheaton players get very keyed up to play NPU.  It's gratifying to finally see Wheaton start reciprocating the zealous antipathy that North Park has always demonstrated towards Wheaton, even if it is only in one sport. Wheaton's perennially blithe indifference towards North Park has only made Parkers even angrier when the subject of Wheaton comes up. Nice to see that there's now some rivalry juice on the opposite side of the fence as well.

Every NPU soccer fan has circled Saturday, October 8 on his or her calendar.

Thanks for the update.  I hope the NPU website is updated soon with the roster and perhaps a small profile of the players and a season preview.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 27, 2011, 08:09:04 AM
North Park's 2011 roster has been posted:  http://northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Soccer/Roster

It appears that very few regular players from last year's team have returned.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2011, 06:37:15 PM
Hannes Granlund, Sehten Hills, and Mike Herbst elected not to return, and James Kriticos, Kyle Connelly, and Greg Domanico all graduated (Domanico's now on the NPU coaching staff as a graduate assistant), which leaves Tim Ahlberg, Ryan McNaughton, Kris Grahn, Oskar Joelsson, and Filip Lindmark as returning starters. That's still almost half of last year's starting lineup that's back this season. Plus, former starter Sebastian Pilat is back after missing a year to injury and taking a medical redshirt, and several heavily-used reserves from last year's side -- Effy Restrepo, Tomislav Medved, Kyle Krutsinger, and Erik Kinhammar, all of whom played in at least eight matches last season -- are back as well. And there are several newcomers who look good enough to step into the starting lineup right away.

I understand your concern over losing Granlund, Hills, and Herbst prematurely, but think you'll be very pleasantly surprised by how much talent the Vikings have this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 27, 2011, 09:26:34 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2011, 06:37:15 PM
Hannes Granlund, Sehten Hills, and Mike Herbst elected not to return, and James Kriticos, Kyle Connelly, and Greg Domanico all graduated (Domanico's now on the NPU coaching staff as a graduate assistant), which leaves Tim Ahlberg, Ryan McNaughton, Kris Grahn, Oskar Joelsson, and Filip Lindmark as returning starters. That's still almost half of last year's starting lineup that's back this season. Plus, former starter Sebastian Pilat is back after missing a year to injury and taking a medical redshirt, and several heavily-used reserves from last year's side -- Effy Restrepo, Tomislav Medved, Kyle Krutsinger, and Erik Kinhammar, all of whom played in at least eight matches last season -- are back as well. And there are several newcomers who look good enough to step into the starting lineup right away.

I understand your concern over losing Granlund, Hills, and Herbst prematurely, but think you'll be very pleasantly surprised by how much talent the Vikings have this year.

Some concern, but mostly observation.  Granlund was really an outstanding defender and distributor from the back.  He will be missed no doubt.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 30, 2011, 08:40:07 AM
Sehten Hills is back in school and on the team:

http://northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Soccer/Roster

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 30, 2011, 12:34:52 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 30, 2011, 08:40:07 AM
Sehten Hills is back in school and on the team:

http://northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Soccer/Roster

Yeah, he was at the alumni scrimmage wearing an NPU soccer polo, and I discovered that he was sharing an apartment with a couple of current members of the team, so I figured that he was either going to be a part of the coaching staff or would be using his final year of eligibility on the playing field.

Anyway, it's good to have him back.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Dutch Fan on August 30, 2011, 01:18:45 PM
NPU also has a couple of good Freshman from Holland, MI  - Beal and Carter.  I wish they had elected to stay in the area and play for Hope (both of their mothers are Hope grads).  I coached Jake Carter in rec league starting when he was 6 or 7.  Here's a great article about the two from the Holland Sentinel:

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/sports/x1852627744/Holland-soccers-Jake-Carter-Hadyn-Beal-to-stay-teammates-in-college
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 30, 2011, 02:56:48 PM
When I saw on the Vikings roster last week that both Jacob Carter and Hadyn Beal were from Holland, I was curious as to why neither went to Hope. Carter saw some time in the last two scrimmages off the bench; I can't remember if Beal did or not.

Nice article, FDF, but Lee Lamberts of the Holland Sentinel really needs to acquaint himself with the fact that it's North Park University, not North Park College. The school changed its name a full decade and a half ago. NPU has played Hope fairly often in various sports over the last fifteen years -- including the first round of last season's D3 soccer tourney -- so there's no excuse for him to mess this up. Heck, the photo that accompanies his story even shows Hadyn Beal wearing a North Park University t-shirt.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Dutch Fan on August 30, 2011, 03:15:35 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 30, 2011, 02:56:48 PM
When I saw on the Vikings roster last week that both Jacob Carter and Hadyn Beal were from Holland, I was curious as to why neither went to Hope. Carter saw some time in the last two scrimmages off the bench; I can't remember if Beal did or not.

Nice article, FDF, but Lee Lamberts of the Holland Sentinel really needs to acquaint himself with the fact that it's North Park University, not North Park College. The school changed its name a full decade and a half ago. NPU has played Hope fairly often in various sports over the last fifteen years -- including the first round of last season's D3 soccer tourney -- so there's no excuse for him to mess this up. Heck, the photo that accompanies his story even shows Hadyn Beal wearing a North Park University t-shirt.

Unfortunately, that error is minuscule compared to the typical errors that occur on a daily basis in our local rag.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 30, 2011, 03:28:44 PM
The national preseason poll is out. (http://www.d3soccer.com/top25/index) Wheaton is #24, North Park is #28. Other teams from the region that received votes include #7 Dominican, #14 Calvin, #17 Wash U, and #35 Chicago.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2011, 08:57:21 PM
NPU opened its season this evening with a 1-0 victory at Aurora. Freshman forward Jonas Pettersson scored in the seventeenth minute off of an assist from Kris Grahn. The Spartans only managed one shot on goal for the game.

NPU is next in action on Sunday night, when #7 Dominican comes to town for the Vikings' home opener.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 02, 2011, 08:47:22 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2011, 08:57:21 PM
NPU opened its season this evening with a 1-0 victory at Aurora. Freshman forward Jonas Pettersson scored in the seventeenth minute off of an assist from Kris Grahn. The Spartans only managed one shot on goal for the game.

NPU is next in action on Sunday night, when #7 Dominican comes to town for the Vikings' home opener.

Pettersen didn't play after the 20th minute.  Was he injured?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2011, 11:34:03 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 02, 2011, 08:47:22 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2011, 08:57:21 PM
NPU opened its season this evening with a 1-0 victory at Aurora. Freshman forward Jonas Pettersson scored in the seventeenth minute off of an assist from Kris Grahn. The Spartans only managed one shot on goal for the game.

NPU is next in action on Sunday night, when #7 Dominican comes to town for the Vikings' home opener.

Pettersen didn't play after the 20th minute.  Was he injured?

I'm not sure. I was busy umping a softball game, so I wasn't in Aurora last night. John Born shuttled a lot of people in and out of the lineup last night, so I'm not jumping to any conclusions.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on September 03, 2011, 02:07:57 PM
Loras 2 Wheaton 1 - Wheaton was moved into the top 25 and Loras moved out since the final poll from last year. Lets see tonight if that was a good move by D3Soccer? DuHawks handled North Central last night while Wheaton squeaked by Covenant, I think Loras is too tough
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 05, 2011, 09:51:05 AM
I'm surprised no one has commented on the North Park win over Dominican. Did north park look really good, or is Dominican over rated or both?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 05, 2011, 02:27:08 PM
I missed the first Viking goal; Sager told me it was a beautiful play.  BU had a couple shots miss wide in the first half and the Vikings clearly dominated the second half.  On the second goal, the keeper blocked a rocket, gave up a rebound, and a Swede buried the ball from very close.  I didn't see anything on the field that would warrant a top ten ranking.  Plus, All-American Grahn sat nearly all of the second half, and All-Conference Lindmark did not play at all.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 05, 2011, 09:40:50 PM
Well, you know how those preseason polls go... a lot of last year in the mix!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: coffeeshoptheologian on September 05, 2011, 11:46:28 PM
Quote from: IdahoSoccer on September 03, 2011, 02:07:57 PM
Loras 2 Wheaton 1 - Wheaton was moved into the top 25 and Loras moved out since the final poll from last year. Lets see tonight if that was a good move by D3Soccer? DuHawks handled North Central last night while Wheaton squeaked by Covenant, I think Loras is too tough

Score was other way around, Wheaton 2 - Loras 1. I didn't see the game, but here's the Wheaton article: http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2011/9/3/MSOC_loras.aspx?path=msoccer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2011, 11:37:38 AM
It was an interesting match on Sunday. Dominican actually had a lot more good looks at the net than did North Park. The Stars got off 16 shots to NPU's 6, although NPU netminder Tim Ahlberg was only called upon to make one save all evening. The Stars headed a couple of balls over the crossbar, and shot a couple of ten-yarders wide that appeared to be very good goal chances. Dominican also had eight corner kicks, plus a number of short-range foul kicks and a few throw-ins deep in the NPU end that were tantamount to corner kicks, since a couple of the Stars have some prodigious throwing arms -- but it was all for naught, as the Park's improved size and strength this year keeps opponents from getting position in the box on set pieces.

NPU, however, made the most of its own chances on offense. The first goal was a thing of beauty, a behind-the-back touch pass in the 20th minute from freshman Johann Pettersson to a streaking sophomore Robin Hals that resulted in a breakaway and an authoritative shot into the back of the net. The second came off of a rebound in the 63rd minute, as Kris Grahn's point-blank shot rocketed off of the chest of the DU keeper and Pettersson was there to put it away.

As Mark indicated, the most impressive thing about the win was that NPU was shorthanded in the playmaker department. Of NPU's four returning All-CCIW first-teamers, only Ahlberg played the entire match. Filip Lindmark didn't even dress, and won't until he's fully healthy; Sehten Hills did dress, but spent the entire match on the bench; and Grahn played sparingly, as he nurses a minor injury as well. That's the most impressive thing about this NPU team: It's incredibly deep. I have to believe that there aren't a lot of sides out there that could be missing three All-Conference first-team players and still manage to beat a top ten team, 2-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2011, 11:46:31 AM
NPU beat Concordia IL last night, 5-1, but it could've been 10-1 if that's what the Vikings had wanted. John Born subbed early and often, playing a whopping 28 players in all -- and he's still missing a few injured starters, to boot. Lots of picturesque goals last night, although the most impressive one -- a tight-angle shot from the left by freshman Sigurd Pryser after his fancy footwork had completely deked out the defender, a shot whose narrow angle was the same as Patrick Kane's Stanley-Cup-winning goal a year ago for the Blackhawks -- got called back due to a phantom foul (keeper interference).

Last night's fun and games against a totally overmatched opponent will be long forgotten on Saturday afternoon, however, as UW-Oshkosh -- the team that knocked NPU out of the NCAA tourney last fall and reached the Final Four -- comes to Hedstrand Field to take on the Vikings in their most serious test to date. The Titans (1-1) return seven starters from last season's 20-1-3 side that didn't lose a match until the national semifinals against eventual champion Messiah.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 10, 2011, 07:47:17 PM
North Park and U-W Oshkosh ended 1-1.  Probably a fair result.  Grahn did hit the post twice for NP.

Sebastian Pilat did not play as I believe I overheard he had an exam today.  Filip Lindmark was dressed and participated in pre-game drills, but did not play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2011, 10:33:04 AM
Yep, Pilat had a choice: Take the state exam for education yesterday, or take it on the first day of the NCAA tourney. Given NPU's expectations for this season, it was a no-brainer as to which day to take the exam.

UWO scored early, and NPU had to play from behind for most of the match. I was very impressed by UWO's passing ability, more so than last season when I saw them play the Vikings in the second round of the NCAAs. The Titans returned seven starters from that Final Four team, and you could see just how completely in sync with each other they are; almost every pass, especially in the first half before NPU started to physically wear them down a bit, was foot-to-foot. The Park has the better players, but at this point I'd say that UWO plays better as a team. The good thing about that for NPU is that the Vikes can continue to grow into their chemistry and mental synchronization.

Very defensive match; only five shots on goal all day (I think; the stats aren't up yet, but I remember taking a look at them up in the booth late in the second half).

I asked John Born afterwards if this tie was one of those kiss-your-sister ties; he said it was more of a kiss-your-attractive-second-cousin sort of tie. That seems like an apt description; while NPU expects to beat every opponent that it faces, tying one of the premier powers in D3 on a day when your lineup is short-handed seems like at least a satisfactory conclusion.

NPU's next match is Tuesday evening at home against Born's alma mater, Concordia WI (2-2).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 13, 2011, 09:36:20 PM
tonight is the second night I am trying to watch some of the NPU home game on my computer, but the service is awful again.  I have to reload the game every 3 minutes because the video freezes.

For the school's sake, I hope the service is free.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 13, 2011, 10:01:29 PM
hard to say for sure, but I believe the final at NPU was NPU 4, Concordia 1.

Sehten Hills with 1 and Jonas Pettersson with hat trick with 2 scored in the final few minutes.  I believe that gives Pettersson 7 on the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 14, 2011, 12:21:58 PM
North Park looks to be the real deal this year!! Just how good are they?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2011, 01:10:18 PM
NPU played a pretty desultory first half last night. I'm sure that part of the reason was that John Born once again had to re-jigger the starting lineup -- NPU has had to change the starters for every match it's played this season -- but I think that some of it was simply complacency. The passing was not crisp at all, and CUW -- a solid side, albeit one without any depth at all -- generally outplayed the Vikings throughout most of the opening stanza. It was going to be a 1-0 halftime lead for the Falcons, but with 1.4 seconds left in the half Sehten Hills boomed an arcing side-kick that hooked into the net from forty yards out. It was one of the most impressive long-distance goals I've ever seen.

The second half was a different story. Because the Falcons have no depth -- they only subbed once the entire match -- John Born decided to run his alma mater's side into the ground, subbing at frequent intervals (North Park played 18 players last night) and employing a lot of sideline-to-sideline passing that forced CUW to do a lot of east-west running. They were gassed by the end, and the Vikes took advantage of it. After Pettersson's first goal broke the tie about ten minutes into the second half, NPU continued to put steady pressure on the Falcons rather than sit on the 2-1 lead. It paid off at the end of the match, when Robin Hals on the right wing made a perfect long diagonal pass to Pettersson, who outran the defense and floated a shot over the CUW keeper's shoulder from the left. Less than a minute later, the Vikings executed the exact same play: Long diagonal pass from Hals on the right wing to Pettersson, Pettersson outruns the defense, Pettersson floats one past the keeper from the left.

I was the P.A. announcer for the game, and after announcing the hat trick for Pettersson I was pleased to discover that the Swedish term for three goals scored in a single match is also "hat trick" (http://www.definitions.net/definition/hat%20trick). That saves me the worry of having to pronounce somethng exotic into the mic if this happens again. ;)

It was a nice way to celebrate NPU's being slotted tenth in the nation in this week's d3soccer.com poll.

Quote from: d3fan1 on September 14, 2011, 12:21:58 PM
North Park looks to be the real deal this year!! Just how good are they?

We'll find out once the Vikings are finally healthy and fielding their projected starting lineup. One thing we do know is that they are deep; even with several star players either out of the lineup or not playing at 100%, the Park is playing some highly proficient and athletically impressive soccer, even though the Vikings really haven't gelled as a unit yet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2011, 07:29:33 PM
Wheaton moved up as well in the poll, from #24 to #18, but then unranked Chicago played Wheaton to a scoreless tie at Joe Bean Stadium last night. I wonder if that's going to hurt Wheaton in the next poll, especially since its next two matches, this coming weekend in Michigan, are against two traditionally solid sides (Calvin and Hope) that are having early-season struggles and are not currently receiving any votes?

NPU is off to North Carolina this weekend to take on Methodist and North Carolina Wesleyan in a tournament. Interestingly, two of North Park's sophomore starters from Sweden (Robin Hals and Jakob Aronsson) are transfers from North Carolina Wesleyan.

Most of the rest of the league appears to be holding its own early on, although Carthage (1-3) is off to a slow start and Millikin (0-5) continues to struggle.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 18, 2011, 06:46:28 AM
NP plays to a 1-1 draw against Methodist.  Anyone get to watch the game online? 

More surprisingly, Wheaton falls 4-0 to Hope, dropping both games on their Michigan road trip.  The last time the Thunder got a drubbing like this was at the hands of Messiah in the national tournament in 08.  Ouch!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 18, 2011, 08:54:51 AM
Here's the write up from the NPU v. Methodist game.  It's weird to read an article that puts North Park as the clear favorite, but I suppose as they are ranked #13 we'd better get used to it!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 18, 2011, 10:15:07 AM
Quote from: thePietist on September 18, 2011, 06:46:28 AM
NP plays to a 1-1 draw against Methodist.  Anyone get to watch the game online? 

More surprisingly, Wheaton falls 4-0 to Hope, dropping both games on their Michigan road trip.  The last time the Thunder got a drubbing like this was at the hands of Messiah in the national tournament in 08.  Ouch!

There was no overtime in the NPU game.  I assume that was the case because of the 2 games in 2 days and the game was out of region, so the result will not factor into determining if a school qualifies for an NCAA tourney at-large bid.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 05:17:21 PM
NPU tied North Carolina Wesleyan today, 3-3. Two ties against beatable sides ... not a good weekend for the Vikings at all.

The Vikings are off until next Saturday evening, when they open the CCIW portion of the slate with a home match against Illinois Wesleyan under the lights.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dark Knight on September 18, 2011, 05:28:01 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2011, 07:29:33 PM
Wheaton moved up as well in the poll, from #24 to #18, but then unranked Chicago played Wheaton to a scoreless tie at Joe Bean Stadium last night. I wonder if that's going to hurt Wheaton in the next poll, especially since its next two matches, this coming weekend in Michigan, are against two traditionally solid sides (Calvin and Hope) that are having early-season struggles and are not currently receiving any votes?

NPU is off to North Carolina this weekend to take on Methodist and North Carolina Wesleyan in a tournament. Interestingly, two of North Park's sophomore starters from Sweden (Robin Hals and Jakob Aronsson) are transfers from North Carolina Wesleyan.

Most of the rest of the league appears to be holding its own early on, although Carthage (1-3) is off to a slow start and Millikin (0-5) continues to struggle.

Is Wheaton supposed to be having a down year? I only saw a part of the first half of the Wheaton-Calvin game, but Wheaton didn't really look competitive. For one thing, their defense couldn't keep up with the speed of Calvin's forwards.  Calvin won the majority of the middie battles too. (From the box score, the second half was apparently much more competitive.)

Or, maybe Calvin and Hope are starting to get their acts together.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 05:52:22 PM
Quote from: Dark Knight on September 18, 2011, 05:28:01 PMIs Wheaton supposed to be having a down year?

No. In fact, Wheaton and NPU were picked to finish in a dead heat for first in the CCIW preseason poll, both in terms of points and first-place votes. Wheaton returned a roster that was made up in large part of freshmen and sophomores last season, and the thinking around here was that last season's Wheaton side was thus prepared to take a big leap forward, particularly since the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance is again playing a really tough schedule that should be honing the collective game of Mike Giuliano's squad to a fine edge. I'm as baffled as anybody as to why the Wheaties played so badly on the other side of the lake this weekend.

However, I'm not in a position to point at Wheaton's stumbles and laugh, in spite of the fact that every cell in my royal-blue-and-gold-bleeding body cries out for schadenfreude whenever Wheaton stumbles at anything. ;) As I said, NPU did not play well this weekend, either. Those two ties in the Tarheel State are nagging, even though, as Gotberg said, they won't figure into the NCAA tournament equation.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on September 18, 2011, 07:32:18 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 05:52:22 PM
Quote from: Dark Knight on September 18, 2011, 05:28:01 PMIs Wheaton supposed to be having a down year?

No. In fact, Wheaton and NPU were picked to finish in a dead heat for first in the CCIW preseason poll, both in terms of points and first-place votes. Wheaton returned a roster that was made up in large part of freshmen and sophomores last season, and the thinking around here was that last season's Wheaton side was thus prepared to take a big leap forward, particularly since the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance is again playing a really tough schedule that should be honing the collective game of Mike Giuliano's squad to a fine edge. I'm as baffled as anybody as to why the Wheaties played so badly on the other side of the lake this weekend.

However, I'm not in a position to point at Wheaton's stumbles and laugh, in spite of the fact that every cell in my royal-blue-and-gold-bleeding body cries out for schadenfreude whenever Wheaton stumbles at anything. ;) As I said, NPU did not play well this weekend, either. Those two ties in the Tarheel State are nagging, even though, as Gotberg said, they won't figure into the NCAA tournament equation.

is this the first time NPC/NPU has ever faced a team in any sport from North Carolina?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 08:25:50 PM
That's a good question. I'm inclined to say "yes", because I don't remember a North Park team ever traveling to North Carolina before, and I also don't remember any team from that state ever traveling to Foster Avenue for competition.

I'd say that, if there ever was a contest between an NPU/NPC squad and an opponent from North Carolina, it must've taken place in a really obscure context, such as a volleyball tournament on a third party's campus.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on September 18, 2011, 08:35:49 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 08:25:50 PM
That's a good question. I'm inclined to say "yes", because I don't remember a North Park team ever traveling to North Carolina before, and I also don't remember any team from that state ever traveling to Foster Avenue for competition.

I'd say that, if there ever was a contest between an NPU/NPC squad and an opponent from North Carolina, it must've taken place in a really obscure context, such as a volleyball tournament on a third party's campus.

or a spring training game in softball or baseball
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 09:22:03 PM
That's probably even more likely.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 19, 2011, 10:34:36 AM
Shaking cobwebs, I think the football team lost at home to NC Wesleyan in the post-Liljegren era.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 01:15:44 PM
Quote from: markerickson on September 19, 2011, 10:34:36 AM
Shaking cobwebs, I think the football team lost at home to NC Wesleyan in the post-Liljegren era.

Nope. Perhaps you're thinking of Northwestern (MN), which beat NPU in Chicago in Liljegren's last season (2000) and in Minnesota in Cooper's first season (2001).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 19, 2011, 01:17:12 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 18, 2011, 08:35:49 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 08:25:50 PM
That's a good question. I'm inclined to say "yes", because I don't remember a North Park team ever traveling to North Carolina before, and I also don't remember any team from that state ever traveling to Foster Avenue for competition.

I'd say that, if there ever was a contest between an NPU/NPC squad and an opponent from North Carolina, it must've taken place in a really obscure context, such as a volleyball tournament on a third party's campus.

or a spring training game in softball or baseball

The baseball team played Lenoir-Rhyne College from Hickory NC, in 1985, losing 16-15.   (http://www.cadillac76.com/baseball/history/season/1985_results.html)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 01:21:00 PM
Quote from: mr_b on September 19, 2011, 01:17:12 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 18, 2011, 08:35:49 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 08:25:50 PM
That's a good question. I'm inclined to say "yes", because I don't remember a North Park team ever traveling to North Carolina before, and I also don't remember any team from that state ever traveling to Foster Avenue for competition.

I'd say that, if there ever was a contest between an NPU/NPC squad and an opponent from North Carolina, it must've taken place in a really obscure context, such as a volleyball tournament on a third party's campus.

or a spring training game in softball or baseball

The baseball team played Lenoir-Rhyne College from Hickory NC, in 1985, losing 16-15.   (http://www.cadillac76.com/baseball/history/season/1985_results.html)

Wow! The Vikings actually started the '85 baseball campaign by playing three schools based in North Carolina: Gardner-Webb University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Excellent detective work, Dr. B!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 19, 2011, 01:27:50 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 01:21:00 PM
Quote from: mr_b on September 19, 2011, 01:17:12 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 18, 2011, 08:35:49 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2011, 08:25:50 PM
That's a good question. I'm inclined to say "yes", because I don't remember a North Park team ever traveling to North Carolina before, and I also don't remember any team from that state ever traveling to Foster Avenue for competition.

I'd say that, if there ever was a contest between an NPU/NPC squad and an opponent from North Carolina, it must've taken place in a really obscure context, such as a volleyball tournament on a third party's campus.

or a spring training game in softball or baseball

The baseball team played Lenoir-Rhyne College from Hickory NC, in 1985, losing 16-15.   (http://www.cadillac76.com/baseball/history/season/1985_results.html)

Wow! The Vikings actually started the '85 baseball campaign by playing three schools based in North Carolina: Gardner-Webb University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and St. Andrews Presbyterian College. Excellent detective work, Dr. B!
Sorry I don't have the locations of the games played -- I'd hazard a guess at Gardner-Webb (Boiling Springs NC) (http://gardner-webb.edu/), but I'd have to do some more research on  that point.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 05:13:08 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!

Oh, the horror! :D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 19, 2011, 07:27:01 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!

Nationally televised D3 soccer matches in prime-time, no less! ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soc4life on September 22, 2011, 11:52:07 AM
What is going on with Wheaton this year? I know they have played a bit of a rough schedule, but play a little defense boys.

I haven't kept up like in years past, but the usual Wheaton supporters are pretty quiet these days... I would love to hear what's going on over in the Thunder's camp?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2011, 11:56:22 AM
I usually count upon Jim to give us a read on Wheaton, but he hasn't said anything about his alma mater's side yet. The only eyewitness comments I have read on d3boards.com about Wheaton came from Loras supporters after the Wheaton vs. Loras match, and they were loaded with overwhelming Duhawk bias and plenty of tomfoolery about the refs.

Have you been able to witness any Wheaton matches yet, Jim?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 22, 2011, 01:01:01 PM
Greg,

Any word on Lindmark's return?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2011, 01:18:14 PM
I heard secondhand from one of the veteran players that Lindmark will make his season debut on Saturday night at home against Illinois Wesleyan.

That was John Born's long-term plan: Make sure that Lindmark is healthy and ready to go when CCIW play begins.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2011, 01:35:36 PM
According to the NCAA website, North Park freshman forward Jonas Pettersson is currently ranked second in D3 in goals scored with ten, one behind the national leader (the magnificently-named Eros Olazabal of Manhattanville College). Pettersson, who was this past week's CCIW Offensive Player of the Week, is also third in the nation in total points, seventh in goals per game, and ninth in points per game. He's so far out in front of the competition in every CCIW scoring category that it's not even worth mentioning. NPU has an extremely solid cadre of freshmen this year, but Pettersson in particular among the frosh has really filled a hole. He's provided a much-needed scoring spark for the Vikings, what with Kris Grahn and Sehten Hills not playing at 100% and Filip Lindmark being out all season to date with an injury.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: DIIIdad on September 22, 2011, 02:07:20 PM
Quote from: soc4life on September 22, 2011, 11:52:07 AM
What is going on with Wheaton this year? I know they have played a bit of a rough schedule, but play a little defense boys.

I haven't kept up like in years past, but the usual Wheaton supporters are pretty quiet these days... I would love to hear what's going on over in the Thunder's camp?


I can hardly believe my eyes, but in the latest NSCAA regional ranking, Augustana is ahead of Wheaton.  I wonder if that has ever been said before.  I haven't seen either team play this year, but I've seen them both plenty in the last several years, and I didn't see this coming.  Personally, I won't believe it until Augie beats Wheaton, but hey - it's still fun to say.

By the way, Augie has finally added live video of both Men's and Women's soccer for home games from new Thorson-Lucken Field. http://www.augustana.edu/x12786.xml (http://www.augustana.edu/x12786.xml)

I'm not sure which of the above is more shocking.  :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 22, 2011, 07:08:54 PM
Greg, I was at the Wheaton/Loras match and it was a physical contest; lots of pulling, tugging, and some aggressive tackling. I thought Wheaton responded well to a bigger, faster team. As to the recent performance by the Thunder, I can say nothing. I hope to see more in the next week. Maybe you and I can share notes when your boys come out to the 'burbs?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2011, 09:45:26 PM
Looking forward to it, Jim.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on September 23, 2011, 12:16:36 PM
Quote from: soc4life on September 22, 2011, 11:52:07 AM
What is going on with Wheaton this year? I know they have played a bit of a rough schedule, but play a little defense boys.

I haven't kept up like in years past, but the usual Wheaton supporters are pretty quiet these days... I would love to hear what's going on over in the Thunder's camp?

Whittling complex problems to simple terms: no offensive identity = no goals, opponents frequently scoring point blank in the box, regression in play from previous seasons.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on September 23, 2011, 02:37:44 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 05:13:08 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!

Oh, the horror! :D

i said it 30 years ago when baseball went on strike - "Soccer is a Communist Plot"
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 23, 2011, 03:21:20 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 23, 2011, 02:37:44 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 05:13:08 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!

Oh, the horror! :D

i said it 30 years ago when baseball went on strike - "Soccer is a Communist Plot"

Yet here you are posting on Pravda! :o ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 23, 2011, 03:24:55 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 23, 2011, 03:21:20 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 23, 2011, 02:37:44 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 05:13:08 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!

Oh, the horror! :D

i said it 30 years ago when baseball went on strike - "Soccer is a Communist Plot"

Yet here you are posting on Pravda! :o ;D

Da! Is post without the logic, Comrade Prikkel!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 24, 2011, 02:21:22 AM
The conference schedule finally begins today, with IWU @ NPU for a coed double-header.  While I am quite confident that the Titan women will be all alone in first place in the conference for a few days, I fear the Viking men will hold that status for a while.  We'll know for sure in about 19 hours. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thunder38 on September 25, 2011, 02:03:05 AM
The hits keep on coming for the Thunder who just can't figure themselves out as they fell to a winless Westmont team out in Cali 3-0 tonight.  Starting to wonder if it's a case of not using the talent correctly, misevaluating the pieces they have or the recruiting has just started to drop off but something is amiss with the Wheaton program and they're quickly working their way to dare I say, back to back year missing the playoffs.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 25, 2011, 08:39:22 AM
NPU 4, IWU 0.

I caught the first 10 or 15 minutes of the video broadcast last night.  Mr. Domanico did a fantastic job with the broadcast and I hope he keeps that role going forward.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 10:49:48 AM
Very enjoyable and convincing win for NPU last night over a technically solid but seriously overmatched IWU side. Don't be surprised if the Titans get in to the CCIW tourney in the third or fourth spot. They're not as bad as the Vikings made them look last night; the Vikings are simply that good. Great to see Filip Lindmark make his season debut last night, too. He came off the bench and looked rusty but healthy.

Jonas Pettersson scored again last night; however, his nemesis Eros Olazabal of Manhattanville scored four more goals yesterday in a 4-0 win over Albright, so Jonas is going to have to content himself with being the second-leading goal scorer in the nation for at least the near future. Robin Hals, Kris Grahn, and Sehten Hills also found the back of the net for the Park.

NPU has a big non-con match coming up on Tuesday evening on the Sout' Side as the Vikes take on Chicago (5-1-1).

Quote from: thunder38 on September 25, 2011, 02:03:05 AM
The hits keep on coming for the Thunder who just can't figure themselves out as they fell to a winless Westmont team out in Cali 3-0 tonight.  Starting to wonder if it's a case of not using the talent correctly, misevaluating the pieces they have or the recruiting has just started to drop off but something is amiss with the Wheaton program and they're quickly working their way to dare I say, back to back year missing the playoffs.

Wheaton baffles me. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance are now 3-5-1, and, as bad as it looked to fall to winless Westmost last nght, at least you can say on Westmont's behalf that it's a scholarship NAIA school. The more vexing loss is the 3-1 whipping that Wheaton suffered the other night to Dominican at Joe Bean Stadium. I say "vexing" not because I've suddenly become sympathetic to Wheaton -- that would require someone dropping an anvil or a piano on my head, cartoon-style -- but because this does not bode well for the CCIW as a whole. The worse that our league performs in regional non-conference play -- especially when it's one of our league's top guns that is faltering, and Wheaton is certainly one of our top guns -- the worse it is for everybody in the league. What's more, I suspect that Wheaton will figure it out and turn on the afterburners once league play starts in earnest. And this will be another situation in which Wheaton only gets into the NCAA tourney if it claims the CCIW automatic bid by winning the conference tourney, since its chance for an at-large bid has now gone pretty much by the boards. That means that Wheaton is going to have to go through NPU in order to get into the NCAAs. I don't like the sound of that. The only thing that makes me more nervous than playing Wheaton is playing Wheaton when the Orange People are in a do-or-die situation.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 01:21:55 PM
I made the journey to North Park last night.  I thought the first half IWU was fairly competitive except for a couple mistakes, but a couple mistakes can easily render an outcome in a soccer match, or in this case, a 2-0 deficit.

The Pettersson kid is as good as advertised.  For a 23-year old freshman, his maturity was evident, as is Kris Grahn (I believe he's 28 or 29 now, correct)?  Coach Born has a good thing going with the Sweden connection.  Before anyone jumps on this, I'm not suggesting anything wrong with this - Division III rules are what they are, and kudos to Born for leveraging them to benefit the assets he has to offer at North Park.  I find him to be a good coach and a good man - there should be more like him.

As a commentary on what I saw during the game, IWU has a solid side, but NPU is the real deal.  They are physical, fast, and perhaps best described as relentless.  Or as I texted an IWU fan during the game, "formidable."  When they would attack on counters there was plenty of speed, they switch the field well, and they have a number of offensive options.   

For IWU, they have a couple non-conference games before playing at North Central (currently regionally RV) and home against Millikin.  They need a good result in both before hosting Elmhurst October 15th.  If they can rebound from last night's match and get back on track - they really need results in the next two and then a good showing with Elmhurst to position themselves in the hunt for a post-season berth.  A year ago they opened play with a draw against eventual champion North Park - they have a bit more work to do now after last night's loss.

It's a great time of year.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 25, 2011, 01:44:22 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 24, 2011, 02:21:22 AM
The conference schedule finally begins today, with IWU @ NPU for a coed double-header.  While I am quite confident that the Titan women will be all alone in first place in the conference for a few days, I fear the Viking men will hold that status for a while.  We'll know for sure in about 19 hours. ;)

Got 'em both right. :P

I propose a new scoring method - combine the women's and men's scores!  Result: IWU 5, NPU 4. ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 25, 2011, 02:02:04 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 01:21:55 PM
I made the journey to North Park last night.  I thought the first half IWU was fairly competitive except for a couple mistakes, but a couple mistakes can easily render an outcome in a soccer match, or in this case, a 2-0 deficit.

The Pettersson kid is as good as advertised.  For a 23-year old freshman, his maturity was evident, as is Kris Grahn (I believe he's 28 or 29 now, correct)?  Coach Born has a good thing going with the Sweden connection.  Before anyone jumps on this, I'm not suggesting anything wrong with this - Division III rules are what they are, and kudos to Born for leveraging them to benefit the assets he has to offer at North Park.  I find him to be a good coach and a good man - there should be more like him.

As a commentary on what I saw during the game, IWU has a solid side, but NPU is the real deal.  They are physical, fast, and perhaps best described as relentless.  Or as I texted an IWU fan during the game, "formidable."  When they would attack on counters there was plenty of speed, they switch the field well, and they have a number of offensive options.   

For IWU, they have a couple non-conference games before playing at North Central (currently regionally RV) and home against Millikin.  They need a good result in both before hosting Elmhurst October 15th.  If they can rebound from last night's match and get back on track - they really need results in the next two and then a good showing with Elmhurst to position themselves in the hunt for a post-season berth.  A year ago they opened play with a draw against eventual champion North Park - they have a bit more work to do now after last night's loss.

It's a great time of year.

Are there age restrictions of some sort for each NCAA division?  I have seen references to this in other threads, but I am not familiar with them.

I know the Illinois football team has a soon to be 27 year old senior linebacker in Trulon Henry.

If someone can shed some light, that would be appreciated.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 02:05:27 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 25, 2011, 01:44:22 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 24, 2011, 02:21:22 AM
The conference schedule finally begins today, with IWU @ NPU for a coed double-header.  While I am quite confident that the Titan women will be all alone in first place in the conference for a few days, I fear the Viking men will hold that status for a while.  We'll know for sure in about 19 hours. ;)

Got 'em both right. :P

I propose a new scoring method - combine the women's and men's scores!  Result: IWU 5, NPU 4. ;D

Yeah, right. As if. ::)

Tell you what. We'll give you half-credit for the women's score. Result: NPU 4, IWU 2 1/2  ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 02:30:21 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 25, 2011, 02:02:04 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 01:21:55 PM
I made the journey to North Park last night.  I thought the first half IWU was fairly competitive except for a couple mistakes, but a couple mistakes can easily render an outcome in a soccer match, or in this case, a 2-0 deficit.

The Pettersson kid is as good as advertised.  For a 23-year old freshman, his maturity was evident, as is Kris Grahn (I believe he's 28 or 29 now, correct)?  Coach Born has a good thing going with the Sweden connection.  Before anyone jumps on this, I'm not suggesting anything wrong with this - Division III rules are what they are, and kudos to Born for leveraging them to benefit the assets he has to offer at North Park.  I find him to be a good coach and a good man - there should be more like him.

As a commentary on what I saw during the game, IWU has a solid side, but NPU is the real deal.  They are physical, fast, and perhaps best described as relentless.  Or as I texted an IWU fan during the game, "formidable."  When they would attack on counters there was plenty of speed, they switch the field well, and they have a number of offensive options.   

For IWU, they have a couple non-conference games before playing at North Central (currently regionally RV) and home against Millikin.  They need a good result in both before hosting Elmhurst October 15th.  If they can rebound from last night's match and get back on track - they really need results in the next two and then a good showing with Elmhurst to position themselves in the hunt for a post-season berth.  A year ago they opened play with a draw against eventual champion North Park - they have a bit more work to do now after last night's loss.

It's a great time of year.

Are there age restrictions of some sort for each NCAA division?  I have heard references to this in other threads, but I am not familiar with them.

I know the Illinois football team has a soon to be 27 year old senior linebacker in Trulon Henry.

If someone can shed some light, that would be appreciated.

There is only one age restriction in the NCAA, and you can see it at this link. (http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/NCAA/Legislation+and+Governance/Eligibility+and+Recruiting/Faqs/eligibility_seasons.html) It applies only to D1, and it specifically affects only D1 student-athletes over the age of 21 who have previously competed in an organized amateur version of that sport. Since Fighting Illini linebacker Trulon Henry hadn't played organized football after he passed his 21st birthday until he began playing for the U of I, it doesn't apply to him.

Several of the Scandinavians that have played for North Park over the past two decades have first enrolled as freshmen well past the age of 18. I think that it's common for them to be 20 or 21 or so, if not older.  (I have a hard time believing that NPU's baby-faced Norwegian assassin Siggy Pryser (http://www.northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Soccer/Roster/Lagstrom) can be that old, though.) That's a big advantage in terms of physical maturity and experience over the typical CCIW freshman, that's for sure. But it's hardly the only advantage that the Swedes bring to the table; they come from a soccer-mad country where kids learn how to kick a ball properly as soon as they can walk, and that's a huge leg up (no pun intended) that they have over their American soccer peers as well.

None of that would matter at all, though, if they weren't academically able to cut the mustard at NPU, and in fact the Swedes by and large turn out to be excellent students. They also pay full freight to attend North Park, just like everybody else (the Swedish government does give out no-interest loans to students attending foreign universities, but they're loans that have to be paid back), as opposed to the little or nothing that they'd have to pay if they attended a school back home. It's not as though they're riding some sort of gravy train at North Park. Everything that they do at North Park is on the up-and-up, not that voiceofseason implied otherwise. The long and short of it is that NPU has some great recruiting connections in Sweden (and now in Norway as well), connections that perpetuate themselves as Swedish NPU soccer alumni return back to the homeland and spread the word, and the school is ideally set up for Swedish student-athletes: Small classes, big world-class city, congenial atmosphere in which the many Swedish-American students on campus take great delight in getting to know their foreign "cousins", and a soccer program that offers excellence and proven success at a solid level of competition.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 02:51:26 PM
Please let me be clear - I wasn't calling for any indictment of NPU or their Swedes.  I simply meant as a descriptor, the physical maturity of some of these kids is evident.  I would never suggest any wrongdoing - Coach Born actually explained some of the programs [Center for Scandinavian Studies] at NPU to me a couple years ago that are attractive to the Scandinavian student-athletes; he wouldn't be a good recruiter if he didn't take advantage of those assets.

Putting all that aside, the Vikings are simply a talented, DEEP squad.  I saw Chicago rally to score two late goals to beat IWU recently - that upcoming match could be a good one!

Putting the age thing in perspective, Faulkner University [NAIA] has a 61-year old kicker on their football roster this year....    ;D

http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2011/08/61-year-old_joins_faulkner_foo.html (http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2011/08/61-year-old_joins_faulkner_foo.html)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 03:32:50 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 02:51:26 PM
Please let me be clear - I wasn't calling for any indictment of NPU or their Swedes.  I simply meant as a descriptor, the physical maturity of some of these kids is evident.  I would never suggest any wrongdoing - Coach Born actually explained some of the programs [Center for Scandinavian Studies] at NPU to me a couple years ago that are attractive to the Scandinavian student-athletes; he wouldn't be a good recruiter if he didn't take advantage of those assets.

Not to worry. I think that you made it clear in your first post that you weren't accusing Coach Born of anything.

Quote from: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 02:51:26 PMPutting all that aside, the Vikings are simply a talented, DEEP squad.  I saw Chicago rally to score two late goals to beat IWU recently - that upcoming match could be a good one!

Chicago also forced a nil-nil tie with Wheaton a week and a half ago at Joe Bean Stadium, although some of the luster has come off of that accomplishment due to Wheaton's inexplicable descent into chaos. I'm looking forward to catching that North Side vs. South Side showdown at Stagg Field on Tuesday evening.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on September 25, 2011, 03:48:41 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on September 25, 2011, 02:51:26 PM
Please let me be clear - I wasn't calling for any indictment of NPU or their Swedes.  I simply meant as a descriptor, the physical maturity of some of these kids is evident.  I would never suggest any wrongdoing - Coach Born actually explained some of the programs [Center for Scandinavian Studies] at NPU to me a couple years ago that are attractive to the Scandinavian student-athletes; he wouldn't be a good recruiter if he didn't take advantage of those assets.

Putting all that aside, the Vikings are simply a talented, DEEP squad.  I saw Chicago rally to score two late goals to beat IWU recently - that upcoming match could be a good one!

Putting the age thing in perspective, Faulkner University [NAIA] has a 61-year old kicker on their football roster this year....    ;D

http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2011/08/61-year-old_joins_faulkner_foo.html (http://blog.al.com/montgomery/2011/08/61-year-old_joins_faulkner_foo.html)
But you will admit that if you took out Swedish men from the picture, NPU is mediocre at best. Some of these Swedes are stronger players than most D1 players. Stronger, not necessarily better soccer players.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 25, 2011, 05:43:36 PM
Keeker, let us try and keep your comments relevant. Arguing that NPU would be mediocre without their Swedes is a useless argument.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 08:02:18 PM
Quote from: keeker on September 25, 2011, 03:48:41 PM
But you will admit that if you took out Swedish men from the picture, NPU is mediocre at best.

That's a silly and pointless statement.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 26, 2011, 12:36:50 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 02:05:27 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 25, 2011, 01:44:22 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 24, 2011, 02:21:22 AM
The conference schedule finally begins today, with IWU @ NPU for a coed double-header.  While I am quite confident that the Titan women will be all alone in first place in the conference for a few days, I fear the Viking men will hold that status for a while.  We'll know for sure in about 19 hours. ;)

Got 'em both right. :P

I propose a new scoring method - combine the women's and men's scores!  Result: IWU 5, NPU 4. ;D

Yeah, right. As if. ::)

Tell you what. We'll give you half-credit for the women's score. Result: NPU 4, IWU 2 1/2  ;)

Mrs. Y says: "Rot in hell, chauvinist pig!" ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 26, 2011, 12:52:16 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 26, 2011, 12:36:50 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 02:05:27 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 25, 2011, 01:44:22 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on September 24, 2011, 02:21:22 AM
The conference schedule finally begins today, with IWU @ NPU for a coed double-header.  While I am quite confident that the Titan women will be all alone in first place in the conference for a few days, I fear the Viking men will hold that status for a while.  We'll know for sure in about 19 hours. ;)

Got 'em both right. :P

I propose a new scoring method - combine the women's and men's scores!  Result: IWU 5, NPU 4. ;D

Yeah, right. As if. ::)

Tell you what. We'll give you half-credit for the women's score. Result: NPU 4, IWU 2 1/2  ;)

Mrs. Y says: "Rot in hell, chauvinist pig!" ;D

LOL!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on September 26, 2011, 01:30:28 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on September 23, 2011, 02:37:44 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2011, 05:13:08 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 19, 2011, 04:42:30 PM
Greg, I'm late on this, but kudos for using the word "desultory" on a soccer board. In fact, kudos for you even posting on this board - and posting well, I might add. Then to see Dennis? Mark? What's next? Nationally televised soccer matches in prime-time?!

Oh, the horror! :D

i said it 30 years ago when baseball went on strike - "Soccer is a Communist Plot"

If no one else on this board appreciates this, i'm sure that Dennis will:  Why do 40 m

illion kids in the United States play soccer?  Because then don't have to watch it.  (rim shot, please)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 26, 2011, 01:33:08 PM
Dark Knight has been tracking how the eight MIAA sides are performing in the Massey Ratings over in the MIAA room, so out of curiosity I thought I'd do the same for the CCIW's eight sides. This does not have all of this weekend's results (including IWU @ NPU) entered into the database:

North Park #15
Wheaton #86
Carthage #102
Augustana #111
Elmhurst #119
North Central #129
Illinois Wesleyan #142
Millikin #329

This is out of 399 schools listed.

Among the past and future opponents of CCIW sides are:

Dominican #2 (lost to NPU, 2-0; beat Wheaton, 3-1)
Ohio Wesleyan #4 (beat Wheaton, 3-1)
St. Olaf #9 (beat Elmhurst, 3-0)
Calvin #13 (beat Wheaton, 2-1)
UW-Oshkosh #17 (tied NPU, 1-1; tied Carthage, 0-0; will play Wheaton)
Chicago #19 (tied Wheaton, 0-0; beat IWU, 3-2; beat Elmhurst, 1-0; will play NPU and Carthage)
Washington MO #20 (will play IWU)
Redlands #25 (beat Carthage, 4-0)
Loras #26 (beat North Central, 4-0; lost to Wheaton, 2-1)
DePauw #42 (beat Millikin, 2-1)
St. Scholastica #44 (beat Augustana, 2-1)
Hope #47 (beat Wheaton, 4-0)
Dubuque #69 (lost to Augustana, 1-0; will play Elmhurst)
Pomona-Pitzer #90 (beat Carthage, 3-1)
Capital #98 (lost to Wheaton, 4-2)
UW-Whitewater #100 (beat IWU, 2-1; will play NPU)

I'm not sure that the database is extensive enough yet for Massey to get a really good read on D3 soccer. Just thought I'd add this for the sake of conversation.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 26, 2011, 11:49:11 PM
Given the absolute pathetic state of the economy that Obama inherited, coupled by the fact that the Obama administration has been unable to reverse the ship, Swedes sense opportunity.  (I witnessed a horrible exchange rate when I visited Scotland during Wimbledon.)  The Swedish state grants college age students $ for college, interest free, but under the obligation that they repay the debt before age 65.  I don't have more details, but if the tuition program and current exchange rate is so advantageous to a Swede, why not come to America?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2011, 02:30:16 PM
Please restrict political opinionating to this site's politics boards, Mark.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on September 27, 2011, 02:39:24 PM
Seemed like a pretty valid point...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 02:49:47 PM
I'm assuming, "Given the absolute pathetic state of the economy that Obama inherited, coupled by the fact that the Obama administration has been unable to reverse the ship," was what Greg was referring to, not the validity of the comment. This is a soccer forum, not a political forum.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2011, 02:50:50 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 02:49:47 PM
I'm assuming, "Given the absolute pathetic state of the economy that Obama inherited, coupled by the fact that the Obama administration has been unable to reverse the ship," was what Greg was referring to, not the validity of the comment. This is a soccer forum, not a political forum.

Exactly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2011, 02:53:56 PM
NPU moves up from eleventh to eighth in this week's d3soccer.com poll. (http://www.d3soccer.com/top25/index) Chicago, which is at the tail end of the Others Receiving Votes category of the poll, hosts the Vikings tonight down at 55th and Cottage Grove.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on September 27, 2011, 02:55:14 PM
Glad to see 50% of your posts are related to how politics are involved in a soccer forum Sock Heir. :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 02:57:45 PM
Haha! I seldom practice what I preach.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 03:01:42 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2011, 02:53:56 PM
NPU moves up from eleventh to eighth in this week's d3soccer.com poll. (http://www.d3soccer.com/top25/index) Chicago, which is at the tail end of the Others Receiving Votes category of the poll, hosts the Vikings tonight down at 55th and Cottage Grove.

I'm thinking Park has a rough match ahead of them, as usually is. However, they win 2-1 away.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 27, 2011, 05:19:45 PM
I didn't provide an opinion.  I gave a factual message.  And that message was not slanted in favor of 43 or 44.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on September 27, 2011, 05:29:04 PM
How do you give someone Karma? haha
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on September 27, 2011, 06:07:06 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 08:02:18 PM

That's a silly and pointless statement.
Just making an observation that NPU has 8 or 9 Swedes starting every game, which is fine. And the fact that their ave. age is mid 20's, which is fine. Just an observation, that's all.  Anyway, I will be at the game tonight to see my favorite player Kyle K. go up against a 28yr old. Will be a good game. I predict 3 -1 NPU.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2011, 06:53:51 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 03:01:42 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2011, 02:53:56 PM
NPU moves up from eleventh to eighth in this week's d3soccer.com poll. (http://www.d3soccer.com/top25/index) Chicago, which is at the tail end of the Others Receiving Votes category of the poll, hosts the Vikings tonight down at 55th and Cottage Grove.

I'm thinking Park has a rough match ahead of them, as usually is. However, they win 2-1 away.

Hope you're right. This one has me nervous.

Quote from: markerickson on September 27, 2011, 05:19:45 PM
I didn't provide an opinion.  I gave a factual message.  And that message was not slanted in favor of 43 or 44.

I didn't say it was slanted. But there was definitely opinion within it in both your choice of adjectives and your premise, and it wasn't necessary in order for you to make your overall point about Swedish students.

Quote from: keeker on September 27, 2011, 06:07:06 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2011, 08:02:18 PM

That's a silly and pointless statement.
Just making an observation that NPU has 8 or 9 Swedes starting every game, which is fine.

Seven, to be accurate. Plus one Norwegian, one Ohioan, and two players from Illinois.

Quote from: keeker on September 27, 2011, 06:07:06 PMAnd the fact that their ave. age is mid 20's, which is fine. Just an observation, that's all.  Anyway, I will be at the game tonight to see my favorite player Kyle K. go up against a 28yr old.

Heh, nothing like lining up your excuses early. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 27, 2011, 08:08:29 PM
Quote from: markerickson on September 27, 2011, 05:19:45 PM
I didn't provide an opinion.  I gave a factual message.  And that message was not slanted in favor of 43 or 44.

Mark, you could have just said that the exchange rate favors the Swedish Krona against the Dollar without the political commentary.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 08:35:55 PM
NPU 1 - 1 U of C a bit before half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on September 28, 2011, 08:58:46 AM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on September 27, 2011, 08:35:55 PM
NPU 1 - 1 U of C a bit before half.
What a great game. I tell ya, div3 soccer is getting better every year. Great goal by NPU early and nice free kick by uc. Didn't expect a tie, though.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on September 28, 2011, 10:15:42 AM
Looking at the standings is a bit surreal. Augie and NCC both sit at 7-2. The West Vikings are playing quite the defense to win close games and North Central's Paul Box is an absolute horse watching in person. Elmhurst and Wheaton have hit the skids dramatically. Carthage has played much better of late. North Park is clearly the best team in the league and one of the best in the region with their foreign imports, so big props to them. However, it's hard to crow about 23-25 year olds beating 19-20 year olds... (cough, cough)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 28, 2011, 10:50:58 AM
I'm confused. There's only one set of rules that all of D-III is operating by, correct? If so, all of the "cough, cough's" ad nauseam seem petty and extraneous.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on September 28, 2011, 11:29:35 AM
Who is this 28 year old?  I'd wager that Grahn, a graduate student, is the oldest on the team.  I doubt he's even 25.  And to claim the average age is 23 seems like an uneducated post. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deepthroat on September 28, 2011, 11:42:34 AM
lots of sour grapes/jealousy in this thread. NPU soccer going to be this good for a while, govern yourselves accordingly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2011, 12:17:03 PM
Sock Heir, it's that old green-eyed monster called envy that's rearing its ugly head here. NPU has a good thing going with the Swedish connection, so some of the fans of opposing sides feel that they have to try to make themselves feel better by denigrating NPU's Swedes. You and I both know that blue_jays, keeker, and their ilk would take a Grahn or a Pettersson or a Hals or an Aaronsson on their roster in a heartbeat if they could -- and you'd never hear a peep out of them about the ages of those players if they were wearing the kits of the schools favored by those posters.

This whole conversation is just ridiculous. It started out with a goofy statement by keeker that "if you took out Swedish men from the picture, NPU is mediocre at best." (Sure. And if you took out Virginians from the picture, Christopher Newport is mediocre at best. And if you took out Ohioans from the picture, Mount Union's football team is mediocre at best. And so on.) There's nothing illegal, unethical, or immoral going on here at all on the part of North Park. North Carolina Wesleyan has eight Europeans, four Africans, and a South American on the men's soccer roster. Methodist has four Europeans and an African. Trinity (TX) has four players from Latin America, plus an Englishman and an Australian, and Amherst has five players from overseas. It's pretty commonplace for college soccer programs on all levels to utilize foreign players, because -- guess what? -- soccer is the world's most popular sport, and it's generally played more avidly and universally by people in other countries than it is here. And North Park, which is located in a world-class city, presents an especially attractive location for a college education if you're a foreign student looking to come to the United States for it. Even without the men's soccer program NPU has always had a large contingent of foreign students, particularly from the Scandinavian countries and Korea.

Quote from: markerickson on September 28, 2011, 11:29:35 AM
Who is this 28 year old?  I'd wager that Grahn, a graduate student, is the oldest on the team.  I doubt he's even 25.  And to claim the average age is 23 seems like an uneducated post.

Exactly. Have keeker and blue_jays been standing outside the gates checking passports when the NPU bus rolls up? ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2011, 12:29:49 PM
Back to soccer. It was a very exciting, albeit very wet, contest last night at Stagg Field between NPU and Chicago. The Vikings scored early on a perfect cross from Hals to Grahn, but the latter part of the first half was marked by very ragged play by the Park that featured one of their periodic foulfests. The Maroons took advantage of one of the fouls, with Stanton Colville slicing a perfectly-executed free kick from thirty yards out into the upper right-hand corner of the net that Tim Ahlberg was helpless to defend.

NPU dominated play in the second half, but give credit to Chicago: The Maroons played tough defense, making no errors whatsoever in their half of the field and limiting NPU's good looks at the net to only two or three. The Vikings were sloppier at their own end, but they kept possession for so long that the Maroons were even more limited in their own chances for a goal.

It was an unsatisfying tie if you're a Vikings fan, but in the overall picture I doubt that it'll hurt North Park. It'll certainly give some juice to the Maroons' morale going into UAA play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on September 28, 2011, 01:04:58 PM
Just a bit of age joking, no sour grapes here. You North Parkers need to stop taking the bait because it will continue for years to come as long as NPU keeps getting foreign players. And duh, yes I would want them on my team. Scientific studies show that fans want the best players to be on the teams that they root for.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on September 28, 2011, 01:24:05 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on September 28, 2011, 01:04:58 PM
Just a bit of age joking, no sour grapes here. You North Parkers need to stop taking the bait because it will continue for years to come as long as NPU keeps getting foreign players. And duh, yes I would want them on my team. Scientific studies show that fans want the best players to be on the teams that they root for.

So now we know not to take anything you say seriously, we can move on ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2011, 01:43:10 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on September 28, 2011, 01:04:58 PM
Just a bit of age joking, no sour grapes here. You North Parkers need to stop taking the bait because it will continue for years to come as long as NPU keeps getting foreign players. And duh, yes I would want them on my team. Scientific studies show that fans want the best players to be on the teams that they root for.

North Park has had Swedes in its soccer program dating back to when soccer first became a varsity sport at the Park in the early Eighties. (Morgan Emanuelsson, a native of Sweden, was on the first NPC varsity side; one of his teammates was Tim McNaughton, father of current Vikings midfielder Ryan McNaughton.) And Swedes been among NPU's most dominant players going all the way back to Magnus Ramstrom, a three-time All-CCIW first-teamer in '91, '92, and '93. NPU has produced some of the CCIW's best soccer players over the past two decades, and several of them have been sons of Mother Svea: Fredrik Airosto, Sven Eggefalk, Jonatan Eriksson, P.J. Eriksson, Kris Grahn, Hannes Granlund, Sehten Hills, Filip Lindmark, Markus Nilsson, Andreas Olofsson, Magnus Ramstrom, Greger Svensson, and Henrik Wihlborg have each made the All-CCIW team over the past two decades for NPU, and all of them are Swedes (or, in the case of Hills, Liberians who lived in Sweden ;)). And until a few days ago I had never heard or read a single complaint about any of their ages.

In other words, if this griping by opposing fans is something that "will continue for years to come as long as NPU keeps getting foreign players," then why has it never reared its ugly head before over the past twenty years, seasons that have featured so much Swedish talent wearing North Park's kit?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2011, 01:49:50 PM
This seems like the perfect time for me to congratulate NPU's Robin Hals and Jakob Aronsson upon being named the CCIW's Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively. (http://www.cciw.org/news/2011/9/27/MS_0927113708.aspx) In the interests of board harmony and goodwill, I will refrain from mentioning which country Hals and Aronsson call home. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on September 28, 2011, 02:45:22 PM
The expansion of coverage for DIII Soccer online is the answer to your question Gregory.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2011, 02:59:26 PM
Quote from: GarbageGoals33 on September 28, 2011, 02:45:22 PM
The expansion of coverage for DIII Soccer online is the answer to your question Gregory.

If so, then it's not a very good answer. The people making the complaints are not d3soccer.com or d3boards.com users who root for schools in Virginia or Minnesota or Massachusetts; they're fans of other local sides. F'rinstance, blue_jays is a fan of Elmhurst, and keeker is a fan of Chicago. Even voiceofseason, who took great pains not to badmouth NPU's Swedish connection, is a fan of a local opposing side: Illinois Wesleyan. None of these people needed expanded online coverage of D3 soccer to know that North Park has lots of Swedes on its roster.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on September 28, 2011, 04:11:54 PM
Quote from: GarbageGoals33 on September 28, 2011, 02:45:22 PM
The expansion of coverage for DIII Soccer online is the answer to your question Gregory.
You're a smart fella, garbage. As D3 soccer gets more and more quality players (DA or top non da club players) interest in d3 will only go up. we'll start revisiting d1 v d3 soccer, but not yet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on September 28, 2011, 09:23:45 PM
Greg, I am complaining about the Swedes. They ought to be Norwegians.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on September 29, 2011, 03:43:12 PM
Quote from: markerickson on September 28, 2011, 11:29:35 AM
Who is this 28 year old?  I'd wager that Grahn, a graduate student, is the oldest on the team.  I doubt he's even 25.  And to claim the average age is 23 seems like an uneducated post.

Ok, I sort of started this whole topic, but it was more in the vein of "John Born has a good thing going," not sour grapes, jealousy, etc.  I saw them play IWU, and they were impressive.

And you would be wrong about Grahn.  He's at least 28, and I think 29.  He was 25 or 26 his freshman year when he played against Illinois-Springfield (where I first saw him).  Again, not really important - what IS important is that he's a really good player.  On a really good team.

Glad NPU is behind IWU on their schedule....

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 29, 2011, 04:23:27 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on September 28, 2011, 09:23:45 PM
Greg, I am complaining about the Swedes. They ought to be Norwegians.

Jim, meet freshman Siggy Pryser (http://www.northpark.edu/Athletics/Mens-Sports/Soccer/Roster/Lagstrom), NPU's starting left midfielder.
Title: Augsburg
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on September 29, 2011, 04:31:42 PM
Augsburg has two Norwegian imports that are fairing well in the MIAC:

Both are starters.

http://athletics.augsburg.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=13439&path=msoc

http://athletics.augsburg.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=13452&path=msoc
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 29, 2011, 04:54:23 PM
NPU has another Norwegian freshman, reserve defender Markus Fodstad. Unfortunately, the link to his picture doesn't work. That's life as a reserve, I guess. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 29, 2011, 06:00:31 PM
Are Auggies Norwegian players named Ole and Sven?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on September 29, 2011, 09:21:41 PM
I do not know if this is true, but I was told Norway packages the loans, etc. better than Sweden.  if this is true, I wish IWU would tap this market!!   ;D ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 29, 2011, 10:52:39 PM
Quote from: d3fan1 on September 29, 2011, 06:00:31 PM
Are Auggies Norwegian players named Ole and Sven?

Mathias and Harald. Pretty typical names for Norwegian guys.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 30, 2011, 08:58:58 AM
In 1993, NPU had a Swedish Sven and a Norwegian Svenn.  That year's team had 2 Swedes and 2 Norwegians and they got along just fine, contrary to rumors at the time :)

That same year NPU had it's best ever Scandinavian, albeit an unofficial player, play a game for their offseason indoor league team: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lars_Bohinen.  Lars was in town visiting his girlfriend who was an exchange student at North Park and he trained with some of the NPU players in preparation for Norway's upcoming international games.  Great guy.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: redmen33 on October 05, 2011, 11:23:45 AM
Great Win by Carthage last night against Univ of Chicago! The score was 1-1 and Carthage went up 2-1 with 31seconds left in the game. With a couple starters out for Carthage due to injury last night, Carthage will be dangerous once they are 100%!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 05, 2011, 10:47:04 PM
North Park resurrected from a couple of ties by dismantling UWW 2-0. Despite having some major injuries (Grahn and both center backs), NP looked as if they didn't even break a sweat. A great prelude to the always-anticipated Wheaton match (at Wheaton); prediction: NPU 2, Wheaton nil.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on October 06, 2011, 01:25:23 PM
What is up with North Park and their Levi's record 5-0-5, can't finish or unlucky?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 06, 2011, 01:37:26 PM
Quote from: KICKIN95 on October 06, 2011, 01:25:23 PM
What is up with North Park and their Levi's record 5-0-5, can't finish or unlucky?

A little bit of both (I know likely answer). Both ties to the NC schools were due to NP's inconsistent play; should have won both easily. The tie to UWO was due to a sluggish start that led to an  early UWO goal (granted, a nice, well executed goal). The UofC tie was probably a fair result. UofC played very well, but perhaps Park could have capitalized on some very good chances. And Elmhurst's refusal to play soccer and commitment to play dirty and ugly was fully responsible for their latest tie (40 fouls, and 5 yellows total). During that game NP lost their center backs and Grahn. NP outshout Elmhurst 20-8.

NPU is now 6-0-5 after the UWW win.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 06, 2011, 02:02:21 PM
NPU actually played without five starters last night. That's what made the decisive 2-0 win over a very hot UW-Whitewater side so impressive. Four of the starters were knocked out of action (one of them literally knocked out, being concussed by a well-aimed Bluejay elbow) by the Elmhurst goon squad in last Saturday's mug-a-thon, the fifth sat out because of yellow-card accumulation. (Not that I blame Jonas Pettersson for his fifth yellow card, received against Elmhurst; if the opposing goalkeeper is on the ground and fifteen feet out of the net, and he grabs you by the ankle to prevent you from kicking what would be the easiest goal you've ever scored, as far as I'm concerned you have every right to get in the ref's grill and yell at him when he refuses to award you a penalty kick.) And a sixth starter pulled up lame in the first half of last night's match.

NPU had superb offensive set-ups in the first half that showed me that: a) these guys can play together, even though half of them are starters and half are reserves; and b) they can compensate for missing some of the creativity of a guy like Kris Grahn by being methodical and working as a unit. Sophomore F/MF Effy Restrepo responded to the battlefield promotion with the best match of his collegiate career to date, notching a goal and an assist, and his fellow soph F/MFs Robin Hals and Filip Lindmark picked up the slack as well. The reserves who are filling in for the two injured center backs, junior Erik Kinhammar and sophomore Elvin Ahmeti, were tremendous. They're a big key to how this season will play out for the Park, especially with Jakob Aronsson now out for the year and the concussed Carl Danberg out indefinitely.

I don't like the fact that the Vikings have to go into Joe Bean Stadium on Saturday nght as a M*A*S*H unit while the Wheaties are fielding a healthy side, but you play the cards you're dealt. After last night, I feel pretty good about NPU's chances against Wheaton, even with all of those injuries. It's really amazing how much quality depth the Park has this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FreeScrimp on October 08, 2011, 11:02:23 PM
North Park 3 Wheaton 2.

North Park vs. Wheaton- a game many look forward to all year and tonight didn't disappoint. Play was appropriately physical with a handful of yellow cards evenly distributed. Both teams looked sharp. While I would say that Wheaton played a better build offense, North Park's talent was unmatched. It's amazing to watch North Park's caliber of players get better each and every year. Tonight was my first opportunity to see Jonas Pettersson, and there is a reason he is the top goal scorer in the CCIW. To all the disbelievers out there, he curved the best goal I have seen in a long time to the top left corner from 20 yards out to put NP ahead 2-1 going into halftime. North Park has a history of getting big for big games, and I hope they can carry this momentum through the rest of the season. The CCIW is proving to be a difficult league this year with Elmhurst tying NP earlier this season, Wheaton playing strong ball despite their lackluster record, and Carthage coming up with a win against U Chicago- a feat that NP couldn't accomplish and added another notch to their "kissing your sister" column.

Stats leaned Wheaton's way as far as shots and corner kicks, although Park capitalized on their opportunities. A few inches right and they'd be in overtime, but a post is a post. I love this rivalry and look forward to many more games in the future. First and foremost, It will be a joy to watch these two in the CCIW finals come November.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 01:02:40 AM
Quote from: FreeScrimp on October 08, 2011, 11:02:23 PM
North Park 3 Wheaton 2.

North Park vs. Wheaton- a game many look forward to all year and tonight didn't disappoint. Play was appropriately physical with a handful of yellow cards evenly distributed. Both teams looked sharp. While I would say that Wheaton played a better build offense, North Park's talent was unmatched. It's amazing to watch North Park's caliber of players get better each and every year. Tonight was my first opportunity to see Jonas Pettersson, and there is a reason he is the top goal scorer in the CCIW. To all the disbelievers out there, he curved the best goal I have seen in a long time to the top left corner from 20 yards out to put NP ahead 2-1 going into halftime. North Park has a history of getting big for big games, and I hope they can carry this momentum through the rest of the season. The CCIW is proving to be a difficult league this year with Elmhurst tying NP earlier this season, Wheaton playing strong ball despite their lackluster record, and Carthage coming up with a win against U Chicago- a feat that NP couldn't accomplish and added another notch to their "kissing your sister" column.

Stats leaned Wheaton's way as far as shots and corner kicks, although Park capitalized on their opportunities. A few inches right and they'd be in overtime, but a post is a post. I love this rivalry and look forward to many more games in the future. First and foremost, It will be a joy to watch these two in the CCIW finals come November.

I'm not so sure I agree with your assessment of the game. I feel like, given the circumstances (NP's starting keeper, out, and both center backs out, along with many with ailing injuries), handled Wheaton. There was a blaring talent gap, in favor of Park. NP played sloppy ball and allowed Wheaton to get back into the game. Perhaps, to give Wheaton credit, they did take advantage of NP's reserve backs. And I do believe that NP will run away with the CCIW. The Elmhurst match was by no means a reflection of Elmhurst's "talent." It was a reflection of their ability to recognize their inferiority and their ability to combat the talent gap with dirty play.
But to agree, Jonas is the real deal and the pre-eminent CCIW POY.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 09, 2011, 06:35:08 AM
What happened to Ahlberg?  Why was NP playing a reserve keeper?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 09:27:49 AM
Quote from: thePietist on October 09, 2011, 06:35:08 AM
What happened to Ahlberg?  Why was NP playing a reserve keeper?

I believe Tim was at his sister's wedding.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 03:59:20 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 09:27:49 AM
Quote from: thePietist on October 09, 2011, 06:35:08 AM
What happened to Ahlberg?  Why was NP playing a reserve keeper?

I believe Tim was at his sister's wedding.

... and I don't think that Ahlberg would've misplayed that first goal by Wheaton, but I'm not getting down on reserve keeper Alex Adielsson for that. He kept his cool and played well after coughing up that early long-distance goal. The second Wheaton goal was really just a case of the hosts crowding the box and the inability of the Park's defense to clear the ball past the perimeter. It was a point-blank shot, and there was nothing that Adielsson could've done about it.

I can see both sides to this debate. Yeah, I agree that Wheaton did a better job of patiently moving the ball up the field, and I think that Wheaton played better positional ball. NPU, for whatever reason, seems to have a problem with midfield gaps at times. But even with the two starting center backs and the starting keeper out, three other starters clearly hampered by injuries (Kris Grahn, Filip Lindmark, and Isaac Blixt), and yet another starter relegated to only seventeen minutes of playing time off the bench due to a bad hammy (Siggy Pryser), NPU still had a clear talent advantage over Wheaton. Erik Kinhammar and Elvin Ahmeti were generally pretty effective as the center backs -- and Kinhammar's two header goals gave NPU an element of set-piece scoring that the Vikings really haven't had much this year. Ryan McNaughton and David Dawood stepped up and played terrifically at midfield, and Effy Restrepo made the save of the game while holding the near post during a Wheaton corner kick with four minutes left. Kris Grahn, who was obviously gimpy and playing with only a fraction of his usual speed and creative skill, showed that he has the heart of a lion. And, of course, Jonas Pettersson's twisting guided missile from twenty yards out in the first half was a highlight-reel goal if there ever was one.

I give Wheaton lots of credit for doggedness. You could sense that the Wheaton players feel that their backs are to the wall in terms of their season by the way that they took it up a notch and really outplayed North Park during the final twenty minutes of the match. As I said, they stuffed the box, and their offensive pressure was relentless. Of course, this led to several breakout counters by the Vikings, but I think that NPU's banged-up front line just didn't have enough juice to take advantage. Those final twenty minutes were nerve-wracking. As much as I loved the match, it couldn't end fast enough for my taste.

I also give Wheaton credit for deciding to do what UW-Whitewater did, which was to trust in the skill of its players by playing an honest and open match against the Vikings rather than retreating into a no-pressure defensive shell and gooning it up in a deliberate attempt to draw a nil-nil tie the way that Elmhurst did. Wheaton clearly has lots of speed and skill, and the Wheaties have legitimate reason to think that they can match up with anybody in a fairly-played contest. Of course, the flip side of that is that Wheaton really doesn't have much size, so Mike Giuliano couldn't tell his players to go thug against NPU even if he'd wanted to. Didn't stop Wheaton defender Dan Pavlak from hanging all over Jonas Pettersson like a cheap suit, of course, but I can't say that Wheaton played particularly dirty last night.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the atmosphere last night at Joe Bean Stadium. It was electric. There were about 1,700 people there last night, favoring the hosts by about a 2-1 margin. The fact that it was Wheaton's Homecoming soccer match probably helped the numbers, but that was a very impressive sea of royal blue and gold at the east end of the stadium. Foster's Finest absolutely rocked. If there's a better student section in all of D3 soccer, I'd like to see it. Foster's Finest definitely gets the Ripped From the Headlines Award for best topical cheer as well, with their "Occupy Wheaton!" chant. John Born and his players realize that they have something special with Foster's Finest (and all of the rest of the great fan support that NPU gets for soccer), and they really appreciate it. In turn, North Park fans are being treated to some tremendous soccer this year. I think that Wheaton senses that it's currently on the losing end of this rivalry not only on the pitch but in the stands as well.

Friday night's NPU Homecoming match against Augie promises to be another epic occasion.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 04:16:33 PM
Otherwise, it was a pretty interesting, tie-happy day in the CCIW. Augie dispensed with hapless Millikin with what I must assume is relative ease, 2-0, in Rock Island. But North Central and Illinois Wesleyan played to a 2-2 tie in Naperville, and Elmhurst and Carthage had a draw by the same score in Kenosha. All the ties thus far are making the league race hard to sort out at the moment. The big matches this upcoming week seem to be:

* Elmhurst (4-4-4, 0-0-2) @ North Central (9-2-1, 1-0-1) on Wednesday
* Carthage (7-4-2, 1-0-1) @ Wheaton (6-6-1, 0-1) on Wednesday
* Augustana (10-3, 1-1) @ North Park (7-0-5, 2-0-1) on Friday
* Elmhurst @ Illinois Wesleyan (5-5-1, 0-1-1) on Saturday
* North Central @ Wheaton on Saturday
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 09, 2011, 04:19:35 PM
Great atmosphere and a super fun game. Just wondering though, do NPU players communicate in swedish or in english on the field?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 04:30:17 PM
Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 04:19:35 PM
Great atmosphere and a super fun game. Just wondering though, do NPU players communicate in swedish or in english on the field?

Swedish when speaking to the Swedes, and obviously English when speaking to the Americans; so mostly Swedish.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 04:51:21 PM
... and fortunately, for Siggy Pryser's and Markus Fodstad's sake, Swedish and Norwegian are mutually intelligible to a large degree -- even though Swedes and Norwegians don't always like to admit that they can understand each other. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 09, 2011, 04:55:26 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 04:51:21 PM
... and fortunately, for Siggy Pryser's and Markus Fodstad's sake, Swedish and Norwegian are mutually intelligible -- even though Swedes and Norwegians don't always like to admit that they can understand each other perfectly well. ;)
Probably not hard to learn "man on, time, turn" in any language. Ok, I'm looking forward to Npu and loras match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 05:00:38 PM
Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 04:55:26 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 04:51:21 PM
... and fortunately, for Siggy Pryser's and Markus Fodstad's sake, Swedish and Norwegian are mutually intelligible -- even though Swedes and Norwegians don't always like to admit that they can understand each other perfectly well. ;)
Probably not hard to learn "man on, time, turn" in any language. Ok, I'm looking forward to Npu and loras match.

Ha likely point, but the Swedes have a tough time articulating intelligently, quick enough, to the English speakers. I've heard some "Swenglish" a few times out there that left me scratching my head. And I am absolutely looking forward to a potential NP-Loras match. Hopefully both sides are healthy.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 05:10:28 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 05:00:38 PM
Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 04:55:26 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 04:51:21 PM
... and fortunately, for Siggy Pryser's and Markus Fodstad's sake, Swedish and Norwegian are mutually intelligible -- even though Swedes and Norwegians don't always like to admit that they can understand each other perfectly well. ;)
Probably not hard to learn "man on, time, turn" in any language. Ok, I'm looking forward to Npu and loras match.

Ha likely point, but the Swedes have a tough time articulating intelligently, quick enough, to the English speakers. I've heard some "Swenglish" a few times out there that left me scratching my head.

It can be bad news if you can't communicate properly with your teammates on the back line such as Sock Heir. Very bad news!

The one advantage NPU has in the fact that several players speak Swedish on the field is that I don't think that any CCIW refs have learned Swedish swear words yet. ;)

As for keeker's bit about the Vikings and Duhawks, NPU and Loras aren't scheduled to play this season. The only way that they'll face each other is if they meet in the tournament. NPU's final non-conference match is on Tuesday against Moody Bible -- and, before anyone says anything about that, it should be noted that MBI is a last-minute fill-in for a local D3 school that shall remain nameless whose coach backed out of a contract with North Park. I fully expect NPU coach John Born to empty his bench very early against Moody.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 03:59:20 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 09, 2011, 09:27:49 AM
Quote from: thePietist on October 09, 2011, 06:35:08 AM
What happened to Ahlberg?  Why was NP playing a reserve keeper?

I believe Tim was at his sister's wedding.

... and I don't think that Ahlberg would've misplayed that first goal by Wheaton, but I'm not getting down on reserve keeper Alex Adielsson for that. He kept his cool and played well after coughing up that early long-distance goal. The second Wheaton goal was really just a case of the hosts crowding the box and the inability of the Park's defense to clear the ball past the perimeter. It was a point-blank shot, and there was nothing that Adielsson could've done about it.

I can see both sides to this debate. Yeah, I agree that Wheaton did a better job of patiently moving the ball up the field, and I think that Wheaton played better positional ball. NPU, for whatever reason, seems to have a problem with midfield gaps at times. But even with the two starting center backs and the starting keeper out, three other starters clearly hampered by injuries (Kris Grahn, Filip Lindmark, and Isaac Blixt), and yet another starter relegated to only seventeen minutes of playing time off the bench due to a bad hammy (Siggy Pryser), NPU still had a clear talent advantage over Wheaton. Erik Kinhammar and Elvin Ahmeti were generally pretty effective as the center backs -- and Kinhammar's two header goals gave NPU an element of set-piece scoring that the Vikings really haven't had much this year. Ryan McNaughton and David Dawood stepped up and played terrifically at midfield, and Effy Restrepo made the save of the game while holding the near post during a Wheaton corner kick with four minutes left. Kris Grahn, who was obviously gimpy and playing with only a fraction of his usual speed and creative skill, showed that he has the heart of a lion. And, of course, Jonas Pettersson's twisting guided missile from twenty yards out in the first half was a highlight-reel goal if there ever was one.

I give Wheaton lots of credit for doggedness. You could sense that the Wheaton players feel that their backs are to the wall in terms of their season by the way that they took it up a notch and really outplayed North Park during the final twenty minutes of the match. As I said, they stuffed the box, and their offensive pressure was relentless. Of course, this led to several breakout counters by the Vikings, but I think that NPU's banged-up front line just didn't have enough juice to take advantage. Those final twenty minutes were nerve-wracking. As much as I loved the match, it couldn't end fast enough for my taste.

I also give Wheaton credit for deciding to do what UW-Whitewater did, which was to trust in the skill of its players by playing an honest and open match against the Vikings rather than retreating into a no-pressure defensive shell and gooning it up in a deliberate attempt to draw a nil-nil tie the way that Elmhurst did. Wheaton clearly has lots of speed and skill, and the Wheaties have legitimate reason to think that they can match up with anybody in a fairly-played contest. Of course, the flip side of that is that Wheaton really doesn't have much size, so Mike Giuliano couldn't tell his players to go thug against NPU even if he'd wanted to. Didn't stop Wheaton defender Dan Pavlak from hanging all over Jonas Pettersson like a cheap suit, of course, but I can't say that Wheaton played particularly dirty last night.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the atmosphere last night at Joe Bean Stadium. It was electric. There were about 1,700 people there last night, favoring the hosts by about a 2-1 margin. The fact that it was Wheaton's Homecoming soccer match probably helped the numbers, but that was a very impressive sea of royal blue and gold at the east end of the stadium. Foster's Finest absolutely rocked. If there's a better student section in all of D3 soccer, I'd like to see it. Foster's Finest definitely gets the Ripped From the Headlines Award for best topical cheer as well, with their "Occupy Wheaton!" chant. John Born and his players realize that they have something special with Foster's Finest (and all of the rest of the great fan support that NPU gets for soccer), and they really appreciate it. In turn, North Park fans are being treated to some tremendous soccer this year. I think that Wheaton senses that it's currently on the losing end of this rivalry not only on the pitch but in the stands as well.

Friday night's NPU Homecoming match against Augie promises to be another epic occasion.

Alright, gotta pierce some of this hot air before it floats off and gets entered into the Macy's Holiday Parade.
You may call Elmhurst goons, I'd say it's more they're going on coaches orders since they take on his on-field personality. Conversely, I will call North Park whiny crossed with some Charmin. Their European soccer-influenced flopping by the prima donnas (Petterson and Lindmark) was again on display on Saturday. Petterson is a great player, a born goal scorer, and basically insufferable. He spent a total of about 5 minutes of 3 different occasions hamming it up on the ground only to pop up as fresh as a daisy. And his big mouth earned him yet another yellow, this time for taunting after his goal, which was classy. There was a reason NPU's bench was yelling on the field for him to shut up.
Give credit to Wheaton's guts, but they played far too direct when they were down. Their final goal came because they went back out to left wing and then sent it in to Drew Golz, who is built like a Man and plays like it. Pavlak used every trick in the book while marking as usual. He's a player you hate on the opposing side but love when he's on your team. In general, Wheaton isn't what they used to be. Eric Brown and Rob Mouw aren't walking through that door.
And before I get plenty of hater-ade essays back via Sagar and others, just because everyone is lovin' on North Park on this board doesn't make you right. It makes you partisan like the rest of us. Just cuz you love your Vikings doesn't mean anyone else is gonna like them (and we don't).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 06:35:52 PM
First off - take it easy on writing books on here, thank god i dont post in this forum

Second - kind of embarrassing that the number 1 team (or one of the top teams) in the region in which this conference sits got whacked today by the DuHawks of the north. Loras crushed Dominican 5-0 if you've been under a rock today.

And North Park 6-0-1000 ties. Swedes no good at scoring? DuHawks can show them
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 06:50:38 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMYou may call Elmhurst goons, I'd say it's more they're going on coaches orders since they take on his on-field personality.

You could very well be correct about that. In fact, I heard secondhand from a couple of NPU players that Di Tomasso was applauding when Vikings went down, and that he was verbally encouraging them to continue hitting people. Doesn't make it right if the blame lies at the feet of the coach and not his players. It's cheap, it's dangerous, and he should be called on the carpet for it by the league office, if not his own school's administration.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMConversely, I will call North Park whiny crossed with some Charmin. Their European soccer-influenced flopping by the prima donnas (Petterson and Lindmark) was again on display on Saturday.

I don't deny that there's some acting involved on the part of the European NPU players. We all know how that goes in terms of how the game's played internationally; it's one of the things of which Americans love to make fun when they talk about soccer. However, Lindmark in particular was not flopping. He has played through a serious groin pull that kept him out of the first seven matches of the season and that forced him to take himself out of the match for good last night with thirteen minutes left.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMPetterson is a great player, a born goal scorer, and basically insufferable. He spent a total of about 5 minutes of 3 different occasions hamming it up on the ground only to pop up as fresh as a daisy. And his big mouth earned him yet another yellow, this time for taunting after his goal, which was classy. There was a reason NPU's bench was yelling on the field for him to shut up.

There's no question that Pettersson's gonna have to learn how to rein it in. He's already had to sit out one match due to accumulated yellows. He's a freshman; he'll learn.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMGive credit to Wheaton's guts, but they played far too direct when they were down. Their final goal came because they went back out to left wing and then sent it in to Drew Golz, who is built like a Man and plays like it.

True, but NPU wasn't giving up any room on the wings during those final stages. That's where a guy like Fredrik Greiff comes in real handy for the Vikings.

Golz is a terrific player, and I won't be sorry to see him graduate. He's particularly been a thorn in NPU's side.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMPavlak used every trick in the book while marking as usual. He's a player you hate on the opposing side but love when he's on your team.

Agreed.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMIn general, Wheaton isn't what they used to be. Eric Brown and Rob Mouw aren't walking through that door.

I'd agree with that, too, although Wheaton remains a very solid and very dangerous side. The interesting thing is that last year we all received a healthy dose of hype about how the talent among the underclassmen at Wheaton was absolutely massive. I'm just not seeing it. Sure, they're good, but not worthy of as much ballyhoo as they were given. Perhaps it's the sort of thing where they won't really make their mark until they're seniors.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMAnd before I get plenty of hater-ade essays back via Sagar and others, just because everyone is lovin' on North Park on this board doesn't make you right. It makes you partisan like the rest of us.

No hater-ade here. Just make sure that you spell my name right next time.

Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMJust cuz you love your Vikings doesn't mean anyone else is gonna like them (and we don't).

Excellent. Nobody expects you to.

It wouldn't be any fun to be on top if being there didn't bother the people below you.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 07:21:46 PM
Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 06:35:52 PM
First off - take it easy on writing books on here, thank god i dont post in this forum

There's a thing on the right-hand side of your computer screen -- that's the side with which you probably write and brush your teeth, if that helps -- that's called a scroll bar. Learn how to use it. It'll help when you see something with a lot of words and your eyes glaze over.

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 06:35:52 PMSecond - kind of embarrassing that the number 1 team (or one of the top teams) in the region in which this conference sits got whacked today by the DuHawks of the north. Loras crushed Dominican 5-0 if you've been under a rock today.

rel·e·vant [rel-uh-vuhnt] adj bearing upon or connected with the matter in hand; pertinent: a relevant remark.

Loras -- IIAC
Dominican -- NAthC
North Park and Wheaton -- CCIW
this board -- CCIW

See where you went wrong there?

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 06:35:52 PMAnd North Park 6-0-1000 ties. Swedes no good at scoring? DuHawks can show them

Please note the earlier post about NPU not playing Loras. This can easily be confirmed by checking a Loras pocket schedule, if you have one, or by checking the men's soccer page on the Loras website. If those options all prove too difficult for you, you can always ask someone connected to the Loras soccer program for help. It's good to ask questions, Idaho! That's how we learn!

Also, NPU does not have six wins. It has seven. If you keep going on your fingers, that's one more finger than you've already used. Got it? Good job, m'boy!

Finally, as for Swedes having an inherent inability to score, you might want to make note of the latest NCAA statistics for goals scored in D3:

rank  player, school  Cl  Games  Goals
1  Eros Olazabal, Manhattanville  Jr.  10  20
2  Mitch Grotti, Rutgers-Camden  So.  12  13
  Alex Oeswein, Thomas More  So.    9  13
  Andrew Pinella, Centenary (NJ)  Sr.  10  13
5  Alexander Rouse, Medaille  Sr.  12  12
6  Blaise Bourgeois, Purchase St.  So.    8  11
  Anthony Ferrer, Wm. Paterson  Sr.  11  11
  Nick Haggerty, Southern Vt.  Sr.  10  11
  Jonas Pettersson, North Park  Fr.  10  11
  Rob Santaniello, Ramapo  Jr.  10  11
  Karl Tooren, MacMurray  Sr.    8  11
  Clint Vatterrodt, Rose-Hulman  Sr.  11  11

Last night's goal means that Pettersson now has twelve goals in eleven games.

Thanks for playing, Idaho. Come back real soon!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deepthroat on October 09, 2011, 08:31:07 PM
In reference to the esteem poster from elmhurst, I wonder if people would hate the Park if they were losing instead of winning?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM

Gregory - You seem like a smart guy, pulling definitions out and looking up stats (I'm impressed  ;D). So let me break this down for you and follow along real close....

This board = CCIW
CCIW (North Park and Wheaton)  = Central Region

And for the connector......
Dominican - Central Region

Did the lightbulb go on? If that is too much, I'm sorry, I can dumb it now.

Dominican is ranked by NSCAA as the top team in the central region AND the highest ranked central region team on the top 25 of D3Soccer's latest poll. If the relevance hasn't crept into your brain yet it is still okay, just act like you get it and write a really long response to this.

And you really incriminated yourself by pulling up one goal scorer's stats. Lets look at my post again (which you dissected already) . I used the word "Swedes". The "s" at the end makes it plural. I will not go to the dictionary to explain this because it seems like you have one close. That is awesome one Swede (Notice without the "s") has some goals. Now back to my comment which you misinterpreted,
Loras - through 14 games has 50 goals
NPU ("Swedes" not "Swede" young greg) - has 27 goals through 12 games.
50>27

Is any of this making sense?

I hope you have some better analogies than your scroll bar one. You have to feel a little bit dumb right now, it is okay though, don't get mad. Put your helmet on before you start typing next time,

Thanks for playing, young greg. Come back real soon!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 09:46:33 PM
Quote from: deepthroat on October 09, 2011, 08:31:07 PM
In reference to the esteem poster from elmhurst, I wonder if people would hate the Park if they were losing instead of winning?

They wouldn't care about the Park at all, other than to occasionally poke fun at the Vikings (as is the case with football). The surest sign that your program is moving forward is if opposing fans start trying to pick it apart and/or complain about it. The "hey, your Swedes are too old to be playing against college boys" thread from last week was a good example of that.

In the past, everyone who cared about CCIW soccer but who didn't bleed orange directed their ire at Wheaton. Now it's directed at NPU. I love that. It's another sign of the changing of the guard. Of course, the downside is that everyone will dance a merry jig at your expense when you lose. That goes with the territory, too.

I think it's just a case of Parkers feeling disoriented by the cries of the haters, because -- let's face it -- being a doormat in most sports for so long has kept us from understanding what those cries of the haters really implies.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 09, 2011, 11:11:38 PM

Thanks for playing, young greg. Come back real soon!
[/quote]

Ha!  Sager, I bet you haven't been called that in awhile.  Must be your boyish good looks.
I, too, would love to see a NP-Loras matchup--since that would mean NP is in the national tourney.  Here's hoping that by then the Vikings will have everyone healthy.  By the way, what ranking system decides who hosts tournament games?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 09, 2011, 11:18:41 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 09:46:33 PM
Quote from: deepthroat on October 09, 2011, 08:31:07 PM
In reference to the esteem poster from elmhurst, I wonder if people would hate the Park if they were losing instead of winning?

They wouldn't care about the Park at all, other than to occasionally poke fun at the Vikings (as is the case with football). The surest sign that your program is moving forward is if opposing fans start trying to pick it apart and/or complain about it. The "hey, your Swedes are too old to be playing against college boys" thread from last week was a good example of that.

In the past, everyone who cared about CCIW soccer but who didn't bleed orange directed their ire at Wheaton. Now it's directed at NPU. I love that. It's another sign of the changing of the guard. Of course, the downside is that everyone will dance a merry jig at your expense when you lose. That goes with the territory, too.

I think it's just a case of Parkers feeling disoriented by the cries of the haters, because -- let's face it -- being a doormat in most sports for so long has kept us from understanding what those cries of the haters really implies.
Sager, you're taking this way too seriously. Nobody is jealous  nor hates np soccer. Don't get so defensive. Other than the fact that Jonas is a bonafide immature turd, i love np and enjoying their rise in soccer. honest.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 11:29:53 PM
Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM

Gregory - You seem like a smart guy, pulling definitions out and looking up stats (I'm impressed  ;D).

Given the ongoing kindergarten class that Loras fans have been conducting in the IIAC room ever since the frenzied finger-pointing that followed Wheaton's victory over the Duhawks, I'm impressed that you can recognize such things. ;)

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM
So let me break this down for you and follow along real close....

This board = CCIW
CCIW (North Park and Wheaton)  = Central Region

And for the connector......
Dominican - Central Region

You want to talk about the Central Region? Fine, start a Central Region room. I'll even post in it. But this is the CCIW room. The idea that we CCIW fans are somehow "under a rock today" if we weren't raptly paying attention to a game that involved two teams that aren't in this league is just eight different kinds of silly -- particularly since NPU beat Dominican several weeks ago.

You're screaming, "Look at my team! Look at my team!", but since you're not playing someone in this league, why should we? Take it up with the NAthC fans. I don't see Ohio Northern or Babson or Manhattanville fans in here begging for attention in such an unseemly fashion. Dominican's fortunes will only affect NPU somewhere far down the road if the Vikings aren't taking care of business.

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM
Did the lightbulb go on? If that is too much, I'm sorry, I can dumb it now.

Dominican is ranked by NSCAA as the top team in the central region AND the highest ranked central region team on the top 25 of D3Soccer's latest poll. If the relevance hasn't crept into your brain yet it is still okay, just act like you get it and write a really long response to this.

I certainly wouldn't write a long response, since you've already indicated that they put you to sleep. Since I'm two posts deep into Dumb It Down Mode for you now ;), I'll keep it short and sweet:

1) This is the CCIW room.
2) Dominican and Loras are not in the CCIW.
3) You have other venues, or potential venues, available to open up a discussion about Dominican vs. Loras.
4) NPU has already beaten Dominican. QED

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PMAnd you really incriminated yourself by pulling up one goal scorer's stats. Lets look at my post again (which you dissected already) . I used the word "Swedes". The "s" at the end makes it plural. I will not go to the dictionary to explain this because it seems like you have one close. That is awesome one Swede (Notice without the "s") has some goals.

Boy, for someone for whom long posts are the equivalent of a glass of warm milk, this really turned into a Russian novel on your part. ;D

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM
Now back to my comment which you misinterpreted,
Loras - through 14 games has 50 goals
NPU ("Swedes" not "Swede" young greg) - has 27 goals through 12 games.
50>27

Is any of this making sense?

Big freakin' deal. So the Duhawks have run up the score against the likes of Nebraska Wesleyan (3-9), St. Norbert (1-6-1), Buena Vista (4-7, with no wins over any D3 sides that have more than a single win to their credit), and Coe (4-6-1, no wins over any winning sides). You must be oh, so proud.

But, since you object to my only having cited one NPU Swede, here's another:

Kris Grahn: Reigning CCIW Player of the Year, 2010 d3soccer.com All-American, three-time All-CCIW first-teamer, scored 33 career goals to date, led CCIW in goals per game in 2009.

The rest of the Swedes who play forward or midfield for NPU, such as sophomores Filip Lindmark (an All-CCIW first-teamer as a freshman last season) and Robin Hals and freshman Isaac Blixt, haven't been around long enough to accumulate a lot of gaudy stats -- although the two assists Hals tallied against Wheaton last night puts him fifth in the league in points.

If you want to continue taking potshots at NPU's Swedes, sight unseen, making yourself look like an ignoramus in the process ::), that's just fine with me.

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PMI hope you have some better analogies than your scroll bar one. You have to feel a little bit dumb right now,

You're right, I do ... in the "wrestle with pigs, come up dirty" sense of the word. ;) But what really gets me is that I believed you when you said that you didn't like long posts ... and then you proceeded to provide one of your very own. Shame on me for that! ;D

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM
it is okay though, don't get mad. Put your helmet on before you start typing next time,

Huh? Now you're quoting David Bowie lyrics at me? Man, that's one non sequitur I did not see coming. ???

Quote from: IdahoSoccer on October 09, 2011, 09:45:58 PM
Thanks for playing, young greg. Come back real soon!

I'm here every day, Spudboy. Tomorrow I'll bring you some cookies to go with that glass of warm milk! ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 10, 2011, 12:04:44 AM
Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 11:18:41 PM
Sager, you're taking this way too seriously. Nobody is jealous  nor hates np soccer.

Seems like you have a bone to pick with blue_jays, then, not with me -- because he pretty clearly expressed the opposite opinion to what you're saying here.

And I encountered an awful lot of people who were wearing Wheaton apparel last night who were exhibiting antipathy towards NPU. Not all of them, of course, but enough of them. Again, that's OK with me. It is a rivalry, after all.

("Haters" doesn't literally refer to hatred, by the way. It's a current slang term that roughly means "a person who is envious of someone else's success.")

Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 11:18:41 PMDon't get so defensive.

I'm not. IdahoSoccer is clearly trolling, but you and guys like blue_jays clearly know soccer and follow the local schools. The more that guys like you post, the livelier and better this room gets. And with that comes give-and-take, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I relish it, in fact, as anyone who follows the CCIW basketball room will attest.

Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 11:18:41 PMOther than the fact that Jonas is a bonafide immature turd, i love np and enjoying their rise in soccer. honest.

Color me skeptical about your sincerity (about loving NPU and enjoying the Vikes' rise in soccer, not about calling Pettersson a turd ;)), but I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise. ;D

Quote from: thePietist on October 09, 2011, 11:11:38 PMHa!  Sager, I bet you haven't been called that in awhile.  Must be your boyish good looks.

His calling me young and your calling me good-looking is obviously all a part of a conspiracy to throw me off my game. ;)

Quote from: keeker on October 09, 2011, 11:18:41 PMI, too, would love to see a NP-Loras matchup--since that would mean NP is in the national tourney.  Here's hoping that by then the Vikings will have everyone healthy.  By the way, what ranking system decides who hosts tournament games?

The selection committee selects at-large schools (Pool B and Pool C) via five primary criteria. This is from last season's D3 men's soccer championship handbook (page 9):

QuoteThe primary criteria emphasize regional competition (all contests leading up to NCAA
championships); all criteria listed will be evaluated (not listed in priority order).
• Win-loss percentage against regional opponents.
• Strength-of-schedule (only contests versus regional competition).
- Opponents' Average Winning Percentage (OWP).
- Opponents' Opponents' Average Winning Percentage (OOWP).
[See Appendix A for explanation of OWP and OOWP calculations.]
• In-region head-to-head competition.
• In-region results versus common regional opponents.
• In-region results versus regionally ranked teams.
Note:
• Ranked opponents are defined as those teams ranked at the time of the rankings/
selection process only.
- Once a team is ranked in the sport's official rankings, it is always considered
ranked.
• Conference postseason contests are included.
• Contests versus provisional and reclassifying members in their third and fourth
years shall count in the primary criteria. Provisional and reclassifying members
shall remain ineligible for rankings and selections.

If that doesn't suffice to separate potential at-large selections, then the committee goes to secondary (non-regional) criteria.

The regional rankings referred to in the handbook are put out by the committee on three late-season Wednesdays. This year, presumably (the 2011 handbook isn't out yet, or at least it isn't available on the NCAA website), those three rankings will be released by the committee on October 19, October 26, and November 2.

Once all of the schools have been selected and seeded based upon the five primary criteria (Pool A schools are the ones that've won the automatic berths of their respective leagues), the host schools are determined thus:

QuotePairings and Site Selection
Once automatic qualifiers are identified and the Pools B and C teams are selected, the following guidelines should be followed:
• Teams will be grouped in clusters according to natural geographic proximity. Teams will then be paired according to geographic proximity. A team may be moved to numerically balance the bracket if geographic proximity is maintained. Teams should be paired and eligible sites should be selected according to geographic proximity (within 500 miles).
• Teams may be seeded on a regional basis using the regional selection criteria. However, geographic proximity takes precedence over seeding.
• Teams from the same conference do not have to play one another in the first round as long as geographic proximity is maintained.
• The highest-seeded team that meets all selection criteria (and after a review of the submitted host materials) will be selected as the host institution, provided geographic proximity is maintained. Flights will be kept to a minimum. The highest-seeded team at four-team sites will have the opportunity to select which game time it prefers.
The higher-seeded team will be listed at the top of the competition bracket.

Hope that makes sense!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on October 10, 2011, 09:31:56 AM
That long diatribe was very entertaining and educational, but I'm a little tired now, so I think I'll take a nap.  :-\
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on October 10, 2011, 10:56:29 AM

Big freakin' deal. So the Duhawks have run up the score against the likes of Nebraska Wesleyan (3-9), St. Norbert (1-6-1), Buena Vista (4-7, with no wins over any D3 sides that have more than a single win to their credit), and Coe (4-6-1, no wins over any winning sides). You must be oh, so proud.

Young greg - Not to quote you here or anything - but this is the CCIW forum.

Loras -IIAC

Why are you talking about Loras young greg?

But since you opened that door, lets explore it. DuHawks - in the past 5 years -  5 Straight Sweet 16s, 2 Elite 8s, 2 Final Fours. I believe Messiah (Not CCIW I know greg calm down), Calvin (Not CCIW I know greg calm down) are the only two other teams to be in the last 5 straight sweet 16s. Not for sure though. And looking to keep the streak a live this year.

North Park (CCIW) - I don't even know your national appearances (probably a couple one and done appearances?) but I'm sure they are not close to the ones above. 

So young greg, look at my team and then back to yours  :P   Strap your helmet in

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on October 10, 2011, 11:26:43 AM
This is another example of why teams in the north region have a difficult time attempting to root for Loras when they make the NCAA tournament.

Jumping into a thread that has nothing to do with them so they can talk about their team and bash any other team that is brought up... Doesn't make much sense.

I had a chance to meet some NPU fans when they traveled to Gustavus in 2006 for their NCAA game versus Wartburg.  They seemed like a decent group of people.  They actually had a section of fans that were cheering throughout the game which made for an enjoyable environment.  It was much more enjoyable then listening to Wartburg parents complain throughout the match. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on October 10, 2011, 12:14:41 PM
gg33, Are you saying some Loras fans are overbearing, immature, and act like they've never been there before?  ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on October 10, 2011, 12:18:27 PM
Correct.

Only some though.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 10, 2011, 12:38:38 PM
Ugh, now I have to defend Sager by default. How painful  ;). However, he doth own superior prose and reasoning to Mister Idaho.
After having seen both Loras and North Park this season, I'm a bit divided. Loras is stacked with seniors and Malcolm Calbert is studly. North Park has its equivalency in talent but is young and untested with so many new starters. On a neutral field, it's a real toss-up. The factors it would come down to are defense and health. Both teams can score and have great offensive players. When/if Grahn is healthy, he is probably the X-factor. I found Robin Hals impressive as well.
Dominican confuses me. They aren't as good as last year, but they are still elite and rock solid across the board. However, they've also put up a few stinkers, most notably to Loras. They are definite #3 behind both teams mentioned above.
Since Elmhurst hasn't had soccer very long, I don't have a real dog in this race. My dislike for North Park is mostly directed at select players. I prefer stoicism out of my players rather than a proclivity to whiny tantrums. I've got big respect for John Born and his ability to build his program to where it is now. I have equal respect for Dan Rothert who is simultaneously running two nationally-ranked programs.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on October 10, 2011, 12:44:16 PM
Luckily this isnt a popularity contest guys. Dont take this stuff to heart, everybody is getting a little worked up. If the teams in the North don't want to root for Loras in the NCAA tourny oh well (Young greg is going to kill me for mentioning the North in the CCIW forum, your fault GG), maybe the teams of the North should focus on making the tourny more and not rooting for other teams  ;D.

Quote from: d3fan1 on October 10, 2011, 12:14:41 PM
gg33, Are you saying some Loras fans are overbearing, immature, and act like they've never been there before?  ;D

If being overbearing, immature, "never been there before" is being in the last four straight sweet 16s, 2 of the last four final fours. I dont want to be anything else guys, guilty as charged.

"Closed mouths dont get fed"
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 10, 2011, 02:23:39 PM
Quote from: FreeScrimp on October 08, 2011, 11:02:23 PM
North Park 3 Wheaton 2.

Stats leaned Wheaton's way as far as shots and corner kicks, although Park capitalized on their opportunities. A few inches right and they'd be in overtime, but a post is a post. I love this rivalry and look forward to many more games in the future. First and foremost, It will be a joy to watch these two in the CCIW finals come November.

So what is it with the Thunders? Never seen them go this long without making noise in ncaas. Is it giuliano? He seems to recruit well but doesn't seem to know what to do with'em. Hussey and Clark were loved by richardson whereas cavers was basically pushed out. Musgrave was sought after player out west as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Christan Shirk on October 10, 2011, 08:35:59 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 10, 2011, 12:04:44 AMthe 2011 handbook isn't out yet, or at least it isn't available on the NCAA website

Actually it has been out for at least a couple weeks.  It has a slightly new name, now called a Pre-Championship Manual and it serves for both men and women.  And as seems to be the norm with the NCAA, they are always changing where they locate such stuff on their family of websites making it an adventure to find if in fact it has already been made available.  *sigh*

Anyway, here's the page that has the link to the manual:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/ncaa/sports+and+championship/soccer/mens/division+iii/index+-+diii+mens+soccer

And here's the direct link to the manual:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/3100a180486425439425ffb1fe52de76/MAN_PreChamps_DIII_Soccer_11.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=3100a180486425439425ffb1fe52de76

One new twist this year that I will draw your attention to: 
QuoteAPPENDIX C
Section C•1 MEN'S STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE MULTIPLIER

Beginning with the 2011 season, the calculation of strength of schedule for Division III men's soccer will include a statistical component giving more value to away games (i.e., games played on the road). A multiplier of 1.25 will be factored into the opponents' average winning percentage (OWP) and opponents' opponents' average winning percentage (OOWP) for away games and a multiplier of 0.85 be factored into the OWP and OOWP for home games.
Interesting.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on October 10, 2011, 11:00:24 PM
Quote from: GarbageGoals33 on October 10, 2011, 12:18:27 PM
Correct.

Only some though.
I feel so alone sometimes! :-(

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Wormburner on October 11, 2011, 08:54:28 AM
Oh com'on KICKIN, I'm always "sending the love" your way.  Circumstances, and the occasional burst of discretion, just keep me from posting 99% of what I know...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 11, 2011, 05:36:33 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 10, 2011, 12:38:38 PM
Ugh, now I have to defend Sager by default. How painful  ;).

We all have our crosses to bear. ;)

Quote from: blue_jays on October 10, 2011, 12:38:38 PMHowever, he doth own superior prose and reasoning to Mister Idaho.

For the record, two smacks of a troll is my limit -- they'll own the thread if you keep responding to them -- so I'm through bantering with Spudboy. But, as far as NPU and Loras is concerned, it is interesting that you've seen both sides, blue_jays, and thus have a basis for comparing them. Good to file that away for future use in case this matchup comes to fruition in the tourney and we need a preview from an eyewitness who has enough soccer acumen to speak intelligently about that matchup.

Quote from: Christan Shirk on October 10, 2011, 08:35:59 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 10, 2011, 12:04:44 AMthe 2011 handbook isn't out yet, or at least it isn't available on the NCAA website

Actually it has been out for at least a couple weeks.  It has a slightly new name, now called a Pre-Championship Manual and it serves for both men and women.  And as seems to be the norm with the NCAA, they are always changing where they locate such stuff on their family of websites making it an adventure to find if in fact it has already been made available.  *sigh*

Anyway, here's the page that has the link to the manual:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/ncaahome?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/ncaa/ncaa/sports+and+championship/soccer/mens/division+iii/index+-+diii+mens+soccer

And here's the direct link to the manual:
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/3100a180486425439425ffb1fe52de76/MAN_PreChamps_DIII_Soccer_11.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=3100a180486425439425ffb1fe52de76

One new twist this year that I will draw your attention to: 
QuoteAPPENDIX C
Section C•1 MEN'S STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE MULTIPLIER

Beginning with the 2011 season, the calculation of strength of schedule for Division III men's soccer will include a statistical component giving more value to away games (i.e., games played on the road). A multiplier of 1.25 will be factored into the opponents' average winning percentage (OWP) and opponents' opponents' average winning percentage (OOWP) for away games and a multiplier of 0.85 be factored into the OWP and OOWP for home games.
Interesting.

First of all, thanks, Christan, both for finding the new handbook Pre-Championship Manual on that labyrinthine mess of an NCAA website and for linking to it. Second, thanks for drawing our attention to the new SOS wrinkle. It's actually the same -- or at least very, very close -- to the SOS multiplier that D3 added for the men's basketball tournament last season, which makes me wonder if this is something that's coming down from a higher authority than the championship committees of the various D3 sports. I'll have to ask one of our oracles who can interpret NCAA Bureaucratese (Pat Coleman and Ralph Turner) if, indeed, the SOS multipliers are coming from a higher source or if it's just a case of the various D3 sports committees playing copycat.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 11, 2011, 06:44:37 PM
Congrats to NPU junior Erik Kinhammar, who today became the Park's fifth different player to win CCIW Player of the Week. He and Elvin Ahmeti have done a terrific job of filling in as the center backs since Jakob Aronsson and Carl Danberg were injured in the Elmhurst match.

Quote from: keeker on October 10, 2011, 02:23:39 PMSo what is it with the Thunders? Never seen them go this long without making noise in ncaas. Is it giuliano? He seems to recruit well but doesn't seem to know what to do with'em. Hussey and Clark were loved by richardson whereas cavers was basically pushed out. Musgrave was sought after player out west as well.

In defense of Giuliano, he has had size 18EEE shoes to fill. Joe Bean set stratospheric standards that any coach would have a difficult time meeting: Wheaton made appearances in 29 of the first 33 D3 tourneys during his tenure, and won two of them, and set the NCAA record for consecutive matches without a loss in the late '90s. And he accomplished this in spite of the fact that for the first twenty years he was at Wheaton he had to run the program without the CCIW's auspices, and even after the CCIW began sponsoring the sport it took another dozen years before any of the other programs became competent enough to give Wheaton a good annual challenge. The only other CCIW coach who has developed a better legacy is North Central men's cross-country coach Al Carius. With a predecessor like that, it's almost inevitable that a coach will fall short by comparison, so in a way your criticism of Giuliano really isn't fair.

But, yeah, it's been awhile since Wheaton's made any noise in the tournament. In Giuliano's first year (2007) Wheaton was eliminated in the second round, and in the following two years it was eliminated in the first round. Last year, of course, Wheaton failed to make the tourney for the first time since 1992, and if the Orange and Blue are unable to win the CCIW tourney next month it'll mean their first back-to-back seasons left sitting at home during the D3 tournament since 1979 and 1980. This is the first time that Wheaton has gone three years without a tourney win since the D3 soccer tourney began in 1974, and Giuliano's program is in danger of 2011 becoming the fourth year of that string.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 11, 2011, 07:01:28 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 11, 2011, 06:44:37 PM
Congrats to NPU junior Erik Kinhammar, who today became the Park's fifth different player to win CCIW Player of the Week. He and Elvin Ahmeti have done a terrific job of filling in as the center backs since Jakob Aronsson and Carl Danberg were injured in the Elmhurst match.

Quote from: keeker on October 10, 2011, 02:23:39 PMSo what is it with the Thunders? Never seen them go this long without making noise in ncaas. Is it giuliano? He seems to recruit well but doesn't seem to know what to do with'em. Hussey and Clark were loved by richardson whereas cavers was basically pushed out. Musgrave was sought after player out west as well.

In defense of Giuliano, he has had size 18EEE shoes to fill. Joe Bean set stratospheric standards that any coach would have a difficult time meeting: Wheaton made appearances in 29 of the first 33 D3 tourneys during his tenure, and won two of them, and set the NCAA record for consecutive matches without a loss in the late '90s. And he accomplished this in spite of the fact that for the first twenty years he was at Wheaton he had to run the program without the CCIW's auspices, and even after the CCIW began sponsoring the sport it took another dozen years before any of the other programs became competent enough to give Wheaton a good annual challenge. The only other CCIW coach who has developed a better legacy is North Central men's cross-country coach Al Carius. With a predecessor like that, it's almost inevitable that a coach will fall short by comparison, so in a way your criticism of Giuliano really isn't fair.

But, yeah, it's been awhile since Wheaton's made any noise in the tournament. In Giuliano's first year (2007) Wheaton was eliminated in the second round, and in the following two years it was eliminated in the first round. Last year, of course, Wheaton failed to make the tourney for the first time since 1992, and if the Orange and Blue are unable to win the CCIW tourney next month it'll mean their first back-to-back seasons left sitting at home during the D3 tournament since 1979 and 1980. This is the first time that Wheaton has gone three years without a tourney win since the D3 soccer tourney began in 1974, and Giuliano's program is in danger of 2011 becoming the fourth year of that string.

I, personally, believe that Wheaton does not have the same level of talent of 3 or 4 years ago. Hence, they are not performing because they are simply not as talented as a North Park or any of their 5 other loses.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 11, 2011, 10:02:58 PM
The Wheaton success story has shifted over to the women's side for the time being.

The men had a national championship in the 1980s and were a potent team during that decade. And after two or three years of rest, they awakened and were a top 5 team from 95 through 99, playing in two national championships, winning one and losing the other.

Picking up where the boys left off, the women got into the quarters in 2000, and won the crown in 2004, 2006, and 2007. They played again for the title in 2008 and lost (an interesting fact; those nasty evangelicals ;) have won every women's championship since 2004! Messiah, Wheaton, and Hardin-Simmons are on quite a roll).

But if one examines the success of these Wheaton teams, it always come down to one or maybe two special players that make that small difference; that one subtle advantage over the field of opponents, which is always tough (Loras, Messiah, Dominican, Trinity, Messiah, Williams, Wash U., etc.). I think what we are seeing in Wheaton play now is the absence of that one player who can win the match when needed, or that one leader who can rally the troops to greatness.

I've seen many teams over the years that have a ton of talent, and yet never make it to the Final Four, much less win a championship. Even with special talent, there are plenty of other variables that can get in the way. Talk to the York (Pa.) men's team or the Johns Hopkins women's team; two programs that have been dominant over the last seven years in men's and women's play; truly been at the top in terms of talent. Yet no rings!

Wheaton was blessed with a small handful of great individuals over the years. I believe that now as North Park is building a tradition and supporting that tradition with strong recruiting, they will continuously improve. It has been more than a few years now that the Park has been better than good. Thus, I'll bet they will "surprisingly" end up with that one player who will indeed get them to the top. And it won't be an accident.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 12, 2011, 12:05:48 AM
Yes i agree that Giuliano has big shoes to fill. But he does get cream of the crop players. I see him all the time at DA games trying to recruit and he does get some of em. But then I see so many other d3 coaches hanging around at da games as well. Maybe you're right Jim. He needs that one or two players to take the team to the elite level. His recruiting class this year was so so and i heard he lost couple recruits to u chicago and carleton. Yep, npu is building something there and it's going to be interesting next few seasons.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 12, 2011, 10:51:26 AM
Quote from: keeker on October 12, 2011, 12:05:48 AM
Yes i agree that Giuliano has big shoes to fill. But he does get cream of the crop players. I see him all the time at DA games trying to recruit and he does get some of em. But then I see so many other d3 coaches hanging around at da games as well. Maybe you're right Jim. He needs that one or two players to take the team to the elite level. His recruiting class this year was so so and i heard he lost couple recruits to u chicago and carleton. Yep, npu is building something there and it's going to be interesting next few seasons.

What are DA games?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 12, 2011, 12:46:26 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 12, 2011, 10:51:26 AM
What are DA games?

DA = developmental academy. You know, the be all and end all of youth soccer run by ussf which will win us world cup trophy in about... oh.. 100 more years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 12, 2011, 12:57:23 PM
Quote from: keeker on October 12, 2011, 12:46:26 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 12, 2011, 10:51:26 AM
What are DA games?

DA = developmental academy. You know, the be all and end all of youth soccer run by ussf which will win us world cup trophy in about... oh.. 100 more years.
If that's not bulletin board for the US national team, I don't know what is. :o
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Wormburner on October 12, 2011, 04:15:40 PM
Interesting thought, what will come first, US World Cup Win or Chicago Cubs World Series Win???
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 12, 2011, 05:05:04 PM
I watched "Catching Hell" the other night.  It is a recent documentary about Steve Bartman and the Game Six debacle.  Some fantastic footage comes from a fan who chronicled the infamous game with a video recorder.  The security guard who escorted a disguised Bartman away from Wrigley was interviewed. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 12, 2011, 05:54:34 PM
Quote from: Wormburner on October 12, 2011, 04:15:40 PM
Interesting thought, what will come first, US World Cup Win or Chicago Cubs World Series Win???

My vote is the Cubs world series if for no other reason than they get to try every year. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 12, 2011, 07:43:20 PM
The NCAA has vacated the two ties NPU had against Methodist and North Carolina Wesleyan last month on account of the fact that in neither match were overtimes played, because Methodist wanted to keep its two-day tournament on a prearranged timetable. Thus, NPU's record is now 8-0-3.

Those ties more than likely weren't going to matter, anyway, since they were not in-region. Nevertheless, it's good to get rid of them (although it's going to hurt Jonas Pettersson in the national goals and scoring lists). This doesn't erase the fact that the Vikings didn't play well that weekend in the Tarheel State, but it makes the record look a little tidier.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 13, 2011, 01:54:46 PM
Greg, are there any negative ramifications for North Park having played two fewer games (or for having two fewer games recorded)?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 13, 2011, 05:11:22 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 13, 2011, 01:54:46 PM
Greg, are there any negative ramifications for North Park having played two fewer games (or for having two fewer games recorded)?

I can't think of any.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 14, 2011, 07:33:21 PM
Off to watch npu men crush augustana boys. Not as windy as I expected and no rain in sight. Should be fun.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 14, 2011, 10:46:50 PM
That move by the NCAA has really helped North Park's overall record. 8-0-3 seems more reflective of the strength of the team. As Greg said, the matches were out of the region, but still....

No issue at all with two fewer matches. The NESCAC plays even fewer matches in their conference schedule.

Maybe this is the year for the Vikings? Maybe this is the year for an upgraded Vikings website??
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on October 14, 2011, 11:01:28 PM
north park beats the vi-queens from rock island 3-1 tonight
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 15, 2011, 07:50:25 AM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 14, 2011, 11:01:28 PM
north park beats the vi-queens from rock island 3-1 tonight
It looks like the game got chippy in the second half (75th minute): one yellow card on Augie, then two red cards, one for each team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 15, 2011, 07:01:18 PM
Quote from: mr_b on October 15, 2011, 07:50:25 AM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 14, 2011, 11:01:28 PM
north park beats the vi-queens from rock island 3-1 tonight
It looks like the game got chippy in the second half (75th minute): one yellow card on Augie, then two red cards, one for each team.

It was an ugly incident, that's for sure. It got pretty chippy in the stands, too. I was the P.A. announcer, and I was flabbergasted when an Augie mom went up to the window of the press box and flipped us off after Augie scored its goal. Maybe she thought that I didn't put enough emphasis into my identification of the Augie goal scorer. Or maybe she was IdahoSoccer's mom. :D

At any rate, it's good that NPU will get a week off ... and next Saturday's match against winless and undermanned Millikin (only seventeen guys left on the roster after the Big Blue's head coach purged seven players from the team) doesn't appear to be one that'll require maximum effort. The Vikings are still pretty banged-up, so this hiatus will provide a much-needed healing respite.

Quote from: Jim Matson on October 14, 2011, 10:46:50 PMMaybe this is the year for the Vikings? Maybe this is the year for an upgraded Vikings website??

NPU soccer needs its own webmaster who'll do for the team's Internet presence what Dr. B has done for the North Park baseball team. And, no, I won't be that guy. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 15, 2011, 10:04:01 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 15, 2011, 07:01:18 PM
Quote from: mr_b on October 15, 2011, 07:50:25 AM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 14, 2011, 11:01:28 PM
north park beats the vi-queens from rock island 3-1 tonight
It looks like the game got chippy in the second half (75th minute): one yellow card on Augie, then two red cards, one for each team.

It was an ugly incident, that's for sure. It got pretty chippy in the stands, too. I was the P.A. announcer, and I was flabbergasted when an Augie mom went up to the window of the press box and flipped us off after Augie scored its goal. Maybe she thought that I didn't put enough emphasis into my identification of the Augie goal scorer. Or maybe she was IdahoSoccer's mom. :D

At any rate, it's good that NPU will get a week off ... and next Saturday's match against winless and undermanned Millikin (only seventeen guys left on the roster after the Big Blue's head coach purged seven players from the team) doesn't appear to be one that'll require maximum effort. The Vikings are still pretty banged-up, so this hiatus will provide a much-needed healing respite.

Quote from: Jim Matson on October 14, 2011, 10:46:50 PMMaybe this is the year for the Vikings? Maybe this is the year for an upgraded Vikings website??

NPU soccer needs its own webmaster who'll do for the team's Internet presence what Dr. B has done for the North Park baseball team. And, no, I won't be that guy. ;)
It takes a lot of time to put together and maintain a site.  :P
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 16, 2011, 09:48:12 AM
Illinois Wesleyan downed Elmhurst 1-0 in what started to be a pretty chippy game.  41 fouls and 7 yellow cards - the referee was in danger of losing complete control in the first half.  For reasons I can't explain, it seemed both sides settled down and played soccer the final 30 minutes of the match, with IWU getting a goal in the 78th minute by Kyle Gorgol.  With four goals in two matches this week, I would assume he would receive POW consideration.

IWU has Augie at home next Saturday (after traveling to nationally ranked Wash U. Wednesday), then wraps up at Wheaton and home against Carthage.  Clearly, only one team is out of contention for the tournament - this is always an interesting week in the schedule.

Something else interesting - if you look at the CCIW Composite Schedule (on the CCIW site) only Wheaton is listed as being scheduled for the CCIW Tournament game November 2nd.  Programming glitch, or just an annual assumption by conference staff?   :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 16, 2011, 11:44:55 PM
Thanks for comment re: the Augie fan, Greg.  I attended the game with a former NPC soccer player who now uses a scooter due to MS.  He can no longer walk with a cane.  Since the northern half of the bleachers were filled with NP fans, we sat on the other half, which was dominated by parents of Augie players, I presume.  (Yes, much older than undergrads.)  Within ten seconds of our seating, an Augie fan yells, "How old are you?  How old are you?"  I thought he directed his burst at #21.  I checked the program to confirm that the player who had just made the play that did not favor Augie was #21, Lindmark.  I think Lindmark is a rail thin true sophomore.  NP could have won this game 5-1 or greater.  The Chi-town Vikes missed two open net shots (one a header at numbers high) in the first half.  Another Augie fan kept yelling angrily "stop the clock" throughout the game when NP had a free kick.  Her rules do not comport to mine.   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 17, 2011, 03:31:16 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 16, 2011, 11:44:55 PM
Thanks for comment re: the Augie fan, Greg.  I attended the game with a former NPC soccer player who now uses a scooter due to MS.  He can no longer walk with a cane.  Since the northern half of the bleachers were filled with NP fans, we sat on the other half, which was dominated by parents of Augie players, I presume.  (Yes, much older than undergrads.)  Within ten seconds of our seating, an Augie fan yells, "How old are you?  How old are you?"  I thought he directed his burst at #21.  I checked the program to confirm that the player who had just made the play that did not favor Augie was #21, Lindmark.  I think Lindmark is a rail thin true sophomore.  NP could have won this game 5-1 or greater.  The Chi-town Vikes missed two open net shots (one a header at numbers high) in the first half.  Another Augie fan kept yelling angrily "stop the clock" throughout the game when NP had a free kick.  Her rules do not comport to mine.

Regarding parents - Although they aren't perfect, NPU parents seem to be a quiet bunch.

When I am able to attend an NPU game, I tend to sit near the players' parents.  There usually aren't too many in attendance since NPU draws from across the US and a certain Scandinavian country.

I remember a handful of years ago when Adam Sinovic was on the team.  His father drove from Kansas and attended about every game and usually stood near the press box and quietly watched.  In one game the ref called a dubious foul against Adam and Adam started arguing with the Ref.  Adam's father yelled "Quiet Adam" and Adam about broke his neck as he quickly turned to see his father in the stands and immediate got back into his position.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2011, 10:33:59 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 16, 2011, 09:48:12 AMSomething else interesting - if you look at the CCIW Composite Schedule (on the CCIW site) only Wheaton is listed as being scheduled for the CCIW Tournament game November 2nd.  Programming glitch, or just an annual assumption by conference staff?   :)

Ha! I thought the same thing when I saw that back in September. ;D

Quote from: Gotberg on October 17, 2011, 03:31:16 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 16, 2011, 11:44:55 PM
Thanks for comment re: the Augie fan, Greg.  I attended the game with a former NPC soccer player who now uses a scooter due to MS.  He can no longer walk with a cane.  Since the northern half of the bleachers were filled with NP fans, we sat on the other half, which was dominated by parents of Augie players, I presume.  (Yes, much older than undergrads.)  Within ten seconds of our seating, an Augie fan yells, "How old are you?  How old are you?"  I thought he directed his burst at #21.  I checked the program to confirm that the player who had just made the play that did not favor Augie was #21, Lindmark.  I think Lindmark is a rail thin true sophomore.  NP could have won this game 5-1 or greater.  The Chi-town Vikes missed two open net shots (one a header at numbers high) in the first half.  Another Augie fan kept yelling angrily "stop the clock" throughout the game when NP had a free kick.  Her rules do not comport to mine.

Regarding parents - Although they aren't perfect, NPU parents seem to be a quiet bunch.

Definitely true, and, what's more, I'd say that it's true of NPU sports parents in general ... although the football moms and dads can get a little animated at times.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 17, 2011, 03:31:16 PMThere usually aren't too many in attendance since NPU draws from across the US and a certain Scandinavian country.

Filip Lindmark's dad and little sister flew in for the match on Friday night. It was the first time that either one had visited America, much less set foot on the NPU campus. That made me feel even worse when I saw Lindmark take himself out of action for good yet again early in a match. You know that he's hurting when he can't play in a contest that his family flew over four thousand miles to see.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 17, 2011, 03:31:16 PMI remember a handful of years ago when Adam Sinovic was on the team.  His father drove from Kansas and attended about every game and usually stood near the press box and quietly watched.  In one game the ref called a dubious foul against Adam and Adam started arguing with the Ref.  Adam's father yelled "Quiet Adam" and Adam about broke his neck as he quickly turned to see his father in the stands and immediate got back into his position.

That's a great story. I've known a couple of other North Park dads who've driven or flown long distances to catch every one of their sons' soccer matches. The father of current NPU keeper Tim Ahlberg, who lives in a suburb of Toledo, not only never misses a match, he never misses a chance to have dinner at Charcoal Delights as part of the trip. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on October 17, 2011, 10:46:36 PM
of course Jon Ahlberg is also a North Park alum - in our day charcoal delights was known as The Hot Dog Pit, or just the Pit.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 17, 2011, 10:57:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2011, 10:33:59 PM

Quote from: Gotberg on October 17, 2011, 03:31:16 PMI remember a handful of years ago when Adam Sinovic was on the team.  His father drove from Kansas and attended about every game and usually stood near the press box and quietly watched.  In one game the ref called a dubious foul against Adam and Adam started arguing with the Ref.  Adam's father yelled "Quiet Adam" and Adam about broke his neck as he quickly turned to see his father in the stands and immediate got back into his position.

That's a great story. I've known a couple of other North Park dads who've driven or flown long distances to catch every one of their sons' soccer matches. The father of current NPU keeper Tim Ahlberg, who lives in a suburb of Toledo, not only never misses a match, he never misses a chance to have dinner at Charcoal Delights as part of the trip. ;)

When Adam's father was in Chicago, his mother was usually watching their son Seth's home/away games for Creighton.  Thankfully for them, he now plays for their local MLS team so travel is less often I assume, but potentially much further if they still make away trips.

http://www.sportingkc.com/players/seth-sinovic
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2011, 11:03:03 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 17, 2011, 10:46:36 PM
of course Jon Ahlberg is also a North Park alum - in our day charcoal delights was known as The Hot Dog Pit, or just the Pit.

Non-Parkers can't be expected to know the old name ... although I'm always surprised when I refer to "the Pit" in the presence of a current NPU student or a recent alumnus/alumna, and he or she is already aware of the fact that it's the long-obsolete name of Charcoal Delights. Somebody is keeping that name alive on campus.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on October 18, 2011, 11:25:07 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2011, 11:03:03 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 17, 2011, 10:46:36 PM
of course Jon Ahlberg is also a North Park alum - in our day charcoal delights was known as The Hot Dog Pit, or just the Pit.

Non-Parkers can't be expected to know the old name ... although I'm always surprised when I refer to "the Pit" in the presence of a current NPU student or a recent alumnus/alumna, and he or she is already aware of the fact that it's the long-obsolete name of Charcoal Delights. Somebody is keeping that name alive on campus.

could be the large photo on the wall near the front cash register is a good reminder as well

There are those of us ancients that also remember Red's Drive In was right next to the Old Pit (where the driveway entrance to CD is now).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 18, 2011, 12:37:15 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 16, 2011, 09:48:12 AM
Something else interesting - if you look at the CCIW Composite Schedule (on the CCIW site) only Wheaton is listed as being scheduled for the CCIW Tournament game November 2nd.  Programming glitch, or just an annual assumption by conference staff?   :)

If you look at the websites of Augustana, Carthage, Illinois Wesleyan, North Park and Wheaton, you will find on their soccer schedules that they have CCIW Tournament posted. They are merely putting out the information so that people can plan their futures schedules accordingly if their team qualifies.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2011, 02:22:52 PM
That's true, but it's not really germane to the point that voiceofseason was making. He was referring to the odd singling-out of Wheaton on the CCIW composite schedule found on the men's soccer page on www.cciw.org. Although the location of the CCIW tourney is listed as TBA on the composite schedule, Wheaton is listed in the slot where the home side appears. (http://www.cciw.org/calendar.aspx?path=msoc&season=2011&) There aren't any other schools listed except for Wheaton; the visiting side's slot says "CCIW Tournament". I agree with voiceofseason that it's probably just a funny programming glitch, but the fact that traditional CCIW soccer leviathan Wheaton is the one school of the eight that is listed there is what makes it funny.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 18, 2011, 10:18:24 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2011, 02:22:52 PM
That's true, but it's not really germane to the point that voiceofseason was making. He was referring to the odd singling-out of Wheaton on the CCIW composite schedule found on the men's soccer page on www.cciw.org. Although the location of the CCIW tourney is listed as TBA on the composite schedule, Wheaton is listed in the slot where the home side appears. (http://www.cciw.org/calendar.aspx?path=msoc&season=2011&) There aren't any other schools listed except for Wheaton; the visiting side's slot says "CCIW Tournament". I agree with voiceofseason that it's probably just a funny programming glitch, but the fact that traditional CCIW soccer leviathan Wheaton is the one school of the eight that is listed there is what makes it funny.
What Greg said.   ;D

Travelng tomorrow to St. Louis to see what Wash U has to offer as the region's top team vs IWU.  It'll be interesting to assess their athleticism after seeing North Park earlier in the year.  IWU is without a couple starters (concussion, yellow card accumulation) in addition to being down to one GK as the season progresses.  As if a trip to Wash U wasn't enough of a challenge.....
Title: Re: Central Region (NAthCon update)
Post by: WLCALUM83 on October 20, 2011, 06:53:30 AM
NAthCon update:

Dominican, CUW, MSOE and Aurora have clinched conference tournament spots:

Remaining schedules for 4 contenders for 2 spots:

Benedictine:  vs. MSOE, vs. Rockford
Edgewood:    vs. Rockford, @ Maranatha
Marian:         @ Maranatha, vs. Lakeland
Lakeland:      vs. WLC, @ Marian

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Whocares1 on October 20, 2011, 07:59:15 PM
[q

It was an ugly incident, that's for sure. It got pretty chippy in the stands, too. I was the P.A. announcer, and I was flabbergasted when an Augie mom went up to the window of the press box and flipped us off after Augie scored its goal. Maybe she thought that I didn't put enough emphasis into my identification of the Augie goal scorer. Or maybe she was IdahoSoccer's mom. :D

Maybe she was just a little bit excited that Augie scored its first goal against NPU in two years and was celebrating the fact with the count.  I guess she did a double flip last night against Wheaton!

[/quote]
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 20, 2011, 11:12:46 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 18, 2011, 10:18:24 PM
Travelng tomorrow to St. Louis to see what Wash U has to offer as the region's top team vs IWU.  It'll be interesting to assess their athleticism after seeing North Park earlier in the year.  IWU is without a couple starters (concussion, yellow card accumulation) in addition to being down to one GK as the season progresses.  As if a trip to Wash U wasn't enough of a challenge.....

Interested to hear what you thought of Wash U, who (on paper, at least) seemed to handle IWU with ease.  How does the CCIW (esp NPU) compare to Wash U?   Quite interested to see what comes of the Wash U v Loras match in a few weeks, especially now that Loras has shown to be vulnerable with a conference loss to Luther.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on October 20, 2011, 11:30:57 PM
  Quite interested to see what comes of the Wash U v Loras match in a few weeks, especially now that Loras has shown to be vulnerable with a conference loss to Luther.
[/quote]
Wash U v Loras match isn't a few weeks away, it is 3 days (sunday).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 21, 2011, 03:09:10 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 20, 2011, 11:12:46 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 18, 2011, 10:18:24 PM
Travelng tomorrow to St. Louis to see what Wash U has to offer as the region's top team vs IWU.  It'll be interesting to assess their athleticism after seeing North Park earlier in the year.  IWU is without a couple starters (concussion, yellow card accumulation) in addition to being down to one GK as the season progresses.  As if a trip to Wash U wasn't enough of a challenge.....

Interested to hear what you thought of Wash U, who (on paper, at least) seemed to handle IWU with ease.  How does the CCIW (esp NPU) compare to Wash U?   Quite interested to see what comes of the Wash U v Loras match in a few weeks, especially now that Loras has shown to be vulnerable with a conference loss to Luther.

I was impressed with Wash U - they are deep.  IWU was without a couple starters and actually would have tied the game 1-1 if not for a great save by the Wash U goalie, who proceeded to kick off a transition that ended up being an incredible goal at the other end (bullet cross to a header).  The game went from being potentially tied to being a 2-0 match in a matter of 30 seconds, and ended 3-0 (another quick strike from about the 18 that IWU's GK wasn't apparently prepared for).  Wash U's GK had another great save as well - while Wash U had the better end of things, IWU competed and easily could have gotten out of there with a tie if they got a break or two.  Clearly, the best team won though.

I would be hard pressed to bet on a NP-Wash U game.  My inclination is that I was more impressed with the physical abilities of the North Park team, but I also thought Wash U was incredibly organized and the GK was simply stellar Wednesday night.  If I had to pick a winner, I'd go with NP simply because I think they could strike so quickly.  I know it would be a dogfight, and a game I'd enjoy watching....

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2011, 07:03:24 PM
In the NCAA's first weekly ranking, released two days ago, (http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-men/d3/regional_rankings) NPU was second in the Central Region behind Washington (MO) (13-1). (This is in spite of the fact that NPU has the common-opponent criterion advantage over Wash U; the Vikings beat Dominican, and the Stars handed the Bears their only loss of the season back in September,) Thus, the Vikings are rooting for Loras to win that big match on Sunday in Iowa between the Duhawks and the Bears. A Loras win would presumably put NPU in the driver's seat in terms of next week's second NCAA ranking.

Wash U does have a tough row to hoe in terms of its remaining schedule. After traveling to Loras (#1 North Region, 13-2-2) on Sunday, the Bears will host Rochester (#4 East Region, 8-3-1) a week from tonight and Case Western Reserve (#6 Great Lakes Region, 11-3) a week from Sunday. The Bears then conclude the regular season on the road in Hyde Park against a 6-6-2 Chicago side that has really stumbled badly over the past month but which has demonstrated that it's capable of playing at a much higher level than its record indicates.

North Park (9-0-3) travels to Decatur tomorrow to face hapless Millikin (0-14) and then moves on to Kenosha on Wednesday night to face a tough test in Carthage (9-5-2) before winding up the regular season at home against North Central (9-3-2) a week from tomorrow. But here's where NPU's road gets tougher and Wash U's gets easier; the UAA doesn't have a conference tournament, and the CCIW does. Even if NPU gets to host it, that's two more tough matches before Selection Day.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2011, 10:57:49 PM
Alas, NPU's undefeated status ended tonight with a 1-0 loss to Carthage. I knew that this would be a tough match, particularly since it was played up at Art Keller Field in Kenosha. Now the Vikings have to close out strong at home against North Central and root for Illinois Wesleyan to beat the Red Men down in Bloomington on Saturday in order for NPU to host the CCIW tourney.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on October 26, 2011, 11:41:00 PM
Why didn't Pederson and Lindstrom play? I went to the game and was looking forward to seeing them. I thought North Park's attack was pretty anemic tonight. Carthage played very strong in the back though and didn't give them a chance to get untracked.
Is it that North Park really missed those two? What do they do differently with them in the line-up?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 12:03:55 AM
Quote from: d3fan1 on October 26, 2011, 11:41:00 PM
Why didn't Pederson and Lindstrom play? I went to the game and was looking forward to seeing them. I thought North Park's attack was pretty anemic tonight. Carthage played very strong in the back though and didn't give them a chance to get untracked.
Is it that North Park really missed those two? What do they do differently with them in the line-up?

Pettersson (not Pederson) was out due to a red card that he took on Saturday at Millikin, presumably after arguing a yellow (the time given for both cards is the same, so it's pretty easy to deduce what happened). There's absolutely no excuse for that on his part. He really hurt the team by putting himself in the situation where he had to sit out tonight's match. I don't know what the circumstances were, but it doesn't matter. Regardless of what the Big Blue were doing to him, he had to stay above it and keep his cool -- he's too important to NPU's fortunes to miss an important match like tonight's for a non-injury-related reason, especially with Lindmark out and Grahn playing on a bad knee that is seriously hampering his game.

Lindmark (not Lindstrom) has been in and out of the lineup all season long with a nagging groin injury. He didn't play against Millikin, either.

With two of them out and the third hobbled, NPU loses a considerable amount of its offensive punch. Please note that I'm not making excuses for NPU; you have to play with the guys you have on the field, regardless of the circumstances, and I'm sure that Carthage won this one fair and square.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 27, 2011, 10:26:11 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2011, 10:57:49 PM
Alas, NPU's undefeated status ended tonight with a 1-0 loss to Carthage. I knew that this would be a tough match, particularly since it was played up at Art Keller Field in Kenosha. Now the Vikings have to close out strong at home against North Central and root for Illinois Wesleyan to beat the Red Men down in Bloomington on Saturday in order for NPU to host the CCIW tourney.

Clearly, IWU will be motivated and needs a victory Saturday to make the conference tournament.  It was a nice battle last night, and Wheaton put in a goal through traffic on a short clearance in the the last 10 minutes.  IWU had a couple chances themselves, but just didn't get it done.

This is the third year in a row that IWU has gone down to the last game needing a result against Carthage.  Hopefully playing at home can get them over the hump....

I believe an IWU tie and an Augie win would also put the Titans through, but you certainly can't count on that.  IWU needs a win at home.

It's interesting how a season can actually be broken down to a couple plays - had IWU put one of their chances in and clear that ball that Wheaton ultimately scored on, the Thunder's season would be over.  Situations like these make the game that much more enjoyable watching....

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 02:53:07 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 27, 2011, 10:26:11 AM
It's interesting how a season can actually be broken down to a couple plays - had IWU put one of their chances in and clear that ball that Wheaton ultimately scored on, the Thunder's season would be over.  Situations like these make the game that much more enjoyable watching....

Yep, it's definitely a strange new world for Wheaton, having to win twice in the last week and then get some help from somebody else just to get into the CCIW tourney. There's never been a CCIW tourney that didn't include Wheaton. Heck, there's never been a CCIW tourney championship match that didn't involve Wheaton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 27, 2011, 03:52:38 PM
Why would Pettersson, playing for an undefeated team, engage in a play against a winless team, that results in him getting booted from an important game against a good team?

Can anyone describe what he did to deserve the red card?  Was it a questionable call or is Pettersson an uncontrollable hothead?  (I believe he got kicked out of another game.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 04:06:50 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2011, 03:52:38 PM
Why would Pettersson, playing for an undefeated team, engage in a play against a winless team, that results in him getting booted from an important game against a good team?

I wish I knew, Mark. I wish I knew.

Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2011, 03:52:38 PMCan anyone describe what he did to deserve the red card?  Was it a questionable call or is Pettersson an uncontrollable hothead?  (I believe he got kicked out of another game.)

I wasn't there -- with an announced attendance of 30, sounds like hardly anybody was at that match down in Decatur -- and I haven't heard anything about it from anyone connected to the NPU program. As I said before, I drew the logical inference that Pettersson was red-carded for complaining about the yellow card he'd just been given, as the times listed for the two cards are identical in the box score. As for your last question, I don't see it as being an either/or situation. Regardless of how questionable a call it was, there are no circumstances whatsoever that warrant having a red card follow upon the heels of getting a yellow card. You shut up, you swallow your ego and your anger, you walk away from the referee, and that's that. I don't care if your opponent pulled your shorts down around your ankles and the referee didn't see it happen. You take your yellow card, you clam up, and you keep playing.

He didn't get kicked out of another game. He did miss the contest against UW-Whitewater due to the fact that he had accumulated five yellow cards. In NCAA soccer, once you're given your fifth yellow card of the season, you then have to sit out the next game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:18:30 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 04:06:50 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2011, 03:52:38 PM
Why would Pettersson, playing for an undefeated team, engage in a play against a winless team, that results in him getting booted from an important game against a good team?

I wish I knew, Mark. I wish I knew.

Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2011, 03:52:38 PMCan anyone describe what he did to deserve the red card?  Was it a questionable call or is Pettersson an uncontrollable hothead?  (I believe he got kicked out of another game.)

I wasn't there -- with an announced attendance of 30, sounds like hardly anybody was at that match down in Decatur -- and I haven't heard anything about it from anyone connected to the NPU program. As I said before, I drew the logical inference that Pettersson was red-carded for complaining about the yellow card he'd just been given, as the times listed for the two cards are identical in the box score. As for your last question, I don't see it as being an either/or situation. Regardless of how questionable a call it was, there are no circumstances whatsoever that warrant having a red card follow upon the heels of getting a yellow card. You shut up, you swallow your ego and your anger, you walk away from the referee, and that's that. I don't care if your opponent pulled your shorts down around your ankles and the referee didn't see it happen. You take your yellow card, you clam up, and you keep playing.

He didn't get kicked out of another game. He did miss the contest against UW-Whitewater due to the fact that he had accumulated five yellow cards. In NCAA soccer, once you're given your fifth yellow card of the season, you then have to sit out the next game.

After a questionable called handball on NPU, Jonas made a remark in the realm of, "I guess you should leave your arm at home next time." I am not sure what else was said. It sounded like the ref overreacted and Jonas couldn't keep his mouth shut.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 04:22:48 PM
Thanks, Sock Heir.

That's actually a pretty clever one-liner for a guy who speaks English as a second language. ;) Nevertheless, it was a stupid thing to say to a man who has the ability to make you miss the most important game of the year sitting right in his pocket.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:29:00 PM
I thought so, too. I half-laughed when I heard the story.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on October 27, 2011, 04:34:07 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 12:03:55 AM


With two of them out and the third hobbled, NPU loses a considerable amount of its offensive punch. Please note that I'm not making excuses for NPU; you have to play with the guys you have on the field, regardless of the circumstances, and I'm sure that Carthage won this one fair and square.
Carthage were missing 4 starters as well. Make that 3. The replacement goalie this season is actually better than the coach's favorite. Milan Tijanic made some incredible saves and the one he made just before the final whistle saved the game for the redmen.Also missing was urosevic probably their top player. Carthage deserved the win.

Jonas really has become a headcase. He needs a good kick in the butt. How many times have I seen his teammates telling him to shut up. Probably more than a few players who can't stand wannabe prima donna. At some point you have to ask, is he helping or hurting.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:38:08 PM
Quote from: keeker on October 27, 2011, 04:34:07 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 12:03:55 AM


With two of them out and the third hobbled, NPU loses a considerable amount of its offensive punch. Please note that I'm not making excuses for NPU; you have to play with the guys you have on the field, regardless of the circumstances, and I'm sure that Carthage won this one fair and square.
Carthage were missing 4 starters as well. Make that 3. The replacement goalie this season is actually better than the coach's favorite. Milan Tijanic made some incredible saves and the one he made just before the final whistle saved the game for the redmen.Also missing was urosevic probably their top player. Carthage deserved the win.

Jonas really has become a headcase. He needs a good kick in the butt. How many times have I seen his teammates telling him to shut up. Probably more than a few players who can't stand wannabe prima donna. At some point you have to ask, is he helping or hurting.

That's a no brainer, he's helping. And with the team that NP fielded, they should have won 3-0, regardless of what Carthage team was out there. It was a matter of NP not playing well and nothing else.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:38:08 PM

It was a matter of NP not playing well and nothing else.

Now THAT is a stupid thing to say. Teams don't play poorly all by their lonesome. The opponent has say in it too. It's not like Carthage just stood there while North Park missed wide open shots or something. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... this is soccer! A game where you can out shoot an opponent 30-1 and still lose 1-0. Oh and by the way, North Park got out shot.

Jonas is absolutely helping, as they wouldn't have been undefeated as long as they were without his goal scoring ability. Luckily for him, cards reset to zero in the postseason.

The CCIW race is so jumbled right now, no one can control who they might face due to the fact that teams can go from hosting to out of it in one game at this point. But if I'm North Park, I want to face Wheaton more than Elmhurst or Carthage. The Thunder defense can be quite porous in close.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 27, 2011, 04:59:56 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:38:08 PM

It was a matter of NP not playing well and nothing else.

Now THAT is a stupid thing to say. Teams don't play poorly all by their lonesome. The opponent has say in it too. It's not like Carthage just stood there while North Park missed wide open shots or something. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... this is soccer! A game where you can out shoot an opponent 30-1 and still lose 1-0. Oh and by the way, North Park got out shot.

Jonas is absolutely helping, as they wouldn't have been undefeated as long as they were without his goal scoring ability. Luckily for him, cards reset to zero in the postseason.

The CCIW race is so jumbled right now, no one can control who they might face due to the fact that teams can go from hosting to out of it in one game at this point. But if I'm North Park, I want to face Wheaton more than Elmhurst or Carthage. The Thunder defense can be quite porous in close.

Not to overreact, but IWU is still in the hunt too.  I'm pretty sure a win against Carthage puts them in.  There is actually a scenario (IWU win, North Central win, Augie win) where there would be a four-way tie for the title.  Doubt that's ever happened before.  I don't see NP losing again, but the other games are clear possibilities.  I suppose it depends what Augie shows up and what they decide to play for (Senior Day, etc.)

Despite being a Titan observer and fan, I hope Urosevic plays on Saturday for the Carthage.  He's one of the players in the CCIW I enjoy watching - incredibly strong.  Not sure why he missed the NP game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 05:05:37 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:38:08 PM

It was a matter of NP not playing well and nothing else.

Now THAT is a stupid thing to say. Teams don't play poorly all by their lonesome. The opponent has say in it too. It's not like Carthage just stood there while North Park missed wide open shots or something. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... this is soccer! A game where you can out shoot an opponent 30-1 and still lose 1-0. Oh and by the way, North Park got out shot.

Jonas is absolutely helping, as they wouldn't have been undefeated as long as they were without his goal scoring ability. Luckily for him, cards reset to zero in the postseason.

The CCIW race is so jumbled right now, no one can control who they might face due to the fact that teams can go from hosting to out of it in one game at this point. But if I'm North Park, I want to face Wheaton more than Elmhurst or Carthage. The Thunder defense can be quite porous in close.

Actually, teams do play poorly on their own. And there were no "Coulda, woulda, shouldas." My point was, NP lost because they did not play well (and no, Carthage did not do anything out of the ordinary. Their goal was garbage and they played within their capacity, that's about it). Which is how inferior teams actually win against superior teams.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2011, 05:23:06 PM
Quote from: keeker on October 27, 2011, 04:34:07 PMJonas really has become a headcase. He needs a good kick in the butt. How many times have I seen his teammates telling him to shut up. Probably more than a few players who can't stand wannabe prima donna. At some point you have to ask, is he helping or hurting.

Well, let's see ... Jonas Pettersson is ranked ninth in the nation in goals per game, eleventh in the nation in points per game, and in terms of counting stats he's 20th in the nation in goals scored and 33rd in points scored, in spite of the fact that NPU's reduced schedule and the two games he's missed due to cards means that he's seen a lot less time than most (if not all) of the other top scorers around the country.

I vote "helping". ;)

Quote from: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 04:55:02 PMTeams don't play poorly all by their lonesome. The opponent has say in it too. It's not like Carthage just stood there while North Park missed wide open shots or something. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... this is soccer! A game where you can out shoot an opponent 30-1 and still lose 1-0. Oh and by the way, North Park got out shot.

NPU had more shots on frame than did Carthage.

Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 05:05:37 PM
Actually, teams do play poorly on their own. And there were no "Coulda, woulda, shouldas." My point was, NP lost because they did not play well (and no, Carthage did not do anything out of the ordinary. Their goal was garbage and they played within their capacity, that's about it). Which is how inferior teams actually win against superior teams.

Looking at the arc of the season for both NPU and Carthage, and how well or how poorly they've fared against common opponents, I have to think that the advantage was squarely in North Park's corner last night, in spite of the fact that the game was played at Carthage and the Vikings were missing some key personnel. With the important caveat that I didn't see the game, I tend to believe the explanation that NPU didn't play welll and that that had a lot to do with why the Vikings lost. Having said that, however, Carthage is certainly a good team, and I don't want to take anything away from the Red Men's win; I wouldn't have been worried about the outcome going into the game if I didn't already know that the Red Men were capable of pulling off the upset.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Whocares1 on October 27, 2011, 11:37:54 PM
Correct me if I am wrong.  North Park is in the CCIW tourney, win, lose or draw because of wins over Wheaton and IWU.  If IWU, Wheaton and Elmhurst all win on Saturday, Carthage is out, due to a loss to Wheaton and a loss, if it happens, to IWU on Saturday and Elmhurst with the better record.  Weird!  It makes for a great Saturday!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 11:39:57 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 05:05:37 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:38:08 PM

It was a matter of NP not playing well and nothing else.

Now THAT is a stupid thing to say. Teams don't play poorly all by their lonesome. The opponent has say in it too. It's not like Carthage just stood there while North Park missed wide open shots or something. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... this is soccer! A game where you can out shoot an opponent 30-1 and still lose 1-0. Oh and by the way, North Park got out shot.

Jonas is absolutely helping, as they wouldn't have been undefeated as long as they were without his goal scoring ability. Luckily for him, cards reset to zero in the postseason.

The CCIW race is so jumbled right now, no one can control who they might face due to the fact that teams can go from hosting to out of it in one game at this point. But if I'm North Park, I want to face Wheaton more than Elmhurst or Carthage. The Thunder defense can be quite porous in close.

Actually, teams do play poorly on their own. And there were no "Coulda, woulda, shouldas." My point was, NP lost because they did not play well (and no, Carthage did not do anything out of the ordinary. Their goal was garbage and they played within their capacity, that's about it). Which is how inferior teams actually win against superior teams.

Well I'll be happy to hear your explanation the next time North Park loses. Since evidently they are always "the superior team". I'm sure it will be because Ahlberg didn't sleep enough the night before, or Jonas ate a bad egg-salad sandwich, or the referee forgot his seeing-eye dog, or the sun was too bright for the Swedes who are used to 6 months of darkness, which will all correspond to make the team not play to their potential.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Whocares1 on October 27, 2011, 11:44:23 PM
Actually, if NP loses, Carthage loses and Wheaton wins, you have four teams at 4-2-1, pluse whatever Elmhurst does.  Interesting!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 11:50:12 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 11:39:57 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 05:05:37 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 27, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 27, 2011, 04:38:08 PM

It was a matter of NP not playing well and nothing else.

Now THAT is a stupid thing to say. Teams don't play poorly all by their lonesome. The opponent has say in it too. It's not like Carthage just stood there while North Park missed wide open shots or something. Coulda, woulda, shoulda... this is soccer! A game where you can out shoot an opponent 30-1 and still lose 1-0. Oh and by the way, North Park got out shot.

Jonas is absolutely helping, as they wouldn't have been undefeated as long as they were without his goal scoring ability. Luckily for him, cards reset to zero in the postseason.

The CCIW race is so jumbled right now, no one can control who they might face due to the fact that teams can go from hosting to out of it in one game at this point. But if I'm North Park, I want to face Wheaton more than Elmhurst or Carthage. The Thunder defense can be quite porous in close.

Actually, teams do play poorly on their own. And there were no "Coulda, woulda, shouldas." My point was, NP lost because they did not play well (and no, Carthage did not do anything out of the ordinary. Their goal was garbage and they played within their capacity, that's about it). Which is how inferior teams actually win against superior teams.

Well I'll be happy to hear your explanation the next time North Park loses. Since evidently they are always "the superior team". I'm sure it will be because Ahlberg didn't sleep enough the night before, or Jonas ate a bad egg-salad sandwich, or the referee forgot his seeing-eye dog, or the sun was too bright for the Swedes who are used to 6 months of darkness, which will all correspond to make the team not play to their potential.

Learn how to quote. I never said that NP was "always the superior team." And while you're at it, learn how to read. I never made any outlandish excuses. I simply stated that North Park did not play well, hence the reason why they lost. Surely even you can understand that when a team, with more talent (dare I say "superior") loses to a team that has far less talent, it is USUALLY, not always, attributed to the team with more talent not playing well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soc4life on October 28, 2011, 09:53:35 AM
Quick question... Why does the "superior" team always just not play well when they lose? How about the other team just playing that well and deserving to win. How about the gameplan they put together, or their execution on that night. I am sure Carthage was the "superior" team the night they beat NP. Who knows...maybe if NP played to their potential Carthage would have raised their game even more and still won.

Give credit where credit is deserved and leave it at that. Carthage won and NP lost. NP will just need to raise the bar in the tourney as will every other team, to and see if they can win it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 28, 2011, 10:01:04 AM
Quote from: Whocares1 on October 27, 2011, 11:44:23 PM
Actually, if NP loses, Carthage loses and Wheaton wins, you have four teams at 4-2-1, pluse whatever Elmhurst does.  Interesting!

Under that scenario, Elmhurst is champs with a win, and stays home with a loss.  The final three spots would all come down to goal differential I imagine.

My thought is that Wheaton will win for sure, and I don't see North Central beating North Park (especially at NP).  Carthage @ IWU and Elmhurst @ Augie would appear to be the games with the likelihood of deciding the final two.  If Elmhurst wins they're in.  A loss and an IWU win or tie and they're out, if I read the tiebreaker correctly (IWU holds head to head over Elmhurst).  As was pointed out, it makes for a great Saturday!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 28, 2011, 10:13:40 AM
Quote from: soc4life on October 28, 2011, 09:53:35 AM
Quick question... Why does the "superior" team always just not play well when they lose? How about the other team just playing that well and deserving to win. How about the gameplan they put together, or their execution on that night. I am sure Carthage was the "superior" team the night they beat NP. Who knows...maybe if NP played to their potential Carthage would have raised their game even more and still won.

Give credit where credit is deserved and leave it at that. Carthage won and NP lost. NP will just need to raise the bar in the tourney as will every other team, to and see if they can win it.

I'm perfectly fine giving credit, where credit is due. For instance, when NP tied UofC. Both sides played well and the tie was a warranted result that night. I'll even go as far to say that Elmhurst executed an excellent game plan against NP (even though it pains me to say). BUT, Carthage was not one of those cases.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on October 28, 2011, 12:19:28 PM
The Carthage defenders were clearly superior to what North Park put on the field that night. Gran was non-existant up front and was only slightly better when they moved him to mid-field. I didn't realize he was fighting an injury, but he never did assert himself. Maybe North Park is a superior team talent wise, but, on that night Carthage was the best team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: IdahoSoccer on October 30, 2011, 12:18:01 AM
Looking forward to seeing Greg's response to the NPU scoreline tonight
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on October 30, 2011, 10:52:19 AM
Years ago, Greg started the CCIW basketball chat with a comment about parity in the league, and overall competitiveness within the region and nationally.

I think that CCIW soccer is in that position at this point in time. North Park clearly has the best chance to beat anyone in the country, but they are real hot and cold side this season. The rest of the conference can beat each other up, but can't (and won't have the chance to) make any waves in the post-season.

Yet, I think this is a turning point for the CCIW. The women's programs have made a name for the conference over the past five seasons, and even now, Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton are both national top 20 teams. This needs to happen on the men's side. Carthage? North Central? Or perhaps North Park has to get some consistency and get into the quarterfinals this year!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 30, 2011, 11:25:44 AM
Yesterday was just a crazy turn of events in a 15 minute period.  Illinois Wesleyan scores a goal to go ahead of Carthage 2-0.  A quick check of Elmhurst Live Stats and they trail Augie 2-0.  IWU is heading to the CCIW tournament.

Carthage scores, then scores again.  Overtime.

Elmhurst scores, then scores again.  Overtime.

An unfortunate ball off an IWU defenders arm and it's a PK near the end of the 1st overtime - IWU out, Carthage co-champs.

Elmhurst loses in overtime, but since IWU didn't at least tie, they still make the tourney.

And then North Park falls to North Central, and Carthage is outright champs.  Had IWU held on, it would have been a 4-way tie.

A weird day of soccer.  Jim writes about parity.  Yesterday is proof of how true that really is......
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soc4life on October 30, 2011, 08:23:24 PM
Where are all the NP bloggers??? I am very intrigued to here what is going on behind the scenes since they have dropped their last 2 games. I know Carthage and North Central are having good years, but I would have expected more from a team that is on the verge of making deep run in the tourney.

Some insight would be helpful for those of us who have been keeping up all year. Thx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 31, 2011, 12:03:39 PM
Quote from: soc4life on October 30, 2011, 08:23:24 PM
Where are all the NP bloggers??? I am very intrigued to here what is going on behind the scenes since they have dropped their last 2 games. I know Carthage and North Central are having good years, but I would have expected more from a team that is on the verge of making deep run in the tourney.

Some insight would be helpful for those of us who have been keeping up all year. Thx

As it already seems obvious, NP is having an end of year meltdown. They seemingly have played their way out of an at-large bid and will now have to win the conference tourney. They have Wheaton, at home, on Wednesday, but will be with out the services of Petterson, and McNaughton, and possibly Grahn. Hopefully NP can return to form and resurrect, a possibly lost, great season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on October 31, 2011, 12:05:42 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on October 31, 2011, 12:03:39 PM
Quote from: soc4life on October 30, 2011, 08:23:24 PM
Where are all the NP bloggers??? I am very intrigued to here what is going on behind the scenes since they have dropped their last 2 games. I know Carthage and North Central are having good years, but I would have expected more from a team that is on the verge of making deep run in the tourney.

Some insight would be helpful for those of us who have been keeping up all year. Thx

As it already seems obvious, NP is having an end of year meltdown. They seemingly have played their way out of an at-large bid and will now have to win the conference tourney. They have Wheaton, at home, on Wednesday, but will be with out the services of Petterson, and McNaughton, and possibly Grahn. Hopefully NP can return to form and resurrect, a possibly lost, great season.

Also, Lindmark will be playing, so hopefully he will insert some much needed desire into the team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 31, 2011, 12:20:46 PM
I have not left this msg board.  On Friday I drove and chaperoned my kid to the Opeth concert at The Vic.  I have nothing to report regarding the Viking soccer team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 01, 2011, 06:57:09 PM
The wheels have really come off for NPU. That's the long and short of it. Injuries, a couple of stupid suspensions, and a combination of pressing too hard and a lot of plain ol' bad luck.

NPU will be a seriously depleted side tomorrow night. But if you can't get up for the conference tourney, and you can't get up for Wheaton, then you ought to just hand in your uniform, anyway. Nobody from Wheaton's gonna feel sorry for NPU, nor should they.

We'll see what the Vikings are made out of tomorrow night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 02, 2011, 10:00:45 PM
Nothing feels quite as good as beating Wheaton twice in a season.  NP 2 Wheaton 1
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 02, 2011, 10:09:19 PM
Carthage defeated Elmhurst 4-3 in extra time.  From a selfish standpoint, I am glad since Carthage will have a better webcast than North Park.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 02, 2011, 10:45:25 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 02, 2011, 10:09:19 PM
Carthage defeated Elmhurst 4-3 in extra time.  From a selfish standpoint, I am glad since Carthage will have a better webcast than North Park.

...and the fact that NP has the chance to prove that their last loss in Kenosha was a fluke.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: dc930 on November 03, 2011, 12:29:00 AM
Great atmosphere at NP tonight. Announced attendance of over 650 and that sounds about right.

NP controlled the second half, with an effective passing game. Wheaton played 7 or 8 behind the ball, hoping to spring a counter-attack. Park had particular success on the wings, with their speed, passing, and technical ability giving Wheaton defenders fits.

On the other hand, North Park was pretty shaky in defending set pieces. They allowed 2 or 3 free headers in the box and could have been down a goal or two if not for some luck and stellar goaltending by Ahlberg. They need to improve.

The winning goal with 10 minutes remaining was a bit of a defensive breakdown, with Grahn able to control the ball at the top of the 18, cut back and dribble through 3 defenders and slot home from a tight angle. The ball pin-balled between a few Wheaton legs before Grahn eventually found himself 1 on 1 with the keeper.

Too bad the championship game won't be in Chicago, I'd love to see Park fight for the title!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on November 03, 2011, 01:41:52 AM
Dude, it's only an hour to kenosha.  It'll be worth it. Show ur support. besides, gas is only 3.19 per gallon up there.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 03, 2011, 03:02:37 PM
Defensive breakdown or ball-handling masterpiece by Grahn, DC? Pavlak, Hussey, Jasperse, and Martin aren't too shabby a back line (although I'm less impressed by Wheaton keeper Seager). Grahn went right through those guys like a knife through butter. A lot of NPU fans who were there later confessed that they yelled, "Shoot! Shoot!", when Grahn got the ball from Lindmark at the top of the box. Shows what we know. Even with a torn meniscus, Grahn's simply capable of doing things that you just don't see too often on this level.

I think that the numbers reflect the fact that Wheaton on balance played a better game among the outfielders than did NPU. Wheaton had more shots, and more shots on goal, and while that doesn't always paint an accurate picture, the fact is that the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance really did have any number of excellent chances -- particularly on corners, as DC pointed out. Fortunately for the royal blue and gold, Tim Ahlberg played like a man possessed and practically stood on his head to keep Wheaton from putting the go-ahead goal in the net. But as the match wore on it was clear that NPU was increasing the pressure and Wheaton was falling back on its heels. That surprised me, given the attrition problems that the Vikings have had as of late; John Born only used two reserves, while Mike Giuliano used five, and NPU has several players who are dealing with leg injuries. But because of the late-game pressure the goal itself didn't surprise me. I was only surprised by how Grahn managed to pull it off.

Foster's Finest was chanting, "Captain Kris! Captain Kris!", and I was sure glad to hear that. Grahn combines D1-level abillity with the heart of a warrior. He will be sorely missed once he sheds the North Park kit for the last time.

(On the other hand, Wheaton's Drew Golz can't graduate soon enough for my liking. That guy has always scared me.)

Sure, Wheaton is only a shadow of what it used to be. But a big part of the fun of beating Wheaton isn't simply the rivalry involved (although there is that, and Foster's Finest has done a better job of sharpening the rivalry to a knife's edge of any North Park student section I've ever seen in my thirty-plus years as a Vikings fan). Celebrating a win over Wheaton means at least implicitly acknowledging their tremendous tradition and the still-surviving skill and moxie with which Wheaton plays. I think that even the NPU players would admit that they get up for Wheaton like they do for nobody else -- I'm almost certain that Wheaton players feel the same way about NPU -- and the Vikings needed every edge that they could get last night.

Edge or no edge, though, I'm just grateful that Pettersson and McNaughton should be back in the lineup on Saturday night in Kenosha.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 03, 2011, 03:12:04 PM
Greg, why did Petterson have to sit out three games?  Or was he injured.  I know at least the Carthage game was because of the red card from Millikin, but why the most recent two?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 03, 2011, 03:35:01 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 03, 2011, 03:12:04 PM
Greg, why did Petterson have to sit out three games?  Or was he injured.  I know at least the Carthage game was because of the red card from Millikin, but why the most recent two?

Surpassed the allotted amount of yellow cards a player can receive.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 03, 2011, 06:20:13 PM
No surprise that the CCIW's most disappointing teams (Elmhurst and Wheaton) are done for the season. Both suffered from lack of consistency game to game, and they both went out in poor fashion with late goals allowed. Rooting for Carthage now by default, I guess.
Say what you will about CCIW parity, but not too impressed by the conference this year. North Central and Augie fattened up on their non-conference sked. Millikin's record speaks for itself.
Big question for Wheaton now is who scores next year? Drew Golz was a monster and they ran that offense around him. Rest of the team lacks finishing touch (other than his brother Jordan, who is a great athlete).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 03, 2011, 06:51:43 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 03, 2011, 06:20:13 PM
No surprise that the CCIW's most disappointing teams (Elmhurst and Wheaton) are done for the season. Both suffered from lack of consistency game to game, and they both went out in poor fashion with late goals allowed. Rooting for Carthage now by default, I guess.
Say what you will about CCIW parity, but not too impressed by the conference this year. North Central and Augie fattened up on their non-conference sked. Millikin's record speaks for itself.
Big question for Wheaton now is who scores next year? Drew Golz was a monster and they ran that offense around him. Rest of the team lacks finishing touch (other than his brother Jordan, who is a great athlete).

Wheaton and Elmhurst were brought as far as their talent would allow, no disappointment nor shame in that.
And this is pretty normal parity as far as the CCIW is concerned. The 4 teams that were in the semis are perennial staples and the rest of the field, well, just add ambiance to the conference. Fruitless effort to expect anything more from NC and Auggie...and when, occasionally, they do pop their heads in and say "hello," it's nothing more than a nice little story.

Very true about Golz; has the most solid build I've ever seen, personally, on the soccer field.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 03, 2011, 11:04:42 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 02, 2011, 10:09:19 PM
Carthage defeated Elmhurst 4-3 in extra time.  From a selfish standpoint, I am glad since Carthage will have a better webcast than North Park.

+k.  :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2011, 10:21:58 PM
Carthage 3 North Park 2 in OT.  I haven't seen enough NP games to really comment on a lot, but boy they had some sloppy passing. 

My big question is if this means NP is out of the tourney...?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 05, 2011, 10:35:55 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2011, 10:21:58 PM
Carthage 3 North Park 2 in OT.  I haven't seen enough NP games to really comment on a lot, but boy they had some sloppy passing. 

My big question is if this means NP is out of the tourney...?
Was OT in the tournament sudden death?  I thought they'd play an extra period.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 05, 2011, 11:11:17 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.

It's interesting how the fans of the teams that don't play in the final always have something moronic to say. Perhaps it comes with the territory of following teams that never end up making the final. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact of having no soccer sense. I've always thought that Elmhurst fans/players have never had the right to mouth off, given their past of no success. Oh well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deepthroat on November 05, 2011, 11:12:52 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.

you mad bro?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 05, 2011, 11:15:27 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2011, 10:21:58 PM
Carthage 3 North Park 2 in OT.  I haven't seen enough NP games to really comment on a lot, but boy they had some sloppy passing. 

My big question is if this means NP is out of the tourney...?

I agree, very sloppy play. Not at all indicative ("serving as a sign or indication of something" blue_jay thought I'd do the thinking for you) of their play all season. NP seemed to hit some sort of wall the past week and a half. It's very unfortunate. They had an obvious talent increase from last year's team that took the championship. I doubt they will make the NCAA tourney now, but who knows, there has been some interesting chains of events on other ends that may allow Park to get in. Fingers crossed, I guess.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2011, 11:38:06 PM
I was down in Decatur today broadcasting the NPU football game, so I only got back here in Chicago in time to see the last fourteen minutes of regulation and then the (all-too-brief) overtime. I therefore didn't see enough of the game to really comment upon it, other than that NPU really looked like it was back on its heels most of the time. Carthage seemed to be doing a much better job of possessing the ball and forcing the issue.

Just really, really disappointed right now. I give credit to Carthage, but as an NPU fan it feels as though a very talented Vikings team has self-destructed over the past week and a half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 05, 2011, 11:43:30 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2011, 11:38:06 PM
I was down in Decatur today broadcasting the NPU football game, so I only got back here in Chicago in time to see the last fourteen minutes of regulation and then the (all-too-brief) overtime. I therefore didn't see enough of the game to really comment upon it, other than that NPU really looked like it was back on its heels most of the time. Carthage seemed to be doing a much better job of possessing the ball and forcing the issue.

Just really, really disappointed right now. I give credit to Carthage, but as an NPU fan it feels as though a very talented Vikings team has self-destructed over the past week and a half.

There were some major mishaps on NP's part, as I am sure, Sager, you will hear, so I wont broadcast what happened. All in all, very disappointing. I know how it feels, so I feel horrible for the whole NP team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 11:49:32 PM
Quote from: deepthroat on November 05, 2011, 11:12:52 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.

you mad bro?

Not me, feeling good actually. I just find it amusing that certain North Park fans who ooze pretension all year get to see their team lose 3 of 4 down the stretch. And I'd like to give credit to Carthage, who stepped up to the plate and won important games.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 05, 2011, 11:53:50 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 11:49:32 PM
Quote from: deepthroat on November 05, 2011, 11:12:52 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.

you mad bro?

Not me, feeling good actually. I just find it amusing that certain North Park fans who ooze pretension all year get to see their team lose 3 of 4 down the stretch. And I'd like to give credit to Carthage, who stepped up to the plate and won important games.

Not as amusing as Elmhurst continually rotting in the burbs this time every year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 11:55:23 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on November 05, 2011, 11:11:17 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.

It's interesting how the fans of the teams that don't play in the final always have something moronic to say. Perhaps it comes with the territory of following teams that never end up making the final. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact of having no soccer sense. I've always thought that Elmhurst fans/players have never had the right to mouth off, given their past of no success. Oh well.

See, this is why people don't like you. I started by objecting to your poo-pooing of Carthage when they first won in the regular season, and you've done nothing since to disprove your arrogance. But by all means direct your ire at me, it's all hot air coming out anyhow. Whatever makes you feel better.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 06, 2011, 12:00:50 AM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 11:55:23 PM
Quote from: The Sock Heir on November 05, 2011, 11:11:17 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 05, 2011, 10:49:30 PM
Hmm, that's twice this year North Park has lost to Carthage despite being the "superior team". Go Red Men, you guys deserved it.

It's interesting how the fans of the teams that don't play in the final always have something moronic to say. Perhaps it comes with the territory of following teams that never end up making the final. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact of having no soccer sense. I've always thought that Elmhurst fans/players have never had the right to mouth off, given their past of no success. Oh well.

See, this is why people don't like you. I started by objecting to your poo-pooing of Carthage when they first won in the regular season, and you've done nothing since to disprove your arrogance. But by all means direct your ire at me, it's all hot air coming out anyhow. Whatever makes you feel better.

Now this is turning into of an argument of who likes who? haha You seem to have relation to Elmhurst, sounds like the pot calling the kettle black, eh? Doesn't really matter, I guess. I feel better knowing that my team is better than yours.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 06, 2011, 12:07:59 AM
Well I'm glad your mental health is intact. I was worried. Anywho, I've had enough bantering with the likes of you for the season. Happy Thanksgiving.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 06, 2011, 12:10:54 AM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 06, 2011, 12:07:59 AM
Well I'm glad your mental health is intact. I was worried. Anywho, I've had enough bantering with the likes of you for the season. Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, too. I was worried we could never agree upon anything.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 06, 2011, 01:11:29 AM
North Park has a shot at a Pool C berth.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 06, 2011, 01:16:18 AM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 06, 2011, 01:11:29 AM
North Park has a shot at a Pool C berth.

That's great to hear, Jim. I was skeptical because of their poor performances as of late, and I didn't what to get my hopes up. With Calvin being knocked out and similar situations, what would you gage Park's chances of receiving the nod?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 06, 2011, 08:35:49 AM
Yellow card and a warning to both blue_jays and sock heir.  Now play on.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 06, 2011, 09:04:07 AM
I don't know if the Park's chances are high, but as the third ranked team in the Central, and now the #1/#2 ranked Pool C team in the Central, it seems likely that they would be a strong candidate for the committee.

But the Pool C selection is compared on a national basis, and with Vassar winning the Liberty League, you have added St. Lawrence to Pool C; Vassar was never going to be a strong consideration, so there is one spot. Ohio Wesleyan falling to DePauw isn't that bad as DePauw would have been considered. Centre taking down Trinity is a negative as Centre is like Vassar in regards to Pool C consideration.

But you have to ask yourself, how many better Pool C teams are out there? Rank it by the NCAA regionals, and I think you will see a possible and probably chance of North Park seeing the post-season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 07, 2011, 01:22:11 PM
North Park is in.

Luther will host and will face North Park, while St. Olaf plays Carroll. Luther was a Pool C as is North Park. St. Olaf won the MIAC and Carroll took the Midwest Conference.

It is the Norwegians versus the Swedes in an epic battle to establish once and for all that age old question...oh, wait...that was already solved in the winter olympics  ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 07, 2011, 02:56:43 PM
Good to see 2 CCIW teams make the tourney again.  Though it hurts me to say it, it's a pity that Wheaton or Elmhurst couldn't bring that number up to 3.
NPU will face a tough Luther team that split 2 matches with Loras this year--at Luther's place to boot. The Vikings have a tough row to hoe.  Perhaps someone can explain to me how Luther got the honor of hosting when St Olaf was an AQ and has beaten Luther this season. 
Carthage draws Calvin.  Having watched the Calvin vs Hope matchup at Hope earlier this fall, I wasn't terribly impressed with either side.  The infamous physicality of the past was seemingly gone and the match was a snoozer until the last 10 minutes of the game.  For my money (having never seen Carthage play this year), Carthage can win this one.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on November 07, 2011, 03:06:55 PM
The St. Olaf/Carroll/Luther/NPU bracket is pretty wide open.  No team is very dominant.  If NPU regains a bit of there mid/early season form they can make it out of this group. 

Luther is a very defensive team and will hope to win a low scoring affair.  St. Olaf has some nice results this season but also some ugly results.  The Oles will give up goals, it is just a matter of being able to counter attack and score on their chances.  I know nothing of Carroll, but, the MWC rarely makes any noise in the NCAA tournament so I expect them to be the weakest team of the group. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FR_Sam on November 07, 2011, 04:56:22 PM
St. Olaf must not have put in to host.  You do have to complete an application and submit it by a deadline.  That is the only logical explanation for Luther hosting over STO.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 07, 2011, 09:21:26 PM
I agree with FRSam.

This might call for a trip to little Norway!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 09, 2011, 02:08:49 PM
anyone know of any tournament pick-em sites?  i'm surprised i haven't seen any mention of anyone collecting bracket picks by tomorrow.  anyone care to take that on?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 09, 2011, 05:00:31 PM
OT:  In the preview of the Colbie Calliat concert at NCC, the writer encouraged people to go because the performer is trendy.  The author advised people to reconsider their attendance if they were "a North Central rival/hater from North Park University."  Huh?

BTW - tix were $75-100 for this artist I've never even heard of.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 09, 2011, 05:28:15 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 07, 2011, 01:22:11 PM
North Park is in.

Luther will host and will face North Park, while St. Olaf plays Carroll. Luther was a Pool C as is North Park. St. Olaf won the MIAC and Carroll took the Midwest Conference.

It is the Norwegians versus the Swedes in an epic battle to establish once and for all that age old question...oh, wait...that was already solved in the winter olympics  ;)

Jim, Luther may have the Norwegian nickname and heritage, but take a look at the rosters of the two respective sides. NPU has two Norwegians, Siggy Pryser and Markus Fodstad. Luther has only one, Robert Vangen. Therefore, NPU out-Norsks Luther, 2 to 1.

The rest of Luther's foreign contingent consists of a Ugandan (Dickson Kwatampora) and a Ghanian (Muluken Taye).

It's not Sweden versus Norway; it's Scandinavia versus Africa. ;)

Quote from: markerickson on November 09, 2011, 05:00:31 PM
OT:  In the review of the Colbie Calliat concert at NCC, the writer encouraged people to go because the performer is trendy.  The author advised people to reconsider their attendance if they were "a North Central rival/hater from North Park University."  Huh?

BTW - tix were $75-100 for this artist I've never even heard of.

Pretty girl. But I'm sure that, it being Naperville and all, they'd much rather have Pat Benatar. ;)

Who knows why the Tribune's A&E writer put in that bit about NPU. It's bizarre. North Central isn't a school that anyone at NPU considers to be a rival, except in the general they're-in-our-conference sort of sense of the word "rival". And I'm pretty sure that NCC folks feel the same way about NPU. My guess is that the writer just pulled another random CCIW school out of the air and used it to put some (not-very-good) topical humor into what was otherwise a humdrum college concert announcement.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 10, 2011, 12:19:31 AM
Um, Greg, I doubt it was random.  2 days after the concert NCC faces a do-or-die showdown against NPU in football! ;D

Well, OK, it was totally stupid, but it (probably) wasn't random. :P
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 10, 2011, 12:07:42 PM
I seriously doubt that the copywriter in the Tribune's Arts & Entertainment section went to the trouble of looking up North Central's next football opponent on the NCC athletics webpage just for some fodder for a dumb one-off joke. I'm convinced that the NPU reference is totally random.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soc4life on November 12, 2011, 09:27:12 PM
North Park down 2-0 at the half in Iowa.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 12, 2011, 09:38:27 PM
And North Park's roller coaster ride continues this season...... ::)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 12, 2011, 09:46:42 PM
3-0.  Who woulda guessed?  NPU's talent seems to be fine  -  their heads/emotions, not so much.  What a disappointment!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 12, 2011, 09:55:33 PM
I only started watching this game at halftime and, with no half-time show/commentary by the announcers, had no idea how the first half had gone for NPU  -  other than the 2 - 0 halftime score.  With 28 minutes to go in the game, the announcer just called NPU's first shot of the game!  What has happened to the offensive juggernaut that amazed me in the first half of the season?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: petemcb on November 12, 2011, 10:07:55 PM
4-0.  I can't figure out if my computer is buffering or has NPU's offense gone that stagnant?  ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 12, 2011, 11:28:12 PM
That really is a shocker. But there were a few of those around the country today. Odd day in soccer.

The CCIW didn't show up well in this year's post-season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: The Sock Heir on November 13, 2011, 02:02:18 AM
Shocker all around. Only I can attribute this to a 3 week trend of declining team chemistry. So disappointed. Credit to Luther all around. Congrats to NP for a great regular season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on November 13, 2011, 07:46:51 AM
Luther - St. Olaf should be a great game. St. Olaf won an early season match 1-0, but,
Luther is one of the more under rated teams this year. They keep showing game after game that they have a great defense, now if their offense starts clicking, watch out.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 13, 2011, 09:25:43 AM
Where was Petterson for this one?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 13, 2011, 04:19:20 PM
Was there a team chemistry issue on the North Park squad?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Christan Shirk on December 17, 2011, 03:24:36 PM
I noticed that Tim Griffin from Ill. Wesleyan was named 3rd Team All-Central Region despite not having made either the 1st or 2nd team All-CCIW.  Nine total forwards were honored on the 1st and 2nd All-CCIW teams, Griffin not among them, but regionally only Golz (Wheaton) was higher being on the All-Central 1st team, and Sterner (Elmhurst) was even being on the All-Central 3rd team with Griffin.  Seems rather odd.  More so, seeing he only tallied 3 goals and 1 assist.  Any insight?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: matblake on March 06, 2012, 01:00:57 PM
Drew Golz gets postgraduate scholarship.  Congrats!

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2012/3/5/MSOC_Postgrad.aspx?path=msoccer
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on March 07, 2012, 08:05:09 AM
Quote from: matblake on March 06, 2012, 01:00:57 PM
Drew Golz gets postgraduate scholarship.  Congrats!

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2012/3/5/MSOC_Postgrad.aspx?path=msoccer

That is a nice scholarship.Congrats to him on his achievement!!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: matblake on May 02, 2012, 12:32:00 PM
Wheaton posts their new recruits (http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2012/5/1/MSOC_0501123014.aspx?path=msoccer).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on May 04, 2012, 12:48:57 AM
Looks like another top notch recruiting yr for wheaton, as good as the class of 2014. But they didn't do jack squat with such talent. What's their problem? How many yrs has it been since wheaton made any noise in the ncaas? You need a soccer guy, imho.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Dutch Fan on May 08, 2012, 03:23:14 PM
Calvin has announced a new men's soccer coach (someone familiar to the CCIW):

http://www.calvin.edu/sports/news/comments/ryan-souders-named-calvin-mens-soccer-coach/

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on June 28, 2012, 09:24:54 AM
North Park's schedule is now online:  http://athletics.northpark.edu/schedule.aspx?path=msoc&tab=soccer

Tough schedule - which is good.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on July 08, 2012, 10:25:30 PM
I heard that Wheaton has a great recruit class coming in! Does anyone have more specifics.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on July 09, 2012, 08:08:51 AM
Quote from: d3fan1 on July 08, 2012, 10:25:30 PM
I heard that Wheaton has a great recruit class coming in! Does anyone have more specifics.

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2012/5/1/MSOC_0501123014.aspx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on July 17, 2012, 05:26:04 PM
Yikes, that is a pretty amazing recruiting class! I know Marshall Hollingsworth and he is tremendous!! What a group!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on July 17, 2012, 07:33:54 PM
Quote from: d3fan1 on July 17, 2012, 05:26:04 PM
Yikes, that is a pretty amazing recruiting class! I know Marshall Hollingsworth and he is tremendous!! What a group!

Heck that what i thought about the class of 2014. Boy did they turn out to be a dud.We'll see how this one does.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on July 19, 2012, 01:14:00 PM
Stephen Fernandez is the defender from Luther who went to Wheaton. He was an all-stater from Wheaton Academy in high school.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2012, 01:26:05 PM
The CCIW preseason poll is out: (http://www.cciw.org/news/2012/8/1/MS_0801120604.aspx)

T1.  Carthage  43  (3)
T1.  North Park  43  (3)
  3.  Wheaton  40  (2)
  4.  Illinois Wesleyan  30
  5.  Elmhurst  26
  6.  Augustana  18
  7.  North Central  17
  8.  Millikin    7
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on August 02, 2012, 02:37:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2012, 01:26:05 PM
The CCIW preseason poll is out: (http://www.cciw.org/news/2012/8/1/MS_0801120604.aspx)

T1.  Carthage  43  (3)
T1.  North Park  43  (3)
  3.  Wheaton  40  (2)
  4.  Illinois Wesleyan  30
  5.  Elmhurst  26
  6.  Augustana  18
  7.  North Central  17
  8.  Millikin    7
When does North Park play Carthage? Wheaton?    Those should be games worrth watching!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2012, 02:58:36 PM
Wheaton @ NPU, Sept. 29, 7 pm
Wheaton @ Carthage, Oct. 3, 7:30 pm
Carthage @ NPU, Oct. 20, 7:30 pm
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on August 02, 2012, 09:47:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2012, 02:58:36 PM
Wheaton @ NPU, Sept. 29, 7 pm
Wheaton @ Carthage, Oct. 3, 7:30 pm
Carthage @ NPU, Oct. 20, 7:30 pm
Thanks! Just checked the nc website and see that the cardinals are near the bottom.:(
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 20, 2012, 08:34:18 PM
http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=msoc&tab=soccer

North Park's roster has been updated.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 20, 2012, 11:48:36 PM
While I'm disappointed that Sigurd Pryser didn't return, it's good to see that his predecessor at winger, Mike Herbst, has returned to the Park after spending last year back home in Sweden.

With five All-CCIW players back, NPU looks primed for another successful season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 21, 2012, 10:40:33 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 20, 2012, 11:48:36 PM
While I'm disappointed that Sigurd Pryser didn't return, it's good to see that his predecessor at winger, Mike Herbst, has returned to the Park after spending last year back home in Sweden.

With five All-CCIW players back, NPU looks primed for another successful season.

It will be interesting to see if there are any standouts from this year's new Swedish contingent.  I know one of the Chicago-area newbies had a tryout earlier this year with West Ham United of the EPL.

Glad to see Jonas return - had doubts he would.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 21, 2012, 12:29:06 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 21, 2012, 10:40:33 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 20, 2012, 11:48:36 PM
While I'm disappointed that Sigurd Pryser didn't return, it's good to see that his predecessor at winger, Mike Herbst, has returned to the Park after spending last year back home in Sweden.

With five All-CCIW players back, NPU looks primed for another successful season.

It will be interesting to see if there are any standouts from this year's new Swedish contingent.  I know one of the Chicago-area newbies had a tryout earlier this year with West Ham United of the EPL.

I don't know which of the new Swedes is the Kris Grahn recruit that John Born told me about, but I know that Kris is really high on him.

Quote from: Gotberg on August 21, 2012, 10:40:33 AMGlad to see Jonas return - had doubts he would.

I was surprised to see him return, too. But as long as Jonas has left last season's diva attitude behind him, I'm certainly glad to see him back, because he's a scary-good striker. I would imagine that John Born has told him that he's on a short leash, behavior-wise.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 24, 2012, 10:31:14 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 21, 2012, 12:29:06 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 21, 2012, 10:40:33 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 20, 2012, 11:48:36 PM
While I'm disappointed that Sigurd Pryser didn't return, it's good to see that his predecessor at winger, Mike Herbst, has returned to the Park after spending last year back home in Sweden.

With five All-CCIW players back, NPU looks primed for another successful season.

It will be interesting to see if there are any standouts from this year's new Swedish contingent.  I know one of the Chicago-area newbies had a tryout earlier this year with West Ham United of the EPL.

I don't know which of the new Swedes is the Kris Grahn recruit that John Born told me about, but I know that Kris is really high on him.

Quote from: Gotberg on August 21, 2012, 10:40:33 AMGlad to see Jonas return - had doubts he would.

I was surprised to see him return, too. But as long as Jonas has left last season's diva attitude behind him, I'm certainly glad to see him back, because he's a scary-good striker. I would imagine that John Born has told him that he's on a short leash, behavior-wise.

Its pretty common for really good forwards to be known as a diva.  Purely from a fans perspective, I am fine with that if he keeps scoring.  I will be interested to see if John changes formation and adds a second pure striker up top.  Seems like there is a lot of attacking talent this year.

Looking forward to the season starting in just a little more than a week's time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 28, 2012, 11:28:16 AM
NP season preview - but quite frankly - not a whole lot said:  http://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2012/8/27/MSOC_0827125106.aspx?path=msoc
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 28, 2012, 01:15:45 PM
On Saturday afternoon I watched NPU's annual scrimmage with the alumni. It was not a pretty sight, as the team is still pretty ragged and not on the same page with regard to passing and positioning. It'll come, though ... I'm sure of it. The other problem was that this was no longer the alumni aggregation of previous years, in which any old Viking that John Born could scrape up would take the field against the varsity. Most of the NPU alumni who played on Saturday had been Vikings themselves within the last four years -- the exceptions included veterans like Adam Sinovic, who is certainly never a detriment to any side he suits up for -- and the alumni team included Kris Grahn, Ryan McNaughton, and Erik Kinhammar from last year's starting lineup. In other words, the alumni certainly pushed the varsity.

The varsity finally got it going in the second half, as Mike Herbst broke down a defender on a breakaway and scored an unassisted goal from the left wing, and then Robin Hals and Freddie Greiff worked a great two-man game up the right sideline, Greiff scoring on the Hals assist, as the varsity won, 2-0.

NPU opens the season on Friday afternoon at Concordia (IL).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on August 31, 2012, 11:05:20 PM
Looks like NPU took care of business at Concordia tonight: 3-1
http://www.sidearmstats.com/cuchicago/msoc/xlive.htm

Glad Lindmark is back running up the assists.  Anyone know why Ahlberg wasn't in goal? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 31, 2012, 11:24:50 PM
Quote from: thePietist on August 31, 2012, 11:05:20 PM
Looks like NPU took care of business at Concordia tonight: 3-1
http://www.sidearmstats.com/cuchicago/msoc/xlive.htm

Glad Lindmark is back running up the assists.  Anyone know why Ahlberg wasn't in goal?

It looks like the GKs split halves.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2012, 02:06:37 PM
Ahlberg's had some tendonitis issues in one of his knees, and with a not-particularly-good opponent on the menu John Born decided to split the keeper duties between Ahlberg and Alex Adielsson.

As expected, almost the entire game was spent in Concordia's end. The talent disparity between NPU and Concordia was about as lopsided as it's ever been. NPU still really isn't in sync yet, but there were still a plethora of close-in chances that the Vikings had, although they only converted on three of them. NPU used 25 players in the game, so Coach Born subbed freely and often.

The Vikings are going to have to step it up a notch or two when they visit Dominican tomorrow afternoon.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 02, 2012, 05:19:01 PM
NPU lost to Dominican 1-0, with 20 seconds left in the 2nd OT.  Game was pretty evenly played.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 02, 2012, 06:33:59 PM
Was it that even?  It sure looked like the Vikings had a lot of chances... 16 shots, 6 on goal.  Were they legit chances or no?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 03, 2012, 05:44:59 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 02, 2012, 06:33:59 PM
Was it that even?  It sure looked like the Vikings had a lot of chances... 16 shots, 6 on goal.  Were they legit chances or no?

In terms of real chances, I would say they were pretty even.  Dominican had claims to a penalty kick for handball (I can't believe it wasn't called) and NPU hit the post off a header from a corner.

Fair result, not that there is such a thing, would have been 0-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 05, 2012, 09:42:49 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 03, 2012, 05:44:59 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 02, 2012, 06:33:59 PM
Was it that even?  It sure looked like the Vikings had a lot of chances... 16 shots, 6 on goal.  Were they legit chances or no?

In terms of real chances, I would say they were pretty even.  Dominican had claims to a penalty kick for handball (I can't believe it wasn't called) and NPU hit the post off a header from a corner.

Fair result, not that there is such a thing, would have been 0-0.

I should also mention that I was really impressed by what I saw out of North Park.  It will take some time to develop chemistry in the final 3rd, but I think they will be better than last year's team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 06, 2012, 04:47:52 PM
Should be an exciting weekend coming up for CCIW play.  Tough matchups for Wheaton and NP tomorrow with PLU and Gustavus.  The Gusties seem to score at will (especially that All American sophomore of theirs!)--it'll be a good test for the Vikings.

For some reason, it looks like all of the Scandinavian-loving schools are on the CCIW schedule in the coming week: GA, St Olaf, Lawrence, PLU.  Maybe that shouldn't be surprising for a conference with two teams named the Vikings. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on September 06, 2012, 05:25:34 PM
`Though lacking the credibility of the d3soccer.com poll, it is noteworthy that the latest www.nscaa.com poll ranks Wheaton women at #4 and Augustana at #19.  Wheaton men are #7.

Wheaton's men brought in a great recruiting class, plus a couple of very solid transfers.  The freshman class includes two of Illinois' top three high school seniors from last year.  The team is in Spokane, Washington this weekend to play Pacific Lutheran and Whitworth. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2012, 10:37:02 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 03, 2012, 05:44:59 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 02, 2012, 06:33:59 PM
Was it that even?  It sure looked like the Vikings had a lot of chances... 16 shots, 6 on goal.  Were they legit chances or no?

In terms of real chances, I would say they were pretty even.  Dominican had claims to a penalty kick for handball (I can't believe it wasn't called) and NPU hit the post off a header from a corner.

Fair result, not that there is such a thing, would have been 0-0.

NPU dominated play. The Vikings were the more talented team. But I'd agree with the statement that the Vikings didn't have a ton of real scoring chances, even though the ball was kept in DU's half of the field for most of the game. The Vikes had more good chances than the Stars had, but it wasn't as though they were peppering the DU keeper with shots on goal the whole afternoon. DU's back line is just really, really solid, and, as Gotberg said, the NPU forwards are still in the process of gelling as a unit.

It was a disappointing loss in the sense that NPU is good enough for the Vikings to have an expectation of winning whenever they take the field in the regular season, and also in the sense that losing off of a long throw-in with only 24 seconds left on the clock in double overtime is a crushing feeling. But those are good disappointments, if there is such a thing. It's the disappointment of reasonably heightened expectations.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 07, 2012, 11:50:14 AM
Are the NPU games going to be broadcast on the internet this year?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 07, 2012, 04:28:30 PM
Yes, as far as I know. Just home games, as has been the case the past few seasons.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 07, 2012, 05:51:34 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 07, 2012, 04:28:30 PM
Yes, as far as I know. Just home games, as has been the case the past few seasons.

Thanks.   The video link was not active on the np athletic site when I posted earlier, but now is available.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 07, 2012, 09:15:01 PM
I can't get the video.  Anyone else experiencing "technical difficulties"?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 07, 2012, 09:48:48 PM
Yeah, I've gotten 1 or 2 seconds to play and that's about it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 07, 2012, 10:07:56 PM
Game update, anyone?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on September 07, 2012, 10:19:47 PM
0-0 with 15 to play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 07, 2012, 11:31:14 PM
I see from GA's website that they beat NP 1-0 in 2 OT.  That faulty video feed sure was frustrating.  It worked just enough to make me keep trying.  Looking forward to hearing about the game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2012, 08:46:49 AM
Quote from: thePietist on September 07, 2012, 11:31:14 PM
I see from GA's website that they beat NP 1-0 in 2 OT.  That faulty video feed sure was frustrating.  It worked just enough to make me keep trying.  Looking forward to hearing about the game.

Game statistics show that NPU had 23 shots to GA's 4.  I think that shots and shots on goal statistics in soccer can be very misleading, but that is a large disparity.  According to the NP story, it was an own-goal that did NP in....
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on September 08, 2012, 10:23:36 AM
Was at the GAC @ NPU game last night. While I don't think NPU really had 24 shot ( what is considered a shot is quite subjective), they definitely had the better of the run of play and had probably 8 to 10 very dangerous scoring chances. North Park was big and fast and Swedish...very Swedish! 9 of the starting 11. Quite the hostile environment for visiting teams as well. Solid fanbase at NPU.

I wouldn't consider the goal an own goal either. Lilly struck it well and it took a nasty deflection off The center back and carried into the goal. overall a surprising but very good result for Gustavus.

GAC has a very young team, mostly freshman and sophomores on the field last night. NPU players all looked like they were in the 20's and far more developed physically.

I also thought the officiating was below average tonight. He made several calls or no calls in both directions that didn't make sense.

Definitely a tough break for NPU. Soccer is a cruel game sometimes. But GAC was opportunistic and did a nice job considering the 6+ hour drive to Chicago.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2012, 07:41:48 PM
NPU has certainly had an agonizing start to the season. Following a perfunctory 3-1 win over weak Concordia (IL), the Vikings lost two double-overtime contests to quality sides that everyone connected to NPU soccer felt should have been wins: A loss at Dominican with 24 seconds left in the second OT after the Vikes had clearly controlled play, and then a loss to Gustavus on an own-goal that bounced off of NPU's most experienced defender when there wasn't a Gustie within fifteen feet of him. All because the Vikings were suffering a catastrophic drought on offense. I had described the team to someone this weekend as being like unpainted furniture: Looks great, no finish.

That's why yesterday's 2-0 win over a fairly decent Carroll team brought about such a huge exhale of relief. The Vikings are continuing to have their way in the midfield and spend most of the game possessing the ball, but they're finally finding the back of the net. Tomorrow afternoon's contest at Concordia (WI) is another opportunity for the Vikings to continue refining their synchronization in the front third.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on September 10, 2012, 09:09:07 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2012, 07:41:48 PM
NPU has certainly had an agonizing start to the season. Following a perfunctory 3-1 win over weak Concordia (IL), the Vikings lost two double-overtime contests to quality sides that everyone connected to NPU soccer felt should have been wins: A loss at Dominican with 24 seconds left in the second OT after the Vikes had clearly controlled play, and then a loss to Gustavus on an own-goal that bounced off of NPU's most experienced defender when there wasn't a Gustie within fifteen feet of him. All because the Vikings were suffering a catastrophic drought on offense. I had described the team to someone this weekend as being like unpainted furniture: Looks great, no finish.

That's why yesterday's 2-0 win over a fairly decent Carroll team brought about such a huge exhale of relief. The Vikings are continuing to have their way in the midfield and spend most of the game possessing the ball, but they're finally finding the back of the net. Tomorrow afternoon's contest at Concordia (WI) is another opportunity for the Vikings to continue refining their synchronization in the front third.

Decent Carroll lost to lowly elmhurst 2-0 (that coach still screams every 5 seconds like he used to when coaching little kids at downers grove. calm down dude), and lost to Dubuque 5-0. I think npu needs september to get its starters to gel together and will show how good they can be in oct and nov. Jonas is still an a** though.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2012, 10:17:00 PM
Quote from: keeker on September 10, 2012, 09:09:07 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2012, 07:41:48 PM
NPU has certainly had an agonizing start to the season. Following a perfunctory 3-1 win over weak Concordia (IL), the Vikings lost two double-overtime contests to quality sides that everyone connected to NPU soccer felt should have been wins: A loss at Dominican with 24 seconds left in the second OT after the Vikes had clearly controlled play, and then a loss to Gustavus on an own-goal that bounced off of NPU's most experienced defender when there wasn't a Gustie within fifteen feet of him. All because the Vikings were suffering a catastrophic drought on offense. I had described the team to someone this weekend as being like unpainted furniture: Looks great, no finish.

That's why yesterday's 2-0 win over a fairly decent Carroll team brought about such a huge exhale of relief. The Vikings are continuing to have their way in the midfield and spend most of the game possessing the ball, but they're finally finding the back of the net. Tomorrow afternoon's contest at Concordia (WI) is another opportunity for the Vikings to continue refining their synchronization in the front third.

Decent Carroll lost to lowly elmhurst 2-0 (that coach still screams every 5 seconds like he used to when coaching little kids at downers grove. calm down dude), and lost to Dubuque 5-0. I think npu needs september to get its starters to gel together and will show how good they can be in oct and nov. Jonas is still an a** though.

Well, that's what I get for not checking Carroll's results to date and for simply assuming that having made the D3 tourney the past two seasons and four out of the last five was an imprimatur of the Pioneers' competence. My apologies.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 15, 2012, 12:04:52 PM
Wheaton downs Calvin and Carthage knocks off Hope.  Wow.  Big night for CCIW.
Anyone see either game?  I simply saw scores and haven't looked at stats yet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on September 15, 2012, 07:01:40 PM
Wheaton is FAST!!!! They are very quick and very organized. The way they played last night it would take a VERY good team to beat them. Calvin is a good side and has some weapons of their own, but they couldn't content with the team quickness and speed of Wheaton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 15, 2012, 09:32:05 PM
Not to pooh-pooh Wheaton's win or anything, but it came right on the heels (by 48 hours) of this grand debacle suffered by Calvin at the hands of Olivet. (http://www.d3soccer.com/notables/2012/09/Olivet_comeback) Makes you wonder if the Knights (2-3) were suffering from some sort of an emotional hangover after what must've been an absolute catastrophe of a defeat.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 29, 2012, 10:22:05 AM
ahem...
Sorry to break the vow of silence here.  Any predictions for the always exciting NP-Wheaton matchup tonight?  Not sure that home field advantage means anything for NP--they seem to get up for games @ Joe Bean.  I wish I could predict an offensive outpouring for the Vikings--nothing would make me happier--but I'm not holding my breath on that.  They don't seem to be able to put more than one in the net per half, especially against a good side like Wheaton. 

In fine NP fashion, I'm wagering the contest will be decided in overtime.  But this time the Swedes take home the win 3-2. 
On another note, what's up with Olivet?  I know this is the wrong board for that but has anyone seen them play?  Are they for real?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 29, 2012, 09:48:34 PM
I'm guessing 1-0 NP.

I was wondering the same thing about Olivet, seems bizarre.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 29, 2012, 11:19:29 PM
Wow was I off.  3-3 in 2OT
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on September 30, 2012, 12:28:21 AM
North Park - Wheaton was a game that I will never forget! It was an emotional roller coaster with all the ingredients you can expect to see in a game like this. Jonas scores with 30 seconds left and the Fosters Finest in the stands goes crazy - definitely one of the better moments I have experienced at North Park. It was great to see NP score three goals and come back to tie the game twice. The 2-2 game against, University of Chicago was a moral victory (playing with 10 men for a long time), but tonight NP really showed great fighting spirit and that they will never give up. Wheaton played also played well, even though their first goal was a little controversial.

The North Park student section (Foster's Finest) was amazing tonight, don't think you will find such committed soccer supporters elsewhere in d3 soccer. I hope that NP and Wheaton will play again in the playoffs!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on September 30, 2012, 06:10:38 AM
Good grief, that's a big flag!
Can someone tell me about the rules for shootouts?  None of NP's 2OT games have gone to PKs following a draw.  Would this only happen in tournament play?  Is this rule consistent across all of D3?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2012, 03:07:35 PM
Yes, in regular-season play any tie after the second overtime results in a draw.

Last night really upped the ante on the NPU/Wheaton rivalry. The attendance was listed at 2,902, which is pretty near capacity for Hedstrand Field. (A lot of D3 soccer programs would love to get 2,902 fans for the entire season.) Wheaton had a very sizeable following present as well, with students, parents, and alumni represented. As for Foster's Finest ... they were berserk last night. I wish that they would turn up in such numbers and with such volume and creativity for every game, rather than saving it all up for when the archrivals come to town. They provided a big boost for the Vikings last night, never flagging even when NPU went down in the second half, 2-0.

It was a pretty even match. The shot totals were very close. NPU was more physical, but Wheaton dished out its fair share of blocks, grabs, and elbows as well. I thought that NPU looked slightly better in the midfield, but Wheaton made more out of its rushes, dominating in the corners and forcing the Vikings into several hard-pressed errors that led to corner kicks and close-in free kicks from the angle. Wheaton scored all three of its goals off of such set plays. NPU got all of its goals out of open play, and in large part it was due to John Born rolling the dice with his team trailing by thinning out his back line in order to put more bodies up top.

When Pettersson scored with thirty seconds left in regulation to tie the game, it got as loud as I've ever heard it at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The official scorer and I were shouting at each other in the press box over the noise of the crowd so that we could establish who got the assist, and we weren't sitting more than eight feet away from each other. It was absolute bedlam in the stadium.

I wasn't sure about whether or not this NPU team had any heart, considering the erratic start to the season suffered by the Vikings and their tendency to lose their grip in key moments. But I'm not doubting it after last night. To come back on a team with Wheaton's ability the way that the Vikes did shows me that NPU has plenty of heart. I'm hoping that last night was a turning point in terms of their focus and their intensity.

Wheaton gets credit for going into the most hostile stadium in which the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance will ever have to play and coming out with a draw. NPU gets credit for coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 13 minutes of regulation (and a 3-2 deficit in the final minute) to earn the draw. Both sides played a high-powered, physical, and skillful game with just a small mistake here or there that opened up things for the opposition. It was quite a memorable evening, with a European-style vibe in the stands that really highlighted what an intense rivalry NPU vs. WC has become over the past decade.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 01, 2012, 08:20:00 AM
North Central men dropped a 2-1 decision to IWU to go to 7-3. The women also lost to IWU (4-1) to drop their conference opener and go 3-6 on the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 02, 2012, 03:30:48 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2012, 03:07:35 PM
Yes, in regular-season play any tie after the second overtime results in a draw.

Last night really upped the ante on the NPU/Wheaton rivalry. The attendance was listed at 2,902, which is pretty near capacity for Hedstrand Field. (A lot of D3 soccer programs would love to get 2,902 fans for the entire season.) Wheaton had a very sizeable following present as well, with students, parents, and alumni represented. As for Foster's Finest ... they were berserk last night. I wish that they would turn up in such numbers and with such volume and creativity for every game, rather than saving it all up for when the archrivals come to town. They provided a big boost for the Vikings last night, never flagging even when NPU went down in the second half, 2-0.

It was a pretty even match. The shot totals were very close. NPU was more physical, but Wheaton dished out its fair share of blocks, grabs, and elbows as well. I thought that NPU looked slightly better in the midfield, but Wheaton made more out of its rushes, dominating in the corners and forcing the Vikings into several hard-pressed errors that led to corner kicks and close-in free kicks from the angle. Wheaton scored all three of its goals off of such set plays. NPU got all of its goals out of open play, and in large part it was due to John Born rolling the dice with his team trailing by thinning out his back line in order to put more bodies up top.

When Pettersson scored with thirty seconds left in regulation to tie the game, it got as loud as I've ever heard it at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The official scorer and I were shouting at each other in the press box over the noise of the crowd so that we could establish who got the assist, and we weren't sitting more than eight feet away from each other. It was absolute bedlam in the stadium.

I wasn't sure about whether or not this NPU team had any heart, considering the erratic start to the season suffered by the Vikings and their tendency to lose their grip in key moments. But I'm not doubting it after last night. To come back on a team with Wheaton's ability the way that the Vikes did shows me that NPU has plenty of heart. I'm hoping that last night was a turning point in terms of their focus and their intensity.

Wheaton gets credit for going into the most hostile stadium in which the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance will ever have to play and coming out with a draw. NPU gets credit for coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 13 minutes of regulation (and a 3-2 deficit in the final minute) to earn the draw. Both sides played a high-powered, physical, and skillful game with just a small mistake here or there that opened up things for the opposition. It was quite a memorable evening, with a European-style vibe in the stands that really highlighted what an intense rivalry NPU vs. WC has become over the past decade.

I wish I had been able to see the game, but I had another commitment earlier that evening and I wasn't able to drive in on time.  I listened to part of the game on the radio (thanks Wheaton!), but turned it off after NPU was down 2-0.  I couldn't believe it the next morning when I saw the final score was 3-3.

Are IWU and Carthage for real?  Or are they just playing easier competition...?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 03, 2012, 02:48:43 PM
North Park defeated Dubuque last night, scoring 4 goals in the final 20 minutes.  That is 2 consecutive games with several goals scored towards the end of the game.

I hope they can figure out what they are doing differently at the end of games, and keep that approach throughout an entire 90 minutes.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 04, 2012, 10:43:30 AM
North Central picked up their first win over Elmhurst since 2004, by a score of 3-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on October 06, 2012, 02:05:09 PM
I can't get the Augustana - North Park stream to work? Anyone else having the same problem or ideas how to fix it?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 06, 2012, 07:27:27 PM
NPU ties Augie in Rock Island. That's a very bad draw for the Park, one of those draws that feels like a loss. NPU is gonna have to really step it up now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 06, 2012, 11:19:58 PM
Of course they tied.  Neutrality is a Swedish virtue.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 10, 2012, 08:56:49 PM
$8 to watch the NP v UW-O game!  That's absurd!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 10, 2012, 11:41:42 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 10, 2012, 08:56:49 PM
$8 to watch the NP v UW-O game!  That's absurd!

NPU won, so I would've ended up happy if I had bit the bullet and paid the money to watch, but I had a meeting at church tonight.

Jakob Aronsson got both NPU goals, presumably off of corners. Nice to see someone stepping up in the James Kriticos role for the Vikings. And it's especially nice to see Aronsson playing entire games now, as he's been plagued by a badly-sprained ankle for weeks now. Aronsson's a great defender, and he's missed when he's not on the pitch for NPU.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 11, 2012, 07:59:25 AM
North Central lost in double OT to Wheaton last night by a 4-3 score. They are now 1-2 in CCIW play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 14, 2012, 08:10:11 AM
North Central dropped a 2-1 decision to Carthage yesterday at B-W stadium last night
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 17, 2012, 04:22:09 PM
Not a real lively board this year.  Illinois Wesleyan's game with Beloit is cancelled tonight - Beloit lost a game to weather last weekend so they had to reschedule that game (conference game) for tonight.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 18, 2012, 09:07:10 AM
North Central's men defeated Carthage 2-1, to improve their season record to 9-6, 2-3 in CCIW play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2012, 02:27:39 PM
Quote from: newcardfan on October 18, 2012, 09:07:10 AM
North Central's men defeated Carthage Millikin 2-1, to improve their season record to 9-6, 2-3 in CCIW play.

FTFY.

Elmhurst @ NPU, which was postponed last night because of the thunderstorm, will be played tonight at 7:30 pm. AFAIK, it should be webcasted as usual.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 18, 2012, 02:33:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2012, 02:27:39 PM
Quote from: newcardfan on October 18, 2012, 09:07:10 AM
North Central's men defeated Carthage Millikin 2-1, to improve their season record to 9-6, 2-3 in CCIW play.

FTFY.

Elmhurst @ NPU, which was postponed last night because of the thunderstorm, will be played tonight at 7:30 pm. AFAIK, it should be webcasted as usual.

Ooops! Was looking at the Carthage website to check on a some former students of mine who play at Carthage, my bad.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2012, 02:38:47 PM
Current NCAA Central Region rankings:

1   Dominican   11-1-1   11-1-1
2   Wheaton (Ill.)   10-3-2   10-3-2
3   Illinois Wesleyan   11-2-0   11-2-0
4   Calvin   10-3-0   10-3-0
5   North Park     7-2-4     7-2-4
6   Olivet   11-1-1   13-1-1
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 19, 2012, 09:37:28 AM
Caught the second half of last night's NP v. Elm game.  NP sure moves the ball well and their finishing last night was outstanding.

The team doesn't have any obvious position holes and with so many new players (or previous players in new positions), perhaps they are starting to gel as a unit.  I still think they'll struggle where games focus on physicality and not technical skills.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2012, 06:50:13 PM
Elmhurst's game is all about physicality, as we know. The Bluejays threw NPU off its game early with the rough stuff, but, to their credit, the Vikings eventually put retaliation out of their minds and simply got down to playing soccer. I think that last night was a lesson well learned for them; when they focus upon the task at hand and stop worrying about the pushing, shoving, and grabbing, they're a pretty good soccer team.

I agree that NPU is starting to gel as a unit. I only hope that it's not too late; the desultory and fragmented play of the Vikings early in the season dented their record enough so that they're playing catch-up in the region, and the draw with distinctly inferior Augie is really hurting NPU in the CCIW race as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on October 21, 2012, 08:37:32 PM
Any report from the NP-Carthage game?  Looks like there were 9 yellow cards, including a duet for Damberg that left NP a man down.  And 3 of those yellows came at the same time (38:55) according to the box score.  What in the world was going on?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dennis_Prikkel on October 21, 2012, 09:49:28 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 21, 2012, 08:37:32 PM
Any report from the NP-Carthage game?  Looks like there were 9 yellow cards, including a duet for Damberg that left NP a man down.  And 3 of those yellows came at the same time (38:55) according to the box score.  What in the world was going on?

there were fouls galore - npu had a two goal lead the carthage cut to one and nearly got the tying goal, but a very late shot in the crossbar.

excellent, exciting call of the game on the north park video - though the student did say "North Park University" about 50 times in the final two minutes.  he was a little excited.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2012, 10:33:33 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 21, 2012, 09:49:28 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 21, 2012, 08:37:32 PM
Any report from the NP-Carthage game?  Looks like there were 9 yellow cards, including a duet for Damberg that left NP a man down.  And 3 of those yellows came at the same time (38:55) according to the box score.  What in the world was going on?

there were fouls galore - npu had a two goal lead the carthage cut to one and nearly got the tying goal, but a very late shot in the crossbar.

excellent, exciting call of the game on the north park video - though the student did say "North Park University" about 50 times in the final two minutes.  he was a little excited.

He's not a student. NPU soccer webcaster Marcos Craft is an NPU alumnus and former Vikings soccer player.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2012, 11:02:45 PM
NPU just doesn't seem to be able to do things the easy way. After spotting an early goal to a Carthage side that clearly was playing with a sense of desperation, the Vikings finally were able to counter with a Robin Hals goal late in the first half after he'd intercepted an unsuccessful Red Men attempt at a clear from deep in their end.

The second half started auspiciously, when Filip Lindmark headed in a corner kick from Mike Herbst in the first minute. The problem was the ref, who was completely out of control. He was one of those officials you sometimes see in various sports who is both drunk with power and thin-skinned to the point of neurosis. He'd pull out a yellow card on you last night if you even looked at him funny; over half of the yellows in the game were for verbal infractions. It was ridiculous, but if you're a player you have to adjust to that and keep your mouth shut. A ref like that can easily influence a contest to the point where he determines who wins or who loses by his mood, and that could've happened last night after Carl Damberg got sent off with 36 minutes remaining and NPU only up by a goal.

Fortunately, Fredrik Greiff -- who has played some absolutely amazing soccer this past week while his parents are in town visiting from Sweden, leading John Born to remark after last night's match that he wishes Greiff's parents would stay in Chicago for a few extra weeks -- had a free-kick opportunity from straight on, 25 yards out, that he humpbacked over the Carthage wall and into the upper right corner of the goal, just below the crossbar. It was one of the prettiest goals I've seen in a long time. That shortie gave NPU some insurance, and the Vikings were plainly going to need it. Carthage just kept throwing everything it could at the Park's end of the field. The Red Men average a ridiculous four goals a game, well above everybody else in the league, and they've had 16 different players put it in the net at one time or another. Watching NPU play down a man for 36 minutes against a team like Carthage, even with a two-goal lead, felt like an eternity. But, just like the similar situation in the University of Chicago match, the Vikings proved up to the challenge. Carthage did pare the lead down to a goal with a late score in the 84th minute, but Tim Ahlberg showed why he's an All-CCIW goalkeeper by making some very impressive saves in the panicky final minutes, even though at one point there was a shot that deflected off the football crossbar and caromed back into play that was not called by the ref as having gone out of bounds and resulting in a goal kick.

NPU dodged another bullet, and kept its CCIW title hopes alive. But the Vikings have got to stop digging holes and then trying to find a way to climb out of them. They get too easily distracted by opponent goonery (Elmhurst) or irritable referees (Carthage). They need to focus on the task at hand right from the start of a match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 22, 2012, 08:04:26 AM
NC men picked up two victories this week-end. They beat Augie 2-0 and then on Senior Day, they dropped CUC 4-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 22, 2012, 09:34:04 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2012, 10:33:33 PM
Quote from: dennis_prikkel on October 21, 2012, 09:49:28 PM
Quote from: thePietist on October 21, 2012, 08:37:32 PM
Any report from the NP-Carthage game?  Looks like there were 9 yellow cards, including a duet for Damberg that left NP a man down.  And 3 of those yellows came at the same time (38:55) according to the box score.  What in the world was going on?

there were fouls galore - npu had a two goal lead the carthage cut to one and nearly got the tying goal, but a very late shot in the crossbar.

excellent, exciting call of the game on the north park video - though the student did say "North Park University" about 50 times in the final two minutes.  he was a little excited.

He's not a student. NPU soccer webcaster Marcos Craft is an NPU alumnus and former Vikings soccer player.

I always wondered who did the play by play.   If I were to criticize his style, it would also be the repeated "North Park University" phrase, rarely saying score/time, "Ladies and Gentleman" and finally, everything is a Golazo.

Generally, I think he does a pretty good job and I appreciate his dedication and the fact that he seems to really enjoy himself which is important.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 22, 2012, 07:54:09 PM
I don't disagree with you, but I'd cut Marcos a lot of slack. Speaking as someone who webcasts NPU football games all by his lonesome, and who has done a few NPU basketball games solo as well, I have a healthy respect for the amount of talking that Marcos has to do in the course of a soccer match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on October 24, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
Congrats to North Central's Ricardo Serrano on being named the CCIW offensive player of the week.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2012, 04:47:33 PM
Central Region rankings, as of today:


1   Dominican   13-2-1   13-2-1
2   Wheaton   12-3-2   12-3-2
3   Illinois Wesleyan   11-3-0   11-3-0
4   North Park     9-2-4     9-2-4
5   Calvin   12-3-0   12-3-0
T6   Chicago     7-3-4     7-3-4
T6   Olivet   12-2-1   14-2-1
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 24, 2012, 10:10:03 PM
Those rankings will sure change... NP beats IWU down in Bloomington 4-2!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2012, 10:13:10 PM
NPU 4-2 over Wesleyan in BloNo. Two goals for Markus Fodstad. Big win for the Vikes!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 25, 2012, 09:52:36 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2012, 10:13:10 PM
NPU 4-2 over Wesleyan in BloNo. Two goals for Markus Fodstad. Big win for the Vikes!

Great and important result for North Park.  I only saw Greif's goal - he sure is deadly from just outside the box.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 25, 2012, 11:09:34 AM
The first two goals were VERY quality goals for North Park.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2012, 09:00:09 PM
Final from Naperville:

NPU 3
NCC 2
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 27, 2012, 09:00:54 PM
Jonas Petterson's hat trick was just enough for NP to hang on to the win in Naperville.  NP 3 - 2 over NC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2012, 09:04:24 PM
Interesting match. Nobody scored in the first half ... but then Jonas Petterson scored three goals in less than seven minutes, which has got to be one of the quickest hat tricks in CCIW history, if not the quickest. However, North Central, which was playing for its life (a CCIW tourney berth was riding on the game for the Cards, since Carthage beat Illinois Wesleyan earlier in the day), scored two goals in the space of 19 seconds with less than 15 minutes left, and the Park was forced to hang on for the win.

Pettersson finishes the CCIW season with eight goals and 18 points, making him the league's scoring champ.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2012, 09:14:47 PM
Unfortunately, Wheaton (to no one's surprise) knocked off Millikin earlier in the day, 3-0, to claim the CCIW championship with a 6-0-1 mark to NPU's 5-0-2. As irritating as that is on several levels, what really bothers me more than anything is that NPU's superfluous draw came at the hands of a pretty pedestrian Augustana side. Augie will finish the season either 7-8-3 or 6-9-3, depending upon how the Doggies finish today against Elmhurst. (The 'jays lead, 1-0, in the first half.) You just can't wind up in a draw against a side like that, or it'll come back to haunt you. It certainly did for NPU.

The good news is that the Park gets to host a first-round CCIW tourney match on Wednesday night. Since Carthage beat Illinois Wesleyan today, and those two teams finished in a third-place tie at 4-3 apiece, the Vikings will get to host their old friends from Kenosha on Wednesday. This is the price that NPU will have to pay for that draw with Augie, a much worse price than not getting the regular-season trophy, IMHO; Carthage is a better side than Illinois Wesleyan, which was exposed at season's end for its relatively weak early schedule (the Titans were 11-2 and ranked as high as third in the region, but they lost their last three matches, all of which came against the three CCIW favorites).

At least NPU has tended to play very well in Joe Bean Stadium in recent years. And the NPU faithful will turn out in droves if the anticipated NPU @ Wheaton tourney final comes to pass next Saturday. Also, Wheaton and NPU will probably be ranked #2 and #3 in the region on Wednesday (behind Dominican), which means that a win on Wednesday would set up either Wheaton or NPU nicely for a Pool C berth, depending upon which one would lose next Saturday.

First things first, though. NPU's gonna have to beat Carthage for the second time in eleven days at Hedstrand Field, not an easy task by any means.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 31, 2012, 10:23:17 PM
NP 3-2 over Carthage.  Wheaton dominates IWU 5-0. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 01, 2012, 10:44:21 AM
What is the derivation of Doggies in reference to Augustana?

In the next paragraph, there is a sentence that has six commas, one semi-colon, and parentheses, which rivals passages created by my former supervisor who retired in September 2012.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 01, 2012, 04:56:51 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 01, 2012, 10:44:21 AM
What is the derivation of Doggies in reference to Augustana?

They've been called the Augie Doggies by non-Augustana people since time immemorial. Like a lot of nicknames, the rhyme makes it a natural. And a lot of people grew up watching this Hanna-Barbera cartoon, which used to run in shorts alongside Peter Potamus, Quick Draw McGraw, Huckleberry Hound, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, Snagglepuss, Magilla Gorilla, etc.:

(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_Y8m29ZLX5ag%2FSTOP_g4IFHI%2FAAAAAAAAB2I%2FfbJvehSiBcc%2Fs400%2FAUGIE%2BDOGGIE%2BTITLE%2BCARD.jpg&hash=db2422e1f2e596ff52c4a9cbfef223e095f83b29)

Quote from: markerickson on November 01, 2012, 10:44:21 AMIn the next paragraph, there is a sentence that has six commas, one semi-colon, and parentheses, which rivals passages created by my former supervisor who retired in September 2012.

Glad to help fill that hole in your life, Mark. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 01, 2012, 05:28:05 PM
NPU's win over Carthage last night certainly wasn't an easy one, as the Vikings followed their frequent m.o. of starting slow and letting the other side score first. And, as has been the case throughout the year and in the match played between NPU and CC two weeks ago, Carthage scored that initial goal on sheer speed, catching the Vikings back on their heels as they got an attacker (Jordan Innis) into the goalmouth on a long kick before any Vikings could get back there to challenge him. When Tim Ahlberg bobbled and dropped the ball, Innis was right there to put the ball in the net.

NPU was less in control of midfield last night than is usually the case, but the Vikings were better than usual around the net. The first Vikings goal was a sweet heel tip-in by Jakob Aronsson right in front of CC keeper Milan Tijanic, off of a Mike Herbst corner kick. The second was a header that Jonas Pettersson rebounded into the net after a save by Tijanic that he'd directed upwards led to the ball hitting the crossbar and bouncing outwards in front of the goalmouth. After Carthage came back with a 40-yard free-kick goal by Mike Heika, effectively screened by the Red Men so that Ahlberg was unable to pick up the flight of the ball, NPU got a goal that was called back by a foul. Then the Vikings finished off the Red Men with a game-winner in the 85th minute that came on another strong goalmouth play: Fredrik Greiff and Herbst teaming up to put one in the upper right corner of the net after Tijanic was unable to negotiate what was either a shot or a pass by Greiff across the goalmouth that Herbst got to instead of Tijanic.

NPU had to work for it, unlike Wheaton. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance was fortunate enough to face an Illinois Wesleyan side that was in way over its head in this tourney. But that's the perq that comes from winning the league; the difference between the third-place side and the fourth-place side can be pretty vast, as was demonstrated by the contrast between last night's matches at Hedstrand Field and Joe Bean Stadium.

As Wheaton commentator Rusty Lindsey put it on d3soccer.com's tournament update page: "The table is set for a raucous scene at Joe Bean Stadium on Saturday night when two fierce rivals will battle for the CCIW crown. Top-seed Wheaton disposed of No. 4 Illinois Wesleyan 5-0 behind a hat trick from Chad Musgraves. Second-seeded North Park on the other hand got a late goal and downed No. 3 Carthage 3-2 in the other semi-final.  The Vikings and Thunder will exchange pleasantries with a 7:00 pm kick-off on Saturday night.  North Park and Wheaton have combined to win 9 of the 10 CCIW Tournament Championships since the tournament's inception in 2001."

"Raucous scene" pretty well describes it. As has been the case every time that NPU and Wheaton have faced off for the CCIW tourney title, the scene at Joe Bean Stadium on Saturday night should be nothing short of apocalyptic.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on November 02, 2012, 10:16:09 AM
Is there an online video webcast for this game?  Also, when is the game and at what time?  This should be a dandy.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on November 02, 2012, 10:56:47 AM
The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

The Wheaton webcast can be linked from the Wheaton website.  Live stats are also available.

http://www2.wheaton.edu/learnres/mediares/WETN/WETN_livewindow/WETN-TV.html


This should be a good game!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on November 02, 2012, 04:11:10 PM
Quote from: augie77 on November 02, 2012, 10:56:47 AM
The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

The Wheaton webcast can be linked from the Wheaton website.  Live stats are also available.

http://www2.wheaton.edu/learnres/mediares/WETN/WETN_livewindow/WETN-TV.html


This should be a good game!
Anyone know how much the ticket is? I know its $5 for regular season game but haven't been to wheaton for playoff games recently. If it's less than $7.00 I might go. Only couple hrs drive and i wanna see noah duke it out with jonas.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 02, 2012, 04:20:23 PM
It was $6 at NP on Wednesday, my guess is it'd be the same Saturday.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on November 02, 2012, 04:32:29 PM
It is $6.oo
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 03, 2012, 08:15:17 PM
Quote from: keeker on November 02, 2012, 04:11:10 PM
Quote from: augie77 on November 02, 2012, 10:56:47 AM
The game will take place at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

The Wheaton webcast can be linked from the Wheaton website.  Live stats are also available.

http://www2.wheaton.edu/learnres/mediares/WETN/WETN_livewindow/WETN-TV.html


This should be a good game!
I am getting a 404 error when I try to access the match

Anyone know how much the ticket is? I know its $5 for regular season game but haven't been to wheaton for playoff games recently. If it's less than $7.00 I might go. Only couple hrs drive and i wanna see noah duke it out with jonas.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 03, 2012, 10:47:09 PM
Wow! Wheaton's keeper must have time traveled ahead and came back to stop those first 2 goals in the shootout.  He looked like he knew exactly where they were going from the get go.  Hopefully they don't throw Wheaton into the Loras pool to early, I want to see these two meet in the Sweet 16.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 03, 2012, 11:14:26 PM
Couldn't be more pleased to see Wheaton send North Park's annoying fans home empty handed. The CCIW is always more entertaining when the Thunder are playing well and not struggling like the previous few years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on November 04, 2012, 12:42:46 AM
Are you talking about the only soccer fans in d3soccer, even more so in the CCIW? Wheaton had a good numbers of people coming out today which made the game more fun to watch. I wish more schools took after the great supporter tradition from NPU, and less people complaining about them bringing some heat and excitement to the games.

 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on November 05, 2012, 11:19:02 AM
North Park's "annoying fans"?  If any team is bringing fans to D3 soccer games they should be getting praise...  North Park fans are lively which adds to the excitement of the match from a fan and player perspective.  I think NPU gets an at-large bid into the tournament based on their regular season results.  Hopefully their fans travel well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 05, 2012, 01:07:05 PM
North Park v Washington U.  At Loras I believe.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on November 05, 2012, 09:09:58 PM
I believe, and hope that NP will have a pretty good group of fans driving out to Dubeque for the game vs Washington. What do you think about North Park and  Wheatons chances to do well in the tournament? Personally I believe that North Park has had a great run the last part of the season and has a great chance of at least winning the first round. Loras in the second round will probably be a more difficult game to win but I do believe that on a good day, the Vikings can beat any team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on November 05, 2012, 09:27:59 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_PWxQhCxr8&feature=colike Mike and Jakob from NP seems to be ready at least !
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OhioSocYea on November 06, 2012, 02:18:51 PM
Ohio Wesleyan fan here, looking forward to some excitement this weekend @ Wheaton. Unfortunately, however, i will not be able to attend in-person, so am wondering about video for the matches...

Does Wheaton usually stream games? How is the quality? Anyone know if they are planning to do it for all the NCAA tourney games at the site, or just the matches Wheaton is participating in? Nothing on the Wheaton site so far, that i can find...

Any help is appreciated!

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on November 06, 2012, 03:51:56 PM
Your best bet for now is to keep checking the Wheaton web site.  Yes, the Wheaton games will definitely be live streamed from the campus tv station, WETN.  I'm not sure about the other games, but the web site will hopefully answer that question in the next day or so.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OhioSocYea on November 06, 2012, 04:43:26 PM
Great, thanks Augie! Much appreciated.  :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on November 06, 2012, 04:53:01 PM
Yeah, forgot to thank you augie for answering ticket price question. Wow, what a game that was. That freshman golz is something else. Runs in the family. Was disappointed that i didnt get to see hollingswaorth. North park fans are hilarious and probably one of the best.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2012, 05:17:07 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 03, 2012, 11:14:26 PM
Couldn't be more pleased to see Wheaton send North Park's annoying fans home empty handed.

And I couldn't be more pleased that Dave DiTomasso's crew of Elmhurst leg-breakers are at home right now putting away their brass knuckles after a 1-6 CCIW campaign -- a 1-6 campaign that included a 2-0 loss to Millikin, for crying out loud.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 03, 2012, 10:47:09 PM
Wow! Wheaton's keeper must have time traveled ahead and came back to stop those first 2 goals in the shootout.  He looked like he knew exactly where they were going from the get go.

Ryan Seager did a fantastic job in the shootout, and I tip my hat to him. But I'm on record as hating shootouts. Soccer is the only sport in the world in which the outcome can be settled in a format different than that of the game itself. Does basketball eschew overtime by having the two teams play a game of H-O-R-S-E to settle the outcome? Does baseball say "no" to extra innings, and instead have the two teams do a Home Run Derby to determine the winner?

And, yeah, I'd be saying the same thing if NPU had beaten Wheaton in the shootout. I just wouldn't be saying it as loudly. ;) :D

Quote from: Saldner F.F. on November 05, 2012, 09:09:58 PMI believe, and hope that NP will have a pretty good group of fans driving out to Dubeque for the game vs Washington. What do you think about North Park and  Wheatons chances to do well in the tournament? Personally I believe that North Park has had a great run the last part of the season and has a great chance of at least winning the first round. Loras in the second round will probably be a more difficult game to win but I do believe that on a good day, the Vikings can beat any team.

Optimism must be tempered. NPU's been a very strong regular-season outfit in recent years, but the postseason has been another matter. The Vikings are only 1-4 in the tournament over the past decade. They have to focus exclusively on Wash U, because beating the Bears will be more than enough of a task to hold their attention. As for Loras ... well, let's just say that NPU has yet to face a foe in Loras's category this season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 06, 2012, 10:02:37 PM
Meh, I stand by my statement. I don't like North Park's student fans, whom I find quite boorish. I also find their players to be whiners, so I have no problem rooting against them. NPU guys liked Sager can vehemently disagree all they want, but that's my opinion and they can have theirs. And as I've stated before, I'm no fan of DiTomasso and his antics.
As an aside, I don't see Loras losing until the Elite 8 or later. Wheaton will have their hands full with Ohio Wesleyan, even with the home field.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2012, 10:25:09 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 06, 2012, 10:02:37 PM
Meh, I stand by my statement. I don't like North Park's student fans, whom I find quite boorish. I also find their players to be whiners, so I have no problem rooting against them. NPU guys liked Sager can vehemently disagree all they want, but that's my opinion and they can have theirs.

I don't have any problem at all with your opinion being different from mine. What I said to you last season:

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 06:50:38 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMJust cuz you love your Vikings doesn't mean anyone else is gonna like them (and we don't).

Excellent. Nobody expects you to.

It wouldn't be any fun to be on top if being there didn't bother the people below you.

... still stands. In the immortal words of Sly and the Family Stone, "different strokes for different folks."
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 06, 2012, 10:38:06 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2012, 10:25:09 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 06, 2012, 10:02:37 PM
Meh, I stand by my statement. I don't like North Park's student fans, whom I find quite boorish. I also find their players to be whiners, so I have no problem rooting against them. NPU guys liked Sager can vehemently disagree all they want, but that's my opinion and they can have theirs.

I don't have any problem at all with your opinion being different from mine. What I said to you last season:

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2011, 06:50:38 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 09, 2011, 06:18:40 PMJust cuz you love your Vikings doesn't mean anyone else is gonna like them (and we don't).

Excellent. Nobody expects you to.

It wouldn't be any fun to be on top if being there didn't bother the people below you.

... still stands. In the immortal words of Sly and the Family Stone, "different strokes for different folks."

In terms of the above, North Park's success on the pitch doesn't bother me. I'd feel the same whether they are good or terrible. Historically, I've preferred watching Wheaton teams anyhow. Those Rob Mouw-Eric Brown squads were incredible. We won't see a team that good again in the CCIW.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on November 07, 2012, 02:35:53 PM
Quote from: augie77 on November 06, 2012, 03:51:56 PM
Your best bet for now is to keep checking the Wheaton web site.  Yes, the Wheaton games will definitely be live streamed from the campus tv station, WETN.  I'm not sure about the other games, but the web site will hopefully answer that question in the next day or so.

The d3soccer website shows live stats and video for the Ohio-Wesleyan game this Friday.  You will find this under scores for November 9.  Just click on the links.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OhioSocYea on November 07, 2012, 03:17:47 PM
Quote from: augie77 on November 07, 2012, 02:35:53 PM
Quote from: augie77 on November 06, 2012, 03:51:56 PM
Your best bet for now is to keep checking the Wheaton web site.  Yes, the Wheaton games will definitely be live streamed from the campus tv station, WETN.  I'm not sure about the other games, but the web site will hopefully answer that question in the next day or so.

The d3soccer website shows live stats and video for the Ohio-Wesleyan game this Friday.  You will find this under scores for November 9.  Just click on the links.

Yep, just noticed this as well, thanks! Wheaton website has also been updated with links for video for the Ohio Wesleyan and Centre match. Well done Wheaton! :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on November 07, 2012, 04:24:02 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2012, 05:17:07 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 03, 2012, 11:14:26 PM
Couldn't be more pleased to see Wheaton send North Park's annoying fans home empty handed.

And I couldn't be more pleased that Dave DiTomasso's crew of Elmhurst leg-breakers are at home right now putting away their brass knuckles after a 1-6 CCIW campaign -- a 1-6 campaign that included a 2-0 loss to Millikin, for crying out loud.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 03, 2012, 10:47:09 PM
Wow! Wheaton's keeper must have time traveled ahead and came back to stop those first 2 goals in the shootout.  He looked like he knew exactly where they were going from the get go.

Ryan Seager did a fantastic job in the shootout, and I tip my hat to him. But I'm on record as hating shootouts. Soccer is the only sport in the world in which the outcome can be settled in a format different than that of the game itself. Does basketball eschew overtime by having the two teams play a game of H-O-R-S-E to settle the outcome? Does baseball say "no" to extra innings, and instead have the two teams do a Home Run Derby to determine the winner?

And, yeah, I'd be saying the same thing if NPU had beaten Wheaton in the shootout. I just wouldn't be saying it as loudly. ;) :D

Quote from: Saldner F.F. on November 05, 2012, 09:09:58 PMI believe, and hope that NP will have a pretty good group of fans driving out to Dubeque for the game vs Washington. What do you think about North Park and  Wheatons chances to do well in the tournament? Personally I believe that North Park has had a great run the last part of the season and has a great chance of at least winning the first round. Loras in the second round will probably be a more difficult game to win but I do believe that on a good day, the Vikings can beat any team.

Optimism must be tempered. NPU's been a very strong regular-season outfit in recent years, but the postseason has been another matter. The Vikings are only 1-4 in the tournament over the past decade. They have to focus exclusively on Wash U, because beating the Bears will be more than enough of a task to hold their attention. As for Loras ... well, let's just say that NPU has yet to face a foe in Loras's category this season.

Hello fellas. Just wanted to chime in on the Loras/NP discussion. Actually NP has played a foe in Loras's category. Twice as a mater of fact. Wheaton played Loras early in the year and the 2-0 score was not reflective of the game. It was a track meet with even shots and possession. The score was 0-0 with 8 minutes left to play. Could have gone either way. After Loras scored Wheaton was forced to press for the tie. Second goal was on a missed offsides call with a minute or so left in the game. For those of you that don't know, Wheaton starts 6 freshmen and sophomores and has a completely new back line this year. It took a while for them to work out some kinks early in the season.

If NP gets through the first game I think the can give Loras some trouble. Their conditioning is a little suspect in my opinion but if they can hang in there, Jonas can strike in a heartbeat. Very dangerous player.

As for NP fans, they can be a little obnoxious but all in good fun in my opinion. I was glad they got into the tournament and certainly believe they deserve to be there. The CCIW Championship game at Wheaton was one of the best college soccer atmospheres I've seen at any level.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 07, 2012, 04:58:15 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2012, 05:17:07 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 03, 2012, 11:14:26 PM
Couldn't be more pleased to see Wheaton send North Park's annoying fans home empty handed.

And I couldn't be more pleased that Dave DiTomasso's crew of Elmhurst leg-breakers are at home right now putting away their brass knuckles after a 1-6 CCIW campaign -- a 1-6 campaign that included a 2-0 loss to Millikin, for crying out loud.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 03, 2012, 10:47:09 PM
Wow! Wheaton's keeper must have time traveled ahead and came back to stop those first 2 goals in the shootout.  He looked like he knew exactly where they were going from the get go.

Ryan Seager did a fantastic job in the shootout, and I tip my hat to him. But I'm on record as hating shootouts. Soccer is the only sport in the world in which the outcome can be settled in a format different than that of the game itself. Does basketball eschew overtime by having the two teams play a game of H-O-R-S-E to settle the outcome? Does baseball say "no" to extra innings, and instead have the two teams do a Home Run Derby to determine the winner?

And, yeah, I'd be saying the same thing if NPU had beaten Wheaton in the shootout. I just wouldn't be saying it as loudly. ;) :D

Quote from: Saldner F.F. on November 05, 2012, 09:09:58 PMI believe, and hope that NP will have a pretty good group of fans driving out to Dubeque for the game vs Washington. What do you think about North Park and  Wheatons chances to do well in the tournament? Personally I believe that North Park has had a great run the last part of the season and has a great chance of at least winning the first round. Loras in the second round will probably be a more difficult game to win but I do believe that on a good day, the Vikings can beat any team.

Optimism must be tempered. NPU's been a very strong regular-season outfit in recent years, but the postseason has been another matter. The Vikings are only 1-4 in the tournament over the past decade. They have to focus exclusively on Wash U, because beating the Bears will be more than enough of a task to hold their attention. As for Loras ... well, let's just say that NPU has yet to face a foe in Loras's category this season.

Umm what about Ice Hockey, Field Hockey, Water Polo, Team Handball, Cricket, Rugby,and of course Gaelic Football.  These sports also determine a winner through shootouts.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GarbageGoals33 on November 07, 2012, 05:27:40 PM
KICKIN pulling out all stops when Gaelic Football is involved.  Hopefully the NPU players are able to play better than they dance when they are down in Dubuque!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2012, 07:12:50 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 07, 2012, 04:24:02 PMHello fellas. Just wanted to chime in on the Loras/NP discussion. Actually NP has played a foe in Loras's category. Twice as a mater of fact. Wheaton played Loras early in the year and the 2-0 score was not reflective of the game. It was a track meet with even shots and possession. The score was 0-0 with 8 minutes left to play. Could have gone either way. After Loras scored Wheaton was forced to press for the tie. Second goal was on a missed offsides call with a minute or so left in the game.

That's good to know. Thanks for that game breakdown. After checking the box score, it's true -- Wheaton actually outshot Loras, although Loras had more shots on frame, and the two goals by the Duhawks did come very, very late in the contest. I still think that NPU would be a decided underdog in a potential NPU @ Loras matchup, but I do feel better about NPU's chances now. First things first, though -- Wash U is on the docket, and the Bears will not be a pushover.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 07, 2012, 04:58:15 PMUmm what about Ice Hockey, Field Hockey, Water Polo, Team Handball, Cricket, Rugby,and of course Gaelic Football.  These sports also determine a winner through shootouts.

My bad for using the word "world". I'd completely forgotten about the NHL's abomination in adopting the shootout. Rugby uses golden-point overtimes, though, not shootouts. As for the other sports ... couldn't care less.

Doesn't make soccer's use of the shootout any more legitimate. It just means that soccer has some company in maintaining a stupid tiebreaking mode. Thanks for the correction, though. Nice catch.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on November 07, 2012, 11:06:43 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2012, 07:12:50 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 07, 2012, 04:24:02 PMHello fellas. Just wanted to chime in on the Loras/NP discussion. Actually NP has played a foe in Loras's category. Twice as a mater of fact. Wheaton played Loras early in the year and the 2-0 score was not reflective of the game. It was a track meet with even shots and possession. The score was 0-0 with 8 minutes left to play. Could have gone either way. After Loras scored Wheaton was forced to press for the tie. Second goal was on a missed offsides call with a minute or so left in the game.

That's good to know. Thanks for that game breakdown. After checking the box score, it's true -- Wheaton actually outshot Loras, although Loras had more shots on frame, and the two goals by the Duhawks did come very, very late in the contest. I still think that NPU would be a decided underdog in a potential NPU @ Loras matchup, but I do feel better about NPU's chances now. First things first, though -- Wash U is on the docket, and the Bears will not be a pushover.



Just for reference on Wash U, Wheaton played them earlier in the year at Wash U. Wash U was never really in the game. Wheaton was up 3-0 early in the second half and subbed liberally in the second half. Shots were 16-7 Wheaton with lots of possession and Wash U only had 2 shots on goal. In Wash U's defense I had heard that a couple of their players were out but with their lack of speed they never really threatened. I like NP's chances against them.




(modified by GS for formatting)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2012, 11:31:48 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 07, 2012, 11:06:43 PMJust for reference on Wash U, Wheaton played them earlier in the year at Wash U. Wash U was never really in the game. Wheaton was up 3-0 early in the second half and subbed liberally in the second half. Shots were 16-7 Wheaton with lots of possession and Wash U only had 2 shots on goal. In Wash U's defense I had heard that a couple of their players were out but with their lack of speed they never really threatened. I like NP's chances against them.

NPU and Wash U have one other opponent in common: Chicago, which tied both squads (2-2 vs. NPU in late September, and 0-0 vs. Wash U last Saturday).

It doesn't appear that Wash U had any key players who were missing for that Wheaton match other than Jeremy Kirkwood, who tied for the team lead in scoring this season.

The Bears have been in the postseason the past two years, same as NPU, so they will be battle-tested in terms of November soccer. I know that John Born and the rest of the NPU braintrust will not take the Bears lightly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 08, 2012, 10:24:37 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2012, 11:31:48 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 07, 2012, 11:06:43 PMJust for reference on Wash U, Wheaton played them earlier in the year at Wash U. Wash U was never really in the game. Wheaton was up 3-0 early in the second half and subbed liberally in the second half. Shots were 16-7 Wheaton with lots of possession and Wash U only had 2 shots on goal. In Wash U's defense I had heard that a couple of their players were out but with their lack of speed they never really threatened. I like NP's chances against them.

NPU and Wash U have one other opponent in common: Chicago, which tied both squads (2-2 vs. NPU in late September, and 0-0 vs. Wash U last Saturday).

It doesn't appear that Wash U had any key players who were missing for that Wheaton match other than Jeremy Kirkwood, who tied for the team lead in scoring this season.

The Bears have been in the postseason the past two years, same as NPU, so they will be battle-tested in terms of November soccer. I know that John Born and the rest of the NPU braintrust will not take the Bears lightly.

Wash U & Wheaton both played Loras this year, Loras tied Wash U 0-0 but out shot the Bears 23-7 and 7-2 SOG and lead in corners 9-2.  Against Wheaton Loras walked away with a 2-0 victory, but the stats and the match were much, much closer, Wheaton had the edge in shots 13-12 and Loras led in SOG and corners 6-4 and 3-2 respectively and the play was what has come to expected between the two the last 8 years.  Wash U no doubt can play, but they aren't quite Wheaton caliber.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 09, 2012, 03:16:40 PM
Good luck to Wheaton tonight and North Park tomorrow!!!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 10, 2012, 02:02:06 PM
FINAL:

NPU 4
Wash U 1

Now comes the hard part: Loras tomorrow.

Wheaton beat Transylvania last night, 3-0, and will host Centre today.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 10, 2012, 03:56:47 PM
Loras has only four players from Iowa on its roster; 17 hail from Illinois (mostly DuPage county).  North Park has 17 players from Sweden.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 10, 2012, 07:20:35 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 10, 2012, 03:56:47 PM
Loras has only four players from Iowa on its roster; 17 hail from Illinois (mostly DuPage county).  North Park has 17 players from Sweden.
Loras has always been a hotbed for some of the top Illinois players.  Not sure about the Sweden NPU connection
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on November 11, 2012, 02:55:37 PM
Two questions: How can you "Zidane" a player and still be able to finish the soccer game on the pitch? Second: Can the Loras camera man please follow the ball for the second half?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on November 11, 2012, 03:58:46 PM
So the answer is that you are allowed to in the NCAA d3 soccer? I hate losing but the Vikes were supposed to play 11 on 10, almost all game! Who brought gave that ref the permission to do this game?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 11, 2012, 04:02:14 PM
A hard-fought (and physical) match for the Vikings.  A tough loss to swallow in what looked like a fairly even contest.  I'm surprised nobody got seriously injured (or ejected, for that matter).  Congrats to NP on a good season. 

Good luck to Wheaton in the coming rounds.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 11, 2012, 04:02:19 PM
Quote from: Saldner F.F. on November 11, 2012, 03:58:46 PM
So the answer is that you are allowed to in the NCAA d3 soccer? I hate losing but the Vikes were supposed to play 11 on 10, almost all game! Who brought gave that ref the permission to do this game?
I guess you didn't see the 1st foul, just the 2nd?  I thought the center did a good job at keeping the game from getting out of hand.  The NCAA picks the ref, but you won't have to worry about them anymore this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Saldner F.F. on November 11, 2012, 04:25:17 PM
So you are arguing that he saw the "bull moose" hit and decided that a yellow card was enough? If he didn't see it that's another story, what's strange is the yellow card. No matter what the first tackle looked like we all saw in the world cup 2006 how to treat actions like that.

North Park has done a great job trying to steal a win from a high ranked team at their turf. This was NP's first loss all season in 90 min and its even more impressive looking at their very competitive schedule. Hopefully they will get some more attention next year and not be viewed as one of the "most surprising wins" when they win their first round next year.. .
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on November 11, 2012, 09:44:40 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 10, 2012, 03:56:47 PM
Loras has only four players from Iowa on its roster; 17 hail from Illinois (mostly DuPage county).  North Park has 17 players from Sweden.
So academy rejects beat scandinavian imports... hmm, somebody tell born to start looking for players in his neighborhood. I hope loras get to play against wheaton. we'll then get to see the rejects vs the legits and see if academy is all its cracked up to be. Somehow i doubt it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 11, 2012, 10:44:51 PM
I sure don't understand that last post. Any translators around?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 11, 2012, 11:06:18 PM
Quote from: keeker on November 11, 2012, 09:44:40 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 10, 2012, 03:56:47 PM
Loras has only four players from Iowa on its roster; 17 hail from Illinois (mostly DuPage county).  North Park has 17 players from Sweden.
So academy rejects beat scandinavian imports... hmm, somebody tell born to start looking for players in his neighborhood. I hope loras get to play against wheaton. we'll then get to see the rejects vs the legits and see if academy is all its cracked up to be. Somehow i doubt it.
Umm, I don't know if your meds have worn off but the rejects comment is nothing short of ignorant (proving your knowledge or lack there of DIII soccer) and if you did even the slightest bit of research you would have noticed that Loras already blanked Wheaton 2-0 this season.  Nothing screams moron louder than when a person uses their own foot as a bullhorn!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OskeeHawk on November 11, 2012, 11:13:06 PM
Kickin, i Believe he's talking about the ussf academy kids that Wheaton has versus some non academy kids that Loras has.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 11, 2012, 11:36:12 PM
Those are some pretty broad brush strokes, fellas. 

As for the lack of red card for the Loras foul, most refs are going to err on the side of warnings in post-season play.  They don't want to be the deciding factor by putting a team down one man, especially early in the game as that was. Regular season that may have drawn the red--maybe even later in the game.  Frustrating?  Absolutely.  But as was already said, the ref seemed to keep the game from getting out of control and hand out cautions pretty freely in a very physical match played by two talented teams. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OskeeHawk on November 12, 2012, 12:00:27 AM
If loras/Wheaton do meet up it doesn't solve that debate on academy versus non academy anyway. That's a discussion for a youth soccer forum.
I am interested though in the connection of NP and Sweden, be interesting to see if that pipeline stays open and they can continue to improve in years to come.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 12:30:44 AM
Hello again fellas. Hate to say it, but I called the NP victory over Wash U earlier this week as well as the tight NP vs Loras game. Kicken, not sure if you were at the Wheaton vs Loras game earlier in the year. True, it was a 2-0 game but it was a great game with end to end action, even shots and possession. Could have gone either way. It was a 0-0 game with 8 minutes to play, the second goal on a missed offsides call with about a minute left in the game with Wheaton pressing for the tie. Wheaton was working out kinks early in the year (start 6 freshmen and sophomores with a completely new back line) and had one of toughest schedules in the country with a ton of travel and only seven regular season home games this year. It should be another great weekend of soccer. If Wheaton is fortunate enough to get by Dominican and Lora's gets by UWP, the Loras vs Wheaton rematch could be a barn burner. First things first with Dominican though....another very good team.

As for the academy debate, Wheaton does have 4 players from the Chicago Fire Academy. I'm not sure about the other teams.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 12, 2012, 01:22:12 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 12:30:44 AM
Hello again fellas. Hate to say it, but I called the NP victory over Wash U earlier this week as well as the tight NP vs Loras game. Kicken, not sure if you were at the Wheaton vs Loras game earlier in the year. True, it was a 2-0 game but it was a great game with end to end action, even shots and possession. Could have gone either way. It was a 0-0 game with 8 minutes to play, the second goal on a missed offsides call with about a minute left in the game with Wheaton pressing for the tie. Wheaton was working out kinks early in the year (start 6 freshmen and sophomores with a completely new back line) and had one of toughest schedules in the country with a ton of travel and only seven regular season home games this year. It should be another great weekend of soccer. If Wheaton is fortunate enough to get by Dominican and Lora's gets by UWP, the Loras vs Wheaton rematch could be a barn burner. First things first with Dominican though....another very good team.

As for the academy debate, Wheaton does have 4 players from the Chicago Fire Academy. I'm not sure about the other teams.
I did go to the Loras v Wheaton match and you are 100% correct, it was as even a match as 2 teams could play.  The goals just happened to go Loras's way, I would expect more of the same if the 2 do meet again.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2012, 09:25:21 PM
A disappointing end to the season for NPU, but thanks to John Born, his assistants, and all the players on another great run in 2012. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Quote from: keeker on November 11, 2012, 09:44:40 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 10, 2012, 03:56:47 PM
Loras has only four players from Iowa on its roster; 17 hail from Illinois (mostly DuPage county).  North Park has 17 players from Sweden.
So academy rejects beat scandinavian imports... hmm, somebody tell born to start looking for players in his neighborhood.

What's with the hate, keeker? I had no idea that you were in the same let's-dump-on-NPU boat at blue_jays.

NPU had 14 local players on the roster this season, including regulars Elvin Ahmeti (Wheaton North), Joe Ferguson (DeKalb), and David Dawood (Niles West). John Born does plenty of "looking for players in his neighborhood" -- I see prospects all the time in the stands at NPU home games. Regardless, though, what the heck difference should it make where he gets his players from? Why the parochial attitude? The irony is that men's soccer seems to be the one sport in which Wheaton recruits locally; in every other sport, Wheaton's rosters read like the Rand-McNally atlas. But nobody sees the need to harp on Wheaton for "not looking for players in their own neighborhood." Nor should they.

Quote from: OskeeHawk on November 12, 2012, 12:00:27 AM
If loras/Wheaton do meet up it doesn't solve that debate on academy versus non academy anyway. That's a discussion for a youth soccer forum.
I am interested though in the connection of NP and Sweden, be interesting to see if that pipeline stays open and they can continue to improve in years to come.

The Swedish pipeline to NPU has been in existence for quite a few years now. NPU has had All-CCIW players who hailed from Sweden going all the way back to the early '90s (Magnus Ramstrom, Sven Eggefalk, Marcus Nilsson, etc.). The difference is that it's been much more productive in terms of numbers over the past couple of seasons. In the past, NPU's soccer team used to annually have anywhere from two to five Swedes. Last year and this year it's had between 15 and 20 (with a couple of Norwegians thrown in for color ;)). John Born has very actively recruited Swedes -- who obviously have very high skill levels, and who tend to be a year or two older than their American counterparts -- and I don't see that changing anytime soon, especially with Kris Grahn on the coaching staff. Why would you kill the goose that's laid the blue-and-golden egg?

Why do Swedish soccer players come to NPU? Several reasons. NPU has a very good international business major that draws a lot of foreign students, Swedes among them. The school is located in a world-class city of almost three million people, which is a huge draw for international students as well. This is particularly true of Swedes, who come from a country whose population is the same as that of metro Chicagoland and which has only a fraction of the amazing diversity that Chicago offers (and even that can only be found in Sweden's major cities). Lastly, North Park is a school that was founded by Swedish immigrants in the late nineteenth century, and it still makes a big deal out of its ethnic heritage (the nickname "Vikings" and the school's royal-blue-and-gold colors attest to that). There are only about a half-dozen colleges and universities in the U.S. where a student can major in Swedish, and NPU is one of them. In fact, Chicago's best Swedish restaurant, Tre Kronor (recommended by none other than Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson), is right across the street from campus. NPU's Swedes feel very much at home at North Park, or at least as much at home as it's possible for a Swede to feel in America.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2012, 10:59:05 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2012, 09:25:21 PM
A disappointing end to the season for NPU, but thanks to John Born, his assistants, and all the players on another great run in 2012. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Quote from: keeker on November 11, 2012, 09:44:40 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 10, 2012, 03:56:47 PM
Loras has only four players from Iowa on its roster; 17 hail from Illinois (mostly DuPage county).  North Park has 17 players from Sweden.
So academy rejects beat scandinavian imports... hmm, somebody tell born to start looking for players in his neighborhood.

What's with the hate, keeker? I had no idea that you were in the same let's-dump-on-NPU boat at blue_jays.

NPU had 14 local players on the roster this season, including regulars Elvin Ahmeti (Wheaton North), Joe Ferguson (DeKalb), and David Dawood (Niles West). John Born does plenty of "looking for players in his neighborhood" -- I see prospects all the time in the stands at NPU home games. Regardless, though, what the heck difference should it make where he gets his players from? Why the parochial attitude? The irony is that men's soccer seems to be the one sport in which Wheaton recruits locally; in every other sport, Wheaton's rosters read like the Rand-McNally atlas. But nobody sees the need to harp on Wheaton for "not looking for players in their own neighborhood." Nor should they.

Quote from: OskeeHawk on November 12, 2012, 12:00:27 AM
If loras/Wheaton do meet up it doesn't solve that debate on academy versus non academy anyway. That's a discussion for a youth soccer forum.
I am interested though in the connection of NP and Sweden, be interesting to see if that pipeline stays open and they can continue to improve in years to come.

The Swedish pipeline to NPU has been in existence for quite a few years now. NPU has had All-CCIW players who hailed from Sweden going all the way back to the early '90s (Magnus Ramstrom, Sven Eggefalk, Marcus Nilsson, etc.). The difference is that it's been much more productive in terms of numbers over the past couple of seasons. In the past, NPU's soccer team used to annually have anywhere from two to five Swedes. Last year and this year it's had between 15 and 20 (with a couple of Norwegians thrown in for color ;)). John Born has very actively recruited Swedes -- who obviously have very high skill levels, and who tend to be a year or two older than their American counterparts -- and I don't see that changing anytime soon, especially with Kris Grahn on the coaching staff. Why would you kill the goose that's laid the blue-and-golden egg?

Why do Swedish soccer players come to NPU? Several reasons. NPU has a very good international business major that draws a lot of foreign students, Swedes among them. The school is located in a world-class city of almost three million people, which is a huge draw for international students as well. This is particularly true of Swedes, who come from a country whose population is the same as that of metro Chicagoland and which has only a fraction of the amazing diversity that Chicago offers (and even that can only be found in Sweden's major cities). Lastly, North Park is a school that was founded by Swedish immigrants in the late nineteenth century, and it still makes a big deal out of its ethnic heritage (the nickname "Vikings" and the school's royal-blue-and-gold colors attest to that). There are only about a half-dozen colleges and universities in the U.S. where a student can major in Swedish, and NPU is one of them. In fact, Chicago's best Swedish restaurant, Tre Kronor (recommended by none other than Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson), is right across the street from campus. NPU's Swedes feel very much at home at North Park, or at least as much at home as it's possible for a Swede to feel in America.

I may have to send that line to Garrison Keillor! 8-)  Colorful Norwegians?! :o
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 11:54:40 PM
Gentlemen. Interesting discussion on foreign vs American players. I have no problem with foreign players coming to the states to play but you have to admit having 17 players (9 out of 11 starters) from Sweden is quite unusual. I don't think there is another NCAA team in the country in any division with this many foreign players much less from the same country. I think the concern people have is that these players act like professional players and tend to be "a year or two older" as you stated. Just pointing out the perception. This sentiment was demonstrated at the NP v Wheaton game at Wheaton. As they announced the starting lineup for NP, the Wheaton crowd cheered wildly when they got to the kid from CO after 8 straight players announced from Sweden. It was a funny moment in a great rivalry game. The Swedish connection just adds to the drama. (By the way, I am Swedish and am familiar with the Covenant church, so I get the NP/Swedish connection)

As for the Wheaton roster, it is still quite diverse with players from TN, MI, CA, NY, IN, NC and France. They have to cast their recruiting net a little wider because of the academic (30 ACT average) and religious requirements of the college.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 12, 2012, 11:56:17 PM
Keeker:  I thought I counted 17 kids from Illinois on the North Park roster.  Born clearly recruits locally.

And why no critical comment about Loras' lack of Iowa kids?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: keeker on November 13, 2012, 12:02:44 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2012, 10:59:05 PM
What's with the hate, keeker? I had no idea that you were in the same let's-dump-on-NPU boat at blue_jays.
No hate what so ever greg. I love north park. A long time ago my best friends wife worked there in the admissions office.  I like the local boy dawood. Probably one of your best dribblers but physically too weak. If he were strong like filip, even though they are both willowy, dawood could contribute a lot more. I think north park has one of the best supporters in all of d3 soccer and it's always fun to watch games at holmgren stadium. I gotta get me a north park id so I can get in free though. In many ways, it's a great experience and "privilege" for players who get to play NPU with its mainly foreign born line up. I'd rather play against teams like NPU than your typical d3 schools where everyone is basically from same high school. D3 soccer needs more teamd like Npu.  Btw, Dennis Persson is the best left back in cciw, better than anthony of wheaton. Look forward to watching him next three years, that is if he doesn't flunk out of his econ classes.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 13, 2012, 12:07:36 AM
Quote from: keeker on November 13, 2012, 12:02:44 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 12, 2012, 10:59:05 PM
What's with the hate, keeker? I had no idea that you were in the same let's-dump-on-NPU boat at blue_jays.
No hate what so ever greg. I love north park. A long time ago my best friends wife worked there in the admissions office.  I like the local boy dawood. Probably one of your best dribblers but physically too weak. If he were strong like filip, even though they are both willowy, dawood could contribute a lot more. I think north park has one of the best supporters in all of d3 soccer and it's always fun to watch games at holmgren stadium. I gotta get me a north park id so I can get in free though. In many ways, it's a great experience and "privilege" for players who get to play NPU with its mainly foreign born line up. I'd rather play against teams like NPU than your typical d3 schools where everyone is basically from same high school. D3 soccer needs more teamd like Npu.  Btw, Dennis Persson is the best left back in cciw, better than anthony of wheaton. Look forward to watching him next three years, that is if he doesn't flunk out of his econ classes.

Sure glad he addressed Greg in the first line, or with his quoting mishap I'd be dragged into another fight I have no dog in! ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 13, 2012, 12:18:13 AM
Greg knows I like the Norwegian comments. Shoulda gone to St. Olaf....
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 09:22:27 AM
Quote from: markerickson on November 12, 2012, 11:56:17 PM

And why no critical comment about Loras' lack of Iowa kids?
I don't know, probably because 4 of the starters/major players are from Iowa and 3 of those being from Dubuque.  The reason for all the Illinois players is the simple fact that nearly half of the enrollment consistently hails from Illinois and more specifically the Chicagoland area.  Loras is an historically strong Catholic school with a long lineage of Irish and Italian Catholics to be more specific.  The "Other" IIAC Dubuque school (UD) was originally a College of mostly German Presbyterian decent and since Dubuque was pretty much a 50/50 split of Irish & German Catholics and German Presbyterians it made sense that if Loras wanted more students they were going to have to look outside of the city to do so.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Puerco Espin on November 13, 2012, 09:56:20 AM
KICKIN - Isn't Rothert's coaching style also a factor? A lot of Iowa kids tend to be all around good athletes (Rummelhart, Koenig, Burgmeier), whereas Illinois has produced some pretty good technical kids (Cavers, Fluegel, etc). Obviously not the case with everyone, but just more of an observation.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 10:25:09 AM
Quote from: Puerco Espin on November 13, 2012, 09:56:20 AM
KICKIN - Isn't Rothert's coaching style also a factor? A lot of Iowa kids tend to be all around good athletes (Rummelhart, Koenig, Burgmeier), whereas Illinois has produced some pretty good technical kids (Cavers, Fluegel, etc). Obviously not the case with everyone, but just more of an observation.

That may have a little to do with it, but I think more than anything is the fact that the quality of players in Iowa just isn't that of those in Illinois. I am not knocking Iowa, I am a product of Iowa soccer (take that one how you want :) ). Actually Coach Pucci and I had a conversation about this topic (Iowa athletes vs Illinois technical) after the St Scholastica match on saturday.  You need both, just need to find the right positions for them to meld together and I think Rothert does an excellent job of conducting that orchestra.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Madhatter5 on November 13, 2012, 01:42:51 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 11:54:40 PM
Gentlemen. Interesting discussion on foreign vs American players. I have no problem with foreign players coming to the states to play but you have to admit having 17 players (9 out of 11 starters) from Sweden is quite unusual. I don't think there is another NCAA team in the country in any division with this many foreign players much less from the same country. I think the concern people have is that these players act like professional players and tend to be "a year or two older" as you stated. Just pointing out the perception. This sentiment was demonstrated at the NP v Wheaton game at Wheaton. As they announced the starting lineup for NP, the Wheaton crowd cheered wildly when they got to the kid from CO after 8 straight players announced from Sweden. It was a funny moment in a great rivalry game. The Swedish connection just adds to the drama. (By the way, I am Swedish and am familiar with the Covenant church, so I get the NP/Swedish connection)

As for the Wheaton roster, it is still quite diverse with players from TN, MI, CA, NY, IN, NC and France. They have to cast their recruiting net a little wider because of the academic (30 ACT average) and religious requirements of the college.

North Carolina Wesleyan is a school that recruits greatly out of the US. 18 out of the 31 players are currently from out of the country, and one that doesn't appear to be from anywhere  :o. Loras played them in 2007 in the Sweet 16 and, if I recall correctly, majority of the starters were from overseas. They recruit players to come play for a year or two and have them scouted to get moved up to D1/D2 schools, so I heard. I also heard that Coach Rothert received some scouting video's from other teams and didn't show his team much of the videos due to the skill of NCW and didn't want to scare/discourage the team before the game.  ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 04:09:59 PM
Quote from: Madhatter5 on November 13, 2012, 01:42:51 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 11:54:40 PM
Gentlemen. Interesting discussion on foreign vs American players. I have no problem with foreign players coming to the states to play but you have to admit having 17 players (9 out of 11 starters) from Sweden is quite unusual. I don't think there is another NCAA team in the country in any division with this many foreign players much less from the same country. I think the concern people have is that these players act like professional players and tend to be "a year or two older" as you stated. Just pointing out the perception. This sentiment was demonstrated at the NP v Wheaton game at Wheaton. As they announced the starting lineup for NP, the Wheaton crowd cheered wildly when they got to the kid from CO after 8 straight players announced from Sweden. It was a funny moment in a great rivalry game. The Swedish connection just adds to the drama. (By the way, I am Swedish and am familiar with the Covenant church, so I get the NP/Swedish connection)

As for the Wheaton roster, it is still quite diverse with players from TN, MI, CA, NY, IN, NC and France. They have to cast their recruiting net a little wider because of the academic (30 ACT average) and religious requirements of the college.

North Carolina Wesleyan is a school that recruits greatly out of the US. 18 out of the 31 players are currently from out of the country, and one that doesn't appear to be from anywhere  :o. Loras played them in 2007 in the Sweet 16 and, if I recall correctly, majority of the starters were from overseas. They recruit players to come play for a year or two and have them scouted to get moved up to D1/D2 schools, so I heard. I also heard that Coach Rothert received some scouting video's from other teams and didn't show his team much of the videos due to the skill of NCW and didn't want to scare/discourage the team before the game.  ;D

I drove down to NCW for those matches. NCW had a few players in the mid 20's and were 10 of the 11 were from foreign countries.  That team was very skilled, but they lacked cohesiveness and a team mentality.

I actually have no problem with a school that plays all foreign players or no foreign players.  These kids are here to go to school and play soccer, who cares where they come from.  Apparently these teams with a majority of foreign players isn't much of an issue since I cannot recall any of them every winning a title or even making themselves a reoccurring presence in the tourney.  Because this is DIII and not DI does being a foreign born player constitute cheating, maybe they might actually be attending for the education and not strictly the sport.  If they were here for the sport first and school second they would go somewhere that would pick up the check on tuition.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 13, 2012, 08:30:25 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 11:54:40 PM
Gentlemen. Interesting discussion on foreign vs American players. I have no problem with foreign players coming to the states to play but you have to admit having 17 players (9 out of 11 starters) from Sweden is quite unusual. I don't think there is another NCAA team in the country in any division with this many foreign players much less from the same country. I think the concern people have is that these players act like professional players and tend to be "a year or two older" as you stated. Just pointing out the perception.

What does "act like professional players" mean? Are they doing ads for Adidas and Gatorade or signing autographs at $10 a pop out at the Rosemont Convention Center? ;)

Quote from: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 11:54:40 PMThis sentiment was demonstrated at the NP v Wheaton game at Wheaton. As they announced the starting lineup for NP, the Wheaton crowd cheered wildly when they got to the kid from CO after 8 straight players announced from Sweden. It was a funny moment in a great rivalry game. The Swedish connection just adds to the drama. (By the way, I am Swedish and am familiar with the Covenant church, so I get the NP/Swedish connection)

"The Wheaton crowd cheered wildly" ... five words that have probably never appeared in the same sentence before. ;)

That whole dump-on-the-Swedes, let's-wave-the-American-flag thing is, in my opinion, a wonderful aspect of the rivalry. Same thing with the "Beat North Park" t-shirts that the Wheaties were wearing a week ago Saturday. As Jim will attest, it's so flippin' hard to get Wheaton folks to care about anything sports-related (including their own teams) that forging a rivalry with Wheaton -- a true, you-don't-like-us-and-we-don't-like-you rivalry -- is extremely difficult. NPU has tried to foster one (no pun intended) for years, given that almost every Parker has seen Wheaton as the school's natural rival for generations, and yet this has been met with total indifference from the Wheaton side of things.

Now Wheaton's coming back with some taunts and some energy of its own. Wheaton cares about this rivalry now. And I love it! When I asked John Born about the "Beat North Park" t-shirts, he grinned from ear to ear and said, "That's what respect looks like."

It took NPU until 2001, after going 0-20 against Wheaton in their first twenty matchups once the Park had made soccer a varsity sport in the early '80s, before the Vikings finally beat the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance. Heck, it took North Park until its seventh match against Wheaton just to score on them. So, yeah, carping about all of the Swedes on our roster? Music to our ears.

Quote from: Thunder1 on November 12, 2012, 11:54:40 PMAs for the Wheaton roster, it is still quite diverse with players from TN, MI, CA, NY, IN, NC and France. They have to cast their recruiting net a little wider because of the academic (30 ACT average) and religious requirements of the college.

It's still the most Illinois-centric roster on the Wheaton campus. In fact, it's more Illinois-centric than NPU's roster; you have 16 players from the Land of Lincoln, we have 15. That's probably the first time that that's ever happened in any sport as far as the two schools are concerned since Wheaton rejoined the CCIW in 1968-69.

Quote from: Jim Matson on November 13, 2012, 12:18:13 AM
Greg knows I like the Norwegian comments. Shoulda gone to St. Olaf....

Norwegians are used to living in the middle of nowhere as far as the main centers of civilization are concerned. Why compound the problem by moving to the U.S. to go to school for four years, only to spend it in a town that's an hour's drive from the nearest city? ;)

Quote from: Madhatter5 on November 13, 2012, 01:42:51 PMNorth Carolina Wesleyan is a school that recruits greatly out of the US. 18 out of the 31 players are currently from out of the country, and one that doesn't appear to be from anywhere  :o.

Two of NPU's Swedes, Jakob Aronsson and Robin Hals, transferred to the Park from North Carolina Wesleyan.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 04:09:59 PMI actually have no problem with a school that plays all foreign players or no foreign players.  These kids are here to go to school and play soccer, who cares where they come from.

This.

I understand why Wheaton wants to make a big deal out of NPU's Swede-heavy lineup, but I can't honestly see what difference it makes.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 04:09:59 PMApparently these teams with a majority of foreign players isn't much of an issue since I cannot recall any of them every winning a title or even making themselves a reoccurring presence in the tourney.

Correlation does not equal causation. And since NPU's been in the last three tourneys, I'd say that the Vikings have qualified as a "reoccurring" [sic] presence in November.

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 04:09:59 PMBecause this is DIII and not DI does being a foreign born player constitute cheating, maybe they might actually be attending for the education and not strictly the sport.  If they were here for the sport first and school second they would go somewhere that would pick up the check on tuition.

Precisely. What I don't think people realize is that higher education in Sweden is free. By contrast, if you're a Swede who wants to go overseas to attend college, you'll have to pay most of the bill for tuition and room & board out of your own pocket. The amount of aid that the Swedish government will give you to attend a foreign college or university is very limited, and the U.S. government won't give you anything at all. You can't blame the Swedish government for that, because it's a smart policy; it prevents a brain drain by providing a compelling economic incentive to the country's young people to stay home to get their education. But, as a result, unless you're going to America to attend school on a scholarship (soccer or otherwise), you're going to really need a compelling reason to do so. In other words, it's hardly the case that good Swedish soccer players are falling off the trees and NPU's just raking them up. It takes some persuasion. Fortunately, NPU has a lot of things to offer that young Swedes really like, a good soccer program being one of them.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 09:37:26 PM
.[/quote]

Correlation does not equal causation. And since NPU's been in the last three tourneys, I'd say that the Vikings have qualified as a "reoccurring" [sic] presence in November.



Better check your dictionary before throwing an [sic] on it.  Making the tourney 3 years in a row and bowing out in the first and second rounds is hardly a presence.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 10:12:42 PM
Being a Loras fan/alum this is hard to stand up for wheaton but I find it funny the line of hard getting Wheaton fans to care. That might be one of the coolest settings for a d3 soccer match. And I argue that they don't really care about north park that much because they have only been pseudo relevant for 7 years.
Respect is gained on the field not a t-shirt, if Born really did say that, that's just dumb.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on November 13, 2012, 10:30:58 PM
Oh, I don't know. Maybe the statement sounds dumb, but it is really a keen observation. Wheaton does indeed respect North Park soccer and has for quite some time.

But as Greg implied, some of this North Park/Wheaton thing is subtle, and has developed over time - and is probably meaningless and odd to those outside the discuss.

I think this kind of thing happens for many programs: one team in the conference dominates the other. Then, over time, the weaker team gets better and begins to give the historically stronger team some pain. After the original response of denial, a few losses by the strong team to the weaker team, and what do you know? Denial turns to respect, and a rivalry is created.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 13, 2012, 10:49:07 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 13, 2012, 10:30:58 PM
Oh, I don't know. Maybe the statement sounds dumb, but it is really a keen observation. Wheaton does indeed respect North Park soccer and has for quite some time.

But as Greg implied, some of this North Park/Wheaton thing is subtle, and has developed over time - and is probably meaningless and odd to those outside the discuss.

I think this kind of thing happens for many programs: one team in the conference dominates the other. Then, over time, the weaker team gets better and begins to give the historically stronger team some pain. After the original response of denial, a few losses by the strong team to the weaker team, and what do you know? Denial turns to respect, and a rivalry is created.

Good post!  I recall arguing with CardinalAlum on the football board that the Big 4/Little 4 was still reality right up to about half way thru NCC's 3rd consecutive (of now 7, or is it 8?) football titles!  NCC had been a near-doormat team for so many years, it took a LONG time for the change to register. :P

iwu70 and I are of an era where Millikin was IWU's absolute top rival (that is the era of Millikin's Jesse Price, arguably the best bball player in CCIW history, whereas IWU was THE overall dominant bball team).  Now Millikin has been irrelevant for so long, I'm not sure current students consider them a rival at all (except in football, where IWU usually wins, but the games are almost always closer than they should be 'on paper').
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 10:51:24 PM
Yeah I guess I just find it more funny of a statement than anything.
Totally agree that it takes time for rivalries to get going but I think those being chased always have a little bit of an edge.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 13, 2012, 10:53:21 PM
Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 13, 2012, 09:37:26 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 13, 2012, 08:30:25 PM
Correlation does not equal causation. And since NPU's been in the last three tourneys, I'd say that the Vikings have qualified as a "reoccurring" [sic] presence in November.



Better check your dictionary before throwing an [sic] on it.  Making the tourney 3 years in a row and bowing out in the first and second rounds is hardly a presence.

I don't think you realize what sic means. It means that the word in front of it has been quoted verbatim, usually indicating a spelling, lexical, or grammatical error. In this case, I used it because "reoccurring" is not a word. The word you're looking for is recurring. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/recurring?s=t&ld=1118)

And three straight appearances is a presence. It may not be a strong presence, but a presence it is.

Quote from: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 10:12:42 PM
Being a Loras fan/alum this is hard to stand up for wheaton but I find it funny the line of hard getting Wheaton fans to care. That might be one of the coolest settings for a d3 soccer match.

What does one thing have to do with the other? Yes, Joe Bean Stadium is a fantastic soccer stadium. No doubt about that at all. But having a great facility doesn't ipso facto mean that you're going to have a great fanbase.

Wheaton fans do turn out for soccer, I'll give them that. It's usually one of the top schools in D3 in terms of attendance, as far as soccer is concerned. But it's a sit-on-their-hands crowd. That's generally true of Wheaton fans in all sports.

Quote from: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 10:12:42 PMAnd I argue that they don't really care about north park that much because they have only been pseudo relevant for 7 years.
Respect is gained on the field not a t-shirt, if Born really did say that, that's just dumb.

Wow, OskeeHawk. Way to completely miss the gist of the conversation. The point here is that Wheaton really does care about NPU now. Nor has NPU "only been psuedo relevant for 7 years." NPU first wrested the CCIW title away from Wheaton nine years ago, breaking a string of nine consecutive seasons in which Wheaton either shared the CCIW title or won it outright.

But you needn't take my word for it. Jim Matson's not only the d3soccer.com site administrator, he's also a Wheaton soccer alumnus. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 11:06:46 PM
You'll have to forgive my math on the 7 versus 9 years, those private college math skills catching up to me again ;)

Let's pose this question, what are everyone's feelings on schools 'caring' about what other schools are doing? Is this the schools fan base, coaches or both?
Personally I would like to think that the coaches worry about their programs and running it their way and going out on the field and seeing what happens. Versus caring about what other programs are doing and getting wrapped up in all of that.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 13, 2012, 11:21:26 PM
I honestly don't think that John Born spends any time at all worrying about what Wheaton is doing. Why should he? It's completely out of his control. And I'm willing to bet that Michael Giuliano feels the same way about North Park. A good coach tends to his own business, because that's what you can control. It's not as though Born and Giuliano are going head-to-head for recruits. At least, I don't think that they are.

I know that John Born loves the rivalry, though, because it's a great motivational source for his players and a great draw for the NPU fanbase. I honestly don't know how Michael Giuliano feels about it, nor how Joe Bean felt about it before him. On the one hand, I could picture Joe Bean being annoyed at having an interloper at the top of a league that was once his private playground. But NPU's success has been a fact since before Giuliano took over the Wheaton program six years ago, so I'm sure that he views the NPU/WC rivalry differently than his predecessor did. I suspect that he might enjoy it, because: a) it provides the same motivational factor for his players that it does for their NPU counterparts; and b) it ratchets up the excitement among his team's fanbase (as was evidenced a week ago Saturday), same as it does for their NPU counterparts.

A strong archrivalry can be a pretty productive thing for the two schools involved. Look at how Calvin and Hope have made hay out of their rivalry over the years, as have Williams and Amherst, Wabash and DePauw, etc. It's a great rallying point for the schools involved.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 11:32:11 PM
Couldn't agree more with the motivational factor for sure.
Rivalries are definitely a good thing to build excitement and with the more rivalries I think the credibility of the conference goes up as well.
I think all the good/great coaches in any sport could give a rip what other programs do. They may steal an idea or two here and there but tweak everything for their specific program. Coaches that struggle are ones that try to emulate others to a t and have no idea how to make it work for their program. I believe this leads to programs spinning their wheels and having no identity of their own all.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 13, 2012, 11:34:42 PM
I question Greg's take on the extent to which the Swedish government funds college education.  I may be wrong, but I thought NPU AD Surridge told me last year at a soccer game that the gov't doles out the entitlement program to college students with the expectation that he/she pays the balance over one's lifetime, thereby not saddling the student with crushing debt.  Since the kronor goes further these days with the American economy in decline, an American education in Chicago is attractive for several reasons, as Greg noted.  That said, how about North Park save money by eliminating the football team and sponsoring hockey so as to not only get more tuition dollars per athlete (guaranteed by the Swedish gov't), but also field a top-notch team?  Hjalmarsson, Lidstrom, Erikson, et. al. can kick in some seed money.  Throw in a Finn (like Niemi) for color.  There are very few postsecondary hockey teams in Illinois...Lake Forest and ?.  Grab some Minnesotans as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 13, 2012, 11:40:45 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 13, 2012, 11:34:42 PM
I question Greg's take on the extent to which the Swedish government funds college education.  I may be wrong, but I thought NPU AD Surridge told me last year at a soccer game that the gov't doles out the entitlement program to college students with the expectation that he/she pays the balance over one's lifetime

Yes, that's true, Mark. It's called "paying taxes". ;)

Quote from: markerickson on November 13, 2012, 11:34:42 PMSince the kronor goes further these days with the American economy in decline, an American education in Chicago is attractive for several reasons, as Greg noted.  That said, how about North Park save money by eliminating the football team and sponsoring hockey so as to not only get more tuition dollars per athlete (guaranteed by the Swedish gov't), but also field a top-notch team?  Hjalmarsson, Lidstrom, Erikson, et. al. can kick in some seed money.  Throw in a Finn (like Niemi) for color.  There are very few postsecondary hockey teams in Illinois...Lake Forest and ?.  Grab some Minnesotans as well.

We've been over this before, Mark. NPU cannot and will not eliminate football. The CCIW requires its members to sponsor football, men's basketball, and baseball.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on November 14, 2012, 01:00:27 AM
"The Wheaton crowd cheered wildly" ... five words that have probably never appeared in the same sentence before. ;)

Touché on that one Sager. Most Wheaties are to busy studying or sipping latte's to care about a sporting event although they do tend to show up for "title" games. It has been that way for many years. Not sure why...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 14, 2012, 09:20:06 AM

[/quote]

I don't think you realize what sic means. It means that the word in front of it has been quoted verbatim, usually indicating a spelling, lexical, or grammatical error. In this case, I used it because "reoccurring" is not a word. The word you're looking for is recurring. (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/recurring?s=t&ld=1118)

And three straight appearances is a presence. It may not be a strong presence, but a presence it is.

Quote from: OskeeHawk on November 13, 2012, 10:12:42 PM

I am well aware of what [sic] means.  You are correct that "recurring" is the proper word, but "reoccurring" is actually a word that has found it's way into the english language.  The word may not be accepted by Oxford, but it is found and described in precisely the same manor as "recurring"
Main Entry:   reoccur  [uh-kur]  Show IPA
Part of Speech:   verb
Definition:   return
Synonyms:   come back, go back, hark back, inverse, invert, lapse, recrudesce, recur, regress, relapse, resume, retrograde, retrogress, revert

when you go the extra mile to throw an [sic] at someone in a post you come across as extremely arrogant.  If I were writing a novel or even a sports article (which most these days are atrocious in their attempts at spelling and grammar) I might be a bit more attentive to the details, but when I use an acceptable word (apparently not by you) and you decide that you want to become my personal english professor it is more than a bit annoying.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ibar on November 14, 2012, 02:02:53 PM
I am late to the party, but I have a few thoughts on the whole Wheaton/NPU rivalry...

First of all, There have always been teams in the CCIW that have come up and challenged Wheaton. Augustana, Carthage and North Park have been the main ones that challenged in the past but usually it was just for a season or two and then the next one would come up. Born and North Park have bucked that trend and are a legitimate threat every year at this point. The rest of the CCIW will produce a team or two every few years, but it is pretty much just Wheaton and North Park now which is an upgrade from just Wheaton.

As far as the Swede stuff goes, I could care less where their players come from. Nothing will change with that, and frankly, it is not like they are getting some crazy advantage from it. As someone stated before, they have yet to make any noise in the NCAA tourney. They are extremely relevant in the CCIW, but not nationally yet. If they keep making the tourney and have a nice run, then they will be there.

After NPU broke through against Wheaton around 04/05 (I was there for that unfortunately) most people around Wheaton figured it was a fluke. Those NPU teams were tough and defended for the majority of the games in their half but had some good strikers that were opportunistic. The NPU teams now are more well rounded and better for sure. North Park has clearly proved that it has staying power.

It has become a rivalry and I sense the current Wheaton teams do see it that way. It took us Wheatonites a while to come around and admit it but NPU is a true perennial challenger in the conference. It has been nice to see Wheaton bounce back after the last few disappointing seasons and will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few years with the strong young team Wheaton has.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on November 14, 2012, 02:28:37 PM
As the parent of a Wheaton player I can assure you Wheaton takes North Park seriously, and enjoys the rivalry.  I consider it good for both teams and for D3 soccer in general.

Agreed, it doesn't matter where the players grew up, though the current demographics do lend themselves to more flag-waving fun.

Wheaton has been on a roll lately.  13 game unbeaten streak; has outscored its opponents 18-1 over the last 527 minutes, going back seven games.  I hope this translates to continued success over the week-end....  Wheaton suffered early losses to both Dominican and Loras.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on November 16, 2012, 07:08:00 PM
Hollingsworth scores to put Wheaton up 1-0 over Dominican!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d3fan1 on November 16, 2012, 07:51:41 PM
Wheaton advances 1-0 in a very exciting and well played game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 25, 2012, 11:17:16 AM
Nothing posted in over a week?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 26, 2012, 04:39:37 PM
Congrats to Wheaton on a great season. Young team with plenty of potential for the future. Big question mark in goal now, though.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on December 08, 2012, 06:55:57 PM
it's a little quiet in here (i know, i know, you're all over in the cciw basketball room right now, but...)

here is a multiple choice question and, yea, it's designed to rile up a few people.  please don't take it personally ...   ;D

the wheaton college soccer program has become ...
1) the north park of the chicago suburbs
2) the messiah of the midwest
3) both 1) and 2)
4) neither 1) or 2)

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on December 10, 2012, 08:57:23 AM
#4, I think they are a better team than NP, but are not near dominate enough in the midwest to be considered #2. Loras is more than likely the one team in the midwest that would bear that title and respectfully wouldn't want it (who wants to be known as the anything of anything in your own Division?). Over the past 8 years Loras is 5-2-1 against the Thunder. I will say that Wheaton is the one match every year that worries me more than any other on the DuHawks schedule.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on December 10, 2012, 10:00:56 AM
I think one could argue that Messiah is the "new" Wheaton. Wheaton has been in more NCAA tournaments than just about every school. While undeniably dominate, Messiah's success has come just in the last 10-12 years. Wheaton has been kicking butt and taking names for many decades.

Unfortunately I don't think any team is quite on Messiah's level at this time. I would echo Kickin in that Loras is probably the closest to that in the Midwest.

I don't get the North Park comparison. NP has a lot of talent, and they really have risen to be a contender in the CCIW. But they aren't anywhere near Wheaton with regard to conference championships, tournament appearances and success. Not trying to knock NP, I like their program, but they don't have the same longevity as Wheaton, yet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on December 10, 2012, 01:33:50 PM
I agree with KICKIN95.  I do think Loras was a slightly better team than Wheaton this year.  The two teams played twice and both games could have gone either way (the regular season game was scoreless until about 6 minutes to play and was as equal as can be statistically.  The quarterfinal match was won by Loras 1-0, but Wheaton just missed a shot off a header to tie in the closing seconds that was just barely over the crossbar.  I'm  not saying Wheaton necessarily deserved to win either or both, but the teams are close in ability.

Wheaton has 10 starters back next year (all except the keeper), and I understand the bulk of Loras' scoring is back as well, so this should remain a good rivalry.

North Park is a respected opponent, but not nearly as good as Loras.  I do think North Park tends to be a Wheaton wannabee.  Nobody beats their fan section though.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 10, 2012, 07:49:10 PM
Quote from: gustiefan04 on December 10, 2012, 10:00:56 AMI don't get the North Park comparison. NP has a lot of talent, and they really have risen to be a contender in the CCIW. But they aren't anywhere near Wheaton with regard to conference championships, tournament appearances and success. Not trying to knock NP, I like their program, but they don't have the same longevity as Wheaton, yet.

Well, if longevity is your yardstick, nobody in the CCIW is ever going to be dominant other than Wheaton. Why? Because Wheaton not only excelled at soccer long before everybody else in the CCIW, it cared about soccer long before everybody else in the CCIW. Soccer is such a latecomer by CCIW standards that it wasn't even sanctioned as a sponsored sport by the league until 1988, over four decades after the league began -- and yet Wheaton's been playing the sport since 1935, and it's been going to NCAA tournaments since the mid-'70s. Heck, most CCIW schools didn't even start their soccer programs until after Wheaton had begun making the NCAA tourney on a regular basis; NPU, for example, didn't turn its' club team into a varsity program until 1982. Two CCIW schools started their soccer programs after the sport had already become sponsored by the league, Carthage in 1995 and Elmhurst in 2004. It's safe to say that the sport was an afterthought in most CCIW athletic departments right up into the last decade. So, yeah, Wheaton's been a strong program for a lot of years -- but to compare it historically to other CCIW teams makes no sense, because nobody else in the league really cared at all about the sport until relatively recently.

As for one program being better than another, I think that the more recent past is a better way to measure success than all-time achievements. Otherwise, you'd get into a situation in which people would be touting NPU for having won an unprecedented (by D3 standards) five national championships in men's basketball, when in present terms NPU is not very good at all in men's basketball, nor has it been good for quite awhile.

Quote from: augie77 on December 10, 2012, 01:33:50 PMI do think North Park tends to be a Wheaton wannabee.

NPU doesn't want to be Wheaton in anything, aside from the size of the school's bank account. We have our own identity, our own mission, and our own way of doing things, thankyouverymuch. Wheaton is not the be-all and end-all of Christian colleges, you know, nor is it the template that every other Christian college administration seeks to imitate.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on December 11, 2012, 09:43:04 AM

NPU doesn't want to be Wheaton in anything, aside from the size of the school's bank account. We have our own identity, our own mission, and our own way of doing things, thankyouverymuch. Wheaton is not the be-all and end-all of Christian colleges, you know, nor is it the template that every other Christian college administration seeks to imitate.
[/quote]

That's a fair statement.  My reference is to the soccer team specifically, and the athletics program in general.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on December 11, 2012, 11:55:10 AM
once again, mr. sager waxes eloquent, and i agree, 100 percent, with him.  my question wasn't meant to be about longevity -- it is about current-day, and maybe a few years before, when the current seniors were lowly freshmen.

wheaton's men have not come close to maintaining his historical achievements (as greg admitted, don't talk about npu's championship basketball teams either).  indeed, north park is on par with wheaton in terms of results, and its fan base is unquestionably better. 

i also agree with others who believe that loras currently deserves the title of 'the messiah of the midwest.'  it used to be that other schools would look at wheaton and be athletic wannabes in soccer.  i'm sure that loras would take its recent results over wheaton any day.

maybe this is opening up a whole can of worms (well, hey, my name is 'cciwrabblerouser') but why didn't wheaton go in-house in terms of hiring an alum when joe bean retired?  the most successful schools in division III have alums leading their best programs (wheaton did it by replacing bill harris with mike schauer, an alum, in basketball, and that program hasn't missed a beat) so why did the powers-that-be go with an 'outsider' who had nothing to do with all that tradition?  (messiah is a perfect example  of that, when they hired an experienced alum to succeed the 'legendary' dave brandt.  mccarty's teams haven't dropped at all in four years).

i'm just trying to get a handle on what has happened at wheaton over the past 5-10 years.  did the increased success of football put thunder soccer on a back-burner?  was it something else?  it's just curious to see a program drop back from national eminence, because once it does it's really, really difficult to regain that storied status.  just ask greg sager about that -- he saw it at his alma mommy in hoops.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on December 11, 2012, 01:14:42 PM
It's curious that you seem to be writing an obituary for a team that just missed the Final Four and who has nearly all its key players coming back next year.  Granted, the wheels seemed to come off for a couple of years, but the ship has been righted.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on December 11, 2012, 03:35:31 PM
augie77.  what you say, i cannot argue with.  the thunder  program is not dead so i'm mean to imply that.  but it hasn't been the same program that it was when it won its first and only national title back in 1984 and since joe bean retired and the team had that magical run (how else can that post-season run be described?) that fall? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on December 11, 2012, 03:55:42 PM
Quote from: cciwrabblerouser on December 11, 2012, 03:35:31 PM
augie77.  what you say, i cannot argue with.  the thunder  program is not dead so i'm mean to imply that.  but it hasn't been the same program that it was when it won its first and only national title back in 1984 and since joe bean retired and the team had that magical run (how else can that post-season run be described?) that fall?

Wheaton also won it all in 1997.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on December 11, 2012, 03:56:20 PM
Quote from: cciwrabblerouser on December 11, 2012, 11:55:10 AM
once again, mr. sager waxes eloquent, and i agree, 100 percent, with him.  my question wasn't meant to be about longevity -- it is about current-day, and maybe a few years before, when the current seniors were lowly freshmen.

wheaton's men have not come close to maintaining his historical achievements (as greg admitted, don't talk about npu's championship basketball teams either).  indeed, north park is on par with wheaton in terms of results, and its fan base is unquestionably better. 

i also agree with others who believe that loras currently deserves the title of 'the messiah of the midwest.'  it used to be that other schools would look at wheaton and be athletic wannabes in soccer.  i'm sure that loras would take its recent results over wheaton any day.

maybe this is opening up a whole can of worms (well, hey, my name is 'cciwrabblerouser') but why didn't wheaton go in-house in terms of hiring an alum when joe bean retired?  the most successful schools in division III have alums leading their best programs (wheaton did it by replacing bill harris with mike schauer, an alum, in basketball, and that program hasn't missed a beat) so why did the powers-that-be go with an 'outsider' who had nothing to do with all that tradition?  (messiah is a perfect example  of that, when they hired an experienced alum to succeed the 'legendary' dave brandt.  mccarty's teams haven't dropped at all in four years).

i'm just trying to get a handle on what has happened at wheaton over the past 5-10 years.  did the increased success of football put thunder soccer on a back-burner?  was it something else?  it's just curious to see a program drop back from national eminence, because once it does it's really, really difficult to regain that storied status.  just ask greg sager about that -- he saw it at his alma mommy in hoops.

First of all, it's really hard to win in soccer. There's a lot of luck involved in games that routinely end in a 2-1 or 1-0 score. Also, D3 soccer is much better than it used to be across the nation, so better competition means more parity.
It's semi well-known that Wheaton did try to hire from within, but it didn't work out. So they went with Giuliano, who won a bunch of national titles at Westmont. Plus he's a great recruiter.
Last but not least, you seem to forget the 1997 Wheaton team that won a national title and was one of the great collections of talent you'll ever see at this level. Eric Brown and Rob Mouw would run right over these Loras and Messiah teams of recent vintage. And if you didn't see them, you missed out.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on December 12, 2012, 09:24:56 AM
Quote from: gustiefan04 on December 10, 2012, 10:00:56 AM
I think one could argue that Messiah is the "new" Wheaton. Wheaton has been in more NCAA tournaments than just about every school. While undeniably dominate, Messiah's success has come just in the last 10-12 years. Wheaton has been kicking butt and taking names for many decades.
One thing you might not realize about "Messiah success coming just in the last 10-12 years" is that they didn't join the NCAA until 13 years ago.  Before that they were in the NCCAA and had 2 titles under their belt in that league as well.  Their very first year in DIII they won the title and have not gone 2 consecutive years without winning it since!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FalconFan on December 12, 2012, 10:41:40 AM
Actually, Messiah joined the NCAA in 1981, and made final four appearances in '86 and '88.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on December 12, 2012, 02:17:04 PM
augie - you must have had a friend or relative play on wheaton's 1997 team.  this thread isn't about 'what team was better' anyway - your conjecture is silly and off-topic.

what is being said is that wheaton has indeed taken a step back - nothing more and nothing less.  the only other thing that is being discussed is wheaton's current position in division iii soccer NOW compared to others.  the concensus is that north park and wheaton are comparable (probably something that every thunder fan would call blamphemous), that loras is a step ahead of wheaton in the midwest, and the given, that messiah is the best right now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on December 12, 2012, 03:40:23 PM
Rouser--The only reason for bringing up 1997 was to make a factual correction regarding Wheaton having won its "one and only" championship in 1994.  Agreed, that has no bearing on today.

I don't have a strong beef with the other contentions other than that Wheaton appears to be set up for continued improvement--more so than North Park in the immediate future.  Arguably North Park could claim the upper hand over the past three years (certainly they did better in 2010 and 2011), but in my view they need to sustain that level for a few more years to be called Wheaton's equal in soccer.  I'll be quite surprised if Wheaton's young team doesn't have the upper hand for the next three years based on current personnel.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on December 12, 2012, 04:38:40 PM
Quote from: cciwrabblerouser on December 12, 2012, 02:17:04 PM
augie - you must have had a friend or relative play on wheaton's 1997 team.  this thread isn't about 'what team was better' anyway - your conjecture is silly and off-topic.

what is being said is that wheaton has indeed taken a step back - nothing more and nothing less.  the only other thing that is being discussed is wheaton's current position in division iii soccer NOW compared to others.  the concensus is that north park and wheaton are comparable (probably something that every thunder fan would call blamphemous), that loras is a step ahead of wheaton in the midwest, and the given, that messiah is the best right now.

Off topic? It was actually relevant since you forgot to include Wheaton's best team ever when discussing their history. They had an unbeaten streak around 66-straight games or so. And no relatives of mine were on that team, or any Wheaton team for that matter.
Not really sure what point you're trying to make anyway. We all agree that Wheaton is not a perennial dominator like in the past. It's just the nature of a changing sport that looks way different than it did 20-30 years ago. North Park is firmly on equal footing with them now, and will continue to be so as long as they have Coach Born and a good Swedish connection.
Loras is a soccer factory with lots of good in-roads to the players that fit their style of play, including some great Latino players. They are best in the region and will stay that way.
Messiah will also continue to dominate for similar reasons. They have a niche (Christian athlete) that they utilize very well, plus they're competing against Wheaton for recruits. One big difference is Messiah does not have football, so they devote their resources into making their soccer teams the best in the nation.
So to conclude, Wheaton < Loras < Messiah. Something we already knew for a number of years now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OhioSocYea on December 13, 2012, 03:01:23 AM
Does Ohio Wesleyan count as a Midwest school, for purposes of D3 soccer? If so, they probably deserve to be mentioned in the tier right below Messiah.

If they don't count as a Midwest school, my apologies...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on December 13, 2012, 08:21:04 AM
Quote from: OhioSocYea on December 13, 2012, 03:01:23 AM
Does Ohio Wesleyan count as a Midwest school, for purposes of D3 soccer? If so, they probably deserve to be mentioned in the tier right below Messiah.

I wouldn't count Ohio Wesleyan as a Midwest school, mostly due to the fact they are not an in-region opponent in any sport. Obviously, since Jay Martin broke Joe Bean's wins record, they are a top tier program that can't be denied.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on December 13, 2012, 11:24:11 AM
Quote from: OhioSocYea on December 13, 2012, 03:01:23 AM
Does Ohio Wesleyan count as a Midwest school, for purposes of D3 soccer? If so, they probably deserve to be mentioned in the tier right below Messiah.

If they don't count as a Midwest school, my apologies...

guess it all depends  on your definition of 'midwest' is.  if you go by the ncaa's regional designations then technically owu isn't 'midwest.'  however, based on u.s. geography, i would conclude that the midwest and great lakes designations would make both regions midwest.  i am inclined to call ohio wesleyan a midwest school -- certainly people in ohio would say that they live in the midwest part of the u.s.

you're right - owu's soccer history is rich in tradition.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on December 13, 2012, 11:34:31 AM
blue_jays wrote:  "Messiah will also continue to dominate for similar reasons. They have a niche (Christian athlete) that they utilize very well, plus they're competing against Wheaton for recruits. One big difference is Messiah does not have football, so they devote their resources into making their soccer teams the best in the nation."

agree with some of it, disagree with most of it...  here's why:

agree:  messiah doesn't have football.  BUT it also doesn't have 80-120 football players who are paying tuition and could be considered to be helping fund a football program - as is the case of wheaton and all other football-playing schools.

disagree:  if you want to throw football into the mix, then you need to throw field hockey and lacrosse (men's and women') into the mix as well.  messiah has all three, and wheaton has none of them.  wheaton has women's water polo and women's golf, which messiah does not.  so to throw football as a program into your argument that wheaton (and other football schools) doesn't have the resources for soccer that wheaton does, that doesn't fly.

disagree:  you are assuming that messiah's soccer budgets outweigh wheaton's. i would like to see the evidence of that.  i'm talking about institutional funding.  what i believe IS different is that messiah's summer camp structure is unique -- it is very entrepreneurial and generates a lot of additional income, a percentage (about a quarter of the profits, i'been told) of it going to help fund the soccer programs.  whoever set up that particular camp arrangement was a genius - probably the head coach before dave brandt, who also was the AD (who, you could conclude, knew how to feather his own pocket as well with the arrangement).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Jim Matson on December 13, 2012, 06:51:53 PM
Since Loras was brought into this, I would have to agree with those who have implied that the Duhawks are the new force in this area (they are technically in the North Region). That match with Messiah was Loras' to win had they converted on their opportunities. One of the best matches I have seen in the Final Four in a long time.

As a Wheaton grad, I love the North Park rivalry, but as a soccer guy, I also love the growing Loras rivalry.

If history is the topic, then it's Ohio Wesleyan, Wheaton, Trinity, Messiah...and a handful of others. But that history isn't much to rest on when the NCAA is picking Pool C berths!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 13, 2012, 11:11:56 PM
Quote from: augie77 on December 11, 2012, 09:43:04 AM
QuoteNPU doesn't want to be Wheaton in anything, aside from the size of the school's bank account. We have our own identity, our own mission, and our own way of doing things, thankyouverymuch. Wheaton is not the be-all and end-all of Christian colleges, you know, nor is it the template that every other Christian college administration seeks to imitate.

That's a fair statement.  My reference is to the soccer team specifically, and the athletics program in general.

I would question both of those propositions. The NPU men's soccer program doesn't appear to me to be following a Wheaton model at all. NPU does not play the same style of game as Wheaton (the contrasting styles are part of what makes watching an NPU vs. WC contest so interesting), and the recruiting strategies of the two archrivals are, of course, radically different as well.

John Born would be the first to say how much he admires and respects Joe Bean. But admiring and respecting someone is one thing; imitating him is another. John's very much followed his own path to success with NPU soccer, and if he does have a model upon which he's built the program (I'm not sure if he does or not), it doesn't appear to be Wheaton.

As far as athletics in general is concerned, I don't see NPU as a Wheaton wannabe in that category, either. I suppose you could argue in a generic sense that NPU does want to have the across-the-board success that Wheaton has enjoyed in athletics as a whole ... but, remember, Steve, it's your alma mater and not your son's that has traditionally been the overall best in CCIW sports. If the league handed out All-Sports Trophies, Augustana would have enough of them to practically span the Mississippi River. So you could argue that NPU is an Augustana wannabe ... as is Wheaton, and Elmhurst, and Carthage, and everybody else.

(Including Augustana at the moment. ;))

Quote from: augie77 on December 12, 2012, 03:40:23 PMI don't have a strong beef with the other contentions other than that Wheaton appears to be set up for continued improvement--more so than North Park in the immediate future.  Arguably North Park could claim the upper hand over the past three years (certainly they did better in 2010 and 2011), but in my view they need to sustain that level for a few more years to be called Wheaton's equal in soccer.  I'll be quite surprised if Wheaton's young team doesn't have the upper hand for the next three years based on current personnel.

I think that that's premature. Wheaton probably does have the most strength in terms of returnees, but one thing about NPU is that many of the players John Born has recruited have showed up at Foster & Kedzie ready to play at a high level as far as the CCIW is concerned, the Swedish players in particular. I would not hand the 2013 trophy to Wheaton just yet.

As for who is equal to whom, that's basically a matter of opinion. How far back do you go? The whole process of determining who's the best in recent history is prone to selection bias. For example, NPU's the only CCIW program that's made the D3 tourney in each of the past three seasons, and the only CCIW program that's played in the league tourney championship game in each of the past three seasons as well. But my citing those numbers is an example of my selection bias.

Over the past decade NPU has gone 7-6-3 against Wheaton. I'm pretty comfortable with saying that North Park is on equal footing with Wheaton now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 20, 2012, 07:30:33 PM
Congrats to NPU for winning the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the seventh time in nine years. (http://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2012/12/20/MSOC_1220120216.aspx?path=msoc) NPU is one of only 187 colleges and universities in the country, and the only school in the CCIW, to have both the men's soccer team and the women's soccer team win the award this time around. (The Illinois Wesleyan and North Central men, and the Carthage and Millikin women, won the award as well.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on January 08, 2013, 10:59:00 AM
I know one Wheaton player is at least entertaining the idea of future graduate school at North Park (international business).   :-\
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 08, 2013, 06:26:01 PM
What a shame. His family's probably going to have to go into hiding in order to avoid public disgrace. ;) ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on January 09, 2013, 02:46:52 PM
Mr. Sager, right you are.  You speak with considerable insight and wisdom  ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on June 26, 2013, 08:34:51 PM
Congrats to newly-minted NPU grad Tim Ahlberg upon being named CCIW Man of the Year. (http://www.cciw.org/news/2013/6/25/MS_0625132632.aspx) It's a well-deserved honor. If you read his bio on the link to the CCIW new release, you'll see what an impressive young man he really is.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on June 29, 2013, 10:01:34 AM
Good for Tim. He was always a top-notch goalie and he sounds just as impressive off the pitch.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 09, 2013, 07:48:54 PM
any word on new players coming in for North Park?  Also, any key, eligible players from last year's team not returning?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 09, 2013, 09:47:09 PM
I haven't seen John Born all summer, so I have nothing to report on NPU yet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 24, 2013, 12:11:51 PM
North Park roster is up:  http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=msoc&tab=soccer
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on August 25, 2013, 07:35:57 PM
Twelve freshmen, no Swedes.  Change in philosophy?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 25, 2013, 08:41:39 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on August 25, 2013, 07:35:57 PM
Twelve freshmen, no Swedes.  Change in philosophy?

Not sure the answer, but there is a junior from Sweden that is new to the team this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on August 31, 2013, 03:02:09 PM
Looks like a pretty solid opening win for NP last night at Carroll U.  2-0,goals by Aronsson and Pettersson, a clean sheet with 3 saves from the transfer goalie Woodley.  Not a bad way to start.

It'll be interesting to see what North Central can do against them tomorrow.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2013, 06:05:49 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on August 31, 2013, 03:02:09 PM
Looks like a pretty solid opening win for NP last night at Carroll U.  2-0,goals by Aronsson and Pettersson, a clean sheet with 3 saves from the transfer goalie Woodley.  Not a bad way to start.

It'll be interesting to see what North Central can do against them tomorrow.

??? NPU doesn't play again until Friday night at MSOE. And the Vikings won't face North Central until the end of October.

Wes Woodley's a D1 transfer who played at St. Francis (NY). He's very verbal on the field, which I like. The problem is that he's going to have a hard time making himself heard to his teammates during NPU home games, thanks to Foster's Finest. ;)

Quote from: voiceofseason on August 25, 2013, 07:35:57 PM
Twelve freshmen, no Swedes.  Change in philosophy?

No, just the ebb and flow of recruiting. There was a huge influx of Swedes over the past two years, making the team much more Svenskocentric than it had ever been. Prior to that, a typical NPU men's soccer team tended to have anywhere from two or three Swedes to a half-dozen or so.

There is one freshman from Sweden on the roster this year. You probably overlooked him because his name and appearance aren't very stereotypically Swedish. (http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=1184&path=msoc)

The dominance of the Swedes in the starting lineup tends to overshadow the fact that NPU's roster is actually something of a United Nations grab-bag. There are several Poles on the team, a Jordanian, a Norwegian, a Scotsman, an Englishman, a Colombian, an Ecuadorian, an Albanian, and a few other assorted Hispanic guys who may or may not be first-generation immigrants. And, of course, there's still a bunch of WASPy American guys to leaven out the mixture. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 01, 2013, 06:39:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2013, 06:05:49 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on August 31, 2013, 03:02:09 PM
Looks like a pretty solid opening win for NP last night at Carroll U.  2-0,goals by Aronsson and Pettersson, a clean sheet with 3 saves from the transfer goalie Woodley.  Not a bad way to start.

It'll be interesting to see what North Central can do against them tomorrow.

??? NPU doesn't play again until Friday night at MSOE. And the Vikings won't face North Central until the end of October.

North Central played Carroll today (they lost 1-0).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2013, 06:42:21 PM
Ah, I see. I thought that you were talking about the Vikings. Carry on. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCF on September 07, 2013, 10:28:10 PM
Hope pulls off the upset and tops #4 Wheaton 2-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ambush004 on September 09, 2013, 01:42:06 PM
NP gets manhandled by Loras? 3-0? There supposed to be a top team in the CCIW? I'd compare them to a Milikin or lesser.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 09, 2013, 09:00:02 PM
Quote from: Ambush004 on September 09, 2013, 01:42:06 PM
NP gets manhandled by Loras? 3-0? There supposed to be a top team in the CCIW? I'd compare them to a Milikin or lesser.
Loras finished last season ranked 2nd in the nation, so it's not like North Park got surprised by an unknown.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on September 09, 2013, 09:09:50 PM
Quote from: mr_b on September 09, 2013, 09:00:02 PM
Quote from: Ambush004 on September 09, 2013, 01:42:06 PM
NP gets manhandled by Loras? 3-0? There supposed to be a top team in the CCIW? I'd compare them to a Milikin or lesser.
Loras finished last season ranked 2nd in the nation, so it's not like North Park got surprised by an unknown.

I wasn't going to bother to reply to the ignorant troll, but since you did ... What a slur to NP!  Millikin is currently 0-4 (the only CCIW team with a losing record).  To put that into context, IWU (predicted for 6th) has played the same four teams that Millikin has played; IWU is 2-1-1.  The troll knows nothing about soccer, and has just insulted Loras.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Puerco Espin on September 09, 2013, 09:44:03 PM
NPU clearly just wasn't ready. Their lack of pressure allowed Loras to do whatever they wished. I haven't witnessed too much CCIW soccer, so maybe the low pressure is effective there, but they couldn't manage much when they had men in their face all night.

Also, it was NPU's third game of the year, so maybe they just need more time to come together. It's tough playing the #25 team as your third match of the year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ambush004 on September 10, 2013, 09:42:17 AM
After the NPU and Loras match last year I expected alot more, I won't assume talented until proven in all formats of the game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 17, 2013, 01:59:34 PM
A rough stretch for North Park.  They started out hot 2-0, and now they have gone 0-3-1 in their last 4 games.  And it doesn't get any easier with Dominican tonight.  Hopefully they can right the ship with a win tonight against an always good Dominican team. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Dutch Fan on September 17, 2013, 02:49:55 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 17, 2013, 01:59:34 PM
A rough stretch for North Park.  They started out hot 2-0, and now they have gone 0-3-1 in their last 4 games.  And it doesn't get any easier with Dominican tonight.  Hopefully they can right the ship with a win tonight against an always good Dominican team.

That match will be two teams trying to right their respective ships.  The DU Stars just dropped out of the d3soccer Top 25 after losing 2 straight home matches.  Last week #11, this week ORV #36 - quite a drop.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 17, 2013, 10:35:12 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 17, 2013, 01:59:34 PM
A rough stretch for North Park.  They started out hot 2-0, and now they have gone 0-3-1 in their last 4 games.  And it doesn't get any easier with Dominican tonight.  Hopefully they can right the ship with a win tonight against an always good Dominican team.
Vikings come away with a 3-0 victory.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 18, 2013, 12:34:25 PM
I only watched the first half, but it sure seemed like North Park dominated the game.  They controlled the ball well, and I don't remember seeing any real chances for Dominican.  Was the second half similar?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 22, 2013, 08:37:20 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 18, 2013, 12:34:25 PM
I only watched the first half, but it sure seemed like North Park dominated the game.  They controlled the ball well, and I don't remember seeing any real chances for Dominican.  Was the second half similar?

NP dominated the 2nd half too.

Difficult to watch the game though because the camera kept going out of focus.  I watched a little of the Dubuque game as well and had the same problem.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 23, 2013, 04:18:32 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 22, 2013, 08:37:20 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 18, 2013, 12:34:25 PM
I only watched the first half, but it sure seemed like North Park dominated the game.  They controlled the ball well, and I don't remember seeing any real chances for Dominican.  Was the second half similar?

NP dominated the 2nd half too.

Difficult to watch the game though because the camera kept going out of focus.  I watched a little of the Dubuque game as well and had the same problem.

Yeah, that was brutal.  I hoped it was something they would work out at halftime of that Dominican game, but apparently not.  Hopefully they'll get it in order for the upcoming matches. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Medicated Pete on September 23, 2013, 10:53:42 PM
Difficult to watch the game though because the camera kept going out of focus.  I watched a little of the Dubuque game as well and had the same problem.
[/quote]

Yeah, that was brutal.  I hoped it was something they would work out at halftime of that Dominican game, but apparently not.  Hopefully they'll get it in order for the upcoming matches.
[/quote]

I think the camera is focusing on the Glass they are shooting through...and just can't focus right...Open the Window!!  :P
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Puerco Espin on September 25, 2013, 12:41:48 AM
After seeing the Thunder tonight, I gotta imagine they will find themselves in position for another CCIW title. Quick midfielders help to transition through the pitch.

When compared to what I saw from North Park, Wheaton should have no problem taking care of business.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 02, 2013, 08:51:50 AM
Quote from: Puerco Espin on September 25, 2013, 12:41:48 AM
After seeing the Thunder tonight, I gotta imagine they will find themselves in position for another CCIW title. Quick midfielders help to transition through the pitch.

When compared to what I saw from North Park, Wheaton should have no problem taking care of business.

It will be fun to watch.  Its great to have legitimate rivalries and I know each team respects each other and looks forward to the game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 02, 2013, 08:06:06 PM
Good win for NP last night against UWW.  3-0.  Glad Petterson found the back of the net a couple times. 

Looking forward to watching the Wheaton -Carthage game now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 07, 2013, 06:28:14 PM
NP took another one on Friday 2-0 over Augie. 

The CCIW looks interesting right now.  Millikin is certainly a surprise, knocking off North Central, and hanging on for a tie against Carthage.  It makes me a little nervous for NP to take the trip down to Decatur at the end of the week!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 07, 2013, 11:14:57 PM
NPU has allowed only 8 goals in 11 games, and zero goals in their 7 wins and 1 tie.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 13, 2013, 12:20:57 PM
North Park had to work for the win yesterday at Millikin.  2-1 in OT.  Both teams looked flat in the first half.  The second half NP dominated until they scored their first goal to go up 1-0.  It looked like they let off the gas for a bit and Millikin came back to tie.  After that it was a lot of back and forth.  North Park definitely looked like the more determined team in OT though and scored the game winner just a few minutes in.  Definitely a nerve-wracking game.

Wheaton got caught for a tie at Elmhurst yesterday.  Is the CCIW a better overall conference this year?  Or are teams (like always) just bringing their A games against NP and Wheaton?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2013, 06:29:40 PM
Elmhurst grabbed a tie against NP also on Wednesday 1-1.  That would've been a great chance for NP to take control of the conference race.  I thought Park outplayed Elmhurt for the vast majority of the game.  Bad defense and being in the right place in the right time led to the Blue Jays' goal.  Park had 2-3 hit off the crossbar, including a wide-open diving header.  But Park just couldn't find the back of the net a second time.   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: coffeeshoptheologian on October 19, 2013, 10:21:29 PM
Wheaton soccer grad here... Was anyone at IWU v Wheaton tonight? Seemed quite chippy and emotional. Looked like IWU got into Wheaton's heads a bit and a few WC guys lost it. WC come out with a 2-1 win, 3rd in 4 days. Anyone who was there wanna chime in?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 21, 2013, 01:35:10 PM
Yeah, that sure looked interesting.  Very uncharacteristic of a team who, going in to that game, only had 6 yellows on the season.  I'd be curious to know what was said that warranted that reaction from the Wheaton player. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on October 21, 2013, 06:57:26 PM
IWU basically went "Dennis Rodman" on Thunder.  Lots of cheap fouls behind the play, trash talking and diving.  IWU 21 fouls, WC 13.  Center ref let game get out of control.  Brutal slide tackle from behind in the 78th minute was last straw.  Broke the foot of one of WC's top players.  Might be out for the rest of the season.  WC guy went after the offender and got the red.  Played the last 12 mins down a man.  I used to have a lot of respect for IWU and coach Lakin.  They have had some great teams the last several years and can play "soccer" and always have played hard, but never cheap.  They went way over the line on Saturday.  Sad to see.......... WC boys were tired (3rd game in 4 days in a mid term finals week) and probably could have handled it a little better but at some point you have to say enough is enough.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 22, 2013, 01:36:20 PM
It sure looked chippy all game.  Sad to hear that player broke his foot, what a terrible thing to happen at this point in the season. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on October 25, 2013, 06:19:28 PM
NSCAA-TV will be webcasting the November 1 (7:00 pm CDT) North Park at Wheaton game.  NSCAA-TV is a first rate outfit that will provide ESPN type graphics, instant replay, professional announcers and other features rarely found in D-3 sports broadcasts.  Look to the Wheaton website for further information as it is posted.

This will also be the final regular season home game for 13 Wheaton seniors, though formal senior night activities occurred last week-end versus Illinois Wesleyan.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 27, 2013, 12:18:25 PM
North Park grabbed the win at home against North Central last night 2-1.  With IWU knocking off Carthage, it moves NP into 2nd in conference and gives them a chance, with a win Friday at Wheaton, to share the regular season conference title with the Thunder. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on October 29, 2013, 05:02:37 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on October 21, 2013, 06:57:26 PM
IWU basically went "Dennis Rodman" on Thunder.  Lots of cheap fouls behind the play, trash talking and diving.  IWU 21 fouls, WC 13.  Center ref let game get out of control.  Brutal slide tackle from behind in the 78th minute was last straw.  Broke the foot of one of WC's top players.  Might be out for the rest of the season.  WC guy went after the offender and got the red.  Played the last 12 mins down a man.  I used to have a lot of respect for IWU and coach Lakin.  They have had some great teams the last several years and can play "soccer" and always have played hard, but never cheap.  They went way over the line on Saturday.  Sad to see.......... WC boys were tired (3rd game in 4 days in a mid term finals week) and probably could have handled it a little better but at some point you have to say enough is enough.

It will do no good to get into a back and forth here, but your comments are without merit and moreso, without fact.  To my view, Wheaton was constantly late and dirty, which is atypical and disappointing of such a storied program.  To each is own - you have your opinion, and I have mine.

But where facts don't lie, the Wheaton player received the red card for shoving the ref.  You can't pin that one on IWU.

The most factual thing you said is that Wheaton was tired.  I believe one of the games (Benedictine) had to get shoe-horned into the schedule - I'm sure Coach G didn't want to do that to the kids.  Soccer is too intense of a game to play 3 games in 4 nights.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on October 30, 2013, 01:15:36 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 29, 2013, 05:02:37 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on October 21, 2013, 06:57:26 PM
IWU basically went "Dennis Rodman" on Thunder.  Lots of cheap fouls behind the play, trash talking and diving.  IWU 21 fouls, WC 13.  Center ref let game get out of control.  Brutal slide tackle from behind in the 78th minute was last straw.  Broke the foot of one of WC's top players.  Might be out for the rest of the season.  WC guy went after the offender and got the red.  Played the last 12 mins down a man.  I used to have a lot of respect for IWU and coach Lakin.  They have had some great teams the last several years and can play "soccer" and always have played hard, but never cheap.  They went way over the line on Saturday.  Sad to see.......... WC boys were tired (3rd game in 4 days in a mid term finals week) and probably could have handled it a little better but at some point you have to say enough is enough.

It will do no good to get into a back and forth here, but your comments are without merit and moreso, without fact.  To my view, Wheaton was constantly late and dirty, which is atypical and disappointing of such a storied program.  To each is own - you have your opinion, and I have mine.

But where facts don't lie, the Wheaton player received the red card for shoving the ref.  You can't pin that one on IWU.

The most factual thing you said is that Wheaton was tired.  I believe one of the games (Benedictine) had to get shoe-horned into the schedule - I'm sure Coach G didn't want to do that to the kids.  Soccer is too intense of a game to play 3 games in 4 nights.


Fair enough voiceofseason.  I can appreciate that someone might have a different opinion as to what transpired during the game.  Please keep in mind that my response was to someone who was NOT at the game looking for some context to the game statistics and why WC reacted, as you stated correctly, in an "atypical" manner.  Additionally, I was not condoning WC's behavior.  As I stated, I felt WC could have handled the situation better.  My point was that I felt it was in response to IWU.  I can understand your response to my statements of opinion, but to suggest that my comments were without merit and fact is disingenuous.

Facts from previous statement

Fouls.  IWU 21  WC  13 
Slide tackle from behind broke the foot of one of WC's top players in 78th minute.  Out the rest of the season.
WC got a red after that foul
Played last 12 mins a man down
3rd game in 4 days for WC

Just the foul totals alone would suggest who was instigating that type of play
Slide tackle from behind ends the season of one of WC's top players.  Enough said.
Was not trying to "pin" the red card on IWU.  He deserved the card.  And yes, he did push the referee (who was trying to restrain him from going after the offending player)

Additional facts to consider

Prior to that game, WC had a total of 5 yc's in the previous 15 games
In that same time period IWU had 21 yc's

Why would a team who has had only 5 yc's in 15 games get 6 cards in one game?  It was a fair question to ask.

The facts are pretty clear, but I guess the answer to that question is a matter of opinion.............

No hard feelings voiceofseason.  I appreciate your comments.  Just calling it as I see it.  Good luck against NC.  If the boys meet again, hopefully BOTH sides will be better behaved.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 02, 2013, 11:57:09 AM
Great win by the Thunder over NPU in a match they dominated for long stretches. Golz getting his 15th goal late off yet another header. Smells like an All-American season for him.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 02, 2013, 01:04:54 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 02, 2013, 11:57:09 AM
Great win by the Thunder over NPU in a match they dominated for long stretches. Golz getting his 15th goal late off yet another header. Smells like an All-American season for him.

Watched a bit of the game on the internet yesterday.  Looked like Wheaton pretty much dominated the first half and was pretty even in the second.

North Park seems to struggle when playing against quick, athletic teams.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on November 03, 2013, 09:48:34 AM
Quote from: Thunder1 on October 30, 2013, 01:15:36 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on October 29, 2013, 05:02:37 PM
Quote from: Thunder1 on October 21, 2013, 06:57:26 PM
IWU basically went "Dennis Rodman" on Thunder.  Lots of cheap fouls behind the play, trash talking and diving.  IWU 21 fouls, WC 13.  Center ref let game get out of control.  Brutal slide tackle from behind in the 78th minute was last straw.  Broke the foot of one of WC's top players.  Might be out for the rest of the season.  WC guy went after the offender and got the red.  Played the last 12 mins down a man.  I used to have a lot of respect for IWU and coach Lakin.  They have had some great teams the last several years and can play "soccer" and always have played hard, but never cheap.  They went way over the line on Saturday.  Sad to see.......... WC boys were tired (3rd game in 4 days in a mid term finals week) and probably could have handled it a little better but at some point you have to say enough is enough.

It will do no good to get into a back and forth here, but your comments are without merit and moreso, without fact.  To my view, Wheaton was constantly late and dirty, which is atypical and disappointing of such a storied program.  To each is own - you have your opinion, and I have mine.

But where facts don't lie, the Wheaton player received the red card for shoving the ref.  You can't pin that one on IWU.

The most factual thing you said is that Wheaton was tired.  I believe one of the games (Benedictine) had to get shoe-horned into the schedule - I'm sure Coach G didn't want to do that to the kids.  Soccer is too intense of a game to play 3 games in 4 nights.


Fair enough voiceofseason.  I can appreciate that someone might have a different opinion as to what transpired during the game.  Please keep in mind that my response was to someone who was NOT at the game looking for some context to the game statistics and why WC reacted, as you stated correctly, in an "atypical" manner.  Additionally, I was not condoning WC's behavior.  As I stated, I felt WC could have handled the situation better.  My point was that I felt it was in response to IWU.  I can understand your response to my statements of opinion, but to suggest that my comments were without merit and fact is disingenuous.

Facts from previous statement

Fouls.  IWU 21  WC  13 
Slide tackle from behind broke the foot of one of WC's top players in 78th minute.  Out the rest of the season.
WC got a red after that foul
Played last 12 mins a man down
3rd game in 4 days for WC

Just the foul totals alone would suggest who was instigating that type of play
Slide tackle from behind ends the season of one of WC's top players.  Enough said.
Was not trying to "pin" the red card on IWU.  He deserved the card.  And yes, he did push the referee (who was trying to restrain him from going after the offending player)

Additional facts to consider

Prior to that game, WC had a total of 5 yc's in the previous 15 games
In that same time period IWU had 21 yc's

Why would a team who has had only 5 yc's in 15 games get 6 cards in one game?  It was a fair question to ask.

The facts are pretty clear, but I guess the answer to that question is a matter of opinion.............

No hard feelings voiceofseason.  I appreciate your comments.  Just calling it as I see it.  Good luck against NC.  If the boys meet again, hopefully BOTH sides will be better behaved.

I am here to tell you both sides were equally aggressive.  There is archived film of the game if you care to watch it.

Wheaton had five YC's in that game alone. 

My initial response was predicated by your remarks about not respecting Coach Lakin, and by inferring he had formulated a game plan to draw Wheaton into a match of thuggery.  That couldn't be further from the truth.  I have other thoughts,  but I'm just going to leave it here.

Good luck to the Thunder in the tournament.  Based on ability, I said at the start of the season I thought they would win the national title this year.  Some of that was from seeing them play, some of that was assumption about the incoming players.  We shall see.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 09:29:27 PM
The Wheaton v NP match is a hackfest! I have been watching since the start of the 2nd half and there has been 5 yellows and 2 that should have red cards.  Crazy stuff!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2013, 09:44:49 PM
And already someone sent off for Wheaton, yeah? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:06:47 PM
I just realized that after Wheaton scored to equalize things they were playing down 1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 05, 2013, 10:08:20 PM
Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:06:47 PM
I just realized that after Wheaton scored to equalize things they were playing down 1.
Going into overtime; by my count, there have been seven yellow cards and two reds (one for each team).  All but one card issued in the second half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 05, 2013, 10:15:58 PM
Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:06:47 PM
I just realized that after Wheaton scored to equalize things they were playing down 1.

Wheaton scored when it was 10 v 10.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:23:04 PM
I didn't even to think to count NP's players.  When these teams lose players?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 05, 2013, 10:28:01 PM
Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:23:04 PM
I didn't even to think to count NP's players.  When these teams lose players?

55th for Wheaton 74 for NP.

I didn't see the Wheaton red.  2nd yellow for NP.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:31:19 PM
Wheaton's must have been the slide tackle and NP was the take down just outside the box.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:32:29 PM
Surprised by no commentary tonight?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 05, 2013, 10:33:06 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 05, 2013, 10:28:01 PM
Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 05, 2013, 10:23:04 PM
I didn't even to think to count NP's players.  When these teams lose players?

55th for Wheaton 74 for NP.

I didn't see the Wheaton red.  2nd yellow for NP.
According to Live Stats, the Wheaton player had a yellow card at ~55m and then another foul about 15 second later and was issued a red card.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 05, 2013, 10:40:31 PM
All tied up after two OT's.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 05, 2013, 10:40:54 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 05, 2013, 10:40:31 PM
All tied up after two OT's.

Penalty kicks - so much pressure.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2013, 10:46:18 PM
Not sure the live stats will update the Pks, any chance you gentlemen could keep me up to speed?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 05, 2013, 10:46:58 PM
I switched to the video feed and it looks like Wheaton won on PKs.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on November 05, 2013, 10:48:06 PM
Wheaton wins 5-3 on Penalties. The Wheaton keeper made one save on NP's third shot and Wheaton made all 5 shooting first.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2013, 10:50:35 PM
I don't think NP has ever won on Pks.

What do we think?  Is that the season for NP?  Or will they sneak in with a pool C in a weak Midwest region?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: thePietist on November 05, 2013, 10:52:22 PM
The Golz bros. spoil again in 11th hour theatrics...  I believe that makes 3 NP v WC games in a row that a Golz (different one each time) has scored with less than 5 minutes remaining.   >:(

I have to believe a pool C bid is likely considering their losses against strong teams.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 05, 2013, 10:57:15 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 05, 2013, 10:50:35 PM
I don't think NP has ever won on Pks.

What do we think?  Is that the season for NP?  Or will they sneak in with a pool C in a weak Midwest region?
How many Pool C bids are there for the Midwest?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on November 05, 2013, 10:57:39 PM
If I had to guess, an 11-5-3 record is probably not good enough. Two questionable losses to Alma and Olivet and a draw with Concordia Wisconsin on top of a 3-0 loss to Loras puts them on the bubble. We'll see though..
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on November 05, 2013, 11:10:30 PM
There is no set number of Pool C bids per region.

I think NPU is definitely on the bubble. Likely they needed a strong showing in the CCIW playoffs to be awarded a Pool C. But you never know...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Thunder1 on November 06, 2013, 12:04:52 AM
Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 05, 2013, 11:10:30 PM
There is no set number of Pool C bids per region.

I think NPU is definitely on the bubble. Likely they needed a strong showing in the CCIW playoffs to be awarded a Pool C. But you never know...

The game tonight vs Wheaton officially went down as a tie (PK's were because of conference tournament).  So, North Park has a one goal loss and a tie against the #1 team in the region in their last two games.  Yes, they did have a couple bad losses but they were early in the season.  It would be a shame for them not to make the tournament.  They won their first round NCAA Tournament game handily last year (4-1 vs Wash U) and gave Loras all that they could handle in a 0-1 game in the second round with essentially the same team.  They may be on the bubble but I think they should get in.  We will see....... Jonas Peterson is probably the most dangerous player I've seen in the last couple years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on November 06, 2013, 01:10:57 AM
Don't get me wrong, NPU has a nice program/team.

Overall Record: 11-5-3
Most Recent NCAA Rank: 2
SOS: .592

NPU at a Glance, actually looks to be in good shape... strong SOS, etc.

But when you look a little closer, I'm actually a bit surprised they are ranked as high as they are currently by the NCAA.They were the CCIW #4 seed. They tied and lost to the #2 (Elmhurst) & #3 (Carthage) CCIW teams, respectively. Yet NPU is ranked higher than both by the NCAA.

Just goes to show how important SOS is in the ranking/selection process for the NCAA.

It actually looks like NPU is missing a signature win...I guess you could consider the 3-0 result against Dominican a strong one, but DU is kind of having a down year, by their typical standards and aren't even ranked by the NCAA.

As long as a good majority of the AQ "Favorites" actually win their AQ's, NPU may actually be in better shape than I initially thought....

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KICKIN95 on November 06, 2013, 09:23:10 AM
Quote from: Thunder1 on November 06, 2013, 12:04:52 AM
Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 05, 2013, 11:10:30 PM
There is no set number of Pool C bids per region.

I think NPU is definitely on the bubble. Likely they needed a strong showing in the CCIW playoffs to be awarded a Pool C. But you never know...

The game tonight vs Wheaton officially went down as a tie (PK's were because of conference tournament).  So, North Park has a one goal loss and a tie against the #1 team in the region in their last two games.  Yes, they did have a couple bad losses but they were early in the season.  It would be a shame for them not to make the tournament.  They won their first round NCAA Tournament game handily last year (4-1 vs Wash U) and gave Loras all that they could handle in a 0-1 game in the second round with essentially the same team.  They may be on the bubble but I think they should get in.  We will see....... Jonas Peterson is probably the most dangerous player I've seen in the last couple years.
The problem is the Central Region is quite weak this year and that doesn't bode well for NP on the outside looking in.  I disagree with the statement that NP gave Loras "All they could handle" last year in the tourney.  I was at the match and Loras handled them throughout until Loras scored with 12 minutes remaining and NP had to go all out to try and get an equalizer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 06, 2013, 01:59:53 PM
The other win that looked like it could be really helpful was 3-0 over UWW, but they haven't been as good a team as they initially looked... 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: wheels81 on November 16, 2013, 04:32:20 PM
Too bad some disgruntled North Park fans decided to egg Wheaton's sports center.  It was a very expensive and time consuming job to remove.  Now we got to check for embryonic chickens on future North Park visitors.  Maybe it's a Scandinavian soccer tradition that their Swedish players brought from over. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: cciwrabblerouser on November 16, 2013, 04:47:39 PM
Quote from: wheels81 on November 16, 2013, 04:32:20 PM
Too bad some disgruntled North Park fans decided to egg Wheaton's sports center.  It was a very expensive and time consuming job to remove.  Now we got to check for embryonic chickens on future North Park visitors.  Maybe it's a Scandinavian soccer tradition that their Swedish players brought from over.

huh?  details?  what happened?  related to soccer?  inquiring minds (as well as prof. sager) want to know ...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ryan Harmanis on November 16, 2013, 07:11:56 PM
Wheaton and Kenyon still scoreless early in the second half.  Wheaton just had one come back off the crossbar.  Wheaton has had more possession but pretty even with chances, as Kenyon missed a breakaway and a sitter from 12 yards out.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ryan Harmanis on November 16, 2013, 07:57:48 PM
Rain delay sees Wheaton come out on fire only to go down 1-0 to Kenyon.  Looked like an overhit cross that snuck in the upper-90 back post, although I'm sure the player would claim it was intentional.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ryan Harmanis on November 16, 2013, 07:58:42 PM
And 60 seconds later it's 2-0. Wheaton is on the ropes with less than 15 minutes remaining.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ryan Harmanis on November 16, 2013, 08:02:08 PM
And now it's 2-1 as Wheaton takes a quick free kick to halve the deficit.  This game has gone crazy.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on May 05, 2014, 11:38:18 AM
Carroll University will be a great addition to the CCIW for soccer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on May 05, 2014, 12:44:47 PM
Great for the CCIW for expanding. But to be honest, Carroll will be lucky to even make the CCIW Conference Tournament. I see the Pioneers sitting alongside the likes of Millikin and Augustana outside of the conference tournament year after year. But maybe the CCIW moves it to 6 teams with the addition?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on May 05, 2014, 07:52:42 PM
Quote from: casualfan on May 05, 2014, 12:44:47 PM
Great for the CCIW for expanding. But to be honest, Carroll will be lucky to even make the CCIW Conference Tournament. I see the Pioneers sitting alongside the likes of Millikin and Augustana outside of the conference tournament year after year. But maybe the CCIW moves it to 6 teams with the addition?

They would be sitting on the outside with North Central and Illinois Wesleyan as well... You do pose a great question though, with 9 soccer teams does the CCIW move to more teams in the conference tournament? My guess is no at this point but maybe something to lobby for.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on May 22, 2014, 11:10:25 PM
Ryan Lakin has left Illinois Wesleyan to take the head job at Aurora University.  Releases are on both school's athletic websites.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on May 23, 2014, 01:46:04 PM
Quote from: voiceofseason on May 22, 2014, 11:10:25 PM
Ryan Lakin has left Illinois Wesleyan to take the head job at Aurora University.  Releases are on both school's athletic websites.

What does this instability do to IWU looking at 2014 and the near future? Kind of tough looking for a new head coach in late May when you're on the outside looking in at the CCIW...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Titan Q on June 23, 2014, 12:46:55 PM
Quote from: Midwestrecruiter on May 24, 2014, 11:40:15 PM
Chad Jones of Millikin probably gonna have a look and then Chris Bergman from Lake Forest might apply (he was a finalist for Case). Matt Edwards from Knox might be another?

Your e-mail address is "medwards@knox.edu."  You are Matt Edwards, right?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voiceofseason on July 15, 2014, 02:18:30 PM
For those that maybe haven't heard, Illinois Wesleyan hired a new coach recently.

http://www.iwusports.com/news/2014/7/7/MSOC_0707141820.aspx (http://www.iwusports.com/news/2014/7/7/MSOC_0707141820.aspx)

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 25, 2014, 10:37:49 PM
I'm not sure why no one has posted this yet, but this upcoming season will be Mike Giuliano's swan song at Wheaton (http://www.cciw.org/news/2014/5/12/MS_0512143103.aspx).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on July 27, 2014, 09:19:30 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 25, 2014, 10:37:49 PM
I'm not sure why no one has posted this yet, but this upcoming season will be Mike Giuliano's swan song at Wheaton (http://www.cciw.org/news/2014/5/12/MS_0512143103.aspx).

Sounds like they have a great dream to pursue - also nice to have a planned transition that gives Wheaton plenty of time to find a replacement.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KnightFalcon on July 29, 2014, 08:54:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 25, 2014, 10:37:49 PM
I'm not sure why no one has posted this yet, but this upcoming season will be Mike Giuliano's swan song at Wheaton (http://www.cciw.org/news/2014/5/12/MS_0512143103.aspx).

Actually there was a discussion about it back on May 13 in the "2013 Coaching Changes" (yes, misleading title) discussion. Some posters offered their thoughts on replacement candidates too.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: D3soccerwatcher on August 04, 2014, 12:20:24 AM
Wheaton certainly has the talent to make a deep run this year.  But I wonder how Coach Giuliano's announced departure this will impact Wheaton's 2015 recruiting class.  Who will be doing the recruiting for that class which is taking place right now?  How can recruits commit if they don't know who the coach will be?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: lastguyoffthebench on August 13, 2014, 11:24:07 AM
The Rutgers University-Newark men's home soccer match against Stevens Institute will be one of only three NCAA Division III contests televised as part of National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Small College Game of the Week series

The other NCAA D-III matches on the weekly series involve perennial NCAA contenders from the Midwest.  Wheaton takes on Calvin on September 5 while Ohio Northern travels to Ohio Wesleyan for the "Battle of the Ohio's" on September 17.


http://www.nscaatv.com/schedule




Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: D3soccerwatcher on August 14, 2014, 10:22:51 PM
These should all be great games.  Awesome to see D3 soccer continuing to get "air-time".
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 15, 2014, 08:45:32 PM
Quote from: KnightFalcon on July 29, 2014, 08:54:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 25, 2014, 10:37:49 PM
I'm not sure why no one has posted this yet, but this upcoming season will be Mike Giuliano's swan song at Wheaton (http://www.cciw.org/news/2014/5/12/MS_0512143103.aspx).

Actually there was a discussion about it back on May 13 in the "2013 Coaching Changes" (yes, misleading title) discussion. Some posters offered their thoughts on replacement candidates too.

Thanks for the heads-up. But news of the decision should've been posted here in the CCIW room.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on August 22, 2014, 10:05:31 PM
A CCIW institution got the NCAA to investigate - fairly recently - the legitimacy of NPU's Swedish soccer players.  The NCAA deemed North Park in full compliance.  I do not know the filer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 23, 2014, 01:47:43 PM
I do. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on August 23, 2014, 03:18:17 PM
That's some Bruce Pearl BS if you ask me. Coaches should worry about their own program and leave it at that.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 23, 2014, 11:57:45 PM
I agree, but, then again, I'm not exactly an unbiased observer in this instance.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on August 24, 2014, 12:34:50 PM
Anyone attend the Wheaton exhibition yesterday evening? Match report?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 24, 2014, 08:42:31 PM
NPU roster up:  http://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=msoc&tab=soccer

Jonas Pettersson appears not to have returned for his senior season. ???
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: KnightFalcon on August 26, 2014, 09:36:18 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on August 24, 2014, 12:34:50 PM
Anyone attend the Wheaton exhibition yesterday evening? Match report?
yes I was there. Wheaton looked pretty good - moved the ball, good possession ... Looked more composed than they did at times last year. They won 3-2 but held most of the possession. Benedictine wasn't very strong but it was still a good first showing for Wheaton which took leads of 1-0 and 3-1. Benedictine tied it just before the half against the run of play and then added a PK with just a minute or so left in the game.

Hollingsworth played in the middle with Borge and was very active ... Will be interesting to see how effective he will be if he does not play up top. I believe Wheaton wants to move Noah Anthony up there from the back line. Nice goal by the freshman Lenderink too.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 30, 2014, 10:22:36 AM
NPU defeated Benedictine 3-0.  It looks like NPU has a chance to a very strong year - good collection of newcomers.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on August 30, 2014, 01:57:27 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on August 23, 2014, 03:18:17 PM
That's some Bruce Pearl BS if you ask me. Coaches should worry about their own program and leave it at that.
I disagree. People have been grumbling about the semi pro Swedes that NPU has gotten for a number of years now, beyond just Wheaton. Wasn't Kris Grahn like 28 in his senior season? Glad the NCAA looked into it, and if it's cleared and above board, so much the better. It won't stop the grumbling, but maybe it will curtail it a bit.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 30, 2014, 04:06:10 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on August 30, 2014, 01:57:27 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on August 23, 2014, 03:18:17 PM
That's some Bruce Pearl BS if you ask me. Coaches should worry about their own program and leave it at that.
I disagree. People have been grumbling about the semi pro Swedes that NPU has gotten for a number of years now, beyond just Wheaton. Wasn't Kris Grahn like 28 in his senior season? Glad the NCAA looked into it, and if it's cleared and above board, so much the better. It won't stop the grumbling, but maybe it will curtail it a bit.

I am biased, but seems only like sour grapes.  The assumption would have been that North Park intended to break rules and throw it in front of everyone's face - it wasn't like they were trying to hide anything (age, location, club teams, etc)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on August 30, 2014, 04:26:57 PM
Unlike football, basketball (both genders), and baseball, IWU usually sucks at soccer.  Anyone know what the prospects look like for this season?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2014, 05:31:20 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on August 30, 2014, 01:57:27 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on August 23, 2014, 03:18:17 PM
That's some Bruce Pearl BS if you ask me. Coaches should worry about their own program and leave it at that.
I disagree. People have been grumbling about the semi pro Swedes that NPU has gotten for a number of years now, beyond just Wheaton.

Then those people are ignorant, because none of NPU's Swedes have been "semipro" players. They've all been amateurs, as has been confirmed by the NCAA.

Quote from: blue_jays on August 30, 2014, 01:57:27 PMWasn't Kris Grahn like 28 in his senior season?

No, but even if he had been it wouldn't have made any difference. There's no age limit in D3 athletics.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2014, 06:01:52 PM
NPU beat St. Mary's (MN) today, 4-1. It wasn't much of a contest, as the Cardinals aren't very good -- aside from a brief hiccup of a couple of minutes around the 80:00 mark when SMU scored its goal and got four of its six SOG, the Cardinals hardly even threatened Wes Woodley at all -- but it was interesting to see all the freshmen that John Born is playing. Three started, four others saw heavy minutes, and a couple of others saw some late tick once the match was in the bag. It looks like the NPU coaching staff's come up with a pretty serious crop of plebes. There seems to be a higher cumulative level of ball skills and creativity among these freshmen than I've seen in the past few classes. Two of the frosh, Nathaniel Paisley and Stany Lokamba, scored goals today that were jaw-dropping individual plays.

It remains to be seen how well they're able to mesh their individual skills with the team, as well as how well they cope with the rigors of CCIW play. And the Vikings' season is still going to come down to how far the veteran core of Greiff, Damberg, Fodstad, Zabielski, Lashlee, Tahmi-Masoleh, Ostberg, and Woodley can take them.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 01, 2014, 06:07:12 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2014, 05:31:20 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on August 30, 2014, 01:57:27 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on August 23, 2014, 03:18:17 PM
That's some Bruce Pearl BS if you ask me. Coaches should worry about their own program and leave it at that.
I disagree. People have been grumbling about the semi pro Swedes that NPU has gotten for a number of years now, beyond just Wheaton.

Then those people are ignorant, because none of NPU's Swedes have been "semipro" players. They've all been amateurs, as has been confirmed by the NCAA.

Quote from: blue_jays on August 30, 2014, 01:57:27 PMWasn't Kris Grahn like 28 in his senior season?

No, but even if he had been it wouldn't have made any difference. There's no age limit in D3 athletics.

Sweden has a very structured club system:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_football_league_system

I think only the top 2 levels pay their players.  I think most of NPU's Swedes are usually from Divisions 4 - 6 or something like that - with a player occasionally from a higher division (not to be confused with level), like Jonas Petterson and Kris Grahn.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: matblake on September 20, 2014, 09:10:46 AM
Wheaton beats Bethel 2-0.  Here's a highlight of one of the goals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYNwKRwBzHw&index=1&list=UUc7gBoPNxd3EmNnzGNtKOYw
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on September 20, 2014, 09:58:35 AM
Carthage with a huge 3-0 win over Wartburg.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Purplegatorade on September 24, 2014, 02:29:14 PM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on August 30, 2014, 04:26:57 PM
Unlike football, basketball (both genders), and baseball, IWU usually sucks at soccer.  Anyone know what the prospects look like for this season?

Are you saying that IWU women are not good at soccer?  From what I can gather they have been consistently ranked in the region and in the nation.  Not to mention making NCAA tournament appearances.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 04, 2014, 09:51:54 PM
Anyone know if NPU stud Grahn stuck around the USA or has he left after earning a graduate degree?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 05, 2014, 08:48:22 AM
Quote from: markerickson on October 04, 2014, 09:51:54 PM
Anyone know if NPU stud Grahn stuck around the USA or has he left after earning a graduate degree?

He is the associate head coach of the NPU soccer team:  http://athletics.northpark.edu/coaches.aspx?rc=244&path=msoc
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCC26 on October 07, 2014, 03:59:14 PM
Don't take the cardinals lighly NPU.  This is a very young and hungry team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 07, 2014, 05:04:38 PM
NPU doesn't take anybody lightly. John Born didn't get the program to where it is by overlooking opponents.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 08, 2014, 02:57:46 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 07, 2014, 03:59:14 PM
Don't take the cardinals lighly NPU.  This is a very young and hungry team.

NCC know how to win but their style and tactics are so elementary. I saw them play a game where they were up a man for 70+ minutes but couldn't break the team down until the 80th minute because they couldn't complete 5 passes in a row. If NPU can defend a long ball or set piece and take care of their opportunities, I would expect a 2-0 or even 3-0 victory.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCC26 on October 08, 2014, 03:51:38 PM
That's due to the youth of this team.  I'm sure coach Klosterman will have them ready.  I don't expect NCC to win, but it sure is nice to talk about them as NCC soccer hasn't been relevant in the CCIW for a looooooooong time.  Don't know if I'll be at game or not (son has birthday and we'll be coming home from a youth game in rockford late)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on October 08, 2014, 05:11:42 PM
Not to mention Carthage dominated most of the game. Bad decision by their keeper cost them the game winner. By no means am I saying NCC is a bad team. I agree with Midwest, NPU will need to take care of their opportunities. Something Carthage could not do and it cost them.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 08, 2014, 11:31:05 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 08, 2014, 03:51:38 PM
That's due to the youth of this team.  I'm sure coach Klosterman will have them ready.

I'm sure he'll have them ready, they always have good fight - just not much soccer.

Plus, NCC's most usual starting lineup has 3 seniors and 4 juniors... so a bit inaccurate of a statement to claim their youth is the reason.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on October 09, 2014, 11:10:47 AM
UWW takes down North Park??? Any insight from anyone at the game? Stats look very even with UWW with the edge in shots and NPU with the edge in corners. Big win for the Warhawks and the WIAC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: dontshootthegoose on October 09, 2014, 02:27:13 PM
Heard from an inside source that it could have been more than 1-0. North park's goalie came up huge and stopped 3 separate breakaways. North parks only chance was from a laser 30 yards out that hit the cross bar. It sounded like UWW simply out played them.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCC26 on October 09, 2014, 04:36:04 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 08, 2014, 11:31:05 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 08, 2014, 03:51:38 PM
That's due to the youth of this team.  I'm sure coach Klosterman will have them ready.

I'm sure he'll have them ready, they always have good fight - just not much soccer.

Plus, NCC's most usual starting lineup has 3 seniors and 4 juniors... so a bit inaccurate of a statement to claim their youth is the reason.

Not an inaccurate statement at all, only 4 returning starters from last year.  One senior who has never played college soccer, until now.  A junior who missed out last year.  He rotates several freshmen in throughout the game. If they can maintain possession, I give them a punchers chance.

As far as game goes.. we'll see. :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 09, 2014, 05:54:42 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 09, 2014, 04:36:04 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 08, 2014, 11:31:05 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 08, 2014, 03:51:38 PM
That's due to the youth of this team.  I'm sure coach Klosterman will have them ready.

I'm sure he'll have them ready, they always have good fight - just not much soccer.

Plus, NCC's most usual starting lineup has 3 seniors and 4 juniors... so a bit inaccurate of a statement to claim their youth is the reason.

Not an inaccurate statement at all, only 4 returning starters from last year.  One senior who has never played college soccer, until now.  A junior who missed out last year.  He rotates several freshmen in throughout the game. If they can maintain possession, I give them a punchers chance.

As far as game goes.. we'll see. :)

Inexperience and youth, while they often go hand in hand, are two very different things. Still an inaccurate statement. I doubt they'll have a chance given NPU should be pretty pissed off with the loss to UWW
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2014, 09:18:32 PM
Sometimes you've just gotta give credit to the other side. I talked with one of the NPU starters tonight, and he told me that over the last twenty minutes of the match the Vikings played only three back and just hammered the Warhawks in the front third with a lot of very good chances -- but UWW held.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: D3soccerwatcher on October 09, 2014, 09:34:39 PM
I think Wheaton will win the CCIW again this year.  Even after their head coach has announced his pending departure, they remain well coached and their talent in the conference is undeniable.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 13, 2014, 09:41:17 AM
Quote from: D3soccerwatcher on October 09, 2014, 09:34:39 PM
I think Wheaton will win the CCIW again this year.  Even after their head coach has announced his pending departure, they remain well coached and their talent in the conference is undeniable.

I would also call Wheaton the favorites to win the CCIW.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: D3soccerwatcher on October 15, 2014, 09:06:44 PM
#5 Wheaton down 1-0 to unranked Carthage. 6 mins remaining in first half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 15, 2014, 10:38:11 PM
Congratulations to John Born upon picking up his 200th win as a head coach tonight, as NPU defeated Illinois Wesleyan, 3-0, in Bloomington.

Incidentally, great camera work by the IWU camera person. That was about the best webcast view I've ever had of a soccer match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 15, 2014, 10:38:43 PM
Carthage beat Wheaton, 2-1, in Kenosha.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 15, 2014, 11:42:53 PM
When did CC last defeat WC?!?  Wow.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 16, 2014, 12:49:19 AM
2007, I think.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCC26 on October 16, 2014, 04:01:15 PM
Our conference is tough.  5 teams in the top 10 of the central region.  Didn't see Wheaton losing to Carthage though.  Kudos to Carthage!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 16, 2014, 06:13:26 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 16, 2014, 04:01:15 PM
Our conference is tough.  5 teams in the top 10 of the central region.  Didn't see Wheaton losing to Carthage though.  Kudos to Carthage!

Some of us can remember when CCIW soccer consisted of Wheaton and a bunch of schools that were just sponsoring soccer teams for the heck of it. In fact, the league didn't even get up to the full eight teams until a decade ago, when the last holdout school (Elmhurst) finally added soccer. Then it was (mostly) Wheaton and North Park and a bunch of schools that were just sponsoring soccer teams for the heck of it. Then Carthage and Elmhurst got competitive. Now we've reached the point where nobody's a gimme anymore; all eight programs have reached the level of general respectability and competitiveness.

This is what a lot of us have been waiting for for a long time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 02:39:36 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 16, 2014, 06:13:26 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 16, 2014, 04:01:15 PM
Our conference is tough.  5 teams in the top 10 of the central region.  Didn't see Wheaton losing to Carthage though.  Kudos to Carthage!

Some of us can remember when CCIW soccer consisted of Wheaton and a bunch of schools that were just sponsoring soccer teams for the heck of it. In fact, the league didn't even get up to the full eight teams until a decade ago, when the last holdout school (Elmhurst) finally added soccer. Then it was (mostly) Wheaton and North Park and a bunch of schools that were just sponsoring soccer teams for the heck of it. Then Carthage and Elmhurst got competitive. Now we've reached the point where nobody's a gimme anymore; all eight programs have reached the level of general respectability and competitiveness.

This is what a lot of us have been waiting for for a long time.

Competitiveness certainly, respectability no. Some of these programs are stuck in kickball/hockey mode. Given the facilities and profiles of the school, quality of play should be much higher across all programs. But alas most of the energy is put into "whatever it takes to win"
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on October 17, 2014, 06:28:58 AM
Midwest can you give examples on your opinion? Wheaton is a possession based team who move the ball well. They have one of the fastest players I have ever seen on dribble in Hollingsworth. North Park is high energy, possession based with guys who can shoot well. From the games I have seen Carthage plays a similar way. They out possessed Wheaton first half of Wednesday's game. This was the same for wins against Wartburg and St.Thomas. Just wanted to get your opinion on specific examples.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Durantula on October 17, 2014, 10:41:36 AM
I have watched Wartburg all year, and Carthage has the best possession out of any team that they have played in my opinion. Better than Gustavus, St Thomas, Luther, St Olaf.


I cannot believe that Carthage had to forfeit their first two games for such a stupid reason. They would be in a good spot for an at-large bid with those two wins but are practically out of the at large race after the forfeits.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: lastguyoffthebench on October 17, 2014, 11:01:55 AM


Way late to the punch bowl here... what do the Wheaton supporters out there think of Montclair St?   I don't think there was a live video feed, as all I can remember was watching the live stats update like a basketball score.


Aside from the end result, which teams have looked the best vs Wheaton this year?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 04:04:09 PM
Quote from: SuperSub15 on October 17, 2014, 06:28:58 AM
Midwest can you give examples on your opinion? Wheaton is a possession based team who move the ball well. They have one of the fastest players I have ever seen on dribble in Hollingsworth. North Park is high energy, possession based with guys who can shoot well. From the games I have seen Carthage plays a similar way. They out possessed Wheaton first half of Wednesday's game. This was the same for wins against Wartburg and St.Thomas. Just wanted to get your opinion on specific examples.

Have seen mostly all of the CCIW teams this year except for Millikin and Carthage. In years past, despite having quality players, Carthage was very direct and athletic, almost bypassing the midfield. Their offsides numbers this year are far decreased as a testament to that. From what I've seen from the others - NCC, Elmhurst, Augie, IWU - its not much build up and mostly long ball, try to run behind, high press type soccer. Meaning possessions end after about 3-4 passes because of a lack of rhythm or ability.

Maybe I picked the wrong games to attend, but that is what I've seen. I have an appreciation for teams who try to string 8-10 passes together and move the ball as a team. I also understand the long ball is effective against teams that high press. But there needs to be a balance, not just "hey lets hit it long for 90 minutes and we should get 1 or 2." We are a better soccer nation than that and should demand a higher level of quality.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2014, 05:01:41 PM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 02:39:36 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 16, 2014, 06:13:26 PM
Quote from: NCC26 on October 16, 2014, 04:01:15 PM
Our conference is tough.  5 teams in the top 10 of the central region.  Didn't see Wheaton losing to Carthage though.  Kudos to Carthage!

Some of us can remember when CCIW soccer consisted of Wheaton and a bunch of schools that were just sponsoring soccer teams for the heck of it. In fact, the league didn't even get up to the full eight teams until a decade ago, when the last holdout school (Elmhurst) finally added soccer. Then it was (mostly) Wheaton and North Park and a bunch of schools that were just sponsoring soccer teams for the heck of it. Then Carthage and Elmhurst got competitive. Now we've reached the point where nobody's a gimme anymore; all eight programs have reached the level of general respectability and competitiveness.

This is what a lot of us have been waiting for for a long time.

Competitiveness certainly, respectability no. Some of these programs are stuck in kickball/hockey mode. Given the facilities and profiles of the school, quality of play should be much higher across all programs. But alas most of the energy is put into "whatever it takes to win"

You and I apparently don't agree upon what constitutes respectability. Is the CCIW up to par yet in soccer with how it performs in the other major sports? I'd say no (although the league has looked abnormally poor in football this season). Is the CCIW up to the level in soccer in which each of the league's teams should, and do, win most of their matches? Yes. This year seven of the eight CCIW sides had winning non-conference records, while the eighth, Illinois Wesleyan, finished .500. That's never happened before.

Yeah, it's a minimal respectability when compared to the CCIW's performance in other sports, but it's respectability, nonetheless.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 10:39:45 PM

[/quote]
You and I apparently don't agree upon what constitutes respectability. Is the CCIW up to par yet in soccer with how it performs in the other major sports? I'd say no (although the league has looked abnormally poor in football this season). Is the CCIW up to the level in soccer in which each of the league's teams should, and do, win most of their matches? Yes. This year seven of the eight CCIW sides had winning non-conference records, while the eighth, Illinois Wesleyan, finished .500. That's never happened before.

Yeah, it's a minimal respectability when compared to the CCIW's performance in other sports, but it's respectability, nonetheless.
[/quote]

Craig's brother... You're defining respectability as the ability of the CCIW's teams to have winning records. To me that's competitiveness/success/smart scheduling.

I'm defining respectability not as an acknowledgement of their ability to win games, but how they play the games.

We have different definitions. I stand by what I said. I'm not here to say they shouldn't be respected for their ability to win games, they are very competitive/result-oriented units. But their approach to the game and tactics employed do not get my respect.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2014, 09:15:05 AM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 10:39:45 PM
You're defining respectability as the ability of the CCIW's teams to have winning records. To me that's competitiveness/success/smart scheduling.

I'm defining respectability not as an acknowledgement of their ability to win games, but how they play the games.

I'm well aware of what constitutes our differing definitions of respectability. After all, I'm the one who pointed it out in the first place.

Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 10:39:45 PMWe have different definitions. I stand by what I said. I'm not here to say they shouldn't be respected for their ability to win games, they are very competitive/result-oriented units. But their approach to the game and tactics employed do not get my respect.

Sure, but you're one person. In the larger view, I'm certain that yours is a minority opinion.

I'm not denigrating that minority opinion, mind you. There's certainly room in sports fandom for those who put the highest premium upon aesthetics. But for most of us, sports are bottom-line propositions. Winning and losing are what matters. And for those of us who follow multiple sports rather than just one, our barometer for how our league does in one sport tends to reflect how it does in others as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 18, 2014, 10:04:55 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2014, 09:15:05 AM
Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 10:39:45 PM
You're defining respectability as the ability of the CCIW's teams to have winning records. To me that's competitiveness/success/smart scheduling.

I'm defining respectability not as an acknowledgement of their ability to win games, but how they play the games.

I'm well aware of what constitutes our differing definitions of respectability. After all, I'm the one who pointed it out in the first place.

Quote from: MidwestAficionado on October 17, 2014, 10:39:45 PMWe have different definitions. I stand by what I said. I'm not here to say they shouldn't be respected for their ability to win games, they are very competitive/result-oriented units. But their approach to the game and tactics employed do not get my respect.

Sure, but you're one person. In the larger view, I'm certain that yours is a minority opinion.

I'm not denigrating that minority opinion, mind you. There's certainly room in sports fandom for those who put the highest premium upon aesthetics. But for most of us, sports are bottom-line propositions. Winning and losing are what matters. And for those of us who follow multiple sports rather than just one, our barometer for how our league does in one sport tends to reflect how it does in others as well.

Either way the CCIW's respectability took a hit today with NPU losing to Dominican
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2014, 10:24:53 PM
No question about that. Most years, a close loss to Dominican wouldn't be that terrible a result. But this DU team is, by everyone's estimation, down from years previous.

NPU has been very inconsistent lately, and it's coming close to costing the Vikings their entire safety margin as far as Pool C is concerned. Those who are more attuned to the way soccer's selection committee thinks may differ, but to me it appears that NPU may now be dangerously on the edge of a must-win-out scenario.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FR_Sam on October 19, 2014, 09:55:57 PM
Mr. Sager and Aficionado,

I think you guys need to look into Dominican's record against the CCIW over the years.  They have a winning record against NPU, Wheaton, Elmhurst, Wesleyan, NCC, etc.  This year, Dominican was up on Wheaton 1-0 (but did lose 2-1 on a goal late, I believe around the 80' or 81').  They obviously beat NPU and tied Elmhurst and lost a tight match with NCC.  I don't think a loss to Dominican is ever a terrible loss nor does a loss to Dominican mean a hit to the CCIW credibility.  Dominican has talent and a coaching staff that knows how to game plan and players that can then execute.  That is always a recipe for teams that will be in matches and be in position to get wins.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2014, 10:18:07 PM
Quote from: FR_Sam on October 19, 2014, 09:55:57 PM
Mr. Sager and Aficionado,

I think you guys need to look into Dominican's record against the CCIW over the years.

I don't need to do any such thing. I have plenty of respect for DU's soccer program. That's why I said this:

Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2014, 10:24:53 PMMost years, a close loss to Dominican wouldn't be that terrible a result.

Quote from: FR_Sam on October 19, 2014, 09:55:57 PMThis year, Dominican was up on Wheaton 1-0 (but did lose 2-1 on a goal late, I believe around the 80' or 81').  They obviously beat NPU and tied Elmhurst and lost a tight match with NCC.  I don't think a loss to Dominican is ever a terrible loss nor does a loss to Dominican mean a hit to the CCIW credibility.  Dominican has talent and a coaching staff that knows how to game plan and players that can then execute.  That is always a recipe for teams that will be in matches and be in position to get wins.

The consensus among people who have seen the Stars is that they're having a down year. The evidence seems to bear this out:

2014: 10-4-2
2013: 12-5-2
2012: 18-3-0
2011: 19-3-0
2010: 19-1-2

Among the blemishes are a tie with 6-5-2 Wash U (currently inhabiting last place in the UAA) and a loss to Benedictine (8-6-1). While the Stars are hardly in the dumpster, they do appear to have fallen off from their recent standards. NPU should've won yesterday, and the fact that the Vikings didn't in a game in which they had twice as many shots as the Stars bodes ill for them.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 19, 2014, 10:42:24 PM
Quote from: FR_Sam on October 19, 2014, 09:55:57 PM
Mr. Sager and Aficionado,

I think you guys need to look into Dominican's record against the CCIW over the years.  They have a winning record against NPU, Wheaton, Elmhurst, Wesleyan, NCC, etc.  This year, Dominican was up on Wheaton 1-0 (but did lose 2-1 on a goal late, I believe around the 80' or 81').  They obviously beat NPU and tied Elmhurst and lost a tight match with NCC.  I don't think a loss to Dominican is ever a terrible loss nor does a loss to Dominican mean a hit to the CCIW credibility.  Dominican has talent and a coaching staff that knows how to game plan and players that can then execute.  That is always a recipe for teams that will be in matches and be in position to get wins.

You mean the Wheaton match where DU was outshot 21-4? I was at the game, had DU not scored a weak goal against the run of play, it would have been a 3+ loss easily.

Dominican has certainly fallen off some. They were dismantled 4-0 in the NCAA first round by Wartburg last year and have lost to Benedictine two years in a row. Far cry from their annual 11-0 run through conference of yesteryears. Not to mention they are looking at a likely 3rd place finish in the NAC unless they can knockoff undefeated MSOE.

Not saying they're bad, simply saying they're not what they once were. If you can't admit that then you're simply a homer. And losing to them is not a good result for an NPU team trying to position for an at large...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FR_Sam on October 19, 2014, 10:56:07 PM
I don't understand how taking a Dominican goal off the board makes a 2-1 match, 3-0...did the goal they scored end up being put in their own goal?  Wheaton only managed to put 5 shots on goal in that match.  Dominican will give up shots but does not give up quality chances, that will keep matches low scoring and allow them a chance to be in every match.

You may need to give the rest of the NACC top teams more credit rather than discrediting Dominican. MSOE has been a quality opponent for the last couple of years.  Benedictine has gotten much more organized and has landed much more talent the last couple of recruiting cycles.

You still can't deny that Dominican is 2-2-1 against North Park, Wheaton, Elmhurst, North Central and IWU.  The top three teams in the conference and NCC who in all likelihood will finish in or near the top four in the conference this season. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: MidwestAficionado on October 19, 2014, 11:13:07 PM
Quote from: FR_Sam on October 19, 2014, 10:56:07 PM
I don't understand how taking a Dominican goal off the board makes a 2-1 match, 3-0...did the goal they scored end up being put in their own goal?  Wheaton only managed to put 5 shots on goal in that match.  Dominican will give up shots but does not give up quality chances, that will keep matches low scoring and allow them a chance to be in every match.

You may need to give the rest of the NACC top teams more credit rather than discrediting Dominican. MSOE has been a quality opponent for the last couple of years.  Benedictine has gotten much more organized and has landed much more talent the last couple of recruiting cycles.

You still can't deny that Dominican is 2-2-1 against North Park, Wheaton, Elmhurst, North Central and IWU.  The top three teams in the conference and NCC who in all likelihood will finish in or near the top four in the conference this season.

80% of the game was played in Dominicans defensive half. Wheaton blasted at least 5 shots from 12 yards out over the goal instead of placing them for sure goals. And DU's goal was off a free kick from
Midfield that Wheatons GK should have saved but made a mess of. That goal set Wheaton sideways for a stretch and they stumbled to a 2-1 win. Otherwise, the floodgates were going to open based on the run of play and some composed finishing.

I'm not denying anything else. All I'm saying is they're not what they once were. I'm not saying their conference opponents are poor or deserve more credit. I'm simply saying that's not a good loss for an NPU team trying to secure an at large when DU is a team (and the rest of their conference) that will only make it via an AQ whereas years past they were dominant.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FR_Sam on October 22, 2014, 10:00:18 AM
It doesn't seem the NSCAA Central Region coaches saw it as such a bad loss for NPU, keeping the Vikings at 3 while jumping Dominican to #9.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: FR_Sam on October 22, 2014, 04:30:16 PM
And judging by the NCAA Regional rankings today, the committee didn't see it as a bad loss either.  NPU in a good position for Pool C assuming that Calvin and Wheaton win respective AQs, that leaves NPU as the first at-large from the Central Region.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 23, 2014, 04:08:47 PM
While not overlooking Saturday's game in Rock Island, North Park hosts Elmhurst and Wheaton to end the season.  Elmhurst is currently in third place while Wheaton is second and North Park is undefeated in conference play.  That is a tough three game stretch!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCC26 on October 24, 2014, 11:11:50 AM
At least they get them at home.  Who is hosting the CCIW conference championship?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 24, 2014, 12:32:38 PM
Unless I missed some change in the rules, the host is the regular season champion, but I believe the semi-final games are played at home for both the #1 and #2 seed. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2014, 02:16:54 PM
Yep. The semifinals will be #3 @ #2 and #4 @ #1, and will be played on either Tuesday, November 4 or Wednesday, November 5 (depending upon stadium availability and other scheduling concerns), and the championship will be played on Saturday, November 8 at the highest remaining seed.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 02, 2014, 11:14:23 AM
Wheaton beat North Park last night 1-0 on a header that hit the post and trickled across the line.  Just a couple of minutes earlier, NP had a breakaway where the striker had 30 yards with no one between him and the goalie.  The striker, a freshman, was probably totally surprised and baffled by the offering.  His grounder barely missed.  Wheaton had two grounders that also just barely missed.  In the last two minutes, Wheaton's goalie made two fantastic saves with his outstretched left hand while diving to the ground.  NP should have had a PK in the second half, but the ref did not call the obvious hand ball in the box.  Oh well.  NP cannot win if you do not score.  Wheaton did score and thus deserved the victory.  Congratulations.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2014, 11:29:37 AM
NPU played last night's match without leading scorer Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh (scratched due to illness), who is leading the CCIW both in league play and overall in goals and goals per game -- the latter stat by a huge margin. His absence loomed large last night, although NPU managed to beat Elmhurst last week without him (and with three other starters missing as well). But, as Mark said, NPU definitely needed another offensive presence last night.

Wheaton's been able to use its size advantage over NPU to good effect on set plays over the past two or three years, and that was true again last night, as the Wheaties scored the match's lone goal off of a corner kick.

NPU put forth a valiant effort in staying with a quicker and more experienced Wheaton side last night, as the Vikings actually outshot the visitors and had the best continuous-play scoring opportunity of the night on a breakaway at 75:34, as Mark mentioned. Mark understated the opportunity, however, as Vikings freshman striker Kebba Sanyang got Wheaton keeper Matt Paprocki to commit early and thus earned himself a wide-open net from ten yards out ... which he then missed completely, sending the shot left of the post by a foot or so. I hope that this coming week's events don't leave the talented young Sanyang with the pain of having to spend the next nine months reliving that empty-net miss in his dreams.

Great atmosphere last night, as the announced attendance of 2,088 was almost certainly short by a few hundred. Anyone who wanted to see what a D3 soccer rivalry is all about should've been at North Park's Hedstrand Field last night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2014, 11:32:04 AM
Wednesday night's CCIW tourney semifinals:

#3 Elmhurst @ #2 North Park
#4 Millikin @ #1 Wheaton

Congrats to Millikin, as this will be the first time that the Big Blue have made the CCIW tourney since the inaugural edition back in 2002. Still, I don't expect the Big Blue to give Wheaton much of a contest at Joe Bean Stadium. I think that the more interesting match will be at Hedstrand Field, as NPU and Elmhurst went end-to-end for 90 minutes last Wednesday (and how weird is it to see an Elmhurst side playing that way?) in a very closely-fought 1-0 match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 06, 2014, 07:10:12 PM
North Park wins one game in its last four and thus has most likely played its last game of the year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 07, 2014, 12:38:42 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 06, 2014, 07:10:12 PM
North Park wins one game in its last four and thus has most likely played its last game of the year.

I am hoping Elmhurst wins tomorrow night only so we ensure 2 CCIW teams in the Tourney - not sure if Elmhurst moves on otherwise.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 09, 2014, 06:58:40 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 07, 2014, 12:38:42 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 06, 2014, 07:10:12 PM
North Park wins one game in its last four and thus has most likely played its last game of the year.

I am hoping Elmhurst wins tomorrow night only so we ensure 2 CCIW teams in the Tourney - not sure if Elmhurst moves on otherwise.

Congrats to Wheaton - hope they do well in the Tourney.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 10, 2014, 04:57:00 PM
Looks like both Wheaton and North Park made the NCAA Tourney this year.  I thought Mark was dead on with the expectation that NP had missed out with its rough end to the season, but I guess they did enough to get in... 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 10, 2014, 11:19:49 PM
Color me surprised as well. I thanked some of the Vikings seniors for their four years of contributions following the penalty-kicks decision last Wednesday at Hedstrand Field. I was sure that NPU's season was over, and the post-match vibe in the stadium told me that this sentiment was shared by everyone else.

I don't pretend to have nearly the same understanding of how the selection process works for soccer that I do for basketball. All I know is that NPU gets to go dancing and will play at least one more match, and for that I am very grateful and excited!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 11, 2014, 09:29:06 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 10, 2014, 11:19:49 PM
Color me surprised as well. I thanked some of the Vikings seniors for their four years of contributions following the penalty-kicks decision last Wednesday at Hedstrand Field. I was sure that NPU's season was over, and the post-match vibe in the stadium told me that this sentiment was shared by everyone else.

I don't pretend to have nearly the same understanding of how the selection process works for soccer that I do for basketball. All I know is that NPU gets to go dancing and will play at least one more match, and for that I am very grateful and excited!

I also thought NPU was done, but I haven't been following the national scene this year.  They do carry a strong schedule so that speaks volumes usually at selection time.

Hopefully Pedram returns to the lineup - not sure why he has been out but it seems like the team started having trouble after he was out of the lineup.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2014, 07:15:45 PM
Pedram's been out with an illness. His return date, if any, is indefinite, although I certainly hope that he'll be in the #8 kit on Saturday against Thomas More at Kenyon. His absence has been extremely costly; he was, after all, the CCIW's scoring champion (both goals and points) in league play, in spite of the fact that he missed the last two matches of the regular season.

NPU has also been without two other starters, sophomore Rick Anderson and freshman Jason Gonzalez, during that same span of Elmhurst/Wheaton/Elmhurst, both due to leg injuries. I'm not certain if and when they'll be back.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 11, 2014, 09:08:24 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2014, 07:15:45 PM
Pedram's been out with an illness. His return date, if any, is indefinite, although I certainly hope that he'll be in the #8 kit on Saturday against Thomas More at Kenyon. His absence has been extremely costly; he was, after all, the CCIW's scoring champion (both goals and points) in league play, in spite of the fact that he missed the last two matches of the regular season.

NPU has also been without two other starters, sophomore Rick Anderson and freshman Jason Gonzalez, during that same span of Elmhurst/Wheaton/Elmhurst, both due to leg injuries. I'm not certain if and when they'll be back.

I wondered why I hadn't seen Rick or Jason's names in the box scores as of late.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 24, 2014, 03:02:17 PM
Congrats to Wheaton for their final 4 birth - good luck down the stretch!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on December 06, 2014, 10:21:55 PM
No Wheaton score posted yet?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 06, 2014, 11:06:17 PM
Tufts wins the national championship match, 4-2, over Wheaton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mugsy on December 07, 2014, 06:04:25 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 06, 2014, 11:06:17 PM
Tufts wins the national championship match, 4-2, over Wheaton.

To which I'm sure brings you some relief.   ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 07, 2014, 08:34:48 PM
(https://www.d3boards.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F31.media.tumblr.com%2Fc315040dde64b326195f9d61f191f6bb%2Ftumblr_ml9zcsHuyz1qh9nffo1_500.gif&hash=ea06c7aa7c35fe2b8cd93658c0975bb61913eab4)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 01, 2015, 09:55:52 PM
North Park won it's opening game tonight against Benedictine 1-0.  They got a real late winner from Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh... real, real late, in the 89th minute. 

Not exactly the scoreline I would've expected, but glad to see NP starts off with a win. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 02, 2015, 09:26:22 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on September 01, 2015, 09:55:52 PM
North Park won it's opening game tonight against Benedictine 1-0.  They got a real late winner from Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh... real, real late, in the 89th minute. 

Not exactly the scoreline I would've expected, but glad to see NP starts off with a win.

A win is a win.  I think there was a missed penalty by NPU earlier in the game too.

There are very few returning starters from last year, so I think it will take a while for the team to gel.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 03, 2015, 06:22:23 PM
That was a live stats mistake that was later corrected by the scorer. There were no penalty kicks in yesterday's match. NPU got a free kick in the early going against the Bennies that was simply miskeyed by the live stats operator.

Yeah, NPU looked very ragged last night. Some of that has to do with the relative youth of the team, and some of it has to do with the fact that John Born used 18 different players. Depth is going to be a strong point with this year's Vikings (he also has some banged-up players who didn't even appear in last night's match who will undoubtedly play a role this year), and last night was a perfect time to illustrate that, given the hot, humid conditions and the fact that BU is not a high-powered side. But it almost came back to bite the Vikings last night; although BU hardly got any decent chances, neither did NPU. Fortunately, the Park has Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh. As Kris Grahn presciently said about Pedram in the NPU season preview, "He's a difference-maker, and he's one of those guys who can score in the 90th minute and change the game." PT-M was marked very well by a BU defender throughout almost the entire game, but a beautifully-placed drop-in from freshman Gianfranco DeCarne put the ball right on PT-M's leg in a one-on-one situation, and he beat the defender and floated the winning shot over the head of diving BU keeper Steve Mack.

Overall, though, as I said, the Vikings looked ragged against an opponent that they usually dominate. I hope that they sharpen things up on Friday night in the home opener against Edgewood.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 03, 2015, 08:20:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 03, 2015, 06:22:23 PM
That was a live stats mistake that was later corrected by the scorer. There were no penalty kicks in yesterday's match. NPU got a free kick in the early going against the Bennies that was simply miskeyed by the live stats operator.

Yeah, NPU looked very ragged last night. Some of that has to do with the relative youth of the team, and some of it has to do with the fact that John Born used 18 different players. Depth is going to be a strong point with this year's Vikings (he also has some banged-up players who didn't even appear in last night's match who will undoubtedly play a role this year), and last night was a perfect time to illustrate that, given the hot, humid conditions and the fact that BU is not a high-powered side. But it almost came back to bite the Vikings last night; although BU hardly got any decent chances, neither did NPU. Fortunately, the Park has Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh. As Kris Grahn presciently said about Pedram in the NPU season preview, "He's a difference-maker, and he's one of those guys who can score in the 90th minute and change the game." PT-M was marked very well by a BU defender throughout almost the entire game, but a beautifully-placed drop-in from freshman Gianfranco DeCarne put the ball right on PT-M's leg in a one-on-one situation, and he beat the defender and floated the winning shot over the head of diving BU keeper Steve Mack.

Overall, though, as I said, the Vikings looked ragged against an opponent that they usually dominate. I hope that they sharpen things up on Friday night in the home opener against Edgewood.

Greg, who were the injured NPU players?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 04, 2015, 11:02:10 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 03, 2015, 06:22:23 PM
I hope that they sharpen things up on Friday night in the home opener against Edgewood.

It looks like they did just that.  North Park gets a 4-0 win over Edgewood.  From the little I watched online, and from the stats, it looked like North Park thoroughly dominated this game. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on September 16, 2015, 06:54:31 PM
Not much going on here this year. How do the CCIW Teams look compared to years past?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2015, 05:04:41 PM
Well, thus far it looks like North Park and Wheaton will be dominant again. Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh of NPU is leading the nation in goals scored, and Wheaton still has superstar Marshall Hollingsworth from last season's national runner-up side. But the question is: Who else will rise up and make the CCIW playoffs? Thus far, I can't really get a read on it. Nobody else in the league has really stood out thus far in non-conference play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 17, 2015, 11:37:09 AM
IWU tends to be in the top four, but NPU recently tallied six goals against the Greenies.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on October 17, 2015, 12:35:52 PM
IWU has only been top 4 maybe 3 out of the last 10 seasons.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on October 31, 2015, 11:18:25 PM
Correction Wheaton 1 vs North Central 4. Elmhurst 2 vs Carthage 3
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 28, 2016, 01:40:12 PM
When was the last time the CCIW had 4 teams in the top 10 in the region (NSCAA poll), and none of them were Wheaton? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2016, 04:32:14 PM
It's never happened before.

For the record, here's how the CCIW fared in that latest NSCAA regional poll:

  3. Carthage
  4. NPU
  9. Millikin
10. Elmhurst

Keep in mind that the poll came out yesterday, and does not reflect last night's 6-2 evisceration of Carthage by #1 Chicago (which is a legitimate Final Four side).

NPU hosts Millikin tonight, by the way.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 29, 2016, 12:07:24 PM
It's unreal.  As a NP fan, it makes me hopeful for this Saturday's NP v Wheaton matchup, but also a bit nervous. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 29, 2016, 02:22:23 PM
You're supposed to be nervous when NPU plays Wheaton. That's the whole point. If you're not, it means that one or the other side is down to the point where the match probably isn't going to be close ... and we both know that Wheaton's most likely never going to fall into that category, so the issue at hand is for NPU to maintain a high level as well. In other words, your nervousness or lack thereof is a reflection of NPU's competence.

Incidentally, NPU (6-2-1, 2-0) absolutely annihilated Millikin (6-2, 0-1) last night, 4-0. It won't be that impressive a result when the final verdict is in, as Millikin is a paper tiger that fattened its non-conference record on SLIAC and NACC cupcakes prior to starting CCIW play (as MU is wont to do in numerous sports). I will be surprised if the Big Blue make it to the CCIW tourney. But it was good to see the Vikings take control of a match and never let up. Sophomore forward Carel Kawele, the reigning CCIW Offensive Player of the Week, is starting to emerge as a top-flight scorer. He had two more goals last night, the first of which was as pretty a goal as you'll ever see -- a left-footed bender from 25 yards out and off to the right of the net (he's right-footed) that cleared the far post by a good two or three yards before it hooked back into the net. It was also good to see Kebba Sanyang back on the pitch for NPU after missing several weeks due to injury. The Vikings are now as close to healthy as they've been all season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 29, 2016, 02:51:30 PM
Elmhurst's 1-1 draw with visiting Augustana at Langhorst was a bit of a head-scratcher. Augie (3-5-1, 0-0-1) had done nothing this season to lead anyone to believe that the Doggies could hang with a good side. Their wins over Lakeland (2-8) and Robert Morris-Springfield (1-7) were practically worthless (d3soccer.com erroneously has Augie beating much-more-competent Robert Morris-Chicago rather than RMUS), and their win over Lake Forest (5-5) was really the only impressive glimmer on their sked to date. On the other hand, Elmhurst (5-2-3, 0-0-1) is an always-dangerous side that specializes in physical, defensive-oriented play and always seems to rack up draw after draw against good sides, interspersed with low-scoring one-goal wins.

Last night, perhaps, Elmhurst's style backfired to the point where the 'jays couldn't obtain an advantage on a lesser outfit that would allow them to then play their preferred style. Augie scored at 35:01, and the Bluejays apparently spent the rest of the match fruitlessly peppering shots to no avail, until finally heading one in in the 89th minute. They did it short-handed, too, as one of the 'jays was sent off with a straight red in the 63rd minute. Augie returned the favor by having a player sent off with a straight red in the final minute of regulation (the card's color not mattering, since the player had already received a yellow earlier in the match). EC then outshot Augie 5-0 in the extra sessions, but couldn't produce the golden goal. EC outshot Augie, 24-14, although shots on frame were even at eight apiece, and the hosts had 11 corners to only one for the Rock Islanders.

As one would expect from Elmhurst and Augustana, the play sounds like it was pretty rough: Augie got six yellows and a red, while Elmhurst received three yellows and a red.

Perhaps the rainy weather was an equalizer, but it seemed like a surprising result; I expected much more out of Elmhurst, and much less out of Augie.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on September 29, 2016, 04:25:07 PM
Augustana is definitely not there yet, but they are an improving side. They've got 3-4 pretty talented freshman getting valuable minutes this year - Michael Peters is a work horse & Matt Allen is extremely technical on the ball, making them formidable in the final third. Salah Aghlaf is strong in the middle for a FY as well. From what I've seen, the Auggies have some big holes in the backline that need to be filled in the 2017 recruiting class.

If they can fill the void in the back, I suspect they will emerge as a CCIW tournament contender in the next year or two. The North Park's and Wheaton's wont be able to take them so lightly.

If Elmhurst's players share the same level of arrogance as their coach, then its no surprise they were caught off guard by and improving Auggie side. Elmhurst has been for years, a middle of the pack team that THINKS they are one of the best in the country with no real results to back it up...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2016, 09:22:37 AM
North Park came away with an authoritative 2-1 victory last night over Wheaton at Hedstrand Field in a typically loud and well-attended match that the Vikings dominated. Wheaton had a flurry of corner attempts for a brief stretch in the second half, but couldn't put the ball in the net until the 87th minute, as NPU won every statistical category as well as the score.

This gives NPU the leg up on the league lead this season, as the Vikings are now 3-0. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan are still unblemished at 1-0, while Augie has yet to lose at 0-0-1. NPU is at Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday, while Wheaton is at Carthage on the same night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2016, 10:47:44 PM
Tonight brought a little bit of clarity to the CCIW race, as North Park won at Wesleyan, 2-1, and Carthage knocked off Wheaton, 4-2, up in Kenosha.

That puts NPU at 4-0 in league play and Carthage at 2-0. Augie at 0-0-1 is the only other remaining unbeaten. Wheaton's sitting at 0-2, but the good news for the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance is that they have NPU and Carthage out of the way now, so they could go on a roll against the lesser sides and get back into tourney contention.

The big surprise today was Carroll beating UW-Platteville by an impressive 4-1 score.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 06, 2016, 12:31:05 AM
It will come down to Carthage vs. NPU for the auto bid. Wheaton dug itself too deep a hole and just don't have the horses on either side of the ball to get out of it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 11, 2016, 09:06:56 PM
Wheaton did not fare well against nonconference opponents this year.  I'll chalk up their season as an anomaly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 11, 2016, 11:10:42 PM
Any good reason Calvin is ranked in the Top 25 Nationally, but behind NP in the regional poll?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on October 12, 2016, 09:26:35 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2016, 09:22:37 AM
North Park came away with an authoritative 2-1 victory last night over Wheaton at Hedstrand Field in a typically loud and well-attended match that the Vikings dominated. Wheaton had a flurry of corner attempts for a brief stretch in the second half, but couldn't put the ball in the net until the 87th minute, as NPU won every statistical category as well as the score.

This gives NPU the leg up on the league lead this season, as the Vikings are now 3-0. Carthage and Illinois Wesleyan are still unblemished at 1-0, while Augie has yet to lose at 0-0-1. NPU is at Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday, while Wheaton is at Carthage on the same night.

I see that Wheaton's goal was scored by Danny Brandt (who played his first two years at Messiah).  I see he started that game and scored nearly at the end of the game, so he obviously got significant playing time.  However, it's the only game he's played in for some time.  Does anyone know the story?  I assume he's had a nagging injury of some sort.  Did he look good in against NPU, apart from the score?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on October 13, 2016, 09:42:58 AM
Greg,

Did you get a chance to watch last nights game NPU vs Carthage.

Thoughts?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dark Knight on October 14, 2016, 03:06:02 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 11, 2016, 11:10:42 PM
Any good reason Calvin is ranked in the Top 25 Nationally, but behind NP in the regional poll?

These rankings are generated by totally different procedures, with different aims. The regional ranking approximates the method used to rank teams for the NCAA tournament, and it uses an RPI-like formula that any statistician will tell you is a poor method of ranking teams if you are actually trying to find the best ones. The NCAA then makes it worse by throwing in the regional monkey wrench.

The NSCAA and d3soccer.com rankings are polls, so knowledgeable people vote to rank teams. In my opinion these polls do a much better job than the NCAA's system, though not quite as good as a computerized ranking system like Massey.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Weasel on October 14, 2016, 05:35:33 PM
Quote from: Dark Knight on October 14, 2016, 03:06:02 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 11, 2016, 11:10:42 PM
Any good reason Calvin is ranked in the Top 25 Nationally, but behind NP in the regional poll?

These rankings are generated by totally different procedures, with different aims. The regional ranking approximates the method used to rank teams for the NCAA tournament, and it uses an RPI-like formula that any statistician will tell you is a poor method of ranking teams if you are actually trying to find the best ones. The NCAA then makes it worse by throwing in the regional monkey wrench.

The NSCAA and d3soccer.com rankings are polls, so knowledgeable people vote to rank teams. In my opinion these polls do a much better job than the NCAA's system, though not quite as good as a computerized ranking system like Massey.


He was comparing the NSCAA Regional Poll with the NSCAA National Poll.  He wasn't talking about the NCAA Regional Rankings (in which their SOS calculation is one of several criteria) which haven't even started yet for this season.  So, no, the oddity and apparent contradiction of the NSCAA ranking North Park ahead of Calvin in their regional poll and the NSCAA ranking Calvin ahead of North Park in their national poll has nothing to do with different procedures and different aims.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 16, 2016, 04:06:58 PM
Quote from: SuperSub15 on October 13, 2016, 09:42:58 AM
Greg,

Did you get a chance to watch last nights game NPU vs Carthage.

Thoughts?

Yeah, I was the broadcaster.

Carthage's go-for-broke style certainly makes for exciting soccer, and it's an approach will definitely come back to bite the Red Men in the butt sooner or later. But their air attack is tremendous, not just in terms of how well they place long balls right on the attacker but in how well they can loft 10-to-15-yard passes on the dead run with terrific precision over the heads of defenders.

The Red Men apparently count upon slowing down counters with a lot of physicality and tackling, which explains why NPU had a big advantage in corners and free kicks. The Vikings had all kinds of chances in set pieces, but they simply weren't able to connect with their air specialists Mattias Warp and Gustav Leander.

You can't let up your guard against the Red Men for the blink of an eye, because they're on you that quick in the forward end. But a mentally disciplined side that can convert set pieces that come out of counters can beat the Red Men. I'm hoping that NPU will get that chance in the CCIW tourney final; the problem, of course, is that Carthage will have earned the right to host it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SuperSub15 on October 23, 2016, 09:46:50 AM
Going to be an interesting week and a half heading into the CCIW Tournament!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: matblake on April 24, 2017, 01:17:31 PM
Here's a follow up from the Daily Herald regarding the death of Ethan Roser at Wheaton
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/20170423/family-wheaton-college-community-lean-on-faith-after-studentx2019s-death
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on August 24, 2017, 01:06:57 PM
Wow, it was sad to have to head to the second page of Men's Soccer to get here, and to see a warning above that this topic has not been posted in for over 120 days. 

The 2017 CCIW Poll is out. http://www.cciw.org/news/2017/8/9/carthage-picked-to-defend-cciw-mens-soccer-title-in-2017.aspx (http://www.cciw.org/news/2017/8/9/carthage-picked-to-defend-cciw-mens-soccer-title-in-2017.aspx) 

1. Carthage 61 (6)
2. Wheaton 57 (2)
3. North Park 51 (1)
4. Elmhurst 38
5. Illinois Wesleyan 34
6. North Central 28
7. Millikin 22
8. Carroll 18
9. Augustana 14
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 31, 2017, 09:08:13 AM
North Park's season preview and roster is posted:

http://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2017/8/30/2017-mens-soccer-team-preview.aspx

Of course, the roster doesn't help much without bios / foreigners, but it does look like they lost their top scorer for last year 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 02, 2017, 08:02:19 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 31, 2017, 09:08:13 AM
North Park's season preview and roster is posted:

http://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2017/8/30/2017-mens-soccer-team-preview.aspx

Of course, the roster doesn't help much without bios / foreigners, but it does look like they lost their top scorer for last year

I had a chance to watch the NPU game last against Benedictine.  I don't know how much value to place on preseason rankings, but if Benedictine is a true #14 then wow, NPU has a chance to be fantastic this year.  I wasn't just the 3-0 score line, but the total domination of possession, etc.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2017, 10:49:49 PM
North Park dominated Wheaton tonight out in the western suburbs, 2-0. The Vikings had the run of play throughout, outshooting WC 13-5, while putting eight shots on frame to Wheaton's two. NPU (8-1, 3-0) has now won seven in a row, while Wheaton (4-6, 0-1) seems to be off this year. The two rivals seem to have traded places from a couple of years ago when Wheaton had the upper hand.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2017, 10:58:06 PM
North Central shocked Carthage tonight with a golden goal in the 103rd minute to win at Keller Field up in Kenosha, 1-0, in spite of the fact that the Red Men outshot the Cardinals by a whopping 24-7 margin and put seven shots on goal to NCC's four. It was the first CCIW match of the season for both sides. Carthage now slides to a surprisingly ordinary 5-5-1 on the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 4samuy on September 30, 2017, 11:11:59 PM
Yes Greg.  Been watching NPU from afar and watched the game tonight and came away pretty impressed.  Other than the hiccup against Whitworth early on, the two region wins against Dominican and Benedictine were solid and I would think they may move up to #3 in the region behind Chicago and Calvin after the WashU loss at Emory.  They seem, at this point to be the class of the CCIW.  It will be fun to watch that mid October non conference clash with Chicago sandwiched within the CCIW slate.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2017, 11:16:22 PM
Yeah, I've definitely got that match down in Hyde Park circled on my calendar.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: LM3 on October 03, 2017, 02:58:11 PM
I have seen North Park once live (v BenU) and once on Vid (v Dominican) and am pretty impressed. Whitworth was no slouch, but being their 3rd game in 4 days -- that was a surprise...it happens.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2017, 04:21:48 PM
The Vikings actually weren't at full strength when you saw them. Three of their projected starters (Jason Gonzalez, Erland Kemkers, and Marrion Alvaro) were out for NPU's first couple of games. Gonzalez came back for the third game (Dominican), Kemkers came back for the fourth game (Roosevelt), and Alvaro came back for the fifth game (St. Mary's MN), although Gonzalez has been the only one who's moved back into the starting lineup; the other two are still coming off of the bench.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 04, 2017, 11:58:36 PM
NPU removes one of the other two sides undefeated in CCIW play by crushing Illinois Wesleyan, 4-0, while Carthage takes down Wheaton, 2-1, in Wheaton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 11, 2017, 11:43:27 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 04, 2017, 11:58:36 PM
NPU removes one of the other two sides undefeated in CCIW play by crushing Illinois Wesleyan, 4-0, while Carthage takes down Wheaton, 2-1, in Wheaton.

NPU plays up in Kenosha tonight, a location that has troubled them over the years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 12, 2017, 02:33:01 PM
Well, they got a result in Kenosha.  The first half NP looked like they were struggling to find a rhythm.  The second half Park dominated play, but just couldn't find that 3rd goal to take the game.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the overtime periods, so I can't comment on those. 

I certainly would've liked a win up in Kenosha, but a draw still keeps them in the driver's seat as they head in to the last 2 conference games against North Central and Elmhurst. 

The next three non-conference games are a big deal, at home against Whitewater and away against Chicago and Case Western.  None of those will be easy games.  I'd be thrilled to see us go 1-1-1 in those three games, but even that may be a tall order (even if that's what Massey predicts).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on October 13, 2017, 12:31:02 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 12, 2017, 02:33:01 PM
Well, they got a result in Kenosha.  The first half NP looked like they were struggling to find a rhythm.  The second half Park dominated play, but just couldn't find that 3rd goal to take the game.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the overtime periods, so I can't comment on those.

I saw only the overtime periods. I was multitasking at the time, so I cannot comment authoritatively, but there wasn't a whole lot of possession during the overtime periods. North Park seemed more dangerous, but Carthage missed a golden opportunity wide during the first period and North Park cleared a point-blank shot from Carthage off the line in the last minute or so of the second period. It appeared that there was an altercation after the game that, fortunately, was de-escalated pretty quickly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 15, 2017, 02:36:25 PM
No stats or video for today's soccer game against Whitewater - what's up with that?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 16, 2017, 11:16:25 AM
Quote from: Ommadawn on October 13, 2017, 12:31:02 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 12, 2017, 02:33:01 PM
Well, they got a result in Kenosha.  The first half NP looked like they were struggling to find a rhythm.  The second half Park dominated play, but just couldn't find that 3rd goal to take the game.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to watch the overtime periods, so I can't comment on those.

I saw only the overtime periods. I was multitasking at the time, so I cannot comment authoritatively, but there wasn't a whole lot of possession during the overtime periods. North Park seemed more dangerous, but Carthage missed a golden opportunity wide during the first period and North Park cleared a point-blank shot from Carthage off the line in the last minute or so of the second period. It appeared that there was an altercation after the game that, fortunately, was de-escalated pretty quickly.

NPU played frustrated in the two overtimes, and Carthage definitely had the best opportunity for a golden goal with the play that Ommadawn mentioned. The frustration boiled over after the final horn, although from what I was told the physical aspect of the altercation started when one of the Carthage players took a swing at Ricky Pimentel.

Carthage did exactly what had to be done to prevent a defeat at the hands of a considerably more talented NPU team: a) the Red Men roughed up play, causing a lot of whistles and interrupting NPU's flow; and b) they made their set pieces count, as their two goals came off of a PK and a direct free kick in which they beautifully screened Mathias Stulen, who didn't see the ball until it was too late. Carthage's biggest strength is that their defenders have good precision when it comes to placing long balls on targeted forwards, and the Red Men certainly remain dangerous.

Thing is, though, Carthage may have peaked in that contest. The Red Men have since lost to a nondescript Millikin side on Saturday, and they are not a sure thing to make the CCIW tourney, since they're currently sitting in sixth place with a 1-2-1 record. I think that their season will come down to their two matches this week, at home against up-and-down Elmhurst (which, at 2-3 in conference, is also in must-win territory) on Wednesday, and away at surprising third-place Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday.

Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 12, 2017, 02:33:01 PMThe next three non-conference games are a big deal, at home against Whitewater and away against Chicago and Case Western.  None of those will be easy games.  I'd be thrilled to see us go 1-1-1 in those three games, but even that may be a tall order (even if that's what Massey predicts).

UW-Whitewater (8-4-4) is down a bit, as the Warhawks have been hit by the injury bug. But I doubt that even a healthy UWW side would've been able to handle the Vikings yesterday, as NPU's passing was pinpoint and the Vikings did a great job of presenting UWW's 6'6 keeper with multiple attack vectors to consider. When they're on their game, the ball skills and speed of North Park's forwards just make it very hard for an opposing defense to handle every angle. And I say this in spite of the fact that I think that NPU's back line is actually the team's strength. Their biggest obstacle to overcome against lesser sides is losing composure when the opponent slows it down and mucks up play, as Carthage did.

NPU and UWW now have a traveling trophy, which UWW coach Tony Guinn was nice enough to donate to make the rivalry official. UWW has several trophy rivalries, and since the Vikings and the Warhawks play each other every season, they've decided to add this one. As far as I know, this is the first time that NPU has had a trophy rivalry in any sport. It's nice that North Park gets to keep it for a year to show off as a novelty on campus.

Chicago is going to be another story, of course, as the Maroons are most certainly not a lesser side. On the contrary, the South Siders have the speed and skill to match the Vikings, which they proved last season by thoroughly turning the Park into a hot mess at the defensive end. Chicago will be far and away the best side that the Vikings face in the regular season this year. We'll see if they're up to it. This contest down in Hyde Park will go a long way towards sorting out the pecking order in the NCAA's Central Region rankings.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 15, 2017, 02:36:25 PM
No stats or video for today's soccer game against Whitewater - what's up with that?

NPU does not have a sports information director as of Friday. We're scrambling just to get the essentials of game management covered. Please be patient with us as we work through this.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 16, 2017, 01:01:17 PM
I wasn't aware that we don't have a SID.

Sunday I was looking forward to Da Bears on the big screen and the vikings on the little one...so was a little disappointed.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Wow, North Park with the win on the road at Chicago.  From what I saw, it looked like NP had control of this game most of the way.  They had many more dangerous opportunities than I saw from Chicago.  This could have easily been 3-0 or 4-0.  I was really impressed with the way NP's defence (I live in Canada, so this is the way "defense" autocorrects up here)  handled a highly touted Chicago offence. 

Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 18, 2017, 10:33:12 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Wow, North Park with the win on the road at Chicago.  From what I saw, it looked like NP had control of this game most of the way.  They had many more dangerous opportunities than I saw from Chicago.  This could have easily been 3-0 or 4-0.  I was really impressed with the way NP's defence (I live in Canada, so this is the way "defense" autocorrects up here)  handled a highly touted Chicago offence. 

Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   
That's a stretch, that was a super even game with NPU controlling most of 1st half and UChicago taking back some momentum in the second half. NPU had one other legit chance at goal, all the rest were clear misses. Lopez almost scored two headers and the one that was saved right on the line woulda tied it late and sent to overtime. As someone who was there, it was extremely close in terms of skill.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 01:42:06 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   

No, those breakthrough wins a decade and a half ago against Wheaton were bigger, because: a) they put NPU on the map, soccerwise; b) they represented the Park's first-ever victories against Wheaton after two decades of humiliating losses; c) they broke Wheaton's hegemony in CCIW soccer, which had been in place since the league first added the sport in the mid-'80s; d) league matches are always more important; e) they got Wheaton's attention and ignited a rivalry that NPU had always dreamed about having, even though it is only in one sport; and f) it's Wheaton, and every win regardless of the sport is bigger when it's against Wheaton if you're NPU.

But this was certainly the biggest win NPU's recorded in a long, long time. It also represents the first time in twenty years that the Vikings have vanquished Chicago, against whom they were only 2-8-3 all-time coming into tonight's match. Most importantly, this will flip the next NCAA Central Region rankings. Chicago was #1 and North Park was #2 in the most recent ranking. (Calvin is still undefeated, but the SOS of the Knights lags well behind that of both NPU and Chicago; in fact, the Knights are currently #4, behind the two Windy City sides and Wash U.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 07:24:26 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 01:42:06 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   

No, those breakthrough wins a decade and a half ago against Wheaton were bigger, because: a) they put NPU on the map, soccerwise; b) they represented the Park's first-ever victories against Wheaton after two decades of humiliating losses; c) they broke Wheaton's hegemony in CCIW soccer, which had been in place since the league first added the sport in the mid-'80s; d) league matches are always more important; e) they got Wheaton's attention and ignited a rivalry that NPU had always dreamed about having, even though it is only in one sport; and f) it's Wheaton, and every win regardless of the sport is bigger when it's against Wheaton if you're NPU.

But this was certainly the biggest win NPU's recorded in a long, long time. It also represents the first time in twenty years that the Vikings have vanquished Chicago, against whom they were only 2-8-3 all-time coming into tonight's match. Most importantly, this will flip the next NCAA Central Region rankings. Chicago was #1 and North Park was #2 in the most recent ranking. (Calvin is still undefeated, but the SOS of the Knights lags well behind that of both NPU and Chicago; in fact, the Knights are currently #4, behind the two Windy City sides and Wash U.)

Incidentally, the rise of NPU soccer has taken place under a president (David Parkyn) who worked for a long time at two other soccer powers, first Messiah and then Etown. He used to live a block from Messiah's campus in downtown Grantham, if I may call it that--Grantham isn't on most state maps. I have no idea whether those dots actually connect as I sketched it, but someone here might be able to comment on it from a position of knowledge.

There are some other Messiah connections nationally where the dots definitely do connect. For example, the coaches at F&M and Eastern are former Messiah players. Those programs have flourished in recent years substantially because the coaches implemented things they learned in Grantham. Perhaps NPU, indirectly, should also be in that bucket?  ::)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 19, 2017, 09:05:26 AM
Quote from: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 07:24:26 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 01:42:06 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   

No, those breakthrough wins a decade and a half ago against Wheaton were bigger, because: a) they put NPU on the map, soccerwise; b) they represented the Park's first-ever victories against Wheaton after two decades of humiliating losses; c) they broke Wheaton's hegemony in CCIW soccer, which had been in place since the league first added the sport in the mid-'80s; d) league matches are always more important; e) they got Wheaton's attention and ignited a rivalry that NPU had always dreamed about having, even though it is only in one sport; and f) it's Wheaton, and every win regardless of the sport is bigger when it's against Wheaton if you're NPU.

But this was certainly the biggest win NPU's recorded in a long, long time. It also represents the first time in twenty years that the Vikings have vanquished Chicago, against whom they were only 2-8-3 all-time coming into tonight's match. Most importantly, this will flip the next NCAA Central Region rankings. Chicago was #1 and North Park was #2 in the most recent ranking. (Calvin is still undefeated, but the SOS of the Knights lags well behind that of both NPU and Chicago; in fact, the Knights are currently #4, behind the two Windy City sides and Wash U.)

Incidentally, the rise of NPU soccer has taken place under a president (David Parkyn) who worked for a long time at two other soccer powers, first Messiah and then Etown. He used to live a block from Messiah's campus in downtown Grantham, if I may call it that--Grantham isn't on most state maps. I have no idea whether those dots actually connect as I sketched it, but someone here might be able to comment on it from a position of knowledge.

There are some other Messiah connections nationally where the dots definitely do connect. For example, the coaches at F&M and Eastern are former Messiah players. Those programs have flourished in recent years substantially because the coaches implemented things they learned in Grantham. Perhaps NPU, indirectly, should also be in that bucket?  ::)

Greg can probably give you better details, but I think the credit should really be given to the coach, John Born.  The program only had an upward trajectory after he arrived.

He's done a great job of recruiting quality American talent, as well as sustaining a pipeline of high level players from Sweden and Norway.   John likes to play a technical game (less physical / run and kick) style and I think that is enticing.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 19, 2017, 12:00:20 PM
Like Gotberg said, Greg would be able to comment better, but I too would give basically all the credit in this rise of NP Men's Soccer to Coach Born (who a few years just before David Parkyn).  My take is that it is purely coincidental that Parkyn's previous schools were soccer powers. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 12:17:41 PM
Quote from: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 07:24:26 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 01:42:06 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   

No, those breakthrough wins a decade and a half ago against Wheaton were bigger, because: a) they put NPU on the map, soccerwise; b) they represented the Park's first-ever victories against Wheaton after two decades of humiliating losses; c) they broke Wheaton's hegemony in CCIW soccer, which had been in place since the league first added the sport in the mid-'80s; d) league matches are always more important; e) they got Wheaton's attention and ignited a rivalry that NPU had always dreamed about having, even though it is only in one sport; and f) it's Wheaton, and every win regardless of the sport is bigger when it's against Wheaton if you're NPU.

But this was certainly the biggest win NPU's recorded in a long, long time. It also represents the first time in twenty years that the Vikings have vanquished Chicago, against whom they were only 2-8-3 all-time coming into tonight's match. Most importantly, this will flip the next NCAA Central Region rankings. Chicago was #1 and North Park was #2 in the most recent ranking. (Calvin is still undefeated, but the SOS of the Knights lags well behind that of both NPU and Chicago; in fact, the Knights are currently #4, behind the two Windy City sides and Wash U.)

Incidentally, the rise of NPU soccer has taken place under a president (David Parkyn) who worked for a long time at two other soccer powers, first Messiah and then Etown.

That's not accurate. David Parkyn assumed the presidency of North Park in the fall of 2006. By that point, NPU had already broken through and won two straight conference titles and conference tourneys and made the program's NCAA tourney debut. The Vikings were on a two-match winning streak against Wheaton, which had won 16 of the first 17 CCIW titles and had amassed a 92-2-2 CCIW record along the way before North Park's breakthrough, when David Parkyn unpacked his boxes in the president's office.

Quote from: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 07:24:26 AMHe used to live a block from Messiah's campus in downtown Grantham, if I may call it that--Grantham isn't on most state maps. I have no idea whether those dots actually connect as I sketched it, but someone here might be able to comment on it from a position of knowledge.

There are some other Messiah connections nationally where the dots definitely do connect. For example, the coaches at F&M and Eastern are former Messiah players. Those programs have flourished in recent years substantially because the coaches implemented things they learned in Grantham. Perhaps NPU, indirectly, should also be in that bucket?  ::)

No. David Parkyn was an enthusiastic supporter of North Park athletics as president, and that certainly included the soccer team. (He's the only college/university president I've ever seen who wore a genuine soccer scarf with his school's colors and emblem on it at matches. ;)) But I'm sure that he didn't share any soccer expertise with head coach John Born, nor would John have done anything but listen politely with no intention of taking him seriously if he had.

The only real athletics connection that NPU has had with Messiah was a negative one. The late Jerry Chaplin became Messiah's athletic director after having held the same position at North Park. I won't get into the specifics of his decision-making as North Park's AD, but, while Messiah had tremendous success (particularly on the soccer pitch) under Chaplin's tenure in the AD's office, the opposite was true at North Park. The school's signature program, men's basketball (five D3 national titles, still the standard in this division in that sport), totally collapsed into doormat status on his watch, as did the other perennially strong program on campus (baseball), and morale in the North Park athletics department was at an all-time low. He didn't have any second-hand touch with the North Park soccer program, either, which was middle-of-the-pack in the CCIW during his time on the North Side of Chicago.

He seemed like a nice guy, but his time at North Park is not remembered fondly.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 19, 2017, 09:05:26 AMGreg can probably give you better details, but I think the credit should really be given to the coach, John Born.  The program only had an upward trajectory after he arrived.

He's done a great job of recruiting quality American talent, as well as sustaining a pipeline of high level players from Sweden and Norway.

This is 100% correct. One man, and one man alone, deserves the credit for making North Park soccer what it is, and that man is John Born.

Don't get me wrong; it's not a one-man show, and other people involved with the program are important to NPU's ongoing success. F'rinstance, associate head coach Kris Grahn has played a key role in the program since he joined the staff five years ago, but NPU's success on the pitch predates him -- and a lot of NPU's success came when he was a star player under Born (Grahn was a two-time NSCAA All-American and the CCIW's Player of the Year in 2010). Given the perennial prominence of Scandinavian players on NPU's roster, it's certainly helpful to have a Scandinavian coach on staff as well (Grahn is a Swede). But he coaches everybody, not just the Scandinavians, and that's really a big part of John Born's success; he's found a way to make the Americans and the Scandinavians meld successfully both on and off the pitch, which is nearly not as easy as it sounds. By all reports, this is perhaps the most internally cohesive squad he's ever had, and I'm sure that that translates in some measure on the pitch.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 19, 2017, 09:05:26 AMJohn likes to play a technical game (less physical / run and kick) style and I think that is enticing.

I don't know about the "less physical" part, although the success of the Vikings has never been predicated upon mucking up matches. But, given enough big boys, NPU has certainly more than held its own in the giving and taking of bruises, too. This is actually one of his more physical Vikings outfits.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 12:19:18 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 19, 2017, 12:00:20 PM
Like Gotberg said, Greg would be able to comment better, but I too would give basically all the credit in this rise of NP Men's Soccer to Coach Born (who a few years just before David Parkyn).  My take is that it is purely coincidental that Parkyn's previous schools were soccer powers.

Yep. And I think that David Parkyn would be the first to tell you that it was a delightful coincidence, from his point of view, that NPU played a successful and polished brand of soccer during his presidency.

John Born took over as NPU's head coach in 1999, seven years before David Parkyn's arrival as president. The season before, 1998, North Park had finished last in the CCIW (0-6-0) and had an overall record of 1-14-1. In John's first season the Vikings went 6-8-2, 1-5-0, and since then they've had seventeen straight winning seasons, with the last fifteen including double-digit wins. They're extending those streaks to 18 and 16, respectively, this fall.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 09:18:57 PM
Thanks very much to Gotberg and Gregory for those fascinating comments about NPU soccer and athletics more generally. I knew Dr Parkyn liked soccer, and that was the basis for my ill-supported conjecture. I certainly hadn't meant to imply that the coach didn't deserve the lion's share of the credit. I simply wondered whether support from the top was helpful in advancing the program.

I didn't know Jerry Chaplin very well at all. He left Messiah at some point before his death. The only time I would run into him would be at a soccer game--and then only occasionally. I never saw him around town. I hadn't known about his NPU connection.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 20, 2017, 09:04:28 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 12:17:41 PM
Quote from: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 07:24:26 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2017, 01:42:06 AM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on October 18, 2017, 10:20:34 PM
Greg, you'd know much better than I, is this the biggest win in NP Men's Soccer history?  Certainly those streak-breaking wins against Wheaton were, huge, but is the best win against a high ranked team?   

No, those breakthrough wins a decade and a half ago against Wheaton were bigger, because: a) they put NPU on the map, soccerwise; b) they represented the Park's first-ever victories against Wheaton after two decades of humiliating losses; c) they broke Wheaton's hegemony in CCIW soccer, which had been in place since the league first added the sport in the mid-'80s; d) league matches are always more important; e) they got Wheaton's attention and ignited a rivalry that NPU had always dreamed about having, even though it is only in one sport; and f) it's Wheaton, and every win regardless of the sport is bigger when it's against Wheaton if you're NPU.

But this was certainly the biggest win NPU's recorded in a long, long time. It also represents the first time in twenty years that the Vikings have vanquished Chicago, against whom they were only 2-8-3 all-time coming into tonight's match. Most importantly, this will flip the next NCAA Central Region rankings. Chicago was #1 and North Park was #2 in the most recent ranking. (Calvin is still undefeated, but the SOS of the Knights lags well behind that of both NPU and Chicago; in fact, the Knights are currently #4, behind the two Windy City sides and Wash U.)

Incidentally, the rise of NPU soccer has taken place under a president (David Parkyn) who worked for a long time at two other soccer powers, first Messiah and then Etown.

That's not accurate. David Parkyn assumed the presidency of North Park in the fall of 2006. By that point, NPU had already broken through and won two straight conference titles and conference tourneys and made the program's NCAA tourney debut. The Vikings were on a two-match winning streak against Wheaton, which had won 16 of the first 17 CCIW titles and had amassed a 92-2-2 CCIW record along the way before North Park's breakthrough, when David Parkyn unpacked his boxes in the president's office.

Quote from: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 07:24:26 AMHe used to live a block from Messiah's campus in downtown Grantham, if I may call it that--Grantham isn't on most state maps. I have no idea whether those dots actually connect as I sketched it, but someone here might be able to comment on it from a position of knowledge.

There are some other Messiah connections nationally where the dots definitely do connect. For example, the coaches at F&M and Eastern are former Messiah players. Those programs have flourished in recent years substantially because the coaches implemented things they learned in Grantham. Perhaps NPU, indirectly, should also be in that bucket?  ::)

No. David Parkyn was an enthusiastic supporter of North Park athletics as president, and that certainly included the soccer team. (He's the only college/university president I've ever seen who wore a genuine soccer scarf with his school's colors and emblem on it at matches. ;)) But I'm sure that he didn't share any soccer expertise with head coach John Born, nor would John have done anything but listen politely with no intention of taking him seriously if he had.

The only real athletics connection that NPU has had with Messiah was a negative one. The late Jerry Chaplin became Messiah's athletic director after having held the same position at North Park. I won't get into the specifics of his decision-making as North Park's AD, but, while Messiah had tremendous success (particularly on the soccer pitch) under Chaplin's tenure in the AD's office, the opposite was true at North Park. The school's signature program, men's basketball (five D3 national titles, still the standard in this division in that sport), totally collapsed into doormat status on his watch, as did the other perennially strong program on campus (baseball), and morale in the North Park athletics department was at an all-time low. He didn't have any second-hand touch with the North Park soccer program, either, which was middle-of-the-pack in the CCIW during his time on the North Side of Chicago.

He seemed like a nice guy, but his time at North Park is not remembered fondly.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 19, 2017, 09:05:26 AMGreg can probably give you better details, but I think the credit should really be given to the coach, John Born.  The program only had an upward trajectory after he arrived.

He's done a great job of recruiting quality American talent, as well as sustaining a pipeline of high level players from Sweden and Norway.

This is 100% correct. One man, and one man alone, deserves the credit for making North Park soccer what it is, and that man is John Born.

Don't get me wrong; it's not a one-man show, and other people involved with the program are important to NPU's ongoing success. F'rinstance, associate head coach Kris Grahn has played a key role in the program since he joined the staff five years ago, but NPU's success on the pitch predates him -- and a lot of NPU's success came when he was a star player under Born (Grahn was a two-time NSCAA All-American and the CCIW's Player of the Year in 2010). Given the perennial prominence of Scandinavian players on NPU's roster, it's certainly helpful to have a Scandinavian coach on staff as well (Grahn is a Swede). But he coaches everybody, not just the Scandinavians, and that's really a big part of John Born's success; he's found a way to make the Americans and the Scandinavians meld successfully both on and off the pitch, which is nearly not as easy as it sounds. By all reports, this is perhaps the most internally cohesive squad he's ever had, and I'm sure that that translates in some measure on the pitch.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 19, 2017, 09:05:26 AMJohn likes to play a technical game (less physical / run and kick) style and I think that is enticing.

I don't know about the "less physical" part, although the success of the Vikings has never been predicated upon mucking up matches. But, given enough big boys, NPU has certainly more than held its own in the giving and taking of bruises, too. This is actually one of his more physical Vikings outfits.

My mention of less physical means they don't have to be physical to make up for inferior soccer abilities.  I.e, some soccer teams will tackle hard, push to intimidate because they don't have matching soccer skills.  Back in my time at North Park, this was probably us :)

Some fairly recent Carthage, Augie and Elmhurst teams are examples where physicality made up for soccer quality.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2017, 01:08:53 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 20, 2017, 09:04:28 AMMy mention of less physical means they don't have to be physical to make up for inferior soccer abilities.  I.e, some soccer teams will tackle hard, push to intimidate because they don't have matching soccer skills.  Back in my time at North Park, this was probably us :)

Yeah, that's what I figured you meant, which is why I made reference to good John Born teams not needing to muck up matches. I just wanted to state for the sake of clarity that there have been good Vikings sides like this present one that can, and will, dish it out as well as take it.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 20, 2017, 09:04:28 AMSome fairly recent Carthage, Augie and Elmhurst teams are examples where physicality made up for soccer quality.

Those would be my three CCIW examples as well, and by that I mean three CCIW programs that have been successful at overcoming skill or speed shortcomings by being physical. That category no longer includes Augie at the moment, though, since the Doggies are currently abysmal, and on occasion Carthage has been so highly skilled and/or fast that the Red Men really didn't have to resort to smashmouth soccer much.

Elmhurst is another story. The Bluejays have practically fetishized bullying tactics over the years, in tandem with an overly defensive-oriented style of play. That doesn't seem to be working well this season, though, as the 'jays are currently 7-6-2 overall and are probably on the outside looking in as far as the CCIW tourney picture is concerned. Not only are they 2-4 in the league, but three of their four losses were pretty lopsided:

North Central 3, EC 0
Wheaton 4, EC 0
Carthage 5, EC 0

Only their 2-1 double-OT loss at Illinois Wesleyan looked winnable.

Still, playing Elmhurst always makes me nervous, no matter what the record of the 'jays happens to be. DiTomasso's sides always have a tendency to get up for North Park, and I've seen too many Vikings helped off the pitch (or carted off) in the past to take EC lightly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2017, 02:15:25 PM
Quote from: Falconer on October 19, 2017, 09:18:57 PM
Thanks very much to Gotberg and Gregory for those fascinating comments about NPU soccer and athletics more generally. I knew Dr Parkyn liked soccer, and that was the basis for my ill-supported conjecture. I certainly hadn't meant to imply that the coach didn't deserve the lion's share of the credit. I simply wondered whether support from the top was helpful in advancing the program.

Having a soccer-loving university president certainly didn't hurt, but I don't think it helped, either. I've never seen the men's soccer program get any particular perquisites from either NPU in general or from the president's office specifically, and that's been true before, during, and after David Parkyn's presidency. And the NPU athletics department is pretty scrupulous about fairly apportioning its (very limited) resources to the various varsity programs.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 22, 2017, 04:20:25 PM
In spite of having the run of play for the most part and a decided statistical edge, NPU required an own goal by Case Western Reserve this afternoon in the 85th minute to escape Cleveland with a 3-2 win. It propels the Park to 13-1-1 on the season.

While they're riding home on the bus, they can contemplate the ambiguous feelings they must be having for archrival Wheaton right now. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance did the Vikings a solid yesterday by taking down North Central in Wheaton, 2-0, to leave NPU the last unbeaten team standing. The Vikings can now clinch the CCIW title and home-pitch advantage with a win at home over North Central on Wednesday.

The other big match yesterday took place in Bloomington, where Carthage snapped back from that bad loss to Millikin by taking down erstwhile third-place Illinois Wesleyan, 2-1. Here's the standings and remaining CCIW matches for the five sides still in competition for the CCIW tourney:


*North Park  5-0-1  13-1-1  vs. NCC, @ EC
North Central  5-1    8-6-1  @ NPU, vs. IWU
Wheaton  4-2    8-7  vs. IWU, @ MU
Illinois Wesleyan  3-2    8-5-1  @ WC, vs. AC, @ NCC
Carthage  3-2-1  10-6-2  @ CU, vs. AC
Elmhurst  3-4    8-6-2  vs. NPU

*clinched tournament berth
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on October 24, 2017, 01:39:24 PM
There was a little bit of a shake-up last night as Wheaton lost at home to IWU 4-1.  Here's how the standings look going in to tomorrow's games. 


*North Park  5-0-1  13-1-1  vs. NCC, @ EC
North Central  5-1    8-6-1  @ NPU, vs. IWU
Illinois Wesleyan  4-2    8-5-1  vs. AC, @ NCC
Wheaton  4-3    8-7  @ MU
Carthage  3-2-1  10-6-2  @ CU, vs. AC
Elmhurst  3-4    8-6-2  vs. NPU

*clinched tournament berth

We've seen some crazy results this year, so I'd rather not speculate beyond what's here.  Depending on tie-breakers (that I haven't taken the time to look up) there are 6 teams vying for conference spots going in to the last week. This should be a really entertaining week of CCIW soccer. 

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2017, 02:38:43 PM
That is definitely a crazy result, especially as it seemed that Wheaton had found itself and was building late-season momentum by winning four matches in a row. It also sounded like the match itself was fairly even in terms of run of play (WC actually took more shots and had a lot more corners, and shots on frame were even), but IWU had better opportunities, better finishing, or better goalkeeping -- or some combination of the three. It's a particularly damaging loss for the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance. As we head into the final two days of CCIW regular-season play, Wheaton, which has participated in all 15 CCIW tourneys held to date, is by no means a sure thing to make it 16-for-16. Wheaton fans will certainly be in the uncomfortable position of rooting for NPU tomorrow night, as well as rooting for their own troops down in Decatur.

Elmhurst loses tiebreakers to both Wheaton and Illinois Wesleyan, both of whom beat the 'jays head-to-head, so Illinois Wesleyan's win last night eliminated Elmhurst from tournament consideration. Even though Carthage is in fifth, the Red Men are actually in pretty good shape, since they have the two weakest sides in the league remaining on their schedule. The three untied teams have an interesting situation between them, as Wheaton has defeated North Central and Illinois Wesleyan has defeated Wheaton; that IWU @ NCC match on Saturday could loom very large.

North Park would clinch the CCIW title with a win tomorrow night. There's a chance that we'll have multiple cameras on hand for our broadcast coverage for that match, so that's pretty exciting, as I suspect that we'll have a lot of viewers. A North Central win wouldn't guarantee an NCC title, and in fact it would still be a tough slog for the Cards to pull off the championship, since Illinois Wesleyan will also be playing for something and the Titans thus promise to be a tough customer on Saturday.

In the bigger picture, I think that NPU appears at the moment to be in good shape for a Pool C berth if one is needed, provided that the Vikings don't fold like an accordion over the next two weeks. I don't really see a way for any of the other four sides contending for a CCIW tourney spot to get into the D3 tourney via the Pool C route.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 01:15:07 AM
North Park clinched the CCIW championship and home pitch in the conference tourney by downing second-place North Central tonight, 3-0. The Vikings, who now find themselves in first place in the Central Region rankings, trading places with Chicago atop the region after having beaten the Maroons last Wednesday, advance to 14-1-1 on the season.

NPU's archrival and fellow traditional CCIW power Wheaton went in the opposite direction, as WC suffered a shocking draw at the hands of lowly Millikin tonight, 2-2. That eliminates Wheaton (4-3-1 in CCIW) from contention for a spot in the four-team CCIW tourney, as fourth-place Carthage (4-2-1) owns the tiebreaker with one league match remaining for the Red Men. After making the first 15 CCIW tourneys, Wheaton's streak is snapped, and WC will instead clean out the lockers after the final regular-season match on Saturday. The last time Wheaton's season ended without at least one extra match tacked on to the end of the schedule was 1992.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage both won, so the tourney field is set. All that remains to be seen is where the Titans, Cardinals, and Red Men will wind up in the seeding, as IWU and NCC, both now 5-2 in CCIW play, square off for second place and a first-round home match on Saturday in Naperville, while Carthage finishes up with a home contest against last-place Augustana.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 01:15:07 AM
North Park clinched the CCIW championship and home pitch in the conference tourney by downing second-place North Central tonight, 3-0. The Vikings, who now find themselves in first place in the Central Region rankings, trading places with Chicago atop the region after having beaten the Maroons last Wednesday, advance to 14-1-1 on the season.

NPU's archrival and fellow traditional CCIW power Wheaton went in the opposite direction, as WC suffered a shocking draw at the hands of lowly Millikin tonight, 2-2. That eliminates Wheaton (4-3-1 in CCIW) from contention for a spot in the four-team CCIW tourney, as fourth-place Carthage (4-2-1) owns the tiebreaker with one league match remaining for the Red Men. After making the first 15 CCIW tourneys, Wheaton's streak is snapped, and WC will instead clean out the lockers after the final regular-season match on Saturday. The last time Wheaton's season ended without at least one extra match tacked on to the end of the schedule was 1992.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage both won, so the tourney field is set. All that remains to be seen is where the Titans, Cardinals, and Red Men will wind up in the seeding, as IWU and NCC, both now 5-2 in CCIW play, square off for second place and a first-round home match on Saturday in Naperville, while Carthage finishes up with a home contest against last-place Augustana.

Greg, I enjoyed the new broadcast service - seeing the score/time and the multiple camera angles (replays too?).  Not sure if others experienced the same, but the broadcast stopped for me about 40 minutes into the game.  Mentioning it, just so you have some feedback.

I said after the Benedictine game, that this could be a fabulous NP team, and they proved it all season long.  Congrats to them. 

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 11:06:46 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 01:15:07 AM
North Park clinched the CCIW championship and home pitch in the conference tourney by downing second-place North Central tonight, 3-0. The Vikings, who now find themselves in first place in the Central Region rankings, trading places with Chicago atop the region after having beaten the Maroons last Wednesday, advance to 14-1-1 on the season.

NPU's archrival and fellow traditional CCIW power Wheaton went in the opposite direction, as WC suffered a shocking draw at the hands of lowly Millikin tonight, 2-2. That eliminates Wheaton (4-3-1 in CCIW) from contention for a spot in the four-team CCIW tourney, as fourth-place Carthage (4-2-1) owns the tiebreaker with one league match remaining for the Red Men. After making the first 15 CCIW tourneys, Wheaton's streak is snapped, and WC will instead clean out the lockers after the final regular-season match on Saturday. The last time Wheaton's season ended without at least one extra match tacked on to the end of the schedule was 1992.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage both won, so the tourney field is set. All that remains to be seen is where the Titans, Cardinals, and Red Men will wind up in the seeding, as IWU and NCC, both now 5-2 in CCIW play, square off for second place and a first-round home match on Saturday in Naperville, while Carthage finishes up with a home contest against last-place Augustana.

Greg, I enjoyed the new broadcast service - seeing the score/time and the multiple camera angles (replays too?).  Not sure if others experienced the same, but the broadcast stopped for me about 40 minutes into the game.  Mentioning it, just so you have some feedback.

I hadn't heard that there were any problems, but I'll pass that along. My monitor wasn't working during the men's contest (it worked during the women's), but I'm used to not having access to a live monitor (or replays), so it didn't bother me.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 AM
I said after the Benedictine game, that this could be a fabulous NP team, and they proved it all season long.  Congrats to them.

NPU seems very hungry. I do not think that this team is content to rest upon its laurels.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: LM3 on October 26, 2017, 01:43:38 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 11:06:46 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 01:15:07 AM
North Park clinched the CCIW championship and home pitch in the conference tourney by downing second-place North Central tonight, 3-0. The Vikings, who now find themselves in first place in the Central Region rankings, trading places with Chicago atop the region after having beaten the Maroons last Wednesday, advance to 14-1-1 on the season.

NPU's archrival and fellow traditional CCIW power Wheaton went in the opposite direction, as WC suffered a shocking draw at the hands of lowly Millikin tonight, 2-2. That eliminates Wheaton (4-3-1 in CCIW) from contention for a spot in the four-team CCIW tourney, as fourth-place Carthage (4-2-1) owns the tiebreaker with one league match remaining for the Red Men. After making the first 15 CCIW tourneys, Wheaton's streak is snapped, and WC will instead clean out the lockers after the final regular-season match on Saturday. The last time Wheaton's season ended without at least one extra match tacked on to the end of the schedule was 1992.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage both won, so the tourney field is set. All that remains to be seen is where the Titans, Cardinals, and Red Men will wind up in the seeding, as IWU and NCC, both now 5-2 in CCIW play, square off for second place and a first-round home match on Saturday in Naperville, while Carthage finishes up with a home contest against last-place Augustana.

Greg, I enjoyed the new broadcast service - seeing the score/time and the multiple camera angles (replays too?).  Not sure if others experienced the same, but the broadcast stopped for me about 40 minutes into the game.  Mentioning it, just so you have some feedback.

I hadn't heard that there were any problems, but I'll pass that along. My monitor wasn't working during the men's contest (it worked during the women's), but I'm used to not having access to a live monitor (or replays), so it didn't bother me.

Quote from: Gotberg on October 26, 2017, 09:03:25 AM
I said after the Benedictine game, that this could be a fabulous NP team, and they proved it all season long.  Congrats to them.

NPU seems very hungry. I do not think that this team is content to rest upon its laurels.

I was on hand for that NPU/Benedictine match and have seen them a few more times on vid...I am rooting for them, and do believe they have a good chance to make some noise. Very good team!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 26, 2017, 02:47:05 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 26, 2017, 01:15:07 AM
North Park clinched the CCIW championship and home pitch in the conference tourney by downing second-place North Central tonight, 3-0. The Vikings, who now find themselves in first place in the Central Region rankings, trading places with Chicago atop the region after having beaten the Maroons last Wednesday, advance to 14-1-1 on the season.

NPU's archrival and fellow traditional CCIW power Wheaton went in the opposite direction, as WC suffered a shocking draw at the hands of lowly Millikin tonight, 2-2. That eliminates Wheaton (4-3-1 in CCIW) from contention for a spot in the four-team CCIW tourney, as fourth-place Carthage (4-2-1) owns the tiebreaker with one league match remaining for the Red Men. After making the first 15 CCIW tourneys, Wheaton's streak is snapped, and WC will instead clean out the lockers after the final regular-season match on Saturday. The last time Wheaton's season ended without at least one extra match tacked on to the end of the schedule was 1992.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage both won, so the tourney field is set. All that remains to be seen is where the Titans, Cardinals, and Red Men will wind up in the seeding, as IWU and NCC, both now 5-2 in CCIW play, square off for second place and a first-round home match on Saturday in Naperville, while Carthage finishes up with a home contest against last-place Augustana.

I wouldn't call any of Wheaton's results shocking. They just aren't the Wheaton of the past, and I'm not sure when they'll get back to that level again. The Wheaton standard of talent just isn't there. I thought they were a .500 team going into this year and that's what it seems to be. I've got several thoughts on the recent downfall, but I don't like being a guy who talks trash on teams in a public forum when they're still out there trying their best to win like everyone else.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2017, 07:06:10 PM
Illinois Wesleyan took down North Central in Naperville, 2-1, on a Doug Ballard goal 49 seconds deep into overtime, and clinches the second seed and the right to host a semifinal with a 6-2 record. North Central, which fell to 5-3, will get the #4 seed and return to the North Side of Chicago on Wednesday to face North Park, unless Carthage loses to Augustana tonight in Kenosha -- a possibility that seems pretty unlikely. The easy guess is that it'll be Carthage @ Illinois Wesleyan and North Central @ North Park on Wednesday night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2017, 11:07:01 PM
North Park didn't play a pretty match, but the Vikings did what they needed to do to stave off Elmhurst, 2-1, in the western suburbs to close out the regular season at 15-1-1 and 7-0-1. The Vikings will host North Central, since, as everyone expected, Carthage took down Augie today. The Red Men scored three second-half goals and won up in Kenosha, 3-0, so they grab the third seed and will travel to Bloomington on Wednesday to face #2 Illinois Wesleyan.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 01, 2017, 12:03:48 PM
So it looks like Carthage beat IWU last night in Overtime 2-1 to advance to the CCIW Tournament final.

I was surprised to see that they played on a different night than North Park & North Central. 

Greg, do you know if there's a reason for that?  I just assumed both semi's would take place the same night. 

Also, will there be video/audio/stats for tonight's NP v. NC game?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 01, 2017, 01:43:18 PM
Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 01, 2017, 12:03:48 PM
So it looks like Carthage beat IWU last night in Overtime 2-1 to advance to the CCIW Tournament final.

No surprise there. Carthage is a better squad than IWU, in spite of the fact that the Titans finished with a slightly better CCIW record and significantly better overall record than the Red Men. Both times that Carthage beat Wesleyan this year they did it in Bloomington.

Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 01, 2017, 12:03:48 PM
I was surprised to see that they played on a different night than North Park & North Central. 

Greg, do you know if there's a reason for that?  I just assumed both semi's would take place the same night. 

They usually do. However, Illinois Wesleyan is also hosting a semifinal in women's soccer. That creates a conflict, because it would be unfair if either the women or the men were relegated to playing a late-afternoon playoff match as the opener of a doubleheader. This year women's soccer apparently takes precedence over men's soccer in terms of scheduling semifinals, so the IWU men were moved to Tuesday.

Quote from: tjcummingsfan on November 01, 2017, 12:03:48 PMAlso, will there be video/audio/stats for tonight's NP v. NC game?

Yes. Link to the NPU site, same as always. I think that we're going to have multiple cameras again.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 01, 2017, 11:32:33 PM
Extremely poor turnout at NPU due to the rain that started well before game time.  The Vikings dominated the first half and led 1-0.  They went into turtle mode in the second half whereas NCC picked up the pace.  The Cards had several scoring chances, including a nullified goal as a result of an offside call.  It happened in the corner of the opposite side of the field where I sat; however, the NCC coach did not protest.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2017, 12:38:28 AM
It was the right call. It was clearly offsides.

NPU definitely had a tougher time of it with North Central than it did a week ago, but the Vikings were still in control. NCC did have three or four decent chances to score in the match, including the one you mentioned, but NPU controlled the run of play throughout and dominated statistically. I'm just happy that the constant downpour and the slick ball didn't turn out to be equalizing factors.

So the Park moves on to face Carthage, which has become a pretty nasty rivalry in its own right. (I hope that we don't see any brawls like the postgame brouhaha after the draw a few weeks ago.) I do not expect Saturday's championship match to be a pretty one. Carthage's mucking up the contest and thus taking all of the flow out of the Vikings offense turned out to be a great strategy in the first contest between the two up in Kenosha, and I expect more of the same on Saturday.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2017, 12:37:53 AM
North Park beat Carthage, 4-0, to win the CCIW tourney title and the autobid to the D3 playoffs. The match turned on a big play in the eighth minute in which NPU's Shatil Khoury broke free, advanced unopposed on Carthage keeper Niko Mavrogiannis a yard or so inside the top of the box, deked Mavrogiannis and sidestepped him, and was about to kick the ball into the empty net when the beaten Mavrogiannis kicked out and took out Khoury's legs. It was an obvious red card, and by sending off the Red Men's keeper that early it meant that Carthage would be forced to play a man down for almost 83 minutes of game time. The substitute keeper, Brayan Justiniano, made a diving stop of Gustav Ericsson's subsequent penalty kick, but Ericsson quickly put away the rebound to give NPU the 1- 0 lead.

Carthage deserves a lot of credit for furiously pressing and attacking for the entire match, but with a man missing it led to an awful lot of odd-man counters for NPU. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they had difficulty timing their releases, as they were called offsides four times in the first half alone. However, in the midst of those blown rushes they managed to do it the old-fashioned way by working the ball in for a sweet diagonal pass by Chase Lennartz that Khoury banged home to give NPU a 2-0 lead. Carthage kept hammering away, forcing a seemingly-endless series of corners, but the set pieces that worked for Carthage in Kenosha in mid-October weren't working tonight. Mathias Stulen stood up the Red Men and made some solid saves, but NPU's size advantage and the man advantage due to the red card really kept Carthage from making much of a threat off of sets. In the second half, Peder Olsen and Erlend Kemkers added tallies (making the final score Sweden 2, Norway 2  ;)), and the Vikings won going away.

Now it's sit-and-wait time, as the Vikings count down the hours until Monday at 12:30 pm, when they'll find out whether or not they'll be hosting an opening-weekend pod.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 05, 2017, 11:47:46 PM
I cannot believe the Vikings will not host.  As long as they keep winning, they should continue to host.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2017, 02:20:13 PM
Congratulations to the North Park men's soccer team, which not only gets to host in next weekend's opening two rounds of the NCAA Division III tournament, but actually drew one of the two byes in the 62-team field. This means that NPU is the number-one seed in its quadrant of the bracket, and will be the prime candidate to host the sectional if the Vikings beat the winner of the Westminster (MO)/Wisconsin-Platteville match. Those two teams will play at NPU on Saturday, with the winner facing the Vikings on Sunday. Even though this will be NPU's seventh appearance in the D3 tourney, it will be the first time that the Park has ever hosted an NCAA Division III tournament soccer match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: LM3 on November 07, 2017, 09:41:58 AM
North Park has truly had an excellent season, and has been a fun team to watch. Though I have no direct attachment to them, they will be a team that I am rooting for in this tourney!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Shooter McGavin on November 07, 2017, 09:56:38 AM
How good are they? I am surprised they got one of the two first round byes. Assumed they would get a nice draw but never expected the bye.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: LM3 on November 07, 2017, 10:06:49 AM
Quote from: Shooter McGavin on November 07, 2017, 09:56:38 AM
How good are they? I am surprised they got one of the two first round byes. Assumed they would get a nice draw but never expected the bye.

They have been excellent, but I guess we will be getting a better indication of how much so soon enough. I watched them in 3 matches, and a few sections of others...they control the run of play, consistently create good scoring chances, and have been appropriately lucky to get this far. I'll certainly defer to others that have seen more of them to give more thorough analysis, but that is my take.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Shooter McGavin on November 07, 2017, 10:09:37 AM
Quote from: LM3 on November 07, 2017, 10:06:49 AM
Quote from: Shooter McGavin on November 07, 2017, 09:56:38 AM
How good are they? I am surprised they got one of the two first round byes. Assumed they would get a nice draw but never expected the bye.

They have been excellent, but I guess we will be getting a better indication of how much so soon enough. I watched them in 3 matches, and a few sections of others...they control the run of play, consistently create good scoring chances, and have been appropriately lucky to get this far. I'll certainly defer to others that have seen more of them to give more thorough analysis, but that is my take.

Thanks for that! Good enough for a top 2 seed I guess is my real question. Shocked they got a bye but I have not seen them for more than 15 minutes this year. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on November 07, 2017, 10:10:44 AM
Quote from: Shooter McGavin on November 07, 2017, 10:09:37 AM
Quote from: LM3 on November 07, 2017, 10:06:49 AM
Quote from: Shooter McGavin on November 07, 2017, 09:56:38 AM
How good are they? I am surprised they got one of the two first round byes. Assumed they would get a nice draw but never expected the bye.

They have been excellent, but I guess we will be getting a better indication of how much so soon enough. I watched them in 3 matches, and a few sections of others...they control the run of play, consistently create good scoring chances, and have been appropriately lucky to get this far. I'll certainly defer to others that have seen more of them to give more thorough analysis, but that is my take.

Thanks for that! Good enough for a top 2 seed I guess is my real question. Shocked they got a bye but I have not seen them for more than 15 minutes this year.

North Park could not have dreamed of a better set-up, with bye or without.  A deserving season, but a much easier path than other favorites.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 15, 2017, 10:07:15 PM
On Sunday, I traveled to MN for Uncle Ted's funeral.  Got back to the hotel with nine minutes left in the NPU game at 5-1.  Saw the final goal.  Also saw the highlight reel of the half dozen NPU goals.  They made it look easy.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 16, 2017, 03:19:00 PM
If you want to watch the UWP @ NPU match in its entirely, Mark, it's on the North Park University Facebook page.

Saturday's match will be shown live on Facebook again as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 20, 2017, 08:19:48 PM
Sorry I missed the home-field victory against UST.  #2 son and I traveled to MN (early graduation present) to watch in person the MN Vikings dominate the #1 offense in the league...some team now playing back in L.A.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 21, 2017, 12:59:51 AM
Again, Mark, you can watch it in full on NPU's Facebook page.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on November 22, 2017, 03:05:48 PM
Hey Greg, can you post a link to the video from Sunday's game?  I hunted all over Facebook and couldn't find it. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 25, 2017, 12:54:05 PM
Unfortunately, NPU's webfolks seem to have taken it down.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: firstplaceloser on November 25, 2017, 06:12:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 25, 2017, 12:54:05 PM
Unfortunately, NPU's webfolks seem to have taken it down.

probably bc they didn't want chicago to watch it. even though they probably already have a copy
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 4samuy on November 25, 2017, 07:35:02 PM
Nice!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on December 04, 2017, 02:19:31 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 25, 2017, 06:12:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 25, 2017, 12:54:05 PM
Unfortunately, NPU's webfolks seem to have taken it down.

probably bc they didn't want chicago to watch it. even though they probably already have a copy

Technically by NCAA rule, they can't keep the game up on the site. Wish there was a longer window for that and I plan to discuss it with folks in Indy, but schools are not allowed to keep broadcasts up in the NCAA tournament.

Has nothing to do with Chicago seeing it... as you noted, they receive a copy anyway.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on January 13, 2018, 12:57:07 PM
Congratulations to Coach John Born and midfielder Mattias Warp on their selection for the D3Soccer All-American team (http://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2018/1/12/mens-soccer-born-warp-receive-all-american-honors-by-d3soccer-com.aspx).  Coach Born was named Coach of the Year and Warp was second-team All-American.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccer1234 on June 13, 2018, 01:37:25 PM
Any early thoughts on how each team is looking this season? How good will the defending national runner up North Park be? And who will be able to compete with them?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on June 13, 2018, 03:18:12 PM
I can't answer any of your three questions with anything close to a definitive reply. I can say that NPU played a friendly against D1 Bradley this spring and came away with a 0-0 draw. Even though John Born wasn't particularly happy with the way that the Vikings played, a 0-0 tie against a decent D1 outfit is still a noteworthy accomplishment for spring practice.

I expect Carthage to be NPU's primary challenger again this season. I don't think that I'm going out on a limb in saying that.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on June 15, 2018, 01:32:14 PM
I'm always interested to see the NPU roster from year to year.  I never assume the Scandinavians are committed beyond a single year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 01, 2018, 10:15:44 PM
NPU's roster is up (still with more details coming I assume).  30+ incoming freshman - no Gustav Ericsson, but rumors have been that he is transferring to a mid-level D1 program.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 01, 2018, 11:07:46 PM
NPU has 58 players on the roster, which is insane. There are football programs in D3 that don't have 58 players. Such is the attraction of success, I guess. Included are NPU's first-ever Brazilians (two of 'em), first-ever Dutch player, and a player from China. Of course, the big question regarding North Park soccer every year has always been, "How many Scandinavians are on the roster?", and the answer this year is ten -- five Swedes and five Norwegians, with four of the Scandinavians being freshmen.

He's not listed in the coach's bios yet, but I've been told that NPU has had to hire a second GA to help coach all of those players.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: rudy on August 02, 2018, 07:32:22 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 01, 2018, 11:07:46 PM
NPU has 58 players on the roster, which is insane. There are football programs in D3 that don't have 58 players. Such is the attraction of success, I guess. Included are NPU's first-ever Brazilians (two of 'em), first-ever Dutch player, and a player from China. Of course, the big question regarding North Park soccer every year has always been, "How many Scandinavians are on the roster?", and the answer this year is ten -- five Swedes and five Norwegians, with four of the Scandinavians being freshmen.

He's not listed in the coach's bios yet, but I've been told that NPU has had to hire a second GA to help coach all of those players.

That must be a record... 30 freshman!?  Why would a player want to go to a program with so many players. Surely most will never see the field. I imagine many will not travel with the team for games.  Some must drop or get cut...cant believe they would carry that many for the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2018, 10:43:41 AM
They won't cut anybody. A number of guys will see the writing on the wall and quit.

NPU will play a full reserve schedule, so there will be a lot of additional playing time available. With those numbers, though, North Park could field two reserve squads. I don't think that the program will, but it'd still be possible. The varsity, as always, will travel with around 25 players or so.

The answer to your "why" question is pretty obvious: Everybody wants to play for a winner. John and Kris don't lie to prospects about their chance to play. But players inwardly sell themselves on their own merits. If you're convinced that you're good enough to play for a team like North Park -- and an eighteen-year-old often isn't the best judge of his own ability level -- then that's where you want to go, because it's now been established that you have the chance to go far with a team like that. And NPU, like any tuition-driven D3 private school, isn't about to deny you a uniform if you're admitted.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OldNed on August 02, 2018, 11:19:21 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2018, 10:43:41 AM
They won't cut anybody. A number of guys will see the writing on the wall and quit.

NPU will play a full reserve schedule, so there will be a lot of additional playing time available. With those numbers, though, North Park could field two reserve squads. I don't think that the program will, but it'd still be possible. The varsity, as always, will travel with around 25 players or so.

The answer to your "why" question is pretty obvious: Everybody wants to play for a winner. John and Kris don't lie to prospects about their chance to play. But players inwardly sell themselves on their own merits. If you're convinced that you're good enough to play for a team like North Park -- and an eighteen-year-old often isn't the best judge of his own ability level -- then that's where you want to go, because it's now been established that you have the chance to go far with a team like that. And NPU, like any tuition-driven D3 private school, isn't about to deny you a uniform if you're admitted.

What is a reserve schedule?  I've never heard of such a thing in D3 soccer, but admittedly I haven't been around for too long. If it's what I think it is (like a JV schedule in high school), how many other programs have reserve teams playing?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 1970s NESCAC Player on August 02, 2018, 01:23:10 PM
Quote from: OldNed on August 02, 2018, 11:19:21 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2018, 10:43:41 AM
They won't cut anybody. A number of guys will see the writing on the wall and quit.

NPU will play a full reserve schedule, so there will be a lot of additional playing time available. With those numbers, though, North Park could field two reserve squads. I don't think that the program will, but it'd still be possible. The varsity, as always, will travel with around 25 players or so.

The answer to your "why" question is pretty obvious: Everybody wants to play for a winner. John and Kris don't lie to prospects about their chance to play. But players inwardly sell themselves on their own merits. If you're convinced that you're good enough to play for a team like North Park -- and an eighteen-year-old often isn't the best judge of his own ability level -- then that's where you want to go, because it's now been established that you have the chance to go far with a team like that. And NPU, like any tuition-driven D3 private school, isn't about to deny you a uniform if you're admitted.

What is a reserve schedule?  I've never heard of such a thing in D3 soccer, but admittedly I haven't been around for too long. If it's what I think it is (like a JV schedule in high school), how many other programs have reserve teams playing?

Reserves are a group that don't play in Varsity games.  Sometimes called JV or Freshmen (if reserves are exclusively freshmen).  They would play other reserve squads, JV teams, Prep schools, local men's teams, etc.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2018, 06:23:33 PM
Exactly. Reserves is soccerese for "junior varsity".
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: OldNed on August 03, 2018, 07:56:12 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 02, 2018, 06:23:33 PM
Exactly. Reserves is soccerese for "junior varsity".

Thanks - that's what I figured, but I wanted to be sure.  How many D3 schools have reserve teams?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 03, 2018, 11:25:11 AM
Good question. Unfortunately, the answer I have is, "No idea."

Many, if not most, of NPU's reserve contests are against junior colleges rather than against fellow D3 reserve squads. As a Chicago-based school, North Park is fortunate to be in an area that has a plethora of junior colleges. There are a couple of benefits to playing them rather than other D3 reserve squads. Soccerwise, the juco programs in Chicago and the inner-ring suburbs almost entirely consist of young men from working-class immigrant families, mostly Mexican but with a few players from African or Polish or other Latino immigrant families sprinkled in there as well. In other words, they're all kids from soccer-crazy communities who started learning how to control a soccer ball as soon as they first learned to walk, and who are the products of highly-active youth soccer leagues set up within their ethnic communities. Their skill level and their speed tends to be very high, which makes those teams useful opponents for a D3 reserve squad. The second benefit is that, as juco students, they represent a potential pool of recruits for North Park.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on August 03, 2018, 02:20:53 PM
Let's not tell Steven Miller, but it is true about the Chicago area community colleges.

For example, the current roster of Truman College: http://citycollegesofchicagoathletics.com/sports/2017/7/27/TCMSOCROST2017.aspx?id=100&
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on August 03, 2018, 02:27:22 PM
At least in the Midwest, I think its fairly common for D3 schools to have reserve or JV teams. Most MIAC and IIAC schools have them. I know that other CCIW schools do as well, like Auggie and Carthage for example. I believe there are some NACC schools with reserve squads too.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 1970s NESCAC Player on August 03, 2018, 03:11:29 PM
Quote from: gustiefan04 on August 03, 2018, 02:27:22 PM
At least in the Midwest, I think its fairly common for D3 schools to have reserve or JV teams. Most MIAC and IIAC schools have them. I know that other CCIW schools do as well, like Auggie and Carthage for example. I believe there are some NACC schools with reserve squads too.

To my knowledge, separate "reserve" or JV squads are quite uncommon in the Northeast.  What is more likely is that the varsity roster would be ~35 (instead of 23-25), and the bottom 15 or so who seldom, if ever, see the field in varsity games would have the opportunity to play competitive games against reserves from other schools (or JVs, CCs, etc.) as a means of developing those players for the future (or proving that they deserve actual playing time in varsity games).  [Many or all of theses players likely do not travel to away games.]  The large rosters also insure that there will always be a good turnout at practice (when classes, labs, injuries, etc. interfere with full attendance).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 03, 2018, 04:20:15 PM
I think that you're misinterpreting what gustiefan04 and I have said, 1970s NESCAC Player. The programs in the midwestern states don't have separate reserve rosters. They each have one unified roster, from which the bottom portion of the depth chart plays in reserve games.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on August 03, 2018, 06:03:11 PM
Quote from: WUPHF on August 03, 2018, 02:20:53 PM
Let's not tell Steven Miller, but it is true about the Chicago area community colleges.

For example, the current roster of Truman College: http://citycollegesofchicagoathletics.com/sports/2017/7/27/TCMSOCROST2017.aspx?id=100&

What I found most interesting (and completely irrelevant)... only 3 players on a roster of 25 were 6'0 or taller, and two were keepers. As a point of comparison, U Chicago has 8 (no keepers) and North Park had 18 last year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 1970s NESCAC Player on August 04, 2018, 07:11:35 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 03, 2018, 04:20:15 PM
I think that you're misinterpreting what gustiefan04 and I have said, 1970s NESCAC Player. The programs in the midwestern states don't have separate reserve rosters. They each have one unified roster, from which the bottom portion of the depth chart plays in reserve games.

If you read my last post, I'm agreeing that the northeast is the same.  Programs don't have separate reserve rosters.  Bottom of depth chart plays in reserve games.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 04, 2018, 10:43:52 AM
That wasn't really clear in your last post. Glad you've cleared it up.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 08, 2018, 01:37:36 PM
Preseason poll is out:


1. North Park   62   (7)
2. Carthage   55   (2)
3. Wheaton   48
4. Illinois Wesleyan   45
5. North Central   36
6. Elmhurst   31
7. Millikin   24
8. Carroll   12
9. Augustana   11
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 08, 2018, 04:18:11 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 08, 2018, 01:37:36 PM
Preseason poll is out:


1. North Park   62   (7)
2. Carthage   55   (2)
3. Wheaton   48
4. Illinois Wesleyan   45
5. North Central   36
6. Elmhurst   31
7. Millikin   24
8. Carroll   12
9. Augustana   11

Given NP's success last year and number of returnees, I'm surprised the vote wasn't unanimous (deserving or not)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 08, 2018, 09:53:07 PM
It can't be unanimous, because John Born can't put NPU #1. Coaches only rank the other eight teams.

John obviously slotted Carthage #1 on his ballot. Somebody other than John and CC head coach Steve Domin slotted Carthage in the top spot as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 09, 2018, 09:48:04 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 08, 2018, 09:53:07 PM
It can't be unanimous, because John Born can't put NPU #1. Coaches only rank the other eight teams.

John obviously slotted Carthage #1 on his ballot. Somebody other than John and CC head coach Steve Domin slotted Carthage in the top spot as well.

Based on the voting approach, getting 8 votes would be my definition of unanimous.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 09, 2018, 03:28:28 PM
I'm curious as to who picked Carthage over North Park.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blooter442 on August 09, 2018, 04:06:41 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 09, 2018, 03:28:28 PM
I'm curious as to who picked Carthage over North Park.

...because he's out to get them. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 09, 2018, 07:56:47 PM
Oh, I'm perfectly fine with the coaches picking whomever they like wherever they like. My curiosity is simply in the service of garnering knowledge. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 14, 2018, 09:52:11 PM
Looks like it's confirmed that Gustav is with the Toreros:  http://www.usdtoreros.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/gustav_ericsson_1071662.html

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 24, 2018, 10:04:13 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 14, 2018, 09:52:11 PM
Looks like it's confirmed that Gustav is with the Toreros:  http://www.usdtoreros.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/gustav_ericsson_1071662.html

Gustav is a starter for his USD's first regular season game.  Congrats to him and can't say I'm surprised.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 25, 2018, 02:58:20 AM
I'm surprised. NCAA rules say that you have to redshirt a year if you transfer from D3 to D1. I wonder if that's only true if you accept a scholarship, though. Perhaps the rule now is that you can do this if you play your first year in D1 as a walk-on.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on August 25, 2018, 07:45:56 AM
Side note, US Colleges are our primary player development vehicle, and UCSD's roster is 40% foreign. The NCSA is just as guilty as the USSF for failing our youth. [End rant]
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 25, 2018, 08:32:55 AM
Quote from: EB2319 on August 25, 2018, 07:45:56 AM
Side note, US Colleges are our primary player development vehicle, and UCSD's roster is 40% foreign. The NCSA is just as guilty as the USSF for failing our youth. [End rant]

Point taken, but just to clarify, Gustav is at USD and not UCSD.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 26, 2018, 12:35:28 AM
Gustav's still in touch with his former NPU coaches and teammates. I get the impression that his main reason for leaving was because of money. (Although it's easy to understand the allure of San Diego for a Swede; I don't think I've ever met one who didn't get excited about spending time in Florida, Arizona, or California.) An interesting note is that the box score for his first-ever D1 match indicated that there were only 248 people in attendance at Torero Stadium. Looking back at San Diego's archives, unless USD hosts D1 powerhouse UCLA, the Toreros don't seem to draw as well on average as North Park does.

The annual alumni scrimmage took place today at Hedstrand Field. The freshmen -- who consisted of two complete units, and there were still guys left over -- beat the alumni, 4-3.  Several of the NPU frosh drew my attention, but two that I've been led to believe will see immediate varsity time are midfielders Angel "Tarzan" Barriga from Fenton, (https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171102/fentons-barriga-a-study-in-perseverance) and a Dutch import named Kamiel Vermeulen. (https://vimeo.com/242238110)

It's a great sign of how far the program has come that none of the NPU regulars even dressed today. The alumni game used to be a very spirited and high-flying affair that really pushed the varsity starters. This afternoon, they simply stood around the side gate of the stadium and watched the freshmen play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 26, 2018, 07:38:43 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 26, 2018, 12:35:28 AM
Gustav's still in touch with his former NPU coaches and teammates. I get the impression that his main reason for leaving was because of money. (Although it's easy to understand the allure of San Diego for a Swede; I don't think I've ever met one who didn't get excited about spending time in Florida, Arizona, or California.) An interesting note is that the box score for his first-ever D1 match indicated that there were only 248 people in attendance at Torero Stadium. Looking back at San Diego's archives, unless USD hosts D1 powerhouse UCLA, the Toreros don't seem to draw as well on average as North Park does.

The annual alumni scrimmage took place today at Hedstrand Field. The freshmen -- who consisted of two complete units, and there were still guys left over -- beat the alumni, 4-3.  Several of the NPU frosh drew my attention, but two that I've been led to believe will see immediate varsity time are midfielders Angel "Tarzan" Barriga from Fenton, (https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20171102/fentons-barriga-a-study-in-perseverance) and a Dutch import named Kamiel Vermeulen. (https://vimeo.com/242238110)

It's a great sign of how far the program has come that none of the NPU regulars even dressed today. The alumni game used to be a very spirited and high-flying affair that really pushed the varsity starters. This afternoon, they simply stood around the side gate of the stadium and watched the freshmen play.

I watched about 5 minutes of the USD game online.  There was no audio and I didn't see a single fan sitting in the stands across from the camera.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on August 26, 2018, 08:52:50 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 25, 2018, 02:58:20 AM
I'm surprised. NCAA rules say that you have to redshirt a year if you transfer from D3 to D1. I wonder if that's only true if you accept a scholarship, though. Perhaps the rule now is that you can do this if you play your first year in D1 as a walk-on.

I share Mr Sager's surprise. I also thought I knew that something fishy is going on here. But, according to the NCAA, here is what appears to be the pertinent rule (http://www.ncaa.org/student-athletes/current/transfer-terms):

"One-time transfer exception: If you transfer from a four-year school, you may be immediately eligible to compete at your new school if you meet ALL the following conditions:

    You are transferring to a Division II or III school, or you are transferring to a Division I school in any sport other than baseball, men's or women's basketball, football (Football Bowl Subdivision) or men’s ice hockey. If you are transferring to a Division I school for any of the previously-listed sports, you may be eligible to compete immediately if you were not recruited by your original school and you have never received an athletics scholarship.

    You are academically and athletically eligible at your previous four-year school.

    You receive a transfer-release agreement from your previous four-year school."

In this situation, then, it appears that Gustav and USD might be within the rules. Obviously he didn't have a scholarship at NPU; presumably he would have been eligible to play this fall at NPU; and, apparently, NPU gave him a release. Those who know more about such things will, I hope, chime in and clarify this...


Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 26, 2018, 09:55:29 AM
I'm sure that North Park gave Gustav Ericsson a release if he requested one. What I don't get is the codicil that he would be eligible to compete immediately at USD only if North Park hadn't recruited him. NPU did recruit him, just as almost every player in D3 soccer who has a significant role on his team was recruited by that school. But is an auditor really going to investigate that?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on August 26, 2018, 01:52:19 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 26, 2018, 09:55:29 AM
I'm sure that North Park gave Gustav Ericsson a release if he requested one. What I don't get is the codicil that he would be eligible to compete immediately at USD only if North Park hadn't recruited him. NPU did recruit him, just as almost every player in D3 soccer who has a significant role on his team was recruited by that school. But is an auditor really going to investigate that?

I think you misread the rule--but, so did I at first, such that I edited my original post and deleted a second that included quoting the definition of "recruited" given elsewhere in the same section on the NCAA web site. The sentence reads in full, "If you are transferring to a Division I school for any of the previously-listed sports, you may be eligible to compete immediately if you were not recruited by your original school and you have never received an athletics scholarship." Like you, my first response was to say to myself, well, we know for sure that Gustav was "recruited," and I was going to quote the definition of "recruited" to back up my opinion: among other things, it spells out that a student is recruited if a coach has contact with them off campus. I think we can presume that Gustav probably had contact with an NPU coach in Sweden, which certainly qualifies as off campus. But, then I reread it all in context.

In context, it seems clearly to state that this language applies only to certain sports, and soccer isn't on that list. So, we're back to the three-point checklist, and presumably Gustav can check off all three. In which case, he's good to go, unless he transfers yet again, at which point he's no longer a one-time exemption.

On the other hand, if I'm reading too much into this, and in fact Gustav shouldn't be playing this fall, then if I'm a coach or AD competing with USD, I'm on the phone to the NCAA tomorrow morning to alert them to a possible rules violation.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2018, 11:23:16 PM
North Park opened the season this evening with a 3-0 win over Illinois Tech at IIT's Stuart Field. I had to keep checking the game program to figure out who I was looking at -- John Born used 22 Vikings in the match (one of them, #33 Patrick Knap, was omitted from the box score, likely an oversight by a busy scorer), and that group of 22 included five sophomores and ten freshmen. Two of the freshmen, Joachim Hoff and Benjamin Nygaard (both Norwegians) scored, with sophomore Alfredo "Sauce" Pichardo, a part-time reserve last season, notching his first collegiate goal as well. The Vikings scored twice in the opening eight minutes, and then the floodgate of substitutions opened.

NPU utterly dominated throughout, winning the battle of shots, 13 (8) to 2 (2), and corners by 8-0. Matthias Stulen didn't have to exert himself to record the shutout, as he didn't even touch the ball for the first time until the match was nearly ten minutes old and was never seriously challenged. Nevertheless, the Vikings didn't look all that sharp as a team. As you'd expect with so many new faces out on the pitch and so much substituting, there were a ton of missed connections and miscommunications. The Vikings basically ran off the Scarlet Hawks on sheer athleticism and ball skills. Once the newbies get a few matches under their belts and start to click with the returning players, watch out. NPU looks like it could be stacked for the next several seasons.

Among the freshmen who stood out to me were Hoff (a big, heady center forward), Angel Barriga (aptly named, because he doesn't run, he flies), and Deni Cresto (a canny Brazilian midfielder who did a nice job of quarterbacking the team from the middle of the pitch and who assumed the right-footed set-piece duties taken by Gustav Ericsson last season). Knap, the kid who played but didn't get into the box score, was a dominant force in the Public League last year playing for Taft, and the coaches are high on him as well. In terms of returnees, Gustav Leander appears to be fully healed from the broken leg that kept him out most of last season, as he was much more mobile tonight than he was during last season's playoff run; the back line of Kyle Robson, Leander, Ricky Pimentel, and Jason Gonzalez has the potential to be the best that North Park has ever fielded. Shatil Khoury, who didn't start, is back from his preseason leg injury and played a lot of second-half minutes. That was great to see; the Vikings need Khoury up top to really click.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't put a lot of stock in this outcome, although I do think that Illinois Tech (1-1) will ultimately acquit itself fairly well in the NACC. The Scarlet Hawks were picked 6th of 12 in the NACC preseason poll, which isn't bad for a side that's totally unfamiliar to the other NACC coaches, seeing as how this is Illinois Tech's first season in the league. But, realistically, this was viewed as a warmup by the Vikings coaches, who treated it accordingly in terms of the players used and the minutes distribution.

I always enjoy watching a sporting event at IIT. What a cool campus that is.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: D3soccerwatcher on September 03, 2018, 09:31:47 AM
Sager - Nice write up. Thanks for the report.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 03, 2018, 10:25:36 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2018, 11:23:16 PM
North Park opened the season this evening with a 3-0 win over Illinois Tech at IIT's Stuart Field. I had to keep checking the game program to figure out who I was looking at -- John Born used 22 Vikings in the match (one of them, #33 Patrick Knap, was omitted from the box score, likely an oversight by a busy scorer), and that group of 22 included five sophomores and ten freshmen. Two of the freshmen, Joachim Hoff and Benjamin Nygaard (both Norwegians) scored, with sophomore Alfredo "Sauce" Pichardo, a part-time reserve last season, notching his first collegiate goal as well. The Vikings scored twice in the opening eight minutes, and then the floodgate of substitutions opened.

NPU utterly dominated throughout, winning the battle of shots, 13 (8) to 2 (2), and corners by 8-0. Matthias Stulen didn't have to exert himself to record the shutout, as he didn't even touch the ball for the first time until the match was nearly ten minutes old and was never seriously challenged. Nevertheless, the Vikings didn't look all that sharp as a team. As you'd expect with so many new faces out on the pitch and so much substituting, there were a ton of missed connections and miscommunications. The Vikings basically ran off the Scarlet Hawks on sheer athleticism and ball skills. Once the newbies get a few matches under their belts and start to click with the returning players, watch out. NPU looks like it could be stacked for the next several seasons.

Among the freshmen who stood out to me were Hoff (a big, heady center forward), Angel Barriga (aptly named, because he doesn't run, he flies), and Deni Cresto (a canny Brazilian midfielder who did a nice job of quarterbacking the team from the middle of the pitch and who assumed the right-footed set-piece duties taken by Gustav Ericsson last season). Knap, the kid who played but didn't get into the box score, was a dominant force in the Public League last year playing for Taft, and the coaches are high on him as well. In terms of returnees, Gustav Leander appears to be fully healed from the broken leg that kept him out most of last season, as he was much more mobile tonight than he was during last season's playoff run; the back line of Kyle Robson, Leander, Ricky Pimentel, and Jason Gonzalez has the potential to be the best that North Park has ever fielded. Shatil Khoury, who didn't start, is back from his preseason leg injury and played a lot of second-half minutes. That was great to see; the Vikings need Khoury up top to really click.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't put a lot of stock in this outcome, although I do think that Illinois Tech (1-1) will ultimately acquit itself fairly well in the NACC. The Scarlet Hawks were picked 6th of 12 in the NACC preseason poll, which isn't bad for a side that's totally unfamiliar to the other NACC coaches, seeing as how this is Illinois Tech's first season in the league. But, realistically, this was viewed as a warmup by the Vikings coaches, who treated it accordingly in terms of the players used and the minutes distribution.

I always enjoy watching a sporting event at IIT. What a cool campus that is.

I watched a little of the game video this morning, which is available via Illinois Tech's athletic site.  I had seen the Deni Cresto recruiting video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41TYyXAn4g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41TYyXAn4g)  on youtube, but found it hard to believe that 'kid' could be coming to NPU.  He's really impressive and will be a great distributor.

I think I read that Barriga scored 35 goals and had 24 assists last year?  I don't know who Fenton plays, but I know it's not small school ball in rural Ohio, so those must be serious numbers.

Knap isn't listed on NPU's website either, which is why he's probably not in the box score since he doesn't exist to a degree.

Individual skill did not drop after substitutions.  it's going to be Born's job to find the right combinations and I suspect some subs will eventually be starters....
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on September 03, 2018, 10:59:40 AM
It truly saddens me to see the NPU roster.  A 23 year old Brazilian freshman midfielder?  Come on already.  I know not everyone will agree with me, but to me that's not what D3 soccer is about. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 03, 2018, 11:25:17 AM
Quote from: EB2319 on September 03, 2018, 10:59:40 AM
It truly saddens me to see the NPU roster.  A 23 year old Brazilian freshman midfielder?  Come on already.  I know not everyone will agree with me, but to me that's not what D3 soccer is about.

So, a young person wants to attend a university alone in a foreign country and pay to play soccer in the smallest NCAA athletic with rules that allow it; but they shouldn't be allowed due to unwritten principles? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 03, 2018, 12:16:29 PM
Quote from: EB2319 on September 03, 2018, 10:59:40 AM
It truly saddens me to see the NPU roster.  A 23 year old Brazilian freshman midfielder?  Come on already.  I know not everyone will agree with me, but to me that's not what D3 soccer is about.

So what is D3 soccer about? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on September 03, 2018, 02:06:24 PM
As I said, not everyone will agree with me and I see the NPU faithful are out in force.  To each their own.  I just don't see how recruiting an international team of grown men is good for D3 soccer.  It reminds me of the youth coaches who flight their teams down just so they can get a trophy. 

And I'm curious, would you guys know the 4 year graduation rate of the international soccer players? Of the 20 internationals on the roster, there are only 3 juniors and no seniors.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 03, 2018, 03:43:13 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 03, 2018, 10:25:36 AMI watched a little of the game video this morning, which is available via Illinois Tech's athletic site.  I had seen the Deni Cresto recruiting video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41TYyXAn4g (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w41TYyXAn4g)  on youtube, but found it hard to believe that 'kid' could be coming to NPU.  He's really impressive and will be a great distributor.

Yeah, he wasn't mentioned in terms of what the coaches had previously told me about the freshmen, but he clearly belongs out on the pitch with the starters.

Quote from: Gotberg on September 03, 2018, 10:25:36 AMI think I read that Barriga scored 35 goals and had 24 assists last year?  I don't know who Fenton plays, but I know it's not small school ball in rural Ohio, so those must be serious numbers.

Fenton plays in the Metro Suburban Conference, a mixed league of fourteen high schools from all over the Chicagoland suburbs that includes public schools such as Glenbard South, Riverside-Brookfield, Elmwood Park, Ridgewood, and Fenton, and some of the larger private schools in the area, including Aurora Central Catholic, Guerin, and Illiana Christian. Most notably for CCIW purposes, it includes Wheaton Academy as well; the Warriors have been a major feeder program for NPU archrival Wheaton for generations, so any league that includes Wheaton Academy is a league that has good soccer players in it. (WA is 5-0 this season, with a 22-1 goals spread after manhandling four suburban public schools and Cleveland-area powerhouse Cuyahoga Valley Christian).

Quote from: Gotberg on September 03, 2018, 10:25:36 AMKnap isn't listed on NPU's website either, which is why he's probably not in the box score since he doesn't exist to a degree.

He's on the roster. Look again.

Quote from: Gotberg on September 03, 2018, 10:25:36 AMIndividual skill did not drop after substitutions.  it's going to be Born's job to find the right combinations and I suspect some subs will eventually be starters....

John will have his usual interesting decisions to make, that's for sure.

Quote from: EB2319 on September 03, 2018, 10:59:40 AM
It truly saddens me to see the NPU roster.  A 23 year old Brazilian freshman midfielder?  Come on already.  I know not everyone will agree with me, but to me that's not what D3 soccer is about. 

Quote from: EB2319 on September 03, 2018, 02:06:24 PM
As I said, not everyone will agree with me and I see the NPU faithful are out in force.  To each their own.  I just don't see how recruiting an international team of grown men is good for D3 soccer.  It reminds me of the youth coaches who flight their teams down just so they can get a trophy.

Cry me a river. These student-athletes were completely recruited on the up-and-up, and they're every bit as entitled to participate in intercollegiate athletics as is anyone else, just as they are every bit as entitled to get an education from an American school as is anyone else. As for the age thing, you seem to have forgotten the fact that there is no age limit imposed upon NCAA Division III student-athletes.

Like it or not, international students are a major part of American higher education nowadays, and their importance gets bigger every year as far as a lot of small colleges and universities are concerned. Given the competition, the increasingly high costs of running an institution of higher learning (including monies distributed as financial aid), the budgetary needs of small schools that are often tuition-driven in terms of the annual bottom line, and the perceived diversity value of having students from other parts of the world, it only makes sense to bring in young people from overseas who are going to pay full boat (or close to it, as far as the school is concerned) for their education. You need look no further than the school that hosted last night's match, Illinois Tech, for proof of that; IIT's undergraduate student body is 21% international (and the majority of grad students are international as well).

International students not only make North Park's athletics teams better, they make the school as a whole better, whether they play sports or not. None of us who support the school are going to apologize for them. Quite the opposite, in fact.

It's also not an "international team". A bunch of North Park's key players are Americans, including three of the four members of the back line (seniors Kyle Robson, Ricky Pimentel, and Jason Gonzalez) that is the heart of this squad.

Quote from: EB2319 on September 03, 2018, 02:06:24 PMAnd I'm curious, would you guys know the 4 year graduation rate of the international soccer players? Of the 20 internationals on the roster, there are only 3 juniors and no seniors.

Do you really want to know why? It's because most of North Park's soccer players graduate after three years at NPU. The vast majority of NPU's soccer players over the years have been from Sweden and Norway, two countries whose gymnasium systems of secondary education offer much more in the way of college-level courses than do American high schools and their comparatively modest advanced-placement curricula. The Scandinavian players thus arrive at NPU with plenty of transferable credits in hand and the intention to only go to school there for three years, sometimes even only two, which makes a North Park bachelors degree more affordable for them but also makes recruiting them somewhat of a tradeoff for the Vikings coaching staff.

For example, you need look no further than last season's leading scorer in the CCIW, Carel Kawele, a Swede. He graduated in three years. Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh, the 2015 All-American striker and CCIW leading scorer? Same deal -- came and went in three years, eschewing a final season at North Park to return home to Sweden with degree in hand. Mathias Warp, NPU's All-American center mid and the CCIW's Player of the Year last season, graduated this past May after only two years at North Park. NPU head coach John Born was unable to persuade him to enroll in grad school at North Park, so Mathias has returned home to Norway.

The international-player graduation rate isn't 100%, because a private school in the United States is very expensive, and the Scandinavian students are all well aware that they can attend university back home for free on the taxpayer's kronor. That's how NPU lost one of its starters from last year, Norwegian defensive mid Isaac Roseholt, while another international-student starter from last season's team, Gustav Ericsson, transferred to D1 San Diego, where is on full scholarship (and has been a starter since Day One, incidentally) and is living the dream of every Swede ... 365 days a year of warm weather. :D But the international student-athletes at NPU who stay for more than one school year invariably graduate. That number is either 100% or close to it -- and I say with all sincerity that a lot of those young men and women graduate with honors cords around their neck, too. They tend on average to be more diligent about their schoolwork than are their American counterparts in the student body.

International students are an important part of NPU's student body -- and plenty of them don't play sports, either. As I said, none of us are going to apologize for them, whether they play sports or not.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on September 03, 2018, 03:58:00 PM
Thanks for the insights on the graduation rate. It was truly an honest question and not a dig.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 03, 2018, 04:00:33 PM
Fair enough.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 04, 2018, 09:19:59 PM
I watched most of the Wheaton @ Albion match this afternoon/evening, and the ref sure had his work cut out for him today.  7 cards handed out, and I think there could have been at least a couple more.  It was a physical game.  There were some reckless/dangerous challenges from both sides, but a couple from Wheaton seemed especially egregious.  There was one very rough collision that left a Wheaton player on the ground for several minutes, I believe he walked off on his own.  I sure hope he's okay. 

Wheaton seemed to have the upper hand for most of the first half and were up 2-0 until the last 12 seconds of the first half when Albion score it's first on a set piece (I believe)  Albion tied it up quickly into the second half (again from a set piece I believe).  Wheaton went down to 10 men just a minute or two later.  From that point on the game actually seemed pretty even.  Both teams had chances throughout the second period and both over time periods. 

The game ended in a 2-2 draw.  That seems like a bad result for Wheaton, even considering they were down a man for almost 65 minutes.  Albion was picked to finish 5th in the MIAA this season and they finished a poor 6-8-4 last season (finishing 6th in the MIAA)

Wheaton looks like a quick team with some good ball skills, but they were lacklustre tonight in their passing (that can probably be said for most teams at this point in the season though!). 

I look forward to seeing North park take on Albion in a couple weeks to see how things compare.     
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PM
Quote from: EB2319 on September 03, 2018, 10:59:40 AM
It truly saddens me to see the NPU roster.  A 23 year old Brazilian freshman midfielder?  Come on already.  I know not everyone will agree with me, but to me that's not what D3 soccer is about.

I have seen this argument for years in D3 Soccer. Whether its North Park or Salem State in the 80's or whoever it may be. I have always argued that if a school / program wants to have international players, while I disagree with passing on American players for foreign ones, the said program has every right to have them. My issue for years has been the AGE of these international players. A 23 year old Frosh means he will be 26 as a Senior going against 18 year old kids. That is men against boys and just not right and goes against all of what a D3 education / athletics is about . UMASS Boston when they had a 27 year old Frosh a couple years ago was a fully grown matured man going against boys. It is absolutely RIDICULOUS. So I have always said International players are fine but for D3 Sports there MUST be an age limit for incoming Frosh. Maybe 19-20 years old would be a good cut off. As far as these international players that want a US education and to play sports in their mid-20's than they should be enrolling in D2 schools. Some D2 schools encourage this and are known for it and are allowed to do this. Not sure about all D2 rules but this has been a norm for years. My only issue with hammering North Park on this now is because they are winning and succeeding better than they ever have. So I am guessing North Park has been doing this for years and maybe have been somewhat successful regionally but certainly not nationally. So the moment this program becomes a success nationwide people start to take notice and this issue becomes front and center. Where were these said people before? You can imagine if a couple posters on here are complaining about this what North Park's league foes are saying. I am betting this is becoming a hot issue behind the scenes with opposing AD's / Coaches and Admin of its league and regional rivals.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2018, 04:05:16 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PMMy issue for years has been the AGE of these international players. A 23 year old Frosh means he will be 26 as a Senior going against 18 year old kids. That is men against boys and just not right and goes against all of what a D3 education / athletics is about .

Wrong. In fact, you have it totally backwards. Since its inception in the early '70s, D3 has never placed an age limit upon participation. This is the division in which middle-aged men can, and have, played in football games as kickers, and in which a man in his forties played basketball for Geneva and multiple women in their forties have run on cross-country teams. The idea in D3 is that intercollegiate athletics is open to everyone who is enrolled as a full-time student, without discrimination. Age discrimination is no different than any other form of discrimination in terms of being a negative, an unwanted and unfair barrier that the all-inclusive nature of the division attempts to erase.

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PMUMASS Boston when they had a 27 year old Frosh a couple years ago was a fully grown matured man going against boys. It is absolutely RIDICULOUS.

It's not ridiculous. It is, as I said, in keeping with the non-discriminatory and all-inclusive ethos of NCAA Division III athletics. The no-age-limit rule is in the D3 handbook for a reason.

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PMSo I have always said International players are fine but for D3 Sports there MUST be an age limit for incoming Frosh.

"Must"? Are you making the rules now? Gee, I always thought that it was the presidents of D3 member institutions that made the rules at the annual D3 convention.

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PMMaybe 19-20 years old would be a good cut off. As far as these international players that want a US education and to play sports in their mid-20's than they should be enrolling in D2 schools. Some D2 schools encourage this and are known for it and are allowed to do this. Not sure about all D2 rules but this has been a norm for years.

Again, this is completely off-base. D2 is a scholarship division. It has a completely different mission with regard to the needs and the goals of its consituent institutions. D2 is not about student-athlete participation (or at least not in the "everybody can play" sense that is paramount in D3). It's about the profile and outreach of the institution. D2 restricts participation by means of offering athletic scholarships. D3 opens it up to everyone by forbidding athletic scholarships. Telling people who are above an arbitrary age cutoff point that they can only participate in intercollegiate athletics if they are given a scholarship to do so is discriminatory.

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PMMy only issue with hammering North Park on this now is because they are winning and succeeding better than they ever have. So I am guessing North Park has been doing this for years and maybe have been somewhat successful regionally but certainly not nationally. So the moment this program becomes a success nationwide people start to take notice and this issue becomes front and center. Where were these said people before?

Wheaton had plenty of sour grapes when North Park started winning and became a regional-level power a decade and a half ago. The CCIW was no longer Wheaton's private little sandbox as far as soccer was concerned, and that ticked off the Wheaties. So the Wheaton soccer people tried to get North Park investigated by the NCAA for using players that had been paid at some point in their leagues overseas and were thus no longer of amateur status. Wheaton's fishing expedition failed, because NPU has always scrupulously followed the rules concerning amateur status in overseas leagues. But the important point here was that Wheaton was concerned about NPU violating D3's standing rules, not about NPU observing D3 standing rules that Wheaton just didn't like. In other words, Wheaton didn't waste its time tilting at nonexistent windmills the way that you are.

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 12:14:55 PMYou can imagine if a couple posters on here are complaining about this what North Park's league foes are saying. I am betting this is becoming a hot issue behind the scenes with opposing AD's / Coaches and Admin of its league and regional rivals.

It's not "becoming" anything. North Park has been recruiting Swedish soccer players for a generation now, and it'd had numerous Swedish walk-ons of various ages for a generation before that. It's old news as far as the CCIW is concerned. As for your complaint being more general, I've heard it all before. Coaches and ADs know D3's rules as well as anyone. And the people who run things at those schools understand the D3 philosophy concerning general student participation in athletics in D3.

By no means are all of North Park's international players older than their American classmates on the team, although it's not unusual for an international player to be a year or two older than his classmates. A player like Deni Cresto is definitely the exception in terms of age. But, regardless, his presence on the Vikings is not only perfectly legal, it's in keeping with D3's stated philosophy of opening intercollegiate athletics participation to all full-time students, regardless of age, gender, creed, color, faith, sexual orientation, etc. And North Park enjoys no competitive advantage due to this rule, for the simple reason that any D3 soccer coach could recruit a Deni Cresto if he chose to do so.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:19:55 PM
Mr. Sager, you are completely off-base.

Mr.Right didn't indicate he doesn't know the rules.  He surely does.  His post indicates as much.  He said he doesn't agree with the policy, so debate him on those grounds if you must.

And there is a competitive advantage in terms of 25-25+ men playing against 18/19 year olds.  If a team has one or two, then fine, but a handful or more does tilt the scales.


You also missed that Mr.Right actually defended NPU, by saying folks (other than Wheaton) haven't really complained or even noticed that much before until NPU became a bigger deal.  And if NPU makes another Final Four you will surely hear even more complaints.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 04:27:23 PM
Ill just delete this post. Its just not worth it but if Sager believes the D3 mission is to have 45 year old Frosh kicking field goals then so be it. It might be within the rules but the school and the program are going almost one foot over the line doing this. Schools like this belong in D2
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:38:05 PM
One other thing.  What D3 Presidents vote on has nothing to do with whether they specifically considered or would endorse a team of 25 year olds (or a majority or even handful) for D3 competition.  That's not to say they wouldn't allow it, but that's a far cry from an endorsement or something actually intended from a policy point of view.  And I think many of us would argue that such a scenario violates the spirit (if not the "rules") of D3 athletic competition.  For heaven sakes, IT IS D3, not a semi-professional league.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2018, 05:06:42 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:19:55 PM
Mr. Sager, you are completely off-base.

Disagree. He attacked the rules, I defended them.

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:19:55 PMMr.Right didn't indicate he doesn't know the rules.  He surely does.  His post indicates as much.  He said he doesn't agree with the policy, so debate him on those grounds if you must.

I am debating him on those grounds. I've not only reiterated the rules, I've explained the reasoning behind them.

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:19:55 PM
And there is a competitive advantage in terms of 25-25+ men playing against 18/19 year olds.  If a team has one or two, then fine, but a handful or more does tilt the scales.

Nobody's questioning the sports truism that athletes tend to hit their primes between the ages of 25-30. But, again, you're imposing the same sort of arbitrary cutoff points that he was. One or two players between 25-30? He doesn't think that there ought to be any at all. And why one or two? In fact, which ... one or two? And why 25 instead of his cutoff point of no freshmen older than 20?

But you're missing the larger point here, which is that sports on every level is replete with competitive advantages. Heck, competitive advantages are at the very heart of what intercollegiate athletics recruiting is all about. If I'm a D3 basketball coach, I'm going to try to recruit a player with low-post skills who is 6'8. Why? Because that gives me a competitive advantage over my league rivals who have centers that only stand 6'5. If I'm a baseball coach, I'm going to try to find a pitcher who can hit 90 on the radar gun with his fastball. Why? Because that's a heckuva lot harder than the typical D3 pitcher can throw, and it gives me a -- you guessed it -- competitive advantage over other D3 baseball teams.

We have a couple of posters here who spent the summer posting about the sprint times of Messiah recruits. Why focus upon the 40 times of soccer recruits? Competitive advantage.

So, do we tell D3 basketball coaches that there's now the equivalent of one of those "you must not be taller than x" signs at the kiddie rides at the county fair, that 6'8 players are now illegal because they're too tall? Are we going to make everybody who has ever been documented as having run a 4.7 40 or better ineligible for soccer? It's Vonnegut's "Harrison Bergeron" all over again. Any intrinsic reason that makes one of your players better than the norm is now verboten. Age is no different than height or size or overly abundant fast-twitch thigh muscles in that regard.

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:19:55 PM
You also missed that Mr.Right actually defended NPU, by saying folks (other than Wheaton) haven't really complained or even noticed that much before until NPU became a bigger deal.  And if NPU makes another Final Four you will surely hear even more complaints.

I didn't miss it. But if that's the kind of "defense" that he's going to offer, then you'll have to excuse me for not thanking him, because he devoted most of his post to attacking NPU for playing someone like Deni Cresto. What you missed is that Wheaton didn't complain about it. Wheaton complained about something completely different, which was my whole point in raising that incident. As for people complaining if NPU makes another Final Four, let them. The one thing upon which Mr. Right and I agree is that this whole argument is predicated upon North Park's success -- ergo, more complaints means more Vikings success, which I'm all in favor of.  ;)

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 04:38:05 PM
One other thing.  What D3 Presidents vote on has nothing to do with whether they specifically considered or would endorse a team of 25 year olds (or a majority or even handful) for D3 competition.  That's not to say they wouldn't allow it, but that's a far cry from an endorsement or something actually intended from a policy point of view.  And I think many of us would argue that such a scenario violates the spirit (if not the "rules") of D3 athletic competition.  For heaven sakes, IT IS D3, not a semi-professional league.

It has nothing at all to do with endorsement. The NCAA leadership hasn't set out to compile a midrash on how its rules should be used. It simply presents the rules, as is, without commentary.

Everything else you've said here is sheer speculation. To the best of my knowledge, nobody in any D3 sport has ever sought to construct a team of 25-year-olds, or one with a majority of 25-year-olds, or even one with a handful of 25-year-olds (however big a handful is). There's an obvious cultural reason for that: 25-year-olds in our society aren't typically full-time students who don't have full-time jobs that eliminate their opportunity to participate in intercollegiate athletics. In terms of the overall D3 student-athlete population, 25-year-olds are always going to be as rare as hen's teeth. And, since nobody's getting paid to don a D3 uniform, "semi-professional" doesn't enter into it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2018, 05:09:05 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 04:27:23 PM
Would you allow me to give you a solid punch in the face? Kind of a brotherly love type thing.

Really? A physical threat? How old are you, anyway?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 05:19:22 PM
Not a threat...I asked...you can say no...I'm done with this
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2018, 05:20:22 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 04:27:23 PM
Ill just delete this post. Its just not worth it but if Sager believes the D3 mission is to have 45 year old Frosh kicking field goals then so be it.

That's a distortion of what I said. I said that the D3 mission is to have participation open to 45-year-old frosh who want to kick field goals for their school.

Quote from: Mr.Right on September 05, 2018, 04:27:23 PMIt might be within the rules but the school and the program are going almost one foot over the line doing this. Schools like this belong in D2

We are going to have to agree to disagree about this. As I said, the no-age-requirement rule has been in effect in D3 since the division was created over forty years ago. Nobody has any part of their anatomy crossing the line over this. And this is exactly what D3 is about -- not D2, D3.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 05:31:34 PM
Sager, you made it sound as though the rules were devised specifically to allow for what you are talking about.  Do you truly believe that's what the Presidents had in mind when they met or will meet again???

And your logic is seriously flawed, and often so.  Seeking competitive advantage (better, faster, etc) is NOT the same as a major age difference.  I won't ever have a problem with on eor two ad if that's the case with NPU, fine, but your argument is specifically argued to allow for a team of all 25 year olds. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 05:37:52 PM
I never cease to be amazed from a psychological point of view how sanctimonious and myopic some of us (all of us?) can get about "our" schools.  This NPU is just absurdly over the top, as is the idea continual rant about Messiah "yet again" getting manhandled in abusive ways, as though Messiah (as even their announcers admit happens) never committed an overly physical or even dangerous foul.  Let's just gift the title and cancel the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on September 05, 2018, 09:15:44 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 05:37:52 PM
I never cease to be amazed from a psychological point of view how sanctimonious and myopic some of us (all of us?) can get about "our" schools.  This NPU is just absurdly over the top, as is the idea continual rant about Messiah "yet again" getting manhandled in abusive ways, as though Messiah (as even their announcers admit happens) never committed an overly physical or even dangerous foul.  Let's just gift the title and cancel the season.

My rant, Paul, has always and only been about cards not given, not physical play per se. And, I will continue to note it when I see it. When officials fail to enforce rules, it usually de facto favors one team over another--not in an appropriate way, based on talent or plays made or strategy employed, but in a totally inappropriate way. If officials suddenly decided that there aren't going to be any offside calls today, you can see how that would favor one team inappropriately over another.

Cards not given do not merely give an inappropriate advantage to one team; they also tend to result in more injuries--and probably the majority of those to the players who are smaller, regardless of whom they happen to play for.

Paul, when I ranted last fall about certain leagues and certain teams being encouraged by their coaches to play too aggressively, if you check I think you will see that the evidence was taken usually from games Messiah wasn't part of, or leagues to which Messiah doesn't belong. And, if I recall correctly, many people other than me were disgusted by certain players from Montclair being ejected in crucial late season games, or a certain player from Lycoming earning a red for physically attacking an opponent as his team exited the tournament. Messiah wasn't involved in either of those games. But, most of the games I see in person involve the Falcons, so when I notice incompetent officiating and comment on it (in the context of not issuing cards for cardable offenses, resulting only in further instances of such offenses b/c the players know they won't be carded), Messiah is pretty likely to have been in that game. And, I will call it. Every time I see it. Regardless of who's playing--but it will usually be Messiah for reasons just explained.

Give me all the -K you wish (and I think that's the source of all or most of mine), or just ignore what I say. It won't change the nature of my commentary. For much more than a century, head hunting was considered "part of the game" in baseball. That sorry state of affairs finally changed, but only after many men lost careers and one man lost his life. Losing control of a soccer game isn't on quite that level, but if incompetent officiating results in young men losing the opportunity to play most or all of a season, including a senior season, not to mention lots of $ spent on medical care and time lost on recovery, then it needs to be called out. Soccer is dangerous enough to knees and heads already. The rules exist to try to keep a lid on the violence, and to do that they must be enforced. (Actually, Paul, I sense you might actually agree with this. If so, I invite you to start calling out bad officiating too--whether or not Kenyon was involved in that game.)

Do Messiah players also get cards? Certainly. Of course they do--anyone can miss a tackle or dispute a call too strongly or even lose his temper and just take an opposing player down. They're a matter of public record. Go see for yourself: https://gomessiah.com/sports/2012/1/9/MSOC_0109123659.aspx?path=msoc. There's a distinct lack of reds in that record, however, perhaps even a total absence as far back as the online record book goes. (And, if it went back a lot further, you'd find a full season without a single card of any color. You really would.) Call me "sanctimonious" if you like, but I'm showing you facts that are easy to check. (And, they are hardly alone in this. Many other programs respect the game and their opponents just as well as the Falcons do. My problem is with those that don't, and the officials who enable them.)

As for gifting the title, I'd love to know how that works. I doubt a single Falcon player last fall felt that anyone owed him anything, but I'm open to persuasion. I know that the seniors were strongly motivated by having never won a title, but so far I haven't turned up any evidence that it arrived gift wrapped in the mail. All indications are that they had to come from behind multiple times, or score with just a few seconds left, to grab that prize. Maybe I haven't yet looked in the right place, and you could help with that.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 09:47:39 PM
Falconer, I've never given you any negative K....you may have noticed I have quite a bit myself (no doubt some well earned).

I also was probably the primary critic of Montclair in terms of your reference there.  I thought the behavior of a couple of players and maybe one in particular was outlandish (and very detrimental to his own team).  I was probably the most vociferous calling out the kid from Tufts who viciously elbowed a Bowdoin player.  I've commented in both directions on Amherst.

My recollection when you lamented "yet again" you were forced to comment on behavior against Messiah is that you have focused on abuse against Messiah.  That's how I recall your focus on Lycoming last year.  The between the lines message for me is that Messiah plays the beautiful game and plays the right way (I generally agree actually) and that some of these other teams (NJAC, Lycoming, SUNYAC, Amherst, etc) are the thugs who are a clear and present danger to the Messiah dynasty because of alleged intent to injure.  I certainly don't want to see any player injured or miss a season.  And I will call that out when I see that kind of intent.  Another prominent poster challenged you on the most recent example.  I didn't study it so I don't know.  I was just picking up on the first thing you focused on (a lot) after the first game of the year is how I remember you focusing towards the end of last year. 

My guess is that Messiah generally gives as good as they get.  Those 2013 and 2014 teams were among the biggest teams I've seen in D3....like the varsity version of OWU is how I saw them....much bigger and more physical with the similar beautiful style.  Now, do teams try to be physical against Messiah because Messiah has so many advantages all over the pitch, often at every single position on the field?  Of course....but that's not unique to Messiah....that's what teams do when they play teams far superior.  Again, I'm not condoning violence or intent to injure or even just careless dangerous play, But Messiah is not unique in hoping to avoid serious and unnecessary injuries.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 10:03:07 PM
And Falconer, I'll be honest about how I interpreted your post on an immediate gut level.  My takeaway is that you were ticked off that Cortland held Messiah to a draw especially on the home field in the first game of the year.  My comment about gifting the title was more about sensing overanxious about the draw hurting Messiah in some way or ruining a perfect season or something like that when we all know Messiah will be just fine.  There seemed to be a lot of angst in the post about Messiah's season possibly being seriously impacted by injuries from that game.  The reason I often include myself is because I know I watch and recall games in similar ways.  We all naturally recall the plays and calls impacting our team while not necessarily remembering weird events and shots off posts and bad calls that hurt the opponent.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on September 06, 2018, 03:11:45 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 10:03:07 PM
And Falconer, I'll be honest about how I interpreted your post on an immediate gut level.  My takeaway is that you were ticked off that Cortland held Messiah to a draw especially on the home field in the first game of the year.  My comment about gifting the title was more about sensing overanxious about the draw hurting Messiah in some way or ruining a perfect season or something like that when we all know Messiah will be just fine.  There seemed to be a lot of angst in the post about Messiah's season possibly being seriously impacted by injuries from that game.  The reason I often include myself is because I know I watch and recall games in similar ways.  We all naturally recall the plays and calls impacting our team while not necessarily remembering weird events and shots off posts and bad calls that hurt the opponent.

Paul, I appreciate the generous spirit with which you received my pointed reply. +K for you. (I should have made it clearer that I don't actually think you've given me -K in the past; I was just saying in a less-than-ideal way that I'll keep noticing bad officiating and if you or anyone else wants to respond with -K, I won't care. I will try to keep it down a bit, since I notice it a lot, but the egregious games with clueless officials will still draw fire.)  I understand why you concluded I was mad about an opening draw at home, and I'm glad you now see that my ire had nothing to do with the score. I've watched a lot of opening games, and when the Falcons lose or draw (or win half-heartedly) I either credit the opponent, criticize the Falcons, or both. I did both in my account of the Cortland game, especially crediting them for two lovely goals. I was overall pretty happy with how the Falcons played, and angry only at the officiating for reasons already known. Give me the same score without the muggings and I'm totally fine with that game.

Everyone here knows I'm a homer--I chose my screen name so as not to pretend otherwise. I can hardly complain if folks think I'm just bellyaching about physical teams, b/c they might impede the Falcons' progress toward yet another title. Some will think that, regardless of what I might say now or down the road. Let folks think what they might, my precise complaint is about officials who don't get control of excessive violence from the first instance. That's my beef, and I doubt I'm alone to think it's rampant in D3. Yes, some teams are more guilty of taking advantage of this situation than others--and yes, I do implicitly point fingers at coaches who encourage that, but the officials are the main object of my ire. It's usually in the context of a team playing in Grantham, b/c nearly all of the live soccer I see happens there. In a rare instance, neither team is Messiah: I recall watching a national final here eons ago (Stockton beat Redlands), in which I think both teams were very physical, but I think several cards were called so I would have been happy about the officials. I can't find a box score and I don't trust my memory, but if anyone finds the box I'd love to sharpen that fading memory.

I'm all about keeping the lid on it, and I appreciate officials who take that approach--regardless of who's playing. If it looks cardable, give the card--and you probably won't have to give a lot more, and you've lessened the likelihood that a man gets hurt, including a man who's innocent of wrongdoing on the play. (In the Cortland game last weekend, the same 2 or 3 guys kept knocking the same people down. If you card that the first time, it probably stops.)

I'll close this by referencing a common refrain I've heard for nearly twenty years in various places, including while sitting in the stands watching games--that people like me get riled about this, b/c the Falcons are just "soft" and we're afraid that our boys might be intimidated into losing to a big team that couldn't beat us playing our style. I bet there's a lot of people out there who've played the Falcons, who know that they don't get intimidated (though they do get defeated), and who realize that the Falcons (and their fans) expect opponents to play to win, using their own favored styles of soccer. Most teams do it by packing it in, doing their best to prevent an early Falcon goal while hoping to get one themselves off a quick counter or a Falcon defensive mistake--or even a great shot (Cortland had one and maybe two of those last week, but they weren't packing it in). Some teams play the Falcons straight up, sometimes getting the result they want but not often. And, some teams just try to knock the Falcons silly in an effort to throw them off their game or intimidate them. That's the type of strategy that can be legal--physical contact isn't necessarily outside the rules--but often leads to cheap shots, especially when officials just "let them play." When properly monitored, I have no problem with it. Use your size to advantage: that's not different intrinsically from using speed or skill to your advantage. Indeed, as you noted, Paul, some Falcon teams have had the size to play that way themselves. But, it's a lot tougher to get away with breaking rules in the other strategies. Offsides, ordinary fouls, and obvious PKs are often called, and when they aren't men aren't usually hurt. Muggings take place when the third strategy is used and officials can't find their cards. My beef goes no further than that.

My best wishes to you, Paul. 



Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 03:45:08 PM
+K falconer.....there's nothing wrong with me that a national title (or four) wouldn't cure... ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 1970s NESCAC Player on September 06, 2018, 05:24:34 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 03:45:08 PM
+K falconer.....there's nothing wrong with me that a national title (or four) wouldn't cure... ;)

Davidson or Kenyon?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 05:53:02 PM
LOL. Don't care too much about my alma mater...and I will cheer mightily against the Warriors and Steph Curry if the Celtics and my favorite coach on the planet, Brad Stevens, get a crack at them.  Would love to see Kenyon get one and would be thrilled for the school and the alums of the program.

I have been a UK bball fan for life since listening to Cawood Ledford in the car with my Dad since age 6 (58 now).  And I could not care less if Calipari cheats if the Wildcats hang another banner....at least not hypocritical like Coach K and Duke which is 35 miles from where I grew up.  Was with my Dad in Philly in the Duke section when friggin Laettner hit that shot. But we got them back in '98.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Pat Coleman on September 06, 2018, 08:53:26 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 05, 2018, 05:31:34 PM
Sager, you made it sound as though the rules were devised specifically to allow for what you are talking about.  Do you truly believe that's what the Presidents had in mind when they met or will meet again???

I know I'm weighing in on a topic that's been quiet for 24 hours, but there have been many older student-athletes playing at many schools across many sports. If the presidents of Division III schools thought there was an issue, they have had literally dozens of opportunities to make a change.

Fact of the matter is, the Division III philosophy specifically references focusing on participation opportunities, and on treating student-athletes the same as the rest of the student body. A 45-year-old wouldn't be prohibited from running for student government or participating in a student dramatic production, so this is in line with that.

I get that "Mr. Right" has a strongly held opinion on this, but it's not the prevailing opinion among the 450-plus Division III institutions, the ones that make the rules.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2018, 05:20:22 PM
I said that the D3 mission is to have participation open to 45-year-old frosh who want to kick field goals for their school.

Indeed.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 09:15:49 PM
I don't need to read all the minutes of D3 Presidents meetings to know that "access for all" was not intended to foreshadow any scenario where a significant portion of NCAA athletic teams would be substantially outside the norm.  Yes, the 68 year old man who completes high school and is a top squash player will be welcomed with open arms, as will the 35 year old war veteran who wants to fulfill his dream of college football.  None of that suggests some far-reaching endorsement or SYSTEMIC trend beyond usual norms, and I am absolutely certain that D3 Presidents NEVER intended to support anything that would smack of exploitation of D3 in some semi-professional way.  I wonder what the response would be if a school, by mission, filled their athletic teams with a majority of 25-27 year olds.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 09:25:21 PM
...and on treating student-athletes the same as the rest of the student body

Exactly...in terms of specific individuals, not as a systemic strategy counter to an institution's norms.  Imagine if Williams filled a D3 college hockey roster with 25 year old semi-pro Canadians, way out of line with the overall student body.  Embracing any student, including an outlier student, to play the lead in a college drama event is so not even close the counter-argument here.

As for NPU, as I already said, if the overall student body is full of older age internationals, then fine, but if there is a concerted strategy to have 25 year old internationals I am really going to be at a loss if some of you think that is competitive advantage in the same vein as seeking recruits with speed, skill, or some other athletic attribute that all coaches would seek.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on September 06, 2018, 09:28:19 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 09:15:49 PM
I wonder what the response would be if a school, by mission, filled their athletic teams with a majority of 25-27 year olds.

Go ahead and encourage someone to make it happen. I promise you, it won't happen for reasons Sager has pointed out already. Where you going to find all of these individuals who are willing to be in college at that age in life?

DIII presidents meet ... a lot. They meet as a council several times a year, they meet in their conference and regional meetings throughout the year, and they meet at the NCAA Convention and any other presidential convention. Add that all up on a yearly basis and multiplied over the history of Division III ... there has been plenty of times to discuss any "issues" with age. And yet, there has not been a single mention or proposal floated to put any kind of age restriction in place - at least in my 20 some odd years of covering DIII.

It does amaze me when people get their boxers in a twist because some older player is not only playing, but contributing. Instead of celebrating it and recognizing how it adds to what makes DIII so great ... people rather knock it down and find fault with it.

And the argument that it's unfair for those who are 18 or 19 to play against these individuals ... yeah, because suddenly that's an issue. Everyone is aware there is a significant difference between a senior and a freshman in most cases, right? What if these players chose to play professionally (in any capacity) ... as a 19 year old, should they not play in leagues with 25 or 30 year olds?

And how does ONE individual some how ruin the entire thing and make it "dangerous" for everyone else? The percentage of these individuals in DIII is staggeringly ... STAGGERINGLY ... low. But a rule should be created to stop a tiny number of insanely dedicated and resilient individuals. I only wish I could have still been playing collegiately at 25. I knew I was tapped out at 22... because those freshman were getting better and faster than me.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 09:56:12 PM
Bizarre.  I specifically said older individuals (as individuals) is great.  Maybe we are just missing each other.  One side is saying participation for all and "access for all" while the other is saying D3 was never intended to be professionalized.  That's all.

If we got really serious about this, we'd question recruitment.  We'd say all who come to a school can try out for teams and they'd be more like intramurals, and yes, no one would care about age. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Pat Coleman on September 06, 2018, 10:20:42 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 09:15:49 PM
I don't need to read all the minutes of D3 Presidents meetings to know that "access for all" was not intended to foreshadow any scenario where a significant portion of NCAA athletic teams would be substantially outside the norm.  Yes, the 68 year old man who completes high school and is a top squash player will be welcomed with open arms, as will the 35 year old war veteran who wants to fulfill his dream of college football.  None of that suggests some far-reaching endorsement or SYSTEMIC trend beyond usual norms, and I am absolutely certain that D3 Presidents NEVER intended to support anything that would smack of exploitation of D3 in some semi-professional way.  I wonder what the response would be if a school, by mission, filled their athletic teams with a majority of 25-27 year olds.

Athletic teams are expected to be reflective of the student body. If a student body is filled with a majority of 25-27-year-olds, come on back and let me know, but otherwise, let's stick to realistic hypotheticals.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 10:48:15 PM
The hypotheticals were intended to show a flaw in an argument if taken to their logical conclusions.

In my view, this discussion is really about TWO D3 principles....access for all and anyone versus professionalization.

And what Presidents "allow" isn't the same necessarily as the spirit of D3.  If we take the mission and spirit of D3 really seriously we might question dynasties of any type in D3, and included in that the methods used to develop and maintain those efforts.

I also think some might object to the idea of recruiting a 27 year old for essentially the sole purpose of boosting the soccer team with no real concern about that student getting an education.  It's permissable but it is consistent with the spirit intended?

And I think there can be legit discussion about whether D3s should give admissions pushes and/or heavily recruiting kids for the main purpose of playing soccer (or any sport) for schools.

Anyway, the intent wasn't to present unlikely hypotheticals but to question whether sustained efforts and trends regarding building teams at least significantly in part in such ways is truly in the spirit of D3 as opposed to "legal."

And if you're going to pull out the sportsmanship posting quote please do so when posters are over the top with gratuitous and indignant arrogance as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Pat Coleman on September 07, 2018, 11:29:52 AM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 10:48:15 PM
And if you're going to pull out the sportsmanship posting quote please do so when posters are over the top with gratuitous and indignant arrogance as well.

If you're referring to the quote at the bottom of my posts, it's been on every post of mine for more than a decade. I don't really just "pull it out" for specific posts.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 07, 2018, 12:07:38 PM
So...anyways...should be a fun game to watch tomorrow between NPU and UChicago!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on September 07, 2018, 12:28:19 PM
The discussion about the ages of athletes is interesting, and I (for one) would like to hear more opinions. I agree that D3 presidents are the key group, if any rules would be changed, and I also agree that such a change seems quite unlikely. Speaking for myself, I'm certainly struck by the number of older (than most undergraduate  students) European players on NPU's roster, and I admit being somewhat bothered by both parts of that situation (the ages and the nations of origin). "Bothered" doesn't for me translate into saying it's unfair (i.e., outside the agreed rules or the perceived spirit of those rules) and should be banned. The NCAA in all divisions has for a very long time had certain teams that recruited older and/or foreign athletes in many sports. American football would not be a common situation for that--save for a handful of Canadians, who can't get athletics scholarships in their own universities, b/c they are illegal in Canada (as I believe they should also be in the USA, but that's a totally different topic that I don't propose to open here and now). Track/XC and ice hockey would be common places to find this. A few years ago, in fact, Florida State had two of the famous Borlée brothers from Belgium on the track team. One of them won the NCAA title at 400 meters, the other finished fourth, and they combined with two other men to win the 4x400 relay. As I say, in D1 track/XC this type of thing is standard business. (Age differences don't feature in this particular example, however.) When I competed in that sport many years ago, it seemed that Villanova always had the best Irish runners they could find, including world-class runners like Eamonn Coghlin or Marcus O'Sullivan or Donal Walsh (who finished in second, just 8 seconds behind the immortal Steve Prefontaine, in the 1970 XC championship), not to mention South African Sydnee Maree--who won 7 NCAA titles when he was in his mid-20s. The example of Maree is not really fair in the common sense of the word, insofar as distance runners usually do improve with age up to a point, but it's absolutely not against any rules to recruit older guys, and one could point out that at that time a black South African wasn't allowed to compete against whites in his own country--which is obviously far more unfair that any situation mentioned in this thread. Lots of D1 schools then and now are loaded with African runners, and some of them are probably older than most of the men they compete against in college. I don't support banning them from competing in the NCAA, as long as they are complying with all of the other rules imposed on so-called "student athletes."

So, that's my three cents.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 07, 2018, 12:30:26 PM
The d3 age discussion is an interesting topic, but is there a way we can move it away from the CCIW board to another forum?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 07, 2018, 12:35:18 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on September 07, 2018, 11:29:52 AM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 10:48:15 PM
And if you're going to pull out the sportsmanship posting quote please do so when posters are over the top with gratuitous and indignant arrogance as well.

If you're referring to the quote at the bottom of my posts, it's been on every post of mine for more than a decade. I don't really just "pull it out" for specific posts.


Understood.  My bad.  I realized that after the fact.

And I won't post here on this thread on the D3 participation topic and apologize for participating in taking the thread on an off-ramp.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2018, 12:22:36 PM
Quote from: Pat Coleman on September 06, 2018, 10:20:42 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on September 06, 2018, 09:15:49 PM
I don't need to read all the minutes of D3 Presidents meetings to know that "access for all" was not intended to foreshadow any scenario where a significant portion of NCAA athletic teams would be substantially outside the norm.  Yes, the 68 year old man who completes high school and is a top squash player will be welcomed with open arms, as will the 35 year old war veteran who wants to fulfill his dream of college football.  None of that suggests some far-reaching endorsement or SYSTEMIC trend beyond usual norms, and I am absolutely certain that D3 Presidents NEVER intended to support anything that would smack of exploitation of D3 in some semi-professional way.  I wonder what the response would be if a school, by mission, filled their athletic teams with a majority of 25-27 year olds.

Athletic teams are expected to be reflective of the student body. If a student body is filled with a majority of 25-27-year-olds, come on back and let me know, but otherwise, let's stick to realistic hypotheticals.

Exactly. PaulNewman's rant strikes me as being really bizarre. Nobody is going to recruit a team of 25-year-olds in any D3 sport, for the reason I mentioned earlier -- it's simply impossible in our culture for there to be a pool of 25-year-olds willing to be full-time students without full-time jobs that's large enough to warrant recruiting them. Even when you factor in international students -- and, even counting the men's soccer team, the number of international student-athletes at NPU is pretty limited -- the pool of 25-year-olds willing to be college athletes is miniscule. Dave got it exactly right:

Quote from: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on September 06, 2018, 09:28:19 PMAnd how does ONE individual some how ruin the entire thing and make it "dangerous" for everyone else? The percentage of these individuals in DIII is staggeringly ... STAGGERINGLY ... low. But a rule should be created to stop a tiny number of insanely dedicated and resilient individuals. I only wish I could have still been playing collegiately at 25. I knew I was tapped out at 22... because those freshman were getting better and faster than me.

This is all a case of making a mountain out of a molehill.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2018, 12:29:40 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 07, 2018, 12:07:38 PM
So...anyways...should be a fun game to watch tomorrow between NPU and UChicago!

I'm greatly looking forward to calling the match, although I have some trepidation as to NPU's prospects. The Vikings are starting a lot of new faces (and bringing in a lot more off of the bench), while the Maroons returned almost completely intact from last season (and one can argue that their most conspicuous turnover to graduation, Katsimpalis for the graduated Bonin at goalkeeper, is mitigated by the fact that Mike Babst swapped out Bonin in favor of Katsimpalis not once but twice in the late rounds of the '17 tourney when it was penalty-kicks time). As much promise as this NPU freshman class holds, the losses by the Vikings (especially Warp to graduation and Ericsson to transfer) are significant. I really wish that this match was being played a month from now. But, as it is, I think that the Maroons are a significant favorite this evening.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2018, 03:02:36 PM
Greg, did you say on the Wednesday broadcast that a couple of regulars will miss tonight's game for NPU?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2018, 06:28:38 PM
wow, that penalty kick for the second UC goal was crazy - the UC player was a salmon swimming up stream he was fake kicking so hard.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blooter442 on September 08, 2018, 07:56:24 PM
As Mr. Sager pointed out on the broadcast, it was a pretty close game until the last 10 minutes or so. Lopez finishes a chance for 3-1 before Koh pounces on a "freshman mistake" (cross field pass in a dangerous area) for 4-1. Chicago now well in control.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blooter442 on September 08, 2018, 08:01:32 PM
Cresto pulls one back on a PK with two minutes to play, his second of the game, but at this point it's too little too late. Would have been interesting if he scored that 10 minutes ago. 4-2 Chicago.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2018, 09:08:45 PM
As an NPU fan, I actually feel pretty good even with the loss.  Only 3rd game of the year with a lot of first year players.  Several correctable mistakes and I think they'll learn from this and benefit through the rest of the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2018, 11:11:40 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 08, 2018, 03:02:36 PM
Greg, did you say on the Wednesday broadcast that a couple of regulars will miss tonight's game for NPU?

Erik Lundeen was out with a concussion. Erlend Kemkers is down with a lower body injury. No idea when either one will be back. Both would've been very useful this evening. Kemkers would've started, and Lundeen would've either started or come in early off of the bench. They're only sophomores, but they played a lot of minutes in important matches last season.

Quote from: Gotberg on September 08, 2018, 09:08:45 PM
As an NPU fan, I actually feel pretty good even with the loss.  Only 3rd game of the year with a lot of first year players.  Several correctable mistakes and I think they'll learn from this and benefit through the rest of the season.

That's my read as well. In terms of the run of play and the stat sheet, North Park -- which started three freshmen and used five more off of the bench -- more than held its own against an extremely experienced and talented opponent. The match came down to mistakes: North Park made a few, and Chicago jumped on them, as good sides do. The Vikings will eventually be very good, but they have to work through the growing pains. They need to improve reads and communication, and they need to rein in the sort of what-were-you-thinking mental mistakes at the defensive end that cost them those last two goals late in the second half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 16, 2018, 01:18:43 AM
North Park, after an indifferent 2-1 win at Aurora on Wednesday, ran Dominican off of its own pitch this afternoon in River Forest to the tune of 2-0. The Stars only put two shots on frame the entire day, both early in the first half. The Vikings outshot the Stars 19-3, and outcornered them 9-0, while totally controlling the run of play. NPU will be back home on Wednesday to take on a 4-1-2 Albion side that intrigues me, given that the Britons locked up Wheaton to a 2-2 draw eleven days ago over in the mitten.

Speaking of Wheaton, the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance had an interesting week. They recorded an impressive 1-0 victory at #18 Luther today, which should erase some of the bad taste from Wheaton mouths incurred in that 4-0 pasting at the hands of Chicago on Wednesday.

I was going to rag on Carthage for letting the league down after falling to St. Norbert, 2-1, last weekend, but the Norbies have acquitted themselves so well thus far this season that it appears that they're much more formidable than anyone ever expects a MWC side to be. Carthage lost to Loras today, 3-2, at Keller Field on a Duhawks goal struck with only six seconds left in the first overtime, and it appears that the Red Men played well despite the loss to a Loras side that is going to be one of the best outfits in this part of the country this season.

Of the other CCIW squads that might make some noise, Illinois Wesleyan is now 5-1 on the season, although the Titans have yet to play anybody even remotely impressive. The up-and-coming program in this league, I think, is North Central. The Cardinals are only 3-2, but they shut out Dominican on Wednesday, and they hung around until the second overtime before succumbing 3-2 to #4 St. Thomas last Saturday.

The mystery side this season is Elmhurst. How does a Dave DiTomasso club start a season 1-6? It's not as though the Bluejays are running a gauntlet of Top 25 opponents, either. This weekend they went downstate and lost to a pair of SLIAC outfits, Greenville (on a header with one second left in the second OT), and a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Principia today, despite putting more shots on frame and garnering more corners than did the Panthers. It's a head-scratcher.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2018, 12:00:56 AM
Carthage is really struggling all of a sudden. The Red Men lost their third in a row tonight, 1-0 to Hope in Holland, MI. Granted, the three sides that have beaten the Red Men over the past five days have a combined record of 12-3-1 in their non-Carthage matches, but Steve Domin's troops are now 3-4 and are kinda digging themselves a hole -- especially since, in addition to their CCIW slate, they still have upcoming matches against #8 St. Thomas and #2 Chicago.

North Park (5-1) is starting to find its groove, as the Vikings put away Albion easily tonight, 3-1. The Vikings outshot the Britons 20-3, and were one close-in defensive miscue away from playing a perfect match against a side that's really not too shabby. (Just ask Wheaton.) NPU is still missing a number of key players, including two starters and a third projected starter as well as an important bench player, but at least they got Erik Lundeen back tonight from his concussion. He picked up his first point of the season with an assist early in the second half.

Speaking of Wheaton, the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance (5-1-1) picked up a 1-0 victory tonight at Joe Bean Stadium on a goal in the 87th minute. In spite of that, it doesn't look as though the contest was close at all in terms of run of play, as Wheaton outshot the Foresters by a whopping 24 (4) - 5 (0) margin, and logged ten corners to LFC's two. Nice job of hanging around by the Foresters in a match in which they couldn't even put a shot on frame all night.

Millikin (4-3) handed Webster its first loss of the season down in St. Louis tonight after the Gorloks had registered seven straight shutout wins in their first seven matches. That's a nice result for the Big Blue, regardless of the fact that Webster hadn't really played anybody to date.

Chicago opened up the floodgates on Carroll (0-7-1) on the South Side, scoring seven goals in the first 38 minutes and then holding the Pioneers scoreless with their backups in the second half en route to a 7-0 rout, while Augie (2-3) and UW-Platteville were in a scoreless tie at the half in southwestern Wisconsin when it was postponed due to lightning.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 20, 2018, 10:31:32 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2018, 12:00:56 AM
Carthage is really struggling all of a sudden. The Red Men lost their third in a row tonight, 1-0 to Hope in Holland, MI. Granted, the three sides that have beaten the Red Men over the past five days have a combined record of 12-3-1 in their non-Carthage matches, but Steve Domin's troops are now 3-4 and are kinda digging themselves a hole -- especially since, in addition to their CCIW slate, they still have upcoming matches against #8 St. Thomas and #2 Chicago.

North Park (5-1) is starting to find its groove, as the Vikings put away Albion easily tonight, 3-1. The Vikings outshot the Britons 20-3, and were one close-in defensive miscue away from playing a perfect match against a side that's really not too shabby. (Just ask Wheaton.) NPU is still missing a number of key players, including two starters and a third projected starter as well as an important bench player, but at least they got Erik Lundeen back tonight from his concussion. He picked up his first point of the season with an assist early in the second half.

Speaking of Wheaton, the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance (5-1-1) picked up a 1-0 victory tonight at Joe Bean Stadium on a goal in the 87th minute. In spite of that, it doesn't look as though the contest was close at all in terms of run of play, as Wheaton outshot the Foresters by a whopping 24 (4) - 5 (0) margin, and logged ten corners to LFC's two. Nice job of hanging around by the Foresters in a match in which they couldn't even put a shot on frame all night.

Millikin (4-3) handed Webster its first loss of the season down in St. Louis tonight after the Gorloks had registered seven straight shutout wins in their first seven matches. That's a nice result for the Big Blue, regardless of the fact that Webster hadn't really played anybody to date.

Chicago opened up the floodgates on Carroll (0-7-1) on the South Side, scoring seven goals in the first 38 minutes and then holding the Pioneers scoreless with their backups in the second half en route to a 7-0 rout, while Augie (2-3) and UW-Platteville were in a scoreless tie at the half in southwestern Wisconsin when it was postponed due to lightning.

Greg, who are the 3 potential starters you're referring to?  I'm sure one is Kemkers.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2018, 11:45:48 AM
He's the projected starter.  The two players currently missing due to injury who actually began the season as starters are Matthias Stulen and Marrion Alvaro.

The upside to Stulen wearing street clothes the past two matches has been that it's given John Born the chance to look at his highly-touted freshman keeper Edin Sabovic from Niles West in live action. Ironically, Sabovic's first start was against the school he almost chose, Dominican (where I'm pretty sure he would've been the immediate starter, given that the starting keeper for the Stars is also a freshman). He's looked good thus far (last night's goal for Albion was off of a defensive miscue that put the Britons attacker at the edge of the crease with the ball, giving Sabovic no chance to defend anything that wasn't hit right at him), making a terrific run off of the line to smother a potential breakaway at the edge of the penalty box against Dominican that had been touched slightly too far by the onrushing Stars attacker. Other than that, though, he hasn't really been tested at all. The few times that either the Stars or the Britons managed to string together multiple passes in the North Park end were invariably broken up by NPU's veteran back line.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 20, 2018, 12:15:05 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2018, 11:45:48 AM
He's the projected starter.  The two players currently missing due to injury who actually began the season as starters are Matthias Stulen and Marrion Alvaro.

The upside to Stulen wearing street clothes the past two matches has been that it's given John Born the chance to look at his highly-touted freshman keeper Edin Sabovic from Niles West in live action. Ironically, Sabovic's first start was against the school he almost chose, Dominican (where I'm pretty sure he would've been the immediate starter, given that the starting keeper for the Stars is also a freshman). He's looked good thus far (last night's goal for Albion was off of a defensive miscue that put the Britons attacker at the edge of the crease with the ball, giving Sabovic no chance to defend anything that wasn't hit right at him), making a terrific run off of the line to smother a potential breakaway at the edge of the penalty box against Dominican that had been touched slightly too far by the onrushing Stars attacker. Other than that, though, he hasn't really been tested at all. The few times that either the Stars or the Britons managed to string together multiple passes in the North Park end were invariably broken up by NPU's veteran back line.

Thanks, I didn't know Stulen was injured and was curious about the change at the position - that clears it up.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2018, 02:10:43 PM
I think that he's expected back soon. I said hi to him last night, and he looked fine. Whether he'll play in the CCIW opener at Augie on Saturday is something that I don't know.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on September 20, 2018, 04:38:28 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2018, 11:45:48 AM
He's the projected starter.  The two players currently missing due to injury who actually began the season as starters are Matthias Stulen and Marrion Alvaro.

The upside to Stulen wearing street clothes the past two matches has been that it's given John Born the chance to look at his highly-touted freshman keeper Edin Sabovic from Niles West in live action. Ironically, Sabovic's first start was against the school he almost chose, Dominican (where I'm pretty sure he would've been the immediate starter, given that the starting keeper for the Stars is also a freshman). He's looked good thus far (last night's goal for Albion was off of a defensive miscue that put the Britons attacker at the edge of the crease with the ball, giving Sabovic no chance to defend anything that wasn't hit right at him), making a terrific run off of the line to smother a potential breakaway at the edge of the penalty box against Dominican that had been touched slightly too far by the onrushing Stars attacker. Other than that, though, he hasn't really been tested at all. The few times that either the Stars or the Britons managed to string together multiple passes in the North Park end were invariably broken up by NPU's veteran back line.

Not to take away from NPU's new keeper, but Dominican's Keeper, Daniel Dominguez is a legit STUD. He was arguably the best player on the pitch in most of club games I saw him play in this last year.

Looking forward to seeing North Park play in a few weeks. Some impressive results so far.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2018, 11:06:08 PM
The first day of league play is in the books:

North Park (6-1, 1-0) scored three goals in the first twenty minutes and then coasted to an easy 4-0 win over Augustana (2-4, 0-1)  in the Quad Cities. Ricky Pimentel, who as a center back doesn't get into the scoring column much, scored a brace of goals on headers off corners by Peder Olsen. John Born got 24 players into this match.

Millikin (5-3, 1-0) upended North Central (4-3, 0-1) in Naperville, 4-1, a result that shocked me. I tuned in for a few minutes of this one when NCC was up, 1-0, and the Cardinals were in utter possession of the run of play. They outshot the Big Blue, 22-6, including 9-4 on frame; however all four shots that MU managed to put on target in the match found the back of the net.

Carthage (4-4, 1-0) got a goal halfway through the second half to take down Carroll (0-8-1) by a score of 1-0. I watched the last ten minutes or so of this one, which was my first look at the Red Men this season. They're athletic as all get-out, but they just don't connect well on their passes. As inept as the Pioneers appear to be, they had the ball on their feet about as much as Carthage did. Doesn't matter as far as Carroll's concerned though; the Pioneers have still only scored one goal this entire season, which means that they've been shut out eight times.

In other contests, Illinois Wesleyan (6-1) squashed Earlham, 6-0. Given the usual state of Earlham athletics and the performance of the Quakers to date this season, this is not a particularly noteworthy result for IWU.

The mystery regarding Elmhurst's bad start deepens. Today the Bluejays (1-7) lost at Langhorst Field, 4-1, to a Kalamazoo side that came into today's action with a 2-5 record, having been outscored 10-2 by the four previous CCIW opponents that the Hornets had faced this season.

And Wheaton (5-2-1) lost at Wash U in double overtime, 2-1, when a corner kick slipped through the hands of Wheaton GK Drew Cammarano and fell at the feet of two Bears, one of whom drilled home the game-winner.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 26, 2018, 08:30:45 PM
I was reviewing the roster for Dubuque tonight and noticed several German players and 3 student-athletes from Sweeden.  Is Sweeden near Sverige?

http://www.dbq.edu/Athletics/MensAthletics/Soccer/
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2018, 01:05:50 AM
I watched the last thirty minutes tonight, and the Vikings did not look sharp. They seemed a bit erratic, failed to properly settle the ball on a couple of occasions, and had a couple of defensive breakdowns as well. Nevertheless, they clearly had the run of play against a less-than-overwhelming Dubuque side and had numerous chances close in. The Spartans had only one, on a really good cross into the box that was headed over the crossbar (by a few feet, not by inches as indicated in the UD gamer). As a young squad, NPU is still prone to inconsistency and to the odd letdown here and there against a mediocre outfit; it happened against Aurora a couple of weeks ago, and it happened out in eastern Iowa tonight. I'm hoping that they shore some things up before another letdown actually bites them in the behind. I mean, sure, they're 7-1, but they're supposed to be 7-1 against this schedule. They've gotta get better in the second half of the regular season, because this is the important half and they'll be challenged more regularly in it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2018, 01:23:09 AM
Some big surprises thus far this week:

* Elmhurst, awful record and all, carried a 1-0 lead over Chicago ten minutes deep into the second half before the Maroons finally found the equalizer. Four minutes later Chicago put a brace of shots into the back of the net in the space of half a minute and won 3-1, but for awhile there in the second half it was something interesting.

* Albion came back from being down 1-0 in the last thirteen minutes to beat Carthage, 2-1. The Red Men are now 4-5, and it's obvious that even if they have someone hook up cables to them and give them a mid-season jump-start they'll still be in a must-win position as far as postseason play is concerned. I don't think that they'll get in without the CCIW's automatic bid.

* The big surprise, to me, was North Central's 2-1 win over Wheaton tonight in Naperville. After having seen both sides in bits and pieces of various matches this season, I was pretty sure that Wheaton was the better of the two. But tonight's result doesn't appear to have been a fluke, as the Cardinals put seven shots on frame to Wheaton's four. NCC is now 5-3, 1-1, and has bounced back nicely from that shocking loss to Millikin at home the other day, while Wheaton, after playing its first CCIW match, now finds itself at 5-3-1, 0-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2018, 12:14:45 AM
Millikin beat NPU 3-0 in one of the most improbable matches I've ever seen in my life. An upset certainly wasn't out of the question, and we've all seen matches in which one team dominates play but the other team wins -- that's part of what makes soccer soccer. But the dominance by North Park was wholly lopsided, as the Vikings kept the ball in the Millikin end all night. The Vikings outshot the Big Blue 28-7 (including 9-4 on frame) and outcornered them 11-0. To top that off, Millikin outfouled NPU 22-11, giving the Vikings more set-piece opportunities tonight than any side could ever want. And yet, on the other side of the ledger, how do you explain a 3-0 result the other way out of all that?

A big part of the answer was Isaac Hopper, the Millikin keeper, who was phenomenal. But the bigger part of the story was that Millikin simply wanted it more. The Big Blue worked harder and were more physical, yet stayed in control of themselves all night and managed to exploit the few opportunities they had. They played a mistake-free match, while North Park's few mistakes ended up in the back of the North Park net.

A bit of self-examination is in order for the Vikings after tonight, because Carthage on Wednesday isn't going to give the Vikings an ounce of respect and is probably champing at the bit to take it right at the Vikings after watching the tape of this match.

Wheaton got dumped again, losing at Illinois Wesleyan 1-0 and falling to 0-2 in CCIW play. When's the last time that North Park and Wheaton lost CCIW matches on the same day? Carthage easily handled Elmhurst at Langhorst, 2-0, and Augustana toppled Carroll on the road, 1-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on September 30, 2018, 11:32:38 AM
I have only watched Wheaton play one game, but I think they have reached enigma territory.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 04, 2018, 01:29:01 AM
North Park easily handled Carthage tonight, 3-0. The Red Men (5-6, 2-1) only put two shots on frame all night, the first one an easy trickler in the 68th minute, and then a more tricky header off of a corner in the 88th minute, after the match had long been decided. Nevertheless, even though he barely got any work tonight, it was great to see Matthias Stulen back between the pipes for NPU (8-2, 2-1) after a five-match absence due to a leg injury. The Vikings are still a M*A*S*H unit, what with three other starters continuing to sit out with injuries and a fourth projected starter still yet to see the pitch this season, but getting Stulen back is huge.

The Vikings were bigger and stronger, which kept Carthage from possessing anything in a tight spot and gave the Vikings all of the 50/50 balls, but they were also a lot more organized than the Red Men, which surprised me. The Red Men are quick, but they don't seem to all be on the same page when it comes to putting together a coherent attack.  That's probably why there's so much dump-and-chase by Steve Domin's boys this season, and on a night in which the wind was gusting up to 25 mph you can't rely upon an air game to take the easy way out in terms of opening up an offense. As is characteristic of an NPU/CC match, it got pretty chippy -- 33 fouls were whistled, 17 on the Red Men and 16 on NPU. The Vikings did a nice job of keeping their composure and not blowing their cool over cheap fouls.

Another surprise tonight, as North Central upended Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, 2-0. NCC (7-3, 2-1) has certainly rebounded nicely from that loss at home to Millikin last week. As for the Titans (8-2, 1-1), they had a seven-match winning streak snapped. They'll play host to North Park on Saturday night in what should be a pretty good contest.

Augustana (3-6, 1-1) lost at Beloit, 3-1. When you lose a match by two goals to a side whose only previous win in ten tries was against Maranatha Baptist -- in double overtime, no less -- then you've officially entered train-wreck territory.

Carroll and St. Mary's (MN) played to a 1-1 draw in Waukesha. The tie probably felt like a win to the Pioneers, who "upped" their record to 0-9-2 and snapped a three-match losing streak. (I'm still trying to figure out how Carroll tied St. Norbert by that same score, since the Green Knights are 9-0-1 and all alone in first place in the MWC.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 08, 2018, 11:03:37 PM
North Park (9-2, 3-1) had to come from behind twice, but the Vikings eventually managed to pull off a 3-2 overtime victory at Illinois Wesleyan (8-3, 1-2) on a sliding poke of a goal by Peder Olsen in the 99th minute. It was an ugly, grind-it-out affair on a messed-up pitch, and the Vikings certainly had much more trouble with the Titans than they're used to seeing. The Titans played with more energy early, and they won pretty much every 50/50 and second ball until deep into the match. The Vikings clearly had difficulty reading the slower surface, as it hampered their passing game throughout the first half, while IWU did a much better job of reading angles on the wings with the slower ball.

Eventually the Vikings solved the pace and began to take over possession, posting much better statistical numbers in the second half than they did in the first. NPU eventually finished ahead in shots, 14 (5) to 8 (3), and corners, 8-5. The Park actually had two good earlier chances to put the match away, first in the 89th minute on a direct free kick from 20 yards out by Olsen and in the 98th minute on a Shatil Khoury header, before Olsen finally nudged the winning goal over on an Erik Lundeen cross.

I think that this is the best Illinois Wesleyan side I've seen in forever, better than last season's edition. The Titans are big and physical, and they have sufficient speed on the wings to be dangerous. They're also very deep, as Kyle Schauls showed little compunction about pulling entire line changes (he used 25 players), and there doesn't seem to be much dropoff when he does it.  There's not much skill on the roster, but they're sufficiently dangerous for every opponent they'll face this season, especially on that cow pasture they play on.

Wheaton (7-4-1, 2-2) started off the weekend on Friday with a 1-0 win over Augustana (3-7, 1-2) at Joe Bean Stadium. Saturday didn't hold any surprises, either, as Millikin (8-3, 3-0) easily dispatched hapless Elmhurst (1-11, 0-3) in Decatur, 4-0, and North Central (8-3, 3-1) likewise romped over Carroll (0-10-2, 0-3) in Waukesha. Carthage (6-7, 2-1) played two matches this weekend, dumping NAIA entry Silver Lake on Saturday, 4-1, in Kenosha before being creamed by St. Thomas up in the Twin Cities, 5-1, on Sunday.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccer1234 on October 11, 2018, 02:31:51 AM
I'll take your recap role tonight Greg,

Wheaton (8-4-1, 3-2) defeated Carroll (0-11-2, 0-4) with two first half goals.  The stat line has Wheaton up 15-10 in shots and 9-5 on corners.  Seems to be a simple win for Wheaton who has been very hit or miss this season.  Not much in this game but Wheaton improved to 7-0 at Joe Bean Stadium during this 4 game CCIW home stand.

Carthage (7-7, 3-1) defeated North Central (8-4, 3-2) in Naperville tonight.  North Central seemingly had the run of play at home with advantages in both the shots and corner categories.  Nice win for with Red Men with large top 4 hopes on the line with home match up against IWU on Saturday.  North Central appears to be in control of their own fate with wins over Wheaton and Wesleyan already, but 4-1 loss to Millikin does not look good.

Augustana (4-7, 2-2) beat IWU (8-4, 1-3) in double OT in Rock Island late tonight.  Augustana's second shot on goal found the back of the net in the 109th minute, off of a pretty bicycle kick from the top of the box.  A seemingly easy game for Wesleyan against the lowly Vikings was a physical fight with 2 red cards and a total of 37 fouls, most against the Vikings.  Lots of work ahead for IWU while Augustana has moved past 3 quality opponents with an interesting 2-2 CCIW record.

North Park (10-2, 4-1) handled Elmhurst (1-12, 0-4) by a score of 4-0 at North Park.  I assume North Park was in full control over the struggling Blue Jays and really had no moments of scare with all four goals scored within about 20 minutes.  Greg if anything of note from that game came to be feel free to elaborate, but I doubt it.

-1234
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 11, 2018, 02:56:31 AM
The CCIW's two traditional powers met the league's two bottom-feeders of 2018 this evening, with predictable results. North Park (10-2, 4-1) cruised to an easy 4-0 win over Elmhurst (1-12, 0-4), a match in which John Born got two dozen of his players onto the field at one point or another. Wheaton (8-4-1, 3-2) wasn't quite as dominant, but still didn't look too threatened by Carroll (0-11-2, 0-4) in the 2-0 win for the hosts at Joe Bean Stadium in Wheaton.

The other two matches were far more interesting. Carthage (7-7, 3-1) continued its up-and-down season by returning to the upswing with a 1-0 victory over North Central (8-4, 3-2) at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville. The Cardinals dominated statistically, outshooting the Red Men 12 (6) to 9 (4) and outcornering them by a 6-2 margin, but the Red Men managed to keep the hosts from putting the ball in the net and now have sole possession of third place in the standings, at least for the moment.

And, in an even bigger surprise, Augustana (4-7, 2-2) got a golden goal from Salah Aghlaf with only 59 seconds remaining in the second overtime to break a scoreless deadlock and defeat Illinois Wesleyan (8-4, 1-3) in the Quad Cities, 1-0. Daniel Artman of Augie had launched a free kick on one bounce to Aghlaf at the top of the 18, and Aghlaf, who had his back to the goal, lifted a lazy bicycle kick to one-time it home over the head of IWU keeper Alex Ruckstaetter who had come out of the crease and was helpless to do anything about what should've been a routine shot. It was quite an ugly match. Augie's starting goalkeeper came off in the 54th minute due to an injury and did not return. Augie's Otis Maberry was booked with a red card in the 79th minute for shoving a Titan and then yelling a whole lotta mess, one of nine bookings on the night, and Augie had to play almost the entirety of the remainder of regulation short-handed. But in the final second of regulation, IWU's Donovan Malone tripped the Augie keeper and received a yellow, and then got a red for mouthing off about it, negating the man advantage for the Titans.

I'm stunned by this outcome, as IWU struck me as being a significantly better side than Augie. The Titans dominated the scoresheet to the tune of 19 (8) to 4 (2) in shots and 7-2 in corners. Kudos to Augie, which brass-knuckled its way to this upset (the hosts outfouled the Titans, 24-13, and got six of the nine bookings).  After reeling off seven straight wins, the Titans have now lost three straight matches in eight days and, with road matches at Carthage and Millikin still remaining, are in danger of missing out on a tournament berth that a week ago they looked to be in great position to garner.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 11, 2018, 02:58:19 AM
That's what I get for going back to watch the key moments of the archived IWU @ AC match to spice up what I had already written in my recap -- someone beats me to the punch. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 13, 2018, 10:48:51 PM
Big shocker in Decatur this evening, as Millikin (8-4, 3-1) dropped its first CCIW match with a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Augustana (5-7, 3-2). I watched the entire second half, and the win wasn't a fluke; Augie, which scored on an own goal and on a set piece in the first half, played with just as much pace, possession, and smarts as the Big Blue did in the second. The hosts did manage to put one in the back of the net on a header off of a throw-in with four minutes left, but it was too little, too late. Millikin dominated in shots, 15 (6) to 8 (5), and corners by a 6-0 tally, but the only consequential MU shot I saw was the header that scored. Somehow Augie has come to life over the past week with a brace of impressive victories, as the Rock Islanders now find themselves within the thick of the race for a CCIW playoff spot.

Carthage (8-7, 4-1) netted a pair of strikes in the second half to down slumping Illinois Wesleyan (8-5, 1-4), 2-0, at Keller Field in Kenosha. The Red Men are now tied for first with North Park, both sides a half-game up in the win column over Millikin, with, of course, the tiebreaker advantage resting with NPU due to the head-to-head win for the Park. Meanwhile, IWU may just have seen its playoff hopes evaporate with this loss tonight, as there are six sides in the league that have either one loss or two while the Titans have four.

Congratulations to Carroll (1-11-2, 1-4), which finally broke into the win column with a 1-0 whitewash of fellow bottom-dweller Elmhurst (1-13, 0-5) at Schaefer Stadium in Waukesha this afternoon.

And North Park (11-2, 4-1) had an easy time of it with a 3-0 non-conference triumph over Thomas More this afternoon in Chicago. Reigning CCIW Player of the Week Peder Olsen picked up his fourth goal of the week, while freshman Joachim Hoff added a brace of goals to give himself three for the week. All told, Olsen picked up ten points in three matches this week, while Erik Lundeen added seven, Hoff notched six, and Shatil Khoury had five.

Wednesday will see another mixed slate, with North Park (@ UW-Whitewater), Carthage (@ Chicago), and Carroll (@ Beloit) all stepping out of CCIW play, while North Central travels to Elmhurst and, in the big showdown of the night, Millikin will look to bounce back from tonight's loss by grabbing a win at Wheaton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2018, 10:42:49 PM
A couple of big-time upsets tonight, as Carthage (9-7, 4-1) traveled to the South Side and came away with a 1-0 victory over #2 or #3 (depending upon which poll you're looking at) Chicago. Jeff Montemayor scored in the 66th minute for the lone tally of the night. The Red Men managed to survive quite an onslaught in the last ten minutes by the Maroons, as Steve Domin put six on his back line and wouldn't give the hosts any room to breathe in close. Chicago was tabbed for nine offsides in the contest.

More directly relevant for CCIW purposes was Elmhurst's 1-0 stunner over North Central. The 'jays ran a beautiful play off of a chip shot from outside the 18 to the side of the crease, where it was headed onto the foot of Keegan Thompson, who banged it home in the 79th minute. It's the first CCIW win for Elmhurst (2-13, 1-5), while heretofore contending North Central (8-5, 3-3) is now more or less out of the running for the CCIW crown.

Wheaton advanced its cause by beating Millikin, 1-0, in the western suburbs, as the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance made an early Peter Whallen goal stand up. Statistically, it looks like Wheaton controlled the match. Millikin (8-5, 3-2) has now lost two straight after dominating the first half of the CCIW round-robin, while Wheaton (9-4-1, 4-2) is clearly playing much better soccer now than it was earlier in the season.

North Park (12-2, 4-1) did what it had to do on the road at UW-Whitewater -- always a tough place to play -- to come away with a 1-0 triumph, as Shatil Khoury headed home a cross from Marrion Alvaro in the 76th minute.

Finally, Carroll has tasted victory and decided that it likes it ... so it went out and got another one tonight, topping Beloit on the road, 3-0, for its second straight win. That advances the Pios to 2-11-2 on the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2018, 11:28:45 PM
North Park (13-2, 5-1) topped North Central (8-6, 3-4) this afternoon in Naperville by a 2-1 score. The Vikings completely had the run of play, but they haven't finished well in the past couple of matches; they put 11 shots on frame, but only two found the back of the net. They almost paid for their inability to securely put the Cards away when the hosts managed to score in the 86th minute after a Stulen mishandle, and the Cards even got a corner kick with 66 seconds left to set up a possible equalizer. The Vikings ran out the clock without any further damage, but I don't think that they were happy with their performance. Nevertheless, it's a big road win for the Vikings, lack of style points notwithstanding.

Illinois Wesleyan (9-5, 2-4) picked up a goal in the 80th minute to send Carroll packing with a 1-0 win over the Pioneers (2-12-2, 1-5) in Bloomington. The Titans are still hanging on the edge of contention for a CCIW playoff spot.

Elmhurst (3-13, 2-5) has had a nightmare season, but the 'jays are salvaging some pride as spoilers. The other day they stunned North Central, and today it was Augustana's turn in the barrel at Langhorst Field. The 'jays came away with a 2-0 triumph that certainly puts a dent in Augie's postseason plans, as the Rock Islanders drop to 5-8, 3-3. I watched a good chunk of this match, including both Elmhurst goals, and the 'jays were clearly the dominant side on the day.

UW-Whitewater picked up a goal in the 70th minute to stave off Wheaton (9-5-1, 4-2) at Fiskum Field north of the border by a score of 1-0. UWW definitely had the better of the match in terms of time of possession, although Wheaton seemed to have some quality chances to mark in this match.

And the CCIW saw its first tie this evening, as Carthage (9-7-1, 4-1-1) and Millikin (8-5-1, 3-2-1) ended up deadlocked at one goal apiece at Keller Field in Kenosha. I watched most of this match, and it was pretty interesting. Both sides scored early -- Carthage in the second minute, Millikin in the ninth -- and then settled into a long and rowdy stalemate that got pretty chippy (32 fouls, six yellows, and a whole lotta shoving back and forth). As indicated by Carthage's 23-14 shots advantage and 7-1 corners advantage, the Red Men controlled the ball for most of the game -- especially the second half, which seemed to be played almost entirely in Millikin's defensive end. The problem with the Red Men is that their offensive teamwork is lacking; they all seem to be enamored with dribbling and maneuvering with the ball in the attacking third at the expense of passing. That makes it easier to run them down from behind and to contain them by bunching up in the middle. In fact, the best opportunity to score for either side after halftime didn't belong to Carthage; the Big Blue launched a pair of bang-bang crease headers in the third minute of the first overtime that Carthage keeper Niko Mavrogiannis barely managed to fend off. But the Red Men must've felt very frustrated by their lack of a W to show for all of that ball control and those 23 shots attempted, as the final siren at the end of the second overtime degenerated into a near-brawl in front of the Millikin goal in what seems to be a Keller Field post-draw tradition.

The side that really "won" that tie is North Park, which is now alone in first a half-game ahead of Carthage due to the tie and has less to worry about in terms of Millikin owning the tiebreaker over the Vikings ... although Wheaton benefits from the draw, too, I suppose.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on October 21, 2018, 09:15:33 AM
Whitewater played Wheaton at 7:00 and the has to play Washington University today at 12:00. Yikes.

It looks like Whitewater had a similar situation last weekend, but with 3:00 pm game followed by a 7:00 pm game.  That is significantly more recovery time.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on October 21, 2018, 03:01:01 PM
Quote from: WUPHF on October 21, 2018, 09:15:33 AM
Whitewater played Wheaton at 7:00 and the has to play Washington University today at 12:00. Yikes.

It looks like Whitewater had a similar situation last weekend, but with 3:00 pm game followed by a 7:00 pm game.  That is significantly more recovery time.

Whitewater certainly seems to have acquitted itself well, scoring just before the end of the first half and hanging on for a 1-0 victory.  I suspect the next few days will be devoted to rest and "regen" activities!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on October 21, 2018, 03:37:05 PM
Quote from: Ommadawn on October 21, 2018, 03:01:01 PM
Whitewater certainly seems to have acquitted itself well, scoring just before the end of the first half and hanging on for a 1-0 victory.  I suspect the next few days will be devoted to rest and "regen" activities!

Bravo the Warhawks!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccer1234 on October 22, 2018, 06:36:28 PM
Heading into the last week of the regular season I think it would be fun to try and predict how the league will finish.
1. North Park - they seem to be the most talented and consistent team in the league by a decent margin, Wheaton on Saturday will be tough but they are in the drivers seat and will likely close out strong.
2. Carthage - after their win against Chicago last week they should have enough confidence to lock up second place as coach Domin keeps mentioning they have been bit by the injury but, but are getting healthy at the right time.
3. Millikin - with 2 home games against teams on the bottom half of the table I have faith they will be able to return to form from their first few CCIW games and secure a playoff berth.
4. Wheaton - even with the toughest schedule in the conference left I think they will be able to sneak into the conference tournament as a dangerous 4 seed.
5. Augustana - they may be able to beat north central on Wednesday, but would be shocked to see a win against Carthage. This wasn't the bottom feeder team they have been for a while, but the loss at elmhurst hurt their chances of a playoff berth.
6. North Central - with 4 losses already they are likely out as far as playoff hopes are concerned, elmhurst loss hurt them as well.
7. IWU - after an impressive non conference season, they have to be extremely disappointed with their place in the table as they have looked like a top 4 team for a lot of this season, but weren't able to win enough close games.
8. Elmhurst - with 2 wins last week they will feel better about the way they ended their season, but is too little too late for this squad.
9. Carroll - lots of close losses in the CCIW this season for the pioneers but another team that was not able to turn those close losses to wins so they end the season on the bottom.

Obviously there is still a lot of soccer to play and as we saw last week there is lots of unpredictability in this conference, but this is how I predict the conference to finish this week.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2018, 01:56:34 PM
Elmhurst got one of those "this only happens in soccer (and maybe hockey)" results on Monday, as the 'jays traveled out to Galesburg and somehow returned from the cornfields with a 1-0 victory over Knox in spite of being outshot by a whopping 21 (13) to 3 (1) rate. Josh Arvidson's strike in the 28th minute may have been the only shot on goal that the 'jays had all afternoon, but it was all that they needed. The Prairie Fire also had 11 corners, while Elmhurst had none. EC freshman keeper Patrik Smith, the reigning CCIW DPOW, certainly earned his award, as his thirteen-save clean slate was also his third straight shutout.

This was a nice win for the 'jays, as Knox (13-4-1) is no walk in the park. Elmhurst is now 4-13, 2-5, with one more match remaining on the sked -- a home date this Saturday against Illinois Wesleyan. The Titans, who are hanging on to their CCIW playoff hopes by the slenderest of threads (the Titans need to beat Millikin tomorrow night and Elmhurst on Saturday, while Wheaton loses at Carthage and at North Park, Millikin also loses at home to Carroll on Saturday, and Augie loses one of its two remaining matches versus North Central and Carthage, both at home), can't like the prospect of having to go to Langhorst this weekend to take on an Elmhurst side that's finally figured it all out (albeit, as soccer1234 said, too late for it to matter for them).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2018, 11:25:13 PM
Two important matches with CCIW playoff implications just concluded about a half-hour ago. First, with only 14 seconds left in the first overtime, Illinois Wesleyan's Orion Marty took a bouncing ball away from Millikin defender William Showers at the edge of the box and used the bounce to loft a strike out of the reach of MU keeper Isaac Hopper, giving the Titans a 2-1 extra-session victory in Decatur. The loss dropped Millikin to 8-6-1, 3-3-1 on the season, while the win advanced Illinois Wesleyan to 10-5, 3-4 on the season and kept the Titans' faint playoff hopes alive for a few minutes longer.

But time ran out on the IWU season about three minutes later, as Wheaton used a beautiful 30-yard through pass from Phillip Springsteen to Austin Pack to set up a golden chance for the visitors at Keller Field. Pack fell down while trying to set up what looked like a shot, so as he was falling he pushed the ball over as a cross instead to a streaking Joey Sopikiotis on his left. With Red Men keeper Niko Mavrogiannis already having been drawn off the line to thwart Pack, Sopikiotis had the entire net empty right in front of him, and he banged it home in the 103rd minute in the second overtime to give Wheaton a 1-0 win. Wheaton is now 10-5-1, 5-2 heading into Saturday night's big rivalry showdown at North Park, while Carthage slumped to 9-8-1, 4-2-1. Among other things, the Wheaton win eliminated IWU from playoff consideration in spite of the Titans' win at MU.

North Central (9-6, 4-4) claimed a strictly-for-pride 3-0 victory over Augustana (5-10, 3-4) in Rock Island, as Augie's ever-so-faint playoff hopes vaporized as well.

And North Park (14-2, 6-1) ran away with a 5-0 rout over Carroll (2-13-2, 1-6) at Schneider Stadium in Waukesha, as the Vikings netted three goals in the first 23 minutes of play and NPU head coach John Born was able to give his starters plenty of rest in the second half.

There are now five sides left to claim the four playoff spots, with NPU, Wheaton, and Carthage having clinched three of them. Millikin can claim the fourth spot with a win at home on Saturday against Carroll; in fact, a Millikin win coupled with a Carthage loss in Rock Island would elevate the Big Blue to the #3 seed in the playoffs by virtue of the second tiebreaker with Carthage (the two sides tied in Kenosha last Saturday, but the Big Blue beat North Park while the Red Men lost to NPU, and both sides lost to Wheaton). Meanwhile, a Big Blue loss would vault North Central -- which has finished CCIW play and concludes its season on Saturday at UW-Platteville -- into that fourth spot.

Of course, the main event will be the rivalry match at Hedstrand Field on Saturday, as Wheaton and North Park duke it out for the top seed. North Park has already clinched a share of the CCIW title by virtue of its win this evening, and the Vikings would claim the title (and the #1 playoff seed) outright with a win or tie. But a Wheaton win would result in NPU and Wheaton sharing the title, with Wheaton garnering the top seed via the tiebreaker. A tie would make Wheaton the #2 seed, no matter what Carthage does at Augustana on Saturday, while a Wheaton loss could drop the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance down to the #3 seed if the Red Men beat Augie.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 27, 2018, 10:05:02 PM
North Park 2, Wheaton 0, late in the second half.  NPU has totally dominated this game.

Announcer Greg Sager cracked a joke that I wonder how many comprehended.  His halftime comment about "Victory Auto Wreckers", based in Bensenville, drew chuckles from the press box and myself, as another announcer introduced a Viking senior from Bensenville during halftime as tonight was Senior Night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on October 27, 2018, 11:05:18 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2018, 10:05:02 PM
Announcer Greg Sager cracked a joke that I wonder how many comprehended.  His halftime comment about "Victory Auto Wreckers", based in Bensenville, drew chuckles from the press box and myself, as another announcer introduced a Viking senior from Bensenville during halftime as tonight was Senior Night.

It was a pleasure to be able to attach a voice to the frequent poster.  Now, if only we could get voiceprints for Mr. Right, PaulNewman, Shooter McGavin, Blooter, Falconer, Flying Weasel, etc....
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2018, 12:08:32 AM
Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2018, 10:05:02 PM
North Park 2, Wheaton 0, late in the second half.  NPU has totally dominated this game.

Announcer Greg Sager cracked a joke that I wonder how many comprehended.  His halftime comment about "Victory Auto Wreckers", based in Bensenville, drew chuckles from the press box and myself, as another announcer introduced a Viking senior from Bensenville during halftime as tonight was Senior Night.

it's actually Vikings freshman left mid Angel "Tarzan" Barriga who is from Bensenville (and Fenton HS). I announced it during live action.

It probably didn't mean anything to the NPU parents watching overseas and the Wheaton parents all across the U.S., but anyone who's ever spent time in Chicagoland with the TV turned on would instantly get the reference.

Quote from: Ommadawn on October 27, 2018, 11:05:18 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 27, 2018, 10:05:02 PM
Announcer Greg Sager cracked a joke that I wonder how many comprehended.  His halftime comment about "Victory Auto Wreckers", based in Bensenville, drew chuckles from the press box and myself, as another announcer introduced a Viking senior from Bensenville during halftime as tonight was Senior Night.

It was a pleasure to be able to attach a voice to the frequent poster.  Now, if only we could get voiceprints for Mr. Right, PaulNewman, Shooter McGavin, Blooter, Falconer, Flying Weasel, etc....

Always glad to find out that other posters are watching our livestreams!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2018, 12:48:40 AM
North Park won the CCIW title outright with a resounding 3-0 victory over Wheaton in the annual archrivalry showdown in front of 1,500 noisy fans at Hedstrand Field. The Vikings (15-2, 7-1) completely dominated the match, outshooting Wheaton (10-6-1, 5-3) by a 25-6 margin while putting 12 shots on frame to Wheaton's one. NPU thus owns the top seed and will host on Wednesday and again on Saturday if the Vikings beat #4 seed North Central at Hedstrand Field, while Wheaton drops to the #3 seed and will have to travel back to Keller Field in Kenosha, where the Sons of Bean beat Carthage in double overtime on Wednesday.

I said that NCC's Wednesday win over Augie was strictly for pride, because I didn't think that there was any way in the world that Millikin would lose at home to lowly Carroll and fumble away that fourth seed. Well, guess what? The Pioneers went to Lindsey Field in Decatur and came away with the 3-2 upset on a Jake McChryrstal goal off of a throw-in in the 76th minute that broke a 2-2 tie and won the match, despite their being outshot by the Big Blue 19 (9) to 12 (5) and outcornered 7-5. So lowly Carroll plays spoiler and ends the season at 3-13-2, 2-6, while Millikin, which at one point this season was all alone in first place in the league at 3-0, goes 0-4-1 in its final five matches to finish at 8-7-1, 3-4-1. The Big Blue, who were fourth in the region in this week's regional ranking, won't even make the postseason.

North Central wound up the regular season with a 2-0 non-con loss at UW-Platteville, which I'm sure doesn't bother the Cardinals at all in light of the unexpected largesse they were handed today courtesy of Carroll.

Carthage eased back into second place with a 3-1 win at Augustana that the stat sheet indicates the Red Men dominated. Carthage goes into Wednesday's tourney semi with a 10-8-1 overall record and a 5-2-1 mark in CCIW play. Augustana, which will end its season tomorrow with a contest at home against UW-Whitewater, is now 5-11, 3-5.

Finally, Illinois Wesleyan closed out its season well by taking down Elmhurst in the western suburbs by a 4-1 tally. The Titans finish in a fourth-place tie with North Central, but miss out on the tournament by dint of having lost to NCC. IWU winds up 11-5, 4-4, while Elmhurst closes a really forgettable season with a 4-14, 2-6 mark.

To sum up, on Wednesday it'll be:

#3 Wheaton (10-6-1, 5-3) @ #2 Carthage (10-8-1, 5-2-1)
#4 North Central (9-7, 4-4) @ #1 North Park (15-2, 7-1)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2018, 02:26:36 AM
Peder Olsen's two assists tonight means that the North Park sophomore midfielder finished the CCIW slate with six of them, giving him the league's assists title. He is therefore the first player in CCIW history to lead the league in both goals (7) and assists (6), let alone do both in the same season. His 20 points in league play practically lapped the pack, as the next-highest total in points was 14 by Bradyn Nokes of Millikin. (Three of the five players who reached double digits in points in CCIW play wear North Park livery.)

Go ahead and name somebody besides Peder Olsen the CCIW Player of the Year, coaches. I dare you.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blooter442 on October 28, 2018, 07:43:40 AM
Quote from: Ommadawn on October 27, 2018, 11:05:18 PM
It was a pleasure to be able to attach a voice to the frequent poster.  Now, if only we could get voiceprints for Mr. Right, PaulNewman, Shooter McGavin, Blooter, Falconer, Flying Weasel, etc....

There may well be archived audio of Blooter doing color commentary on Brandeis audio broadcasts from years past, particularly from 5:43-5:55 here (https://soundcloud.com/wbrs-sports-broadcasts/brandeis-judges-vs-baruch-ncaa) (apologies for the terrible audio quality, and I definitely do not consider myself to be a good commentator). There are other segments in that broadcast but that was the one I could find immediately where the feedback wasn't interfering with the broadcast. Regardless, I can tell you first-hand that Blooter's voice is nothing special. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on October 29, 2018, 06:32:49 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on October 28, 2018, 07:43:40 AM
Regardless, I can tell you first-hand that Blooter's voice is nothing special. ;)

Thank you, Blooter!  I will now be able to "hear" all of your posts in a conversational tone.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2018, 05:25:54 PM
An unusual goal is an unusual goal in any language. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lVE-vsOvzA&fbclid=IwAR2Et_a-HCdG4wVidIQtL1mzyTgudP7SIHksfjD6ktqISvSmj0XvDOYRfxw)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 31, 2018, 12:56:08 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2018, 05:25:54 PM
An unusual goal is an unusual goal in any language. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lVE-vsOvzA&fbclid=IwAR2Et_a-HCdG4wVidIQtL1mzyTgudP7SIHksfjD6ktqISvSmj0XvDOYRfxw)
Now that was a real golazo.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 31, 2018, 02:35:44 PM
Quote from: mr_b on October 31, 2018, 12:56:08 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2018, 05:25:54 PM
An unusual goal is an unusual goal in any language. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lVE-vsOvzA&fbclid=IwAR2Et_a-HCdG4wVidIQtL1mzyTgudP7SIHksfjD6ktqISvSmj0XvDOYRfxw)
Now that was a real golazo.

That's one of the better goals you'll see at ANY level.  If that were Beckham or Ibra, we'd see it played globally again and again.  Too bad the outstretched arms came into the picture.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2018, 03:23:51 PM
Quote from: mr_b on October 31, 2018, 12:56:08 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2018, 05:25:54 PM
An unusual goal is an unusual goal in any language. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lVE-vsOvzA&fbclid=IwAR2Et_a-HCdG4wVidIQtL1mzyTgudP7SIHksfjD6ktqISvSmj0XvDOYRfxw)
Now that was a real golazo.

It certainly was.

I don't use the term on the air myself, because my NPU men's soccer broadcasting predecessor Marcos Craft used it a lot. I realize that it's common for Spanish-speaking broadcasters everywhere to refer to a great goal as a golazo, but everybody who watches NPU men's soccer associated it with Marcos's call and I didn't want to step on his toes. (Same reason why I don't use his catchphrase of referring to a clever and well-executed exchange that doesn't involve a long ball over the top as a "cheeky little pass.") I suppose that it's now been so long since I took over for Marcos that the statute of limitations has expired and I can start distinguishing particularly picturesque scores as golazos.

(Incidentally, hat tip to Marcos, who works at Univision Chicago, for passing the clip of Ulrik Lund's goal to the Univision sports anchorman. But it was the anchorman's decision, not Marcos's, to not only include it in his weekly Top 5 but to put it at #1.)

Quote from: Gotberg on October 31, 2018, 02:35:44 PM
That's one of the better goals you'll see at ANY level.  If that were Beckham or Ibra, we'd see it played globally again and again.  Too bad the outstretched arms came into the picture.

The outstretched arm belonged to the mother of a North Park player who shall remain nameless. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2018, 11:57:14 PM
North Park broke open a close match with a four-goal flurry in the space of eight minutes to run away with a 6-2 victory over North Central this evening in one CCIW tourney semi. It was a strange match. First, there were multiple reversals on the calls of the first two goals, as the referee seemed eager to tag NCC with an own goal on one of them, if not the other (replays confirmed that the Vikings scored both of them rather than having them be handed to them by the Cardinals, although it wasn't established until after the match that Shatil Khoury scored the first one). Second, North Central got away with a handball in the box in the second half, as the referee explained to an irate NPU head coach John Born that the Cards defender "hit it with his hand, but it wasn't a handball." Third, in spite of North Park's dominance (26-14 in shots, 15-8 in SOG), the Cardinals had ten corner kicks while the Vikings only had three; four of those ten came in the space of a minute and a half in the opening stanza in which the Vikings couldn't clear the ball and Matthias Stulen was forced to make a pair of great saves. And, finally, the Vikings didn't play with as much desire or vigor as the Cards did for much of the match; the Cards scored on a penalty kick to make it 2-1 North Park early in the second half, and for the next 25 minutes the 1,300 Vikings fans present had to sweat out a one-goal lead, as NCC had some good chances during that interval. Then Tarzan Barriga fed Joachim Hoff with a perfect diagonal just outside the crease, in the same spot where Hoff had whiffed on a cross sent in to him when he had NCC keeper Marco Soto off to the side of the net, and Hoff got his redemption goal. That opened up the floodgates, as the Vikings turned the close match into a laugher.

The fifth NPU goal, from a Stulen heave at the top of the box all the way to the NCC side of the pitch, where Peder Olsen took it forward and launched a sweet diagonal to freshman Patrick Knap sprinting up the middle, who then cut it behind Soto for the first of his two goals on the night, was about as fast and pretty as you're ever going to see a play run. The goal is running as a gif on the NPU gamer. (https://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2018/10/31/mens-soccer-7-north-park-defeats-north-central-advancing-to-cciw-championship.aspx)

Carthage took down Wheaton in the other semi, 3-0, in Kenosha on first-half goals by Herrera and Esquivel and a second-half capper by Triana. This one looks a little weird in the box score, too; Wheaton outshot the Red Men 24 (8) to 12 (7) in this match. Carthage keeper Niko Mavrogiannis had eight saves, tying his career high.

North Park and Carthage will meet in the championship match for the second straight season. The Vikings and Red Men will square off on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm at Hedstrand Field. I'm psyched to call this one; it should be a great match.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 01, 2018, 09:13:42 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2018, 11:57:14 PM
North Park broke open a close match with a four-goal flurry in the space of eight minutes to run away with a 6-2 victory over North Central this evening in one CCIW tourney semi. It was a strange match. First, there were multiple reversals on the calls of the first two goals, as the referee seemed eager to tag NCC with an own goal on one of them, if not the other (replays confirmed that the Vikings scored both of them rather than having them be handed to them by the Cardinals, although it wasn't established until after the match that Shatil Khoury scored the first one). Second, North Central got away with a handball in the box in the second half, as the referee explained to an irate NPU head coach John Born that the Cards defender "hit it with his hand, but it wasn't a handball." Third, in spite of North Park's dominance (26-14 in shots, 15-8 in SOG), the Cardinals had ten corner kicks while the Vikings only had three; four of those ten came in the space of a minute and a half in the opening stanza in which the Vikings couldn't clear the ball and Matthias Stulen was forced to make a pair of great saves. And, finally, the Vikings didn't play with as much desire or vigor as the Cards did for much of the match; the Cards scored on a penalty kick to make it 2-1 North Park early in the second half, and for the next 25 minutes the 1,300 Vikings fans present had to sweat out a one-goal lead, as NCC had some good chances during that interval. Then Tarzan Barriga fed Joachim Hoff with a perfect diagonal just outside the crease, in the same spot where Hoff had whiffed on a cross sent in to him when he had NCC keeper Marco Soto off to the side of the net, and Hoff got his redemption goal. That opened up the floodgates, as the Vikings turned the close match into a laugher.

The fifth NPU goal, from a Stulen heave at the top of the box all the way to the NCC side of the pitch, where Peder Olsen took it forward and launched a sweet diagonal to freshman Patrick Knap sprinting up the middle, who then cut it behind Soto for the first of his two goals on the night, was about as fast and pretty as you're ever going to see a play run. The goal is running as a gif on the NPU gamer. (https://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2018/10/31/mens-soccer-7-north-park-defeats-north-central-advancing-to-cciw-championship.aspx)

Carthage took down Wheaton in the other semi, 3-0, in Kenosha on first-half goals by Herrera and Esquivel and a second-half capper by Triana. This one looks a little weird in the box score, too; Wheaton outshot the Red Men 24 (8) to 12 (7) in this match. Carthage keeper Niko Mavrogiannis had eight saves, tying his career high.

North Park and Carthage will meet in the championship match for the second straight season. The Vikings and Red Men will square off on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm at Hedstrand Field. I'm psyched to call this one; it should be a great match.

That was a clinical fast break goal.  Ironically, I was just thinking yesterday afternoon how rarely Stulen distributes the ball by hand - I thought that maybe it was a weakness.  It's almost as though he heard my thoughts - proved me wrong and kicked me right in the man-jingles.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on November 01, 2018, 11:51:04 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 01, 2018, 09:13:42 AM
That was a clinical fast break goal.  Ironically, I was just thinking yesterday afternoon how rarely Stulen distributes the ball by hand - I thought that maybe it was a weakness.  It's almost as though he heard my thoughts - proved me wrong and kicked me right in the man-jingles.

(https://media.giphy.com/media/LBA8IfDSb7TBS/giphy.gif)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 03, 2018, 12:00:50 PM
Anyone aware of an option for streaming the NPU game via Roku?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2018, 11:33:52 AM
Well, the Vikings spit out the bit on Saturday afternoon. They completely dominated the match, outshooting Carthage 19-6, with a 7-4 SOG advantage. But they had difficulty finishing, and that, along with a spectacular Red Men goal from the top of the box in the 80th minute followed by a clean-up goal into an open net 22 seconds later off of a muffed kick by the keeper compounded by a footrace out of the box that he lost, turned a 2-1 NPU advantage into a 3-2 Carthage win. No excuses offered here, as the Vikings didn't translate their control of the run of play into the necessary cushion that would've guaranteed advancement into the tournament, while the stubborn Red Men hung around and took advantage of most of the few opportunities that they had. Now Carthage is in, and the Vikings are on the bubble, anxiously awaiting the outcome of today's bracket announcement.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2018, 01:26:29 PM
Well, North Park didn't make it. I'm extremely disappointed, but I have no complaints. The Vikings knew what they needed to do, which was to win on Saturday and avoid the bubble, and in spite of dominating the match against Carthage they didn't get it accomplished. It is what it is. NPU's SoS just wasn't high enough to get the Vikings on firm ground for a Pool C.

Farewell, and a big thank-you for both their hard work and for the excellence and enjoyment that they brought to the pitch for Vikings fans, to graduating seniors Ricky Pimentel, Jason Gonzalez, Kyle Robson, Luke Egeler, and Kyle Orr, and to junior Gustav "Big Goose" Leander, who is graduating a year early and probably won't be back next season. As for the rest of the Vikings, I'm sure that the bitter taste left in their mouths from today will spur them on to be that much better next season. NPU's talent level is immense, and great things await the Vikings in 2019 if they're willing to work hard enough to earn it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 1970s NESCAC Player on November 05, 2018, 01:54:43 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2018, 01:26:29 PM
Well, North Park didn't make it. I'm extremely disappointed, but I have no complaints. The Vikings knew what they needed to do, which was to win on Saturday and avoid the bubble, and in spite of dominating the match against Carthage they didn't get it accomplished. It is what it is. NPU's SoS just wasn't high enough to get the Vikings on firm ground for a Pool C.

Farewell, and a big thank-you for both their hard work and for the excellence and enjoyment that they brought to the pitch for Vikings fans, to graduating seniors Ricky Pimentel, Jason Gonzalez, Kyle Robson, Luke Egeler, and Kyle Orr, and to junior Gustav "Big Goose" Leander, who is graduating a year early and probably won't be back next season. As for the rest of the Vikings, I'm sure that the bitter taste left in their mouths from today will spur them on to be that much better next season. NPU's talent level is immense, and great things await the Vikings in 2019 if they're willing to work hard enough to earn it.

Great sportsmanship Greg.  +k
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2018, 01:07:46 PM
The league office has announced the 2018 All-CCIW team. (https://cciw.org/sports/2018/11/5/MS_1105182650.aspx) The Player of the Year award has now been split into offensive and defensive awards (same goes for women's soccer), which I guess makes sense when you consider that the Player of the Week award is already split that way. So congratulations to NPU's sophomore Peder Olsen and senior Ricky Pimentel for winning the first OPOY and DPOY awards that the league has handed out. Congrats as well to freshman Deni Cresto of North Park, who followed Olsen as the second Viking in a row to win the Newcomer of the Year award, and to Olsen, Pimentel, Cresto, and freshman Joachim Hoff for being named to the All-CCIW first team and to fellow Vikings junior Gustav Leander and sophomores Shatil Khoury and Erik Lundeen for being named to the All-CCIW second team.

It's an interesting All-CCIW lineup. Both of Augie's representatives are internationals, as is Carroll's lone rep, so there are eight internationals among the 24 members of the All-CCIW team. Only 11 of the 24 are from Illinois.

Most importantly, only six are seniors (two from Carthage, one apiece from North Park, Wheaton, North Central, and Illinois Wesleyan) -- which means that we can hope for a stronger league next season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 06, 2018, 03:20:00 PM
Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts, North Park got screwed!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 16, 2018, 10:45:14 AM
Check out this goal to START OT for one of the MN state championships!!

https://www.mnsoccerhub.com/news_article/show/964854
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on November 16, 2018, 11:06:34 AM
Quote from: markerickson on November 16, 2018, 10:45:14 AM
Check out this goal to START OT for one of the MN state championships!!

https://www.mnsoccerhub.com/news_article/show/964854

Sweet....thanks for posting it.

Kid clearly was trying to score....wonder if that's something he practiced and how many times in a hundred he could come close to pulling that off.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr.Right on November 16, 2018, 02:36:20 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 16, 2018, 10:45:14 AM
Check out this goal to START OT for one of the MN state championships!!

https://www.mnsoccerhub.com/news_article/show/964854

That is a great goal but even more impressive that the Vikings let them use the facility for High School Soccer State Championships. That is the type of stuff that can help the sport of Soccer grow more than people think even though I know Soccer in Minnesota is big especially with the new MLS team and all but still kudos to the Vikings and Ownership. The Patriots/Krafts would never even think of doing that for Soccer even though they host every single High-School Football Bowl game and televise it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 1970s NESCAC Player on November 16, 2018, 04:14:27 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 16, 2018, 02:36:20 PM
Quote from: markerickson on November 16, 2018, 10:45:14 AM
Check out this goal to START OT for one of the MN state championships!!

https://www.mnsoccerhub.com/news_article/show/964854

That is a great goal but even more impressive that the Vikings let them use the facility for High School Soccer State Championships. That is the type of stuff that can help the sport of Soccer grow more than people think even though I know Soccer in Minnesota is big especially with the new MLS team and all but still kudos to the Vikings and Ownership. The Patriots/Krafts would never even think of doing that for Soccer even though they host every single High-School Football Bowl game and televise it.

Two thoughts:  (i) unfortunately, MR is probably correct about the Patriots/Krafts, even though they own the NE Revolution and allow the Academy teams to play in the stadium; and (ii) check out this opening kickoff goal by Will Van Noppen (formerly of LaSalle Academy in Providence) from 2010 while a sophomore at Clark University in Worcester against Wheaton College (Mass.):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ScYl0Bf3S8. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blooter442 on November 16, 2018, 04:21:30 PM
Quote from: 1970s NESCAC Player on November 16, 2018, 04:14:27 PM
Two thoughts:  (i) unfortunately, MR is probably correct about the Patriots/Krafts, even though they own the NE Revolution and allow the Academy teams to play in the stadium; and (ii) check out this opening kickoff goal by Will Van Noppen (formerly of LaSalle Academy in Providence) from 2010 while a sophomore at Clark University in Worcester against Wheaton College (Mass.):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ScYl0Bf3S8.

I remember that Van Noppen goal making the rounds when it happened. Pretty nuts.

As for the MN state final goal, a few commenters on the page stated that the goal shouldn't have been allowed because two players were in the opposing half when the ball was kicked from the kickoff. A technicality and doesn't take away from the quality of the strike nor do I think it would have made it easier to save, but still, interesting nonetheless.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on December 16, 2018, 08:13:58 PM
North Central announced today that they have "parted ways" with Coach Klosterman.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 16, 2018, 11:31:26 PM
That's a shame. Matt Klosterman was a solid and competent coach who took a North Central program that had degenerated into a laughingstock that had gone through four head coaches in seven seasons and had finished 0-20-0 the season before his arrival, and made them competitive, as the Cards appeared in three of the last four CCIW tourneys.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on December 17, 2018, 12:38:56 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on December 16, 2018, 11:31:26 PM
That's a shame. Matt Klosterman was a solid and competent coach who took a North Central program that had degenerated into a laughingstock that had gone through four head coaches in seven seasons and had finished 0-20-0 the season before his arrival, and made them competitive, as the Cards appeared in three of the last four CCIW tourneys.

Not quite sure I understand this one, especially with what you've noted above.  Stay tuned.  New coach expected by February.   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on December 29, 2018, 11:55:25 PM
Is it true that the MIAC qualified four teams...while the committee neglected the CCIW?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on January 03, 2019, 03:32:23 PM
Quote from: markerickson on December 29, 2018, 11:55:25 PM
Is it true that the MIAC qualified four teams...while the committee neglected the CCIW?

Couple months late on this one
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on January 29, 2019, 07:17:40 PM
NCC has a new coach.  Announcement coming soon.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on February 04, 2019, 01:48:37 PM
North Central announces new Men's Soccer coach hire:


https://northcentralcardinals.com/news/2019/2/4/fuschino-to-lead-mens-soccer-program.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2Ht4McqG6apFDeRcQw13sr60Ua0_0Xen4-TChfY0AykL7ADNzOqsocpng
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 04, 2019, 02:55:37 PM
That's a great hire by NCC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on February 04, 2019, 03:06:06 PM
They hired David Draiman from Disturbed?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on February 04, 2019, 11:04:46 PM
Quote from: EB2319 on February 04, 2019, 03:06:06 PM
They hired David Draiman from Disturbed?

Funny.  That's who I thought of as well!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on February 04, 2019, 11:08:56 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 04, 2019, 02:55:37 PM
That's a great hire by NCC.

What makes this a great hire? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 05, 2019, 12:59:50 AM
In his seven years running the UWP program, Fuschino had a record of 84-51-17 (.595). He took the Pioneers to the D3 tourney three times in those seven seasons, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2012 and the second round in each of the past two seasons. In other words, he's a proven winner on this level who has recruited extensively in the Chicagoland suburbs for years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on February 05, 2019, 10:34:54 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 05, 2019, 12:59:50 AM
In his seven years running the UWP program, Fuschino had a record of 84-51-17 (.595). He took the Pioneers to the D3 tourney three times in those seven seasons, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2012 and the second round in each of the past two seasons. In other words, he's a proven winner on this level who has recruited extensively in the Chicagoland suburbs for years.

Actually, he's been there since 2007 with an overall record of 116-75-19, 11-16-2 in the now defunct WIAC.

Enzo is a great guy who I imagine will do well for NCC. He always coached high school boys teams for Madison 56ers which led to a handful of recruits year after year. I wonder which Naperville area club will pick him up.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 05, 2019, 03:18:23 PM
Quote from: casualfan on February 05, 2019, 10:34:54 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 05, 2019, 12:59:50 AM
In his seven years running the UWP program, Fuschino had a record of 84-51-17 (.595). He took the Pioneers to the D3 tourney three times in those seven seasons, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2012 and the second round in each of the past two seasons. In other words, he's a proven winner on this level who has recruited extensively in the Chicagoland suburbs for years.

Actually, he's been there since 2007 with an overall record of 116-75-19, 11-16-2 in the now defunct WIAC.

Wasn't he the UWP women's coach between 2007 and 2011?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccer1234 on February 05, 2019, 03:36:58 PM
His UWP teams also played a similar direct and physical style to what NCC had been playing under Klosterman but with a higher level of skill which should bode well for the transition. If he is able to bring his Wisconsin recruiting pipeline to Illinois and continue to heavily recruit from the Naperville area, NCC could be in position to take a leap closer to the top of the CCIW.       
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on February 06, 2019, 11:47:35 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 05, 2019, 03:18:23 PM
Quote from: casualfan on February 05, 2019, 10:34:54 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 05, 2019, 12:59:50 AM
In his seven years running the UWP program, Fuschino had a record of 84-51-17 (.595). He took the Pioneers to the D3 tourney three times in those seven seasons, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 2012 and the second round in each of the past two seasons. In other words, he's a proven winner on this level who has recruited extensively in the Chicagoland suburbs for years.

Actually, he's been there since 2007 with an overall record of 116-75-19, 11-16-2 in the now defunct WIAC.

Wasn't he the UWP women's coach between 2007 and 2011?

I believe he was coach for both genders initially. But I know for certain that he'd been with the men since 2007.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 06, 2019, 02:36:59 PM
Got it.

I'm surprised that a school had someone running both the men's and the women's programs well into this decade. And I especially wouldn't have expected it of a WIAC school, although I realize that the sport of soccer has been the red-headed stepchild of the WIAC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: casualfan on February 07, 2019, 11:30:19 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on February 06, 2019, 02:36:59 PM
Got it.

I'm surprised that a school had someone running both the men's and the women's programs well into this decade. And I especially wouldn't have expected it of a WIAC school, although I realize that the sport of soccer has been the red-headed stepchild of the WIAC.

Greg Henschel led both programs at UW-Whitewater until the 2012 season when he moved on to UW-Milwaukee women. The Warhawks split the positions that year hiring Tony Guinn for the men and Ryan Quamme for the women.

Suprisingly enough, Platteville and Whitewater are the only WIAC Men's Soccer teams competing. After UW-Oshkosh cut the program and UW-Superior left for the UMAC, only two remain. It would be quite interested to see what type of conference the WIAC would be on the men's side if Lacrosse, Stevens Point, Eau Claire, Stevens Point, River Falls, and Oshkosh all had programs.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 07, 2019, 02:39:59 PM
Yes, that's why I called the sport the red-headed stepchild of the WIAC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Weasel on May 11, 2019, 08:58:04 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 05, 2018, 01:26:29 PM
Well, North Park didn't make it. I'm extremely disappointed, but I have no complaints. The Vikings knew what they needed to do, which was to win on Saturday and avoid the bubble, and in spite of dominating the match against Carthage they didn't get it accomplished. It is what it is. NPU's SoS just wasn't high enough to get the Vikings on firm ground for a Pool C.

North Park Men's Soccer - 2019 Schedule
Sep 4 (Wed)  (A)  Albion
Sep 7 (Sat)  (A)  Chicago
Sep 8 (Sun)  (H)  Dominican
Sep 10 (Tue)  (H)  Aurora
Sep 15 (Sun)  (H)  Rowan
Sep 18 (Wed)  (H)  Illinois Tech
Sep 21 (Sat)  (A)  Kalamazoo
Sep 25 (Wed)  (A)  Hope
Sep 28 (Sat)  (H)  Augustana
Sep 30 (Mon)  (H)  Carroll
Oct 1 (Tue)  (H)  Dubuque
Oct 5 (Sat)  (A)  Millikin
Oct 9 (Wed)  (A)  Carthage
Oct 12 (Sat)  (H)  Illinois Wesleyan
Oct 16 (Wed)  (A)  Elmhurst
Oct 23 (Wed)  (H)  UW-Whitewater
Oct 26 (Sat)  (H)  North Central
Nov 2 (Sat)  (A)  Wheaton  (Ill.)

Non-Conference Schedule:
Retained: Chicago, Dubuque, UW-Whitewater, Dominican, Kalamazoo, Aurora, Albion, Illinois Tech
Dropped:  Thomas More
Added:  Rowan, Hope




So, North Park's schedule is over 90% unchanged, but adding Rowan and Hope against losing Thomas More is a boost.  There's no way to know how their opponents will fair in the new season, but they should see their SOS bump up a bit an maybe insure them against being passed over for an at-large berth if they'd stumble in the CCIW tournament like last year.  Obviously they'll be looking to win the CCIW automatic berth and will be the favorites.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 12, 2019, 09:59:49 AM
Quote from: Flying Weasel on May 11, 2019, 08:58:04 AM
North Park Men's Soccer - 2019 Schedule
Sep 4 (Wed)  (A)  Albion
Sep 7 (Sat)  (A)  Chicago
Sep 8 (Sun)  (H)  Dominican
Sep 10 (Tue)  (H)  Aurora
Sep 15 (Sun)  (H)  Rowan
Sep 18 (Wed)  (H)  Illinois Tech
Sep 21 (Sat)  (A)  Kalamazoo
Sep 25 (Wed)  (A)  Hope
Sep 28 (Sat)  (H)  Augustana
Sep 30 (Mon)  (H)  Carroll
Oct 1 (Tue)  (H)  Dubuque
Oct 5 (Sat)  (A)  Millikin
Oct 9 (Wed)  (A)  Carthage
Oct 12 (Sat)  (H)  Illinois Wesleyan
Oct 16 (Wed)  (A)  Elmhurst
Oct 23 (Wed)  (H)  UW-Whitewater
Oct 26 (Sat)  (H)  North Central
Nov 2 (Sat)  (A)  Wheaton  (Ill.)

Non-Conference Schedule:
Retained: Chicago, Dubuque, UW-Whitewater, Dominican, Kalamazoo, Aurora, Albion, Illinois Tech
Dropped:  Thomas More
Added:  Rowan, Hope




So, North Park's schedule is over 90% unchanged, but adding Rowan and Hope against losing Thomas More is a boost.  There's no way to know how their opponents will fair in the new season, but they should see their SOS bump up a bit an maybe insure them against being passed over for an at-large berth if they'd stumble in the CCIW tournament like last year.

Yep. That was the whole point of adding Hope -- the squad that blocked NPU from getting to the table on Selection Day last year -- and it turned out to be a great bonus that Rowan was planning to journey to the midwest next September, for whatever reason (I cannot recall any NJAC team in any sport ever visiting Chicagoland before).

John Born's scheduling flexibility is limited. UWW vs. NPU is a trophy match, so the Warhawks are always going to stay on the schedule. Chicago and Dominican are the two top non-CCIW programs in the area, and have been for awhile now, so they're always going to stay on the sked, too. Aurora typically finishes on the plus side of .500, making the Spartans a useful local opponent for SoS purposes. Dubuque, Kalamazoo, Albion, and Illinois Tech are two-year contracts, so John was locked into playing each of them a second time.

Ideally, I think he'd like to play Benedictine every year as well, since, like Aurora, the Bennies are a local program that's always north of the break-even mark by the end of the season. But BU's abortive switch to D2 probably pre-empted a lot of non-conference scheduling against Benedictine in various sports over the past couple of years.

Quote from: Flying Weasel on May 11, 2019, 08:58:04 AMObviously they'll be looking to win the CCIW automatic berth and will be the favorites.

I haven't had a chance to speak at length with any of the members of the North Park coaching staff over the past few months, but, considering what they have coming back, and if what I've heard from other members of the NPU athletic department staff about new additions to the roster is true, 2019 could be a pretty spectacular season for the Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 13, 2019, 12:36:43 PM
Big news at North Park today, as the successor to retiring AD Jack Surridge has been named. It's John Born, who currently serves as the head coach of the NPU men's soccer program and as an assistant professor in the North Park School of Business and Nonprofit Management, where he runs NPU's Sport Management curriculum and major.

He's going to hold a new position, assistant vice president of athletics and sport management, which will combine his current academic duties with that of the role of athletic director. I'm not sure if this a cabinet-level position or not, although the words "vice president" seem to indicate that, and there's nothing in the press release that indicates to whom he would answer in the organizational chart aside from NPU President Mary Surridge. Given that he will have additional responsibilities aside from running the athletic department, my guess is that more of the paperwork and game-management oversight will be taken on by the associate athletic directors.

The big question is who will run the NPU men's soccer program, which is by far the most successful program in the athletic department and the only one that's currently enjoying any national success. The obvious answer is that associate head coach Kris Grahn, a former CCIW Player of the Year and All-American, will take over the reins of the program from John. This would make sense, as John's clearly been grooming Kris to be his successor; Kris is heavily involved in every aspect of the program, particularly recruiting. The prowess of the program should continue unabated with Kris running it.

Jack Surridge is going to stay on the NPU payroll as Strategic Enrollment Management Advisor, which means that he'll probably be working as something of an aide to his wife, the school's president.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 13, 2019, 02:37:14 PM
As everyone expected, an hour and a half after John Born was promoted, Kris Grahn was named NPU's new head coach. This is exactly what those of us who follow North Park men's soccer were hoping would happen. As associate head coach, Kris was John's right-hand man and was heavily involved in every aspect of the program, especially recruiting. He's obviously the person who is best positioned to keep the international pipleline going, seeing as how Kris himself originally came to North Park from Sweden to play soccer, and as a former All-American and CCIW Player of the Year he's going to have credibility with American prospects as well.

This is a good day for North Park soccer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on May 22, 2019, 10:46:26 PM
Am waiting for official news that Matias Warp, former Viking All-American, will return after a one year absence.  That will make him 29 y/o. /s
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on June 03, 2019, 12:25:35 PM
Quote from: markerickson on May 22, 2019, 10:46:26 PM
Am waiting for official news that Matias Warp, former Viking All-American, will return after a one year absence.  That will make him 29 y/o. /s

Thought I heard he graduated early... time for our annual edition of NPU-splaining for the coming onslaught of vitriol from schools on the Vikings' schedule. Paging Prof. Sager.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on June 03, 2019, 02:54:55 PM
I wasn't aware that one prior occurrence of something made it "annual".

Actually, upon reviewing this board's past posts, I was reminded that last season's "onslaught of vitriol" came from three posters who all hail from the northeastern part of the country (EB2319, Mr. Right, and Paul Newman), none of whom had a rooting interest in any of the teams on last season's NPU schedule. So, in other words, your "annual edition" describes something that's never happened before.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 08, 2019, 09:18:43 AM
Greg - I saw you posted on the WBB board that Ericsson is returning to NPU this year.  USD just removed him from their 2019 roster yesterday.

Interesting - is he returning for soccer, academic or other reasons?  It must be hard to give up a D1 scholarship for a school located in beautiful SD.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 08, 2019, 11:20:29 AM
I'm not sure about the details of Ericsson's return. But he certainly is a welcome addition. He is a serious difference-maker at this level. Getting him back makes up for the decision of Mattias Warp to change his mind. He will not return to NPU to get his master's degree after all.

The Vikings did suffer a blow this summer when All-CCIW forward Erik Lundeen broke his tibia in a summer league contest. He'll most likely take a medical redshirt for this coming season and will return in 2020 with two years of eligibility left.

First-year head coach Kris Grahn's got the target pinned to his back in this year's preseason poll, to nobody's surprise:


1  North Park  61 (6)
2  Carthage  56 (2)
3  Wheaton  54 (1)
4  Illinois Wesleyan  39
5  Millikin  37
6  North Central  32
7  Elmhurst  18
8  Augustana  16
9  Carroll  11

The unexpected slotting here is North Central. The Cardinals have been the up-and-coming program in the CCIW over the past few seasons, qualifying for three of the last four CCIW tournaments, so it seems strange to see them dropped down to sixth. They do have a new coach in Enzo Fuschino, but his record at UW-Platteville demonstrates that he's a proven commodity at this level.

I'm also a bit surprised that Millikin was picked to finish out of the money. The Big Blue returns a pair of All-CCIW first-teamers in goalkeeper Isaac Hopper and defender Bradyn Nokes as well as perhaps the strongest right leg in the league in Trey Knighton.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 17, 2019, 10:18:39 AM
Former Carthage player Giles Phillips is starting in defense for Wycombe Wanderers of England's league 1.  Is this the highest level played by a former cciw player? 

He's currently on loan from QPR, which is a Championship team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 26, 2019, 02:54:22 PM
NPU's roster is posted:  https://athletics.northpark.edu/roster.aspx?path=msoc

A few players from last year are gone - a few old names have returned.

Most of the newbies I have no idea about, but one incoming player does have his own Wikipedia page:

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niclas_Holgersson
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 26, 2019, 04:02:04 PM
Niclas Holgersson is, to the best of my knowledge, the first player that North Park has ever had who has capped for his country's national team. He was a member of the Swedish U-17 team in 2016 and saw brief action for the blue and gold in the European U-17 championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2016.

As you would expect, the coaching staff raves about him. Provided that he stays healthy, he will be a huge difference-maker at this level.

Two of NPU's 2018 All-CCIW first-teamers, Deni Cresto and Joachim Hoff, didn't return this season, and I've already mentioned that All-CCIW second-teamer Erik Lundeen is going to get a medical redshirt after fracturing his tibia this summer. But Gianfranco DeCarne, the junior out of Niles North who left school to play in Italy after a 2016 season in which he finished second in the league in scoring and made the All-CCIW first team, is back. And, as previously discussed, 2017 All-CCIW first-teamer Gustav Ericsson is back after spending a year playing at the D1 level for the University of San Diego as a part-time starter. So the Vikings shouldn't miss a beat in the forward third and at midfield.

The goal should be as well-defended for NPU as it is for anybody this year with Matthias Stulen and Edin Sabovic back between the pipes. The question mark is the back line, which was devastated by the graduation of Ricky Pimentel, Gustav Leander, and Kyle Robson. Pimentel is now North Park's GA, and he told me that the defensive corps is extremely talented, but is of course very raw -- there will a lot of minutes going to freshmen defenders this year. How quickly and how well they adjust to the college game is likely going to determine how far NPU can go this year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 26, 2019, 04:07:31 PM
Greg, I think Isaac Lee represented South Korea youth nation teams.  I believe he was a late cut from their Olympic team

Kemkers also returned after a medical red shirt year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 26, 2019, 05:33:32 PM
You're right. i'd forgotten about Isaac Lee.

Kemkers is still not at 100%, as he's redeveloping all of the musculature around the injured hip that forced him to miss all of last season. The coaching staff is easing him in with regard to his workload. The word I heard is that he should be ready for playing time in a couple of weeks.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AM
Greg,

North Park seems to have a lot of questions (along with a lot of potential based upon the return of DeCarne and Ericsson), however, what happened to the players that should have returned from last year? Most notably - Deni Cresto, Joachim Hoff, Benjamin Nygaard, Samuel Zetterlind, etc. Was that due to the coaching change?

The influx of Scandanavian players over the past few years has obviously increased the talent level, however, with such massive turnover year over year, one must question if the lack of cohesiveness will be a deterrent (considering these players only have 2-3 weeks to gel prior to their first game). Based on what I can see, the only returning starters from last year are Stuhlen, Olsen, Khoury, and Lund (to be fair, those are 4 very good players to have returning). Also it is fair to assume that Ericsson and DeCarne will find assume the starting roles they had in previous years.

I am curious on how you see this team shaping up and if you have been able to watch them at all in preseason. You had mentioned that they will be raw on the defensive end - which I agree with, however, on paper they look to be as talented as ever on the offensive end. I can only imagine that Coach Grahn is drooling over the ability to throw out Khoury up top with Olsen on the left, DeCarne on the Right, Ericsson and Holgersson at Attacking Mid, and Lund at Defensive Mid. Assuming that would be the case, he still would have Barriga and Kemkers (assuming he returns to the form he had in 2017) coming off the bench, which is crazy to think about - considering both would be top 5 players on any other team in the CCIW. The conference hasn't seen that much firepower up front from one team since my Thunder were able to attack with the Golz brothers and Marshall Hollingsworth.

It should be a very interesting game between NPU and UC early in the season, as it seems UC is going through the same types of changes (coaching change, loss of impactful starters, etc.). I also noticed Dayo Adeosun doesn't appear on the recently posted roster for UC (no insight into this and could very well be a human error). However, if that is true, that is a big blow to the Maroons - as he would have been the engine in the final 3rd of the field for them.

Looking forward to a great season!   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2019, 04:10:45 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AM
Greg,

North Park seems to have a lot of questions (along with a lot of potential based upon the return of DeCarne and Ericsson), however, what happened to the players that should have returned from last year? Most notably - Deni Cresto, Joachim Hoff, Benjamin Nygaard, Samuel Zetterlind, etc. Was that due to the coaching change?

Nygaard, who seemed to be convinced that he was better than he actually was, quit in mid-season last year after his playing time had been cut and he'd been asked to play JV. I don't know the specific reasons why Cresto, Hoff, and Zetterlind aren't back, but I highly doubt that it had anything to do with the coaching change, since Kris Grahn was in charge of recruiting international players and was therefore the guy who'd brought them into the program in the first place.

One of the pitfalls of using international players is that they often graduate early and thus don't use their full four years of eligibility if they're from countries that offer more college-level courses in their high schools than is common in the U.S. (Sweden and Norway being notable examples of such countries). Another pitfall is the attrition caused by homesickness. It wouldn't surprise me if that's the reason why Cresto, Hoff, and Zetterlind didn't come back. Also, as was pointed out here ad nauseam last season, Cresto is beyond traditional college age. That made it more problematic that he'd have the patience to play out an entire college career without drawing a paycheck, although I've noticed online that he hasn't signed anywhere yet.

Cresto and Hoff in particular are unfortunate losses. They were All-CCIW last season, and deservedly so. But I'm not terribly worried about it, not just because the Vikings have added Ericsson, DeCarne, and Holgersson, but because NPU has consistently demonstrated over the past several years that it can bring in new players who can step in and excel at this level right away. And that's not taking into consideration that the returnees who were on the bench last year are now a year better. I'm thinking of guys like Angel Barriga, Patrick Knap, Alfredo Pichardo, Phillip Danielsson, Jonas Andersgaard, and Osvaldo Espinoza in that regard. Also, at last report Erlend Kemkers is a couple of weeks away from playing time -- and he had been described to me as NPU's most improved player in 2018's spring practices before he got hurt last summer. If he can round back into form, he'll be a heckuva player in the middle of the pitch.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AMThe influx of Scandanavian players over the past few years has obviously increased the talent level, however, with such massive turnover year over year, one must question if the lack of cohesiveness will be a deterrent (considering these players only have 2-3 weeks to gel prior to their first game).

That's a fair question. There are enough new pieces to the puzzle to think that there might be a shakedown period at the beginning of the season that's necessary to get the first unit clicking in sync; I'm less worried about Ericsson, who has only been gone for a year, but DeCarne's been gone for two years, and the entire rotation has turned over since he last donned the NPU kit. That's why I'm glad that Kris has scheduled two tough scrimmages this week: Roosevelt (tomorrow night), which is raw but always plays with tremendous pace, is already two games deep into its regular season (and has scrimmaged UIC as well), and Lewis (Saturday afternoon) is a D2 outfit -- not a great one as D2 programs go, but it's always a challenge when scholarship players get thrown your way.

I'm hopeful that these two scrimmages will help the top eighteen or so come together more quickly.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AMBased on what I can see, the only returning starters from last year are Stuhlen, Olsen, Khoury, and Lund (to be fair, those are 4 very good players to have returning). Also it is fair to assume that Ericsson and DeCarne will find assume the starting roles they had in previous years.

Also, even though Niclas Holgersson hasn't even put on the kit yet aside from the team photo session, he's already been written into the starting lineup in ink. Everybody associated with the program tells me that he's a special talent for this level of soccer.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AMI am curious on how you see this team shaping up and if you have been able to watch them at all in preseason. You had mentioned that they will be raw on the defensive end - which I agree with, however, on paper they look to be as talented as ever on the offensive end. I can only imagine that Coach Grahn is drooling over the ability to throw out Khoury up top with Olsen on the left, DeCarne on the Right, Ericsson and Holgersson at Attacking Mid, and Lund at Defensive Mid. Assuming that would be the case, he still would have Barriga and Kemkers (assuming he returns to the form he had in 2017) coming off the bench, which is crazy to think about - considering both would be top 5 players on any other team in the CCIW. The conference hasn't seen that much firepower up front from one team since my Thunder were able to attack with the Golz brothers and Marshall Hollingsworth.

I've watched them practice a bit, but it's really hard to pick up much from observing a practice. I think that the two scrimmages this week will provide ample opportunity to get a sense of the Vikings. I'm less concerned about the offense gelling as I am with the back line.

I am so happy that the Golz family ran out of sons. I got tired of seeing them whip the Vikings in multiple sports.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AMIt should be a very interesting game between NPU and UC early in the season, as it seems UC is going through the same types of changes (coaching change, loss of impactful starters, etc.). I also noticed Dayo Adeosun doesn't appear on the recently posted roster for UC (no insight into this and could very well be a human error). However, if that is true, that is a big blow to the Maroons - as he would have been the engine in the final 3rd of the field for them.

IIRC, it was mentioned last year that Adeosun was graduating early. If so, his departure wasn't unexpected, and the new coaching staff has had time to prepare for it. But it's terrible timing to lose a player of Adeosun's caliber while he still has a year of eligiblity left when that loss is in the same graduation cycle that costs you three All-Americans in Koh, Lopez, and Capotosto.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 27, 2019, 10:46:21 AMLooking forward to a great season!

How does Wheaton look? I noticed that Carthage has yet to post a roster. I really wish that we had a Carthage fan posting here as well, although Steve Domin's teams are never a mystery -- loads of fleet 5'8 or 5'9 Hispanic guys from the north and northwest suburbs who try to run you right off of the pitch (and frequently do). He loses three senior starters from last season -- including his leading scorer and his keeper, both of whom were All-CCIW first-teamers -- but he had a very nice group of juniors who should be coming back.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 27, 2019, 05:24:24 PM
I believe Cresto didn't return because he turned pro (I'm assuming 4th tier is pro)

I found him on this Midland-Odessa Sockers roster:

http://www.sockersfc.org/team/roster/
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2019, 10:10:15 PM
Nice detective work, Gotberg. I couldn't find him with a search engine -- probably because I had "Deni Cresto" within quotes, which must've prevented me from getting a hit for Deni Jose Lima Cresto.

They must've just signed him. They don't even have his height and weight listed on the roster yet. Anyway, best of luck to Deni down there in the Permian Basin.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on August 28, 2019, 09:52:24 AM
Greg,

I appreciate the detail on my questions. Sounds like NPU is going to be the cream of the crop this year in the conference.

In regards to your question about the Thunder - unfortunately, I don't have the same optimistic outlook for them, as you do for NP. Although we return most of the starting lineup - the team simply lacks the dynamic players that we have had in the past. I expect Kapitaniuk to be solid in the middle of the park, as he has been throughout his career. We do return Moyes/Koplin/Whallon in the attacking 3rd, so hopefully a year of growth is what was needed and we can get 6-8 goals from each (our leading scorer last year tallied 4 goals). Justin Hill (2nd Team All CCIW) will lead the backline, of which we should see some new faces. I haven't heard who will be the starter in goal - as that was a position last year that lacked consistency.

Hopefully Coach DeClute has recruited some impactful freshman - or I think it will be a struggle for this team to play their way into the conference tournament.

Predictions - Non-Conference (5-4-1), Conference (2-3-3) = (7-7-4) - 5th in the conference

Conference Predictions:
1. North Park
2. Carthage
3. Millikin
4. North Central
5. Wheaton
6. Illinois Wesleyan
7. Elmhurst
8. Carroll
9. Augustana
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on August 28, 2019, 03:42:03 PM
Greg,

Will there be video of the scrimmage tonight at NP?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 28, 2019, 04:35:41 PM
Nope. But I'll give a report tonight or tomorrow on what I saw.

Saturday's scrimmage against Lewis also won't be streamed. Albion's not streaming the season opener over in Michigan, either, so NPU's first viewable contest will be a week from Saturday against the U of C down in Hyde Park.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 12:25:03 AM
North Park beat Roosevelt, 2-0, on a pair of Patrick Knap goals. Aside from a brief spell near the end of the first half, and parts of the later stages of the game when the Roosevelt starters were facing all backups from NPU, the Vikings had the run of play throughout. They outshot RU, 18-12, and placed eight shots on frame to five for the Lakers -- four of which came in the second half after the NPU coaches had started to work in the backups. All in all, NPU used 24 players on the night. The Roosevelt coach treated it like a regular-season match, playing no more than 15 or 16 guys.

As expected, the Vikings looked out of sync; there wasn't the usual flurry of foot-to-foot passes, and there was a much larger number than usual of instances when passer and intended receiver weren't on the same page on passes into space. It'll take a while for their familiarity with each other to start showing itself on the pitch.

The big news of the night is that the Vikings have a new look, as they've gone back to a three-man back line after many years spent using a four-defender set. I understand the principle at work, which is to get your best eleven players on the field, and if the experiment doesn't work to Kris Grahn's satisfaction it's always easier to move from a three-man back line to a four-man back line in midseason than it is to do it the other way around. Nevertheless, the loss of that extra center back as a safety blanket in front of the keeper makes me a little nervous, especially with an all-freshman back line out there.

But I have to say this: The trio that started -- left back Arian Cindahl, center back Runar Berg-Domaas, and right back William Bostrom-Rydfjallen -- looked impressive. What made their performance more impressive is that Roosevelt doesn't play dump-and-chase; the Lakers use a build offense, which is tougher to negotiate with three defenders. When the other team is just sending in one big hit after another, it merely comes down to winning 50/50s, which would be relatively easy with the size NPU has in the back third this season. But with a build comes rushing forwards and mids and passes arriving from different directions, which is harder for three guys to stop -- and Cindahl, Berg-Domaas, and Bostrom-Rydfjallen did a good job of stopping it. They didn't give the Lakers more than three or four good looks all night, and no great ones. I'm also intrigued by another freshman defender, Abu Secka. He began on the outside by spelling Cindahl, then moved into the middle to replace Berg-Domaas, and assistant coach Karsten Hahn told me that Secka can also fill in for Ulrik Lund at defensive mid. Like Berg-Domaas and Bostrom-Rydfjallen, Secka is a big fella; all three of them are a legit 6'2, and they've all clearly spent some time in weight rooms. These guys look like they have great potential. But that back line is going to continue to worry me for the immediate future.

Kris Grahn also used a new face at right mid, freshman William Sandkvist. Together with the three defenders and Niclas Holgersson, that made five freshmen in the NPU starting lineup, while two freshman backups, defenders Secka and Ethan Prankus, saw a lot of time off of the bench. This could turn out to be a really special class for the Park if these guys stick it out.

Sure was great to see Gustav Ericsson and Gianfranco DeCarne back in Vikings livery.

Erlend Kemkers didn't play, as expected, but Shatil Khoury and Matthias Stulen were also held out as a precautionary measure.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 06:41:19 AM
Greg, thanks for the recap.  Just for clarification, I think Cindhal is a junior and Secka is s sophomore.  I think both previously attended schools out East.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 09:04:10 AM
The NP roster has 53 players?  I'm somewhat new to D3 soccer, but have never seen a roster approaching this size.  Why so many rostered players?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 09:54:38 AM
Quote from: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 09:04:10 AM
The NP roster has 53 players?  I'm somewhat new to D3 soccer, but have never seen a roster approaching this size.  Why so many rostered players?

It's a huge roster.  My personal take is if there's interest from students and the ability to support 2 teams (Varsity / JV), why turn away the tuition dollars if the outcome is positive revenue? 

There are predictions of mass closures of private, 4 year universities over the next decade+ as the overall student population in the US is declining. 

Here's an example article: 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2018/12/13/will-half-of-all-colleges-really-close-in-the-next-decade/#486c5d4252e5

That's compounded by the increased enrollment at 2 year schools in order for families to save money.

So, I would think a high roster could boost profits while also enhancing the experience for students that want to extend their athletic career and enjoy the team experience.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 10:48:28 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 09:54:38 AM
Quote from: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 09:04:10 AM
The NP roster has 53 players?  I'm somewhat new to D3 soccer, but have never seen a roster approaching this size.  Why so many rostered players?

It's a huge roster.  My personal take is if there's interest from students and the ability to support 2 teams (Varsity / JV), why turn away the tuition dollars if the outcome is positive revenue? 

There are predictions of mass closures of private, 4 year universities over the next decade+ as the overall student population in the US is declining. 

Here's an example article: 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2018/12/13/will-half-of-all-colleges-really-close-in-the-next-decade/#486c5d4252e5

That's compounded by the increased enrollment at 2 year schools in order for families to save money.

So, I would think a high roster could boost profits while also enhancing the experience for students that want to extend their athletic career and enjoy the team experience.

This is an interesting and for me novel argument.  Are you suggesting that kids pick where to spend their tuition dollars based on whether a JV program is available or whether a coach offers a roster spot no matter how far down the depth chart you would be?  I would guess that some number (most?) of those JV players were already gonna go to NP regardless.  I'd be concerned about kids anywhere choosing their school based on the possibility or promise of a JV slot.   I can't imagine picking any school no matter how great based on being offered the #42 spot in a D3 college program.  If already at the school anyway, or choosing anyway regardless of that #42 spot, then sure, if a a kid wants to participate that way then great, but I just can't see a kid choosing a particular school with the "offer" as the tipping point in the decision.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 11:12:45 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 06:41:19 AM
Greg, thanks for the recap.  Just for clarification, I think Cindhal is a junior and Secka is s sophomore.  I think both previously attended schools out East.

That's what I get for typing my report without looking at the roster. :-[

Cindahl spent two seasons at Pfeiffer. Secka played for a juco, Herkimer Community College in upstate New York, last season.

Quote from: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 09:04:10 AM
The NP roster has 53 players?  I'm somewhat new to D3 soccer, but have never seen a roster approaching this size.  Why so many rostered players?

This is actually a smaller roster than NPU had last season. Last year NPU began the year with 55 players. What's more, the coaches actually made cuts in preseason just to get the roster down to a more manageable size that will allow them to split the team up into varsity and reserve squads of 25-26 players apiece.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 12:13:13 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 11:12:45 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 06:41:19 AM
Greg, thanks for the recap.  Just for clarification, I think Cindhal is a junior and Secka is s sophomore.  I think both previously attended schools out East.


Quote from: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 09:04:10 AM
The NP roster has 53 players?  I'm somewhat new to D3 soccer, but have never seen a roster approaching this size.  Why so many rostered players?

This is actually a smaller roster than NPU had last season. Last year NPU began the year with 55 players. What's more, the coaches actually made cuts in preseason just to get the roster down to a more manageable size that will allow them to split the team up into varsity and reserve squads of 25-26 players apiece.

Thank you.  That makes sense then.  Didn't think this would include JV rostered players.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 12:17:00 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 10:48:28 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 09:54:38 AM
Quote from: SlideTackle on August 29, 2019, 09:04:10 AM
The NP roster has 53 players?  I'm somewhat new to D3 soccer, but have never seen a roster approaching this size.  Why so many rostered players?

It's a huge roster.  My personal take is if there's interest from students and the ability to support 2 teams (Varsity / JV), why turn away the tuition dollars if the outcome is positive revenue? 

There are predictions of mass closures of private, 4 year universities over the next decade+ as the overall student population in the US is declining. 

Here's an example article: 
https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhorn/2018/12/13/will-half-of-all-colleges-really-close-in-the-next-decade/#486c5d4252e5

That's compounded by the increased enrollment at 2 year schools in order for families to save money.

So, I would think a high roster could boost profits while also enhancing the experience for students that want to extend their athletic career and enjoy the team experience.

This is an interesting and for me novel argument.

This is actually news to you? Using intercollegiate athletics as a means to boost enrollment is standard fare in D3, particularly for tuition-driven schools such as NPU. It's why so many schools are expanding their menu of offered sports -- I still chuckle every time that I look at the Adrian College athletics page and I'm reminded that the Bulldogs have a varsity bass fishing team (https://adrianbulldogs.com/sports/fishing/index) -- and it's why so many D3 conferences are obliging their members by sponsoring competition in new sports. For example, the CCIW has added men's volleyball as an officially-sponsored sport this school year. It added both men's and women's lacrosse about four or five years ago; I can remember a time not too many years ago when a lacrosse stick was as alien to a midwestern kid as a polo mallet or a cricket bat.

And D3 schools aren't using athletics as a revenue driver simply by adding sports. They're often treating their athletics departments as adjuncts of their admissions departments, setting recruiting quotas for their coaches that hold them responsible for bringing in a certain number of new players each season. To again use the CCIW as an example, it's not uncommon to see 120 to 140 kids come out for a football team at several schools in the league. Carthage had over 160 players on the football roster a few seasons ago, which boggled my mind. Nobody needs more than 105-110 players to field a full varsity team and a JV team that will allow them to develop their underclassmen, and if you are willing to forego a JV team you can get away with as few as 60 or 65 and still be very competitive. But the rosters are inflated, because kids still want to play college football -- and schools that need their tuition money are not about to quash the dreams of those kids, even if the chances are extremely slim for many of them that they will ever see the field in a varsity game.

Again, this is standard operating procedure for much of D3. It isn't at the schools with which you're familiar, such as Kenyon and the NESCAC schools, but those schools are in a different category in terms of finances and applicant pools ... and they're the minority among D3 schools, whereas the more modestly-endowed and less exclusive schools that are tuition-driven are the majority. That Forbes article to which Gotberg linked is pointed straight at the heart of D3.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 10:48:28 AMAre you suggesting that kids pick where to spend their tuition dollars based on whether a JV program is available or whether a coach offers a roster spot no matter how far down the depth chart you would be?

I don't think that he was suggesting that at all, because: a) most kids don't see themselves as JV fodder, although scrupulous coaches typically mention on a recruiting visit that they do have JV teams for developmental purposes; and b) scrupulous coaches don't offer anything in a recruiting visit. But at most places, roster spots are easy to come by. Tryouts and cuts are the exception in D3, not the rule. In D3, if you want to play a sport and your check doesn't bounce, they'll hand you a uniform in most cases.

Recruiting at the D3 level typically isn't about manipulating an impressionable teenager. It's about offering an opportunity. Adolescent student-athletes frequently make school choices based upon their dreams rather than upon taking a hard pragmatic look at where they stand in relation to their peers in terms of talent. And for others, it's all really nothing more than indulging in the wish to continue being part of a team and playing the sport that they love -- even if it only ends up being on the practice field or at the JV level. The beauty of D3 sports is that it offers that opportunity to those who know very well that they aren't blue chips but who nevertheless don't want to stop playing competitive sports.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 10:48:28 AMI would guess that some number (most?) of those JV players were already gonna go to NP regardless.  I'd be concerned about kids anywhere choosing their school based on the possibility or promise of a JV slot.   I can't imagine picking any school no matter how great based on being offered the #42 spot in a D3 college program.

Again, nobody manipulated, fooled, or forced those kids into choosing NPU. It wouldn't have taken them more than 15 seconds on the NPU website to find out for themselves that they were looking at a school that had 55 players on the men's soccer roster last season, since that roster wasn't taken down until it was replaced by the new roster last week. But, as I said, I strongly doubt that any of them saw themselves as being the #42 player on the NPU depth chart in 2019. The players who were recruited were stars, or at least reasonably effective starters, at their respective high schools, and were sure that they were good enough to make a mark on the pitch at North Park. Otherwise, the coaches wouldn't have wasted their most precious resource -- time -- on recruiting them in the first place. Walk-ons are another matter, of course.

Most of all, these recruits want to win. Playing for a winner is a huge ingredient in what a great many student-athletes are looking for in their choice of schools. It's certainly acted as a magnet for NPU men's soccer -- whereas NPU football, for example, which has a tradition that's diametrically opposite to the Vikings soccer program in terms of its lack of success, has had years in which it has struggled to make recruiting quotas.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 10:48:28 AMIf already at the school anyway, or choosing anyway regardless of that #42 spot, then sure, if a a kid wants to participate that way then great, but I just can't see a kid choosing a particular school with the "offer" as the tipping point in the decision.

That's not really the narrative here, though, unless you're talking about a walk-on. If you came to NPU because you were recruited to play men's soccer, then you're already a pretty good soccer player who has a legit shot to become a useful player at this level. Otherwise, the coaches wouldn't bother to recruit you.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on August 29, 2019, 12:49:27 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 12:17:00 PM
It isn't at the schools with which you're familiar, such as Kenyon and the NESCAC schools, but those schools are in a different category in terms of finances and applicant pools ...

I do think even the NESCAC schools are using athletics for enrollment management purposes, but it is not so much about finding students as it is about finding male students.

As for varsity bass fishing, I think many of the colleges and universities that have added (or are looking to add) eSports as an admissions tool should also look at bass fishing.

Bass fishing could be perfect for a small college or university, especially rural institutions, as a way to add students if they can fundraise properly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PM
First of all, no criticism of NP was intended.  As has been noted on the site before, NP is far from the only school to have an inordinately large roster.  If anything, I'm questioning the kids and their families.  I was trying to make the point that choosing a college, especially at D3, based on a roster spot miles and miles from the varsity field, seems a little ill-advised, and aside from any issues of school prestige or endowments.

Now, if you're telling me that NP ACTIVELY recruits ALL of those 55 kids and makes some kind of promise no matter how vague, then I may alter my opinion about schools doing this (as just as much on the schools as the kids/families).  I would think a better draw would be promoting a school having an incredible intramurals program, which might be attractive to kids who were high school athletes in various degrees.

I assume you are saying that a decent chunk of those 55 are NOT walk-ons and/or students who otherwise would have chosen NP anyway? 

I also assume you saw our SLU alum's post about his view that 30 should be the ceiling.

Anyway, yes, it is new for me.  You make the good point that perhaps these kids have good enough backgrounds and healthy enough egos that they project themselves as actually playing for the varsity team, either right away or within the first couple of years.  You also make the good point that they should know coming in what the deal is with roster size and the existence of a JV team.  OK, so once they do, in fact, find out that they are somewhere in the 30-55 mix and relegated to a JV squad, does some portion quit and continue attending NP or transfer?

I'll read the article, but an institution surviving based on getting tuition from large numbers of recruited athletes who may never see a varsity field seems like a strategy that I wouldn't hang my hat on.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 29, 2019, 01:55:25 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PM
First of all, no criticism of NP was intended.  As has been noted on the site before, NP is far from the only school to have an inordinately large roster.  If anything, I'm questioning the kids and their families.  I was trying to make the point that choosing a college, especially at D3, based on a roster spot miles and miles from the varsity field, seems a little ill-advised, and aside from any issues of school prestige or endowments.

Now, if you're telling me that NP ACTIVELY recruits ALL of those 55 kids and makes some kind of promise no matter how vague, then I may alter my opinion about schools doing this (as just as much on the schools as the kids/families).  I would think a better draw would be promoting a school having an incredible intramurals program, which might be attractive to kids who were high school athletes in various degrees.

I assume you are saying that a decent chunk of those 55 are NOT walk-ons and/or students who otherwise would have chosen NP anyway? 

I also assume you saw our SLU alum's post about his view that 30 should be the ceiling.

Anyway, yes, it is new for me.  You make the good point that perhaps these kids have good enough backgrounds and healthy enough egos that they project themselves as actually playing for the varsity team, either right away or within the first couple of years.  You also make the good point that they should know coming in what the deal is with roster size and the existence of a JV team.  OK, so once they do, in fact, find out that they are somewhere in the 30-55 mix and relegated to a JV squad, does some portion quit and continue attending NP or transfer?

I'll read the article, but an institution surviving based on getting tuition from large numbers of recruited athletes who may never see a varsity field seems like a strategy that I wouldn't hang my hat on.

I'm sure recruiting athletes is one of many enrollment strategies schools have in place (not limited to NPU).

I think each student-athlete has a different story (Stay, transfer, quit, etc) - is it worth trying to figure them all out? (not limited to NPU).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 01:56:48 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PM
First of all, no criticism of NP was intended.  As has been noted on the site before, NP is far from the only school to have an inordinately large roster.  If anything, I'm questioning the kids and their families.  I was trying to make the point that choosing a college, especially at D3, based on a roster spot miles and miles from the varsity field, seems a little ill-advised, and aside from any issues of school prestige or endowments.

No argument there. Then again, the ability to make good decisions is typically a work in progress for the average 17- or 18-year-old. And a pretty high percentage of parents refuse to step on their kids' dreams for the sake of practicality, even if there are huge sums of money involved.

Most of the young men on the NPU roster who are American residents are working-class kids from immigrant families. I think that there's likely more family-induced pragmatism there than is true at other schools; these are families that don't have the luxury of indulging their children by paying a whopping tuition bill just so the kid can play JV soccer for four years.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PMNow, if you're telling me that NP ACTIVELY recruits ALL of those 55 kids and makes some kind of promise no matter how vague, then I may alter my opinion about schools doing this (as just as much on the schools as the kids/families).  I would think a better draw would be promoting a school having an incredible intramurals program, which might be attractive to kids who were high school athletes in various degrees.

I know the NPU coaches well enough to know that they don't make such promises. I also know that the evidence that's right in front of those kids every time that they click on the North Park website would preclude the NPU coaches from making such promises even if they wanted to, aside from the promise that the kid will get a fair shake when it comes to being evaluated and trained.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PMI assume you are saying that a decent chunk of those 55 are NOT walk-ons and/or students who otherwise would have chosen NP anyway?

Most, if not all, of the 53 players on the 2019 NPU roster were recruited. There's obviously a very high recruiting success rate there, which is a tribute to the program that John Born and Kris Grahn have built and the on-the-field success that it has enjoyed. I honestly don't know if or how many of the 53 are walk-ons, although sheer numbers leads me to think that there may be a few. Without having explicitly asked this of the coaches, I strongly suspect that the tryout was an attempt to weed out walk-ons while giving an honest chance to any of them who has actual high-level talent to emerge from the process and make the team. But the reason why coaches love telling stories about the unknown kid who came in off the street and became a star is because those stories are so rare. The overwhelming majority of walk-ons at the D3 level are not cut out to make a varsity team, especially in a good program.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PMI also assume you saw our SLU alum's post about his view that 30 should be the ceiling.

No, I didn't -- I typically don't read the Liberty League board -- so thanks for pointing that out. Saint of Old is entitled to his opinion. I don't agree with it, of course. And I wonder just how informed he is of the current situation in higher education that Gotberg brought up here earlier today, or how close his connection is to any active D3 coaches.

Anyway, he can suggest a roster ceiling all that he likes. D3 is never going to impose one, and I very strongly doubt that the Liberty League will ever impose one, either.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PMAnyway, yes, it is new for me.  You make the good point that perhaps these kids have good enough backgrounds and healthy enough egos that they project themselves as actually playing for the varsity team, either right away or within the first couple of years.  You also make the good point that they should know coming in what the deal is with roster size and the existence of a JV team.  OK, so once they do, in fact, find out that they are somewhere in the 30-55 mix and relegated to a JV squad, does some portion quit and continue attending NP or transfer?

NPU's attrition number for men's soccer student-athletes is annually pretty high, but that's to be expected. It stands to reason that a young man who has seen the writing on the wall regarding his place on the depth chart and his prospects for advancement over the next few seasons will have second thoughts about remaining a Viking in the future. Some remain in school as general students at large, but a lot of them transfer out to less expensive schools, or to another small school with a more modest soccer program where the player in question has a better chance of getting playing time. Every program that has a large roster for its sport, regardless of the school's success, is going to have a lot of underclassmen turnover. There's a certain amount of attrition among NPU's international players as well, as I mentioned here the other day, but the reason behind that is more often homesickness than disillusionment with one's place on the depth chart.

Quote from: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 12:57:40 PMI'll read the article, but an institution surviving based on getting tuition from large numbers of recruited athletes who may never see a varsity field seems like a strategy that I wouldn't hang my hat on.

It's not a cure-all, that's for sure, and the attrition that I mentioned is part of the reason why it isn't. But the overall idea of using athletics as a revenue driver works well enough so that D3 schools are going to continue using intercollegiate sports participation as a major element of attracting students. It's certainly not a trend that will level off or decline in the current environment in which small schools are closing left and right.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on August 29, 2019, 02:08:33 PM
All,

Let's be very clear here - there are 2 drivers for having a large roster.

1. Revenue for the school. There is not a single sport in D3 that is profitable. Therefore, the only way to generate the necessary revenue to make athletics sustainable is to bring in X kids per year, that otherwise wouldn't have attended said University. It is common practice for there to be "quotas" on coaches for the amount of kids that are brought in each year.

2. The more kids on the roster, the larger the budget provided by the Athletic Department. If NPU budgets $1k per athlete, per season (meals, transportation, jerseys, etc) - and you know that your JV players are only going to cost you say $500 each due to their limited travel/schedule - it allows you to funnel that money into the "varsity" budget - or perhaps, limiting the amount of fund raising needed. Also, the more kids you have, the more you are able to justify additional coaches. The JV teams are only playing 8-10 games per year and only practicing 2-3x per week, so if it allows you to add an additional assistant, it makes tons of sense.

Remember, everything is always tied back to the bottom line.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 02:15:38 PM
Quote from: WUPHF on August 29, 2019, 12:49:27 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 12:17:00 PM
It isn't at the schools with which you're familiar, such as Kenyon and the NESCAC schools, but those schools are in a different category in terms of finances and applicant pools ...

I do think even the NESCAC schools are using athletics for enrollment management purposes, but it is not so much about finding students as it is about finding male students.

That's an interesting observation. I would think that some of the NESCAC schools would have a hard time finding new sports to add, though. I can't imagine that there's a male sport in which Williams doesn't field a team, unless somebody else is playing darts or yacht racing or kick-the-can as an intercollegiate sport. ;)

Quote from: WUPHF on August 29, 2019, 12:49:27 PMAs for varsity bass fishing, I think many of the colleges and universities that have added (or are looking to add) eSports as an admissions tool should also look at bass fishing.

I should point out that I wasn't making fun of Adrian or of bass fishing. It's just so ... unexpected to see it offered as an intercollegiate sport.

And while I agree that eSports is a big up-and-coming thing, with more and more D3 schools devoting resources to add state-of-the-art gaming centers as a draw for prospective students, quite honestly the last thing that I think Gen Z students ought to be doing is spending more time at the computer. When all is said and done, the best things that soccer offers young people are fresh air and sunshine ... and genuine real-world interaction with their peers. ;)

Quote from: WUPHF on August 29, 2019, 12:49:27 PMBass fishing could be perfect for a small college or university, especially rural institutions, as a way to add students if they can fundraise properly.

I certainly agree. And it would be in keeping with other regionally-based intercollegiate sports such as ski jumping, rodeo, lumberjack sports, etc.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 02:30:20 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 29, 2019, 02:08:33 PM
All,

Let's be very clear here - there are 2 drivers for having a large roster.

1. Revenue for the school. There is not a single sport in D3 that is profitable. Therefore, the only way to generate the necessary revenue to make athletics sustainable is to bring in X kids per year, that otherwise wouldn't have attended said University. It is common practice for there to be "quotas" on coaches for the amount of kids that are brought in each year.

2. The more kids on the roster, the larger the budget provided by the Athletic Department. If NPU budgets $1k per athlete, per season (meals, transportation, jerseys, etc) - and you know that your JV players are only going to cost you say $500 each due to their limited travel/schedule - it allows you to funnel that money into the "varsity" budget - or perhaps, limiting the amount of fund raising needed. Also, the more kids you have, the more you are able to justify additional coaches. The JV teams are only playing 8-10 games per year and only practicing 2-3x per week, so if it allows you to add an additional assistant, it makes tons of sense.

Remember, everything is always tied back to the bottom line.

Good points. And I'd add that money can also be saved on JV competitions themselves, as opposed to varsity competitions -- fewer game staff, fewer in-house resources used, etc. I do play-by-play for nine NPU sports, but I haven't called a JV game in any of them for six or seven years now. The school doesn't bother webstreaming them. I don't think that any CCIW school webstreams or televises JV games. JV basketball games typically only have two referees rather than three. A varsity football game requires a minimum of six people in the press box alone, while I've seen three press-box game staff do all of the work in a JV football game. For JV soccer games at North Park, the only paid game staff aside from the refs, the trainer, and the sideline ball fetchers are the SID and his GA, neither of whom get paid on a per-game basis.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on August 29, 2019, 02:38:58 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 02:15:38 PM
I should point out that I wasn't making fun of Adrian or of bass fishing. It's just so ... unexpected to see it offered as an intercollegiate sport.

I figured as much.

I looked at the list of colleges that host bass fishing and Adrian is definitely an outlier.

There must be some back story to it.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 02:15:38 PM
And while I agree that eSports is a big up-and-coming thing, with more and more D3 schools devoting resources to add state-of-the-art gaming centers as a draw for prospective students, quite honestly the last thing that I think Gen Z students ought to be doing is spending more time at the computer. When all is said and done, the best things that soccer offers young people are fresh air and sunshine ... and genuine real-world interaction with their peers.

No kidding.

I think in 10 years, colleges will have addiction specialists and other initiatives that work only with device addiction and such.

Quote from: WUPHF on August 29, 2019, 12:49:27 PM
I certainly agree. And it would be in keeping with other regionally-based intercollegiate sports such as ski jumping, rodeo, lumberjack sports, etc.

Lumberjack as a collegiate sport.  I love it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2019, 02:57:36 PM
The d3soccer.com preseason poll is out. (https://www.d3soccer.com/top25/men/2019/preseason) North Park is slotted at #12, but NPU is the only CCIW program to get a notice. I was thinking that Carthage might at least get an "Other Teams of Interest" nod.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on August 29, 2019, 05:43:43 PM
I appreciate the discussion above.

My overall take is that there is an institutional viewpoint (based on institutional needs) and an individual applicant/student/recruit viewpoint.

I know you guys are right that at least a good portion of D3 schools have to come up with such strategies, but it still strikes as a bit counter-intuitive....the division where athletics is supposed to be less important and less of a driver of the whole school actually promoting recruit quotas and the like for revenue with the other sort of counter-intuitive idea that schools where sports generate zero revenue make athletics important as a way to gain revenue.

Anyway, as a parent, and that is the viewpoint I was coming from, I can't see letting my kids pick a school based solely on soccer.  Now perhaps this exposes real New England elitism, but the general rule of thumb has been "don't pick a school that you don't think you'll be happy at (and have other good reasons to attend) if the soccer doesn't pan out).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2019, 10:01:08 PM
In their final scrimmage before starting regular-season play this coming Wednesday, North Park fell to Lewis, 3-2. Despite the final score, it was a very encouraging afternoon for NPU. The Vikings put more shots on frame than did the Flyers, and -- most importantly -- while the NPU coaching staff treated it as a scrimmage, the Lewis coach definitely did not. Kris Grahn and his staff determined before the scrimmage that they weren't going to play their starters more than 75 minutes, and the only starter who actually got anywhere close to that total (aside from GK Edin Sabovic) was left back Arian Cindahl. NPU ended up using 20 players, and there were no starters out there other than Sabovic in crunch time. Lewis, on the other hand, only used what is obviously going to be the rotation total of 15 players; there were nine Flyers starters still on the pitch when the final horn sounded.

Lewis, which was in the D2 Final Four nine seasons ago and the D2 Sweet Sixteen six years ago, hasn't been much to look at lately on that level, and they aren't picked very high in the GLVC preseason poll, either. But the Flyers did return seven starters, and they had a marked experience advantage on the Vikings. In terms of their combination of speed, size, and technique, Lewis definitely fit the bill as a scholarship team. But the Vikings basically played them even.

Stulen, Khoury, and Kemkers once again didn't suit up, although I expect the first two to be in uniform at Albion on Wednesday, with Kemkers to follow a week or so later.

This was a great test for the Vikings, especially as a final tune-up before the games count. I hope that they can make a friendly against Lewis into an annual occasion.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 31, 2019, 10:28:00 PM
Thanks Greg - who scored the goals for NP?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2019, 10:54:48 PM
The big news to come out of this weekend is probably Carthage's two losses in New Jersey. The Red Men lost at Rutgers-Camden yesterday afternoon, 1-0, and at Rowan today, as the Profs prevailed in OT, 4-3. The Red Men return home from the Garden State finding themselves immediately behind the eight-ball in terms of Pool C, and they still have to face a pretty decent Macalester squad and then Calvin and Hope before they even come to CCIW play. Today's result makes the upcoming September 15 visit by Rowan to North Park all the more intriguing.

Wheaton destroyed Wittenberg yesterday, 5-0; in just about any other sport I'll call that a shocking result, but men's soccer seems to be the one sport in which Wittenberg is characteristically subpar.

Illinois Wesleyan split a pair, losing at Calvin yesterday, 2-1, despite outshooting the Knights by 7 (4) to 6 (2), and then beating Kalamazoo on the home pitch of the Hornets today, 2-1, on a golden goal seven minutes deep into second OT, in spite of the fact that the Titans were badly outshot, 21 (12) to 12 (7) and had to play a man down from the 82nd minute onward after Zach Kokes, who had scored the first Wesleyan goal, drew a red card.

Millikin beat Principia down in Elsah, 1-0, on a Trey Knighton tally in the 57th minute. The interesting thing there is that the reigning All-CCIW first-team goalkeeper, Isaac Hopper, didn't play. In fact, Hopper isn't even on the roster anymore -- and he still has a year of eligibility left.

The rest of the results around the league were dismal. North Central fell at Rose-Hulman yesterday, 1-0, spoiling Enzo Fuschino's debut as the head coach of the Cardinals. Augustana lost at Thorson-Lucken Field to Simpson yesterday by a 2-0 score; the Storm played a man down for the last thirteen-plus minutes after losing a player to a red card, but Augie couldn't take advantage of it. All-CCIW midfielder Salah Aglaf didn't play for Augie, although he's still on the roster. Elmhurst lost at St. Norbert yesterday, 2-0. And Carroll blew a 1-0 lead it had held deep into the second half at Dubuque, losing 2-1 as a result of a man-advantage winning goal by the Spartans after CU's Teegan Van Gheem had been sent off with a red card.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2019, 10:57:28 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 31, 2019, 10:28:00 PM
Thanks Greg - who scored the goals for NP?

NPU got tallies from Gustav Ericsson, on a beautiful through pass up the middle by Patrick Knap, and from William Sandkvist, who banged home a five-yard rebound after a Peder Olsen shot had proved too hot for the Lewis keeper to handle on the save.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 01, 2019, 10:44:39 AM
I watched a bit of the Elmhurst v Wittenberg and Wheaton v St. Norbert yesterday.  So here are some very simple observations. 

The Elmhurst and Wittenberg game was tough to watch.  It was so scattered and chaotic.  I don't remember seeing either team string together more than 3-4 passes.  Maybe that's just some early season challenges of not gelling as a team yet, but it wasn't impressive.  I suppose Elmhurst looked like the better team, but neither looked particularly impressive in that match. 

The Wheaton v St. Norbert match was much more enjoyable an much better soccer.  Both teams were pretty solid, it seemed to me.  When I first logged in, I thought SN had much better chances, and looked like the better side.  I think they were petty evenly matched despite the 4-1 score line.  Wheaton was gifted a penalty (that from my position 2000 miles away definitely didn't look like a foul), and SN missed the penalty shot that they were awarded.  Wheaton looked like a very physics team.  I'll be interested to see how they do against real solid teams like Ohio's wesleyan, Chicago, and Kenyon.  After what Greg mentioned about Carthage's poor start it's quite possible Wheaton May be the second best team in the CCIW (assuming NP is as good as I hope they are). 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2019, 12:50:53 AM
North Central and Carroll each got into the win column with convincing three-goal victories today, as the Cardinals upended Ohio Northern, 3-0, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium while the Pioneers buried Coe in Cedar Rapids, 5-2. That gets the CCIW up to a cumulative .500 (7-7) on the season and ends a bad weekend for the league on a high note.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 04, 2019, 06:38:57 PM
It looks like Albion has a video stream for tonight's game against NPU:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icvjgu_gnQc
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 04, 2019, 09:03:15 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 04, 2019, 06:38:57 PM
It looks like Albion has a video stream for tonight's game against NPU:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icvjgu_gnQc

Final  NPU 8, Albion 0.

7 goals in the second half
4 goals by Peder Olsen
3 goals after NPU cleared the bench

Also, congrats to Coach Grahn for his first win as a head coach for the Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2019, 10:22:36 PM
I called the women's soccer game at NPU, so I only got to see the last ten minutes of this massacre. It would've been fun to see the whole thing. Nevertheless, I echo the congrats to Kris Grahn on his first head-coaching win. Incidentally, Shatil Khoury must still not be fully healthy yet, as he was a scratch. Starting right back William Bostrom-Rydfjall, who was limping after the Lewis scrimmage, was a scratch as well.

Everybody else was at home tonight. The only winner was Illinois Wesleyan, which knocked off Aurora, 3-1. Elmhurst and Dominican drew 1-1 at Langhorst, Millikin dropped a shutout loss to Knox at Lindsey, 2-0, and Concordia (WI) toppled Carroll at Schneider, 3-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 05, 2019, 09:14:06 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2019, 10:22:36 PM
I called the women's soccer game at NPU, so I only got to see the last ten minutes of this massacre. It would've been fun to see the whole thing. Nevertheless, I echo the congrats to Kris Grahn on his first head-coaching win. Incidentally, Shatil Khoury must still not be fully healthy yet, as he was a scratch. Starting right back William Bostrom-Rydfjall, who was limping after the Lewis scrimmage, was a scratch as well.

Everybody else was at home tonight. The only winner was Illinois Wesleyan, which knocked off Aurora, 3-1. Elmhurst and Dominican drew 1-1 at Langhorst, Millikin dropped a shutout loss to Knox at Lindsey, 2-0, and Concordia (WI) toppled Carroll at Schneider, 3-1.

I was wondering about William B-R - thanks for the info.  Prankus was really, really good so it's hard to imagine a potential upgrade at that position. 

Based on early results, I'm a little concerned about NP's SoS.  It seems like Aurora, Dominican and maybe even Chicago may not be their typical top tier teams this year?

Wheaton looks like they may be a very strong team and can push NP for the top spot in the conference.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on September 05, 2019, 10:36:22 AM
Gotberg,

You will not find a more pessimistic fan after a weekend where their team won 5-0 and 4-1 than me. The Wittenberg game was dominated by the Thunder, but the SNU game was the opposite. SNU is going to have a great season and should be a tournament team. They outplayed the Thunder, but couldn't find the back of the net (thankfully). The freshman have been really good for us this year and it appears they have re-energized our upperclassmen.

Should find out a lot this weekend as we go over to OH for clashes with OWU and Kenyon.

Based on the early results so far, it appears like Wheaton may be in better shape than I thought a week ago!!!!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2019, 01:13:54 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 05, 2019, 09:14:06 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2019, 10:22:36 PM
I called the women's soccer game at NPU, so I only got to see the last ten minutes of this massacre. It would've been fun to see the whole thing. Nevertheless, I echo the congrats to Kris Grahn on his first head-coaching win. Incidentally, Shatil Khoury must still not be fully healthy yet, as he was a scratch. Starting right back William Bostrom-Rydfjall, who was limping after the Lewis scrimmage, was a scratch as well.

Everybody else was at home tonight. The only winner was Illinois Wesleyan, which knocked off Aurora, 3-1. Elmhurst and Dominican drew 1-1 at Langhorst, Millikin dropped a shutout loss to Knox at Lindsey, 2-0, and Concordia (WI) toppled Carroll at Schneider, 3-1.

I was wondering about William B-R - thanks for the info.  Prankus was really, really good so it's hard to imagine a potential upgrade at that position.

The interesting thing is that Pranckus was playing up in the midfield against Lewis in NPU's second scrimmage. I suspect that the coaching staff just wanted to get him into the game for a good share of minutes, regardless of position. Pranckus did play midfield in high school at Joliet West; in fact, he's fourth on the all-time goals scored list for JWHS. But Bostrom-Rydfjall looks like he could be a really special defender. He's a solid 6'2, 175 (which makes him five inches and 25 pounds bigger than Pranckus), moves really well, plays in the air like you'd expect a kid of that size to play, and reads angles like a pro. I think that Bostrom-Rydfjall could be All-CCIW somewhere down the line. That's not to shortchange Pranckus, though, who is going to end up playing somewhere on the pitch for the Vikings.

NPU seems to be loaded with really good backline newbies this year. Arian Cindahl's a junior, and since he's a Swede I'm not sure if he'll be back next season or if he'll graduate early. But Abu Secka's a sophomore, and Pranckus, Bostrom-Rydfjall, and Runar Berg-Domass are only freshmen. Add in reliable sophomore returnee Phillip Danielsson, and that's a pretty nice crew -- albeit a relatively inexperienced one at this level.

Quote from: Gotberg on September 05, 2019, 09:14:06 AM
Based on early results, I'm a little concerned about NP's SoS.  It seems like Aurora, Dominican and maybe even Chicago may not be their typical top tier teams this year?

That's completely out of Kris Grahn's control. The Spartans, Stars, and (especially) Maroons have been reliably solid programs for years. But most programs not named Messiah have down years. (The Falcons could go 14-3-1 in the regular season in 2019 and the people in Grantham would be pulling out their hair and saying that it's the end of the world.) Down years happen, and there's nothing that you can do about it as an opposing coach when an opponent you regularly schedule suffers a blip in a long chain of success, unless that opponent stays down and thus makes it plain that it is no longer a viable annual boost to your SOS.

It works in reverse, too. Take Kalamazoo, f'rinstance. The Hornets have been nothing special over the past few seasons, and last year they were only 5-11-1. But this season they opened with an upset win over perennial national power Ohio Wesleyan before losing by a goal to Illinois Wesleyan in a match that the Hornets statistically dominated by an overwhelming margin -- and then yesterday the Hornets ventured south of the Michiana border and blew out Manchester on the Spartans' home turf to the tune of 7-0. All of a sudden, it looks like what had been an upcoming walkover for NPU against another marginal opponent might actually turn out to be a genuine battle against a Kalamazoo side that will be an SOS asset for NPU rather than a liability.

John and Kris saw that the low SOS of the Vikings was what kept them out of the dance last fall, and took steps to correct that by upgrading the 2019 docket with the addition of Rowan and Hope. That's really all that they can do. Whatever opponents do when those opponents aren't playing NPU is out of Kris's hands.

(Incidentally, I wouldn't write off Chicago just yet. It's no easy thing to go up to the Twin Cities and tie St. Thomas on the home pitch of the Tommies -- although the new coaching staff at 55th and Ellis has to be worried about the fact that the Maroons only got off a grand total of two shots against the Tommies, neither of which was on frame, which made Chicago scoreless after 220 minutes of soccer thus far in 2019. Here's hoping it's up to 310 minutes by late Saturday afternoon. ;))

Quote from: Gotberg on September 05, 2019, 09:14:06 AMWheaton looks like they may be a very strong team and can push NP for the top spot in the conference.

Not to shortchange Wheaton, but Carthage is still the CCIW rival that scares me. A bad opening weekend in Joisey is not going to make the Red Men go away. I suspect that, while NPU fans will always circle the game against traditional rival Wheaton on the calendar, this particular set of Vikings is most pumped about locking horns with the Red Men again and getting the bad taste of the final dozen minutes of last season's CCIW tourney title match out of their mouths.

Wheaton is the last match of the regular season in 2019, which is as it should be. (What will it take to get the new CCIW commish to put in a word with the schedulemaker to make NPU vs. WC the last match of the regular season every year? Somebody should alert her to the fact that it's annually one of the most heavily-attended games in all of D3 soccer.) By that point, we'll all know exactly where both North Park and Wheaton stand. The NPU vs. CC match, on the other hand, takes place midway thru the conference slate, so some of the do-or-die aspect might be taken out of it a bit if Carthage gets hot and goes on a winning streak between now and October 9.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 05, 2019, 02:44:21 PM
Just to clarify - I'm not placing any blame on scheduling NPU's opponents - just an observation and concern that some traditional powers might be having a down year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2019, 02:45:19 PM
Understood.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2019, 10:18:18 PM
Carthage's inexplicably dismal start to the season worsened tonight, as the Red Men were blanked at Keller Field by Knox to the tune of 2-0. The Red Men only put one shot on frame the entire night, as Knox beat a CCIW team on the CCIW team's home turf by a 2-0 score for the second time in three days. The Prairie Fire have been a power in the weak Midwest Conference since shortly after Matt Edwards took over the program early in this decade, annually posting gaudy records both within the circuit and overall, but they've never demonstrated the ability to beat a good team outside of the MWC. Time will tell if that remains the case, or if Steve Domin can somehow get his Red Men (0-3) up off of the mat and back to form.

Wheaton (2-1) suffered its first blemish of the season, losing to Ohio Wesleyan, 2-0, in central Ohio. The Bishops statistically dominated, outshooting WC by 20 (6) to 8 (2) and outcornering the visitors by 5-2.

North Central (3-1) came up with a nice win at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium this evening, knocking off previously undefeated Carleton by a score of 2-1 on an Elijah Larson goal in the fourth minute of overtime. Extra session or not, the Cardinals appear to have been the dominant team in this one, outshooting the Carlies, 15 (5) to 4 (1) and outcornering them, 7-1.

North Park (1-0) is now the only undefeated team left in the league, and the Vikings will put that on the line tomorrow afternoon when NPU travels to the South Side to take on Chicago.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 07, 2019, 09:11:44 PM
North Park spit out the bit today, falling at Chicago, 3-1 and in the process losing an important contest for regional ranking purposes. The shutouts of Macalester and St. Thomas were no illusion; the Chicago defense is for real, as NPU got nothing going after Niclas Holgersson's goal six minutes into the contest. NPU only had two shots on goal the entire match.

No time to sulk, as the Vikings have to come right back and play their home opener against 2-0-1 Dominican tomorrow. But they came back down to earth in a big way today on the South Side.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 07, 2019, 09:26:04 PM
Millikin (1-1) picked up its first win of the season by dispatching Aurora at Lindsay Field, 3-1. Elmhurst (1-1) likewise got onto the left-hand side of the line score tonight for the first time, a 1-0 victory at Dubuque. Carroll evened up its record at 2-2 with a 2-0 win over Beloit in Waukesha.

Wheaton (2-2) suffered a particularly painful loss, giving up the equalizer to Kenyon with only a minute and a half remaining in regulation and then surrendering a golden goal to the Lords in second overtime to come away with a 3-2 loss in Gambier, OH. Illinois Wesleyan likewise dropped to 2-2 on the season with a 2-0 loss at the hands of Lake Forest up on the North Shore. And Augustana took one on the chin at St. Nobert by a 3-0 score, as Augie dropped to 0-2-1 for the year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on September 07, 2019, 11:50:09 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 07, 2019, 09:11:44 PM
North Park spit out the bit today, falling at Chicago, 3-1 and in the process losing an important contest for regional ranking purposes. The shutouts of Macalester and St. Thomas were no illusion; the Chicago defense is for real, as NPU got nothing going after Niclas Holgersson's goal six minutes into the contest. NPU only had two shots on goal the entire match.

No time to sulk, as the Vikings have to come right back and play their home opener against 2-0-1 Dominican tomorrow. But they came back down to earth in a big way today on the South Side.

NPU looked gassed in the second half which killed any real chance at a comeback. The opening goal in the first 6 minutes was a case of ball watching by UC and a nice through pass to a wide open player on the back side (no one within 8 yards). The Maroons looked tentative for the first 15 minutes and allowed NPU to dictate. But once the home team adjusted its defensive shape and closed up the open areas on the wings, NPU didn't have any real answers to counter. As the game progressed, UChicago grew into it and confidently possessed. Wada and Gillespie are physical specimens who stopped plenty of runs, while Holquist in particularly was stripping attackers regularly and heading the other way on the counter.
NPU should be a bit concerned about its defense in the immediate aftermath. The first goal off a free kick saw Millington completely unmarked with two defenders stranded in no man's land after the initial directional header. The go-ahead goal was straight up bizarre, as the GK basically nutmegged himself instead of clearing and Bloye scored on an empty net. On third goal, Mateus saw a defender run literally right over the ball without touching it and he scored point blank.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2019, 05:59:42 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on September 07, 2019, 11:50:09 PM
The go-ahead goal was straight up bizarre, as the GK basically nutmegged himself instead of clearing and Bloye scored on an empty net.

Based on the field marking, Chicago's Stagg field seems to accommodate 3 sports - Football, Soccer and maybe Lacrosse?  It seemed like Stulen went down to pick up the ball, then got confused with the field markings and thought he may have been outside the box and didn't react well.

Regardless, Chicago was the better team and deserved the victory yesterday.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2019, 06:31:03 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 08, 2019, 05:59:42 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on September 07, 2019, 11:50:09 PM
The go-ahead goal was straight up bizarre, as the GK basically nutmegged himself instead of clearing and Bloye scored on an empty net.

Based on the field marking, Chicago's Stagg field seems to accommodate 3 sports - Football, Soccer and maybe Lacrosse?  It seemed like Stulen went down to pick up the ball, then got confused with the field markings and thought he may have been outside the box and didn't react well.

Regardless, Chicago was the better team and deserved the victory yesterday.

I also want to add that I thought the Chicago announcers were really good - quality analysis and very balanced.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2019, 09:27:51 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 08, 2019, 05:59:42 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on September 07, 2019, 11:50:09 PM
The go-ahead goal was straight up bizarre, as the GK basically nutmegged himself instead of clearing and Bloye scored on an empty net.

Based on the field marking, Chicago's Stagg field seems to accommodate 3 sports - Football, Soccer and maybe Lacrosse?  It seemed like Stulen went down to pick up the ball, then got confused with the field markings and thought he may have been outside the box and didn't react well.

That was the story that I heard from his teammates today.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2019, 09:48:29 PM
It wasn't pretty, but North Park walked off of Hedstrand Field today with a 3-2 home-opener win over a Dominican side that didn't look the least bit intimidated. The Vikings completely dominated possession, but the Stars did a nice job of disguising pressure and of funneling NPU's offense to the sidelines. The Stars capitalized upon a freshman defender's mistake and a lucky bounce in the box off of a free kick for two goal opportunities, but opportunities like that are only recorded on the scoreboard when you execute, and the Stars did. NPU got the winning goal with ten minutes to go when Alfredo Pichardo got free enough from the Dominican player pinning him to the right sideline to diagonal the ball into the middle to Peder Olsen in the box arc, where he was knocked down just a yard outside of the box itself. That made it a free kick rather than a penalty kick, but that didn't matter. You can stick as many defenders in the wall as you'd like -- Dominican put five there -- and Olsen is still going to loft the ball over them to wherever he wants on the top shelf. He chose the left upper corner, and Dominican GK Daniel Dominguez was helpless to stop him.

The Vikings continue to be banged-up; Niklas Holgersson went down in the Chicago match, although Erlend Kemkers is now well enough to play limited minutes for the Vikings, and Shatil Khoury is still not dressing. The real problem, though, remains a young back line that's still figuring things out. NPU definitely remains a work in progress. I suspect that at season's end, though, this will turn out to be a nice win, because I think that the Stars are going to make their #1 ranking in the NACC preseason poll stand up by winning the league.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 08, 2019, 09:54:04 PM
Elmhurst (2-2-!) got handled by Loras at the Rock Bowl over in Iowa today, 4-1. Rhodes edged North Central (3-2) in the sixth minute of double overtime in Naperville, 2-1. But Carthage (1-3) evened out the day for the league by claiming its first win of the season, a 1-0 triumph over Alma at Keller Field.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2019, 02:32:50 PM
First USC poll is out. North Park moves up from preseason #21 to #10, while NPU nemesis Chicago is at #7. Nobody else from the CCIW received attention in the poll.

Three matches involving CCIW teams are scheduled for tonight, all at 7 pm, with the league's representatives each playing host. NPU takes on Aurora at Hedstrand Field, while Wheaton entertains Iowa Wesleyan and Wash U travels to Illinois Wesleyan.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2019, 12:08:46 AM
North Park (3-1) cruised to an easy 4-1 win over Aurora. The Vikings scored all four of their goals in the first 33 minutes of the contest, and then went on cruise control the rest of the way. Kris Grahn used his bench liberally, which was as much a recognition of the fact that the Vikings are somewhat banged up and were playing their third contest in four days as it was a matter of the scoreboard. In the second half the Vikings were much more concerned with simply playing keepaway at midfield than they were with pushing at the box; although they did put seven shots on frame in the latter stanza they could've definitely had more, since on a number of occasions a Viking leading a counter with the ball on the wing simply pulled back. Aurora broke the shutout with four minutes remaining by putting one past NPU's third-string keeper.

CCIW Offensive Player of the Week Peder Olsen had a pair of assists, moving him into third place on the NPU career assists leaderboard and into seventh place for career points. That's not bad for a guy who's only played in 47 matches thus far.

Wheaton (3-2) spotted Iowa Wesleyan an early goal before the hosts remembered that they are Wheaton and the other guys are Iowa Wesleyan and went about dispatching the Tigers, 4-1. CCIW Defensive Player of the Week GK Alex Ruckstaetter of Illinois Wesleyan (2-3) had a rough day at the office, though, as two of Wash U's four shots on goal got past him and the visiting Bears left Bloomington with a 2-1 victory over the Titans.

The first d3soccer.com poll came out today. North Park is #22, and, again, nobody else from the league got so much as a single point in the poll. That doesn't surprise me, as the CCIW is now an embarrassing 18-18-2 as a whole. This circuit needs to get on the stick and start playing better soccer.

There are two matches tomorrow, both very winnable, as Elmhurst entertains Concordia (IL) and Millikin travels to Fontbonne.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 11, 2019, 09:50:48 AM
Greg - any word on either Khoury or Holgersson's return?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2019, 11:10:42 AM
No word on Khoury yet. I'm hearing another week or two on Holgersson.

Stulen didn't dress last night, either, but I think that it was simply a matter of giving him a mental rest as well as a chance to avoid working his chronically sore shoulder.

i look down out of the press box and see Khoury, Holgersson, Lundeen, and Stulen all sitting there with the other students (the bench is too crowded for injured players), and I think to myself, "That's a ridiculous amount of talent that's just sitting there watching from the stands."
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Flying Weasel on September 11, 2019, 04:09:00 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2019, 12:08:46 AMThe first d3soccer.com poll came out today. North Park is #22, and, again, nobody else from the league got so much as a single point in the poll. That doesn't surprise me, as the CCIW is now an embarrassing 18-18-2 as a whole. This circuit needs to get on the stick and start playing better soccer.

I'm a little surprised that Wheaton (Ill.) didn't get a single vote given how many top teams did pick up ties and losses in the opening week and a half of the season.  Both Wheaton losses were away to ranked teams, one in overtime to Kenyon in a fairly evenly played game. Montclair State had two losses, also both on the road against ranked teams (one away, one neutral), but they get ranked #20.  It's the inertia of previous rankings and/or expectations.  Montclair was #4 and #6 in the D3soccer.com and USC preseason rankings, so with that as a starting point, they managed to stay ranked even though there were certainly several undefeated or 1-loss teams that didn't get ranked for whom a case to be ranked ahead of Montclair St. could have been made.  Wheaton came into the season largely off the Top 25 radar, and two losses isn't a way to get people's attention again.  Rochester is interesting as they were in the preseason rankings, also picked up two losses to ranked teams, but unlike Montclair State were not ranked in the first poll.  Is that because the D3soccer.com preseason ranking had them near the bottom, while Montclair was near the top?  What if Rochester had been in the preseason Top 10, would they have remained ranked despite the two losses?

When so many top teams pick up early losses (seems like there was more than usual this year) and there are so many somewhat contradictory results on a teams short early-season resume, ranking teams is a very difficult.  Unfortunately, however imperfect the initial rankings are, they do significantly impact/influence the rankings for much of the rest of the season.  To continue the above example, Montclair State will be punished less for losses than Wheaton, and rewarded more for wins than Wheaton in the coming weeks.  Not fair, but it's how it seems to work.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2019, 08:35:17 PM
The lingering influence of a preseason poll, which ideally ought not to have any effect upon a poll that's based upon actual results, is why I try not to take rankings seriously until at least a month deep into a season. By that time, if the pollsters are doing their job correctly, there should be enough results in the database to burn out that lingering influence.

I note the rankings of the initial USC and d3soccer.com polls, because they're news and they're interesting, but it doesn't mean that I necessarily agree with either of them.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2019, 11:19:50 PM
Millikin 3, @ Fontbonne 0
@ Elmhurst 4, Concordia (IL) 0

EC is now 3-2-1, and MU improves to 3-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 13, 2019, 11:47:13 PM
The CCIW is picking up the pace, as all three of the league's representatives that were in action tonight got easy wins. Carroll (3-2) stomped Martin Luther to the tune of 5-1 in Waukesha. I watched large chunks of the other two matches, as Carthage (2-3) whomped St. Olaf in the afternoon up in Minnesota, 5-1, and Wheaton (4-2) marked an easy 4-0 victory over Albion in the western suburbs.

The Red Men looked like they've finally got their mojo back, as they were easily too much to handle for an Oles squad that didn't by any stretch of the imagination resemble a team that came into the game with a 3-0 record. And while Albion is nobody's idea of good competition, either, Wheaton did what it had to do and never let the Britons get more than a couple of good chances against Hasten Biddlecome. Wheaton has a nice freshman class, which leads me to think that WC's fortunes may soon be on the upswing.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2019, 09:22:47 PM
One step forward, one step back seems to be the formula for the CCIW in the non-conference portion of the slate. Today three of the four CCIW squads who were playing took losses, although a couple of them were hard-fought road losses against good teams.

The bright side is that Augie (1-2-1) finally broke through in the QC and picked up a win, albeit at the expense of a hapless Beloit team that hasn't beaten anybody besides Maranatha Baptist in seven tries. The close-but-no-cigar awards go to North Central (3-3), which was shut out over on the other side of the lake by Kalamazoo in a very competitive match, and Millikin (3-2), which got a scoreless-tie-breaking goal in the 74th minute at undefeated Rose-Hulman, only to give up two a few minutes later and drop the 2-1 decision.

The shocker was Illinois Wesleyan (2-4), which statistically dominated host Greenville but nevertheless fell to the Panthers, 2-1, for their third straight loss.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 15, 2019, 06:07:15 PM
The four CCIW teams effected a split today, but the league definitely got the worst of it. Elmhurst improved to 4-2-1 with a 4-0 triumph at Illinois College, and Carroll suffocated Concordia (IL), 5-0, in Waukesha and in so doing the Pios upped their mark to 4-2. Neither of those wins will impress anybody, though, while in the meantime the two CCIW powers that were playing marquee matchups fell short. North Park (3-2) dropped a 3-1 decision at home to Rowan, and Carthage (2-4) was dumped in St. Paul by Macalester by a score of 2-0.

That puts the league at 26-23-2 (.529), with nary a signature win to be found among the nine CCIW teams.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 17, 2019, 11:35:47 PM
Wheaton (4-2-1) tied Chicago tonight, 1-1, at Joe Bean. The hosts were fortunate to draw tonight, as the Maroons dominated most of the match, although they scored their lone goal of the night only 18 seconds after the kickoff. Chicago outshot Wheaton 29 (15) to 17 (10), and the Maroons had a whopping eight corners with which to work. If not for the heroics of Wheaton GK Hasten Biddlecome, who is having a remarkable season thus far, Chicago would've had three or four goals in regulation.

But in spite of Chicago's advantages in size and technical skills, Wheaton was pretty doughty. In fact, as the second half wore on Wheaton actually took control of play for fairly long stretches. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance obviously developed the confidence that they could hang with the Maroons after taking that early punch in the mouth and only falling behind by a goal, while the Maroons were clearly in butt-clench mode by the end of regulation -- they overshot a lot of passes and had too many overextended touches for them to maintain their ball control, and they started fouling more in their own end rather than dispossessing Wheaton players at will the way that they had earlier in the match. Wheaton finally broke through and tied the match in the 85th minute on a really pretty bloop shot from Joey Sopikiotis at the top of the box.

Both sides had one great chance in the second overtime, with Biddlecome smothering a full-speed header from the left side early in that second bonus stanza and U of C GK Aaron Katsimpalis laying out to smack away a redirect sent in from the middle of the box in the waning minutes.

A draw is just another day at the office for the Maroons, I guess, as they now have four of them, but Wheaton's gotta be tremendously happy with this result. This will probably be a big confidence boost for DeClute's kids.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2019, 11:23:14 PM
North Park (4-2) topped Illinois Tech tonight, 2-0, in what was a pretty frustrating performance for the Vikings. They took 30 shots in this contest, ten of which were on goal -- another of which hit the post on the side vacated by the IIT goalkeeper and another six or seven of which sailed a ball's diameter or less over the crossbar. Plenty of offense ... just not a lot of finishing. Compounding the frustration was the fact that Illinois Tech played the second half a man down, as a Scarlet Hawk was sent off for spitting on a Viking right in front of the ref towards the end of the first half.

The two scores were set up beautifully by Angel Barriga, who now leads the league in assists with five. Barriga, who is only a sophomore, is really starting to come into his own. The goals were by his fellow soph Patrick Knap and by freshman William Sandkvist. The NPU coaching staff continues to find good newbies every year and doesn't hesitate to use them right away.

The Scarlet Hawks didn't put a shot on frame all night, and didn't get a shot off at all until the 73rd minute. They finished the night with three shots total.

The Vikings are going to have to sharpen their shooting touch on Saturday when they travel to Kalamazoo, which notched its second straight 1-0 home victory over a CCIW foe tonight. Elmhurst (4-3-1) was the victim of the Hornets this time. North Central (3-3-1) fought Dominican to a scoreless draw in River Forest this afternoon, while Carroll (5-2) won its fourth straight by blowing up Wisconsin Lutheran on the home pitch of the Warriors, 3-0. The final game of the night was a 1-1 draw between UW-Whitewater and Millikin (3-2-1) in Decatur.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 21, 2019, 09:26:32 AM
Wheaton (5-2-1) came up with a nice win last night over Wash U, 3-2, in the western suburbs, despite the Bears putting 14 shots on frame compared to only eight for Wheaton. Any win over a UAA team is a good win.

Carthage was not as fortunate, as the Red Men dropped a 2-0 decision at home at Keller to Calvin. The box score indicates that the Red Men played Calvin even, although knowing Calvin and seeing that the Knights were called for offsides seven times to Carthage's once I suspect that the Knights likely got the better of it in the run of play. The Red Men are now 2-5, and although this season really has not worked out for them at all they have at least known for some time now that their focus has to be on getting into the CCIW tournament and then winning it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Buck O. on September 22, 2019, 10:23:30 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 21, 2019, 09:26:32 AM
Wheaton (5-2-1) came up with a nice win last night over Wash U, 3-2, in the western suburbs, despite the Bears putting 14 shots on frame compared to only eight for Wheaton. Any win over a UAA team is a good win.

I watched the game, and Wheaton deserved the win, despite the stats.  The Thunder were the better team by far during the first 30 minutes and while they only scored once during that time, it easily could have been more.  I thought that WashU was the better team over the last 60 minutes, but they weren't as dominant as Wheaton had been in the first 30, and while WashU had its chances to even the score (in particular, a missed penalty late in the first half and two shots from point blank range saved midway through the second half), they couldn't convert.  Inconsistency within a game was a huge problem for WashU last year, and while it's gotten better this year, there's still work to be done.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 23, 2019, 04:13:08 PM
Terrible loss by NPU on Saturday at Kazoo, made worse by the fact that the Hornets scored the game's lone goal in the ^%&(+$&* 89th minute. The Vikings had the run of play all day, but to no avail. This loss likely puts the underachieving Vikings in the position of needing to win the CCIW tourney in order to get into the D3 playoffs.

The pleasant surprise within the CCIW was Carthage's 4-2 win over Hope at Keller Field, in spite of the fact that the Dutchmen dominated the scoresheet: 19 (10) to 8 (7) in shots, and 8-1 in corners.

The rest of the league went chalk on Saturday. Dominican cruised past Millikin in River Forest, 3-0; Augustana slipped past Coe on the road, 1-0; North Central topped Lake Forest, 1-0, up on the North Shore; Illinois Wesleyan blew out Principia, 4-0, in Bloormal; and Elmhurst beat Manchester, 2-0, in northeastern Indiana.

The CCIW is now 34-27-5 (.553) in non-con play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 24, 2019, 10:03:58 PM
The CCIW Meatloafed today, with Wheaton (6-2-1) winning at home in double OT over Lake Forest, 1-0; Illinois Wesleyan (4-4) holding serve at Neis Field over Dubuque, 3-1; and Augie (2-3-1) the lone loser in the two-out-of-three scenario, dropping a 2-1 decision at home to Knox.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on September 24, 2019, 10:18:27 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 24, 2019, 10:03:58 PM
The CCIW Meatloafed today

Well done!  I had to think about this one for a minute.  I suspect that this will play best with readers "of a certain age."   ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2019, 11:51:25 AM
... and, sadly, a certain regular poster in this space falls into that certain-age category. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 25, 2019, 11:28:46 PM
File North Park's performance tonight across the lake in Holland, MI under W for "Well, that's more like it," as the Vikings thumped Hope, 4-0. The Dutchmen didn't even get off a shot until the 36th minute, when NPU was already up, 2-0, and most of the shots by the hosts came in the last thirty minutes after the Vikings were already up by four goals and weren't much interested in doing anything beyond clearing balls beyond midfield. Peder Olsen pocketed a couple of goals in the contest, both of which were assisted by Gianfranco DeCarne. NPU advances to 5-3 on the season in anticipation of Saturday's CCIW opener against Augustana at Hedstrand Field.

The CCIW's four-game sweep tonight involved two shutouts, as Carthage (4-5) came away with a 1-0 clean sheet at Keller Field against St. Norbert while Elmhurst (6-3-1) walloped Olivet by a 5-0 margin at Langhorst Field. The match down in Decatur was the most closely-contested affair of the night, as two of Millikin's Norwegian imports, Andreas Raaket and Simen Nodland, teamed up to provide the winning strike in the 97th minute of a 2-1 overtime victory over DePauw for the Big Blue (4-3-1).

Saturday's going to provide the CCIW openers for eight of the nine teams, as, apart from the aforementioned Augie @ NPU match, North Central visits Millikin, Wheaton is at Elmhurst, and Carthage goes to Carroll for Wisconsin bragging rights. The bye team, Illinois Wesleyan, follows North Park's footsteps around the big water to Holland on Saturday to face Hope.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2019, 08:34:59 PM
This is weird. Wheaton is playing at Elmhurst, but I could swear that that's Wheaton SID Brett Marhanka doing the PA at Elmhurst's Langhorst Field.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2019, 11:32:41 PM
North Park (6-3, 1-0) had a mildly disappointing afternoon on Saturday at Hedstrand Field, mildly disappointing only in the sense that the Vikings didn't score on Augustana (2-4-1, 0-1) as much as everyone thought they would in a 2-0 NPU victory. Chalk that up to Augie GK Jeremy Klaber, who was outstanding. He made numerous lunging saves, including one on a penalty kick, and did a great job of keeping the NPU backline on its toes with a wide array of midfield-to-three-quarters kicks that were right on target. Other than that, NPU basically did whatever it wanted, possessing for the vast majority of the contest and outshooting Augie 29 (5) to 10 (3). Both goals were potted by Peder Olsen, who now sits atop the CCIW overall leaderboard in goals and points. Mick Regan has yet to dirty a sheet against North Park in his five years at the helm for Augie; his teams have lost to NPU all five seasons by a collective score of 16-0.

Millikin (4-4-1, 0-1) suffered a heartbreaking loss at Lindsay Field, as visiting North Central (5-3-1, 1-0) got a golden goal from Elmer Eng with only 2:12 remaining in the second overtime to win a 1-0 contest. The lone CCIW team playing out of the circuit, Illinois Wesleyan (4-5) suffered a similar but less dramatic extra-session fate, as Hope tallied a breakaway golden goal in the 92nd minute to beat IWU, 1-0, in Holland.

In terms of the evening contests, Carthage (5-5, 1-0) won its CCIW opener over Carroll (5-3, 0-1) on the hill at Schaefer in curious fashion; the final score was 3-0, but those three goals represented the only three shots on goal that Carthage had in the entire match -- and two of them were penalty kicks. That's called economy of effort, I guess. And in a mild surprise, Elmhurst (7-3-1, 1-0) topped visiting Wheaton (6-3-1, 0-1) by a 4-2 margin at Langhorst. I watched that game; Wheaton was very sloppy and came nowhere near matching the work rate of the Bluejays in the first half, as EC took a 3-0 lead into the intermission. Wheaton did wake up a bit in the second half, but never really made a game of it. This was my first opportunity to see the 'jays this season, and I like their moxie. This could easily be the best outfit that Dave Di Tomasso has put on the pitch in many years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: magicman on September 29, 2019, 03:39:07 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 24, 2019, 10:03:58 PM
The CCIW Meatloafed today,

I may have to borrow that one at some point down the road. It will go in the books along with another one I borrowed from you some years ago when you refered to a certain someone as a prestidigitator. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 01, 2019, 11:52:27 PM
North Park (7-3) cruised to an easy 4-1 victory at home tonight against Dubuque. I noted in my pregame comments on the air that this is the first time in the 38 seasons that NPU has had a varsity men's soccer program that the Vikings have played an opponent with more Swedes on the roster than the Vikings had, as Dubuque has seven of them (six freshmen, one sophomore) to North Park's six (two of whom are injured and didn't play). What the Spartans needed, though, were more players from Norway or Skokie, as Peder Olsen and Gianfranco DeCarne had outstanding nights for the Vikings. DeCarne had a goal and an assist, and Olsen netted a pair of second-half goals, including the game's highlight as he bent an untouched corner kick into the net in the 63rd minute, the third time in his storied career that he's done that. Olsen is now tied for second in all of D3 in goals scored with 12, trailing only Baldwin Wallace's Danny Ruple, who has 14. Dubuque scored on a penalty kick early in the match, but didn't get a shot on goal in the run of play until the 63th minute, when the match was already 4-1 and was clearly over.

The big match of the night took place in the western suburbs, as host Wheaton spit out the bit and blew a 2-0 second-half lead over North Central, falling 3-2 due to an NCC golden goal in the second minute of overtime. Both of NCC's conference matches have now been extra-session wins on the road. Alexis Flores had a hat trick for the Cardinals, who are now 6-3-1, 2-0, while Wheaton finds itself at the bottom of the standings early on in conference play with a 6-4-1, 0-2 record.

The other match of the night was no contest, as Elmhurst (7-4-1) was blanked on the South Side by Chicago, 3-0. The Maroons defense completely choked the life out of the Bluejays, who had only one shot all night and it wasn't on frame.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 02, 2019, 01:11:37 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 01, 2019, 11:52:27 PM
North Park (7-3) cruised to an easy 4-1 victory at home tonight against Dubuque. I noted in my pregame comments on the air that this is the first time in the 38 seasons that NPU has had a varsity men's soccer program that the Vikings have played an opponent with more Swedes on the roster than the Vikings had, as Dubuque has seven of them (six freshmen, one sophomore) to North Park's six (two of whom are injured and didn't play). What the Spartans needed, though, were more players from Norway or Skokie, as Peder Olsen and Gianfranco DeCarne had outstanding nights for the Vikings. DeCarne had a goal and an assist, and Olsen netted a pair of second-half goals, including the game's highlight as he bent an untouched corner kick into the net in the 63rd minute, the third time in his storied career that he's done that. Olsen is now tied for second in all of D3 in goals scored with 12, trailing only Baldwin Wallace's Danny Ruple, who has 14. Dubuque scored on a penalty kick early in the match, but didn't get a shot on goal in the run of play until the 63th minute, when the match was already 4-1 and was clearly over.

The big match of the night took place in the western suburbs, as host Wheaton spit out the bit and blew a 2-0 second-half lead over North Central, falling 3-2 due to an NCC golden goal in the second minute of overtime. Both of NCC's conference matches have now been extra-session wins on the road. Alexis Flores had a hat trick for the Cardinals, who are now 6-3-1, 2-0, while Wheaton finds itself at the bottom of the standings early on in conference play with a 6-4-1, 0-2 record.

The other match of the night was no contest, as Elmhurst (7-4-1) was blanked on the South Side by Chicago, 3-0. The Maroons defense completely choked the life out of the Bluejays, who had only one shot all night and it wasn't on frame.

No contest is an apt description. UChicago held possession for 90 percent of the game (not an exaggeration), and the most dangerous counter fizzled on the finish. Frankly it should/could have been 5-0. Elmhurst realized right away they were overmatched at every position, so they sat 11 behind the ball for the entire first half and prayed for counterattacks that didn't materialize. The Maroons got an early goal off a corner and played with complete confidence throughout, dissecting the defense with aplomb. Definitely their best ball movement since last year, building up from the back, staying patient and threading every seam they could find. Di Tomasso's vocal displeasure was justified as his team ball watched too often and weren't closing out effectively. Somehow only trailing 1-0 at half, Elmhurst came out in the second half pressuring every ball and pass to force mistakes. Which just allowed the Maroons to have more room to operate, make moves in the open field and bag two more insurance goals that could easily have been four. Top highlights of the night included Johnson's dribble crossover that made his defender literally fall sprawling onto the turf, and Ruark's deke of the center back that led directly to a goal.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2019, 11:47:26 PM
Carroll continues to bully weak teams, obliterating Northland by a 7-0 score in Waukesha this evening. The Pioneers are now 6-3, but they've only beaten one team this season that has a winning record -- and 5-4 Wisconsin Lutheran barely qualifies for that category. The night's other match was far more interesting, as Nicholas Messineo put home a goldie in the 103rd minute to prod Carthage to a 3-2 double OT home win over Lake Forest. That lifts the season mark for the Red Men to 6-5, the first time that they've been on the plus side of .500 in 2019.

With the non-conference slate winding down for the year, the CCIW is now at 42-30-5 (.578).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 04, 2019, 10:28:21 PM
Wheaton finally got on the winning side of the ledger in a CCIW match this evening, as a trip of Stafford Dowling by an Illinois Wesleyan defender near the outer edge of the box led to a Dowling penalty-kick goal with 23 minutes remaining that spelled the difference in a 1-0 home win for WC over the Titans. Wheaton improves to 7-4-1, 1-2, while IWU falls to 4-6, 0-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2019, 11:26:40 PM
North Park got sweet revenge for last season's debacle against Millikin in Chicago by horsewhipping the Big Blue, 5-0, in Decatur this evening. Freshman William Sandkvist struck a pair of goals, while Gustav Ericsson had a goal and two assists and Peder Olsen had a goal and an assist. Kris Grahn got everybody but the bus driver into the match; he even used all three of his goalkeepers. It was good to see a couple of NPU's injured players, center back Runar Berg-Domaas and All-CCIW striker Shatil Khoury, return to action. This was Khoury's first appearance of the season, as he had to heal and rehab a preseason groin injury. He only made a couple of brief appearances off of the bench tonight for a total of 19 minutes, but even that cameo indicates that he's rounding back into condition -- and that will make the Vikings even more dangerous up front. Tonight's win improves NPU's record to 8-3, 2-0, while the Big Blue drop to 4-5-1, 0-2.

Keegan Thompson sent an uncontested cross from deep on the right side over to James Serrano, who struck it home in the 87th minute to break a scoreless tie at Keller Field and give visiting Elmhurst (8-4-1, 2-0) the 1-0 victory over Carthage (6-6, 1-1).

It only took nineteen seconds of bonus play before Matthew Allen put a golden goal into the net to secure a 2-1 home win for Augustana (3-4-1, 1-1) over Carroll (6-4, 0-2).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 07, 2019, 05:04:16 PM
Kris made a good move by starting a 4 man back line.  Barriga has really impressed by both his defense and ability to move up the wing.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 07, 2019, 06:28:45 PM
Barriga was a sensational find last year. He looks like a shoo-in for All-CCIW, and he's only a sophomore. One wonders where his ceiling is.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AM
The 4 man back line was necessary, as Berg Domaas was not capable of manning the middle alone. In the games I have watched, Kemkers has been very good in the middle of the back line as well as the other Swede, Bostrom. NPU seems to have hit their stride at the right time, and now has an added boost with Khoury returning. The defense was an issue early in the year, but the offense seemed to be out of sync as well - especially in the Kalamazoo game.

With the addition of Khoury, do you think Grahn goes to a 4-4-2 with Knap and Khoury up top? In my mind, it seems more likely for them to play a 4-5-1 and have Khoury play outside (opposite Olsen), with Lund/Ericsson/Kemkers in the middle (assuming Berg Domaas replaces Kemkers at CB). What happened to Holgerson? Is he still in school or is he injured? If he is just injured, that lineup is quite formidable (assuming Khoury would then replace Knap and Holgerson would play outside).

My Thunder are a different story. We seem to have peaked early and have weakened as of late. However, as always, the matchup at the end of October against the vikings should be quite the spectacle. Really looking forward to it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 08, 2019, 11:52:24 AM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AM
The 4 man back line was necessary, as Berg Domaas was not capable of manning the middle alone.

Agreed. I looked upon the 3-man back experiment with some trepidation, but I fully understood why Kris tried it out. It was the old "play your best eleven men" principle. And the idea behind it was that, if the experiment didn't work out, it was always easier to go from a 3-man back to a 4-man in midseason, rather than the other way around.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AMIn the games I have watched, Kemkers has been very good in the middle of the back line as well as the other Swede, Bostrom.

Erlend Kemkers is a remarkable player who gets overshadowed a bit. Just like Gustav "Mr. Versatile" Ericsson, Kemkers can play anywhere his coach puts him, and play it well. You'd never know that he had never played center back before this recent stint filling in for the injured duo of Runar Berg-Domaas and Abu Secka. But I like the duo of Berg-Domaas and Boström-Rydfjall (or, as I call them, "the Hyphen Brothers") as a CB tandem, because they both have the size to really clog the middle and take away an opponent's air game. Now the Vikings have to get Secka healthy as well; he's very athletic and dynamic as well as possessing a solid 6'2 frame, and he can play anywhere on the back line or even fill in for Ulrik Lund at holding mid if necessary.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AMNPU seems to have hit their stride at the right time, and now has an added boost with Khoury returning. The defense was an issue early in the year, but the offense seemed to be out of sync as well - especially in the Kalamazoo game.

I agree with that as well. It seemed to me that the Vikings were rushing things a bit in the forward third rather than showing patience and forcing the defense to keep moving until it made a mistake that NPU could exploit.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AMWith the addition of Khoury, do you think Grahn goes to a 4-4-2 with Knap and Khoury up top? In my mind, it seems more likely for them to play a 4-5-1 and have Khoury play outside (opposite Olsen), with Lund/Ericsson/Kemkers in the middle (assuming Berg Domaas replaces Kemkers at CB).

I think that the latter is more likely: Khoury or Knap up top, Olsen/Lund/Ericsson/Kemkers/DeCarne in the middle, and Cindahl/Berg-Domaas/Boström-Rydfjall/Barriga on the back line. NPU obviously has so many playmakers on the midline (plus two super-fast outside backs who can come up on rushes as well) that I don't think it's necessary to have Knap and Khoury out there at the same time. Shuttling the two of them in and out would give Kris the luxury of having a very good striker out there at all times who is relatively fresh.

Then again, what do I know? I'm not Kris Grahn. I'm just the guy talking into the mic. ;)

Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AMWhat happened to Holgerson? Is he still in school or is he injured?

Holgersson went down with a hamstring injury in the Chicago match down on the South Side, back in the first week of September. His return has been pronounced imminent for the last several weeks, but you know how hammies are -- they don't conform to a timetable as far as healing and rehab go. The Vikings dearly need him back soon, as he's a rare talent at this level. I haven't seen much of him, but I've seen enough to know that he's a difference-maker.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AMIf he is just injured, that lineup is quite formidable (assuming Khoury would then replace Knap and Holgerson would play outside).

My Thunder are a different story. We seem to have peaked early and have weakened as of late.

I didn't see the North Central disaster, but I did watch the entire WC @ EC match. And if the NCC loss was anything like what happened at Langhorst Field, then Wheaton's slump could be attributed to an insufficient work rate. Wheaton doesn't get away with bossing teams anymore just because they're Wheaton, and DeClute's boys have to fully buy in to that fact and push themselves accordingly. Wheaton's got more ball skill than most teams, but it's a small team that isn't nearly as technical as were the great Wheaton teams from earlier in this decade. You can bruise 'em up and get away with it, because they're less likely to make you pay by quickly exploiting the space when you press them than their Wheaton predecessors were. They also don't have the ability to build at will against teams with good midfielders anymore, and they're not great at targeting the long ball. They do have a solid keeper in Hasten Biddlecome, though (why Jake DeClute opted to employ the obviously inferior Drew Cammarano between the pipes against Elmhurst is beyond me, unless Biddlecome was injured, sick, or otherwise indisposed), and a few players such as Stafford Dowling, Michael Groza, Justin Hill, and AJ Moyes that are clearly a cut above the CCIW norm.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on October 08, 2019, 09:15:20 AMHowever, as always, the matchup at the end of October against the vikings should be quite the spectacle. Really looking forward to it.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: Our new commissioner Maureen Harty should see to it that NPU vs. WC is always held on the last night of the regular season. It's by far the league's biggest and best rivalry, and it's not only a great showcase for CCIW soccer, it's always going to be a match that carries an enormous amount of weight in terms of the standings and CCIW tourney seedings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2019, 10:52:16 PM
Well, the Vikings gacked one in Kenosha tonight, ending up on the wrong end of a 3-2 score. I only saw the tail end of the first half and the entire second half, and it looked to me that Carthage played with more urgency and was much more aggressive on the ball than NPU was. The Red Men were particularly good at working the right flank, as they victimized the Vikings there twice in the second half, once forcing a corner that they generated into a goal and once via a run-of-play goal in the 83rd minute that proved to be the game-winner. Other than the two stretches in which the Vikings patiently set up the ball in the forward end and methodically threaded passes until they got the open shot they were looking for that found the back of the net, I thought that Carthage outworked NPU. You'd never know from watching them tonight that the Red Men were a .500 team, but they get up for NPU every time and the Vikings just never seem to match their passion. Now the Vikings have to find that same sense of urgency over the final six matches, because they've run out of slack on the rope.

One consolation was the return to action of Niclas Holgersson after missing a month to a pulled hamstring. His goal in the 49th minute off of an Olsen assist was a thing of beauty.

The other consolation is that North Central lost tonight at home, as Logan Servin struck a goldie in the 99th minute to give Illinois Wesleyan the 1-0 overtime win at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.

The other contest tonight was an easy 3-0 victory for Carroll over St. Mary's up in Winona, MN.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 13, 2019, 12:45:12 AM
North Park got the bad taste of Wednesday's loss out of its mouth, as the Vikings cruised past Illinois Wesleyan at Hedstrand Field, 4-0. Peder Olsen collected his second hat trick of the season and is now all alone in second place in the nation in goals with 16, two behind Max Busch of Bethany Lutheran, He's also second in points with 36, again trailing Busch by two. NPU improves to 9-4, 3-1, while IWU falls to 5-7, 1-2.

Elmhurst fell from first place to third tonight, as the Bluejays gave up a goal midway through overtime to Bradyn Nokes and fell at home to Millikin, 2-1. Elmhurst is now 8-5-1, 2-1, while the Big Blue move up to 5-5-1, 1-2.

North Central kept pace with NPU with a 3-1 victory at home over Carroll. The Cardinals are now 8-4-1, 3-1 on the year, while the Pios drop to 7-5, 0-3.

Finally, Wheaton and Augustana played to a scoreless draw at Thorson-Lucken Field this evening. Regardless of the fact that the game was at Augie, Wheaton has to be kicking itself tonight; Augie's typically considered to be easy pickin' in this league, so not getting the win must feel like a lost opportunity for DeClute's boys to keep pace in the standings. Augie is still at the break-even mark in league play -- probably for as late as it's ever been in the Mick Regan era -- and is now 3-4-1, 1-1-1. Wheaton is now 7-4-2, 1-2-1.

Last night, Carthage coughed up all of the momentum it picked up from Wednesday's upset win by dropping a home match to UW-Platteville, 1-0. I watched the second half, and the Red Men definitely reverted to looking pretty ordinary. Carthage stands at 7-7 on the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 15, 2019, 03:14:39 PM
Congrats to Peder Olsen and Angel Barriga for sweeping the CCIW's Player of the Week awards. (https://cciw.org/news/2019/10/15/north-parks-olsen-barriga-named-cciw-mens-soccer-players-of-the-week.aspx)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2019, 12:41:57 AM
Peder Olsen banged home a diagonal feed from Ulrik Lund after Elmhurst GH Donnie Kvien had failed to secure the ball subsequent to stopping a Shatil Khoury shot, allowing NPU to beat the 'jays just 40 seconds into overtime, 1-0, in Elmhurst. NPU dominated the match, outshooting the 'jays 17 (7) to 4 (1), but towards the end of regulation the Vikings looked frustrated and sloppy while Elmhurst was clearly energized to be in an anything-can-happen situation that could lead to a possible upset -- yet the 'jays never really got a good look at the net at all, as NPU played airtight defense. The goal makes Olsen D3's total points leader with 39, and brings him within a goal of national leader Max Busch of Bethany Lutheran, who has 18 to Olsen's 17.

North Park is now 10-4 on the season. This clinches 20 consecutive winning seasons and 17 consecutive double-digit-win seasons for NPU, both by far the longest current streaks in the CCIW in those categories. The Vikings are 4-1 in CCIW play, staying in a tie for first with North Central. Elmhurst drops to 8-6-1, 2-2.

North Central kept pace with the Vikings with a 2-1 win at Carthage via a brace of Spencer Wiese strikes. NCC is now 9-4-1, 4-1, while Carthage falls to 7-8, 2-2.

Wheaton prevailed over Carroll at Schneider Stadium this evening, 3-1, behind a pair of Silas Galvao tallies. Wheaton is now 8-4-2, 2-2-1 and part of that massive logjam in the middle of the standings, while the Pios drop to 7-6, 0-4.

Finally, Illinois Wesleyan blitzed visiting Augustana at Neis Field tonight, 4-1, as Patrick Hickey scored two goals. IWU is now 6-7, 2-2 and joins Carthage, Elmhurst, and Wheaton in that tightly-packed bunch in the middle, while Augie is now 3-5-2, 1-2-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2019, 01:00:02 AM
A couple of mild surprises in the CCIW today. Augustana shut out Millikin, 2-0, at Thorson-Lucken Field today as the hosts got a brace of second-half goals from Matthew Allen. Augie is now 4-5-2, 2-2-1, and that CCIW mark is certainly something unexpected from a program that's been a punching bag over the past few seasons. Millikin, from whom bigger things were expected in 2019, drops to 5-6-1, 1-3 on the campaign.

And Team Rollercoaster is definitely back down in the trough again, as Carthage fell on the road at Illinois Wesleyan by an eye-opening 3-0 score. The Titans are now looking good in the race for a CCIW tourney spot at 7-7, 3-2 for the season, while the Red Men are in serious danger of missing the CCIW tourney altogether a year after winning it; they are now 7-9, 2-3.

Elmhurst made a couple of Keegan Thompson goals stand up in a 2-1 victory at Langhorst over Carroll. Elmhurst extends to 9-6-1, 3-2, and is likewise in good shape in the CCIW tourney race, while Carroll continues to play out the string; the Pios are now 7-7, 0-5.

Finally, in the lone non-con match of the day, Wheaton used a goal late in the first half by Ryan Melgar to push past UW-Whitewater, 1-0. That's a good win for Wheaton (9-4-1), since the Warhawks entered the match sporting a gaudy 12-2-1 record in '19.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2019, 12:08:32 AM
North Park topped UW-Whitewater tonight at Hedstrand Field, 2-1, in a contest that wasn't as close as the score indicated. NPU outshot UWW by 21 (11) to 4 (2), and the Vikings had the run of play throughout. The Warhawks did break through with sort of an odd-looking goal in the 74th minute -- the Vikings' 6'2 freshman CB Runar Berg-Domaas, who had scored his first career goal earlier in the match by heading home a Gianfranco DeCarne corner kick, landed on someone's foot after going up for a ball in the air and crumpled to the turf. A UWW player then sailed in the ball right over Berg-Domaas's prone body to the edge of the crease, where it was redirected via header into the back of the net. But UWW never really got much of a push to equalize, as the NPU defense wouldn't let the Warhawks get another shot on frame all night. Good to see NPU's Abu Secka finally get back in action again after a long hiatus on the injured list. The Vikings, who are ranked #3 in the region in today's first NCAA regional poll, are now 11-4.

North Central pulled a half-game ahead of North Park in the win column by beating Elmhurst this evening at Benedetti-Wehri Stadium, 2-0, as the Cardinals made a pair of early goals stand up. NCC is now 10-4-1, 5-1 heading into the huge showdown this Saturday in Chicago between the Cardinals and Vikings that will give one of those two teams the clear path to the CCIW championship. NCC was ranked #7 in the Central Region in today's inaugural NCAA poll. Elmhurst (9-7-1, 3-3) falls to fifth place, but the Bluejays still hold their destiny in their own hands, since they face fourth-place Illinois Wesleyan (which was idle tonight) on the last night of the regular season a week from Saturday.

Wheaton is positioning itself well for a CCIW tourney berth, as the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance posted an impressive 3-0 victory over Millikin down in Decatur. Wheaton is 10-4-2, 3-2-1, while Millikin is in total free-fall at 5-7-1, 1-4. Wheaton came in at #5 in today's NCAA regional poll. Apparently the .020 advantage that Wheaton enjoys over NCC in strength of schedule more than cancels out the fact that the Cardinals beat their DuPage County neighbors three weeks ago at Joe Bean Stadium.

Augustana continues to impress, as Regan's boys posted a nice 3-1 non-con home win over UW-Platteville. Augie is now 5-5-2 and is very much alive in the CCIW tourney picture.

And the big shocker of the night came down on the South Side, as Carthage utilized a long strike from Jerry Patino in the 72nd minute to tie Chicago at Stagg Field, 1-1. The Maroons came into the match ranked second in the Central Region behind Calvin in today's NCAA poll, and in terms of the national weekly polls they were #3 in one and #4 in the other. The Red Men (7-9-1) just seem to have an uncanny knack for the unexpected, issuing results or very close losses against top-notch teams while seemingly phoning it in for losses to some very ordinary teams.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on October 24, 2019, 03:40:54 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2019, 12:08:32 AM
The Red Men (7-9-1) just seem to have an uncanny knack for the unexpected, issuing results or very close losses against top-notch teams while seemingly phoning it in for losses to some very ordinary teams.

I was going to comment along the lines of "is it just me or does Carthage seem to get up for their games against strong opponents better than most teams?" But you captured my thoughts far more eloquently.  I don't tune into Carthage games very often (usually only when they play high profile programs like Wheaton, North Park, Chicago, etc.), but they always seem to compete well in those games.  What do you think accounts for their "uncanny knack"?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2019, 11:30:28 AM
It's psychological and subjective, Ommadawn, but my read is that Carthage is a team that has a very passionate makeup to it. That's not always the character of a Red Men side, but it frequently is. They typically get very geeked up for matches against big rivals and/or national powers in a way that a Chicago or a North Park or a Wheaton doesn't, and that passion works in their favor, giving them an extra gear without causing them to play sloppier. But it's very hard to tap into that every time that you take the pitch. You can't always fool yourself into thinking that a contest against a team from the Midwest Conference or a late-season opponent sitting at .500 such as UW-Platteville is going to be one of the biggest games in which you've ever played -- and you don't get that extra gear.

Often, Carthage is so good that it doesn't need the extra gear. This season, however, the team's down just slightly enough from last season that it really needs it, although the 3-0 embarrassment that the Red Men suffered at Illinois Wesleyan last Saturday is a true rarity in that the Red Men are very seldom so completely flat that they don't even compete against a relatively ordinary team like the Titans.

In sports they sometimes call this "playing to the level of their competition," but that's just a cliché that gets tossed around offhandedly without any further explanation. Having watched a bunch of the Red Men's matches this season, in their case I think that "playing to the level of their competition" can be explained by the team's psychological makeup. I read it in the collective demeanor of the Red Men on the pitch -- body and facial language, how hard they foul, the jawing that they do at their opponents and at the refs, their reactions to plays. This season, they need that passion more than usual, because they aren't quite as good as they were last season and because their schedule -- #25 in the nation, according to Massey -- has been more brutal than in years past.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2019, 11:39:18 AM
Speaking of Massey, this is where Ken's computer has CCIW teams ranked among the 419 teams in D3 after last night's matches:

  26. North Park
  53. Wheaton
  57. North Central
  90. Carthage
  93. Illinois Wesleyan
143. Elmhurst
177. Millikin
186. Augustana
211. Carroll
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ommadawn on October 24, 2019, 08:35:11 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2019, 11:30:28 AM
It's psychological and subjective, Ommadawn, but my read is that Carthage is a team that....

Thank you for your thoughtful analysis, Mr. Sager!  I appreciate your taking the time to explain why you think Carthage plays the way they do.  I imagine that the coaches and supporters of the team might desire a more consistent level of performance over the course of the season, but it's a plus to know the squad is able to compete toe-to-toe with the big dogs!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2019, 12:05:30 AM
In a match that everyone present will remember as much for the fact that it was played in a monsoon (which included a 15-minute lightning delay) as for the final outcome, North Park outlasted North Central, 2-1, to claim sole possession of first place and step onto the threshold of a third straight CCIW title. The defense of the Cards was as stingy as advertised for the most part, as only six of NPU's 23 shots were put on frame and the Vikings really had very few good looks all evening. But Marco Soto, who is a great bet to win first-team All-CCIW honors at goalkeeper, made a fatal mistake in the opening minute of the second half on a short pass to one of his defenders that NPU's Gianfranco DeCarne jumped and stole. DeCarne's first shot from about eight yards out was stoned by Soto, but struck with such pace and at such a short distance that Soto couldn't secure the ball, allowing DeCarne to score on the rebound. The Cardinals did manage to score in the 62nd minute when Alexis Flores bagged a penalty-kick goal, which flipped the match a bit. The Vikings had possessed for probably 80-85% of the match up to that point, but the Cardinals made a solid push forward to get the equalizer, which the Vikings met rather passively. But NCC only got one more shot on goal in the final 27 minutes -- it was well-struck, but Mathias Stulen made a solid punch save on it -- and the Vikings managed to wait out the clock for the win.

Illinois Wesleyan brought itself one step closer to landing a CCIW tourney bid by defeating Carroll up in Waukesha, 2-1. In the QC, Elmhurst spotted host Augie an early goal but then dominated the rest of the way, winning 3-1 as the Bluejays kept their destiny in their own hands. And Carthage kept its hopes alive by knocking off Millikin, 1-0, at Lindsey Field in Decatur.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 27, 2019, 12:26:44 AM

team  CCIW  overall  Wed  Sat
North Park  5-1  12-4  vs. Carroll  @ Wheaton
North Central  5-2  10-5-1  vs. Augustana  vs. UW-Platteville
Illinois Wesleyan  4-2    8-7  vs. Millikin  vs. Elmhurst
Elmhurst  4-3  10-7-1  vs. Knox*  @ Illinois Wesleyan
Wheaton  3-2-1  10-4-2  vs. Carthage  vs. North Park
Carthage  3-3    8-9-1  @ Wheaton  vs. Augustana
Augustana  2-3-1    5-6-2  @ North Central  @ Carthage
Millikin  1-5    5-8-1  @ Illinois Wesleyan  @ Carroll
Carroll  0-6    7-8  @ North Park  vs. Millikin

* Tuesday instead of Wednesday
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Christan Shirk on October 30, 2019, 03:03:22 PM
CENTRAL REGION - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - October 30, 2019

Rank

School
. Div. III .
Record
. Div. III .
SOS

 . R-v-R .
. Overall .
Record
. Prev. .
Rank
1.
Calvin
16-1-0
0.582
4-1-0
17-1-0
1
2.
Chicago
8-1-5
0.661
4-1-3
8-1-5
2
3.
North Park
12-4-0
0.611
2-3-0
12-4-0
3
4.
Kalamazoo
8-3-2
0.594
3-2-0
9-3-2
4
5.
North Central (Ill.)
10-5-1
0.591
2-2-0
10-5-1
7
6.
Wheaton (Ill.)
10-4-2
0.590
1-3-1
10-4-2
5
7.
Hope
12-5-0
0.573
1-4-0
12-5-0
6
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2019, 04:11:02 PM
The only change is North Central moving up from 7th to 5th -- and in a week in which the Cardinals lost, no less.

Of course, it's all about RvR being introduced for the first time this season with the second poll. That's why Wheaton and Hope dropped while going 1-0 and 2-0 last week, respectively, while NCC picked up two spots despite going 1-1. Sometimes a loss to a somebody is better than a win over a nobody.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2019, 12:55:17 AM
North Park pulled off an aesthetically unsatisfying but thorough 2-1 win tonight over a doughty Carroll side to clinch at least a share of the third straight CCIW title for the Vikings, as well as the top seed in next week's CCIW tourney. For the third straight match the Vikings pulled out to a 2-0 lead, coughed up a goal, and then rode out the end of the match by putting ten men behind the ball and just firing out one long ball after another -- a style with which the Vikings don't seem either suited or comfortable, although it has obviously worked in all three 2-1 victories.

Two of NPU's freshmen, Niclas Holgersson and William Sandkvist, scored on well-executed plays within 20 yards of the Carroll net, but the Vikings were stymied on numerous other good opportunities, as Carroll hardly touched the ball at all for the first 70 minutes of the match. The lone Pios goal came off of a long kick that was well targeted onto Julius Marx, who beat a defender who leaned the wrong way and then slipped a shot over GK Edin Sabovic's head. (Mathias Stulen was given the night off.) That was really the only solid opportunity Carroll had until they started pushing forward with seven or even eight men up top every time that the ball wound up in NPU's end, and it almost paid dividends in the 72nd minute when Sabovic had to knock away a good strike sent in by CU's Ricky Perez. Two Perez corner kicks later, he found himself with the ball 15 yards out and Sabovic off his line, giving Perez an entire side of the net open, but his shot at 72:35 went wide right by about a yard. Despite their pressure, Carroll never really had another good chance after that. The Pioneers played as well as they possibly could tonight, the Vikings were lackluster, and the wet and windy weather was a bit of an equalizer, but the gap between the two teams is so wide that NPU still prevailed without it being too much of a headache.

The really good contest of the night was played at Joe Bean Stadium, where Wheaton and Carthage fought to a 2-2 draw. I watched the final ten minutes of regulation and both overtimes on a computer in the NPU press box, and, let me tell you, that was the most exciting half-hour of soccer that I've seen all season. Just end-to-end action with little or no midfield play at all, with both Niko Mavrogiannis of Carthage and Hasten Biddlecome of Wheaton coming up with one great save after another, and at one point in the second overtime a Wheaton defender had to go into his own net and clear the ball off of the line. A ridiculous 58 shots were fired in this one, with each team getting 29; the Red Men put 18 of theirs on frame to WC's eight. The Red Men also played a man down for the last 2:51 of the second extra stanza after Nicholas Massineo was sent off with a red card for slugging a Wheaton player in the face -- kudos to the Wheaton kid for not retaliating -- but it hardly made a difference, as Carthage was actually on the attack as the game finally came to an end. Once again, the Red Men proved themselves to be the fiery bunch that gave a ranked opponent fits, and again they rode that flow of emotion well enough to get a result out of it. It will be interesting to see which Carthage team shows up at Keller Field on Saturday to face Augie in the regular-season finale with the Red Men's faint hopes of a tourney berth still alive, especially since they will be missing a key player in Massineo.

North Central clinched the second seed with a 6-1 pasting of Augustana at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium tonight, as Alexis Flores picked up two more goals to give him 10 on the season.

Last night, Illinois Wesleyan set itself up in a good situation to claim a tourney berth by taking down Millikin, 4-2, in Bloomington behind a pair of Patrick Hickey goals. And Elmhurst dropped a 2-1 decision to Knox in Galesburg.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2019, 01:43:03 AM

team  CCIW   pts  overall  Sat
1North Park  6-1  18  13-4  @ Wheaton
*North Central  6-2  18  11-5-1  vs. UW-Platteville
*Illinois Wesleyan  5-2  15    9-7  vs. Elmhurst
Elmhurst  4-3  12  10-8-1  @ Illinois Wesleyan
Wheaton  3-2-2  11  10-4-3  vs. North Park
Carthage  3-3-1  10    8-9-2  vs. Augustana
EAugustana  2-4-1    7    5-7-2  @ Carthage
EMillikin  1-6    3    5-9-1  @ Carroll
ECarroll  0-7    0    7-9  vs. Millikin

The top seed, and thus the site of one of next Wednesday's tourney semifinals, is set. North Park will host the #4 seed. North Central will host #3 seed Elmhurst if IWU loses to EC, with the Titans then going to Chicago to play at NPU as the #4 if they lose. If IWU and EC tie, then the Titans will travel to Naperville as the #3 seed to play #2 North Central, and if IWU knocks off the Bluejays on Saturday the Cardinals and Titans will meet in the #3 @ #2 match in Bloomington with the fourth seed up for grabs. Either way, the Cards and Titans are both in.

* If Elmhurst loses in the cow pasture on Saturday, Dave Di Tomasso's boys can still get in with the #4 seed if both Wheaton and Carthage either lose or tie, since they own the head-to-head tiebreakers over both of those teams. But if the 'jays lose and either Wheaton or Carthage (or both) wins, Elmhurst is toast. If the Bluejays and Titans end up deadlocked on Saturday, EC can still get in as long as NPU beats or ties Wheaton.

* Wheaton get in with the #4 seed if the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance can hold serve at home against North Park while IWU either beats or ties Elmhurst. A draw or a loss to the Vikings ends Wheaton's season.

* Carthage's hopes for the fourth and final seed are heavily contingent. The Red Men have to beat Augie, of course, but they also need to have IWU beat Elmhurst while NPU beats or ties Wheaton. A draw in their own match or in the EC @ IWU match, or both, ruins the scenario for the Red Men, since Elmhurst beat Carthage back on October 5 in Kenosha.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on October 31, 2019, 09:20:18 AM
Greg,

I believe this is accurate except the Wheaton part. Even if Wheaton beats NPU - if Elmhurst wins, Wheaton will not be in. They would have 14 points, compared to 15 for EC and IWU.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2019, 11:20:50 AM
Yes, thanks for pointing that out. I actually made a couple of mistakes, and that was one of them. It's what I get for originally forgetting to put the points column in my post. Honestly, I don't know why the CCIW website never puts the points column in the standings, since that was the template that I was using, but I should've known better and accounted for their neglect. I'll send CCIW SID Mike Krizman an e-mail and ask him about this.

Anyway, I've corrected my post from last night. It should now be accurate.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2019, 12:14:01 PM
Turns out that the Sidearm software that the CCIW uses doesn't provide for a points column for soccer standings. I had a suspicion that that might be the case. Mike Krizman is going to suggest to Sidearm that they add it to their software package.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2019, 11:19:25 PM
North Park and Wheaton played to a deeply unsatisfying 1-1 draw this evening out in the western suburbs. It was deeply unsatisfying for Vikings fans because, although it gave NPU the undisputed CCIW title at 6-1-1, the Vikings have bigger ambitions -- and another blemish puts a crimp in their potential postseason status. Plus, the Vikings had the ball on their feet all night, dominating possession completely and outshooting the hosts 24 (6) to 6 (2), and yet they needed a Peder Olsen equalizer in the 84th minute just to send it into extras. For Wheaton, which was admirably stubborn in its back third despite being clearly outclassed in terms of talent, it's a deeply unsatisfying draw for the simple reason that it ends the season. A win would've catapulted the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance into the fourth and final CCIW tourney slot. Instead, the draw means that they'll be cleaning out their lockers, as they finish fifth at 3-2-3.

I'll say this, though: The Vikings certainly didn't look unsatisfied when they posed for their championship picture with the CCIW trophy. Three straight conference titles is a big accomplishment. And perhaps the thought of ending Wheaton's season on Wheaton's home pitch made the draw a little sweeter.

The other big match of the day was also a draw, as earlier this afternoon Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst dueled to twin goose eggs in Bloomington. The tie cemented IWU's status as the third seed behind #2 North Central (6-2) at 5-2-1, while Elmhurst had to wait out the nighttime nailbiter in Wheaton before being assured of the fourth seed at 4-3-1.

In the final minute of second overtime in Kenosha, an Augie counter was seemingly blunted by a ball being chipped out of bounds by the Red Men. However, the Red Men failed to get back on defense, and Justin Murphy's long throw-in into the box found Salah Aghlaf, who drove it into the lower right corner of the net to give Augustana the 2-1 win. Augie and Carthage end the season in a sixth-place tie at 3-4-1. Who would've predicted that Carthage, the #2 pick in the preseason poll and the defending CCIW tourney champ, would end the season with a losing record at 8-10-2?

in the battle of the bottom, Millikin edged Carroll, 3-2, at Schaefer Stadium to finish 2-6, while the Pioneers went winless in CCIW play at 0-8.

So the tournament field is now set:

Wednesday
#3 Illinois Wesleyan (9-7-1, 5-2-1) @ #2 North Central (11-5-2, 6-2)
#4 Elmhurst (10-8-2, 4-3-1) @ #1 North Park (13-4-1, 6-1-1)

Saturday
Championship match at highest remaining seed
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 02, 2019, 11:24:16 PM
Congratulations to Peder Olsen, whose goal tonight makes him North Park's all-time leader in points with 96, one more than NPU head coach Kris Grahn recorded in his sensational 2008-11 career as a Viking.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM
Greg,

Very fair analysis of the Wheaton/NPU game. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it in person - but I was able to catch the live stream. There were a couple of things that I noticed during the game.

1. I understand playing your seniors on senior night, but in a must-win game, I have to question why Coach DeClute chose to start all 7 seniors and play them together for the first 25-30 minutes of the game. 4 of those seniors saw limited to no more action following those minutes. When the underclassmen normal starters came in, Wheaton scored just a few minutes later. I am not stating that the result would have been different, but I can't understand why during a must-win game - you wouldn't give your team the best chance to win.

2. Hasten Biddlecome is the top GK in the CCIW. The way he commanded the box was extremely impressive. It was by far the best GK performance I have seen in the CCIW this year.

3. North Park is the most talented team I have seen this year. They appear to have zero weak links, as every position is manned by an extremely skillful player. The way they move the ball is similar to a very solid D1 team. However, I must question the execution in the final 3rd of the field. They pass the ball so well and hold possession for 80% of the game, but when they get in the final 3rd - they seem to struggle creating dangerous attacks. Wheaton did a good job of cramming the box, but instead of attacking, NPU seemed to settle quite often for 40+ yard shots or lofted crosses that were easily handled by Biddlecome. I don't know if it is a formation change that needs to occur, but when they switched to a 3-5-2 late in the game, they became much more fluid in the final 3rd.

4. NPU is the premier program in the CCIW now. I would argue that Carthage is number 2 and Wheaton has fallen to 3. In the past, with 2 games remaining in the season, WC would have come out with 6 points when they needed it. Now, they come out with 2 points, the season is over, and WC is deservedly out of the NCAA tourney for the 3rd or 4th consecutive year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 03, 2019, 10:47:40 AM
Good points, GoThunder1:

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM
Greg,

Very fair analysis of the Wheaton/NPU game. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it in person - but I was able to catch the live stream. There were a couple of things that I noticed during the game.

1. I understand playing your seniors on senior night, but in a must-win game, I have to question why Coach DeClute chose to start all 7 seniors and play them together for the first 25-30 minutes of the game. 4 of those seniors saw limited to no more action following those minutes. When the underclassmen normal starters came in, Wheaton scored just a few minutes later. I am not stating that the result would have been different, but I can't understand why during a must-win game - you wouldn't give your team the best chance to win.

I was wondering the same thing myself. I figured that the Wheaton seniors would be in there for a token 5-10 minutes, but they certainly were in there for quite a bit longer than that. Incidentally, Wheaton PBP announcer Abram Erickson said that Marcelo Galvao was coaching the team and not Jake DeClute. What's up with that?

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM2. Hasten Biddlecome is the top GK in the CCIW. The way he commanded the box was extremely impressive. It was by far the best GK performance I have seen in the CCIW this year.

I think it's neck-and-neck between Biddlecome and North Central GK Marco Soto. I can see either one being named first team All-CCIW, with the other winding up on second team.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM3. North Park is the most talented team I have seen this year. They appear to have zero weak links, as every position is manned by an extremely skillful player. The way they move the ball is similar to a very solid D1 team. However, I must question the execution in the final 3rd of the field. They pass the ball so well and hold possession for 80% of the game, but when they get in the final 3rd - they seem to struggle creating dangerous attacks. Wheaton did a good job of cramming the box, but instead of attacking, NPU seemed to settle quite often for 40+ yard shots or lofted crosses that were easily handled by Biddlecome. I don't know if it is a formation change that needs to occur, but when they switched to a 3-5-2 late in the game, they became much more fluid in the final 3rd.

There's a couple of explanations for that:

1) I think that Kris Grahn has had comfort issues with his defense. They were a brand-new unit and were really ragged at the beginning of the season, and only now are they really starting to round into form as a reliable bulwark against counters and long balls, rather than simply acting as the ignition switch for a build (which they've done well since day one). That 3-5-2 is not something that he's used much at all until very late in the season, because he hasn't trusted the back line enough. Also, the steadiest player on the back line this year has been freshman William Boström-Rydfjall, and he's been out the past two matches with a concussion suffered in the NCC @ NPU match.

2) Angel Barriga's positioning makes a big difference. He's the fastest player in the league, and putting him on the back line following the Carthage debacle shored up a lot of those defensive problems I mentioned above. Late in last night's match he moved up and started playing the left wing, and his ability to force the issue with his accelerated pace opened up a lot more passing options in the forward third. Last season as a freshman he was just pure speed. Now he's become a complete and versatile soccer player who is also very fast.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM4. NPU is the premier program in the CCIW now. I would argue that Carthage is number 2 and Wheaton has fallen to 3. In the past, with 2 games remaining in the season, WC would have come out with 6 points when they needed it. Now, they come out with 2 points, the season is over, and WC is deservedly out of the NCAA tourney for the 3rd or 4th consecutive year.

Wheaton will come back. I'm convinced of it. NPU will always be looking over its shoulder at Wheaton, just as whenever Wheaton has been on top over the past two decades it's been looking back over its shoulder at NPU.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 03, 2019, 03:45:19 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM
Greg,

Very fair analysis of the Wheaton/NPU game. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it in person - but I was able to catch the live stream. There were a couple of things that I noticed during the game.

1. I understand playing your seniors on senior night, but in a must-win game, I have to question why Coach DeClute chose to start all 7 seniors and play them together for the first 25-30 minutes of the game. 4 of those seniors saw limited to no more action following those minutes. When the underclassmen normal starters came in, Wheaton scored just a few minutes later. I am not stating that the result would have been different, but I can't understand why during a must-win game - you wouldn't give your team the best chance to win.

2. Hasten Biddlecome is the top GK in the CCIW. The way he commanded the box was extremely impressive. It was by far the best GK performance I have seen in the CCIW this year.

3. North Park is the most talented team I have seen this year. They appear to have zero weak links, as every position is manned by an extremely skillful player. The way they move the ball is similar to a very solid D1 team. However, I must question the execution in the final 3rd of the field. They pass the ball so well and hold possession for 80% of the game, but when they get in the final 3rd - they seem to struggle creating dangerous attacks. Wheaton did a good job of cramming the box, but instead of attacking, NPU seemed to settle quite often for 40+ yard shots or lofted crosses that were easily handled by Biddlecome. I don't know if it is a formation change that needs to occur, but when they switched to a 3-5-2 late in the game, they became much more fluid in the final 3rd.

4. NPU is the premier program in the CCIW now. I would argue that Carthage is number 2 and Wheaton has fallen to 3. In the past, with 2 games remaining in the season, WC would have come out with 6 points when they needed it. Now, they come out with 2 points, the season is over, and WC is deservedly out of the NCAA tourney for the 3rd or 4th consecutive year.

1. As a fan of Wheaton, I would be frustrated as well - although in this case it doesn't seem like it hurt Wheaton.  As a fan of D3, I see the student-athlete experience as more important as winning.  I think the coach gave these kids a great memory for all the hard work they put in and that will last longer than wins/losses.

2.  I saw the 2nd half last night - Biddlecome was impressive.

3.  I agree.  I don't think NPU has an experienced #9 to control the box.  To me, Khoury is a withdrawn forward and Knapp is still getting experience and improving.  If I could pick a #9 from the past that would be perfect for this team, I'd pick Jonas Pettersson.

4.  I want a strong conference, so I hope all the CCIW schools continue to push each other to improve even if that means NPU isn't #1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 03, 2019, 04:54:01 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM
Greg,

Very fair analysis of the Wheaton/NPU game. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it in person - but I was able to catch the live stream. There were a couple of things that I noticed during the game.

1. I understand playing your seniors on senior night, but in a must-win game, I have to question why Coach DeClute chose to start all 7 seniors and play them together for the first 25-30 minutes of the game. 4 of those seniors saw limited to no more action following those minutes. When the underclassmen normal starters came in, Wheaton scored just a few minutes later. I am not stating that the result would have been different, but I can't understand why during a must-win game - you wouldn't give your team the best chance to win.

2. Hasten Biddlecome is the top GK in the CCIW. The way he commanded the box was extremely impressive. It was by far the best GK performance I have seen in the CCIW this year.

3. North Park is the most talented team I have seen this year. They appear to have zero weak links, as every position is manned by an extremely skillful player. The way they move the ball is similar to a very solid D1 team. However, I must question the execution in the final 3rd of the field. They pass the ball so well and hold possession for 80% of the game, but when they get in the final 3rd - they seem to struggle creating dangerous attacks. Wheaton did a good job of cramming the box, but instead of attacking, NPU seemed to settle quite often for 40+ yard shots or lofted crosses that were easily handled by Biddlecome. I don't know if it is a formation change that needs to occur, but when they switched to a 3-5-2 late in the game, they became much more fluid in the final 3rd.

4. NPU is the premier program in the CCIW now. I would argue that Carthage is number 2 and Wheaton has fallen to 3. In the past, with 2 games remaining in the season, WC would have come out with 6 points when they needed it. Now, they come out with 2 points, the season is over, and WC is deservedly out of the NCAA tourney for the 3rd or 4th consecutive year.

My question is: how much longer can Wheaton put up with underachieving in their signature sport? When Giuliano's squad missed one year which broke the consecutive NCAA bids streak, it was like the sky was falling.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 03, 2019, 08:41:12 PM
That question is best answered with another question: How much internal pressure is being brought to bear upon the current Wheaton coaching staff to get back to where the program used to be?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 03, 2019, 09:17:31 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 03, 2019, 03:45:19 PM
4.  I want a strong conference, so I hope all the CCIW schools continue to push each other to improve even if that means NPU isn't #1.

The league's non-con W-L-T record this year was respectable, if hardly spectacular, but there's still clearly a lot of work that needs to be done to get the league up to the same national-power level in this sport that it seems to be on in all of the other ball sports. And I agree that iron sharpening iron needs to happen in CCIW play as well as in non-con play in order to reach that level. I think that North Central's hire of Enzo Fuschino is going to make that program a perennial contender. Despite the program's inconsistency, I don't see Carthage fading away as long as Steve Domin still has a fire burning. Wheaton has everything in place to be what it was, if it can find a way (or a coach) who can recruit to the standards of the legacy. Dave Di Tomasso's won a CCIW title at Elmhurst, and he's had enough good teams over the years to know what one looks like and how to build it. Illinois Wesleyan has been in the CCIW tourney in three of the past four seasons, which at least indicates that the Titans are doing their fair share of the pushing. And NPU is here to stay.

That's two-thirds of the league. The trick, on the one hand, is to get everybody else to elevate. On the other hand, in order for the league to really step it up, the teams that are already competing need to get up to snuff on a national basis. Not only are Wheaton and North Park the only two CCIW programs that have reached the Final Four, they're the only two CCIW programs that have even gotten past the first weekend in a D3 tournament. Carthage is 1-6 and Elmhurst is 0-1, and nobody else besides those four programs has ever gone dancing in this sport before.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 04, 2019, 12:44:52 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 03, 2019, 08:41:12 PM
That question is best answered with another question: How much internal pressure is being brought to bear upon the current Wheaton coaching staff to get back to where the program used to be?

One thing you could always count on with Giuliano's teams was the talent level - he was a good recruiter. They reached the NCAA championship game for a reason, and not just cuz of the Golz brothers (though they were major factors). They were also able to get great transfers over the years like Ben Theimer, Matt Swartz, Drew Golz and Noah Anthony who became stars.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 04, 2019, 09:06:07 AM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 03, 2019, 04:54:01 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 03, 2019, 08:41:31 AM
Greg,

Very fair analysis of the Wheaton/NPU game. Unfortunately, I was unable to make it in person - but I was able to catch the live stream. There were a couple of things that I noticed during the game.

1. I understand playing your seniors on senior night, but in a must-win game, I have to question why Coach DeClute chose to start all 7 seniors and play them together for the first 25-30 minutes of the game. 4 of those seniors saw limited to no more action following those minutes. When the underclassmen normal starters came in, Wheaton scored just a few minutes later. I am not stating that the result would have been different, but I can't understand why during a must-win game - you wouldn't give your team the best chance to win.

2. Hasten Biddlecome is the top GK in the CCIW. The way he commanded the box was extremely impressive. It was by far the best GK performance I have seen in the CCIW this year.

3. North Park is the most talented team I have seen this year. They appear to have zero weak links, as every position is manned by an extremely skillful player. The way they move the ball is similar to a very solid D1 team. However, I must question the execution in the final 3rd of the field. They pass the ball so well and hold possession for 80% of the game, but when they get in the final 3rd - they seem to struggle creating dangerous attacks. Wheaton did a good job of cramming the box, but instead of attacking, NPU seemed to settle quite often for 40+ yard shots or lofted crosses that were easily handled by Biddlecome. I don't know if it is a formation change that needs to occur, but when they switched to a 3-5-2 late in the game, they became much more fluid in the final 3rd.

4. NPU is the premier program in the CCIW now. I would argue that Carthage is number 2 and Wheaton has fallen to 3. In the past, with 2 games remaining in the season, WC would have come out with 6 points when they needed it. Now, they come out with 2 points, the season is over, and WC is deservedly out of the NCAA tourney for the 3rd or 4th consecutive year.

My question is: how much longer can Wheaton put up with underachieving in their signature sport? When Giuliano's squad missed one year which broke the consecutive NCAA bids streak, it was like the sky was falling.

Is soccer still Wheaton's signature sport, or has football taken over?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 04, 2019, 09:49:21 AM
1. In my opinion, Football has taken over as the "premier" sport. Winning determines this and the success of the football team over the past 10 years has been significantly better than men's soccer (with the exception of the 2014 final 4 season).

2. Who would have guessed that the CCIW tourney would be without CC and WC? Even going into the final week, I figured IWU/EC would falter and either WC/CC would make it and give NPU a tough test.

3. I don't think it will happen, but if NP fails to win the CCIW tourney, will they get an at large bid? It seems like a very similar situation as last year, where they didnt get in (there are 2 more spots this year).

4. Gotberg, as a big fan of the rivalry between WC/NPU - I would say I follow the vikings secondary to the thunder. With that being said, I disagree with your assessment on Khoury. I think he can play the number 9 role - but is still just getting into shape after his injury. He was quite effective in 2017 and 2018 in that same role - with what I believe was less talent around him. If there was a player from the past that would solidify this team as a title contender, it would be Matt Bond or Ricky Pimentel. Both of those players were such rocks on the backline and would allow Erlend Kemkers to move back to his natural position in the midfield (Kemkers has been fantastic as their CB and one could argue he is the MVP on this team).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 04, 2019, 12:01:48 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on November 04, 2019, 12:44:52 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 03, 2019, 08:41:12 PM
That question is best answered with another question: How much internal pressure is being brought to bear upon the current Wheaton coaching staff to get back to where the program used to be?

One thing you could always count on with Giuliano's teams was the talent level - he was a good recruiter. They reached the NCAA championship game for a reason, and not just cuz of the Golz brothers (though they were major factors). They were also able to get great transfers over the years like Ben Theimer, Matt Swartz, Drew Golz and Noah Anthony who became stars.

That doesn't answer my question, though, which perhaps can only be answered by a Wheaton insider.

I don't know how much pressure the Wheaton administration puts upon coaches to succeed, especially coaches in sports that have had major success -- and no sport has had major success for as long as men's soccer has had it at Wheaton.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 04, 2019, 09:49:21 AM
1. In my opinion, Football has taken over as the "premier" sport. Winning determines this and the success of the football team over the past 10 years has been significantly better than men's soccer (with the exception of the 2014 final 4 season).

2. Who would have guessed that the CCIW tourney would be without CC and WC? Even going into the final week, I figured IWU/EC would falter and either WC/CC would make it and give NPU a tough test.

I thought the same thing. But Wheaton ended up drawing two games it should've won -- I didn't see Wheaton vs. Augustana, but Wheaton had a lot more talent than Augie did, and in the Wheaton vs. Carthage contest, whose conclusion I did see, the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance had numerous point-blank chances to put the Red Men away in the final ten minutes of regulation and in both overtimes, and couldn't get it done. And then there's the match against North Central -- up by two goals in the second half at Joe Bean Stadium, Wheaton somehow coughed up a late hat trick to Alexis Flores and lost. And then it surrendered the equalizer to Peder Olsen with only 6:33 remaining in Saturday's match against NPU, although the relentless bombardment of the Vikings in and around the Wheaton box made it feel as though the goal would come eventually. Bottom line, Wheaton simply couldn't it done whenever it needed to. But Wheaton should be a better team next season. The Beaners don't lose anybody substantial, they get Biddlecome back and two solid backliners in front of him in Drew Beamer and Justin Hill, and I really like the games of Michael Groza and Stafford Dowling.

I've already talked plenty about Carthage. Suffice it to say that nobody embodies the phrase "playing to the level of the competition" more than the 2019 edition of the Red Men did. Steve Domin even admitted as much in his postgame comments in the AC @ CC gamer: "These kids have done so much on and off the field, and quietly plowed through some great teams while softening to others." His team will lose a ton in this year's senior class, but perhaps Carthage will be better served by turning over the minutes to new blood in 2020.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 04, 2019, 09:49:21 AM3. I don't think it will happen, but if NP fails to win the CCIW tourney, will they get an at large bid? It seems like a very similar situation as last year, where they didnt get in (there are 2 more spots this year).

That's the $64,000 question. It's why I called Saturday's draw deeply unsatisfying from the NPU point of view, and I think that every Vikings fan goes into tourney week with a certain amount of nervousness.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 04, 2019, 09:49:21 AM4. Gotberg, as a big fan of the rivalry between WC/NPU - I would say I follow the vikings secondary to the thunder. With that being said, I disagree with your assessment on Khoury. I think he can play the number 9 role - but is still just getting into shape after his injury. He was quite effective in 2017 and 2018 in that same role - with what I believe was less talent around him. If there was a player from the past that would solidify this team as a title contender, it would be Matt Bond or Ricky Pimentel. Both of those players were such rocks on the backline and would allow Erlend Kemkers to move back to his natural position in the midfield (Kemkers has been fantastic as their CB and one could argue he is the MVP on this team).

I think you nailed it, GoThunder1. Don't think that there haven't been moments when I've looked over at the NPU bench and saw Ricky Pimentel standing there in his coaching polo and thought, "If only ...". Besides Ricky and Bondo, I'd gladly accept Jakob Aronsson or Henrik Wihlborg or a healthy Gustav Leander out there in front of Stulen as well. And your suggestion that Erlend Kemkers is the arguable MVP has a lot of merit to it, too. He really has shored up CB despite the fact that it's not his natural position. Peder Olsen gets all the glory, and it's hard to dispute that a genuine two-way midfielder who's in the national top ten in goals and points doesn't deserve it. But Kemkers deserves some accolades sent his way -- as does Gustav Ericsson, who quietly goes about his business and plays flawless soccer every night, no matter what he's asked to do.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 04, 2019, 01:27:28 PM
Greg,

I agree - those 4-5 CB's were tremendous in their day and would surely solidify the backline. If we are playing the what if's game, I'd like to do an All-Wheaton vs. All-North Park lineup (let's use the 2000's-now).

Wheaton/North Park:
GK - Ryan Souders/Austin Person
D - Noah Anthony/Matt Bond
D - Cory Weaver/Ricky Pimentel
D - Ben Theimer (Putting him at CB instead of CM)/Matias Warp
M - Steve Rigby/Gustav Ericsson
M - Marshall Hollingsworth/Kris Grahn
M - Elliot Borge/Peder Olsen
M - Matt Swartz/Fredrik Greiff
M - Joel Delass/Erlend Kemkers
F - Drew Golz/Jonas Pettersson
F - Strider Elass/Pedram Tahmi Masoli

Looking down the line, I can't give any advantage to either side - all I can say is that I would love to see this matchup. Wheaton has so much speed in this lineup, while North Park has so much skill. It would be quite the treat to see.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 04, 2019, 01:47:44 PM
That wouldn't be a D3 match. That would be a lower-half D1 match without the scholarships.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 04, 2019, 02:54:12 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 04, 2019, 01:27:28 PM
Greg,

I agree - those 4-5 CB's were tremendous in their day and would surely solidify the backline. If we are playing the what if's game, I'd like to do an All-Wheaton vs. All-North Park lineup (let's use the 2000's-now).

Wheaton/North Park:
GK - Ryan Souders/Austin Person
D - Noah Anthony/Matt Bond
D - Cory Weaver/Ricky Pimentel
D - Ben Theimer (Putting him at CB instead of CM)/Matias Warp
M - Steve Rigby/Gustav Ericsson
M - Marshall Hollingsworth/Kris Grahn
M - Elliot Borge/Peder Olsen
M - Matt Swartz/Fredrik Greiff
M - Joel Delass/Erlend Kemkers
F - Drew Golz/Jonas Pettersson
F - Strider Elass/Pedram Tahmi Masoli

Looking down the line, I can't give any advantage to either side - all I can say is that I would love to see this matchup. Wheaton has so much speed in this lineup, while North Park has so much skill. It would be quite the treat to see.

Good list.  The only player I'd insert for North Park would be Isaac Lee in the midfield - maybe take out Greiff?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 04, 2019, 04:04:23 PM
Yep. And the beauty of having Freddie Greiff on your bench is that, like a Kemkers or an Ericsson, you could plug him in anywhere and get good value out of his minutes.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Christan Shirk on November 06, 2019, 02:15:06 PM
CENTRAL REGION - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - November 06, 2019

Rank

School
. Div. III .
Record
. Div. III .
SOS

 . R-v-R .
. Overall .
Record
. Prev. .
Rank
1.
Calvin
17-1-0
0.574
4-1-0
18-1-0
1
2.
Chicago
10-1-5
0.638
5-1-3
10-1-5
2
3.
North Park
13-4-1
0.607
3-3-1
13-4-1
3
4.
Kalamazoo
10-3-2
0.569
3-2-0
11-3-2
4
5.
North Central (Ill.)
11-5-2
0.580
2-2-0
11-5-2
5
6.
Wheaton (Ill.)
10-4-4
0.597
1-3-2
10-4-4
6
7.
Hope
13-5-0
0.573
1-4-0
13-5-0
7
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2019, 01:18:46 AM
It was a sleet-filled sky over Chicago tonight as justice rolled down like waters to the tune of a 2-0 North Park victory over an Elmhurst team that is an embarrassment to this league.

It was clear from the get-go that the Bluejays got off of the bus ready to hit people. And NPU gave back as good as it got for the first two-thirds of a chippy half that was veering dangerously out of control. Then, in the 29th minute, the Vikings worked an Olsen-DeCarne-Khoury moving-triangle play that culminated with Shatil Khoury rocketing home a sidewinder strike from the top of the box that put the Park up, 1-0.

At that point, Elmhurst coach Dave Di Tomasso sent Matt Conti over to midfield to check in. He got in at 30:08 and immediately started following Gianfranco DeCarne around the pitch, shoving and elbowing him in what was clearly not a man-mark -- Peder Olsen is the guy opponents mark, not DeCarne -- but an attempt at instigation. Di Tomasso was carded at 32:40 (EC's second yellow in less than a minute) and, after referee Calin Radosav again called for a stoppage at 33:14 right in front of the Elmhurst bench, Conti walked over to DeCarne, who was standing by himself on the opposite side of the field a good thirty yards away from everybody else, and knocked him down. Worse, once DeCarne was on the ground, Conti stomped on him.

The entire thing was caught on camera.

Conti immediately ran away, and as he passed Gustav Ericsson twenty yards upfield, Ericsson threw his shoulder into him. As is typical in cases like this, the ref missed the instigation and saw the retaliation, and he sent off Ericsson with a red. Thus ensued about five straight minutes of screaming by the North Park players, screaming by the North Park bench, and screaming by the North Park fans, but Radosav remained obdurate. He insisted that he had "people" who had told him that Conti had done nothing to DeCarne (what people, we all wanted to know, and how did they communicate this to Radosav on the field?), yet in the end he relented and gave Conti a yellow. This actually made it worse, as it was clearly meant to be a bone thrown in NPU's direction, but it was actually tantamount to an open admission by Radosav that he didn't know what the heck had happened.

So the upshot of the matter was that North Park was forced to nurse a one-goal lead while short-handed for over 56 minutes of a playoff game.

And that's exactly what the Vikings proceeded to do.

In fact, the Vikings not only shut out Elmhurst for the next 56 minutes while down a man, they only allowed one shot on goal over that entire span. And it was a routine 30-yard dud that Mathias Stulen could handle in his sleep. To be fair, the 'jays did get a shot from Hayden Mardsen in the 56th minute that struck the crossbar, but other than that EC couldn't even sniff a good chance. The Vikings defense was nothing short of magnificent. Part of the reason for the inability of the 'jays to challenge Stulen was their own incompetence; with the Vikings cutting up every 'jays advance at midfield even though short-handed, the visitors resorted to a steady diet of longballs from out of their end. But they had a strong 15-20 mph wind at their backs from out of the north that they failed to read properly, leading them to send one would-be homerun ball after another bouncing harmlessly across the endline without a Bluejay forward getting within twenty yards of it. But on the limited number of occasions when they did manage to hit a forward sitting down for an intermediate pass on the NPU side, the Vikings kept their composure and maintained defensive shape, dispossessing the Elmhurst ballhandlers almost at will. Barriga, Boström-Rydfjall, Berg-Domaas, Kemkers, and Lund in particular put on a clinic on how to break up an attack.

Karma was served piping hot at the 83:29 mark when, after Niclas Holgersson had shown up three Bluejays defenders in the left corner at the EC end by coming out with the ball, he back-passed it up the line to Angel Barriga, who in turn sent a diagonal into the box to DeCarne. The NPU junior midfielder played a textbook move, anticipating the pass by shifting behind it while shielding off the EC defender guarding him, and sent a strike into the lower right corner of the net that effectively ended Elmhurst's season and will long be remembered as the most satisfying shortie ever scored in NPU soccer history.

Lost in the shuffle were some alterations to the NPU recordbook. DeCarne's assist on the first goal tied him with Kris Grahn and Isaac Lee for the most career assists in program history at 25, and Olsen's assist on the same goal tied him with Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh's 2015 campaign for the most points in a season by a Viking with 42. (The assist also added on to the all-time-best career points total that Olsen has accumulated to date.) The shutout was the 19th clean sheet of Stulen's career, moving him into sole possession of third place on NPU's all-time list in that category behind Matt Evans and Austin Person.

The unfortunate thing about all of this is that the Vikings are going to have to play the championship match without the services of one of the league's best players in Gustav Ericsson. No excuses are being offered here for his action, although if the game had been officiated competently it would've been played 10-on-10 for 56 minutes rather than 11-on-10. But the really unfortunate thing is that this is not the first time that Dave Di Tomasso has had his team play headhunter soccer. Ten years or so ago, in an NPU @ EC match played at the former home of the 'jays in Butterfield Park, I saw him sub in a goon that within thirty seconds of entering the game took a dive at the knees of one of the Vikings' best players when the ball was forty yards downfield, tearing his ACL and putting him out for the year. His teams have pulled all kinds of crap like that on the pitch over the years. He considers instigation and cheap shots to be valid coaching strategies. Of all the sports I follow in this league -- and I call nine of them as a broadcaster -- he's my least favorite coach in the CCIW, because he doesn't shy away from jeopardizing the health and safety of opposing student-athletes.

How satisfying it was to see his team board their bus with nothing to look forward to besides emptying out their lockers.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2019, 01:29:29 AM
Something pretty interesting happened in the other semifinal tonight, as North Central and Illinois Wesleyan each failed to score over the course of 110 minutes in Naperville. The Titans then won the shootout, 4-1, propelling them into their first-ever CCIW tourney final. The Titans and Vikings will meet at Hedstrand Field on Saturday night with the CCIW's autobid on the line.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AM
Greg,

From an un-biased perspective in this situation, I appreciate your passionate write up on the NPU/EC game. As a viewer, I missed DeCarne getting knocked down, but the stomp was extremely clear (and the only reason I saw the stomp was because of all of the noise). I was shocked the ref had somehow missed it, as DeCarne appeared to have been pretty vocal when going down (as that is what caught my attention). Was it an intentional move by DT? I dont know. Based on the season stats, Conti leads the team in yellow cards - so he may just be an aggressive/reckless player. However, if it was unintentional I would have thought DT would have been quite upset with Conti's actions, which never seemed to be the case. Definitely puzzling. Although Ericsson should not have retaliated, I respect him having his teammate's back in this bizzare situation. Should he have been carded? Yes. Should he have received a red for bumping a guy down? Absolutely not. The ref should have been more aware of the situation at stake and the consequences of the red. Just my opinion.

I was able to catch the IWU/NCC ending. It looked like NCC controlled the run of play late, but IWU did a nice job of compacting space and getting it to PK's. Unlucky to hit the crossbar twice in PKs, however, I give credit to the 4 IWU players who converted extremely well placed PK's considering the gravity of what was at stake.

I expect IWU will deploy the same strategy on Saturday. We can expect to see NP control the ball for 80-90% of the game with IWU packing it in and trying to counter. I assume Grahn will move Kemkers out of the back and into Ericsson's spot, which is no drop off - however Kemkers will be missed in the back. Looking forward to an entertaining match!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 07, 2019, 09:41:50 AM
Glad to see that the thuggery was rewarded with a loss. DT has long been an unpleasant sideline presence at best, and a downright embarrassment at worst. First game I ever watched involving him resulted in a first-half red card for behavior. The shoe fits in this case.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on November 07, 2019, 10:16:07 AM
DiTomasso has a very poor reputation throughout the Chicagoland, both at the collegiate and youth club levels. I am not at all surprised by the reports above, as I've seen it first hand at the U17-U19 club levels. His sideline demeanor is obnoxious. I know several youth players that had a lot of interest in attending/playing at Elmhurst but become very disenfranchised as DiTomasso's true colors start to show throughout the recruiting process.  Hard to believe he's lasted so long at Elmhurst.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 07, 2019, 10:51:49 AM
DT has always reminded me of John Kreese.....
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2019, 11:28:13 AM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AM
Greg,

From an un-biased perspective in this situation, I appreciate your passionate write up on the NPU/EC game. As a viewer, I missed DeCarne getting knocked down, but the stomp was extremely clear (and the only reason I saw the stomp was because of all of the noise). I was shocked the ref had somehow missed it, as DeCarne appeared to have been pretty vocal when going down (as that is what caught my attention). Was it an intentional move by DT? I dont know.

It occurred to me last night to ask you if Wheaton ever had any goonery issues with Di Tomasso's Elmhurst teams, especially during the Hollingsworth/Golz era. He only seems to lean that way when his teams are badly outmatched in terms of talent.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AMBased on the season stats, Conti leads the team in yellow cards - so he may just be an aggressive/reckless player.

... and he only averages 37 minutes per game, which is telling.

Thing is, though, his mugging of DeCarne had nothing at all to do with the flow of the game itself, as it came during a dead ball. Radosav signaled for a stoppage when he and almost all of the players were over by the Elmhurst bench on the southwest side of the field, and Conti and DeCarne were all alone on the southeast side (aside from Ericsson, who was twenty yards upfield).

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AMHowever, if it was unintentional I would have thought DT would have been quite upset with Conti's actions, which never seemed to be the case. Definitely puzzling.

I think that he immediately took Conti out because he had accomplished his mission. If he was that upset with Conti, he wouldn't have re-inserted him in the second half. (Conti had a chorus of boos thrown his way by Foster's Finest, NPU's student section, every time that he touched the ball after being re-inserted.) I was pleased that he was on the pitch when DeCarne knocked home the coup de grâce in the 84th minute.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AMAlthough Ericsson should not have retaliated, I respect him having his teammate's back in this bizzare situation. Should he have been carded? Yes. Should he have received a red for bumping a guy down? Absolutely not. The ref should have been more aware of the situation at stake and the consequences of the red. Just my opinion.

I agree, although I would've been mollified if Radosav had shown the red to Conti as well. Then he could've legitimately claimed that he had done his job to get the game under control, and justice would've been served where it most badly needed to be served.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AMI was able to catch the IWU/NCC ending. It looked like NCC controlled the run of play late, but IWU did a nice job of compacting space and getting it to PK's. Unlucky to hit the crossbar twice in PKs, however, I give credit to the 4 IWU players who converted extremely well placed PK's considering the gravity of what was at stake.

The Titans certainly seem to have had NCC's number this year, which really surprises me; there's a not-huge-but-noticeable gap in talent between the two teams in North Central's favor. Kudos to the Titans, though, for forging their second straight clean sheet of November soccer.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 08:31:23 AMI expect IWU will deploy the same strategy on Saturday. We can expect to see NP control the ball for 80-90% of the game with IWU packing it in and trying to counter. I assume Grahn will move Kemkers out of the back and into Ericsson's spot, which is no drop off - however Kemkers will be missed in the back. Looking forward to an entertaining match!

I think that that's a fair guess as to how NPU will play it. Kemkers came forward a surprising amount in last night's match for a CB on a short-handed team. It shows just how much Kris Grahn trusts Kemkers' judgment, and rightly so -- not once did Kemkers get caught too far downfield.

Quote from: Gotberg on November 07, 2019, 10:51:49 AM
DT has always reminded me of John Kreese.....

Fantastic analogy!

(Does that make Kris Grahn the Swedish Mr. Miyagi? ;))
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 07, 2019, 03:38:03 PM
I remember a couple of instances in the late 2000's (Elmhurst was a solid team, consistent top 4) and he would implement the same type of aggressive tactics. He didnt need to do it, as EC had talent - but it just seemed to be his style. I remember Hollingsworth being fouled 4-5x in the first half and Guiliano sitting him out for the majority of the 2nd half on a 2 goal cushion. In the WC/EC game this year, he was extremely pleasant - but that probably had more to do with EC jumping out to a 3-0 lead and cruising to victory.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on November 07, 2019, 05:08:03 PM
Greg,

I have no doubt that you accurately and objectively described the out-of-bounds behavior of thata player and coach. As someone who spent his career in education (HS, college & university levels), as you apparently have also, it is simply shocking to me that the coach gets away with this. As we both know, he should be fired tomorrow. Is he perhaps also the AD at his college, such that the AD won't take that step? True enough, there was some outrageous behavior by D1 coaches in other sports a generation or two ago--I will leave out names, since this is about D3 soccer now, not other stuff a long time ago. But, it's beyond belief to me that the administrative people would knowingly condone this by overlooking it. Even if common decency and their reputation were cast aside, the liability concerns are staring them in the face. What if the NPU player had received broken bones/major concussion? Or worse? Either way, this is actually a crime, as far as I know--a felony to be precise. Something very serious needs to happen, IMO, and maybe this thread will actually result in that. I hope so.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on November 07, 2019, 05:15:52 PM
Quote from: Falconer on November 07, 2019, 05:08:03 PM
Greg,

I have no doubt that you accurately and objectively described the out-of-bounds behavior of thata player and coach. As someone who spent his career in education (HS, college & university levels), as you apparently have also, it is simply shocking to me that the coach gets away with this. As we both know, he should be fired tomorrow. Is he perhaps also the AD at his college, such that the AD won't take that step? True enough, there was some outrageous behavior by D1 coaches in other sports a generation or two ago--I will leave out names, since this is about D3 soccer now, not other stuff a long time ago. But, it's beyond belief to me that the administrative people would knowingly condone this by overlooking it. Even if common decency and their reputation were cast aside, the liability concerns are staring them in the face. What if the NPU player had received broken bones/major concussion? Or worse? Either way, this is actually a crime, as far as I know--a felony to be precise. Something very serious needs to happen, IMO, and maybe this thread will actually result in that. I hope so.

Ultimately it will come down to provable evidence, so the game tape would tell the tale most effectively. I'd say Coach Grahn should grab the coaches angle and the broadcast angle and send it to the CCIW office to see what there is to be done.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2019, 05:30:50 PM
Quote from: Falconer on November 07, 2019, 05:08:03 PM
Greg,

I have no doubt that you accurately and objectively described the out-of-bounds behavior of thata player and coach. As someone who spent his career in education (HS, college & university levels), as you apparently have also, it is simply shocking to me that the coach gets away with this. As we both know, he should be fired tomorrow. Is he perhaps also the AD at his college, such that the AD won't take that step? True enough, there was some outrageous behavior by D1 coaches in other sports a generation or two ago--I will leave out names, since this is about D3 soccer now, not other stuff a long time ago. But, it's beyond belief to me that the administrative people would knowingly condone this by overlooking it. Even if common decency and their reputation were cast aside, the liability concerns are staring them in the face. What if the NPU player had received broken bones/major concussion? Or worse? Either way, this is actually a crime, as far as I know--a felony to be precise. Something very serious needs to happen, IMO, and maybe this thread will actually result in that. I hope so.


Dave Di Tomasso is not the AD at Elmhurst, but he's been there a long time. He's been the head coach of the Bluejays from day one of the program's inception back in 2004, and before that he was the head coach of the Elmhurst women's soccer program for six seasons, when soccer was a women-only sport at EC.

Trust me,  NPU's AD (who is also the former men's soccer coach) gave the head referee an earful at halftime, informing him that the incident had been caught on videotape. I don't think that this is the end of the situation, although, practically, there's little or nothing that anyone outside of the Elmhurst administration can do to the coach or the player. It seems more likely that the referee will face consequences for this than either the Elmhurst coach or the player who committed the mugging.

Quote from: blue_jays on November 07, 2019, 05:15:52 PM
Ultimately it will come down to provable evidence, so the game tape would tell the tale most effectively. I'd say Coach Grahn should grab the coaches angle and the broadcast angle and send it to the CCIW office to see what there is to be done.

Mike Krizman from the league office was actually at the game last night, watching from the press box. He left before I could get his thoughts on what had happened.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: voxelmhurst on November 07, 2019, 08:33:47 PM
Is the game archived anywhere online?


Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2019, 09:40:21 PM
You need to have a Boxcast subscription, but if you have one it's available via archive.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 07, 2019, 10:54:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 07, 2019, 05:30:50 PM
Quote from: Falconer on November 07, 2019, 05:08:03 PM
Greg,

I have no doubt that you accurately and objectively described the out-of-bounds behavior of thata player and coach. As someone who spent his career in education (HS, college & university levels), as you apparently have also, it is simply shocking to me that the coach gets away with this. As we both know, he should be fired tomorrow. Is he perhaps also the AD at his college, such that the AD won't take that step? True enough, there was some outrageous behavior by D1 coaches in other sports a generation or two ago--I will leave out names, since this is about D3 soccer now, not other stuff a long time ago. But, it's beyond belief to me that the administrative people would knowingly condone this by overlooking it. Even if common decency and their reputation were cast aside, the liability concerns are staring them in the face. What if the NPU player had received broken bones/major concussion? Or worse? Either way, this is actually a crime, as far as I know--a felony to be precise. Something very serious needs to happen, IMO, and maybe this thread will actually result in that. I hope so.


Dave Di Tomasso is not the AD at Elmhurst, but he's been there a long time. He's been the head coach of the Bluejays from day one of the program's inception back in 2004, and before that he was the head coach of the Elmhurst women's soccer program for six seasons, when soccer was a women-only sport at EC.

Trust me,  NPU's AD (who is also the former men's soccer coach) gave the head referee an earful at halftime, informing him that the incident had been caught on videotape. I don't think that this is the end of the situation, although, practically, there's little or nothing that anyone outside of the Elmhurst administration can do to the coach or the player. It seems more likely that the referee will face consequences for this than either the Elmhurst coach or the player who committed the mugging.

Quote from: blue_jays on November 07, 2019, 05:15:52 PM
Ultimately it will come down to provable evidence, so the game tape would tell the tale most effectively. I'd say Coach Grahn should grab the coaches angle and the broadcast angle and send it to the CCIW office to see what there is to be done.

Mike Krizman from the league office was actually at the game last night, watching from the press box. He left before I could get his thoughts on what had happened.

I didn't see it (nor, apparently, did the ref! ::)).  While (IMO correctly) the law very rarely intervenes in sports "muggings", if the action was as you describe it (and I don't doubt that it was), being a 'stomping' during a lull in play it would be hard to defend as 'in the heat of the moment'.  The Elmhurst player certainly would seem to be a candidate for at least serious investigation for felonious assault.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 08, 2019, 03:58:52 PM
Shatil Khoury's goal in Wednesday's semifinal between North Park and Elmhurst has gone viral on Instagram. It's had 21,000 views as of a couple of hours ago, about 11,000 likes, and over 40 comments. The goal's been dubbed "the Flip and Rip".

https://twitter.com/VikingsNPU/status/1192484134540783616/video/1
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr. Ypsi on November 09, 2019, 10:07:05 PM
Congrats to the NPU Vikings on the tourney championship!  I only caught about the last 40 minutes, but seemed to be a well-played, even game.  (NPU 2, IWU 1.)

Both my sons' played many of their hs games on football fields; live I hardly noticed.  On camera, wow are those different lines annoying! :o  I had a terrible time knowing whether or not the ball was out of bounds!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 10, 2019, 12:28:56 AM
North Park won the double-dip, following up their CCIW championship with the CCIW tourney title, taking down Illinois Wesleyan by a 3-1 score.

Right away, Illinois Wesleyan let it be known that the Titans weren't going to let this one be a reprise of the 4-0 laugher enjoyed by NPU back on October 12, as Keegan James beat a Vikings defender who whiffed on the left wing and tallied a goal just 57 seconds in to surprise the entire stadium with an early 1-0 lead. But that would be the last shot that the Titans would put on goal until the final two seconds of the match, when Orion Marty floated a 60-yard desperation shot into Mathias Stulen's waiting arms and the celebration began. The Vikings didn't even blink after that early goal; they simply showed great patience as the Titans kept seven back at all times in an attempt to nurse the lead, as the NPU backline was content to hold the ball, switching side-to-side every ten or fifteen seconds, probing or striking downfield only when there was an opening, and otherwise playing a solid brand of build-up soccer for a side that was missing a key build-up cog in Gustav Ericsson. Defensively, the Vikings won just about every 50/50 or second ball, even the goal kicks and punts directed at big Patrick Hickey, and the Titans could offer little or nothing in the way of dangerous chances after that initial goal.

NPU equalized in the 17th minute off of a beautiful Gianfranco DeCarne cross from the left wing to Niclas Holgersson, who banged it home to tie the match. The assist made DeCarne North Park's all-time assists leader, as the junior midfielder from Niles North now has 26 over the course of his career. Then, twenty minutes later, Angel Barriga swooped in and put a strong 30-yard shot on goal that Alex Ruckstaetter couldn't save cleanly. Peder Olsen gathered up the rebound and put it in the back of the net, and that 2-1 lead proved to be more than sufficient for the Vikings. Olsen, who continues to rewrite the NPU record book stat by stat this season, now has the all-time single-season points record as well as the career points record for the Park.

I'm not sure what match Chuck was watching if he thought that it was "even"; the Vikings had the total run of play and spent most of the match using their superior ball skills and speed to play keepaway from the Titans. But he's right that it was well-played; although outmatched in talent the Titans were stubborn and played really hard, selling out on just about every ball that they could get near and playing smart positional soccer. They deserve a tip of the cap for getting as far as they did this season, and for showing well in the championship match.

Now the Vikings await Monday morning's Selection Show.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 10, 2019, 12:33:36 AM
Quote from: Mr. Ypsi on November 09, 2019, 10:07:05 PM
Both my sons' played many of their hs games on football fields; live I hardly noticed.  On camera, wow are those different lines annoying! :o  I had a terrible time knowing whether or not the ball was out of bounds!

They may be annoying, but I'd rather watch a soccer match played on a multi-use field in good condition (e.g., NPU's Hedstrand Field, NCC's Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, or Elmhurst's Langhorst Field) than one played on a soccer-only pitch in terrible condition such as Wheaton's Joe Bean Stadium (whose carpet is worn down to the nub), or IWU's Neis Field (which I lovingly refer to as "the cow pasture").
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2019, 01:45:26 PM
Yes! NPU hosts!

The Vikings will host Pacific Lutheran on Saturday, while Colorado College and Gustavus Adolphis will also collide on Hedstrand Field.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 11, 2019, 04:45:28 PM
Wheaton held at #6 in the final Central Region ranking, but North Central dropped from #5 to #7, as Hope leapfrogged both of the DuPage County teams as well as Kalamazoo. Tough blow dealt to the Cardinals for drawing and going out on PKs in the CCIW semis.

Since #4 Hope and #5 Kalamazoo both got Pool C bids, that means that Wheaton was at the table when the committee ran out of bids to hand out.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 12, 2019, 08:47:55 AM
All Conference Teams are normally announced today. With that being said, here are my predictions:

O-POY - Olsen (no chance it is not)
D-POY - Kemkers or Biddlecomb (could also throw Barriga or Soto in there)
COY - Grahn (you win both the league and tourney - it should be automatic)

First Team:
GK: Biddlecomb/Soto - WC/NCC
D: Kemkers - NP
D: Barriga - NP
D: Hill - WC
M: Ericsson - NP
M: Olsen - NP
M: Herrera - CC
M: Hickey - IWU
M: Lund - NP
F: Patino - CC
F: Flores - NCC
F: Thompson - EC

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2019, 01:39:40 PM
It sounds greedy, I know, but I think that NPU gets six players on the All-CCIW first team, not five. Gianfranco DeCarne has been a key cog for NPU at both ends of the pitch -- he leads the league in assists in overall play with 9, one more than his teammate Angel Barriga -- but he really played his best soccer in non-conference play and in the CCIW tournament, and it's the CCIW regular season that they look at. But Niklas Holgersson and William Sandkvist were both among the league leaders in scoring as well. Sandkvist probably won't make it because he's a reserve, but I don't see how any coach in the league wouldn't have been wowed by Holgersson's play. Of course, he did miss the Augustana and Millikin games, as he was still healing up from his pulled hamstring.

I think that one of those three NPU guys gets on the first team as well.

Freshman of the Year should be interesting. Holgersson or Sandkvist from NPU? Fairwood or Munchhausen from NCC? Groza or Galvao from WC? Serrano or Berezne from EC? Hoare or Carlson from IWU?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2019, 01:42:17 PM
BTW, GoThunder1, it may interest you to know that in looking at Pacific Lutheran's soccer page I found out that their leading scorer is a graduate of Todd Beamer HS in Federal Way, WA.

Weird and disturbing fact: Beamer High is called the Titans, and their school color is green. :o
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on November 12, 2019, 02:38:14 PM
WOW - I am shocked by the All-Conference Teams.

1. How did Saile get voted as the DPOY? I'd say there are a solid 8-10 names more deserving. You could have picked any of those 8-10 names and I would have said they were deserving of it - which makes this even more confusing.
2. Grahn should have won COY outright.
3. Biddlecomb was completely robbed. We had a really good handful of GK's this year - but there should have been 2 on first team and 1 on second team. You could make the argument that he was DPOY.
4. I agree with Galvao winning FOY. You could make the argument for Holgersson, but I think him missing 2 games was the difference. Either of those 2 players were good choices.
5. Last and most notably, WHERE IS DECARNE? I am assuming this is a typo. If not, this is probably the biggest miss I can remember in recent years. Wasn't he first team in 2016? This one is befuddling.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 12, 2019, 02:43:09 PM
The All-CCIW team has been announced. (https://cciw.org/news/2019/11/11/cciw-announces-2019-all-conference-mens-soccer-team.aspx)

NPU did get six selections, but only four -- Barriga, Ericsson, Kemkers, and Olsen -- on first team. Shatil Khoury made second team for the second straight season, where he was joined by Ulrik Lund. Peder Olsen and Carthage's Ivan Esquivel were each named to the first team for the third consecutive season.

NCC got four on the team -- three on first, and one on second -- while IWU also had four (one on first, three on second), Wheaton had three (all second-teamers), Carthage three (two first-teamers, one second-teamer), which seems a bit excessive, and Elmhurst had a couple of first-teamers. Millikin and Carroll each had a token second-teamer.

Kris Grahn shares the Coach of the Year award with Enzo Fuschino of NCC. I have no complaints about that; the Cardinals were picked to finish sixth this season, so Fuschino's team definitely exceeded the expectations of his peers. It's gratifying just to see Kris win the award in his first season as a head coach.

Olsen won the OPOY award for the second season in a row, to the surprise of absolutely no one, but the DPOY is a selection from out of left field: Oliver Saile of Elmhurst. How many people saw that coming? Freshman of the Year is Silas Galvao of Wheaton, which is a bit of a suprirse to me; I didn't even think he was the best freshman on his own team. Michael Groza, to me, was the best plebe on the Wheaton side in 2019.

Biggest injustice, in my mind, is either the absence of NPU's Gianfranco DeCarne from either team, or the choice for second team GK, beneath Marco Soto of NCC, who is the first-team GK. The coaches picked Alex Ruckstaetter of IWU. I think that Hasten Biddlecomb of WC is a much better keeper than the decidedly average Ruckstaetter, and should've won that spot.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on November 12, 2019, 07:02:27 PM
Wasn't Galvao the statistical leader for Wheaton this year? Didn't see them play much, but doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility...
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 16, 2019, 04:31:01 PM
North Park scored five unanswered goals in the second half in a 6-1 rout of Pacific Lutheran in the first round of the NCAA tournament.  The Vikings scored in the first three minutes of the contest, then the Lutes tied it at the 57:05 mark before North Park netted five goals in the final 30 minutes.  They move on to play the winner of the Colorado-Gustavus Adolphus contest, which is being played right now.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on November 16, 2019, 11:03:45 PM
North Park totally dominated ball control in both halves.  I think #17 Viking freshman Holgersson has significant potential.  He would have easily been a standout running back had he grown up in America.  North Park's roster has 28 players from Illinois, 15 from Scandinavia, and 9 from other outposts such as MN, Canada, and China.  PLU's roster consisted of most players from Washington with four players hailing from a place other than the United States.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 16, 2019, 11:37:03 PM
It took a while for the Vikings to really get going, but NPU ended up crushing Pacific Lutheran, 6-1. The Vikings had the run of play throughout most of the first half, taking a very early 1-0 lead on a Shatil Khoury goal, but they got sloppy towards the end of the half and the Lutes got some good opportunities. The second half started the same way, until PLU tied it up in the 58th minute. That was like turning on a light switch, though, as suddenly the Vikings responded by finding a gear on offense that I haven't really seen them since the regular-season home game against IWU back on October 12. They scored, then scored again a few minutes later, and suddenly it was a downpour of goals.

The best moment of the day came in the 88th minute, well after Kris Grahn had taken off almost all of his starters to rest them for tomorrow. Seldom-used fan favorite Ollie Chell, a UK native who missed all of last season to a serious knee injury, snuck in from the weak side and finished off a diagonal feed from Jonas Andersgaard for the sixth and final Vikings goal. It was the first goal of his career (it was Andersgaard's first assist as well), and the crowd went absolutely nuts. We even went nuts in the press box -- we're partial to Ollie, since he works as a student assistant for the sports information staff (I'm pretty sure that NPU is the only school in D3 whose baseball P.A. announcer has an English accent).

After the game his teammates lifted him up on their shoulders and thew him up into the air over and over again. It was a wonderful moment for a kid who worked incredibly hard in practice and in rehab to get to that moment.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on November 17, 2019, 08:45:35 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 16, 2019, 11:37:03 PM
It took a while for the Vikings to really get going, but NPU ended up crushing Pacific Lutheran, 6-1. The Vikings had the run of play throughout most of the first half, taking a very early 1-0 lead on a Shatil Khoury goal, but they got sloppy towards the end of the half and the Lutes got some good opportunities. The second half started the same way, until PLU tied it up in the 58th minute. That was like turning on a light switch, though, as suddenly the Vikings responded by finding a gear on offense that I haven't really seen them since the regular-season home game against IWU back on October 12. They scored, then scored again a few minutes later, and suddenly it was a downpour of goals.

The best moment of the day came in the 88th minute, well after Kris Grahn had taken off almost all of his starters to rest them for tomorrow. Seldom-used fan favorite Ollie Chell, a UK native who missed all of last season to a serious knee injury, snuck in from the weak side and finished off a diagonal feed from Jonas Andersgaard for the sixth and final Vikings goal. It was the first goal of his career (it was Andersgaard's first assist as well), and the crowd went absolutely nuts. We even went nuts in the press box -- we're partial to Ollie, since he works as a student assistant for the sports information staff (I'm pretty sure that NPU is the only school in D3 whose baseball P.A. announcer has an English accent).

After the game his teammates lifted him up on their shoulders and thew him up into the air over and over again. It was a wonderful moment for a kid who worked incredibly hard in practice and in rehab to get to that moment.
Thank you for that heartwarming story, Mr Sager. +K for taking time to relate the details.

There's a similar Messiah story yesterday, though perhaps not quite as compelling. The final Falcon goal was scored by SR Joey Cianciatta, who was injured for two full seasons and much of a third. He did get his first career goal late last season, but it must have been immensely satisfying for him to get his second, perhaps his final goal, in the tournament. His parents have come to many of the games he entirely missed; I hope they were there yesterday, though I wasn't so I cannot say.
Title: North Park Broadcast
Post by: Jim Matson on November 17, 2019, 05:19:19 PM
Greg is doing a good job calling the North Park/Gustavus match this afternoon. He has "almost" mastered that true and authentic Swedish pronunciation of the names of those Viking imports ;D

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on November 17, 2019, 06:09:32 PM
Agree 100% Jim. All around great production value and announcing. Very impressive work by Greg and the NPU team putting this one.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 17, 2019, 06:59:33 PM
North Park edges Gustavus on PKs after the Gusties sent the game to OT with a goal at the 88:00 mark.  A real quality defensive battle from both sides.
Title: Re: North Park Broadcast
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 17, 2019, 09:21:08 PM
Quote from: Jim Matson on November 17, 2019, 05:19:19 PM
Greg is doing a good job calling the North Park/Gustavus match this afternoon. He has "almost" mastered that true and authentic Swedish pronunciation of the names of those Viking imports ;D

I have to admit that I've had a tutor:

(https://cdn-image.foodandwine.com/sites/default/files/styles/4_3_horizontal_-_1200x900/public/swedish-chef-ft-blog0617.jpg?itok=Vcs_KTAE)

Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 17, 2019, 06:09:32 PM
Agree 100% Jim. All around great production value and announcing. Very impressive work by Greg and the NPU team putting this one.

Big ups to our production company, Fulcrum, (https://www.fulcrummedia.tv/) which also worked with us when NPU hosted the first two weekends in 2017. It's a company founded by North Park grads, and they do great work. Their main focus in terms of sports production is ultimate, which is fortunate for us -- ultimate plays a lot like soccer in terms of movement and pace, so they have a good feel for the camerawork and direction.

I was kicking myself after the match, because I wanted to thank the Fulcrum folks on the air by name, but I was so mentally spent that I completely forgot and signed off before I could do that.
Title: Re: North Park Broadcast
Post by: mr_b on November 17, 2019, 09:49:44 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 17, 2019, 09:21:08 PM
Big ups to our production company, Fulcrum, (https://www.fulcrummedia.tv/) which also worked with us when NPU hosted the first two weekends in 2017. It's a company founded by North Park grads, and they do great work. Their main focus in terms of sports production is ultimate, which is fortunate for us -- ultimate plays a lot like soccer in terms of movement and pace, so they have a good feel for the camerawork and direction.

I was kicking myself after the match, because I wanted to thank the Fulcrum folks on the air by name, but I was so mentally spent that I completely forgot and signed off before I could do that.
I thought the camera work was really good, considering all the ball movement.  The replays of goals were also great.

You'll have a chance to mention Fulcrum on your next broadcast.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 17, 2019, 09:52:51 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 17, 2019, 06:59:33 PM
North Park edges Gustavus on PKs after the Gusties sent the game to OT with a goal at the 88:00 mark.  A real quality defensive battle from both sides.

That Gustavus backline is rock-solid. They pushed everything out to the sides, kept shape and discipline in the box, and really took North Park out of its comfort zone in the attacking third. NPU sent in 20 shots to GAC's six, but only three of NPU's shots were on frame (although they had one crossbar shot and several that barely went wide on either side). It was a long, frustrating afternoon of one thwarted chance after another, as the Vikings never found the insurance goal that they were looking for. And the (very) late equalizer by the Gusties just compounded the frustration, as did the loss of starting GK Mathias Stulen for overtime after he was left woozy by a collision at the top of the box near the end of regulation. And in both overtimes NPU had a few quality chances to put it away, but they just couldn't make it happen. You have to give full credit to the Gusties. They were no match for the Park either in terms of pace or technique -- although it must be noted that GAC was missing its freshman sensation Raphael Cattelin (17 g, 15 a). (NPU did lose its striker, Shatil Khoury, to injury at the 20:49 mark, and he did not return.) But they gummed up the works and forced the draw.

Y'know, I hate shootouts, but I have to admit that they make for compelling drama. I was scoreboard-watching all day, and I noticed that the several other D3 matches that went to shootouts all seemed to stop at 4-2. That ratcheted up the drama even more when both teams made their first four PKs, as neither GAC keeper Wesley Sanders or backup NPU keeper Edin Sabovic was guessing correctly. On the fifth try, Gianfranco DeCarne held up his end by making NPU 5-for-5 -- and then GAC sent its striker, Cole Schwartz, to the penalty spot. Schwartz, who scored his 24th goal of the season against Colorado College yesterday, ranks second in D3 in goals.

And that's when North Park's backup goalkeeper stopped a penalty kick by the second-leading goal scorer in the nation to end GAC's season and propel NPU onward to the Sweet Sixteen -- at a sectional that North Park will host because Calvin's grass field is shot.

This is a pretty weird sport sometimes. ;)

Quote from: mr_b on November 17, 2019, 09:49:44 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 17, 2019, 09:21:08 PM
Big ups to our production company, Fulcrum, (https://www.fulcrummedia.tv/) which also worked with us when NPU hosted the first two weekends in 2017. It's a company founded by North Park grads, and they do great work. Their main focus in terms of sports production is ultimate, which is fortunate for us -- ultimate plays a lot like soccer in terms of movement and pace, so they have a good feel for the camerawork and direction.

I was kicking myself after the match, because I wanted to thank the Fulcrum folks on the air by name, but I was so mentally spent that I completely forgot and signed off before I could do that.

I thought the camera work was really good, considering all the ball movement.  The replays of goals were also great.

You'll have a chance to mention Fulcrum on your next broadcast.

Yep. Next Friday, as it turns out. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PM
Very fair analysis of the GAC vs NPU match.

I thought the first 30 minutes was pretty even in play, but after NPU's goal they really took it up a notch and had the better of the ball throughout long stretches of the game. GAC did a very good job defensively, and really limited NPU in the final third. There were a couple of shots that looked close, but generally they were not getting clean looks at goal. It was definitely a physical match and a lot of fun to watch. Not having Cattelin this weekend was definitely a blow to the Gusties, as he has put up big numbers all year and seemed to always find a way to make an impact, especially in big games.

I was quite impressed with NPU's Barriga, who played out of left back. He was very sound defensively and made several greats runs forward both with and without the ball that were very dangerous and caused the Gusties problems.

Shootouts are a really tough way to decide a game, but definitely create some great excitement. I'm sure the Gustavus team felt pretty confident sending Schwartz to the PK spot. Both keepers were diving early and often guessing incorrectly...Not sure if he mis-hit the ball or was just trying to be cheeky playing it up with the middle of the goal, but I couldn't help feeling it was not a well taken PK. Kudos to the NPU backup keeper, who did a great job stepping up making the save with his feet after having already dove to the side. He's probably waited all year for an opportunity to make his mark in a game, and he did so in a big way yesterday. 

The good news for the Gusties is they are a very young squad, having regularly started 5-6 freshman per game and getting a lot of young players minutes in big games throughout the year. I suspect they are only going to get better.

Congratulations to NPU on a successful weekend. You've got a impressive team and I'll be pulling for you to take it all.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 18, 2019, 04:02:49 PM
Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PMI was quite impressed with NPU's Barriga, who played out of left back. He was very sound defensively and made several greats runs forward both with and without the ball that were very dangerous and caused the Gusties problems.

He also may have made the biggest defensive play in live action, when Cole Schwartz finally got a possession in which he was moving forward with the ball at his feet in the NPU end as the last few seconds were starting to be counted down over the P.A. in regulation. He had a step on William Boström-Rydfjall, who had otherwise effectively bottled him up all night, and with a (former D1) striker that quick and that prolific I would've counted Schwartz's chances of scoring before the horn sounded to be pretty solid. But then Barriga swooped in from out of nowhere, cut him off and took him off-stride, and that ended that.

Barriga's a kid who has a very high soccer IQ. He is not a backliner by trade -- on the contrary, he was a big-time scorer in high school and mostly played left mid for NPU last season as a freshman -- but Kris Grahn moved him to left back in mid-season this year to help shore up a young defensive corps that was making too many mistakes and was getting burned as a result. Combine that soccer IQ with his speed, and the sky's the limit for him. He was named CCIW Defensive Player of the Week twice in the last four weeks of the regular season and was named to the All-CCIW first team. If Kris keeps Barriga at left back, I think he'll wind up being the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year either next season or the season after.

Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PMShootouts are a really tough way to decide a game, but definitely create some great excitement. I'm sure the Gustavus team felt pretty confident sending Schwartz to the PK spot. Both keepers were diving early and often guessing incorrectly...

I think that Sabovic finally figured out that he was doing that. On Schwartz's kick he feinted right as Schwartz was on his approach, and then dived left.

Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PMNot sure if he mis-hit the ball or was just trying to be cheeky playing it up with the middle of the goal, but I couldn't help feeling it was not a well taken PK.

At first I thought that he had topped the ball, due to the lack of pace and the fact that it bounced, but after watching countless replays of the kick -- it's on a continuous gif within the gamer on the NPU athletics page -- it's obvious that Schwartz struck it true. So the question remains as to why he put no mustard on it whatsoever -- it was a routine shot dead center that bounced once and never got more than ten inches or so off of the ground. His problem may have been that he lifted his head slightly as he started his swing, as perhaps he detected Sabovic's feint in his upper peripheral vision or was just excessively concerned with checking himself to make sure that he was aligned on frame.

Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PMKudos to the NPU backup keeper, who did a great job stepping up making the save with his feet after having already dove to the side. He's probably waited all year for an opportunity to make his mark in a game, and he did so in a big way yesterday. 

I told Sabovic afterwards, "Thank God that you're 6'5", because you needed all of it to make that save!"

Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PMThe good news for the Gusties is they are a very young squad, having regularly started 5-6 freshman per game and getting a lot of young players minutes in big games throughout the year. I suspect they are only going to get better.

I looked at GAC's roster again today, and I'm impressed with what the Gusties are bringing back next season. I also feel like I missed something by not seeing Cattelin play. Guys who are on track for a 200-point career don't come around very often in D3 men's soccer.

Quote from: gustiefan04 on November 18, 2019, 02:24:41 PMCongratulations to NPU on a successful weekend. You've got a impressive team and I'll be pulling for you to take it all.

Thanks!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 04, 2019, 01:51:55 PM
Congratulations to the four NPU Vikings who were named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Region team: (https://cciw.org/news/2019/12/2/mens-soccer-united-soccer-coaches-names-nine-cciw-student-athletes-to-2019-mens-all-central-region-squad.aspx) first-teamers Angel Barriga, Gustav Ericsson, and Peder Olsen, and second-teamer Ulrik Lund. Also named to the team as well were first-teamer Spencer Wiese from NCC and second-teamers Patrick Hickey and Alex Ruckstaetter from IWU, Alexis Flores from NCC, and Ivan Esquivel from Carthage. It's the third time that Olsen and Esquivel have been awarded All-Central Region honors, and the second time apiece for Hickey, Flores, and Lund.

Barriga, Ericsson, Olsen, and Wiese are now eligible to receive USC All-American honors.

Congrats as well to Elmhurst's Luke Deel, who was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American first-teamer. (https://cciw.org/news/2019/12/3/elmhurst-mens-soccer-student-athlete-luke-deel-named-academic-all-american.aspx)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on December 06, 2019, 11:49:37 AM
Congrats to Peder Olsen upon repeating as a USC All-American!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 15, 2020, 05:25:37 PM
Congrats to Peder Olsen and Angel Barriga upon being named to the D3soccer.com All-American team! (https://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2020/1/15/mens-soccer-olsen-barriga-earn-all-american-recognition-by-d3soccer-com.aspx) Olsen, one of only seven repeaters on the team, was named to the first team, while Barriga was named to the second team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on January 14, 2021, 12:37:53 PM
Anyone aware of a potential spring season?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 15, 2021, 04:29:29 PM
The CCIW website says that men's soccer, women's soccer, and football will start playing in March.

There is no word yet about the extent or duration of the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PlaySimple on January 20, 2021, 12:20:14 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 15, 2021, 04:29:29 PM
The CCIW website says that men's soccer, women's soccer, and football will start playing in March.

There is no word yet about the extent or duration of the season.

You may have posted your comments before the league decided what it is doing but there is some information on the website now.

The schedules are for 5 games only and will not exceed the NCAA 50-percent waiver so that all student-athletes will retain one of their four seasons of participation. I believe that all conferences that have been able to move fall sports to a modified spring schedule have done likewise. Also, all schools with the exception of Wheaton are participating. The CCIW website states that "Games may be classified as scrimmages, exhibitions or countable contests as determined by each institution." Also stated is that "There will be no conference championship or awards in these sports and Campus and conference officials will continue to monitor federal, state, local, and campus conditions and testing availability and will make changes as necessary."

Below are the "schedules." If you notice, there is a range of dates to be played. I assume that the actual dates will be worked out between the individual schools.

https://static.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/General/Administrative/Future_Schedules/Fall_2020/Spring.2021.MSO.Schedule.pdf

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 20, 2021, 12:54:16 PM
Quote from: PlaySimple on January 20, 2021, 12:20:14 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 15, 2021, 04:29:29 PM
The CCIW website says that men's soccer, women's soccer, and football will start playing in March.

There is no word yet about the extent or duration of the season.

You may have posted your comments before the league decided what it is doing

No, not really. I waited until the league announced the go-ahead for a modified spring season for at least some fall sports, and then I posted that info. What I didn't want to wait for was the actual spring 2021 CCIW men's soccer schedule, so thanks for posting that here.

Quote from: PlaySimple on January 20, 2021, 12:20:14 PMAlso, all schools with the exception of Wheaton are participating.

According to Brett Marhanka's press release on Monday, Wheaton will be competing in CCIW men's soccer this spring, as indicated on the CCIW schedule. (https://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2021/1/18/general-cciw-announces-fall-sports-schedules-for-spring-of-2021.aspx) Wheaton AD Julie Davis must've let the head coaches of the various fall sports make the call for their own sports; Wheaton football and women's soccer have opted not to play, while Wheaton men's soccer and women's volleyball have chosen to participate.

Quote from: PlaySimple on January 20, 2021, 12:20:14 PMBelow are the "schedules." If you notice, there is a range of dates to be played. I assume that the actual dates will be worked out between the individual schools.

https://static.cciw.org/custompages/CCIW_Links/General/Administrative/Future_Schedules/Fall_2020/Spring.2021.MSO.Schedule.pdf

The use of date ranges rather than specific dates is not only to accommodate the crowded spring schedule of CCIW schools this season -- keep in mind that they're piling this quasi-season for fall sports on top of what they hope to be a normal array of CCIW spring-sports contests -- but to allow for positive Covid tests forcing rearrangement of the schedule at the last minute.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PlaySimple on January 20, 2021, 02:29:17 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 20, 2021, 12:54:16 PM

According to Brett Marhanka's press release on Monday, Wheaton will be competing in CCIW men's soccer this spring, as indicated on the CCIW schedule. (https://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2021/1/18/general-cciw-announces-fall-sports-schedules-for-spring-of-2021.aspx) Wheaton AD Julie Davis must've let the head coaches of the various fall sports make the call for their own sports; Wheaton football and women's soccer have opted not to play, while Wheaton men's soccer and women's volleyball have chosen to participate.

Yeah, that is my bad. A second-hand source had told me that Wheaton has chosen to opt-out of all competition. I did not look at the schedule closely enough to see that that was not the case. I'm wondering what the women feel about that and why the coach and/or AD decided for them not to play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 20, 2021, 04:01:42 PM
Good questions. Over in the CCIW football room, one of the Wheaton broadcasters put forward his theories as to why Wheaton football won't be playing this spring. Speaking as the play-by-play man for NPU women's soccer as well as for NPU men's soccer, I'd like to hear why the Wheaton women's soccer coach opted out on behalf of her team; while the power balance has definitely shifted on the men's side, Wheaton is still the CCIW's premier program on the women's side, so their absence this spring is huge for that sport from a league perspective. But, of course, that's not really a topic for this particular board.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PlaySimple on January 21, 2021, 11:48:08 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 20, 2021, 04:01:42 PM
Speaking as the play-by-play man for NPU women's soccer as well as for NPU men's soccer, I'd like to hear why the Wheaton women's soccer coach opted out on behalf of her team; while the power balance has definitely shifted on the men's side, Wheaton is still the CCIW's premier program on the women's side, so their absence this spring is huge for that sport from a league perspective. But, of course, that's not really a topic for this particular board.

You're right. Women's soccer really isn't a topic for this board but I do want to comment on a few items from your post.

You stated "I'd like to hear why the Wheaton women's soccer coach opted out on behalf of her team;"

Wheaton's coach is a man. The 2020 season, had it been contested, would have been his 33rd at Wheaton. He is the 3rd winningest D3 women's soccer coach of all time and the 5th winningest of all divisions.

Wheaton probably is the premier program in the CCIW and the most consistent on a yearly basis but it is by no means a "one team conference." It should be noted that over the past 5 seasons, excluding 2020, of course, Illinois Wesleyan won the CCIW conference tournament in 2016, 2018, & 2019. Wheaton beat IWU by a score of 1-0 in 2015 & 2017. Additionally, in 2014 IWU was an NCAA tournament Final 4 team and in 2015 they finished as a final 8 team. They have also qualified for the NCAA postseason in 9 of the past 10 seasons. Augustana has also been putting together decent teams the past few years and, as a matter of fact, is the team that knocked Wheaton out of the conference tournament in 2019.

Going forward it will be interesting to see if IWU is able to maintain a strong side as the Previous coach, Dave Barrett, went to a D1 program (Fairfield) in 2018. Next year will be the last year of the players that Barrett recruited.


Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 21, 2021, 12:47:21 PM
Quote from: PlaySimple on January 21, 2021, 11:48:08 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on January 20, 2021, 04:01:42 PM
Speaking as the play-by-play man for NPU women's soccer as well as for NPU men's soccer, I'd like to hear why the Wheaton women's soccer coach opted out on behalf of her team; while the power balance has definitely shifted on the men's side, Wheaton is still the CCIW's premier program on the women's side, so their absence this spring is huge for that sport from a league perspective. But, of course, that's not really a topic for this particular board.

You're right. Women's soccer really isn't a topic for this board but I do want to comment on a few items from your post.

You stated "I'd like to hear why the Wheaton women's soccer coach opted out on behalf of her team;"

Wheaton's coach is a man.

Ah, that's right. Pete Felske. I forgot.

I didn't mean to demean the status of Illinois Wesleyan and Augustana women's soccer; it's just that it's clear that Wheaton is still the top dog on an ongoing basis in that sport, a fact that has long since ceased to be the case on the men's side. That's all.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on February 13, 2021, 08:22:49 AM
Looking forward to some games this spring!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on March 22, 2021, 10:22:11 AM
North Park hosts seven games while on the road for three with the first game tomorrow at EC.

https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on March 22, 2021, 10:47:33 PM
Quote from: markerickson on March 22, 2021, 10:22:11 AM
North Park hosts seven games while on the road for three with the first game tomorrow at EC.

https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule

It's been called off. No word yet on whether that's a cancellation or a mere postponement.

Also, note that NPU is only playing scrimmages and exhibitions -- or, getting back into the spirit of the beautiful game, I should say "scrimmages and friendlies" -- this spring.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on March 28, 2021, 05:33:37 PM
Any details from the npu carthage game from anyone?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 11:01:07 AM
It ended in a 2-2 draw. Kris only used his starters for about 25 minutes. I suspect that the same will hold true for this evening's scrimmage against Illinois Wesleyan. As far as North Park is concerned, this spring is all about getting everybody some playing time and tinkering with different lineup configurations.

It's worth pointing out that some of North Park's better players are taking a pandemic gap year and will be on campus in the fall but are thus not on the spring roster. I suspect that there are other programs out there that are in similar situations.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 22, 2021, 10:47:33 PM
Quote from: markerickson on March 22, 2021, 10:22:11 AM
North Park hosts seven games while on the road for three with the first game tomorrow at EC.

https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule

It's been called off. No word yet on whether that's a cancellation or a mere postponement.

It turned out to be a postponement. The NPU @ EU scrimmage has been rescheduled to April 11 (a week from this coming Sunday).
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on March 29, 2021, 12:21:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 11:01:07 AM
It ended in a 2-2 draw. Kris only used his starters for about 25 minutes. I suspect that the same will hold true for this evening's scrimmage against Illinois Wesleyan. As far as North Park is concerned, this spring is all about getting everybody some playing time and tinkering with different lineup configurations.

It's worth pointing out that some of North Park's better players are taking a pandemic gap year and will be on campus in the fall but are thus not on the spring roster. I suspect that there are other programs out there that are in similar situations.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 22, 2021, 10:47:33 PM
Quote from: markerickson on March 22, 2021, 10:22:11 AM
North Park hosts seven games while on the road for three with the first game tomorrow at EC.

https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/schedule

It's been called off. No word yet on whether that's a cancellation or a mere postponement.

It turned out to be a postponement. The NPU @ EU scrimmage has been rescheduled to April 11 (a week from this coming Sunday).

Thanks Greg.

I don't know what's behind the lack of game info from the schools, but as an outsider, I don't understand why they wouldn't want to recognize their players' participation and accomplishments (I.e., goals). 

I think the fans understand these are scrimmages and not sanctioned games, but would still like to follow along.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into the lack of info.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 02:21:19 PM
There are a lot of NCAA rules governing scrimmages in such matters as player participation, game periods, broadcast availability, fan access, scorekeeping, etc. Among the rules are, in several sports (including men's soccer), prohibitions against not only permanently keeping records (such as goals) but against officially disseminating information about them through the school or league.

In other words, it's not a matter of "why they wouldn't want to," it's a matter of "why they're not allowed to."
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on March 29, 2021, 03:03:03 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 02:21:19 PM
There are a lot of NCAA rules governing scrimmages in such matters as player participation, game periods, broadcast availability, fan access, scorekeeping, etc. Among the rules are, in several sports (including men's soccer), prohibitions against not only permanently keeping records (such as goals) but against officially disseminating information about them through the school or league.

In other words, it's not a matter of "why they wouldn't want to," it's a matter of "why they're not allowed to."


That makes sense, but it's crazy.  The NCAA should spend their energy on more valuable initiatives.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 03:26:32 PM
You'll get no argument from me on that, that's for sure.

I'm not one of those anti-NCAA types, but I think that the organization (which, I realize, is really just the collective body of decision-makers from among the member schools) does from time to time render decisions or adopt rules that seem excessive or unnecessary.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on March 29, 2021, 04:04:15 PM
And yet, many schools are publishing game result details on their website and via twitter/instagram/etc.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 05:59:36 PM
There's a difference between an exhibition and a scrimmage. There's no rules against publishing details about exhibitions.

Then again, I'm not sure how scrupulously scrimmage rules are policed. I've seen scoreboard operators at preseason basketball scrimmages forget to wipe out the score after the first half, leading to jokes about "NCAA fines" and that sort of thing.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on March 29, 2021, 08:22:21 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 05:59:36 PM
There's a difference between an exhibition and a scrimmage. There's no rules against publishing details about exhibitions.

Then again, I'm not sure how scrupulously scrimmage rules are policed. I've seen scoreboard operators at preseason basketball scrimmages forget to wipe out the score after the first half, leading to jokes about "NCAA fines" and that sort of thing.

I'd assume you can only have X number of exhibitions per year?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on March 29, 2021, 09:19:19 PM
Quote from: EB2319 on March 29, 2021, 04:04:15 PM
And yet, many schools are publishing game result details on their website and via twitter/instagram/etc.

SID here. Don't lose sight of the fact that coaches may also request to not broadcast or report official stats for scrimmages AND exhibitions. As Greg said, it's not as simple as "XYZ" institution "didn't want to take the time to post scores". It's often agreed upon (between coaches, not gameday personnel) to not have official stats kept.

Also, many schools are HEAVILY overlapped with all the sports going on at the same time. Right now, at NPU, our basketball teams are the only teams "out of season". Many are in the exact same boat.

We'll be back at full capacity this fall!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 10:39:03 PM
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, NPU beat Illinois Wesleyan in a windy scrimmage at Hedstrand Field this evening, 2-0. The Titans couldn't score in the first half with the wind at their backs, but the Vikings managed to pot a pair in the second. The first came off of a nifty little flick from Ulrik Lund to Alfredo "Sauce" Pichardo that Sauce drove home past IWU keeper Austin Woodside from 30 yards out. The second came on a 25-yard direct free kick from North Park freshman Christian Vaaland that was clearly a matter of goalkeeper error, as Woodside lined up too far to the right in an attempt to see around his wall. Vaaland hit a perfect croquet-ball roller between the feet of two members of the Titans wall and into the lower left corner. of the goal.

It was a very physical match with a fair amount of shoving and hard feelings, and IWU's Donovan Malone even got red-carded in the final two minutes. We'll have to wait and see if Malone has to serve that one-game DQ next fall.

North Park used three 2019 starters (Lund, Peder Olsen, and Gustav Ericsson) in tonight's starting lineup, although William Boström-Rydfjell did play in the second half, and there were several Vikings who are no stranger to the varsity pitch (Pichardo, Abu Secka, Patrick Knap, and Edin Sabovic) who saw time as well. Only three Titans starters from 2019 (Malone, Dane Hoare, and Trevor Martin) started for IWU tonight, although the lion's share of the Titans starting lineup consisted of rotation regulars who came in off of the bench in 2019.

There's a whole lot to sort out between now and the end of August, but, man, was it fun to watch a men's soccer match at Hedstrand Field again!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on March 30, 2021, 05:12:35 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on March 29, 2021, 10:39:03 PM
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, NPU beat Illinois Wesleyan in a windy scrimmage at Hedstrand Field this evening, 2-0. The Titans couldn't score in the first half with the wind at their backs, but the Vikings managed to pot a pair in the second. The first came off of a nifty little flick from Ulrik Lund to Alfredo "Sauce" Pichardo that Sauce drove home past IWU keeper Austin Woodside from 30 yards out. The second came on a 25-yard direct free kick from North Park freshman Christian Vaaland that was clearly a matter of goalkeeper error, as Woodside lined up too far to the right in an attempt to see around his wall. Vaaland hit a perfect croquet-ball roller between the feet of two members of the Titans wall and into the lower left corner. of the goal.

It was a very physical match with a fair amount of shoving and hard feelings, and IWU's Donovan Malone even got red-carded in the final two minutes. We'll have to wait and see if Malone has to serve that one-game DQ next fall.

North Park used three 2019 starters (Lund, Peder Olsen, and Gustav Ericsson) in tonight's starting lineup, although William Boström-Rydfjell did play in the second half, and there were several Vikings who are no stranger to the varsity pitch (Pichardo, Abu Secka, Patrick Knap, and Edin Sabovic) who saw time as well. Only three Titans starters from 2019 (Malone, Dane Hoare, and Trevor Martin) started for IWU tonight, although the lion's share of the Titans starting lineup consisted of rotation regulars who came in off of the bench in 2019.

There's a whole lot to sort out between now and the end of August, but, man, was it fun to watch a men's soccer match at Hedstrand Field again!

Thanks Greg, that was quite a strike from Pichardo.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 05, 2021, 10:17:31 AM
I had a chance to watch a few first half minutes of the NPU / Elmhurst game Saturday.  NPU has depth, although I think we already knew this...

I was impressed with the Holm to Anamoo combination goals.  Quick, soft touches from Holm and composed finishing from first-year player Anamoo.

It's good to get some rhythm before the real competition in the fall.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 05, 2021, 11:31:31 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on April 05, 2021, 10:17:31 AM
I had a chance to watch a few first half minutes of the NPU / Elmhurst game Saturday.  NPU has depth, although I think we already knew this...

I was impressed with the Holm to Anamoo combination goals.  Quick, soft touches from Holm and composed finishing from first-year player Anamoo.

It's good to get some rhythm before the real competition in the fall.

Composed finishing, and a couple of outstanding goal-celebration backflips. The judges in the press box gave Anamoo two 10s and a 9.8. ;)

I am enormously impressed by Noel Holm. He is really going to bring something special to this league.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 11, 2021, 10:37:12 AM
Anyone have info on the last few NPU games?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 11, 2021, 09:26:04 PM
There haven't been any other games scheduled. The Vikings were supposed to have a return friendly at Elmhurst this evening, but it was canceled.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 19, 2021, 09:07:56 AM
I caught a few minutes last night of the Vikings' soccer game.  From what I could tell, the Vikings controlled possession the entire game and I think it finished, 2-0 Vikings.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 19, 2021, 11:38:26 AM
Yep. The Vikings didn't find the back of the net more than twice, with a re-direct goal in the fourth minute by Peder Olsen and a double-assist goal by Ulrik Lund in the 80th, but they were both picturesque strikes that were the product of great teamwork and were the culmination of fairly consistent pressure put on the Augustana GK all evening.

Speaking of Augustana, that's an outfit that has improved its talent level. Even though Augie was thoroughly outclassed last night, it should be a noticeably better team next fall than it has been in the past few seasons.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 21, 2021, 03:34:51 PM
Greg, I won't be able to watch any of the game tonight.  Would you mind sharing some observations and score line at some point? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 21, 2021, 11:28:59 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on April 21, 2021, 03:34:51 PM
Greg, I won't be able to watch any of the game tonight.  Would you mind sharing some observations and score line at some point?

Final score was 1-1. It was a scrimmage played in four 30-minute periods, because I think that North Park is too banged-up-slash-sick to play a full 45 apiece for starters and reserves. Therefore, the first two periods were "starters," while the third and fourth were reserves. Nobody scored in the first two periods; North Park picked up a goal in the third when Sander Carlsoen connected from 15 yards out off of a nice give-and-go from Erik Lundeen (who is still trying to work his way back onto the first team), while North Central got that goal back in the fourth when the Cards put a 40-yard far-angle free kick in past NPU's third-string GK, who simply misread the ball.

I put "starters" in quotes, because I suspect that the only NPU players who started tonight that will actually be starters in the fall were Peder Olsen, Noel Holm, and William Boström-Rydfjall. (I think that perhaps a couple of others, notably Christian Vaaland, might have a crack at starting as well, depending upon how recruiting shakes out.)

North Central is loaded with freshmen, but they're talented, and Enzo Fuschino's already got them disciplined enough to stick to his game plan. In the Imitation Is the Sincerest Form Of Flattery Dept., Enzo's got five Norwegians in his freshman class, and some of them are pretty good. Young or not, I suspect that the Cardinals will again be in the mix to make the CCIW tourney.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 22, 2021, 07:38:58 AM
Thanks!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 06, 2021, 02:58:52 PM
North Park's fall 2021 schedule is up. In non-conference play the Vikings will host:

* Greenville (10-9 in 2019)
* Loras (15-6-1 in 2019)
* Christopher Newport (14-2-5, D3 tourney second round in 2019)
* Luther (17-5-3, D3 tourney Elite Eight in 2019)
* Hope (14-6-1, D3 tourney first round in 2019)
* St. Norbert (16-5-3, D3 tourney second round in 2019)
* Chicago (12-2-5, D3 tourney second round in 2019)

... and will visit:

* Lake Forest (10-8-1 in 2019)
* Washington MO (8-7-1 in 2019)
* Knox (15-4-2 in 2019)

I wouldn't mind it if a home game or two was scheduled for the road instead for the sake of year-to-year balance, but other than that this is a really fine schedule. The Vikings should be well-tested and have an augmented SOS rating as a result of this slate.

I wish that every CCIW program in this sport looked to assemble as tough a non-conference schedule as possible. Alas, they don't.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on May 07, 2021, 10:53:38 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on May 06, 2021, 02:58:52 PM
North Park's fall 2021 schedule is up. In non-conference play the Vikings will host:

* Greenville (10-9 in 2019)
* Loras (15-6-1 in 2019)
* Christopher Newport (14-2-5, D3 tourney second round in 2019)
* Luther (17-5-3, D3 tourney Elite Eight in 2019)
* Hope (14-6-1, D3 tourney first round in 2019)
* St. Norbert (16-5-3, D3 tourney second round in 2019)
* Chicago (12-2-5, D3 tourney second round in 2019)

... and will visit:

* Lake Forest (10-8-1 in 2019)
* Washington MO (8-7-1 in 2019)
* Knox (15-4-2 in 2019)

I wouldn't mind it if a home game or two was scheduled for the road instead for the sake of year-to-year balance, but other than that this is a really fine schedule. The Vikings should be well-tested and have an augmented SOS rating as a result of this slate.

I wish that every CCIW program in this sport looked to assemble as tough a non-conference schedule as possible. Alas, they don't.

Thanks Greg!  I can't wait to watach some of these games - hopefully in person!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 07, 2021, 12:30:01 PM
Naturally, the first two 2021 non-conference schedules to check out after North Park's are those of Carthage and Wheaton.

Carthage hasn't posted one yet. But Wheaton has. The Beaners will host:

* Hardin-Simmons (14-3-2 in 2019)
* Concordia IL (9-9 in 2019)
* MSOE (10-7-2 in 2019)
* Chicago (12-2-5, D3 tourney second round in 2019)
* Alma (5-11 in 2019)

... and will visit:

* Marian (5-13-1 in 2019)
* Washington MO (8-7-1 in 2019)
* Ramapo (11-2-5 in 2019)
* Rutgers-Newark (7-9-2 in 2019)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 07, 2021, 12:44:32 PM
Looking at the other 2019 CCIW tourney teams, here's what North Central has to offer next fall. First, home:

* Benedictine (10-8-1 in 2019)
* Concordia WI (13-5-1 in 2019)
* Marian (5-13-1 in 2019)
* Rose-Hulman (16-3-1 in 2019)
* Aurora (13-5-1 in 2019)
* Dominican (16-3-3, D3 tourney first round in 2019)

... and then away:

* Concordia IL (9-9 in 2019)
* Dubuque (10-6-2 in 2019)
* Wartburg (8-8-2 in 2019)
* Lake Forest (10-8-1 in 2019)
* Rhodes (4-11-2 in 2019)
* Hendrix (4-14 in 2019)

Looks like North Central has become a stealth member of the NACC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 07, 2021, 01:12:33 PM
The other two programs that participated in the 2019 CCIW tourney, Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst, have yet to post their fall 2021 schedules.

Moving on, neither Augustana nor Millikin have posted theirs, either. But Carroll has. Here's the home non-conference slate of the Pios:

* Edgewood (6-13-1 in 2019)
* Wisconsin Lutheran (7-9-1 in 2019)
* Ripon (1-16-1 in 2019)
* UW-Eau Claire (new program)
* UW-Whitewater (15-5-2, D3 tourney first round in 2019)

... and the away:

* Beloit (5-11-2 in 2019)
* Olivet (4-12-1 in 2019)
* Albion (7-10-2 in 2019)
* Lawrence (8-8-1 in 2019)
* Benedictine (10-8-1 in 2019)

This is disappointing as well from an SOS perspective. Clearly, a lot of CCIW coaches are not putting a premium upon scheduling difficult opponents in order to bolster the league's SOS and aid the effort to get multiple CCIW teams into the D3 tourney on a regular basis. It's maddening to see the league get two, three, even four teams into the D3 tourneys of other sports, while it's stuck in the mud with only one representative in men's soccer each season. The CCIW has only managed to get two reps into the D3 men's soccer tourney field in three out of the past ten seasons, and it hasn't happened since 2015 -- and poor SOS is clearly what cost the CCIW an at-large bid when the 2018 tourney field was announced.

There's more to success than just racking up a gaudy non-conference record against patsies.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WLCALUM83 on August 04, 2021, 06:19:38 PM
CCIW Pre-Season Poll is now up:

https://cciw.org/news/2021/8/3/north-park-predicted-to-win-2021-cciw-mens-soccer-title.aspx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on August 21, 2021, 10:53:57 AM
Wheaton's website reports that John Gosling and Dylan Milkent have been named interim head coach and assistant men's soccer coaches, respectively.  Article says the previous coaches resigned last week.  No other context provided.

Odd timing to say the least!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 21, 2021, 01:42:06 PM
Npu's 2021 roster is posted
https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster

It looks to include the son of former Chelsea and Norwegian striker Tore Andre Flo. Who knows, perhaps they heard about  the school from former Norwegian international Lars Bohinen, who used to hang out on campus during the early 90's.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on August 22, 2021, 08:38:27 PM
A couple of notable names:

Pedar Olsen/Gustav Ericsson/Ulrik Lund - Trio back for what seems like year 25. D1 level players.
Noel Holm - Looked like the best player on the field during spring scrimmages
Angel Barriga - All American returns after taking 2020 off
Johan Bjorck - D1 transfer from UNC Wilmington

Looks like a pretty solid core, but did they find a number 9? That has been the one position lacking for them in recent years.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ejay on August 22, 2021, 10:29:16 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 22, 2021, 08:38:27 PM
Noel Holm - Looked like the best player on the field during spring scrimmages

a 22 year old freshman with youth national team experience. I should hope he was the best player on the field.  Roster looks loaded. Maybe it's their year?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on August 23, 2021, 04:49:32 PM
Is it their year....to win a national championship?

Obviously, way too early to tell but based on the 2 games I watched in the spring - they have some areas of concern. The midfield is absolutely loaded. No questioning that. However, they seemed to lack a real striker in the spring. Small sample size (2 games), but they just didnt have anyone who was going to put fear in a good defense. The other position that looked up in the air was GK. As noted earlier, way too early to tell and I have no idea if they brought in a stud freshman or transfer to solidify that.

With that being said, they might have the best midfield in the country - Olsen, Ericsson, Lund, DeCarro, and Holm.

I am significantly less optimistic about my Thunder, for reasons everyone is aware of. Maybe next year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 23, 2021, 08:22:25 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 21, 2021, 01:42:06 PM
Npu's 2021 roster is posted
https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster

It looks to include the son of former Chelsea and Norwegian striker Tore Andre Flo.

Isak Flo is indeed the son of Tore Andre Flo. It appears that Tore settled permanently in Ascot near the end of his career and began a soccer academy there, (https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/sport/13454586.kids-go-with-the-flo/) and that Isak's played for Ascot United juniors from a young age. Dunno how good a player Isak is, sight unseen, but if nothing else that's a pretty impressive pedigree.

Quote from: Gotberg on August 21, 2021, 01:42:06 PMWho knows, perhaps they heard about  the school from former Norwegian international Lars Bohinen, who used to hang out on campus during the early 90's.

If it was a Norwegian contact, it would've just as likely have been former NPU midfielder Markus Fodstad, who has been part of the CSUSA scouting service in the Land of the Midnight Sun since graduating from North Park. But don't discount the possibility that former Vikings reserve MF Ollie Chell had something to do with it, since Ollie's an Ascot native who is living back home now. It wouldn't surprise me at all to learn that Ollie and Isak played with or against each other in Ascot.

Quote from: Ejay on August 22, 2021, 10:29:16 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 22, 2021, 08:38:27 PM
Noel Holm - Looked like the best player on the field during spring scrimmages

a 22 year old freshman with youth national team experience. I should hope he was the best player on the field.

In terms of his age, keep in mind that he also spent a redshirt freshman year at D1 Jacksonville. (https://judolphins.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/noel-holm/3423)

Quote from: Ejay on August 22, 2021, 10:29:16 PMRoster looks loaded. Maybe it's their year?

Fingers crossed.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 23, 2021, 04:49:32 PM
Is it their year....to win a national championship?

Obviously, way too early to tell but based on the 2 games I watched in the spring - they have some areas of concern. The midfield is absolutely loaded. No questioning that. However, they seemed to lack a real striker in the spring. Small sample size (2 games), but they just didnt have anyone who was going to put fear in a good defense. The other position that looked up in the air was GK. As noted earlier, way too early to tell and I have no idea if they brought in a stud freshman or transfer to solidify that.

That's an honest assessment.

There's some interesting returning options that Kris Grahn has up top. Patrick Knap is the incumbent, as he backed up Shatil Khoury over the past few seasons. He's unspectacular but steady. Everyone really likes the kid from Ghana by way of Niles North, Jesse Anamoo, who is spectacular (or was, at times, last spring), but is also raw and tended to disappear for long stretches. Erik Lundeen, a former All-CCIW selection as a wing, could be the guy who steps up in this competition, since he has the size (he's about 6'4, 190), speed, and technique to bother opponents in front of the net, and he's finally healthy. Or it could be a newcomer -- Tore Andre Flo's son, perhaps?

All I can say is that, with a 67-man roster -- that's gotta be some kind of CCIW record, isn't it? -- if Kris Grahn can't find a quality high-volume scorer out of such a large collection of players, it's throw-up-your-hands-and-give-up time.

(I should also point out that Peder Olsen comes into this season with 38 career goals and 101 career points -- he potted 19 of his shots back in 2019 -- so it's not as though NPU is lacking someone who has experience at putting the ball in the back of the net.)

Goalkeeper is another story. It's not that Edin Sabovic is a bad GK; his work in relief of Mathias Stulen in the 2019 D3 tourney's second round against Gustavus Adolphus is what got the Vikings into the Sweet Sixteen. It's just that he hasn't wowed the coaching staff, which is why they gave freshman Alfred Sward equal time in last spring's scrimmages. That GK competition appeared to be inconclusive. Whether Kris Grahn goes with one of those two or with somebody new remains to be seen.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 23, 2021, 04:49:32 PMWith that being said, they might have the best midfield in the country - Olsen, Ericsson, Lund, DeCarro, and Holm.

I would add that a back line that includes the likes of All-American Angel Barriga, William Boström-Rydfjall, and D1 transfer Johan Bjorck, plus a host of other experienced players such as Christian Vaaland, Runar Berg-Domaas, Abu Secka, and Sander Karlsoen, ought to be very, very solid as well.

One thing I can say for certain is that I like the fact that this season's NPU roster includes two Oscars (even though one of them actually spells it with a 'k', as some Swedes do). The Vikings had three Oscars/Oskars when they returned to prominence a dozen or so years ago after two or three relatively down seasons, so I consider Oscars to be good luck for the Park. The fact that the Vikings also have a brace of guys named Osvaldo (veterans Osvaldo Espinosa and Osvaldo Urbina) is a luck multiplier for the Oscars in my book.

Best of all, the Vikings have a freshman whose name is a perfect fusion of the Scandinavian and Hispanic elements of the team: Axel Garcia. I don't think North Park soccer will ever have a player with a better name, unless Kris is able to find an Ulrik Hernandez or a Miguel Svensson somewhere.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on August 23, 2021, 04:49:32 PMI am significantly less optimistic about my Thunder, for reasons everyone is aware of. Maybe next year.

While, on an emotional level, every fiber of my being would shout in exultation at the sight of Wheaton soccer cratering, my head tells me that this would be a bad thing for CCIW soccer. As I noted in the schedules that I posted back in May, other CCIW programs aren't exactly challenging themselves on a regular basis in non-conference play. The conference won't get better, top to bottom, unless coaches start challenging their teams more and stop scheduling to post gaudy non-conference records for the sake of job security. Right now, North Park, Carthage, and Wheaton are the only programs in the CCIW that have a proven track record and can pretty much guarantee a challenge for anybody in D3 west of the Appalachians who schedules them. If Wheaton slips out of that position, it nullifies any incremental improvement that, say, Augustana or North Central can show in 2021.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 24, 2021, 02:24:00 PM
Isak Flo highlight video from this past year. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgVZrtK7KT8) He looks like a forward with strong technique and a good head for the position.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: augie77 on August 24, 2021, 02:28:31 PM
Any ideas on what prompted the abrupt Wheaton coaching changes?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 24, 2021, 02:56:04 PM
Yeah, that seems to be the $64,000 Question in CCIW soccer right now.

As you implied earlier, the timing seems to be as big of a story as the change itself.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 24, 2021, 04:56:03 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 23, 2021, 08:22:25 PMGoalkeeper is another story. It's not that Edin Sabovic is a bad GK; his work in relief of Mathias Stulen in the 2019 D3 tourney's second round against Gustavus Adolphus is what got the Vikings into the Sweet Sixteen. It's just that he hasn't wowed the coaching staff, which is why they gave freshman Alfred Sward equal time in last spring's scrimmages. That GK competition appeared to be inconclusive. Whether Kris Grahn goes with one of those two or with somebody new remains to be seen.

Looks like NPU has two incoming freshman keepers (along with Alfred Sward and Adis Halilovic, who are still freshmen, of course, despite having played for the Vikings last spring). One is David Neitzke-Pizarro from Appleton North, which won the Wisconsin state title last season. Neitzke-Pizarro was named All-State first team and recorded a shutout in the state title game. The other is Oskar Rydberg, who is one of a couple of 2021 NPU recruits from the Athleticademix soccer academy in Sweden that had very extensive and impressive highlight videos, the other being center mid Isac Esfandyari. (Former Vikings forward Robin Hals runs the academy.) So that means at least five GKs on the North Park roster. We'll see how the starting spot gets sorted out.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 27, 2021, 10:48:02 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 24, 2021, 02:24:00 PM
Isak Flo highlight video from this past year. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgVZrtK7KT8) He looks like a forward with strong technique and a good head for the position.

He may be great, but I don't think those defenders were of CCIW quality.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2021, 11:13:00 AM
Agreed. They all really look like young kids. Unfortunately, I'm getting to the point where everybody I see on a highlight video looks like a young kid. ;)

(Incidentally, I've learned that Isak Flo's older brother is a friend and former teammate of Ollie Chell, so my suspicion that Ollie was the catalyst for Isak's presence at NPU was correct.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Ron Boerger on August 27, 2021, 10:09:15 PM
For what it's worth, Carthage made the journey to San Antonio for a scrimmage (two regulation 45' periods plus an extra 10' "overtime") and absorbed a 10-0 loss.   May they have better fortune next Wednesday in their season opener at Concordia (TX).

(edit:  the original tweet was deleted - see https://twitter.com/TrinitySoccerTX/status/1431428542210904064)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 28, 2021, 05:40:25 PM
Good grief. What the heck happened to Carthage?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2021, 01:42:35 PM
All nine CCIW programs get underway tomorrow. Records listed below are from the 2019 season:

Carthage (8-10-2) @ Concordia TX (11-6-4), 11 am
Carroll (7-10) @ Beloit (5-11-2), 4:30 pm
Concordia IL (9-9) @ Elmhurst (10-9-2), 5 pm
North Park (16-5-2) @ Lake Forest (10-8-1), 5 pm
Augustana (6-7-2) @ Simpson (16-4-2), 7 pm
Millikin (6-9-1) @ Aurora (13-5-1), 7 pm
Hardin-Simmons (14-3-2) @ Wheaton (10-4-4), 7 pm
Washington MO (8-7-1) @ Illinois Wesleyan (9-8-2), 7:30 pm
Benedictine (10-8-1) @ North Central (11-5-3), 7:30 pm

Here's hoping for a 9-0 start!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 01, 2021, 03:06:22 PM
In the first CCIW action of the season, Carthage and Concordia (TX) played to a 2-2 draw down in Austin today. I watched the two overtime periods; the Firebirds had their chances, but the Tornados had better ones. In the 104th minute the Tornados had a clean look from seven yards out that required Carthage keeper Christian Lekki to make a really nice diving save, and in the second overtime's final five seconds a Concordia (TX) player came in on the right unimpeded, but he let loose from the top of the box prematurely, as he had enough time to dribble in two or three more steps, and sent it out left.

Carthage did have a decided 9-2 corners advantage, and the Firebirds put six shots on frame to Concordia (TX)'s five, but the Tornados outshot Carthage, 16-13.

It's 95 degrees down there today, which doesn't sound like much fun to play in.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 01, 2021, 06:10:58 PM
Watching the NPU game online.  Lake Forest appears to be using a cell phone as their video technology.  the announcer said - North Park with a corner and "they seem to be trying that head-butt thing again".
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on September 01, 2021, 06:30:21 PM
You are completely right. This is an atrocious broadcast.

"Player 58 kicks the ball..."
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 01, 2021, 08:41:23 PM
North Park won 4-1.   Hard to follow the game, but I have confidence NPU had at least 80% possession.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2021, 03:58:17 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 01, 2021, 06:10:58 PM
Watching the NPU game online.  Lake Forest appears to be using a cell phone as their video technology.  the announcer said - North Park with a corner and "they seem to be trying that head-butt thing again".

I decided not to play the NPU @ LFC livestream on my press-box laptop while I was calling the women's soccer game at North Park, because I didn't want the distraction. However, Lake Forest never got the live stats going, so I had to turn on the livestream from LFC just so that I could see the score in the video's graphic. Turns out that I couldn't have watched the game even if I had wanted to, because it not only appeared to be shot via a cell phone, as you said, but said cell phone was pointed straight into the setting sun for the entire game. There was more lens flare than in a J.J. Abrams movie. I couldn't see a thing.

I turned the sound down so that I didn't have the distraction of hearing someone broadcast a different game while I was broadcasting one, and now I'm kinda sorry that I did. At halftime, a North Park alumna came into the press box and said, "You won't believe it, but I'm pretty sure that Lake Forest found some 12-year-old girl from the neighborhood and asked her to call the game tonight." Then she told me about the "head-butt thing," which gave me the best laugh I've had all week.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2021, 04:02:15 AM
Day one
Carthage 2, Concordia (TX) 2
Beloit 2, Carroll 1
Concordia (IL) 2, Elmhurst 1
North Park 4, Lake Forest 1
Wheaton 2, Hardin-Simmons 0
Aurora 2, Millikin 1
Simpson 6, Augustana 1
Washington (MO) 3, Illinois Wesleyan 0
North Central 2, Benedictine 0

A 3-5-1 start. The CCIW didn't exactly cover itself in glory on opening day.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2021, 04:34:54 AM
That Cougars vs. Bluejays contest at Langhorst Field must've been nuts. According to the box score and PBP, it was a scoreless game until Elmhurst found the back of the net with only six seconds remaining in regulation. (The Elmhurst presser said that there was 9.1 seconds remaining.) But then Concordia (IL) got the equalizer four seconds later, with only two ticks left on the clock. And then the Cougars got the golden goal less than four minutes into overtime.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 02, 2021, 09:14:18 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2021, 03:58:17 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on September 01, 2021, 06:10:58 PM
Watching the NPU game online.  Lake Forest appears to be using a cell phone as their video technology.  the announcer said - North Park with a corner and "they seem to be trying that head-butt thing again".

I decided not to play the NPU @ LFC livestream on my press-box laptop while I was calling the women's soccer game at North Park, because I didn't want the distraction. However, Lake Forest never got the live stats going, so I had to turn on the livestream from LFC just so that I could see the score in the video's graphic. Turns out that I couldn't have watched the game even if I had wanted to, because it not only appeared to be shot via a cell phone, as you said, but said cell phone was pointed straight into the setting sun for the entire game. There was more lens flare than in a J.J. Abrams movie. I couldn't see a thing.

I turned the sound down so that I didn't have the distraction of hearing someone broadcast a different game while I was broadcasting one, and now I'm kinda sorry that I did. At halftime, a North Park alumna came into the press box and said, "You won't believe it, but I'm pretty sure that Lake Forest found some 12-year-old girl from the neighborhood and asked her to call the game tonight." Then she told me about the "head-butt thing," which gave me the best laugh I've had all week.

Greg Sager was definitely not calling the game, that's for sure.

According to the box score, Lund didn't play in the game...not sure if that was correct of if he was actually out.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AM
Great win for my Thunder last night! It is always nice to start out with a W - especially considering the turmoil over the past couple of weeks. I thought they possessed the ball well and they look like a team that should be a top 4 team in the conference (it is a reality check for me that top 4 excites me)!

I have a neighbor who is an NP soccer alum and he mentioned that they were dealing with injuries. He mentioned the GK (Sabovic) was out for the year with a foot injury. There were also injuries to the transfer from UNC-W (name is escaping me), as well as Ulrik Lund (leg injury). He didn't state the severity of those 2 injuries, but I think he would have stated they were season ending, if they were. I expect they aren't.

I watched the NP game (as best as I could due to the feed) - and from what I could see, it looked like a pretty dominating performance. It appeared like they lined up in a 3-5-2, which made a lot of sense with their plethora of talent in the midfield. I was surprised that neither of the CB's (Berg Domaas or Bostrom Rydfjall) got the start in the back. I suspect that Berg Domaas is also hurt - as he didnt see the field at all. I was very impressed by the left back (Risnes). He was very shifty and seemed to cause some havoc out wide. The speed and creativity between the two on the left (Risnes and Barrigga) could cause some absolute fits for opposing defenses this year.

The game on Wed. October 6th at NPU against the Thunder should be rocking!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 02, 2021, 10:26:04 AM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AM
Great win for my Thunder last night! It is always nice to start out with a W - especially considering the turmoil over the past couple of weeks. I thought they possessed the ball well and they look like a team that should be a top 4 team in the conference (it is a reality check for me that top 4 excites me)!

I have a neighbor who is an NP soccer alum and he mentioned that they were dealing with injuries. He mentioned the GK (Sabovic) was out for the year with a foot injury. There were also injuries to the transfer from UNC-W (name is escaping me), as well as Ulrik Lund (leg injury). He didn't state the severity of those 2 injuries, but I think he would have stated they were season ending, if they were. I expect they aren't.

I watched the NP game (as best as I could due to the feed) - and from what I could see, it looked like a pretty dominating performance. It appeared like they lined up in a 3-5-2, which made a lot of sense with their plethora of talent in the midfield. I was surprised that neither of the CB's (Berg Domaas or Bostrom Rydfjall) got the start in the back. I suspect that Berg Domaas is also hurt - as he didnt see the field at all. I was very impressed by the left back (Risnes). He was very shifty and seemed to cause some havoc out wide. The speed and creativity between the two on the left (Risnes and Barrigga) could cause some absolute fits for opposing defenses this year.

The game on Wed. October 6th at NPU against the Thunder should be rocking!

I think Lake Forest considered it a dominating performance by NPU too.  This was on their website: The Forester goalie, sophomore Szymon Mocarski, held North Park to only four goals and recorded a career high 10 saves during the game.

I hope Wheaton has a great year and I look forward to annual NPU / Wheaton game.  I saw a little of the Wheaton game last night - their style seems to be fast, frantic (not meant as a negative) and athletic, while NPU's style seems to be more about ball control and positional movement.  It will be interesting to see how the styles play out when they meet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2021, 12:14:14 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AMI have a neighbor who is an NP soccer alum and he mentioned that they were dealing with injuries. He mentioned the GK (Sabovic) was out for the year with a foot injury.

This is true, although, honestly, I really doubt that he'd be starting, anyway. I talked about NPU's goalkeeper situation a week or so ago:

Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 23, 2021, 08:22:25 PMIt's not that Edin Sabovic is a bad GK; his work in relief of Mathias Stulen in the 2019 D3 tourney's second round against Gustavus Adolphus is what got the Vikings into the Sweet Sixteen. It's just that he hasn't wowed the coaching staff, which is why they gave freshman Alfred Sward equal time in last spring's scrimmages. That GK competition appeared to be inconclusive. Whether Kris Grahn goes with one of those two or with somebody new remains to be seen.

It became pretty apparent that the "somebody new" scenario was very much a live option during training camp, given how good freshman Oskar Rydberg is. Alfie Sward arrived at school last month stronger and sharper than he'd been last spring, so he was still in the mix for the starting job this fall as well. I'm not saying that losing Edin Sabovic for the season isn't a setback; I'm just saying that he was not the heir apparent to Stulen that he may have appeared to be to outsiders.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AMThere were also injuries to the transfer from UNC-W (name is escaping me),

Johan Björck.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AM​as well as Ulrik Lund (leg injury). He didn't state the severity of those 2 injuries, but I think he would have stated they were season ending, if they were. I expect they aren't.

Correct in both cases.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AMI watched the NP game (as best as I could due to the feed) - and from what I could see, it looked like a pretty dominating performance. It appeared like they lined up in a 3-5-2, which made a lot of sense with their plethora of talent in the midfield. I was surprised that neither of the CB's (Berg Domaas or Bostrom Rydfjall) got the start in the back. I suspect that Berg Domaas is also hurt - as he didnt see the field at all.

I'm not sure if Runar Berg-Domaas is hurt or not. I seem to recall that he dressed and played in last Saturday's scrimmage against Aurora, although it's hard to remember if he did or not. I lost track of which and how many players Kris Grahn used that night, since the phrase "cast of thousands" comes to mind. I'm more surprised that Kris is using Billy Boström-Rydfjall off the bench, since I think he's one of the best center backs in the league. But between Kris and I, one of us knows how to properly evaluate talent and coach a team, and it isn't me. ;) I don't think that anybody can argue the fact that Christian Vaaland is certainly a strong player himself, whether he's the CB or manning one of the back-line flanks, and he's also a force on offense; he scored two goals off corners against Aurora.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AMI ​was very impressed by the left back (Risnes). He was very shifty and seemed to cause some havoc out wide. The speed and creativity between the two on the left (Risnes and Barrigga) could cause some absolute fits for opposing defenses this year.

Yeah, Risnes is a nice find. I hope he's not prone to the coverage lapses that occasionally plagued his predecessor Arian Cindahl (crucially in the 2019 loss at Carthage).

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 02, 2021, 10:06:21 AMThe game on Wed. October 6th at NPU against the Thunder should be rocking!

I'm very much looking forward to it. The NPU/WC series has been a showcase for midwestern D3 soccer for a long time now, and if Wheaton's win over Hardened-Sinners last night is any indication of the quality of this year's Beaners (perhaps I should start calling them the Baby Geese, in honor of their new coach), this season's duel will be no exception.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2021, 10:48:11 PM
North Park 5
Greenville 0

The Panthers parked the bus and successfully held the Vikings at bay throughout a scoreless first half. But early in the second half the dam finally broke, as Jesse Anamoo scored a brace of goals that bracketed a successful Patrick Knap strike, all within a ten-minute stretch. Tobias Lunde added a goal once Kris Grahn started subbing out his starters, and Isak Flo ended the game in dramatic fashion by knocking in a goal off of a Lunde corner kick with one second left on the clock.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 05, 2021, 09:12:42 AM
The CCIW is faring a bit better thus far this weekend:

Friday
Elmhurst 3, Dominican 2
Carroll 6, Olivet 0
Benedictine 3, Millikin 1

Saturday
Carthage 1, Hardin-Simmons 0
Aurora 2, Illinois Wesleyan 0
Wheaton 4, Marian 1
Augustana 3, Rockford 0
North Park 5, Greenville 0

I'm very impressed by Elmhurst's win over Dominican, especially since it took place in River Forest. Dominican, as usual, is picked to win the NACC this season.

Today the CCIW concludes Labor Day weekend with:

Carroll @ Albion, 12 pm
Carthage @ St. Norbert, 1 pm
Marian @ North Central, 5 pm
Elmhurst @ Benedictine, 7 pm
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 05, 2021, 10:08:48 PM
Wow!  With 7.7 seconds left in regulation #8 from Elmhurst pushes a Benedictine player in the back inside the box (a player who had absolutely no play on the ball) for the most unnecessary foul ever.  Benedictine converts the penalty to tie it 1-1, then 2:10ish into OT, Benedictine scores to win. 

Brutal defeat for Elmhurst.  They looked to be in control of the game for most of the second half I watched. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2021, 01:10:01 AM
So ... to sum up Elmhurst's opening week:

* On Wednesday the 'jays broke a scoreless tie with a goal with only nine seconds remaining, and then proceeded to cough up a sure win when the EU goalkeeper couldn't handle a bouncing longball sent in from beyond the center line with two seconds left. They then made their disaster complete by surrendering a golden goal three minutes into OT, thus losing their season opener on their own field to perennial weak-sister Concordia (IL).

* On Friday, despite losing arguably their best player, senior midfielder Noah Backhaus, to a red card in the 50th minute and getting pummelled on the scoresheet as a result, the 'jays somehow managed to score a short-handed goal to stretch their lead to 3-1 and then hung on for a 3-2 win over long-time regional power and preseason NACC favorite Dominican on the home pitch of the Stars.

* On Sunday, the 'jays reprised their Wednesday disaster by blowing a 1-0 lead against Benedictine when a dumb penalty in the box by a senior two-year starter led to their giving up a PK goal with only 18 seconds remaining in the contest, and then they made the comparison to Wednesday's debacle complete by getting beaten on a golden goal barely two minutes into the extra session -- and it happened at Langhorst Field in front of the home fans, again the same as Wednesday.

That may be the most interesting five days of soccer anybody in D3 has ever played.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2021, 01:14:35 AM
Sunday's results:

Carroll 3, Albion 2
Carthage 4, St. Norbert 0
North Central 5, Marian 0
Benedictine 2, Elmhurst 1

The CCIW ends its opening week with a 12-8-1 record.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 07, 2021, 04:19:44 PM
Conference players of the week:

https://cciw.org/news/2021/9/7/wheatons-galvao-moyes-named-cciw-mens-soccer-student-athletes-of-the-week.aspx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on September 08, 2021, 10:33:30 PM
Npu 5, loras 0
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:51:31 AM
Loras started the game with a lot of high pressure and had multiple guys running up top on every possession to take longballs. This discomfited the young NPU backline a bit, but after William DeCarro floated in what was meant to be a high-arcing send from forty yards out but which the Loras keeper misplayed, allowing it to sail over his head and into the net, the gearshift went up a notch for the Vikings. Suddenly what Loras was doing on offense no longer mattered, because the Duhawks couldn't get a foot on the ball to save their lives. After a little less than seven minutes of near-constant North Park possession following DeCarro's goal he rocketed home another from 27 yards out, and within the space of two and a half minutes after that the Vikings further added a brace of goals, running up the tally to 4-0 in what was supposed to be a tense affair between two undefeated programs with strong histories but which turned into a 5-0 laugher. Loras striker Patrick Clancy, who'd scored five goals in Loras's first three games, didn't even get off a shot tonight.

DeCarro added an assist later, giving him a five-point night. Angel Barriga, who has taken to playing left outside midfielder like a duck to water, had a goal and an assist and drove terror into the hearts of the visiting Duhawks faithful every time that he touched the ball. Peder Olsen recorded the last two goals of the night, giving him 41 for his career and tying him with Jonas Pettersson as North Park's all-time career goals leader. Alfred Sward recorded his second straight clean sheet, but all he had to defend were two routine long-distance balls in the second half.

I don't believe that I'm going out on a limb in saying that the Vikings are an awfully good soccer team.

Speaking of the visiting Duhawks faithful, I was not impressed with their behavior. They booed when it was announced over the P.A. that Olsen had tied the NPU school goals record. That was totally uncool.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:55:48 AM
Tonight's CCIW scoreboard:

Carroll 3, Edgewood 1
Augustana 2, Coe 0
UW-Whitewater 2, Millikin 0
North Central 4, Concordia (WI) 1
Elmhurst 0, Lake Forest 0
North Park 5, Loras 0
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 01:56:24 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:51:31 AM
Speaking of the visiting Duhawks faithful, I was not impressed with their behavior. They booed when it was announced over the P.A. that Olsen had tied the NPU school goals record. That was totally uncool.

And it wasn't traveling students/rowdy college kids... it was parents doing this. Silliness and embarassing to the highest degree.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AM
Boy did NP look good tonight. Loras will be a fringe tournament team and that 5-0 victory will look very good at the end of the year. I believe we will learn a lot about the vikings on Saturday - in a true road test at a good Wash U side.

This is the deepest NP time I have seen. William DeCarro wouldnt be a starter if Ulrik Lund was healthy. With that being said, he was arguably the best player on the field last night. I will be interested to see where NP plays Johan Bjork when he becomes healthy. I can't see Coach Grahn taking Vaaland or Risnes off the field - as both have played really well thru 3 games. The midfield will not be touched either. If Bjork is going to start, it would appear that he would need to replace Esfandyari. I dont know if Bostrom Ryfall is coming back from injury and they are bringing him along slowly - or if Esfandyari beat him out for the job, but it's surprising that he isn't starting. He was a very solid defender in 2019. Assuming everyone gets healthy and stays healthy - it will be very interesting to see how Grahn manages this team - as there are close to 20 players who would be starters on any team in the CCIW.

Lastly, I wanted to state how impressed I was with the production of the broadcast. Greg, you always do a great job - but I also really enjoyed the interview of the former NP soccer player. That was very cool. Is that something NP has always done, or was this a one time thing?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 09, 2021, 09:06:18 AM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 01:56:24 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:51:31 AM
Speaking of the visiting Duhawks faithful, I was not impressed with their behavior. They booed when it was announced over the P.A. that Olsen had tied the NPU school goals record. That was totally uncool.

And it wasn't traveling students/rowdy college kids... it was parents doing this. Silliness and embarassing to the highest degree.
That's very disappointing to hear -- very poor sportsmanship.  I wonder if they do that during senior night at an opponent's field.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 11:14:13 AM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AM
Lastly, I wanted to state how impressed I was with the production of the broadcast. Greg, you always do a great job - but I also really enjoyed the interview of the former NP soccer player. That was very cool. Is that something NP has always done, or was this a one time thing?

Thank you for the kind words. I have to credit a couple people here for these ideas and upgrades:

First of all, AD John Born for investing in production equipment so that we could build what you're seeing at home. We'd still be utilizing a one-camera broadcast if it weren't for him prioritizing this upgrade for our home events over the summer.

Secondly, credit men's soccer GA Ryan McNaughton for the idea of having notable alumni on air during the broadcasts. We messed around with it during baseball/softball season with current student-athletes but Ryan has put together a list of alums that will be on throughout the season. He's the man behind the scenes coordinating who's on; I just hand them a headset and make a graphic!

We'll likely only do this for baseball/softball and M/W soccer. There's a chance we try it for basketball, but we have relatively tight quarters in the NPU gym for a three-man broadcast and football is so chaotic in the press box that it'd be nearly impossible with our current setup.

Ollie (who was on with Greg and Scot last night) will almost certainly be back on at least one more time this year.

Thanks for tuning in!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:30:15 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AM
Boy did NP look good tonight. Loras will be a fringe tournament team and that 5-0 victory will look very good at the end of the year. I believe we will learn a lot about the vikings on Saturday - in a true road test at a good Wash U side.

Agreed. I watched Wash U upend Webster a couple of nights ago at Francis Olympic Field, and I was impressed. The Bears have been very solid defensively over the past few seasons, but they've definitely upgraded at the offensive end to take some of the pressure off of primary scorer Nolan Wolf.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AMThis is the deepest NP time I have seen. William DeCarro wouldnt be a starter if Ulrik Lund was healthy. With that being said, he was arguably the best player on the field last night. I will be interested to see where NP plays Johan Bjork when he becomes healthy.

I can't speak for where Lund is in terms of coming back from his injury, but Björck has to be close. He had a foot injury, and he's been walking around unaided and without a limp for several days now.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AMI can't see Coach Grahn taking Vaaland or Risnes off the field - as both have played really well thru 3 games. The midfield will not be touched either. If Bjork is going to start, it would appear that he would need to replace Esfandyari. I dont know if Bostrom Ryfall is coming back from injury and they are bringing him along slowly - or if Esfandyari beat him out for the job, but it's surprising that he isn't starting. He was a very solid defender in 2019.

My understanding is that Esfandyari beat him out. The coaching staff is very high on him, obviously, but you could see some of his growing pains early on in last night's match. Subbing in Boström-Rydfjall for him really tamped down the Loras longball threat, because Billy is such a steady presence back there.

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AMAssuming everyone gets healthy and stays healthy - it will be very interesting to see how Grahn manages this team - as there are close to 20 players who would be starters on any team in the CCIW.

Some problems are nicer to have than others. ;)

Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AMLastly, I wanted to state how impressed I was with the production of the broadcast. Greg, you always do a great job - but I also really enjoyed the interview of the former NP soccer player. That was very cool. Is that something NP has always done, or was this a one time thing?

Thanks! I'd like to put in a good word for my broadcasting partner, Scot Gladstone. He's a former soccer player himself, and he has a good feel for what to look for out on the field as a commentator.

As for the interviews, Ollie Chell was actually the second former NPU player we've interviewed. We had former All-American center back Ricky Pimentel on the third headset for part of the Greenville match a few days ago.

Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 11:14:13 AM
Thank you for the kind words. I have to credit a couple people here for these ideas and upgrades:

Tyler's being modest. As the SID and director of game management he's the one who has orchestrated these upgrades. Our intention is to put on a broadcast that is as high-quality as the program it covers, and Tyler's really at the heart of all that.

Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 11:14:13 AMFirst of all, AD John Born for investing in production equipment so that we could build what you're seeing at home. We'd still be utilizing a one-camera broadcast if it weren't for him prioritizing this upgrade for our home events over the summer.

Kudos to John, and it should be noted that he's not just doing this for the NPU men's soccer team in order to spotlight the program he used to coach. We're also using the three-camera setup for football and women's soccer, and it'll really come in useful in the spring with baseball and softball, two sports that suffer greatly if you're only covering them with one camera.

Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 11:14:13 AMSecondly, credit men's soccer GA Ryan McNaughton for the idea of having notable alumni on air during the broadcasts. We messed around with it during baseball/softball season with current student-athletes but Ryan has put together a list of alums that will be on throughout the season. He's the man behind the scenes coordinating who's on; I just hand them a headset and make a graphic!

An assist in this department goes to Ryan's dad, Tim McNaughton (who captained the Vikings in the early '80s under Joe Hakes when North Park men's soccer had just been upgraded from a club sport to varsity status). Tim's managed to get the two gentlemen who originally started the club team as North Park students way back in 1970-71, Rick Voorhies and David Dwight, to agree to come on a broadcast next month. I'm looking forward to interviewing them on the air! There's gotta be an interesting story when two students take it upon themselves to create a club team out of thin air. Also, club teams tended to play a fascinating array of opponents back in that era. For example, I do know that the first team that North Park played as a club team back in 1970 was Maryknoll Seminary, a now-defunct seminary in Glen Ellyn for young men training for the Catholic priesthood. And I'm wondering if those two guys were the ones who started the notorious North Park club soccer tradition of traveling to Stateville Prison every fall to play the inmate team.

Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 11:14:13 AMWe'll likely only do this for baseball/softball and M/W soccer. There's a chance we try it for basketball, but we have relatively tight quarters in the NPU gym for a three-man broadcast and football is so chaotic in the press box that it'd be nearly impossible with our current setup.

Ollie (who was on with Greg and Scot last night) will almost certainly be back on at least one more time this year.

Thanks for tuning in!

Hopefully by then Ollie will have binged Ted Lasso. I honestly can't think of anybody who would enjoy that show more than an Englishman who played this sport in the U.S. amongst a sea of Americans in dire need of a remedial soccer education.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Dubuquer on September 09, 2021, 02:12:02 PM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 01:56:24 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:51:31 AM
Speaking of the visiting Duhawks faithful, I was not impressed with their behavior. They booed when it was announced over the P.A. that Olsen had tied the NPU school goals record. That was totally uncool.

And it wasn't traveling students/rowdy college kids... it was parents doing this. Silliness and embarassing to the highest degree.

Yikes. That is embarrassing.  What would possess parents to do that?  I haven't been to a Loras game for a while or paid much attention (due to lots of reasons) but I'll add this to my list of reasons to not go to a game next time I'm debating whether or not to go watch. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 03:49:18 PM
Quote from: Dubuquer on September 09, 2021, 02:12:02 PM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 01:56:24 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:51:31 AM
Speaking of the visiting Duhawks faithful, I was not impressed with their behavior. They booed when it was announced over the P.A. that Olsen had tied the NPU school goals record. That was totally uncool.

And it wasn't traveling students/rowdy college kids... it was parents doing this. Silliness and embarassing to the highest degree.

Yikes. That is embarrassing.  What would possess parents to do that?

Desperation. The realization that they were being handled in every facet of the game so it was a last-ditch effort to have some sort of a negative impact on our guys. Of course, the NPU student sections' cheers drowned out the boos as Peder was walking towards the bench, being congratulated by his teammates.

I'm sure the two-time All-American was really shaken by the 40-something year-olds thinking it was cute to boo him ;D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 09, 2021, 03:54:55 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:30:15 PM
Tyler's being modest. As the SID and director of game management he's the one who has orchestrated these upgrades. Our intention is to put on a broadcast that is as high-quality as the program it covers, and Tyler's really at the heart of all that.

Thanks, Greg. That's very nice of you.

From a production standpoint, I'm glad I'm able to match the level of passion and detail you (and now Scot) are providing with the improvements to our broadcast. Let's keep this ball rollin'!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on September 10, 2021, 01:13:47 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:51:31 AM
Loras started the game with a lot of high pressure and had multiple guys running up top on every possession to take longballs. This discomfited the young NPU backline a bit, but after William DeCarro floated in what was meant to be a high-arcing send from forty yards out but which the Loras keeper misplayed, allowing it to sail over his head and into the net, the gearshift went up a notch for the Vikings. Suddenly what Loras was doing on offense no longer mattered, because the Duhawks couldn't get a foot on the ball to save their lives. After a little less than seven minutes of near-constant North Park possession following DeCarro's goal he rocketed home another from 27 yards out, and within the space of two and a half minutes after that the Vikings further added a brace of goals, running up the tally to 4-0 in what was supposed to be a tense affair between two undefeated programs with strong histories but which turned into a 5-0 laugher. Loras striker Patrick Clancy, who'd scored five goals in Loras's first three games, didn't even get off a shot tonight.

DeCarro added an assist later, giving him a five-point night. Angel Barriga, who has taken to playing left outside midfielder like a duck to water, had a goal and an assist and drove terror into the hearts of the visiting Duhawks faithful every time that he touched the ball. Peder Olsen recorded the last two goals of the night, giving him 41 for his career and tying him with Jonas Pettersson as North Park's all-time career goals leader. Alfred Sward recorded his second straight clean sheet, but all he had to defend were two routine long-distance balls in the second half.

I don't believe that I'm going out on a limb in saying that the Vikings are an awfully good soccer team.

Speaking of the visiting Duhawks faithful, I was not impressed with their behavior. They booed when it was announced over the P.A. that Olsen had tied the NPU school goals record. That was totally uncool.

All you had to say was Loras soccer fans, and I knew some saltiness was on the menu coming from that contingent.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2021, 09:15:16 PM
Hard loss to swallow for Carthage tonight on the road. I will say this: the Firebirds looked much more disciplined and steady tonight than they did when I saw them on opening day, and it was under tougher circumstances -- Hope is dramatically better than Concordia (TX). Still, after coughing up an early second-half lead, with the game tied at 1 the Firebirds caught a huge break in the 63rd minute when a Hope player was sent off with a crimson ducat for directing some unsavory verbiage towards the referee.

A good team should never lose when a man up, even on the road against a quality opponent, but lose they did when a Dutchman did a great plant-and-turn at the edge of the box and sent a wrong-footed cross to an advancing teammate, who pounded home the shortie in the 72nd minute. The Firebirds were unable to employ sufficient pressure to give themselves a quality attempt at an answer, even though the Dutch declined to park the bus despite being up a goal late and down a man. Carthage loses, 2-1, and will have to suck it up and drag tired legs onto Zuidema Field in nearby Grand Rapids tomorrow to face a Calvin team that must be mad enough to chew the cleats off of their boots after scoreless-drawing a distinctly inferior Aurora side tonight at Zuidema.

Elmhurst got a late PK goal from Noah Backhaus and downed Geneva, 1-0, in western Pennsylvania. Wheaton is winning at the half over MSOE, 1-0, at the Bean Patch.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 10, 2021, 10:11:14 PM
Wheaton takes advantage of a brain-cramp epidemic on the part of the MSOE backline and GK to crush the Raiders in the second half, finishing with a 6-0 win.

The CCIW moves to 18-10-2 going into Saturday.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Buck O. on September 11, 2021, 09:24:17 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2021, 12:30:15 PM
Quote from: GoThunder1 on September 09, 2021, 09:03:12 AM
Boy did NP look good tonight. Loras will be a fringe tournament team and that 5-0 victory will look very good at the end of the year. I believe we will learn a lot about the vikings on Saturday - in a true road test at a good Wash U side.

Agreed. I watched Wash U upend Webster a couple of nights ago at Francis Olympic Field, and I was impressed. The Bears have been very solid defensively over the past few seasons, but they've definitely upgraded at the offensive end to take some of the pressure off of primary scorer Nolan Wolf.


I'd imagine that it helps that they're actually playing Wolf.  After getting zero playing time in 2018 (seriously--he appeared in one game), he didn't play at all at the beginning of the 2019 season, either.  When he did manage to wangle a few minutes of playing time, he started scoring goals:  A goal in his first game against Dominican (within a minute or two of coming into the game, IIRC).  Another goal in his second game.  Despite that, he still only played 25-30 minutes per game for the balance of the season, maybe edging up a bit towards the end.  (Unfortunately, WashU doesn't post the minutes played info, but I watched the games, so this is my recollection.)  Having your best scorer on the field does tend to help the offense!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 07:08:49 PM
Final from the Gateway City:

Wash U 3
North Park 2

Disappointing loss for NPU. Wash U was simply more disciplined in the back third today than the Vikings were. Both teams kept nice shape defensively, but a couple too many mistakes in the back by the young Vikings backliners against a Bears team that is far more opportunistic than Wash U has been in recent seasons. Even so, there were plenty of chances to be had, as the Vikings did a nice job in particular at working the left touchline with Lundeen and then pinching in at the midpoint of the box, but they couldn't connect.

Could we see a rematch between NPU and Wash U in November?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 07:10:19 PM
North Central picked up a very nice road win over ARC favorite Dubuque over in the Land of Ham, 1-0.

Tough loss for Illinois Wesleyan, which coughed up a 2-0 lead when Loras potted three goals in nine minutes in the game's final half-hour, resulting in a 3-2 win for the Duhawks.

Millikin and Rose-Hulman played to a 1-1 draw.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 11, 2021, 07:57:39 PM
Carthage just went to Calvin and came away with a 1-0 win.  And honestly, Carthage looked like the better team to me.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 07:59:13 PM
Carthage atoned for yesterday's mishap in Holland quite nicely, as Mason McCaw and Mickey Reilly ran a perfect 1-2 up the left side of the Calvin box in the 66th minute, McCaw tallying for the only goal that was scored at Zuidema Field all weekend.

The Firebirds, who outshot Calvin 20 (10) to 9 (3), definitely outplayed the Knights -- or at least they did in the second half when I was watching -- for what is irrefutably a signature win.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 09:11:29 PM
Ugly loss by Augustana at soccer nonentity Marian this evening. The Sabres triumphed easily, 3-0, and I still can't figure out how they got the ball into the back of the net, aside from the own-goal Augie suffered in the second half. In the time that I watched the contest, I saw two Marian breakaways. On the first, the Sabre attacker shot from the six-yard stripe and put it right into the breadbasket of Augie keeper Frankie "Scott" Baio, who hadn't moved a muscle. On the second, the Sabre attacker wound up from ten yards out and hooked a clanker off of the left post. What's more, on another occasion a Sabre player had the ball at the penalty spot after a Baio save, with nary a body within five yards of him. The Marian player froze for a good second and a half, and by the time he got his leg moving forward an Augie defender had slid in to tackle the ball.

Last spring I said on this board that Augustana looked like it now had the personnel to be a program on the rise. Well, it's only one early-season game, but when a team loses like that to that level of an opponent, it makes you wonder.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: jaybird44 on September 11, 2021, 09:36:46 PM
If WashU continues to play with a hungry vibe, I could see a rematch occurring between the Bears and North Park.  Right now, WashU has to be mindful not to lay an egg at Hope Wednesday...but I am very impressed and encouraged by the team's performances so far.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 09:41:49 PM
Jay, I noticed that in the Webster and North Park games you were announcing through a mask. How is that working out?

You're probably having an easier time dealing with a mask while doing a lot of talking than I would. I keep my mouth shut at work during meetings nowadays. I can't imagine PBP wearing one.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 09:56:07 PM
Carroll used a PK goal in the 84th minute to slip past Wisconsin Lutheran, 2-1, at Schneider Stadium.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 10:17:55 PM
Concordia (IL) 1
Wheaton 0

The Cougars scored a sneaky little goal weak-side past an off-balance Hasten Biddlecome all the way back in the 30th minute and somehow managed to make it stand up in spite of an avalanche of Wheaton chances. The Orange and Blue dominated the run of play for all 90 minutes, and the scoresheet was completely lopsided apart from the goals category in Wheaton's favor: 28 (12) to 9 (3) in shots, 8-2 in corners, but the plucky Cougars somehow escaped with the win. Cougars GK Joe Perez was standing on his head, especially in the final fifteen minutes, but it also felt as though Concordia (IL) brought an invisible aluminum curtain with them from River Forest; all sorts of chances that looked sure to go in for Wheaton somehow didn't.

The Cougars really had no business winning this game, but that's the beauty of soccer: The team that should win, and plays like it ought to win, sometimes doesn't win. For the team from River Forest, this one's gotta be right up there with their miracle win at Elmhurst a week and a half ago.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: jaybird44 on September 12, 2021, 12:04:26 AM
It is annoying to have to wear a mask while broadcasting, but it's a campus rule to have one on when indoors.  I especially get aggravated when I have to wear my glasses near the end of my nose to keep them from fogging up while I'm talking.

Today I did allow my nose to leave the mask for a few moments of fresh-air enjoyment.  When no one was looking or in the press box cubicle with me.  Such is the way of life in St. Louis County, which is much more draconian than St. Charles County--the neighboring county in which I live.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 14, 2021, 07:51:18 PM
Final from Galesburg:

North Park 4
Knox 0

The best cure for a tough loss is to get right back out there and play again ASAP, and it took only 72 hours for the Vikings to return to the road and wash the bad taste of Saturday out of their mouths. After a somewhat tentative start in which the Vikings appeared to be feeling out numerous lineup changes and only led 1-0 at the halftime horn, NPU came out after intermission and completely bossed the second half.

Congrats to Peder Olsen, who played a really fine game and notched his 42nd career goal to take sole possession of the top of North Park's all-time career goals leaderboard. He should've had an assist on Jesse Anamoo's first-half strike to add to the assist he was given on the fourth goal (scored by Patrick Knap), plus perhaps one more -- Isak Flo's goal went unassisted, but someone slotted him the ball along the left endline, and I think it might've been Peder -- but the Knox scorekeeper was stingy this afternoon. Flo and Anamoo saw a lot of time today, and although they were whistled for a bunch of offsides (the Prairie Fire cannily drew Anamoo into a couple of offsides traps in the first half), you can see how those two freshmen are rapidly developing into killers up top. Once they have their timing down, North Park should have a couple of super-dangerous young guys pressuring opposing GKs.

Kris Grahn used 23 players today, but there was no sign of Noel Holm or William DeCarro for the Vikings, and Ulrik Lund is still out. Billy Boström-Rydfjall started at right back, which really helped solidify the back line, with Isac Esfandyari moving up to holding mid and looking more comfortable there. Alfred Sward recorded his third clean sheet of the season, and he did so without having to make any saves; shots were 19 (11) to 4 (0) in NPU's favor.

Knox is not a bad team at all, despite the 1-3 start to the season for the Prairie Fire. I've seen enough MWC soccer to know that the Prairie Fire, who were the 2019 champions of that league and the preseason favorites for this one, should be right in the mix for another league title by the end of the season.

This weekend should be considerably tougher for the Vikings, though, as Luther (4-1) comes to town on Friday and Christopher Newport (2-0-2) will pay a visit to the North Side for a Sunday afternoon tilt at Hedstrand Field.

UPDATE: Peder Olsen was ultimately credited with those two assists that he'd rightfully earned but hadn't been awarded, so somebody at Knox apparently checked the game film and revised the scoresheet. Good for them -- that's the right thing to do, regardless of which team benefits from it. It also means that Olsen made five points in the game, which is certainly a nice day's work.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 16, 2021, 01:25:54 AM
So-so night for the league:

Carroll 6, Ripon 0
Carthage 5, Lawrence 0
Kalamazoo 1, Elmhurst 0
UW-Plattteville 3, Millikin 1
North Central 3, Lake Forest 0

The CCIW is 27-16-3 heading into the weekend.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on September 17, 2021, 12:10:24 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 07:59:13 PM
Carthage atoned for yesterday's mishap in Holland quite nicely, as Mason McCaw and Mickey Reilly ran a perfect 1-2 up the left side of the Calvin box in the 66th minute, McCaw tallying for the only goal that was scored at Zuidema Field all weekend.

The Firebirds, who outshot Calvin 20 (10) to 9 (3), definitely outplayed the Knights -- or at least they did in the second half when I was watching -- for what is irrefutably a signature win.

Carthage is loaded with young and quality talent.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 17, 2021, 04:04:33 PM
Quote from: CardinalAlum on September 17, 2021, 12:10:24 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2021, 07:59:13 PM
Carthage atoned for yesterday's mishap in Holland quite nicely, as Mason McCaw and Mickey Reilly ran a perfect 1-2 up the left side of the Calvin box in the 66th minute, McCaw tallying for the only goal that was scored at Zuidema Field all weekend.

The Firebirds, who outshot Calvin 20 (10) to 9 (3), definitely outplayed the Knights -- or at least they did in the second half when I was watching -- for what is irrefutably a signature win.

Carthage is loaded with young and quality talent.

Yes, they are. I fully expect them to get more and more dangerous as the season progresses.

Your Cardinals are fielding the best side that NCC's had in many years, too. I figured that hiring Enzo Fuschino to run the program would have North Central moving up the ladder, and that's proving to be the case.

The CCIW appears to have four really solid teams this season. (I'm reserving comment on Carroll, because the Pioneers have yet to play any really challenging opponents.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2021, 02:07:32 AM
North Park 1
Luther 0

Weird night at the corner of Foster & Albany. The contest was delayed two and a half hours due to a repeated string of lightning delays. At one point the teams took to the field after the all-clear sounded and warmed up for about five minutes, only to have another nearby lightning strike force the Thorguard to sound the alarm again.

I came into this one expecting to see two teams that have tons of firepower light up the scoreboard. Instead, it was largely a stalemate played between the boxes. While the Vikings did have the run-of-play advantage, it wasn't by much, and a tough Norse defense largely kept NPU's big guns at bay. But, whether it was the four-hour busride, the fact that they had to cool their heels for two and a half hours due to the lightning delay, or a just plain collectively ornery nature, Luther was extremely physical, as in physical to their own detriment. They were shown the yellow card four times, and, honestly, they should've seen it two or three more times. For the most part NPU declined to retaliate, but the Vikings did get a couple of yellows themselves.

Those yellows turned out to be Luther's undoing, as their starting center back was shown the golden ducat for the second time tonight in the 61st minute, sending him off and putting the Norse a man down. At this point they just started fouling the Vikings left and right every time that the Park got within sniffing distance of the 18, and you can only do that just so many times against a team that has someone like Peder Olsen until you get burned. Patrick Knap was knocked down on the penalty arc at 69:01, giving NPU a free kick that for Olsen is practically a layup. He lofted it over the wall and into the far right side of the goal for the only tally of the night, and the Vikings fended off the Norse to give freshman GK Alfred Sward his fourth shutout of the young season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2021, 02:20:58 AM
Another game that was played across town, #16 Christopher Newport @ #15 Chicago, also started ridiculously late due to lightning. The Maroons came from a goal down in the second half to oust CNU, 3-1, and now Luther and CNU will switch opponents on Sunday afternoon, the Captains traveling up north to play North Park and Luther going down to Hyde Park to face Chicago.

Two other games involving CCIW teams went into the books tonight, both of them pretty interesting. North Central traveled down to Memphis to face Rhodes, and late in the first half NCC keeper Sid Marquardt came off his line on a Rhodes breakaway and took out the legs of the Lynx attacker. That got Marquardt sent off by the ref, which meant that the Cardinals not only had to play a man down, but with an inexperienced freshman now in the net to spell the departed Marquardt. Wouldn't you know it, NCC then scored a shortie in the second half to break the 0-0 tie. Just as impressively, the backup keeper for the Cards stopped a penalty shot by Rhodes that would've tied it up. But the Cards were whistled for a foul just outside the box a few minutes later, and the Lynx converted the free kick with a humpbacker into the upper-right corner of the net -- practically the same scenario and shot that Peder Olsen would have later this evening for NPU -- and that knotted up the game at 1-1. But North Central was able to use a breakaway to score yet another shortie, and then fended off about six minutes or so of nonstop pressure from Rhodes to claim the win. Rhodes is no great shakes, but anytime you play over half the game short-handed on the other team's pitch, with your starting goalkeeper taken out by the red card, and you still manage to win by getting two short-handed goals, you've made a statement. North Central is a good team.

The other game had less drama, even though it went to overtime, but Carroll was able to garner a penalty kick in the extra session and convert it to down visiting UW-Eau Claire, 2-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 18, 2021, 10:57:16 PM
Two overtime finals this evening that fortunately went the CCIW's way:

* Danny Eloyza knocked in a PK just 83 seconds deep into the extra session to allow Carthage to down a scrappy MSOE team, 1-0, at Keller Field.

* Nick Dispensa slotted a strike high left in the 106th minute to buy Augie a double-OT 1-0 win over Knox at Thorson-Lucken Field.

The CCIW and Wheaton websites say that today's Wheaton @ Wash U contest was canceled, but Wash U and d3soocer.com both show that the game has merely been postponed until Monday the 27th, and that it will now be held at the Beanpatch rather than at Francis Olympic Field in St. Louis. Who's right?

* Since Wheaton didn't play down in the Gateway City, there was only one CCIW team on the road today: Millikin, which met with disaster at Loras. The Duhawks cruised to a 4-0 win that honestly should've been even more of a rout than it was. In fact, Loras scored another goal at the final buzzer that the ref waved off. The Duhawks turned the Big Blue end of the pitch into a carnival midway shooting gallery, registering a whopping 30 (18) to 6 (4) shots tally. The Big Blue fall to 0-5-1, and they just look awful.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2021, 06:53:15 PM
Tough 1-0 loss by North Park today to Christopher Newport. The Captains really uphold their program's tradition as a defensive powerhouse, the weird three-goal hiccup they suffered in the second half in Hyde Park on Friday night notwithstanding. They're big and what I call a "clean physical" team, meaning that they will bump and back-climb on you all over the field, but they don't yank, tug, or half-nelson you, or do anything else egregious or stupid enough to make the notebook come out of the pocket. Their focus is on the air game, and with their size and physicality they're very good at it. I haven't seen a North Park opponent win that many 50/50s and second balls since Rowan came to town a couple of years ago. Their four-man backline sits deep and is thus super-tough to get behind, and they rely heavily upon winning in the air to advance the ball to midfield.

The Vikings really got rattled and went away from their ball-control strengths for much of the first half (and for a small patch of the second). I think that CNU's physicality and the unseasonably hot day really combined to frustrate the Park. (NPU is never a hot-weather team, for obvious reasons, whereas I imagine that a team based in southeastern Virginia eats up an 85-degree, 70%-humidity day like today for breakfast.) The Vikings came out much more focused and nimble in the second half, but in a defensive struggle like this it often comes down to who does better in set pieces. CNU only had three corners and a couple of close-in free kicks, but they managed to convert a 22-yarder from the shallow right when the ball skidded on the top of the head of one of the wall defenders and caromed slightly into the NPU net. NPU, frustratingly, was awarded eight corners and several close-in freebies -- and couldn't convert any of them, although they came ridiculously close several times. CNU missed some good chances as well, including one play in which Peder Olsen had to clear the ball off of the goal line during a corner-kick crease scrum, but NPU had more of them. But Christopher Newport got theirs to go in, and North Park didn't. That's soccer.

I'd still rather take a loss to a team as good as Christopher Newport than a win over a Lawrence or a Rockford or a Monmouth any day. It's all about making your team better in time for league play.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2021, 06:55:53 PM
North Central had an easy time of it against a hapless 1-4-1 Hendrix team this afternoon, winning 2-0, and will return from Arkansas sporting an 8-0 record that's gotta be the best start that the Cardinals program has ever achieved.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: NCC26 on September 19, 2021, 08:31:52 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2021, 06:55:53 PM
North Central had an easy time of it against a hapless 1-4-1 Hendrix team this afternoon, winning 2-0, and will return from Arkansas sporting an 8-0 record that's gotta be the best start that the Cardinals program has ever achieved.

Nah, the '87 team started 13-0-1 ;D, with wins over Wheaton and Northwestern University.  Yes, the Big 10 team.  This years team is doing well which is nice to see after so many years of futility.  The big BUT is that their schedule really sucks.  If they want to win the conference and get a chance in the big dance like NP, Carthage, Wheaton they need to toughen up the schedule.  Playing cupcakes don't prepare you for the speed, ball control and shooting of those teams.  Sure you can turtle up and hope for a quick counter, but the law of averages says one of those shots goes in or a pk call happens.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 20, 2021, 01:17:49 AM
Quote from: NCC26 on September 19, 2021, 08:31:52 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2021, 06:55:53 PM
North Central had an easy time of it against a hapless 1-4-1 Hendrix team this afternoon, winning 2-0, and will return from Arkansas sporting an 8-0 record that's gotta be the best start that the Cardinals program has ever achieved.

Nah, the '87 team started 13-0-1 ;D, with wins over Wheaton and Northwestern University.  Yes, the Big 10 team.  This years team is doing well which is nice to see after so many years of futility.  The big BUT is that their schedule really sucks.  If they want to win the conference and get a chance in the big dance like NP, Carthage, Wheaton they need to toughen up the schedule.

Yes, hence this point that I just made:

Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 19, 2021, 06:53:15 PMI'd still rather take a loss to a team as good as Christopher Newport than a win over a Lawrence or a Rockford or a Monmouth any day. It's all about making your team better in time for league play.

To be completely honest, part of the reason why NPU is playing such a grueling non-conference schedule is because the Lawrences, Rockfords, and Monmouths of the world won't take Kris Grahn's phone calls anymore. For a lot of coaches, scheduling is more an art form tailored to job security than an opportunity to actually improve their programs in an iron-sharpens-iron sort of way. So, if you're most MWC, NACC, SLIAC, or MIAA coaches, why would you schedule NPU -- and thus set yourself up for a probable loss that'll hurt your record and perhaps make it a little harder for you to reach whatever spoken or unspoken level of wins-and-losses success your boss requires of you -- if you don't have to? Fortunately, there are still coaches around (most of them from other good programs) who share Kris Grahn's enthusiasm for making his team better by playing good opponents and risking some non-conference losses, like the one NPU suffered today. And that's why Luther and Christopher Newport decided to come to town and face Chicago and North Park this weekend rather than, say, Chicago and Elmhurst.

Quote from: NCC26 on September 19, 2021, 08:31:52 PMPlaying cupcakes don't prepare you for the speed, ball control and shooting of those teams.  Sure you can turtle up and hope for a quick counter, but the law of averages says one of those shots goes in or a pk call happens.

Exactly. But I'll add this: I've watched one entire North Central game (Friday's contest against Rhodes) and parts of a couple of others, and I can say without qualification that the Cardinals are a good-quality side, even if Dubuque is the only semi-respectable opponent they've faced thus far.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 21, 2021, 01:15:21 PM
Carthage jumps six spots in USC National polling to 16th.

https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men/ (https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men/)

CNU, who beat NP 1-0 on Sunday, moves up a spot while Hope, who the Vikings play tomorrow night, receive votes.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 21, 2021, 03:08:31 PM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 21, 2021, 01:15:21 PM
Carthage jumps six spots in USC National polling to 16th.

https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men/ (https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/rankings/college-rankings/ncaa-diii-men/)

CNU, who beat NP 1-0 on Sunday, moves up a spot while Hope, who the Vikings play tomorrow night, receive votes.
Also, North Park is no longer in the top 25 and is not listed as even receiving votes.  Or am I just not seeing them in the list?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 21, 2021, 03:23:10 PM
With the obvious exception of UAA and Centennial members, I doubt that there are many teams that have three current Top 25 teams on their schedule, as NPU does.

And since we're talking about schedules, it's worth noting that Carthage (5-1-1) has an OWP of .588, whereas North Central (8-0) has an OWP of .523. That, and the fact that one of Carthage's five victims is once-beaten #7 Calvin, plus the fact that the Firebirds have also played votes-receiving Hope, tells you why Carthage is #16 while NCC, which hasn't played anybody that's receiving votes, isn't even on a single ballot.

That doesn't mean that North Central is inferior, because I've seen enough of both of the CCIW's red-and-black teams to know that the Cardinals will be very competitive against Carthage (and against NPU and Wheaton as well). But their résumé betrays that gaudy undefeated record of theirs.

Quote from: mr_b on September 21, 2021, 03:08:31 PM
Also, North Park is no longer in the top 25 and is not listed as even receiving votes.  Or am I just not seeing them in the list?

The Vikings didn't get any votes in last week's poll, so it stood to reason that they wouldn't get any in this one, either, after a loss on Sunday. I didn't think that they'd get credit in the eyes of the USC pollsters for the fact that it was a loss to a ranked team, given that it happened on NPU's home pitch -- even if looked at in tandem with North Park's victory over previous #20 Luther on Friday. Unfortunately, my guess was correct.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on September 21, 2021, 03:25:24 PM
Quote from: mr_b on September 21, 2021, 03:08:31 PM
Also, North Park is no longer in the top 25 and is not listed as even receiving votes.  Or am I just not seeing them in the list?

They fell out after losing to Washington University.

I expected both teams to get a vote or two, but nope.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 21, 2021, 03:55:25 PM
Nice to see NPU sweep the two CCIW Player of the Week awards (https://cciw.org/news/2021/9/21/north-parks-olsen-sward-named-cciw-mens-soccer-student-athletes-of-the-week.aspx), in spite of the fact that the Vikings only went 2-1 in their three games last week.

* Peder Olsen had a decent week (two goals, three assists), but I'm sure it helped that he set new program career records for NPU in both goals and assists last week as well, as was mentioned in the CCIW press release.

* Alfred Sward logged a pair of shutouts last week; he now has four, tying him with Carthage's Christian Lekki and NCC's Sid Marquardt for the league lead in one fewer start. His save percentage isn't as gaudy as theirs or that of Wheaton's Hasten Biddlecomb, but I suspect that Alfie got the award for being well-tested by two ranked teams this past weekend.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 21, 2021, 10:45:16 PM
Knox 2, Illinois Wesleyan 0

The Titans are punchless. They spent just as much time buzzing around Knox's box as the Prairie Fire did around theirs, in fact, probably even more -- and they could do nothing with it. I don't think that the Knox keeper was seriously tested all day. When you start the season 0-4 and you only have two goals to show for those four contests, you have reason to worry about your offense.

North Central 2, Rose-Hulman 0

The Cards manufactured an efficient win. They did all the damage they needed in the sixth minute, fishing a missed header off of a long throw-in from out by the near post and sending a tight-in cross to a charging Herman Hesby coming in at the far post to deposit sphere in twine. NCC then followed up 22 minutes later with a PK goal that basically salted it away, because RHIT really was no threat at all; the Engineers mounted their only truly serious threat to score in the 89th minute. The Cardinals seemed to slacken a bit on their efforts in the forward third in the second half, but that's a mere quibble, considering how thoroughly they dominated RHIT. Rose-Hulman has definitely fallen off from the high level of stalwart play the Pachyderms were bringing to every game just a few years ago, although their dropoff as a program might be mitigated somewhat by the fact that the HCAC isn't a very good soccer league and thus RHIT might stay competitive in it. Nevertheless, this is one of NCC's better wins.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2021, 11:27:57 PM
Hope 2
North Park 1

Another heartbreaker for NPU in which the Vikings just couldn't find a way to get the equalizer goal.

Chicago was under a gale warning this afternoon and evening, with a steady 25-30 mph wind stiffening the flags. The wind was out of the north, and since Hedstrand Field is oriented along a N-S axis the game was set askew, with one side playing with a strong wind at their backs and the other going into the teeth of the wind in one half, and of course the two teams trading roles after halftime. NPU always defends the north goal in the first half by tradition, and (although I didn't say it on the air) it was really incumbent upon the Vikings to make hay with that advantage in the first half. However, in spite of the fact that Hope's GK Daniel Hasselbein dispensed with long kicks in favor of short dispersals to his defenders, several of which the Vikings nearly jumped, the Dutch played well enough to prevent the Vikings from scoring until the 42nd minute. NPU went into the half up 1-0, and I was thinking to myself, "That's not enough in these conditions, against this team."

Sometimes I hate being right. :'(

Hope took advantage of a backline miscue to get the game level within the first few minutes of the second stanza, and then eight minutes later took the lead on a perfect cross to a perfect one-touch strike that was set up by just plain sheer hustle on the part of the Dutch winger who sent in the cross. NPU didn't have as many chances as it probably needed from that point on to get the equalizer, as Hope just plain outplayed the Vikings in the second half, gale winds or no gale winds, although the Vikings did get some really good chances at the end of the game that just didn't find the back of the net.

Even though the stat sheet for the most part was dead even (shots, SOG, corners), I thought that the Vikings got outworked by a Hope team that made fewer mistakes, and which took better advantage of the opposing mistakes presented to them.

The Park stumbles into CCIW play with an unsatisfactory (tough schedule or not) 5-3 record and the knowledge that, more than ever, the Vikings are really going to have to parlay that tough early schedule into dominant league performances.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2021, 11:34:32 PM
Meanwhile, a big upset at the Beanpatch tonight as Wheaton takes down previously undefeated Chicago, 1-0. This must've been like the Concordia (IL) @ Wheaton game in reverse; the Maroons outshot Wheaton by a whopping 20 (8) to 5 (3), but the only tally was by the team that didn't have the ball in the offensive third very much. The difference is that Concordia (IL) scored early and had to spend almost the entire game making that lead stand up against a barrage of Wheaton shots, whereas tonight it was scoreless until the penultimate minute of the game, when Joey Sopikiotis struck one in to decide the game.

Unlike North Park, Wheaton will enter CCIW play carrying a ton of momentum in their favor.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2021, 11:40:24 PM
In other games:

Millikin remained winless, dropping a 2-1 decision at Illinois College.

Carthage earned a surprisingly narrow 1-0 victory over winless Lake Forest, surprising not only because LFC is struggling so badly this season but also because Carthage bossed the stat sheet so thoroughly.

Augustana won at home over Monmouth, 2-0 -- not much to brag about there, since I've seen winless Monmouth play this season and the Scots are absolutely terrible.

Elmhurst climbed back above the .500 mark with a 3-0 win over Alma at Langhorst.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: fishercats on September 23, 2021, 09:12:33 AM
I watched this one online. A few observations:

- Both of the first two goals were the result of defensive miscues. The first started with a poor pass from Hope's center back that NPU pounced on. Then on the subsequent break it appeared the second Hope cb tried to shield the ball instead of clearing it into the stands. Then the original cb appeared to make a poor recovery and was late to the rebound off the keeper. Good all around pressure by NPU that forced Hope into the miscues. The Hope goal was just a flub by the NPU defense as he missed a pass from his partner at the top of the box. The Hope forward was there and put it in the back of the net. Again, partially the result of high pressure.

- I noticed in the box score that NPU only used 4 bench players. Is this the norm? 7 players went the full 90. Hope used almost the whole bench, which may have helped them maintain a fairly high level of intensity throughout the game. With NPUs brutal schedule, and long roster, I would have thought they'd rotate more to get ready for the next phase of the season.

- Fun game to watch and the box score is almost exactly even. Except for Hope committing more fouls 13-5. 5 fouls seems pretty low for a game this competitive.

- Tough loss for NPU, but they are still among the top in this part of the country. Very good win for Hope, especially hanging in there after being down a goal. They will likely be getting a bit more attention, but their season still pivots on the Hope v Calvin game.

- Notes on the broadcast: Gregory - your broadcast team is the best in the nation by far. I appreciated the graphics and the pre and post game dialogue. It feels like a professional broadcast, but with tons of local flavor. And has been mentioned, the visit by the past player is fun, informative and real. Loved hearing him pause mid sentence to root his team on. The video quality is very good as well. However, here is some friendly feedback you can take or leave - the switching between camera angles made the game very difficult to follow and I was not able to get a sense of the overall flow of the game and the tactical positioning. The camera angles switched very frequently, often in the middle of play, interrupting the sense of what was happening. In on instance, on the first goal by Hope, the camera switched between all three angles between the time just before the Hope player struck the ball to the time it hit the back of the net. My suggestion would be to limit the use of the field level cameras to unique situations, and lean on the main camera that shows up to half the field. That  would also allow the viewer to be more in line with your commentary. However, in the end, your efforts are very much appreciated.




Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2021, 11:27:57 PM
Hope 2
North Park 1

Another heartbreaker for NPU in which the Vikings just couldn't find a way to get the equalizer goal.

Chicago was under a gale warning this afternoon and evening, with a steady 25-30 mph wind stiffening the flags. The wind was out of the north, and since Hedstrand Field is oriented along a N-S axis the game was set askew, with one side playing with a strong wind at their backs and the other going into the teeth of the wind in one half, and of course the two teams trading roles after halftime. NPU always defends the north goal in the first half by tradition, and (although I didn't say it on the air) it was really incumbent upon the Vikings to make hay with that advantage in the first half. However, in spite of the fact that Hope's GK Daniel Hasselbein dispensed with long kicks in favor of short dispersals to his defenders, several of which the Vikings nearly jumped, the Dutch played well enough to prevent the Vikings from scoring until the 42nd minute. NPU went into the half up 1-0, and I was thinking to myself, "That's not enough in these conditions, against this team."

Sometimes I hate being right. :'(

Hope took advantage of a backline miscue to get the game level within the first few minutes of the second stanza, and then eight minutes later took the lead on a perfect cross to a perfect one-touch strike that was set up by just plain sheer hustle on the part of the Dutch winger who sent in the cross. NPU didn't have as many chances as it probably needed from that point on to get the equalizer, as Hope just plain outplayed the Vikings in the second half, gale winds or no gale winds, although the Vikings did get some really good chances at the end of the game that just didn't find the back of the net.

Even though the stat sheet for the most part was dead even (shots, SOG, corners), I thought that the Vikings got outworked by a Hope team that made fewer mistakes, and which took better advantage of the opposing mistakes presented to them.

The Park stumbles into CCIW play with an unsatisfactory (tough schedule or not) 5-3 record and the knowledge that, more than ever, the Vikings are really going to have to parlay that tough early schedule into dominant league performances.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 23, 2021, 09:34:47 AM
Quote from: fishercats on September 23, 2021, 09:12:33 AM
I watched this one online. A few observations:

- Notes on the broadcast: Gregory - your broadcast team is the best in the nation by far. I appreciated the graphics and the pre and post game dialogue. It feels like a professional broadcast, but with tons of local flavor. And has been mentioned, the visit by the past player is fun, informative and real. Loved hearing him pause mid sentence to root his team on. The video quality is very good as well. However, here is some friendly feedback you can take or leave - the switching between camera angles made the game very difficult to follow and I was not able to get a sense of the overall flow of the game and the tactical positioning. The camera angles switched very frequently, often in the middle of play, interrupting the sense of what was happening. In on instance, on the first goal by Hope, the camera switched between all three angles between the time just before the Hope player struck the ball to the time it hit the back of the net. My suggestion would be to limit the use of the field level cameras to unique situations, and lean on the main camera that shows up to half the field. That  would also allow the viewer to be more in line with your commentary. However, in the end, your efforts are very much appreciated.


Thanks for the notes, fishercats. I'm in charge of broadcast production for NPU Athletics (the graphics and video switcher guy) so I'll take blame for that one. After watching the film back, I do agree with you - need to stay wider at times. I also stat the game, so sometimes I get carried away with the immersive view... actually took a break to fix something in stats when that ball was played back - thinking that there would be some dead time - and kind of spazzed out when I realized a goal was upcoming. One thing I will note is we don't have a "preview" mode, meaning fans at home are seeing the exact same thing I'm seeing, without knowing what shot our camera people have. So when there's a bit of quick switching, it's because they haven't quite steadied the shot yet. Still pretty green with some of this stuff, but I'm trying to improve each day.

I'll be better this Saturday, thanks for following!

-TW
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on September 23, 2021, 09:43:10 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 22, 2021, 11:34:32 PM
Unlike North Park, Wheaton will enter CCIW play carrying a ton of momentum in their favor.

I was going to jokingly advise you not to worry as Washington University was on the schedule immediately prior to CCIW play.  I decided to double check and sure enough, the game rescheduled for next Monday has been cancelled.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on September 23, 2021, 12:05:50 PM
Fishercats, your post above strikes me as absurdly good.  Excellent, succinct observations....capped off by very generous praise and then generous constructive feedback re: the broadcast.

I watched the last 25 or so minutes (after all the goals already scored).  During that span -- except for the last 60-75 seconds when NP nearly scored twice -- I thought Hope did a good job of disrupting NP before they could get serious possession and real threats going, often keeping NP backed into their own final third.  Your comment about the fouls fits for me as well.  Hope seemed more aggressive/physical, winning a significant majority of 50/50 and even 40/60 balls.  I didn't notice the subbing but your point there also seems salient especially given NP being described as 2-3 deep with very good to exceptional players at every position.

NP should be fine.  And my bet is that Calvin and Hope will be NCAA-tourney bound.  As I presume was expected, Brandt has elevated the Hope program back to prominence.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: fishercats on September 23, 2021, 12:09:50 PM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 23, 2021, 09:34:47 AM

Thanks for the notes, fishercats. I'm in charge of broadcast production for NPU Athletics (the graphics and video switcher guy) so I'll take blame for that one. After watching the film back, I do agree with you - need to stay wider at times. I also stat the game, so sometimes I get carried away with the immersive view... actually took a break to fix something in stats when that ball was played back - thinking that there would be some dead time - and kind of spazzed out when I realized a goal was upcoming. One thing I will note is we don't have a "preview" mode, meaning fans at home are seeing the exact same thing I'm seeing, without knowing what shot our camera people have. So when there's a bit of quick switching, it's because they haven't quite steadied the shot yet. Still pretty green with some of this stuff, but I'm trying to improve each day.

I'll be better this Saturday, thanks for following!

-TW

I appreciate the response...always worried about how comments will be received. I also realize that sometimes feedback is never offered. Again, your production team is really on the leading edge - graphics, interviews, and one of the best live stats pages out there (I like the "minutes played" stat). And you probably have multiple types of audiences to accommodate. My perspective is more along the lines of a coach/parent who wants to see the tactical set up and how plays evolve. Thanks.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on September 23, 2021, 12:44:35 PM
Quote from: fishercats on September 23, 2021, 12:09:50 PM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 23, 2021, 09:34:47 AM

Thanks for the notes, fishercats. I'm in charge of broadcast production for NPU Athletics (the graphics and video switcher guy) so I'll take blame for that one. After watching the film back, I do agree with you - need to stay wider at times. I also stat the game, so sometimes I get carried away with the immersive view... actually took a break to fix something in stats when that ball was played back - thinking that there would be some dead time - and kind of spazzed out when I realized a goal was upcoming. One thing I will note is we don't have a "preview" mode, meaning fans at home are seeing the exact same thing I'm seeing, without knowing what shot our camera people have. So when there's a bit of quick switching, it's because they haven't quite steadied the shot yet. Still pretty green with some of this stuff, but I'm trying to improve each day.

I'll be better this Saturday, thanks for following!

-TW

I appreciate the response...always worried about how comments will be received. I also realize that sometimes feedback is never offered. Again, your production team is really on the leading edge - graphics, interviews, and one of the best live stats pages out there (I like the "minutes played" stat). And you probably have multiple types of audiences to accommodate. My perspective is more along the lines of a coach/parent who wants to see the tactical set up and how plays evolve. Thanks.

Always open to constructive criticism! I'm self-taught with this production stuff, so always happy to learn and hear what people think.

You're not the first person to suggest I stay on the wide shot more often, so I'll definitely focus on that Saturday. Tune back in and let me know what you think!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on September 23, 2021, 12:46:03 PM
Quote from: fishercats on September 23, 2021, 12:09:50 PM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on September 23, 2021, 09:34:47 AM

Thanks for the notes, fishercats. I'm in charge of broadcast production for NPU Athletics (the graphics and video switcher guy) so I'll take blame for that one. After watching the film back, I do agree with you - need to stay wider at times. I also stat the game, so sometimes I get carried away with the immersive view... actually took a break to fix something in stats when that ball was played back - thinking that there would be some dead time - and kind of spazzed out when I realized a goal was upcoming. One thing I will note is we don't have a "preview" mode, meaning fans at home are seeing the exact same thing I'm seeing, without knowing what shot our camera people have. So when there's a bit of quick switching, it's because they haven't quite steadied the shot yet. Still pretty green with some of this stuff, but I'm trying to improve each day.

I'll be better this Saturday, thanks for following!

-TW

I appreciate the response...always worried about how comments will be received. I also realize that sometimes feedback is never offered. Again, your production team is really on the leading edge - graphics, interviews, and one of the best live stats pages out there (I like the "minutes played" stat). And you probably have multiple types of audiences to accommodate. My perspective is more along the lines of a coach/parent who wants to see the tactical set up and how plays evolve. Thanks.
I also second Paul Newman's sentiments.  I don't post on this board very much but I do follow it when I can.  I appreciate cogent observations and thoughtful suggestions for improving media delivery.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 23, 2021, 01:24:28 PM
I think that the comments about NPU's shortened rotation last night are fair. Kris Grahn has used 31 players thus far this season, which is a huge number for any team, but 13 or 14 of them only saw time at the end of blowout wins. They're obviously players that Kris wouldn't feel comfortable using yet against a team of Hope's abilities with the game on the line. I'm not sure why last night he declined to use Isak Esfandyari, who had played in five previous games and started three of them (and who can play either D or M), or midfielder Osvaldo Espinosa, who had also appeared in five games. It's possible that they weren't available; NPU has endured a rash of injuries that have sidelined numerous players this season, including two-time All-Region holding mid Ulrik Lund (who has yet to play a game), D1 transfer Johan Björck (who likewise has yet to suit up for a game), D1 transfer Noel Holm (missed three games to injury before coming in last night as a sub), and striker Isak Flo (concussed in Sunday's game against CNU). And that's just the ones that I know about.

NPU could use a bye right about now. The Vikings are in the top 15% of D3 in terms of games played to date, and only Calvin and Defiance (10 games apiece), and Adrian, Averett, Baldwin Wallace, DePauw, Finlandia, Greensboro, Greenville, Illinois Tech, Lake Forest, Merchant Marine, North Central, Ripon, Stockton, Wabash, and Western Connecticut (nine games apiece) have played more. But the Vikings aren't going to get one for awhile, so they're just going to have to soldier through it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 26, 2021, 01:23:07 AM
North Park 4
Illinois Wesleyan 1

I figured that after playing Luther, Christopher Newport, and Hope in succession over the past eight days that IWU would look slow and unskilled this evening by comparison, and, while nobody attached to the Vikings would voice that sentiment, I suspect that that was exactly the case tonight. After a ragged start, the Vikings ended up running the show for most of the contest. It was especially gratifying to see NPU break through and score a couple of goals off of short free kicks, as they had a pile of those against those three ranked teams that they couldn't convert. Two of those FKs were off of the right foot of Gustav Ericsson; congrats to him for becoming the eighth Viking in program history to record three assists in one game (Kris Grahn did it twice).

If you're Illinois Wesleyan, you got on the bus and headed back to Bloomington at least consoled by the fact that you upped your goals per game average.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 26, 2021, 01:36:25 AM
Wheaton massacred Alma, 7-0, in Wheaton.

The other two outcomes were surprising ties. North Central suffered its first blemish of the season by being held to a scoreless draw by Elmhurst at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium, despite outshooting the 'jays 28 (10) to 4 (1) and outcornering them 11-3. I'm curious as to whether or not Dave Di Tomasso parked the bus in that one.

In Decatur, Carthage ended up drawing with winless Millikin, in spite of even more lopsided shooting and corner numbers than were statted in the EU @ NCC contest -- 31 (15) to 6 (3) and 14-3, respectively. Carthage broke the scoreless tie in the 81st minute and the Firebirds must've felt that they were home-free -- until MU scored a goal with only 45 seconds left in regulation, that is.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deepthroat on September 26, 2021, 02:29:15 PM
Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I'm kind of surprised IWU isn't better at soccer. It seems like they should be.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 26, 2021, 03:21:22 PM
Quote from: deepthroat on September 26, 2021, 02:29:15 PM
Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I'm kind of surprised IWU isn't better at soccer. It seems like they should be.

Why?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2021, 04:51:13 PM
NCC bounced back from the surprising draw it suffered the day before by dispensing with Aurora yesterday, 2-0, without too much fuss.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deepthroat on September 27, 2021, 05:37:03 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 26, 2021, 03:21:22 PM
Quote from: deepthroat on September 26, 2021, 02:29:15 PM
Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I'm kind of surprised IWU isn't better at soccer. It seems like they should be.

Why?

Just seems like they should be. They're good at a lot of sports, seems like soccer would be up their alley.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on September 27, 2021, 06:12:31 PM
Illinois Wesleyan is usually better at soccer, yes.

Good not great.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2021, 06:13:33 PM
IWU is good at a lot of sports, true. But it's not good at all of them, so the success of the Titans shouldn't be assumed in this case. (I'd be more surprised if North Central wasn't good at this sport, since NCC has taken over from Augustana in recent years as the unofficial all-sports king of this league.) IWU head coach Kyle Schauls is working the same Chicagoland suburban recruiting turf as is everybody else in this league (Wheaton excepted), plus the immediate Bloomington/Normal area, so it's not as though he's neglecting some primary recruiting area that the rest of his IWU coaching peers are hitting.

In fairness to Schauls, and to be completely honest, this is one of the few sports in which the CCIW is lagging a bit. In most sports, men or women, the CCIW is among the premier leagues in all of D3. That's not true in men's soccer, however; the CCIW is a middling conference in this sport. It's better now than it was during the first decade and a half of CCIW men's soccer play, in which the league consisted of Wheaton and a bunch of nonentities that ranged from average quality (Augustana and North Central) to barely competent and sometimes incompetent, with Wheaton hardly having to break a sweat whenever it took to the pitch against a CCIW foe. That changed completely with the rise of North Park under John Born in the early 2000s, and with Carthage's rise under Steve Domin a bit after that, and both NPU and Carthage have continued to be successful since then in large part due to coaching continuity. (Wheaton fell off a bit during the recently-ended DeClute era, but anybody who believes that the Orange and Blue will not return to the status quo ante of being a power in this region is fooling himself.) North Central, which hired an excellent, proven D3 coach not too long ago in Enzo Fuschino, appears to be on the rise, but the right thing to do with regard to the Cardinals is to withhold judgment until they start beating ranked (regional or national) teams.

Everybody else in this league seems to be in a constant holding pattern, including Illinois Wesleyan ... and that's just not the CCIW way. This is a league in which either excellence or an aspiration to excellence is expected of every team, regardless of sport (whether it's actually there or not). But I just don't get the sense that a lot of CCIW men's soccer head coaches have their feet held to the fire in terms of whether or not they're succeeding -- or their ADs judge the men's soccer coaches differently than they do the coaches in other sports by being willing to accept 9-8-1 or 6-9-2 seasons stocked mostly with fistfuls of non-conference wins over lower-half MWC, SLIAC, and NACC teams as representing "success" for a CCIW men's soccer team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 27, 2021, 06:28:26 PM
Quote from: WUPHF on September 27, 2021, 06:12:31 PM
Illinois Wesleyan is usually better at soccer, yes.

Good not great.

Over the past decade the Titans have made four of ten CCIW tourneys and have averaged a +1 in the won-loss department in terms of overall record. They've never played in the D3 tourney, and the only time that they've ever made it to the CCIW tourney championship game (2019) they got there by winning a PK shootout after a scoreless-tie semifinal game, and they were seriously overmatched in the championship game by a North Park team that shook off a surprise IWU goal in the first minute by coming back with a brace of tallies and then playing keepaway for the entire second half. (Seriously, there were guys out there in green kits that I'm not sure even touched the ball in the second half.)

"Good" strikes me as a bit of an overstatement. Illinois Wesleyan has been slightly above average in a league that as a whole is slightly above average.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on September 28, 2021, 10:39:12 AM
Illinois Wesleyan is usually better at soccer, yes.

Pretty good not great.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2021, 11:11:19 AM
(https://thumbs.gfycat.com/SpecificOilyBoubou-max-1mb.gif)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 28, 2021, 10:28:38 PM
Elmhurst was dumped by Dubuque this evening over in the Hawkeye State, 3-1.

Illinois Wesleyan trounced inept Monmouth, 4-0, at Neis Field, for the first Titans win of the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2021, 12:33:23 AM
North Park 4
Carthage 0

Playing Carthage always puts my stomach in knots. No other team in the CCIW over the past half-dozen seasons has had NPU's number nearly as much as Carthage has. And although I've seen this year's edition of the Firebirds play pretty unevenly a few times, I also saw them take it to Calvin. Steve Domin has a very talented team this year, albeit one that's a bit too young at this point to be consistent night in and night out.

I shouldn't have worried so much. North Park absolutely bossed the Firebirds from one endline to the other for all ninety minutes. NPU controlled the ball at at least a 70/30 rate, and Carthage didn't even get off a single shot during the first half. They ended the game with only three of them, despite the fact that Kris Grahn had his second team on the pitch for the game's final 20 minutes; NPU outshot CC by a 26 (14) to 3 (1) count. Peder Olsen became the first Viking ever to record three hat tricks in his career -- his second and third goals were off well-deserved PKs -- and Erik Lundeen finally shrugged off his tough-luck start and potted his first goal of the season.

If the Vikings can maintain tonight's level of play -- which is a very big "if" -- they'll run the table in the CCIW.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2021, 12:45:44 AM
Wheaton posted similarly lopsided numbers against punchless Augustana -- a 14-1 bulge in corners is pretty ridiculous -- and came away with a 2-0 win at the Beanpatch. North Park (2-0) and Wheaton (1-0) are the only unblemished teams in league play, and we're only two CCIW game dates into the schedule. To be fair, Carroll has yet to play a conference game.

Speaking of the Pios, they easily handled Lawrence this evening, 2-0, up in Appleton. Carroll is now 7-1 this season, but the OWP of the Pios is an abysmal .415, so don't take their W-L record very seriously just yet.

And in the other CCIW contest, North Central had an easy time of it with Millikin at Benedetti-Wehrli, winning 2-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on September 30, 2021, 01:18:31 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2021, 12:33:23 AM
North Park 4
Carthage 0

Playing Carthage always puts my stomach in knots. No other team in the CCIW over the past half-dozen seasons has had NPU's number nearly as much as Carthage has. And although I've seen this year's edition of the Firebirds play pretty unevenly a few times, I also saw them take it to Calvin. Steve Domin has a very talented team this year, albeit one that's a bit too young at this point to be consistent night in and night out.

I shouldn't have worried so much. North Park absolutely bossed the Firebirds from one endline to the other for all ninety minutes. NPU controlled the ball at at least a 70/30 rate, and Carthage didn't even get off a single shot during the first half. They ended the game with only three of them, despite the fact that Kris Grahn had his second team on the pitch for the game's final 20 minutes; NPU outshot CC by a 26 (14) to 3 (1) count. Peder Olsen became the first Viking ever to record three hat tricks in his career -- his second and third goals were off well-deserved PKs -- and Erik Lundeen finally shrugged off his tough-luck start and potted his first goal of the season.

If the Vikings can maintain tonight's level of play -- which is a very big "if" -- they'll run the table in the CCIW.

Greg, what do you make of Domin's quote in the Carthage writeup (the wild game, traveling uphill part)? Looks like Carthage (and the bench) got a fair share of cards tonight as well.
https://athletics.carthage.edu/news/2021/9/29/mens-soccer-carthage-falls-at-north-park.aspx
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 30, 2021, 02:12:31 AM
Carthage (and, eventually, Steve Domin) came unglued tonight, it's as simple as that. The very brief gamer to which you linked makes a point of talking about the Carthage goal in the eighth minute that got called back, but it was called back because of a patently obvious penalty -- Carthage's Collin Moran ran right into NPU keeper Alfred Sward and knocked him down as Sward was reaching for the ball. If that's to what Domin referred when he said that his team was "traveling uphill out of the gate," then that's pretty weak sauce. The only reason why his team was traveling uphill out of the gate was because they couldn't get their feet on the ball all night.

It did get a little wild, to be sure. Carthage's Omar Cordova got a yellow with only 21 seconds left in the first half when Angel Barriga motored past him and Cordova tripped him from behind. That became a problem in the 53rd minute when Jesse Anamoo was tripped in the box, setting up Peder Olsen's second PK attempt. Cordova got in the face of referee Cesar Ibarra and protested too vehemently, getting sent off for his trouble with a second-yellow red, which left Carthage down a man for the rest of the contest. Carthage keeper Christian Lekki blocked Olsen's initial try, but then the near-side assistant ref said that Lekki had left his line prior to Olsen striking the ball. I've watched it a couple of times on my copy of the game film, and it did appear that Lekki jumped over the line a fraction of a second too early. I can't remember the last time I've seen that called, so I'm not convinced that assistant refs monitor that particular aspect of a PK all that carefully -- but this time it was called, which necessitated a replay. Olsen found the back of the net on the replay, making the score 3-0, and Domin was apoplectic. His assistant had to step in front of Domin and hold him back as he was screaming at Ibarra. (Naturally, Domin got a yellow himself for his pains.)

Bottom line: Carthage was badly outplayed, and, being a young team, the Firebirds compounded that problem by shooting themselves in the foot with costly penalties and cards and a loss of composure. Instead of complaining about calls and "traveling uphill out of the gate," you'd think that the Carthage coach, whom I do respect quite a bit, would be more focused upon the fact that his team couldn't even get off a shot in the first half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2021, 11:49:36 PM
North Park 8
Elmhurst 0

No trap game here for NPU, as the Vikings registered both the program's most lopsided CCIW road win ever and the highest score and biggest winning margin North Park has ever registered in a road game (tied with wins at MacMurray in 2007 and Albion in 2019 that were also 8-0 romps). The Vikings put on a set-piece clinic tonight, scoring two goals off of corner headers, a penalty kick, and two goals catalyzed by midrange direct freebies (the second one was a sneaky play by William DeCarro in which everybody was walking into position and he was bending over to re-place the ball -- he suddenly pushed the ball to his left, right to where Angel Barriga was standing, and one quick touch and a 29-yard blast later, Barriga had Noah Reed fishing the ball out of the back of the EU net). The first goal was about as pretty as you'll ever see; North Park right back Jostein Blindheim sent a 35-yard diagonal line drive of a pass down the pitch right onto Peder Olsen, who took it in full stride and didn't even bother settling the ball. He simply one-touched a parabola from 20 yards out or so that arced down behind the hapless Reed, even though he was barely off his line.

Can't say that I feel terribly bad about this massacre, because there's certainly no love lost between these two soccer programs. And there's no cause for accusing the Vikings of running up the score; Kris Grahn pulled his starters with 20 minutes remaining. The eighth goal was scored by the Vikings second-teamers.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2021, 12:29:36 AM
Two big games played this evening, with interesting results. North Central and Carthage had a showdown up at Keller Field, and the Cardinals managed to keep the Firebirds mired in their scoring drought, as NCC got back on the bus with a 1-0 win in their back pockets. Carthage just doesn't seem to have much punch lately, as the hosts only managed one shot on frame the entire night. They fall to 6-3-2, 0-2-1, and need to do some soul-searching. Meanwhile, North Central finally has a legit win on its ledger, and the Cards remain unbeaten in CCIW play. They're now 12-0-1, 2-0-1.

The other big game was also played north of the Cheddar Curtain, as Wheaton traveled to Schneider Stadium in Waukesha to take on Carroll. Wheaton got a goal in the 55th minute from Michael Martens, and, given the lack of respect I have for the Pioneers, I figured that WC would make that lead hold up. I may need to rethink my opinion of Carroll soccer, because the Pioneers didn't fold, and they eventually got the equalizer on a strike from Josh Gonzaga in the 83rd minute. Two overtimes later, the CCIW's two orange-and-blue schools walked off the Schneider pitch with a 1-1 draw to show for their pains. Wheaton is now 6-1-1, 1-0-1 heading into the big rivalry showdown with NPU Wednesday evening in the western suburbs, while the Pios are now 7-1-1, 0-0-1 and are apparently better than their tissue-thin résumé would seem to indicate.

Elsewhere, Millikin traveled to Augustana and came away with its first win of the season, topping Augie by a 2-1 score. And Illinois Wesleyan went to the other side of the lake and was handled by Calvin to the tune of 3-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 03, 2021, 08:26:45 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2021, 11:49:36 PM
North Park 8
Elmhurst 0

No trap game here for NPU, as the Vikings registered both the program's most lopsided CCIW road win ever and the highest score and biggest winning margin North Park has ever registered in a road game (tied with wins at MacMurray in 2007 and Albion in 2019 that were also 8-0 romps). The Vikings put on a set-piece clinic tonight, scoring two goals off of corner headers, a penalty kick, and two goals catalyzed by midrange direct freebies (the second one was a sneaky play by William DeCarro in which everybody was walking into position and he was bending over to re-place the ball -- he suddenly pushed the ball to his left, right to where Angel Barriga was standing, and one quick touch and a 29-yard blast later, Barriga had Noah Reed fishing the ball out of the back of the EU net). The first goal was about as pretty as you'll ever see; North Park right back Jostein Blindheim sent a 35-yard diagonal line drive of a pass down the pitch right onto Peder Olsen, who took it in full stride and didn't even bother settling the ball. He simply one-touched a parabola from 20 yards out or so that arced down behind the hapless Reed, even though he was barely off his line.

Can't say that I feel terribly bad about this massacre, because there's certainly no love lost between these two soccer programs. And there's no cause for accusing the Vikings of running up the score; Kris Grahn pulled his starters with 20 minutes remaining. The eighth goal was scored by the Vikings second-teamers.

Olson's  goal

https://twitter.com/VikingsNPU/status/1444478422848245760?s=19
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 05:17:50 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2021, 11:49:36 PM
North Park 8
Elmhurst 0

No trap game here for NPU, as the Vikings registered both the program's most lopsided CCIW road win ever and the highest score and biggest winning margin North Park has ever registered in a road game (tied with wins at MacMurray in 2007 and Albion in 2019 that were also 8-0 romps). The Vikings put on a set-piece clinic tonight, scoring two goals off of corner headers, a penalty kick, and two goals catalyzed by midrange direct freebies (the second one was a sneaky play by William DeCarro in which everybody was walking into position and he was bending over to re-place the ball -- he suddenly pushed the ball to his left, right to where Angel Barriga was standing, and one quick touch and a 29-yard blast later, Barriga had Noah Reed fishing the ball out of the back of the EU net). The first goal was about as pretty as you'll ever see; North Park right back Jostein Blindheim sent a 35-yard diagonal line drive of a pass down the pitch right onto Peder Olsen, who took it in full stride and didn't even bother settling the ball. He simply one-touched a parabola from 20 yards out or so that arced down behind the hapless Reed, even though he was barely off his line.

Can't say that I feel terribly bad about this massacre, because there's certainly no love lost between these two soccer programs. And there's no cause for accusing the Vikings of running up the score; Kris Grahn pulled his starters with 20 minutes remaining. The eighth goal was scored by the Vikings second-teamers.

Wow.  What a historical achievement.  Wouldn't bother me if NP won 15-0, but pretty quick on the trigger to foreclose any talk of "running up the score."  Especially after drooling over the trick play for goal #7 in the 70th minute (which lol you also wanted to credit to Olsen).  But yeah, at least the subs got the 8th one.  20 minutes for the subs I'm sure was appreciated even though 35 of them didn't get in.  Also looks like the NP GK went the distance.  No other GKs among the 35 players who didn't see action? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2021, 09:14:48 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 05:17:50 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 02, 2021, 11:49:36 PM
North Park 8
Elmhurst 0

No trap game here for NPU, as the Vikings registered both the program's most lopsided CCIW road win ever and the highest score and biggest winning margin North Park has ever registered in a road game (tied with wins at MacMurray in 2007 and Albion in 2019 that were also 8-0 romps). The Vikings put on a set-piece clinic tonight, scoring two goals off of corner headers, a penalty kick, and two goals catalyzed by midrange direct freebies (the second one was a sneaky play by William DeCarro in which everybody was walking into position and he was bending over to re-place the ball -- he suddenly pushed the ball to his left, right to where Angel Barriga was standing, and one quick touch and a 29-yard blast later, Barriga had Noah Reed fishing the ball out of the back of the EU net). The first goal was about as pretty as you'll ever see; North Park right back Jostein Blindheim sent a 35-yard diagonal line drive of a pass down the pitch right onto Peder Olsen, who took it in full stride and didn't even bother settling the ball. He simply one-touched a parabola from 20 yards out or so that arced down behind the hapless Reed, even though he was barely off his line.

Can't say that I feel terribly bad about this massacre, because there's certainly no love lost between these two soccer programs. And there's no cause for accusing the Vikings of running up the score; Kris Grahn pulled his starters with 20 minutes remaining. The eighth goal was scored by the Vikings second-teamers.

Wow.  What a historical achievement.  Wouldn't bother me if NP won 15-0, but pretty quick on the trigger to foreclose any talk of "running up the score."

Look at the PBP on the box score. (https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/stats/2021/elmhurst-university/boxscore/3853) Kris Grahn took Peder Olsen out of the game for good in the 55th minute, when NPU was up 5-0. After Gustav Ericsson's PK goal in the 64th minute, Grahn immediately subbed out Ericsson and Erik Lundeen, and less than three minutes later he subbed out his entire back line as well as striker Jesse Anamoo. Then, as I said in the earlier post, he finished the job by removing the rest of the NPU field starters (Tobias Lunde, William DeCarro, and Angel Barriga) in the 70th minute, although the Elmhurst live stats operator didn't punch in the latter two substitutions for a couple of minutes. I watched the entire game once it was archived by EU last night, and I can vouch for the fact that the only NPU starter left in the contest after 69:09 was goalkeeper Alfie Sward.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 05:17:50 PMEspecially after drooling over the trick play for goal #7 in the 70th minute (which lol you also wanted to credit to Olsen).

How does my "drooling" have anything to do with the Vikings supposedly running up the score? I consider what DeCarro did on that seventh goal to be anything but running up the score. Quick-start free kicks are SOP in soccer. One of the first things you're taught as a novice is to stay sharp on defense in a free-kick situation because of quick starts. Why do you think that defenders frequently hover over the ball until they're chased away by the ref before a free kick? They're giving their teammates time to get into position and prepare. What DeCarro did was sneaky in the sense that he figured that the Bluejays were in a mental fog and decided to test his suspicion ... but you can't really call something that happens dozens of times in every game a "trick play."

It's no different than the quarterback changing his cadence in football when the offensive team is ahead by seven touchdowns in the fourth quarter and you, the other team, and everybody including the cheerleaders and the popcorn vendors, are all well aware that the play is going to be a handoff up the middle. The winning team is both running down the play clock and calling the easiest play in football to defend as a sportsmanlike courtesy to get the game over with while not actually insulting the losing team by ceasing to play football by taking a knee after every snap. But that doesn't mean that you, as a QB, have to stop changing cadence when calling signals before the snap, even though everyone's aware that you'll be running down the play clock to the bare minimum before you call for the snap. In other words, if the other team falls asleep while the game is still going on, even in prevent-running-up-the-score mode, they deserve whatever misfortune they draw upon themselves -- in the case of football, by jumping offside, and in the case of soccer, by failing to anticipate a quick start off of a freebie.

When DeCarro quick-started, Elmhurst midfielder Brady Lucas was two yards directly in front of him ... with his back turned. In the three seconds it took between DeCarro's quick-start tap and Barriga's shot going in, some of the EU players moved in response but several of them didn't even move at all. And, while Barriga struck the ball with pace, from that distance it was still easily defensible. All Elmhurst GK Noah Reed had to do was slide one more step to his right. He didn't do so. Instead, he reached out his arms to his right to grab the ball -- and it went right through his hands. Seriously, right through his hands.

Nobody ought to have any sympathy for EU, because that wasn't a case of the Vikings being superior. That was a case of Elmhurst mentally checking out and allowing a goal that they shouldn't have. Heck, even after the goal the Bluejays looked like they were sleepwalking. They didn't get mad either at the Vikings or at each other for getting caught with their pants down. They just shuffled back to the centerline like they were prisoners on a chain gang.

And, OK, so sue me for first posting that it was Olsen rather than DeCarro who did the quick start. I plead force of habit. ;) I was well aware that it was DeCarro.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 05:17:50 PMBut yeah, at least the subs got the 8th one.  20 minutes for the subs I'm sure was appreciated even though 35 of them didn't get in.

Are you agitating for teams with large rosters to be allowed to continue games past ninety minutes so that everybody gets to play? Sheesh, and I thought that the everybody-gets-a-participation-trophy mentality was blessedly absent from college athletics. ;)

NPU's traveling squad is considerably smaller than the full roster. The program has a JV team that has its own schedule and thus travels independently; the JV team usually sits as a group in the stands within Foster's Finest (the NPU student section) during varsity home games. I can assure you that there were 22 NPU field players (one of the players entered in the box score was an error, as that player is injured) on the bus to and from Elmhurst yesterday, and all 22 of them got into the game.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 05:17:50 PMAlso looks like the NP GK went the distance.  No other GKs among the 35 players who didn't see action?

Yes, Sward went the distance. My surmise is that he's been tested so little since CCIW play started that Kris Grahn wanted to give him the chance to be sharpened a little, on the possibility that the EU regulars might be able to challenge Sward more without the Vikings starters in the game. Turns out that that didn't happen, as the NPU reserves also controlled the run of play. In the last game against Carthage, however, Grahn subbed out Sward when he emptied the bench with 20 minutes to go, putting freshman backup Oskar Rydberg in at GK. But thanks for taking such an active interest in the feelings of all of the Vikings on the roster who didn't see the pitch last night. ::)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PM
LOL....a lot of words, Greg.

I'll just say that the issues raised never would have been raised if you hadn't raised them.  The abuse of the concept of a historical achievement also was a little over the top.  Like historical would be NP beating Tufts 5-0 in the national final.  Your reasoning in paragraphs two thru four is tortured.  Standard quick-play just to initiate play, but see an opening so make it a more intentional quick-play, but that wasn't advantageous, but it was taking advantage after all...a little circular.  And you're now saying the 7th goal slipped thru the GK's hands whereas before we heard with gleeful amazement about a 29 yards blast that the "hapless" guy was "fishing out of the back of the net." 

And keeping 60 kids on your roster IS a participation trophy mentality (and what a lazy cultural meme to inject).  Or, maybe some schools/coaches have a certain value system or "faith" or commitment to developing young men or whatever that they rely on in having a philosophy about not cutting kids.   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2021, 11:09:09 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PM
LOL....a lot of words, Greg.

I'll just say that the issues raised never would have been raised if you hadn't raised them.

As my niece likes to say, "Whatevs." :D

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PMThe abuse of the concept of a historical achievement also was a little over the top.

"Abuse"? It was an historic achievement, by definition. It altered the school's record book. Can't see why you consider that to be abusive.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PMLike historical would be NP beating Tufts 5-0 in the national final.

That would be historic for the exact same reason -- because it would be altering the record book, in this case tying the D3 tournament record for largest winning margin in a national championship game set in 1985 and equaled two years later. And while I would much rather see NPU be on the fat side of tying that particular record, against Tufts or anybody else -- hey, a guy can dream, can't he? -- than tying the much more pedestrian record of largest-ever road win, it's merely a difference in degree (i.e., national record book as opposed to NPU's record book), not in kind.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PMYour reasoning in paragraphs two thru four is tortured.  Standard quick-play just to initiate play, but see an opening so make it a more intentional quick-play, but that wasn't advantageous, but it was taking advantage after all...a little circular.

Neither tortured nor circular. It wasn't about seeing an opening (i.e., a gap in the defense), it was about noticing that the other team was sonambulistic. If anybody was insulting the sport of soccer in those three seconds and the moments preceding them, it was Elmhurst rather than North Park. If you're on the field and the clock is running, you're supposed to be playing the game. When you mentally check out while you're still on the field and the game is live, you deserve to get whatever's coming to you, regardless of the score.

If you want to accuse NPU of taking advantage of the Bluejays for being lackadaisical and, frankly, disrespectful for not even paying attention to what was going on in plain sight, then I'll agree to that. Guilty as charged.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PMAnd you're now saying the 7th goal slipped thru the GK's hands whereas before we heard with gleeful amazement about a 29 yards blast that the "hapless" guy was "fishing out of the back of the net." 

How are those two things not in accord? They don't negate each other. Reed let a well-struck but very catchable shot go right through his hands, without his body to back up his hands, and, yeah, he was most definitely hapless, in the sense that he would've certainly been more aware of what he was doing if the game was competitive. Despite last night's performance, Reed's actually not that bad of a goalkeeper.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PMAnd keeping 60 kids on your roster IS a participation trophy mentality (and what a lazy cultural meme to inject).

Vehemently disagree on both counts.

First of all, it's not about "keeping" anything. It's standard policy at NPU not to force tryouts or cut people. If you want to play soccer at North Park, you'll get a uniform and you'll be listed on the roster. None of NPU's athletics programs cut people just for the sake of trimming rosters, because, as is true of a lot of D3 institutions, NPU is tuition-driven and relies upon athletics to draw students. A fairly high percentage of the undergraduate body at NPU consists of student-athletes, and, again, that's true of a lot of tuition-driven D3 schools. It's why the likes of North Central and Carthage carry 150 players on their football teams, and it's why Adrian sponsors more sports than I can count offhand, including some with which I'm barely familiar.

Here's what you won't get if you want to be a North Park soccer player: Promises. Nobody promises you varsity playing time, or even that you'll ever earn a spot on the varsity. The reason why the roster is so large is because so many players self-recruit. Kris Grahn and his staff didn't expend much energy, if any, into getting a lot of those guys onto the North Park roster. NPU's success has drawn a lot of attention, especially locally, and a lot of kids want to be a part of that success whether they're actively pursued in the recruiting process or not. That's no different than what you see at a lot of different D3 schools with successful programs in this sport or that. A great many of these players will fall by the wayside once they realize that they'll never be good enough to ever play varsity, or once the hard work that they're putting in doesn't seem justified by the amount of time that they're getting in JV games. And so they leave the program. That's how it works throughout D3, not just at North Park. I just hope that those who leave the program stay in school and find something else to focus upon, or at least transfer to a school with a less successful program where they'll get playing time. The bottom line is always graduation. NPU isn't going to keep all sixty of its players all the way from freshman year thru senior year any more than Mount Union will carry the 181 (?!) players on its football team from freshman year thru senior year.

But it's all about the choices that students make with their eyes wide open, knowing their own abilities and their own chances to play, and the price that they pay in tuition to do so. The point is to not deceive them with false promises.

And the whole participation-trophy thing is very real with Millennials and Gen Zers. I have lots of friends who've coached youth leagues in various sports, and they complain about this entitlement mentality all the time. Thing is, it has nothing to do with NPU men's soccer. If you consider having your name and picture on the online roster and possession of a uniform to be an entitlement, then my reply is that that's pretty thin gruel when you consider how much money you're paying for the privilege.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 10:02:44 PMOr, maybe some schools/coaches have a certain value system or "faith" or commitment to developing young men or whatever that they rely on in having a philosophy about not cutting kids.

That's entirely possible, although I've never heard any coach cite mentoring as the driver behind roster retention. The best coaches do want to mentor their players, but, realistically, the ability to do so is contingent upon the sport in question. It's much easier to play a large part in the lives of your players if you're a basketball coach than a soccer coach, simply because of the numbers involved.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PM
Wow.  It seems that it's not even conceivable to you that you could be wrong (about anything).  You're telling me the facts and truth, so you're right, I'm wrong, end of story.

Kenyon beat Muskingum this year 10-0.  That was a lot but didn't bother me.  For one thing, because that's my team and I'm biased and another reason because some of the players don't always get to play and I would lament those players getting in but not getting a chance to actually do stuff and score if in a position to score.  But I wouldn't like Kenyon or any fan making a big deal about it even if there was some record (I have no idea and don't care).  If the recap mentioned that in passing then fine, but trying to assign some designation as actually meaningful in some way that deserves making a big deal of it would be embarrassing to me and trivial.  Again, I wouldn't have minded if NP beat Elmhurst 12-0.  Just own it.

Again, your thing about "if anything Elmhurst was guilty of disrespecting the game in which case NP can do whatever it wants" didn't make any more sense this time around.  If Brady is up 45-7 with a minute left (the other very odd kind of example you used) and is planning to kneel but sees defenders out of place or "somnolent" I don't think he fakes the kneel and then throws a touchdown.  I get it.  NP is phenomenal in every possible way and no word can say anything with even a whiff of a possibly negative word.

And in your response about participation trophies, you said that NP (and other schools) have a "everyone can participate" rule (kind of the definition of the participation medal culture thing you carelessly bemoaned).  Now you suggested the reason for that policy is economic, but are you also stating that it's ONLY economic?  Not related to any human or spiritual values that are supposedly part of the school's mission?  See how that works?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 04, 2021, 12:58:25 AM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PM
Wow.  It seems that it's not even conceivable to you that you could be wrong (about anything).  You're telling me the facts and truth, so you're right, I'm wrong, end of story.

Really? An ad hominem? I expect more from you than that, PN. I'm serious. You're better than that.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PMKenyon beat Muskingum this year 10-0.  That was a lot but didn't bother me.  For one thing, because that's my team and I'm biased and another reason because some of the players don't always get to play and I would lament those players getting in but not getting a chance to actually do stuff and score if in a position to score.  But I wouldn't like Kenyon or any fan making a big deal about it even if there was some record (I have no idea and don't care).  If the recap mentioned that in passing then fine, but trying to assign some designation as actually meaningful in some way that deserves making a big deal of it would be embarrassing to me and trivial.

This is a pretty picayune and subjective criticism. I don't consider what I posted to be a big deal at all, as it took up a grand total of half a sentence in my game recap. From my vantage point, it's a bigger deal to you than it is to me, or to anybody else for that matter. You're making a mountain out of a molehill by fixating upon this with multiple posts tonight -- and all of it, transparently, because I posted on the other board that I was baffled by why you'd think that Calvin's Christian orientation has anything to do with how Ryan Souders manages his substitution pattern.

And "meaningful" is in the eye of the beholder. I ascribe much more meaning to NPU beating a conference opponent than I do to the amount by which NPU beat them. That's why I always put the score first. ;)

I do a lot of work on behalf of the NPU sports information department in compiling the record books of various Vikings sports. In fact, I'm the one who put together the NPU men's soccer record book posted on the NPU website. (https://nparku_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/Record%20Books/NPU_msoc_records.pdf) Statistics and records are a huge interest of mine. Blame it on a childhood obsession with collecting baseball cards and memorizing batting averages if you like, but that's who I am. It's part of what I bring to the table as NPU's play-by-play announcer, and, yes, I'm fully aware that most people neither care nor appreciate record book minutiae. But I put it out there for the people who do care, however many or few of them there may be. In that vein, I don't see any difference in pointing out that NPU's men's soccer team matched a program high in road winning margin on Saturday night than I did in pointing out that Peder Olsen became the first Viking to record three hat tricks in his career when he tallied three goals against Carthage last Wednesday.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PM
  Again, I wouldn't have minded if NP beat Elmhurst 12-0.  Just own it.

Own what?

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PMAgain, your thing about "if anything Elmhurst was guilty of disrespecting the game in which case NP can do whatever it wants" didn't make any more sense this time around.

I can't answer to your obtuseness regarding this specific point. That's your issue, not mine. To me, respecting the sport you play is a big deal. If you're just out there on the field wandering around in a daze rather than actually being alert and playing to the best of whatever you're capable of playing at that point, then I don't think that you deserve either sympathy or a free pass. As I said earlier in my football analogy, it's not merciful to take a knee on every play when you're up 56-0 midway through the fourth quarter. On the contrary, it's insulting. You're basically accusing the other team of being unworthy of honest competition, so you're denying them the chance to actually play the game anymore.

NPU didn't run the soccer equivalent of a flea flicker or a double steal of home or a backdoor alley-oop dunk. The Vikings did something that occurs over and over again in every soccer game ever played. They quick-started a free kick. If you're giving off the vibe that you can't be bothered to pay attention to the game anymore, and you don't respond with any alacrity whatsoever to the ball once it's moving again, then I simply don't see how it's the other team's fault if you get scored upon, regardless of the score. And if that still doesn't make sense to you ... well, no use in rehashing it over and over again, so let's move on.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PMIf Brady is up 45-7 with a minute left (the other very odd kind of example you used) and is planning to kneel but sees defenders out of place or "somnolent" I don't think he fakes the kneel and then throws a touchdown.

That's not the example I used. I used the example of changing the cadence. If that works, than an overeager defensive lineman jumps offside and you get five extra yards. There's a world of difference between that and Tom Brady faking a kneeldown and then throwing a TD. The first is a routine aspect of any old play from scrimmage, the second is a trick play.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PM
  I get it.  NP is phenomenal in every possible way and no word can say anything with even a whiff of a possibly negative word.

(https://i.imgflip.com/1pu3mq.jpg)

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PMAnd in your response about participation trophies, you said that NP (and other schools) have a "everyone can participate" rule

I said no such thing, because "participate" may imply actual playing time. Let's be clear about what I said: I said that you get a kit and your name and pic on the online roster. If that's participation, then so be it. Let's be clear about the term, though.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PM(kind of the definition of the participation medal culture thing you carelessly bemoaned).

Hardly. Nobody pays well over $30k a year for a participation trophy.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PMNow you suggested the reason for that policy is economic,

There's no "now" about this. I won't take the time right now to go back and look for it, but I've gone over this ground regarding tuition-driven D3 schools lots of times on d3boards.com, and I'm pretty sure that one of the places that I did so was here on the soccer boards in an NPU-specific discussion in which you were involved. If a look back in the archives can't find that, chapter and verse, then I apologize -- but I'm almost certain that it's come up.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 03, 2021, 11:48:38 PMbut are you also stating that it's ONLY economic?  Not related to any human or spiritual values that are supposedly part of the school's mission?  See how that works?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying -- because the model is not specific to Christian institutions, but is rather general to smaller schools that are tuition-reliant.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 04, 2021, 10:14:00 AM
Yes, Greg you are correct about one thing...we have been here before.  Interesting that you without pause presume that's data that supports your takes.  And you're also correct that I most likely would have ignored my usual reaction to your CCIW/NP lovefests if you hadn't been the one who questioned my question on the other thread.  And no ad hominen intended.  There's mounds of data here on this site re: your argument style and presumption that you couldn't be wrong.  "You're better than that" feels like an ad hominen, but no, apparently I am not better than that, so I'd really prefer you just leave me alone, which I think is what I asked previously.

Your style with NP is to be what I would call pre-emptively defensive in an offensive fashion.  Who raised "not running up the score?"  I won't go through them one by one but your versions change in a pretty self-serving way on most of your points... like with the first version of the "sneaky" but "not tricky" play and how the NP duo pulled that off moment by moment (with no mention of the GK other than "fishing the ball out of the net" or a  need to teach EU a lesson) that upon challenge you changed to a second  version about the GK and his poor hands and the "well, if you're snoozing," then "whatever misfortune" befalls you is on you.   Also wonder how EU (or for that matter Carthage) fans feel about your characterizations...."massacre...sleepwalking...pants down...prisoners on chain gangs...if anything EU insulting the game."  Again, I don't care, but enough with the deflection and diversion routine.

You attributed a lot of thinking to the NP  player who initiated the "sneaky" but "not tricky" play..."figured the Bluejays were in a mental fog and decided to test his suspicion."  No leap there lol.

Changing the cadence up 7 touchdowns midway thru 4th quarter...to..draw an offsides call?  Really?  Again, whether deserving of "misfortune" or not that's a different issue than "testing a suspicion" to take advantage of a team being in "misfortune mode" (whatever that means).

Your apologist take on the GK getting some extra work in is just laughable.  Extra work on positioning when the ball doesn't get out of the other team's half?  More game experience about where to put the water bottle and the towel?  And it's not about whether he stayed in or didn't so I don't need another long justification.  It's about the absurdity of your argument.  And btw, EU had eight subs in so it wasn't in fact 1st team going against 2nd team so maybe, maybe the NP GK will get a save chance.

The anyone can be on the team but that's not a "everyone can participate" model, regardless of the motivation/rationale...yeah, if you can't see your contradiction with that, I got nothing for ya, except that plenty of folks DO pay even larger sums of money for the privilege to play.

Well played though in turning my beat Tufts 5-0 imaginary prop into an actual record thing.  Wow.

With picayune obtuseness,

PN
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on October 04, 2021, 03:16:23 PM
Not gonna get into this fray about that NPU game. I will go in another direction, with reference to the Falcons, since they are like NPU a Christian college that plays high level soccer (both men and women) and sometimes (much less often than 10 or 15 years ago) wins games with lopsided scores.

First, Messiah's roster is quite small, by comparison with NPU (and several other D3 schools, including Lycoming not very long ago). That still doesn't mean that every healthy player gets into a blowout. Almost always, at least 2 of the 4 GK on the roster don't play at all, though the main backup keeper usually does get to play in a one-sided contest. One or two other players sometimes will sit out, too, but often the entire roster except keepers will get PT.

But, even in close games, most of the roster get PT. High level tournament games are the only exceptions. In those games, it's not unusual for McCarty to go only 6 or 7 deep, or in rare instances just 4 or 5 deep. He wants to win, and I sense he plays the full roster partly to develop next year's starters and next year's key bench players. I don't think it's simply to give guys PT for the sake of it.

As for running up the score, I cannot recall ever seeing a game in which it was obvious that the Falcons had stopped going to goal. Period. When the bench players go in, McCarty expects them to play as hard as the starters, all the way. For example, in Saturday's game vs York, the backup winger scored on a nearly impossible angle with about 4 minutes left in a 3-0 game prior to that goal. York responded by getting a yellow card shortly afterwards, so they didn't think the Falcons had let up either. Why should those guys be expected to play softer, just because their goals won't change the outcome? Indeed, anyone familiar with the Final Four in 2017 knows that backup players scored hugely important goals; in one case, the only goal a man scored in his whole career was the GW. That doesn't happen, unless the bench is expected to keep the pedal on the metal.

If anything makes Falcon soccer specifically Christian, it's the underlying philosophy, best captured (IMO) in the famous saying of the late Layton Shoemaker, David Brandt's predecessor as head coach. "Do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reason." That applied just as much to taking corner kicks as to showing sportsmanship to your opponent. There actually was a season under Layton when the Falcons had zero cards of any color the entire year. Obviously one need not be religious to buy into that philosophy, but the institutional ethos absolutely encourages one to do so: it's easier that way. The Falcons also have a motto, "playing for an audience of One," that does require a religious buy-in. Nothing in either expression of philosophy states or implies anything about using the bench in a blowout.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on October 04, 2021, 03:56:55 PM
I suggest that the Falcon bench be seen as akin to Dean Smith (as in UNC basketball) and his "Blue Team." Many won't get that reference, but those who do will see my point. Likewise, the Falcons play the soccer equivalent of Bob Knight's "motion offense." I think that analogy does fit, and Brandt would have owned it. McCarty's teams aren't really much different. Prior to Brandt, there was more of a dump-and-run game, if only b/c the Falcons didn't have the kind of depth they later had under Brandt and McCarty, esp in the MF. I remember seeing a stark difference in play, when Brandt's first class of recruits got onto the field: instead of attacking from the wings and forwards, the scoring came from MFers going to goal. Only later were premier strikers added to that model.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 05, 2021, 10:17:35 AM
Quote from: Falconer on October 04, 2021, 03:56:55 PM
I suggest that the Falcon bench be seen as akin to Dean Smith (as in UNC basketball) and his "Blue Team." Many won't get that reference, but those who do will see my point. Likewise, the Falcons play the soccer equivalent of Bob Knight's "motion offense." I think that analogy does fit, and Brandt would have owned it. McCarty's teams aren't really much different. Prior to Brandt, there was more of a dump-and-run game, if only b/c the Falcons didn't have the kind of depth they later had under Brandt and McCarty, esp in the MF. I remember seeing a stark difference in play, when Brandt's first class of recruits got onto the field: instead of attacking from the wings and forwards, the scoring came from MFers going to goal. Only later were premier strikers added to that model.

As a NC native who grew up despising UNC and then later also Duke (because my ancestral roots are Kentucky), I know the reference...roughly parallel with Smith's other favorite innovative tactic the "Four Corners" where UNC would have a lead, sometimes narrow, and Smith would have his team go into four corners to play keep-away to drain the clock and make the other team chase.  This was all before the shot clock era and probably the best maestro of the Four Corners scheme was Phil Ford.  Eventually the other team would leave an opening for easy lay-up, often on a backdoor play.  Anyway, I recall the "Blue Team" being five subs who literally would come in for like 2 minutes each half to give the starters a break but also because the concept seemed to create a great vibe with team chemistry and the Tarheel fan base.  They were almost like a walk-on group that came in for a few possessions to energize the team and crowd.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2021, 04:49:32 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 04, 2021, 10:14:00 AM
Yes, Greg you are correct about one thing...we have been here before.  Interesting that you without pause presume that's data that supports your takes.  And you're also correct that I most likely would have ignored my usual reaction to your CCIW/NP lovefests if you hadn't been the one who questioned my question on the other thread.  And no ad hominen intended.  There's mounds of data here on this site re: your argument style and presumption that you couldn't be wrong.  "You're better than that" feels like an ad hominen, but no, apparently I am not better than that, so I'd really prefer you just leave me alone, which I think is what I asked previously.

Your style with NP is to be what I would call pre-emptively defensive in an offensive fashion.  Who raised "not running up the score?"  I won't go through them one by one but your versions change in a pretty self-serving way on most of your points... like with the first version of the "sneaky" but "not tricky" play and how the NP duo pulled that off moment by moment (with no mention of the GK other than "fishing the ball out of the net" or a  need to teach EU a lesson) that upon challenge you changed to a second  version about the GK and his poor hands and the "well, if you're snoozing," then "whatever misfortune" befalls you is on you.   Also wonder how EU (or for that matter Carthage) fans feel about your characterizations...."massacre...sleepwalking...pants down...prisoners on chain gangs...if anything EU insulting the game."  Again, I don't care, but enough with the deflection and diversion routine.

This is all a really ridiculous case of the pot calling the kettle black. You have a very nasty way of taking personal shots in your arguments and then ducking behind a "Who, me?" facade that is the very definition of "deflection and diversion."

As for the so-called inconsistent and "pretty self-serving" manner in which I described the goal in question, all I can say is that anybody who cares to do so can watch it for themselves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAWUGXJP7PU) on YouTube. The time index is 1:43:42 and the play clock reads 20:43 at the point where Elmhurst commits the foul that led to the quick-start free kick.

I'm not even going to bother with the rest of the ongoing nonsense in your post. This is beginning to make me angry, and I'm not going to let that happen. I'm done with dealing with you, for my own sake.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2021, 05:17:23 PM
Quote from: Falconer on October 04, 2021, 03:16:23 PMAs for running up the score, I cannot recall ever seeing a game in which it was obvious that the Falcons had stopped going to goal. Period. When the bench players go in, McCarty expects them to play as hard as the starters, all the way. For example, in Saturday's game vs York, the backup winger scored on a nearly impossible angle with about 4 minutes left in a 3-0 game prior to that goal. York responded by getting a yellow card shortly afterwards, so they didn't think the Falcons had let up either. Why should those guys be expected to play softer, just because their goals won't change the outcome? Indeed, anyone familiar with the Final Four in 2017 knows that backup players scored hugely important goals; in one case, the only goal a man scored in his whole career was the GW. That doesn't happen, unless the bench is expected to keep the pedal on the metal.

I think that the ability to demonstrate sportsmanship by easing up on an already-trounced opponent when there's still plenty of game left to play, without disrespecting the trounced team in the process, varies from sport to sport. As discussed, the SOP in a football game is to run the ball up the middle after using up all but a second or two or three of the play clock. In recent years, if the two head coaches are amenable to it, a college football game can be played out with a running clock, at least on the D3 level; I know that St. John's has finished out one or two blowout wins that way in recent seasons. Baseball etiquette actually sort of demands that a team stop bunting or stealing bases once it gets up by seven or so runs in the late innings. (https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/4/25/5653158/jed-lowrie-astros-athletics-unwritten-rules-bunt) This is less observed in NCAA baseball and softball, I think, because of the mercy rule: a ten-run lead in baseball or an eight-run lead in softball ends the game once the losing side has completed either seven innings at bat (baseball) or five (softball). Basketball used to be easy before the shot clock was instituted, because you could just go into a four-corners offense. But a shot clock demands that you try to keep scoring, even on an opponent that you've already whipped.

Soccer's probably in the middle ground somewhere. You can stop going to goal by simply playing keepaway with your backs, holding mid, and cycling mids. Obviously, if you can't do that with inpunity against an outclassed opponent, then the game is still very much a contested matter. But, as you said, a coach who tells his players to stop going to goal denies his backups the chance to hone their skills in a game situation -- and any coach worth his salt values those chances for his backups. I completely agree with you: Why should those guys be expected to play softer, just because their goals won't change the outcome?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 05, 2021, 06:05:55 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2021, 04:49:32 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 04, 2021, 10:14:00 AM
Yes, Greg you are correct about one thing...we have been here before.  Interesting that you without pause presume that's data that supports your takes.  And you're also correct that I most likely would have ignored my usual reaction to your CCIW/NP lovefests if you hadn't been the one who questioned my question on the other thread.  And no ad hominen intended.  There's mounds of data here on this site re: your argument style and presumption that you couldn't be wrong.  "You're better than that" feels like an ad hominen, but no, apparently I am not better than that, so I'd really prefer you just leave me alone, which I think is what I asked previously.

Your style with NP is to be what I would call pre-emptively defensive in an offensive fashion.  Who raised "not running up the score?"  I won't go through them one by one but your versions change in a pretty self-serving way on most of your points... like with the first version of the "sneaky" but "not tricky" play and how the NP duo pulled that off moment by moment (with no mention of the GK other than "fishing the ball out of the net" or a  need to teach EU a lesson) that upon challenge you changed to a second  version about the GK and his poor hands and the "well, if you're snoozing," then "whatever misfortune" befalls you is on you.   Also wonder how EU (or for that matter Carthage) fans feel about your characterizations...."massacre...sleepwalking...pants down...prisoners on chain gangs...if anything EU insulting the game."  Again, I don't care, but enough with the deflection and diversion routine.

This is all a really ridiculous case of the pot calling the kettle black. You have a very nasty way of taking personal shots in your arguments and then ducking behind a "Who, me?" facade that is the very definition of "deflection and diversion."

As for the so-called inconsistent and "pretty self-serving" manner in which I described the goal in question, all I can say is that anybody who cares to do so can watch it for themselves (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAWUGXJP7PU) on YouTube. The time index is 1:43:42 and the play clock reads 20:43 at the point where Elmhurst commits the foul that led to the quick-start free kick.

I'm not even going to bother with the rest of the ongoing nonsense in your post. This is beginning to make me angry, and I'm not going to let that happen. I'm done with dealing with you, for my own sake.

Welcome news.  Very relieved.  Thank you... and best to you and yours as well as the Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2021, 07:41:56 PM
Congrats to Peder Olsen on winning POW for the second time this season, and for the seventh time in his career!

Obviously, the annual rivalry showdown tomorrow is the main event in CCIW men's soccer -- and it's killing me that I have to call what will be an uncompetitive contest between the NPU and Wheaton women here in the city at the same time that the NPU/WC men's game is being played at Wheaton. This bids fair to be one of the better iterations of the rivalry in recent memory, as Wheaton is clearly better than it has been over the past few seasons and the Vikings definitely have a mixed record thus far when being asked to step up in competition. The interesting thing, and I think the encouraging thing in the big picture, is that this won't be the game that decides the league's title. For several years now Carthage has blocked the CCIW from coming down to Wheaton vs. North Park every season, and even though the Firebirds are struggling at the moment there's still upstart North Central and dark-horse Carroll to consider, as far as teams undefeated in CCIW play are concerned.

Speaking of the Firebirds, the very intriguing alternative to the main event takes place at the same time tomorrow at Stagg Field down on the South Side, where Carthage will get a prime chance to redeem itself and halt its descent into irrelevance by taking on a formidable Chicago team that likewise has struggled as of late. Two versions of the same mascot, both wounded but both dangerous ... that should be very interesting as well.

And the other non-conference matchup, UW-Whitewater (8-2-1) @ Carroll (7-1-1), also a 7 pm start, looks intriguing as well.

It should be a great night of soccer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2021, 11:04:43 PM
Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois College fought to a scoreless draw in Jacksonville tonight. The Titans were denied victory despite outshooting the Blue Boys by a 17 (4) to 4 (1) margin and outcornering them, 6-3.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 06, 2021, 10:18:24 PM
Final from Wheaton: North Park 3, Wheaton 1.  The Vikings were down 1-0 on a penalty kick and tallied three goals in the second half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 06, 2021, 10:34:49 PM
Looking forward to watching that one once I get home.  (I'm in Charcoal Delights enjoying my postgame meal after calling the WC @ NPU women's soccer game.) We followed it on live stats in the press box, and I noticed that the stats are very lopsided in favor of the Vikings. In fact, Silas Galvao's PK goal was the only shot on goal Wheaton had, so I'm assuming that the Vikings had the run of play all night.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 07, 2021, 12:18:47 AM
Carthage was blanked by Chicago, 1-0, at Stagg Field this evening. That's three straight shutout losses for Carthage.

Carroll finally stepped up in class in terms of non-conference play -- and paid the price for it, falling 3-2 to UW-Whitewater at the Schneid.

Elmhurst bounced back with a 1-0 win at Millikin.

North Central powered past Augie, 5-2, in the QC ... so all three road teams won in the CCIW vs. CCIW matchups.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 07, 2021, 09:52:20 AM
Anyone know why the NPU / St. Norbert game scheduled for this Sunday was cancelled?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 07, 2021, 10:22:22 AM
St. Norbert's game at Dominican that was scheduled for last Saturday was rained out. Since that's a conference game for both teams, it takes priority -- and the only possible open date that the Green Knights and Stars have in common is next Monday (since they're both playing next Saturday and Wednesday, and there's no date available that both teams have in common further down the road). So the SNC @ DU rainout game was postponed to next Monday, and, since St. Norbert isn't going to play on three straight days, the Green Knights had to cancel with NPU.

I'm not sure yet whether Kris Grahn is looking to pick up an extra game or not for NPU on short notice, but I'm pretty sure that he won't find an opponent in time to get a game on the docket for this weekend. That's a shame, because it means that the traveling Homecoming alumni will miss a chance to see the men's soccer team in person.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 07, 2021, 11:16:24 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 07, 2021, 10:22:22 AM
St. Norbert's game at Dominican that was scheduled for last Saturday was rained out. Since that's a conference game for both teams, it takes priority -- and the only possible open date that the Green Knights and Stars have in common is next Monday (since they're both playing next Saturday and Wednesday, and there's no date available that both teams have in common further down the road). So the SNC @ DU rainout game was postponed to next Monday, and, since St. Norbert isn't going to play on three straight days, the Green Knights had to cancel with NPU.

I'm not sure yet whether Kris Grahn is looking to pick up an extra game or not for NPU on short notice, but I'm pretty sure that he won't find an opponent in time to get a game on the docket for this weekend. That's a shame, because it means that the traveling Homecoming alumni will miss a chance to see the men's soccer team in person.

Thanks, that's too bad but understandable.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2021, 10:40:51 PM
Shocker in the western suburbs tonight as Wheaton goes down in the early minutes of overtime to Illinois Wesleyan, 3-2.

It was a scoreless contest until the 60th minute, when Donovan Malone put the Titans up. Four minutes later, Trevor Martin slipped one past Hasten Biddlecome to put the Titans up 2-0, and it appeared that the upset was on. But IWU, which was bothering the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance all night with rough play, got a little too feisty in the penalty area in the 77th minute, leading to a Silas Galvao PK goal that cut the lead in half. Wheaton kept pushing hard, and, sure enough, another Titans foul in the box six minutes after the first PK allowed Galvao to tally his second PK goal of the night, and his third of the week, to draw Wheaton level with five minutes to go.

And then it got weird. The second foul called on the Titans in the box that led to the equalizer had appeared to be a little bit soft. But only 25 seconds later, WC's Brock Seneff was called for a foul in the box that also appeared to be a little soft. Nevertheless, it seemed as though the Titans were going to get their upset win in regulation regardless of having coughed up a couple of late PK goals. No dice, though; Zach Kokes ganked the penalty kick, sending it three feet over the crossbar, and the contest went to OT.

It didn't stay there long, however, as a lazy pass on Wheaton's backline a little over four minutes into the extra session was jumped by IWU's Dane Hoare, who swooped in and put a strike out of Biddlecome's reach and into the net to give the Titans the big upset win. This is a particularly nettlesome loss for Wheaton, which has suffered a tie and a pair of losses in CCIW play within the past eight days and is now a problematic 1-2-1 in the CCIW and 6-3-1 overall. For Illinois Wesleyan -- which, remember, lost its first five contests this season -- this represents win #1 in conference play, as the Titans draw even at 1-1 in the CCIW and 2-6-1 overall.

Elsewhere, Carroll also continued to skid as the Pioneers dropped a 2-0 decision at Elmhurst, and the Carthage Firebirds found the tonic for what ailed them, as they ended their scoring drought with a five-goal outburst at home in beating Augustana, 5-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on October 12, 2021, 05:48:41 PM
No CCIW teams represented in the Men's USC Top 25 poll this week. D3soccer.com (for the men) yet to be released.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 13, 2021, 12:13:19 AM
New d3soccer.com poll is out. North Central moves up from #16 to #14, North Park enters poll for the first time this season, debuting at #23.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 13, 2021, 10:47:19 PM
Final from the Schneid:

North Park 4
Carroll 0

NPU: Barriga (3) 20:40, Olsen (12) 61:55, Knap (3) 63:42, Lunde (5) 64:05

Vikings win on the road tonight with a minimum of fuss.

* * *

Overtime final at Keller Field:

Wheaton 2
Carthage 1

WC: Martens (5) 86:15, Kopplin (3) 97:00
CC: McCaw (5) 23:57

In what was easily the most exciting game of the night, Wheaton pulls level with a waning-minutes equalizer and then finds the back of the net with a golden goal to return home the victor.

* * *

Final on the grass at Neis Field:

North Central 1
Illinois Wesleyan 0

NCC: Harmsen (3) 53:18

Cards dominate the run of play on the road.

* * *
Final from Langhorst:

Elmhurst 2
Augustana 0

EU: Backhaus (4) 24:30, Lucas (3) 47:32

That home debacle against NPU a week and a half ago seems to have lit a fire underneath the 'jays, as they've since shut out three straight CCIW opponents.

* * *


North Park  10-3    5-0
North Central  14-0-1    4-0-1
Elmhurst    7-5-2    3-1-1
Wheaton    7-3-1    2-2-1
Millikin    1-8-2    1-2-1
Illinois Wesleyan    2-7-1    1-2
Carthage    7-5-2    1-3-1
Carroll    7-4-1    0-2-1
Augustana    4-7    0-5
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 13, 2021, 11:49:23 PM
Congratulations to NPU for clinching its 20th straight winning season and its 17th straight double-digit-win season.

The winning-seasons streak by North Park is the 20th-longest in D3 men's soccer history. AFAIK, there are six D3 programs that are enjoying current streaks of twenty or more winning seasons:

Ohio Wesleyan, 50 (the Bishops are one win away from making it 51)
Messiah, 40
Williams, 38 (the Ephs are currently 6-4-2 with three games remaining)
Calvin, 24
Amherst, 23 (like OWU, the Mammoths are just one win away from extending their streak)
North Park, 20

OWU, Messiah, Williams, and Amherst are all listed in the most recent edition of the D3 men's soccer record book. Calvin and NPU, for some reason, are omitted. I actually wouldn't be shocked if there are other programs out there in D3 World that are currently enjoying twenty or more consecutive winning seasons that the folks in Indianapolis have somehow overlooked.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 14, 2021, 12:01:23 AM
Congrats as well to NPU's Peder Olsen upon becoming only the sixth player in CCIW men's soccer history to score 50 career goals:


Eric Brown, WC  1996-99  86
Rob Mouw, WC  1997-99  69
Joel Kapitaniuk, WC  1986,88-90  67
Jason Ross, AC  2000-03  56
Justin Risma, WC  2002-05  53
Peder Olsen, NPU  2017-19,21  50
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 14, 2021, 12:13:07 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 14, 2021, 12:01:23 AM
Congrats as well to NPU's Peder Olsen upon becoming only the sixth player in CCIW men's soccer history to score 50 career goals:


Eric Brown, WC  1996-99  86
Rob Mouw, WC  1997-99  69
Joel Kapitaniuk, WC  1986,88-90  67
Jason Ross, AC  2000-03  56
Justin Risma, WC  2002-05  53
Peder Olsen, NPU  2017-19,21  50

That reminds me of how much of an absolute monster Eric Brown was on the attack. 86 goals and 38 assists for 210 career points. And the fact that Rob Mouw basically matched him with one less year at Wheaton (69 G, 35 A, 173 PTS) is pretty amazing.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 14, 2021, 10:32:27 PM
Quote from: blue_jays on October 14, 2021, 12:13:07 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 14, 2021, 12:01:23 AM
Congrats as well to NPU's Peder Olsen upon becoming only the sixth player in CCIW men's soccer history to score 50 career goals:


Eric Brown, WC  1996-99  86
Rob Mouw, WC  1997-99  69
Joel Kapitaniuk, WC  1986,88-90  67
Jason Ross, AC  2000-03  56
Justin Risma, WC  2002-05  53
Peder Olsen, NPU  2017-19,21  50

That reminds me of how much of an absolute monster Eric Brown was on the attack. 86 goals and 38 assists for 210 career points. And the fact that Rob Mouw basically matched him with one less year at Wheaton (69 G, 35 A, 173 PTS) is pretty amazing.

I agree, those numbers are crazy good.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 16, 2021, 11:21:09 PM
North Park hands North Central its first defeat of the season, 2-1 in OT.  Both teams scored on penalty kicks in regulation, with the Vikings drawing level very late.  The winning goal came at close the two minutes in extra time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2021, 01:24:46 AM
Overtime final at Hedstrand Field:

North Park 2
North Central 1

NPU: Olsen (13) 85:49, Anamoo (8) 91:15
NCC: Kraemer (5) 55:36

As Mr. B said, the two teams traded second-half PK goals, with NPU's coming uncomfortably late after being drawn against a packed-in NCC defense. But, once the game got level, the Cardinals were at a distinct disadvantage -- not just because the Vikings have more weapons, but because the visitors were down a man after drawing a red card. Only 26 seconds into OT, Jesse Anamoo was whistled for an offsides in a situation where he had an open net in front of him. But 49 seconds after that he more than made up for it by banging home the coup de grace on a marvelous three-touch sequence between Gustav Ericsson, Patrick Knap, and Anamoo that put the Vikings in the driver's seat in their quest for their fourth straight CCIW title.

* * *

Final from the Schneid:

Carroll 2
Millikin 1

CU: Buffington (2) 51:56, Walters (2) 82:21
MU: Fallert (1) 56:16

Carroll's up-and-down travels on the back nine of this season take an upswing, while Millikin's just playing out the string at this point.

* * *

Final from Neis Field:

Illinois Wesleyan 5
Augustana 2

IWU: Rodriguez (1) 00:22, Kokes (4) 7:09, Hart (1) 14:21, Malone (2) 19:49, Kokes (5) 58:10
AC: Gabrielson (4) 56:09, Chammas (2) 80:25

Illinois Wesleyan, despite its putrid start to the season, continues to make itself relevant in the CCIW playoff race by winning a laugher over an Augie team that has lost six straight, all to CCIW teams and only one of which was a one-goal margin.

* * *

In non-conference play, Wheaton lost early in the day on the East Coast to Ramapo, 2-1. Since Wheaton has to play a better NJAC team than the Roadrunners on Monday, Rutgers-Newark, I suspect that the Orange and Blue will return home next week without any lingering fond thoughts of Joisey.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2021, 05:02:03 PM
Final from Keller Field:

Carthage 4
UW-Eau Claire 0

Moran (4) 46:10, McCaw (5) 47:42, Balas (1) 75:30, Balas (2) 78:00

A nice win for Carthage, which is now 8-5-2, as UWEC boasts a very good record for a first-year program at 10-3 even with today's loss.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 11:45:23 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 17, 2021, 01:24:46 AM
Overtime final at Hedstrand Field:

North Park 2
North Central 1

NPU: Olsen (13) 85:49, Anamoo (8) 91:15
NCC: Kraemer (5) 55:36

As Mr. B said, the two teams traded second-half PK goals, with NPU's coming uncomfortably late after being drawn against a packed-in NCC defense. But, once the game got level, the Cardinals were at a distinct disadvantage -- not just because the Vikings have more weapons, but because the visitors were down a man after drawing a red card. Only 26 seconds into OT, Jesse Anamoo was whistled for an offsides in a situation where he had an open net in front of him. But 49 seconds after that he more than made up for it by banging home the coup de grace on a marvelous three-touch sequence between Gustav Ericsson, Patrick Knap, and Anamoo that put the Vikings in the driver's seat in their quest for their fourth straight CCIW title.

* * *

Final from the Schneid:

Carroll 2
Millikin 1

CU: Buffington (2) 51:56, Walters (2) 82:21
MU: Fallert (1) 56:16

Carroll's up-and-down travels on the back nine of this season take an upswing, while Millikin's just playing out the string at this point.

* * *

Final from Neis Field:

Illinois Wesleyan 5
Augustana 2

IWU: Rodriguez (1) 00:22, Kokes (4) 7:09, Hart (1) 14:21, Malone (2) 19:49, Kokes (5) 58:10
AC: Gabrielson (4) 56:09, Chammas (2) 80:25

Illinois Wesleyan, despite its putrid start to the season, continues to make itself relevant in the CCIW playoff race by winning a laugher over an Augie team that has lost six straight, all to CCIW teams and only one of which was a one-goal margin.

* * *

In non-conference play, Wheaton lost early in the day on the East Coast to Ramapo, 2-1. Since Wheaton has to play a better NJAC team than the Roadrunners on Monday, Rutgers-Newark, I suspect that the Orange and Blue will return home next week without any lingering fond thoughts of Joisey.

Thoughts on the 2nd yellow that caused the red?  I've seen the video of it from only one angle and it appeared to be a ball first then clipped him on the follow through and turning his back into him.  But you saw it firsthand.  Tough loss for the Cards but the program seems to be heading in a good direction under Enzo. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 03:19:28 PM
Quote from: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 11:45:23 AM
Thoughts on the 2nd yellow that caused the red?  I've seen the video of it from only one angle and it appeared to be a ball first then clipped him on the follow through and turning his back into him.  But you saw it firsthand.

I've replayed the incident in full seven or eight times, and if I can read referee Victor Gonzalez's mind, I think that there were several factors that went into the call that sent off NCC's Jack Fairwood with the second yellow:

* Fairwood and NPU wing Erik Lundeen had just tangled immediately prior to the play, with some of the customary pushing and tugging that's involved in every touchline play in soccer;

* Fairwood ran back out onto the field about ten yards when the ball was awarded to Lundeen for the throw-in, but then immediately turned around 180 degrees and sprinted back towards Lundeen. This gave Gonzalez, who was positioned about ten yards beyond where Fairwood spun around, the clear impression that Fairwood was giving himself a running start in order to target Lundeen. This is reinforced by the fact that Fairwood ran right past NPU's Peder Olsen, who was the recipient of the throw-in, and Fairwood likewise never bothered to even glance at NPU defender William Boström-Rydfjall, who was behind the throw-in spot and, as a big guy with a booming leg who didn't have a Cardinal in his vicinity, was actually a more logical choice for Lundeen to throw in to than the closely-guarded Olsen was from that throw-in spot back in NPU's defensive third. Fairwood obviously had Lundeen in his cross-hairs, even before Lundeen had stepped in bounds; and

* when Fairwood made contact with Lundeen, just as Lundeen had stepped in bounds and was carrying his right leg forward on the first touch from Olsen's return pass, Fairwood turned his body around and launched into Lundeen's leg butt-first. That's the foul part of the issue. But the fact that he had run back onto the field, then turned right around and sprinted past the throw-in's recipient straight as an arrow towards Lundeen before Lundeen was even back in bounds, is what turned the foul into a yellow card.

A lot of Cardinals fans in the stands were screaming at Gonzalez for making that call. (You can hear some of their complaints on the broadcast, via the field mic we place at midfield.) If I was in their shoes, I probably would've done the same thing. But once you replay that sequence on the video and can see how Fairwood ran onto the field just in order to give himself a running start at Lundeen -- which is the sort of thing that fans don't see, since everybody watches the ball -- you can't really argue the call anymore. Fairwood's downfall was that he was right in Gonzalez's line of sight when he turned around and made that run back at Lundeen.

As my colorman Scot Gladstone mentioned on the broadcast, we spent a lot of time talking about Fairwood when the Vikings and Cards scrimmaged last spring. I really like Fairwood as a player. He's what Scot calls a "firecracker" -- an energy guy who throws himself around the field fearlessly, has a reputation for playing physically and knows how to parlay that rep into making the other guy flinch on 50/50 balls and second balls, and will do whatever is necessary to pick up his team. As I mentioned on the broadcast, NPU has its own analogue for Fairwood in freshman midfielder Toby Lunde. They're the type of player you love if he's on your team and hate if he's on the other team, and I personally think that they bring a lot to the table in terms of a team's makeup.

But once you've been booked, you have to adjust your game. Even if you're the player that your team depends upon for your physical play, you have to moderate what you're doing out there. You can't simply forget in the heat of the moment that you're playing with a yellow card already attached to your name. Fairwood forgot that on Saturday night, and he paid the price for it. And it hurt his team, because it made parking the bus harder by opening up more lanes for Vikings passes and probes within NCC's box. And once NPU got level on Olsen's PK goal, NCC no longer had the ability to cover ground with only nine field players to grapple with NPU's speed and technical skill.

Tactically, it seemed surprising that Enzo didn't just stick to his defensive shell after the North Park goal and try to weather out the storm for another 24 minutes in order to come away with the 1-1 tie. Strategically, though, I understand that in terms of the CCIW standings NPU could absorb a tie with NCC and still stay ahead of the Cardinals in the standings at 5-0-1 to 5-0-2, so in the larger context I think that Enzo made the right decision by playing to win rather than tie.

Quote from: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 11:45:23 AMTough loss for the Cards but the program seems to be heading in a good direction under Enzo.

Scot and I spent so much time on Saturday night praising the Cardinals that a casual observer might've wondered if WONC had commandeered the broadcast. :D North Central is very much on the upswing, and the Cardinals will be a constant presence at or near the top of the CCIW standings as long as Enzo's around. I'm sure of it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: d4_Pace on October 18, 2021, 05:17:14 PM
I haven't seen the play so I probably shouldn't weigh in but what you have described is a very common play that happens in soccer all the time where you anticipate that a player receiving a throw in will play it back to the thrower and immediately pressure them. This happens all the time and does not reveal a player's intent to get retribution. This is a heads up anticipation play that happens at every game about the age of 14.

Now like I said I didn't see the play and maybe he crushed into the guy and it warranted a yellow. But your post makes it seem like his 10 yard to sprint ignoring Olsen to tackle the thrower is what made it a yellow and if thats the case then its a bad call.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 05:40:09 PM
Quote from: d4_Pace on October 18, 2021, 05:17:14 PM
I haven't seen the play so I probably shouldn't weigh in but what you have described is a very common play that happens in soccer all the time where you anticipate that a player receiving a throw in will play it back to the thrower and immediately pressure them. This happens all the time and does not reveal a player's intent to get retribution. This is a heads up anticipation play that happens at every game about the age of 14.

Now like I said I didn't see the play and maybe he crushed into the guy and it warranted a yellow. But your post makes it seem like his 10 yard to sprint ignoring Olsen to tackle the thrower is what made it a yellow and if thats the case then its a bad call.

Yes, I know that it's de rigueur in soccer to close on a player throwing in the ball in anticipation of a return pass, same as is the case in basketball. What I think you may have missed, though, is the fact that Fairwood, as the player involved in the touchline entanglement that led to that throw-in, immediately ran out from the touchline ten yards onto the pitch before pulling off a high-speed U-ie and bearing back down on Lundeen. In other words, he wasn't some random player in the middle of the pitch who saw an uncovered man throwing in the ball and ran in to challenge him. Fairwood deliberately ran away and then came back for the obvious purpose of building up a head of steam before crashing into Lundeen, rather than simply sticking close to the touchline and marking Lundeen as would typically be the case.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 07:16:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 05:40:09 PM
Quote from: d4_Pace on October 18, 2021, 05:17:14 PM
I haven't seen the play so I probably shouldn't weigh in but what you have described is a very common play that happens in soccer all the time where you anticipate that a player receiving a throw in will play it back to the thrower and immediately pressure them. This happens all the time and does not reveal a player's intent to get retribution. This is a heads up anticipation play that happens at every game about the age of 14.

Now like I said I didn't see the play and maybe he crushed into the guy and it warranted a yellow. But your post makes it seem like his 10 yard to sprint ignoring Olsen to tackle the thrower is what made it a yellow and if thats the case then its a bad call.

Yes, I know that it's de rigueur in soccer to close on a player throwing in the ball in anticipation of a return pass, same as is the case in basketball. What I think you may have missed, though, is the fact that Fairwood, as the player involved in the touchline entanglement that led to that throw-in, immediately ran out from the touchline ten yards onto the pitch before pulling off a high-speed U-ie and bearing back down on Lundeen. In other words, he wasn't some random player in the middle of the pitch who saw an uncovered man throwing in the ball and ran in to challenge him. Fairwood deliberately ran away and then came back for the obvious purpose of building up a head of steam before crashing into Lundeen, rather than simply sticking close to the touchline and marking Lundeen as would typically be the case.

Here's a link to video I saw.  Completely agree that playing on one yellow, you have to be more careful throwing yourself around and there's the tone of the game that you mentioned.  That part obviously doesn't show on video.  You had to have been there to take the temperature of the game and official.  Again, this is one view.   

https://twitter.com/nccmsoc/status/1449724379600990208?s=21
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 18, 2021, 08:09:47 PM
Quote from: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 07:16:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 05:40:09 PM
Quote from: d4_Pace on October 18, 2021, 05:17:14 PM
I haven't seen the play so I probably shouldn't weigh in but what you have described is a very common play that happens in soccer all the time where you anticipate that a player receiving a throw in will play it back to the thrower and immediately pressure them. This happens all the time and does not reveal a player's intent to get retribution. This is a heads up anticipation play that happens at every game about the age of 14.

Now like I said I didn't see the play and maybe he crushed into the guy and it warranted a yellow. But your post makes it seem like his 10 yard to sprint ignoring Olsen to tackle the thrower is what made it a yellow and if thats the case then its a bad call.

Yes, I know that it's de rigueur in soccer to close on a player throwing in the ball in anticipation of a return pass, same as is the case in basketball. What I think you may have missed, though, is the fact that Fairwood, as the player involved in the touchline entanglement that led to that throw-in, immediately ran out from the touchline ten yards onto the pitch before pulling off a high-speed U-ie and bearing back down on Lundeen. In other words, he wasn't some random player in the middle of the pitch who saw an uncovered man throwing in the ball and ran in to challenge him. Fairwood deliberately ran away and then came back for the obvious purpose of building up a head of steam before crashing into Lundeen, rather than simply sticking close to the touchline and marking Lundeen as would typically be the case.

Here's a link to video I saw.  Completely agree that playing on one yellow, you have to be more careful throwing yourself around and there's the tone of the game that you mentioned.  That part obviously doesn't show on video.  You had to have been there to take the temperature of the game and official.  Again, this is one view.   

https://twitter.com/nccmsoc/status/1449724379600990208?s=21

Thanks for the video.  Pretty clear yellow to me by running through the play and his foot going downward. 

Is that the official NC Men's soccer handle?  If so, sorry, but that's pretty embarrassing and they should have repercussions from the conference.  If not, no big deal and I enjoy fan pages.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 08:40:00 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 18, 2021, 08:09:47 PM
Quote from: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 07:16:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 05:40:09 PM
Quote from: d4_Pace on October 18, 2021, 05:17:14 PM
I haven't seen the play so I probably shouldn't weigh in but what you have described is a very common play that happens in soccer all the time where you anticipate that a player receiving a throw in will play it back to the thrower and immediately pressure them. This happens all the time and does not reveal a player's intent to get retribution. This is a heads up anticipation play that happens at every game about the age of 14.

Now like I said I didn't see the play and maybe he crushed into the guy and it warranted a yellow. But your post makes it seem like his 10 yard to sprint ignoring Olsen to tackle the thrower is what made it a yellow and if thats the case then its a bad call.

Yes, I know that it's de rigueur in soccer to close on a player throwing in the ball in anticipation of a return pass, same as is the case in basketball. What I think you may have missed, though, is the fact that Fairwood, as the player involved in the touchline entanglement that led to that throw-in, immediately ran out from the touchline ten yards onto the pitch before pulling off a high-speed U-ie and bearing back down on Lundeen. In other words, he wasn't some random player in the middle of the pitch who saw an uncovered man throwing in the ball and ran in to challenge him. Fairwood deliberately ran away and then came back for the obvious purpose of building up a head of steam before crashing into Lundeen, rather than simply sticking close to the touchline and marking Lundeen as would typically be the case.

Here's a link to video I saw.  Completely agree that playing on one yellow, you have to be more careful throwing yourself around and there's the tone of the game that you mentioned.  That part obviously doesn't show on video.  You had to have been there to take the temperature of the game and official.  Again, this is one view.   

https://twitter.com/nccmsoc/status/1449724379600990208?s=21

Thanks for the video.  Pretty clear yellow to me by running through the play and his foot going downward. 

Is that the official NC Men's soccer handle?  If so, sorry, but that's pretty embarrassing and they should have repercussions from the conference.  If not, no big deal and I enjoy fan pages.


Unfortunately, it is and I do agree it's not a good look.  Wreaks of sour grapes.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 09:49:57 PM
Quote from: CardinalAlum on October 18, 2021, 07:16:46 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 18, 2021, 05:40:09 PM
Quote from: d4_Pace on October 18, 2021, 05:17:14 PM
I haven't seen the play so I probably shouldn't weigh in but what you have described is a very common play that happens in soccer all the time where you anticipate that a player receiving a throw in will play it back to the thrower and immediately pressure them. This happens all the time and does not reveal a player's intent to get retribution. This is a heads up anticipation play that happens at every game about the age of 14.

Now like I said I didn't see the play and maybe he crushed into the guy and it warranted a yellow. But your post makes it seem like his 10 yard to sprint ignoring Olsen to tackle the thrower is what made it a yellow and if thats the case then its a bad call.

Yes, I know that it's de rigueur in soccer to close on a player throwing in the ball in anticipation of a return pass, same as is the case in basketball. What I think you may have missed, though, is the fact that Fairwood, as the player involved in the touchline entanglement that led to that throw-in, immediately ran out from the touchline ten yards onto the pitch before pulling off a high-speed U-ie and bearing back down on Lundeen. In other words, he wasn't some random player in the middle of the pitch who saw an uncovered man throwing in the ball and ran in to challenge him. Fairwood deliberately ran away and then came back for the obvious purpose of building up a head of steam before crashing into Lundeen, rather than simply sticking close to the touchline and marking Lundeen as would typically be the case.

Here's a link to video I saw.  Completely agree that playing on one yellow, you have to be more careful throwing yourself around and there's the tone of the game that you mentioned.  That part obviously doesn't show on video.  You had to have been there to take the temperature of the game and official.  Again, this is one view.   

https://twitter.com/nccmsoc/status/1449724379600990208?s=21

Either the NCC fan who clipped from the broadcast and then passed it along to whomever runs the NCC men's soccer Twitter account, or that NCC men's soccer Twitter operator him- or herself, carefully edited it so that you only see Fairwood as he's turning. What you don't see is the prior tangle-up with Lundeen on the touchline, followed by Fairwood's ensuing sprint to the point where he turns and the Twitter video starts up.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 20, 2021, 12:52:07 AM
Rutgers-Newark sent an unhappy Wheaton team home to the heartland with a 2-0 loss, as the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance go 0-for-2 in New Jersey. The numbers indicate that Rutgers-Newark clearly had the run of play. Wheaton drops to a distinctly un-Wheatonlike 7-5-1 on the season.

More bad news on the non-conference front, as UW-Platteville came into Thorson-Lucken Field and drubbed Augustana, 3-0. The box score numbers were likewise ugly for Augie (4-9), which has now dropped seven straight, all but one of them by multiple goals.

Incidentally, Dominican @ North Central, originally scheduled for tomorrow night, has been canceled.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 21, 2021, 12:23:28 AM
Final from Hedstrand:

North Park 2
Millikin 0

NPU: Anamoo (9) 65:31, Barriga (4) 67:06

This game was like watching a guy at a carnival midway shooting gallery spend half of his money trying to hit the rows of ducks without winning a stuffed animal for his girlfriend. The Vikings finally broke through as the game moved into its final third of play, but it was a frustrating evening -- NPU expended 43 shots, a dozen of them on goal, and only managed to muster two goals despite controlling the ball for what felt like about 95% of the clock. Fortunately, you only need one goal if your opponent can't even manage to get off more than one off-target shot all night.

The important thing, though, is that the Vikings clinched their fourth straight CCIW title, and the homefield advantage in the CCIW tourney that comes with it. Congrats to NPU!


* * *

Final from Neis:

Illinois Wesleyan 3
Elmhurst 0

IWU: Hoare (3) 11:44, Martin (2) 15:59, Malone (3) 44:11

Elmhurst's hot streak came to an abrupt end on the grass in Bloomington tonight, as the Titans took a big step forward towards securing a CCIW tourney slot.

* * *
Final from rain-sodden Keller:

Carthage 5
Carroll 1

CC: Renfro (1) 20:38, Reilly (6) 20:54, Moran (5) 53:01, Iverson (2) 55:32, Crowder (2) 55:39
CU: Pequignot (7) 27:32

Lightning delayed the start of this game quite a bit, and I'm sure that the Pioneers are wondering why they didn't just get on the bus and go home during the thunderstorm. The Firebirds scored in clumps and easily dispatched Carroll, which continues to get exposed in CCIW play after gobbling up all of those non-conference cupcakes. Carthage, on the other hand, for whom it's either feast or famine as far as goals are concerned, may be starting to peak at the right time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 02:47:28 PM
The Carthage match vs CWRU is underway from the Indiana Invaders Sports Complex.

Case Western Reserve is providing live stats of the match from their men's soccer page.  There is no live video of today's match.

Score is currently 0-0 in the 15th minute.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 03:24:39 PM
Halftime

CWRU 1, Carthage 0

CWRU's goal came on a penalty kick from Seldon Magruder in the 44th minute.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 04:04:45 PM
Carthage has equalized in the 73rd minute on a goal from Aidan Crowder.

CWRU and Carthage are now tied, 1-1.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 04:07:29 PM
CWRU has retaken the lead on a goal from Lukas Dalakis with an assist from Jacob Salmon in the 74th minute.

It is now CWRU leading 2-1 over Carthage.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 04:21:52 PM
Carthage has scored the equalizer in the 87th minute on a goal from Nick Renfro on an assist from Mickey Reilly.

We are now tied at 2-2 with a few minutes to go in regulation until extra time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 04:25:33 PM
End of regulation

Case Western Reserve University 2, Carthage 2

Match is heading to golden goal extra time.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 04:40:28 PM
After the first extra time period, CWRU and Carthage are still tied at 2-2.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 22, 2021, 04:50:27 PM
Golden goal scored by Carthage's Mickey Reilly in the 106th minute.

Final:  Carthage 3, Case Western Reserve Univ 2
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 23, 2021, 09:09:48 PM
#11 Chicago leads #12 North Park 1-0 at the half.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2021, 11:17:14 PM
Chicago makes the goal scored a half-minute before halftime stand up, as the Maroons snap NPU's seven-game winning streak with a 1-0 win.

The Vikings certainly had their chances for an equalizer in the second half, but, overall, I thought that Chicago clearly outplayed NPU.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: blue_jays on October 23, 2021, 11:27:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2021, 11:17:14 PM
Chicago makes the goal scored a half-minute before halftime stand up, as the Maroons snap NPU's seven-game winning streak with a 1-0 win.

The Vikings certainly had their chances for an equalizer in the second half, but, overall, I thought that Chicago clearly outplayed NPU.

The Maroons evidently love playing 1-0 games this season. But with the schedule of heavyweights/contenders they've played this year, they are a battle tested bunch. Their SOS is gonna be nutty by season's end. I think there's only one other NESCAC school that's close.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2021, 11:54:36 PM
According to the NCAA website, Chicago's strength of schedule is the third-best in the nation, behind Amherst's and Wash U's. It wouldn't surprise me if Chicago moves into the top spot after tonight; the Maroons at least oughta move ahead of their archrivals in St. Louis in that category, seeing as how the Bears played a team tonight that has a grand total of one win this season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2021, 11:59:41 PM
The other two CCIW non-conference contests ended up being shutout losses as well. Millikin fell at home to #16 Wash U, 2-0, and Augustana was dealt an atomic wedgie by UW-Whitewater, 8-0, up north of the Cheddar Curtain.

In CCIW play, at the Beanpatch:

Wheaton 1
Elmhurst 0

WC: Moyes (3) 11:46

Wheaton prevails in a game that was statistically fairly even. This has major playoff implications, and really solidifies Wheaton's case while putting the 'jays behind the 8-ball in terms of making the CCIW tourney.

* * *

At the Schneid:

Illinois Wesleyan 2
Carroll 1

IWU: Kokes (5) 14:32, Smith (2) 21:19
CU: Gonzaga (6) 86:05

IWU consolidates its place in the all-important top four of the standings, while Carroll fades into the sunset and is now mathematically eliminated from CCIW tourney consideration. How odd is it that the team that couldn't beat anybody in non-conference play is now cleaning up against CCIW foes, while the team that couldn't lose early on against non-conference foes is getting its hat handed to it in league play?

CCIW standings

team  CCIW  overall  SUN  WED  SAT
1North Park  7-0  12-4  --bye--  @ AC
North Central  4-1-1  14-1-1  vs. WC  vs. CU
Illinois Wesleyan  4-2    5-7-1  @ MU  vs. CC
Wheaton  3-2-1    8-5-1  @ NCC  @ MU
Elmhurst  3-3-1    7-7-2  vs. CC  @ UWP
Carthage  2-3-1  10-5-2  @ UWP  @ EU  @ IWU
eCarroll  1-4-1    8-6-1  @ AC  @ NCC
eMillikin  1-4-1    1-11-2  vs. IWU  vs. WC
eAugustana    0-6    4-9  vs. CU  vs. NPU
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 24, 2021, 06:19:38 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2021, 11:54:36 PM
According to the NCAA website, Chicago's strength of schedule is the third-best in the nation, behind Amherst's and Wash U's. It wouldn't surprise me if Chicago moves into the top spot after tonight; the Maroons at least oughta move ahead of their archrivals in St. Louis in that category, seeing as how the Bears played a team tonight that has a grand total of one win this season.

As of October 20, when the NCAA website last updated the "Toughest Schedule" of DIII teams through October 19, Chicago's expected cumulative OWP (which takes into account opponents played after October 19, 2021) will be .697 at the end of the season, which is #1 in that category.  Therefore, Chicago is expected to move into the top spot in terms of strength of schedule-- if not in the next update-- then definitely by the time that selections to the NCAA DIII tournament will be made.  Amherst's expected cumulative OWP will be .664, while Wash U has an expected cumulative OWP of .653.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 24, 2021, 03:59:47 PM
Carthage got a goal from Aidan Crowder in the 25th minute at UW-Platteville and made it stand up, defeating the Pioneers, 1-0, for a very nice road win against a quality opponent.

The Firebirds are peaking at the right time, but as the current sixth-place team they still have a lot of work to do, and it's all on the road. Fortunately for them, the fact that they're closing out the regular season this week against two teams ahead of them in the standings (Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan) means that their fate is in their own hands.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Mr.Right on October 25, 2021, 09:48:32 AM
 Well done Sager....way to fill the void...something that might help me would be ur take on each of these schools in general. I do not know some of them and maybe ur take on what they are known for
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on October 25, 2021, 11:52:25 AM
In person, I saw the U of C miss at least three golden opportunities, and NP's netminder made several great saves in the second half.  The score could have been 5-0 or 6-1.  NPU did not look aggressive at all.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 25, 2021, 02:55:26 PM
Quote from: markerickson on October 25, 2021, 11:52:25 AM
In person, I saw the U of C miss at least three golden opportunities, and NP's netminder made several great saves in the second half.  The score could have been 5-0 or 6-1.  NPU did not look aggressive at all.

It also could've been 2-1 or 3-1 in NPU's favor. The Vikings definitely had their chances ... and if a couple of second-half fouls within the Chicago 18 had been called (one a handball, the other a play in which Maroons GK Calvin Walters grabbed the arm of NPU forward Patrick Knap while kicking NPU midfielder Toby Lunde in the stomach as the ball was entering the six), the Vikings might've received a couple of PKs. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. That stuff doesn't matter. Soccer's full of missed chances, and both sides had 'em on Saturday. Let's move on.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: deiscanton on October 25, 2021, 03:39:16 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2021, 11:54:36 PM
According to the NCAA website, Chicago's strength of schedule is the third-best in the nation, behind Amherst's and Wash U's. It wouldn't surprise me if Chicago moves into the top spot after tonight; the Maroons at least oughta move ahead of their archrivals in St. Louis in that category, seeing as how the Bears played a team tonight that has a grand total of one win this season.

The NCAA website has updated the Toughest Schedule section for games played through Sunday, October 24--

1.)  Chicago has taken over the #1 spot on strength of schedule based on OWP with an OWP of .710

2.)  Amherst is #2 with an OWP of .706, but is expected to enter the NESCAC tournament on Saturday with a cumulative OWP of .674

3.)  Christopher Newport is #3 with an OWP of .705

UAA teams occupy spots 4 through 6 in today's OWP rankings.  Emory has an OWP of .681, NYU has an OWP of .679, and Wash U has an OWP of .677

Millikin has the 9th toughest SOS with an OWP of .644, best OWP among CCIW teams.  (The one win team that Wash U played a few days ago....)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 25, 2021, 04:22:18 PM
Quote from: deiscanton on October 25, 2021, 03:39:16 PM
Millikin has the 9th toughest SOS with an OWP of .644, best OWP among CCIW teams.  (The one win team that Wash U played a few days ago....)

Yes, we're familiar with Millikin here in the CCIW soccer room, Allen. ;)

Another explanation for that 9th-toughest SOS you mentioned is that Millikin is the one CCIW team that doesn't get its OWP dragged down by having to play Millikin.  :D
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2021, 03:36:05 PM
Final from Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium:

North Central 5
Wheaton 1

NCC: Kraemer (5) 25:05, Harmsen (3) 62:18; Richardson (3) 76:50, Johnson (1) 79:08, Hesby (5) 85:17
WC: Martens (5) 71:35

Whoa. Talk about an improbable result for both teams; the identities of the winner and loser were expected, but the way that the game played out certainly wasn't. The Cards busted open a tie game in the later minutes with four -- count 'em, four -- goals off of a usually-reliable Wheaton backline & goalkeeper. This brings NCC closer to cementing the #2 seed in the upcoming CCIW tourney and puts Wheaton's own hopes for the tourney in jeopardy.

* * *

Final from Thorsen-Lucken Field:

Augustana 6
Carroll 1

AC: Hemgren (2) 23:48, Reuter (1) 35:09, Gabrielson (6) 39:46, Gabrielson (7) 43:10, Shakar (1) 49:53, Krause (1) 51:13
CU: Buffington (3) 78:07

This one was almost as weird an outcome as the WC @ NCC game. After eight straight losses in which they scored only six goals total and were shut out four times, the dam suddenly broke in Augie's favor in a big way with five goals in a 16-minute stretch. Augie only had seven shots on goal for the game, but Carroll failed to stop six of 'em. Carroll, meanwhile, lost its third straight and the sixth of its last seven games, as the Pioneers continued to be exposed after their laughably easy non-conference schedule had allowed them to rack up a distorted 7-1 record.

* * *

Final from Lindsay Field:

Illinois Wesleyan 4
Millikin 2

IWU: Kokes (7) 23:10, Kokes (8) 48:00, Hart (2) 74:03, Rodriguez (2) 80:03
MU: Lindmark (1) 20:05, Smaaberg (3) 23:14

... and then there's Illinois Wesleyan, which has gone about its season in the opposite fashion from Carroll. The Titans couldn't buy a win to save their lives in non-con play, but have definitely found the magic against CCIW opponents. This win clinches at least the #3 seed in the CCIW tourney for the Titans, who have a distant shot at #2 but will most likely be traveling to Naperville next Wednesday to face NCC in one of the two CCIW tourney semifinals.

* * *

Final from Langhorst Field:

Elmhurst 2
Carthage 1

EU: Lucas (3) 63:40, Loebel (2) 83:36
CC: Reilly (9) 48:32

In a battle of two teams that were in must-win territory, Elmhurst consolidated its grip on fourth place and the final seed in the CCIW tourney ... for now. On the other hand, Carthage's rollercoaster ride of a season has now come to a full and complete stop. The safety bar has returned to its upright position, and the Firebirds must now exit the car and leave the ride. Their season will end with Saturday's regular-season finale in Bloomington.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 28, 2021, 03:52:47 PM
Three teams are set for next week's CCIW tourney:

1 -- North Park (7-0)
2/3 -- North Central (5-1-1)
2/3 -- Illinois Wesleyan (5-2)

What we know for certain are that NPU will be hosting a game next Wednesday against either Elmhurst or Wheaton, and that NCC and IWU will square off in the other semifinal, at a site to be determined. NCC, which owns the H2H over Illinois Wesleyan, can clinch the #2 seed and homefield advantage against the Titans by beating or tying Carroll in Naperville on Saturday, or by Carthage either tying or beating the Titans in Bloomington on Saturday. The Titans need to beat the Firebirds while getting big-time help from the slumping Pioneers this weekend in the form of a Carroll win, a combination of outcomes that doesn't seem very likely.

As for the fourth and final seed, Elmhurst is currently in fourth place with a 4-3-1 record and has completed CCIW play; the Bluejays finish up their regular-season slate Saturday by hosting UW-Platteville. Wheaton sits a half-game behind the 'jays at 3-3-1, but Wheaton owns the H2H over Elmhurst. That means that a Wheaton win over Millikin in Decatur on Saturday propels the Sons of Bean into the tournament and a Wednesday date with NPU at Hedstrand Field. A loss or a tie to Millikin spells the end of Wheaton's season and a reprieve for Elmhurst, who would thereby get to be NPU's visitor next week instead.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on October 30, 2021, 07:03:33 PM
North Park takes out Augie, 7-1.  Peder Olsen and Jesse Anamoo each tallied two goals.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2021, 07:21:51 PM
Final from Lindsay Field:

Wheaton 2
Millikin 0

WC: D'Argento (5) 4:24, D'Argento (6) 21:40

Congrats to Wheaton upon clinching the #4 seed for the tournament. The Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance came close to missing two CCIW tourneys for the first time ever, but getting to play inept Millikin on the last day of the regular season is a nice ace in the hole to have if you're John Gosling.

* * *

Final from Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium:

North Central 1
Carroll 0

NCC: Richardson (6) 14:09

Cardinals close out the regular season by maintaining momentum, as the obvious choice for CCIW Defensive Player of the Year, Cards GK Sid Marquardt, registers yet another clean sheet.

* * *

Final from Neis Field:

Carthage 2
Illinois Wesleyan 0

CC: Reilly (10) 2:28, Reilly (11) 44:43

The Titans go stumbling into the postseason, as the Firebirds finish a disappointing year with a flourish on the road. Speaking of Wheaton missing tourneys, this will be the first time ever that Carthage has sat out two straight CCIW tourneys. Mickey Reilly really turned it up over the past few weeks for Carthage and has become one of the better offensive players in the region.

* * *

Final from Thorson-Lucken Field:

North Park 7
Augustana 1

NPU: Olsen (14) 8:18, Olsen (15) 14:03, Barriga (5) 50:13, Knap (4) 60:38, Anamoo (10) 65:02, Anamoo (11) 81:48, Wickman (1) 84:13
AC: Baumgartner (5) 30:44

Congrats to NPU, which ran the table in the CCIW for the first time ever. The Vikings have gone undefeated in CCIW play three times previous (2006, 2012, and 2017), but in each of those CCIW campaigns they drew a tie or two. As for today's game itself, there were no big surprises, other than the fact that Augie actually managed to score. It marks the first time that Augustana has put one in the back of the net against NPU in seven years.

* * *

CCIW tourney semifinals, Wednesday night:
#3 Illinois Wesleyan (6-8-1, 5-3) @ #2 North Central (16-1-1, 6-1-1)
#4 Wheaton (9-6-1, 4-3-1) @ #1 North Park (13-4, 8-0)

CCIW tourney finals, Saturday night
lowest remaining seed @ highest remaining seed
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2021, 07:27:57 PM
Congrats to Peder Olsen, who is just as much the obvious choice for CCIW Offensive Player of the Year as Marquardt is for DPOY. Olsen won his third straight CCIW goals title and CCIW points title today; nobody else in CCIW men's soccer history has ever won more than two titles in either category, let alone in both.

Olsen's 10 goals in CCIW play this season marks the first time that anybody's reached double figures since Wheaton's John Kightlinger scored 13 against CCIW opponents twenty years ago, and Olsen's 24 points in CCIW play is surpassed only by Eric Brown of Wheaton's 28 in 1998 and Kightlinger's 27 in 2001. Also, Olsen's two goals and two assists today marks the fourth occasion in his career in which he's scored six or more points in a game. That's one more school record that he has all to himself, as he passed Jonas Pettersson, who had three games in which he recorded six points or more.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 31, 2021, 07:33:47 PM
Elmhurst closes out its regular season -- and the regular season for the CCIW as a whole -- by losing at home to UW-Platteville, 1-0. The 'jays end their season level at 8-8-2.

Thus, the CCIW goes 45-32-4 (.580) in non-con play for the regular season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 04, 2021, 12:02:23 AM
Overtime final at Hedstrand Field:

Wheaton 2
North Park 1

WC: Galvao (10) 28:54, Beamer (1) 95:04
NPU: DeCarro (7) 21:08

Sometimes a great performance by an outstanding goalkeeper can bridge a gap in talent at the field positions, and that's exactly what happened tonight, as Wheaton GK Hasten Biddlecome stood on his head in the last fifteen minutes of regulation to spur Wheaton on to the upset win in the CCIW semifinals. He didn't do it alone; Wheaton came out at the start of both halves and then overtime as well with more urgency and sense of purpose than did the Vikings. Although NPU had the run of play and dominated the scoresheet, WC coach John Gosling obviously game-planned to play over the top -- and, after decades of watching Wheaton play, to me the idea of the Orange and Blue bypassing surface streets to take the skyway, and thus eschewing the build-up "beautiful game" that has always been their signature, is really strange. But it worked -- Wheaton didn't have to deal with getting past NPU's superior midfielder corps, and Biddlecome and his backline associates Justin Hill, Drew Beamer, and Brock Seneff put one picture-perfect long ball after another right on forwards Joey Sopikiotis and Silas Galvao. One targeted to Galvao in the 29th minute set him up perfectly just outside the box, and he put a beautiful shake-and-bake on the NPU defender to give himself enough room to slot a 15-yarder past Alfie Sward to level the game at 1-1 after the Vikings had just manufactured a William DeCarro goal shortly before.

Wheaton made a huge mistake when Michael Groza picked up his second yellow of the game at 63:22, and it looked as though playing a man up would give the Vikings the opening that they needed to break the deadlock. But kudos to Wheaton, which never stopped being aggressive, countering just enough in the first ten minutes of playing a man down to reduce the amount of time NPU got in the forward third, and when WC finally parked the bus in a big way in the final fifteen minutes, putting all eleven in front of the ball, they were able to make it work by having reduced the amount of time that North Park would have left to take target practice. And, despite the packed box, NPU did engineer a plethora of chances; the Vikings got off eleven shots in the waning minutes, five of them on frame, but Biddlecome was up to the challenge of stopping each and every one of them -- and at least four of them had a pretty strong degree of difficulty.

I figured that NPU would finally crack the case in OT, but again the Vikings came out flat and Wheaton came out aggressively. The Vikings made three sloppy, dangerous plays in the back in the first few minutes of the extra session, the last one resulting in a free kick from the side of the box that Beamer headed in at the back post to claim the upset.

Wheaton goes on to play at North Central, which used an 80th-minute goal to get past Illinois Wesleyan, 2-1, in Naperville for the CCIW's automatic bid. Meanwhile, the Vikings are going to have to sweat out the selection show on Monday morning to see if they will still have any soccer left to play this season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 06, 2021, 07:13:07 PM
North Central 1
Wheaton 0

NCC: Enriquez (7) 50:01

Congrats to North Central for winning its first CCIW tournament since 1991 and for qualifying for the first D3 tourney appearance in program history.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 08, 2021, 02:18:20 PM
North Park is not only in, but the Vikings will host! That's a nice bonus for me; it means that I get to call more soccer games this season! Much more important is that NPU's fans, including Foster's Finest, will get to watch the games in person on home turf.

NPU will play Carleton, while Wash U plays UW-Superior in the other contest. I feel badly for Wash U, which absolutely deserves to host but appears to be the victim of the alternating rule regarding women and men hosting; I may be wrong, but it appears that the Wash U women are hosting next weekend in the D3 women's soccer tourney.

North Central, meanwhile, will travel to Northfield, MN to play Loras in NCC's first-ever D3 tourney contest, while host St. Olaf takes on Dominican in that pod's other first-round game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 09:54:52 AM
Does North Park have any plans to add the Viking broadcasting network to the Boxcast channel on roku? That would make remote viewing even more enjoyable.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 14, 2021, 09:59:51 AM
I honestly don't know anything about that. You should send an email to Tyler Woolbright about it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 10:05:23 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 14, 2021, 09:59:51 AM
I honestly don't know anything about that. You should send an email to Tyler Woolbright about it.

I thought he may see the note on this board too :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 14, 2021, 10:11:02 AM
North Park advanced yesterday with an efficient, if not dominating, 4-2 win over Carleton in the first round of the tourney. The Vikings will have to play much better soccer than that to beat Wash U today. Peder Olsen sparked the Vikings to the win with his second hat trick of the season, and the fifth of his career, giving him 18 goals this season. Tobias Lunde sealed the win with his sixth tally of 2021.

North Central dropped a 2-1 decision to Loras up in Northfield, MN to close out their season at 18-2-1. Sam Abreu scored the lone NCC goal, his second. Congratulations to the Cardinals upon a highly successful season that culminated in their first-ever CCIW tourney title and first-ever D3 tourney appearance.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 14, 2021, 04:11:02 PM
North Park takes down Wash U 3-1.  The Vikings will play St. Olaf in the next round.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 04:52:50 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 14, 2021, 04:11:02 PM
North Park takes down Wash U 3-1.  The Vikings will play St. Olaf in the next round.

I think you mean Loras, who beat St. Olaf today.

I would throw out their first meeting as an anomaly.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: ConnAlum on November 14, 2021, 04:58:19 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 04:52:50 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 14, 2021, 04:11:02 PM
North Park takes down Wash U 3-1.  The Vikings will play St. Olaf in the next round.

I think you mean Loras, who beat St. Olaf today.

I would throw out their first meeting as an anomaly.

St. Olaf beat Loras today. NCAA site just got the teams mixed up.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 14, 2021, 05:07:41 PM
Quote from: ConnAlum on November 14, 2021, 04:58:19 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 04:52:50 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 14, 2021, 04:11:02 PM
North Park takes down Wash U 3-1.  The Vikings will play St. Olaf in the next round.

I think you mean Loras, who beat St. Olaf today.

I would throw out their first meeting as an anomaly.

St. Olaf beat Loras today. NCAA site just got the teams mixed up.

Don't remind me. Thanks to that site I was miscalling that score on the air all day. #&*^% NCAA!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 05:10:22 PM
Quote from: ConnAlum on November 14, 2021, 04:58:19 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 04:52:50 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 14, 2021, 04:11:02 PM
North Park takes down Wash U 3-1.  The Vikings will play St. Olaf in the next round.

I think you mean Loras, who beat St. Olaf today.

I would throw out their first meeting as an anomaly.

St. Olaf beat Loras today. NCAA site just got the teams mixed up.

Thank you, I was relying on ncaa data.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on November 14, 2021, 07:42:31 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 14, 2021, 10:05:23 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 14, 2021, 09:59:51 AM
I honestly don't know anything about that. You should send an email to Tyler Woolbright about it.

I thought he may see the note on this board too :)

Note found! I'm on here probably weekly, at most, so I'm glad I saw this.

Lots of things in the works, including that and/or youtube. Just trying to stick with what's been working for now. Will likely play around with other streaming channels during basketball season. My wife and parents watch the streams, too, and mentioned a platform like that would allow for easier viewing, rather than an HDMI into a laptop or mobile device. Although, 66% of our viewers watch on their phones... Not sure if that's a "have to" thing or a preference.

Thanks for tuning in! Our camera crew and ball people really braved some brutal weather today.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: mr_b on November 15, 2021, 07:20:02 AM
Quote from: npbaseball40 on November 14, 2021, 07:42:31 PM
Thanks for tuning in! Our camera crew and ball people really braved some brutal weather today.
They also did a commendable job of working to keep the lenses free of rain droplets.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 15, 2021, 05:23:35 PM
NPU will face St. Olaf at 1 pm Friday in the sectional semis. The game will be held at Stagg Field down at 55th and Cottage Grove. Host Chicago plays Calvin in the second semi, which explains why the games are being held on Friday. Calvin, like Wheaton, is a Sunday-exemption school.

This will be the fourth-ever meeting between the Vikings and the Oles:

2000: North Park 2, St. Olaf 1 (Northfield, MN)
2010: St. Olaf 2, North Park 1 (Northfield, MN)
2012: North Park 1, St. Olaf 0 (Chicago, IL)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on November 20, 2021, 10:16:10 PM
NPU goes down to defeat on the South Side in the round of eight, 2-0, to Chicago. It ends a great run in 2021 for the Vikings, although it doesn't feel like such a great run at the moment; the Vikings felt all along that Greensboro was the goal, and they never wavered from that conviction.

The future is very bright for North Park, since eight starters (and all of the reserves who saw any appreciable time at all except for Patrick Knap) return next season. But today marks the end of the line for two pretty special Vikings, co-captains Gustav Ericsson and Peder Olsen. They are easily two of the greatest players to ever don a North Park kit. Gustav is supposedly coming back next season as a graduate assistant coach, and if he can teach half of what he knows about footwork, passing, and on-ball defense to his ex-teammates it'll be a tremendous hire. Peder, the only three-time scoring champion in CCIW history, completely rewrote the North Park record book and has made me amend the compliment "box-to-box midfielder" by upping it to "endline-to-endline midfielder" in honor of Peder's penchant for clearing balls off of the line and running down attackers from behind deep in the defensive third.

The North Park record book is not the only place where Peder made his mark. Here's how he ranks all-time among CCIW players, all games included:

Goals

  1.  Eric Brown, WC  1996-99  86
  2.  Rob Mouw, WC  1997-99  69
  3.  Joel Kapitaniuk, WC  1986,88-90  67
  4.  Peder Olsen, NPU  2017-21  58
  5.  Jason Ross, AC  2000-03  56
  6.  Justin Risma, WC  2002-05  53
  7.  Phil Wolf, WC  1988-91  49
       Stephen Golz, WC  2012-15  49
  9.  Tyson Crist, AC  1997-00  48
       Chris Smith, AC  1995-98  48

Assists

  1.  Troy Edwards, WC  1990-93  44
  2.  Jeff Valentini, AC  1995-98  42
  3.  Mike Domin, CC  1995-97  40
  4.  Eric Brown, WC  1996-99  38
  5.  Phil Wolf, WC  1988-91  37
  6.  Rob Mouw, WC  1997-99  35
  7.  Peder Olsen, NPU  2017-21  34
  8.  Joel Kapitaniuk, WC  1986,88-90  32
  9.  Chris Bates, AC  1992-93,95-96  30
  10.  Chris Smith, AC  1995-98  29

Points

  1.  Eric Brown, WC  1996-99  210
  2.  Rob Mouw, WC  1997-99  173
  3.  Joel Kapitaniuk, WC  1986,88-90  166
  4.  Peder Olsen, NPU  2017-21  150
  5.  Phil Wolf, WC  1988-91  135
  6.  Jason Ross, AC  2000-03  126
  7.  Chris Smith, AC  1995-98  125
  8.  Justin Risma, WC  2002-05  123
  9.  Mike Domin, CC  1995-97  120
  10.  Tyson Crist, AC  1997-00  117


Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on January 23, 2022, 10:02:25 PM
NPU's Jesse Anamoo commits to Santa Clara University.   Best of luck!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on January 27, 2022, 04:00:34 PM
Congratulations to NPU's Peder Olsen, who was named D3soccer.com's Midfielder of the Year and a first-team All-American; to NPU's Gustav Ericsson, who was named to the second team; and to NCC's Sid Marquardt, who was named to the third team.

https://www.d3soccer.com/awards/all-america/2021/2021-Mens-AA
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on February 07, 2022, 09:21:53 AM
Interesting nothing has been said about Domin no longer the coach at Carthage. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 07, 2022, 11:34:49 AM
Wow! I had no idea, and I was on the Carthage athletics page just last night. They never posted a press release about Domin leaving.

His wife Stephanie is still listed as Carthage's women's cross-country and track & field coach. And what I find interesting is that, even though he's no longer listed in the staff directory, somebody went through Domin's Carthage bio and changed everything to past tense, despite the fact that it's no longer linked anywhere. (https://athletics.carthage.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster/coaches/steve-domin/1365)

This is a very big deal in terms of CCIW soccer. Thanks for the heads-up, CA.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 15, 2022, 12:31:59 PM
Wheaton has a new coach, Steve McCrath. He comes straight from the D2 ranks -- Barry University, to be precise -- where his Buccaneers won the D2 national title in 2018 and were national runners-up in 2000, making eight trips to the D2 national tournament in all during his 23 years there.

Those are impressive credentials earned at the scholarship level. The question is: Can he succeed in a situation in which he has no scholies to hand out? All of his experience is at the D2 level: Seattle Pacific (where he played for his dad, Wheaton alumnus Cliff McCrath, and later served as his dad's assistant coach) and Barry.

No word yet on a hire up at Carthage.

It's amazing how much coaching turnover there has been in this league within the past four years. Six of the nine CCIW programs have changed head coaches since 2018; the only holdovers are Augustana's Mick Regan, Elmhurst's Dave Di Tomasso, and Illinois Wesleyan's Kyle Schauls. What's particularly interesting about this wave of musical chairs is that, contrary to the norm, the more successful CCIW men's soccer programs have been a part of this trend as well. Once Carthage hires a replacement for Steve Domin, all three of the CCIW's traditional soccer powers will have installed new head coaches over the past three seasons.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on February 23, 2022, 01:38:37 PM
Carthage has followed Wheaton's lead by hiring a former D1 head coach. He's Paul Leese, who had a nice run as the head coach of UT-Rio Grande Valley. He was even named coach of the year in the WAC in 2018, although he left UTRGV for undisclosed reasons over a year ago and spent last season as an assistant coach at the minor-league pro level with New Mexico United.

(Hat tip to CardinalAlum, who forecasted this hire last week.)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on May 20, 2022, 12:22:52 PM
North Park is slowly posting their 2022 commitments on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/npu_msoccer/
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 20, 2022, 02:43:58 PM
It's always a bit difficult to get a good read on soccer recruits based upon what you can see online. But one thing that jumped out at me among the six recruits that NPU has posted thus far on Instagram was a comment in the club profile of outside midfielder Love Brandt. His hometown club, Åby IF, is way down in Sweden's sixth division (no surprise, since the village of Åby only has a population of 5,000), but Brandt was apparently competing for a slot on the national U17 team before being sidelined by an injury. How much of that is take-it-to-the-bank info and how much of it is hype is all speculation. But, nevertheless, it caught my eye.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on May 20, 2022, 02:54:04 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on May 20, 2022, 02:43:58 PM
It's always a bit difficult to get a good read on soccer recruits based upon what you can see online. But one thing that jumped out at me among the six recruits that NPU has posted thus far on Instagram was a comment in the club profile of outside midfielder Love Brandt. His hometown club, Åby IF, is way down in Sweden's sixth division (no surprise, since the village of Åby only has a population of 5,000), but Brandt was apparently competing for a slot on the national U17 team before being sidelined by an injury. How much of that is take-it-to-the-bank info and how much of it is hype is all speculation. But, nevertheless, it caught my eye.

I think quite a few of NPU's current Swedish players have come from the 3rd / 4th division which is the 5th or 6th tier in the hierarchy.  As a youth, it's probably better to play consistently in a lower tier, then questionable time in a higher tier with older, more experienced players.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: CardinalAlum on June 22, 2022, 07:34:05 PM
NCC with a huge pickup via transfer. Ty Konrad, high school All American at Naperville North, has transferred from Ohio State.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 25, 2022, 03:44:08 PM
Greg, are you broadcasting tonight's scrimmage?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 25, 2022, 09:31:57 PM
No. I usually don't broadcast scrimmages. I couldn't have done tonight's, anyway, since NPU wasn't wearing numbers.

The Vikings beat Kalamazoo, 4-0. I wouldn't read much into a scrimmage, especially the first one, but I think that this is going to be a deeper North Park team than usual.


Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 28, 2022, 01:16:41 AM
NPU hosted Calvin in a scrimmage today, and the Knights came out on top, 2-0. It went the way that I expected. Senior-dominated Calvin returns almost everybody from a very strong 2021 team, including four multiple-season All-MIAA First Team picks and four seniors who were All-MIAA Second Team a year ago. NPU is replacing two All-Americans plus a couple of starters who transferred out to play elsewhere on soccer scholarships. Plus, Kris Grahn has an unusually deep crop of newbies who have the capability to play immediately at the level that North Park has come to expect from its soccer team -- look for as many as seven new Vikings to either start or rotate in off of the bench this season -- which means that the Vikings are going deeper in the preseason (Kris rotated in ten new position players in each half of Thursday's scrimmage against Kalamazoo) and that they're all still not on the same page yet. There will definitely be some kinks that need to get worked out along the way over the next few weeks for the Park.

In short, the Vikings and the Knights are at two very different places right now along the path to what each expects to achieve this season. That's not an excuse; it's simple reality. Calvin will be a tough out for anybody this season, as much for its deep experience as for its considerable level of ability. NPU has to grow into its own set of expectations.

Having said that, I'm sanguine about the strong possibility that these two teams could meet again under very different circumstances in November.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: jknezek on August 29, 2022, 12:46:19 PM
Anyone interested in participating in the D3soccer Fan poll this season?

If you are interested in participating, I will run the poll again if we get enough pollsters. My only caveat is that if you agree to participate you try your best to do it every week so that things are consistent. Also, you try to be on time because it's no fun for anyone if I have to track you down every week and pester you to get your votes in.

Unless someone has a better idea, I'll run it the same as last year with the same deadlines, so the poll will include games that start before Sunday at midnight EST and will be due to me before Tuesday EST at midnight and I will try to post on Wednesday.

I will not do a preseason poll. I hate them. They set up a ton of positional bias and, especially with 400+ teams in D3, there simply is no way to do a good one. The first poll will be based on games played prior to 9/11 and will be due to me on 9/13. That gives us roughly 2 weeks of games to start making judgements.

If you are interested, and I realize we about 2 weeks out, please send me a PM. I hope we get our pollsters back from last year, as they did an excellent job, but if you want to join in, I'm always open to more!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 31, 2022, 07:52:11 AM
The NPU 2022 roster has been posted:

https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: camosfan on August 31, 2022, 09:56:49 AM
31 people from overseas?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 31, 2022, 10:19:18 AM
Quote from: camosfan on August 31, 2022, 09:56:49 AM
31 people from overseas?

I didn't count, but that wouldn't surprise me.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2022, 10:33:04 AM
NPU men's soccer can now check off four more spots on the map: Portugal, Lithuania, Nigeria, and the Philippines. As is often the case for the Vikings, howver, the Nigerian is actually from an immigrant family, and is thus a U.S. resident rather than an international student; he graduated from Senn here on Chicago's North Side, where he was the high-school classmate of one of my nephews. More and more of the immigrant kids want to be listed on the roster by their birthplace rather than their actual current hometown. I guess that it's an identity thing, especially on a team that's represented by so many different countries.

The Vikings have three players from the Netherlands on this year's team, the most ever, and I like that. Dutch players have a reputation for being smart, tough, and technical.

It's fantastic to see Ulrik Lund back on the roster. After suffering a knee injury last year in preseason he ended up watching the 2021 campaign from the sidelines. Following surgery and rehab he's giving it another go while he finishes up his M.B.A. He's still rounding into game shape, so it'll be a few weeks before he is back on the pitch in a game situation. If he can even approximate his previous level of play, when he was a USC All-Region midfielder in both 2018 and 2019, he will be a boon to the Vikings' chances in 2022.

Quote from: camosfan on August 31, 2022, 09:56:49 AM
31 people from overseas?

Don't exaggerate. There's only 30. ;)

Chicago is a world-class city. It's a destination point for people from overseas, and that includes college students; NPU has a sizeable international student population. And, as a city-based school, NPU particularly takes advantage of its location when recruiting for the sport that benefits the most from international student-athletes, soccer.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on August 31, 2022, 10:43:15 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2022, 10:33:04 AM
More and more of the immigrant kids want to be listed on the roster by their birthplace rather than their actual current hometown. I guess that it's an identity thing, especially on a team that's represented by so many different countries.

I have not lived in my rural Missouri hometown in 30 years, but if you asked, that is my "hometown."  I just assumed everyone else was the same but maybe not.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 31, 2022, 01:21:16 PM
I tell people that my hometown is Chicago, despite the fact that I was born in Buffalo and raised in a suburb of Syracuse (Liverpool). I've lived in Chicago for my entire adult life, which, as people enjoyed reminding me when it was my birthday earlier this month, is beginning to be a fairly prodigious stretch of time. ;) This is the place with which I identify, so it seems right to me to call it my hometown.

But everybody's different. There aren't really any rules when it comes to defining one's hometown, and I suspect that most coaches and SIDs are happy to accommodate student-athletes in that regard when putting together an online roster. Why alienate a student-athlete unnecessarily by assigning a hometown that he or she does not consider to be his or her hometown?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2022, 12:04:59 AM
North Park 3
Beloit 0

A bus parking and top-of-the-ankles-high grass were on the agenda for the Vikings this afternoon in their season-opening foray north to the Town Whose Name Sounds Like A Quarter Dropped Into A Toilet. It was not unexpected, I'd say, and pretty much the only sound strategy that the Beloit coach (in collaboration with the BC groundskeeper) could muster in this situation. And it worked quite well, as it took 78 and a half minutes before NPU could break through the traffic jam in the forward third. At that point sophomore D2 transfer Frans Dao (American International) fed freshman Jakob Wennerqvist for the first goal of the season. That pulled Beloit out of the turtle shell, and once the game became open soccer North Park was able to add two more goals in the next ten minutes, courtesy of more familiar faces (Toby Lunde scoring, Isak Flo assisting, then Toby returning the favor for Isak). Frankly, it's likely that the goal-every-five-minutes pace at game's end would've been the case throughout, had the Buccaneers not packed their back third for most of the game (and owned a decent lawnmower).

It's hard to tell from Beloit's game stats, which were a mess, but I was told that the Vikings were missing three starters today (one of whom was Christian Vaaland, who attended the NPU women's game at Hedstrand Field this evening), who stayed home with minor injuries. Kris Grahn would've suited them up if he really needed them.

Kudos to the Beloit coach for having the guts to schedule this game.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2022, 12:24:06 AM
Carthage notched the big win of opening day, as the Firebirds gifted new head coach Paul Leese with his first win for the red and black, knocking off powerhouse Wash U, 2-1, at Art Keller. It took the Firebirds most of the first half to answer an Owen Culver goal in the sixth minute for Wash U, but Eli Schofftsall connected on the equalizer right before halftime, and then Kevin Reilly potted what would turn out to be the game-winner in the 59th minute. Needless to say, this is a big win for a Firebirds team that is looking to re-assert its identity.

Wheaton got its revenge for last season's big upset at the hands of Concordia (IL) by downing the Cougars, 2-1. As was the case last season, this game was played at Joe Bean Stadium. Alessandro D'Argento and Harrison Lee tallied for the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance; Garrett Poytner grabbed one back for the visitors in the 60th minute, but it proved insufficient to make lightning strike twice against the Thunder.

North Central buried Marion on the road, 4-0, behind goals by Jack Fairwood, Herman Hesby, Jack Bonavia, and Kevin Johnson.

Elmhurst beat Benedictine, 3-1, at Langhorst. Noah Backhaus scored just seconds before the halftime horn, and then in the second half Ilija Jerinic sandwiched PK goals around the lone tally by the Bennies.

The rest of the league did not fare very well. Aurora spanked Millikin at Lindsay Field, 4-2; Augie likewise lost at home, in their case a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Simpson. Illinois Wesleyan will try to open its season tomorrow afternoon at Oglethorpe amidst a forecast of day-long thunderstorms in Atlanta, and Carroll debuts for 2022 on the opposite side of the country with an evening affair at Chapman in the L.A. suburbs.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2022, 11:57:55 PM
North Park 4
St. Olaf 2

It was a highly entertaining night of high-speed, end-to-end soccer at Hedstrand Field. The Oles took a quick lead just 61 seconds into the contest on an insanely skillful steal off of an NPU defender's foot by Hakeen Morgan, who thereupon immediately rocketed a 30-yard strike past NPU keeper Alfie Swärd. But the Vikings refused to be put on the back foot by that, as their constant pressure produced three first-half goals, including an Isak Flo re-direct sandwiched by a brace of William DeCarro PK strikes. The Oles almost grabbed one back just before halftime, but Swärd made a pair of outstanding saves to thwart the Minnesotans' threat.

In the second half, the Oles again came out roaring. About a minute and a half into the second stanza, Clemente Archuch Puig worked his way into the box and got off a twisting volley that beat Swärd and made it a one-goal game again. That's where it stood for almost the entire second half, with the Oles getting a multitude of rushes that included a well-struck ball that glanced off of the crossbar and two or three good shots that were barely off-frame. But the NPU defense stood stout, and as the game entered its final minute the Vikings managed to get the ball into the St. Olaf end and pinned it against the sideline. Vikings wing Love Brandt somehow snuck out of the scrum with the ball at his feet and served it to the edge of the box, where Toby Lunde managed to push it to his left with two Oles on him in order to give Noel Holm a chance -- and Holm put it home in the left side of the goal to seal the deal.

St. Olaf is for real. Let's not forget that Travis Wall's side returned ten starters from a Sweet Sixteen team. They're pretty talented: Morgan, Archuch Puig, and Victor Gaulmin are each All-Region caliber, if not All-American. And their recklessly fast style of play is just plain hard to defend; the Oles do everything with alacrity. They never dilly-dally with a free kick or a throw-in; the ball goes back into play immediately, and when the St. Olaf back line gets the ball, the forwards and midfielders sprint upfield each time like their hair is on fire. It's fun to watch, and a headache if you're an opposing coach. Their upset loss to Wartburg last week notwithstanding, I expect the Oles to make some noise and be a part of the proceedings in November again. Who knows? There might be a Vikings vs. Oles rematch.

For a team that lost two All-Americans, plus a pair of All-CCIW freshmen who transferred out to the scholarship levels, the Vikings look pretty formidable. St. Olaf was a big step up in class from the first three NPU opponents, and the Vikings still managed to come off of the pitch with a hard-fought win in their home opener. Kris Grahn has definitely reloaded his team.


Messiah 3
Carthage 0

Unfortunately, it wasn't such happy tidings in the other Friday night CCIW contest, as the Firebirds went to central Pennsylvania to visit preseason #5 Messiah and got pantsed. The Falcons outshot Carthage by a total of 19-1, including 8-0 on frame. Carthage drops to 1-2-1 on the year.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Shooter McGavin on November 03, 2022, 12:56:48 PM
I watched North Park vs Wheaton last evening and North Park has a ton of talent. They played Wheaton off the field (on the road). I think they will be a tough out in NCAA's and am extremely impressed by how well they move the ball and the technical ability of the players on that team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on March 14, 2023, 03:23:30 PM
North Park has started posting commitments on Insta:  https://www.instagram.com/npu_msoccer/
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 10, 2023, 02:35:15 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on March 14, 2023, 03:23:30 PM
North Park has started posting commitments on Insta:  https://www.instagram.com/npu_msoccer/

It appears NPU will have another large recruiting class - I believe Kris referred to them as his most talented yet.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on April 11, 2023, 01:26:55 PM
About half of the Scandinavians he gets every year show up immediately ready to play at this level, so I take them for granted. But he's got some All-State guys this year, so this should be a great class as far as the American contingent is concerned.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on April 11, 2023, 03:03:30 PM
Will make for an interesting and competitive year for the CCIW - at least for the typically stronger top teams (North Park, Carthage, North Central and Wheaton). 

Unfortunately All-State isn't always a predictor of success at the college level.  High school all state is very much a good ole boys club.  Good players can look great (if surrounded by other good players) and due to vast spread of skills across high school teams.  All the high school all state players in my sons graduating class have either stopped playing in college or are riding the pine. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 11, 2023, 04:32:50 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on April 11, 2023, 03:03:30 PM
Unfortunately All-State isn't always a predictor of success at the college level.  High school all state is very much a good ole boys club.  Good players can look great (if surrounded by other good players) and due to vast spread of skills across high school teams.  All the high school all state players in my sons graduating class have either stopped playing in college or are riding the pine.

I think this is true in any sport and not limited to soccer.

In Illinois, the absolute cream of the crop play club as opposed to high school soccer.  I think depleted talent is also the cause, perhaps in combination with a good ole boys club, whatever that is...

In any event, I'm happy to see recognized players become attracted to NP.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on April 11, 2023, 05:03:25 PM
good ole boys club.....I will vote for your player you vote for mine etc .....I dont like xyz team/coach therefore not voting for those players.......happens way too often for end of season awards. 

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on April 11, 2023, 05:07:31 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on April 11, 2023, 05:03:25 PM
good ole boys club.....I will vote for your player you vote for mine etc .....I dont like xyz team/coach therefore not voting for those players.......happens way too often for end of season awards.

Got it, thanks for the explanation and that makes sense.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on May 01, 2023, 09:35:41 AM
Did anyone attend the NPU / Roosevelt scrimmage last night? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on May 01, 2023, 01:18:22 PM
I was giving it some thought, but I was half-frozen from having to call the IWU @ NPU softball doubleheader yesterday afternoon and I didn't thaw out in time to make it back to Holmgren.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on June 16, 2023, 08:13:42 PM
North Park's newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

My limited ability to get a read on the Swedes and Norwegians keeps me from saying too much about most of this class. But the sophomore transfer, Emil Svenander, is noteworthy because he's got a scholarship-level track record. He's a 6'4", 205 striker who was Wingate's leading scorer last season as a freshman with seven goals and an assist and was named an All-SAC second-teamer, as the #14 Bulldogs made it all the way to the D2 Sweet Sixteen.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on June 21, 2023, 10:41:55 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 16, 2023, 08:13:42 PM
North Park's newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

My limited ability to get a read on the Swedes and Norwegians keeps me from saying too much about most of this class. But the sophomore transfer, Emil Svenander, is noteworthy because he's got a scholarship-level track record. He's a 6'4", 205 striker who was Wingate's leading scorer last season as a freshman with seven goals and an assist and was named an All-SAC second-teamer, as the #14 Bulldogs made it all the way to the D2 Sweet Sixteen.

I'm happy to see the number of newbies that play in the Striker position.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on June 27, 2023, 04:43:08 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on June 21, 2023, 10:41:55 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 16, 2023, 08:13:42 PM
North Park's newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

My limited ability to get a read on the Swedes and Norwegians keeps me from saying too much about most of this class. But the sophomore transfer, Emil Svenander, is noteworthy because he's got a scholarship-level track record. He's a 6'4", 205 striker who was Wingate's leading scorer last season as a freshman with seven goals and an assist and was named an All-SAC second-teamer, as the #14 Bulldogs made it all the way to the D2 Sweet Sixteen.

I'm happy to see the number of newbies that play in the Striker position.

Add Vincente Sabbione to the list.  Striker / Sockers FC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on June 27, 2023, 05:05:50 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on June 27, 2023, 04:43:08 PM
Add Vincente Sabbione to the list.  Striker / Sockers FC.

Nice MLS Next and Glenbrook North highlights. He looks like he has some potential.

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Vicente Sabbione, S (Northbrook, IL / Sockers FC)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PM
Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?  That roster is too large for every player to get development. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on June 27, 2023, 06:46:09 PM
Quote from: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PM
Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?

Yes, as is pretty much every D3 school that is tuition-dependent (which is to say, a whole lotta D3 schools).

Quote from: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PMThat roster is too large for every player to get development.

Of course it is. But are you going to turn down all of those student-athletes who think that they can play for North Park by telling them to go somewhere else? The answer is "no".

Based upon past seasons, my guess is that a fair number of these guys self-selected North Park by contacting the coaching staff first. The All-State guys and likely most of the Scandinavians were definitely recruited by Kris Grahn and his staff.

As usual, summer preseason camp will winnow out a few of these guys. Then there will be a large reserve team that will play an extensive schedule, and the guys who aren't seeing much time on the reserve team will drop off one by one of their own accord.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: College Soccer Observer on June 29, 2023, 08:16:19 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on April 11, 2023, 05:03:25 PM
good ole boys club.....I will vote for your player you vote for mine etc .....I dont like xyz team/coach therefore not voting for those players.......happens way too often for end of season awards.
In Illinois, there is no statewide vote.  To receive any post season awards from the Coaches Association , the player's coach must be a member of the association.  The state is divided into sections, and the top X players in each section earn all state honors.  So if you are in a section with tons of power house teams, deserving players are left out.  If you are in a section with weaker teams, then undeserving players make it.  System is a total crapshoot.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on June 30, 2023, 10:33:33 AM
there in lies the issues;

1.  Coach must be member - not all are
2.  Unequal representation in zones/population
3.  Good ole boys club/top players - how are these identified.

All-state does not translate to success at the college level
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Newenglander on June 30, 2023, 11:11:46 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 27, 2023, 06:46:09 PM
Quote from: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PM
Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?

Yes, as is pretty much every D3 school that is tuition-dependent (which is to say, a whole lotta D3 schools).

Quote from: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PMThat roster is too large for every player to get development.

Of course it is. But are you going to turn down all of those student-athletes who think that they can play for North Park by telling them to go somewhere else? The answer is "no".

Based upon past seasons, my guess is that a fair number of these guys self-selected North Park by contacting the coaching staff first. The All-State guys and likely most of the Scandinavians were definitely recruited by Kris Grahn and his staff.

As usual, summer preseason camp will winnow out a few of these guys. Then there will be a large reserve team that will play an extensive schedule, and the guys who aren't seeing much time on the reserve team will drop off one by one of their own accord.

Last year's roster was 51 so not sure how many drop off - they must have a reserve team.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on June 30, 2023, 03:57:18 PM
NPU picked up another commitment from Sweden that plays the striker position :)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 01, 2023, 09:57:59 AM
Quote from: Newenglander on June 30, 2023, 11:11:46 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on June 27, 2023, 06:46:09 PM
Quote from: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PM
Is North Park using sports to get enrollment numbers?

Yes, as is pretty much every D3 school that is tuition-dependent (which is to say, a whole lotta D3 schools).

Quote from: stlawus on June 27, 2023, 05:14:31 PMThat roster is too large for every player to get development.

Of course it is. But are you going to turn down all of those student-athletes who think that they can play for North Park by telling them to go somewhere else? The answer is "no".

Based upon past seasons, my guess is that a fair number of these guys self-selected North Park by contacting the coaching staff first. The All-State guys and likely most of the Scandinavians were definitely recruited by Kris Grahn and his staff.

As usual, summer preseason camp will winnow out a few of these guys. Then there will be a large reserve team that will play an extensive schedule, and the guys who aren't seeing much time on the reserve team will drop off one by one of their own accord.

Last year's roster was 51 so not sure how many drop off - they must have a reserve team.

As I said in the post you quoted, North Park does indeed have a reserve team. In fact, North Park has annually had a reserve team dating back at least to the late '90s.

Quote from: Gotberg on June 30, 2023, 03:57:18 PM
NPU picked up another commitment from Sweden that plays the striker position :)

Quite a run on strikers this off-season for the Vikings!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on July 05, 2023, 09:20:29 AM
NPU picked up another midfield commitment.  If there are more commitments in the future, I won't likely post on this thread anymore, but this one is interesting because he is from Doha, Qatar.   
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on July 05, 2023, 10:12:55 AM
Preseason (way too early/guessing) Massey Ratings for upcoming season.   Thoughts?

19 North Park
36 North Central
61 Carthage
113 Wheaton
164 Il Wesleyan
166 Elmhurst
178 Carroll
222 Millikin
305 Augustana

My initial thoughts are North Central and Carroll are both low based on last couple years.   Carroll is making strides has become competitive in the conference.  North Central has put together a few good years and had limited seniors graduate.   North Park has had a good run and decent incoming class based on above comments.   

Based on above what are thoughts on conference standings?  Is this what is to be expected? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 05, 2023, 10:44:40 AM
I agree. I think that North Central and Carroll are too low. I suspect that Wheaton is low as well; even though there's a danger in overestimating Wheaton just because it's a name-brand program and was for decades the undisputed boss of this league, I still think that Wheaton will manage to field a side in 2023 that ranks in the top quartile of D3. Even a down-cycle Wheaton always manages to reach that level.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SimpleCoach on July 05, 2023, 10:51:25 AM
Whither Augustana?  Reminds me of Alleghany College.  Once mighty.  Now meek.

SC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on July 05, 2023, 12:22:55 PM
Greg - you seem to have a good pulse on the CCIW - what is your predicted order of finish this coming year for the conference?

North Park/North Central
Carthage
Carroll
Wheaton
Il Wesleyan
Elmhurst
Millikin
Agustana

A few lucky bounces one way or another and could completely change things. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 05, 2023, 05:48:23 PM
Quote from: SimpleCoach on July 05, 2023, 10:51:25 AM
Whither Augustana?  Reminds me of Alleghany College.  Once mighty.  Now meek.

SC.

You have to go back a dozen years to find an Augie team that was even halfway decent, and it's been a good two decades now since Augie was a legitimate CCIW power, back when Scott Mejia coached the Augie men as well as the women. That always seemed weird, given how strong Augustana has traditionally been across the board in sports. But at least Augustana does have some glory days as a soccer program, which is more than Illinois Wesleyan -- another school with a lot of overall sports success but a perennial also-ran on the soccer pitch -- can say. (Illinois Wesleyan's perennially undistinguished performances have been strictly on the men's side, though; the women's soccer program at IWU has been very strong for a long time now.)

Quote from: soccerpapa on July 05, 2023, 12:22:55 PM
Greg - you seem to have a good pulse on the CCIW - what is your predicted order of finish this coming year for the conference?

North Park/North Central
Carthage
Carroll
Wheaton
Il Wesleyan
Elmhurst
Millikin
Agustana

A few lucky bounces one way or another and could completely change things.

That seems right to me. North Park vs. North Central is rapidly turning into Scandinavia vs. Italy, so I'm going to start calling this new soccer showdown the Meatball Rivalry. ;)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on July 12, 2023, 03:40:40 PM
It's worth mentioning that NP picked up a transfer commit from D1 Siena College.  Looks like he was Siena's leading goal scorer last year with a total of 8, playing at the striker position.  Comes in as a 3rd year student, in terms of eligibility I believe.

He had a twin brother at Siena who is not listed on their 2023 roster.  No idea his plans, if any.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 13, 2023, 10:47:45 AM
North Park is really loading itself up top in this recruiting class, adding not just a D1 standout and a D2 standout at striker, but four freshman strikers as well:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Gaston Philipp, M (Doha, Qatar / Al Gharafa SC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Vicente Sabbione, S (Northbrook, IL / Sockers FC)
Tim Sjöström, S (Hönö, Sweden / Öckerö IF)
Thomas Chaisee Storødegård, S (Stabekk, Norway / Siena College) (junior)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Mathias Sørum, M (Brumunddal, Norway / Brumunddal Fotball)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

Quote from: Gotberg on July 12, 2023, 03:40:40 PM
It's worth mentioning that NP picked up a transfer commit from D1 Siena College.  Looks like he was Siena's leading goal scorer last year with a total of 8, playing at the striker position.  Comes in as a 3rd year student, in terms of eligibility I believe.

Storødegård isn't just a D1 transfer, he was an All-MAAC first-teamer last season as well. (https://maacsports.com/news/2022/11/4/2022-mens-soccer-postseason-major-awards-and-all-maac-teams-announced.aspx) So both of NPU's incoming transfer strikers not only led their team in goals and points, they were both named to the all-conference teams of their respective scholarship-level leagues.

NPU has had a lot of turnover up top over the past couple of seasons, what with Jesse Anamoo tranferring to the D1 level and Isak Flo graduating early. But it looks like the Vikings aren't going to miss a beat in terms of scoring ability.

North Park can also check off yet another country from its international student-athletes list as it adds its first-ever Qatari to the roll of Vikings.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on July 13, 2023, 11:17:23 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on July 13, 2023, 10:47:45 AM
North Park is really loading itself up top in this recruiting class, adding not just a D1 standout and a D2 standout at striker, but four freshman strikers as well:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Gaston Philipp, M (Doha, Qatar / Al Gharafa SC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Vicente Sabbione, S (Northbrook, IL / Sockers FC)
Tim Sjöström, S (Hönö, Sweden / Öckerö IF)
Thomas Chaisee Storødegård, S (Stabekk, Norway / Siena College) (junior)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Mathias Sørum, M (Brumunddal, Norway / Brumunddal Fotball)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

Quote from: Gotberg on July 12, 2023, 03:40:40 PM
It's worth mentioning that NP picked up a transfer commit from D1 Siena College.  Looks like he was Siena's leading goal scorer last year with a total of 8, playing at the striker position.  Comes in as a 3rd year student, in terms of eligibility I believe.

Storødegård isn't just a D1 transfer, he was an All-MAAC first-teamer last season as well. (https://maacsports.com/news/2022/11/4/2022-mens-soccer-postseason-major-awards-and-all-maac-teams-announced.aspx) So both of NPU's incoming transfer strikers not only led their team in goals and points, they were both named to the all-conference teams of their respective scholarship-level leagues.

NPU has had a lot of turnover up top over the past couple of seasons, what with Jesse Anamoo tranferring to the D1 level and Isak Flo graduating early. But it looks like the Vikings aren't going to miss a beat in terms of scoring ability.

North Park can also check off yet another country from its international student-athletes list as it adds its first-ever Qatari to the roll of Vikings.

You can add Thomas' brother Frederic to the commit list.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on July 18, 2023, 09:50:00 AM
NPU picked up one more commitment from the same Norwegian club, where the Siena College transfers also played. 

Apparently, that's the last expected commit, per the Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/npu_msoccer/
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 18, 2023, 10:11:31 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on July 13, 2023, 11:17:23 AM
You can add Thomas' brother Frederic to the commit list.

Frederic must've been hurt last season, as he only got into five games for Siena. But the year previous he started 18 of the 19 games played by the Fighting Saints, recording two goals and four assists as a freshman in yet another winning campaign for Siena in 2021.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 18, 2023, 10:21:37 AM
OK, then, here's the final list of NPU newbies:

Ludvig Almborg, G (Anderstorp, Sweden / IFK Värnamo)
Carson Belcher, F (Schaumburg, IL / Sockers FC)
Nicholas Chavez, M (Des Plaines, IL / Chicago Stars)
Anthony Chebat, M (Linköping, Sweden / Åtvidabergs FF)
Eduardo Cirillo, M (Island Lake, IL / Mundelein SC)
Emmanuel Delgado, M (Wheeling, IL / Chicago Stars)
Joshua Dyke, D (Växjö, Sweden / Östers IF)
Ville Hellström, D (Falun, Sweden / Slätta SK)
Carl Karlsson, D (Köping, Sweden / Köping FF)
Benhur Kidane-Ghirmey, S (Hønefoss, Norway / Hønefoss BK)
Xavier Lopez, D (Chicago, IL / FC Stars)
Jon Malumbres, M (Bilbao, Spain / Arenas de Gexto)
Magnus Otterlei, S (Brattvaag, Norway / Brattvaag IL)
Kevin Perez, S (Glenview, IL / Sockers FC)
Gaston Philipp, M (Doha, Qatar / Al Gharafa SC)
Edgar Quintero, M (Chicago, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Matthias Rønning, D (Bergen, Norway / FK Fyllingsdalen)
Thomas Rønning, M (Bergen, Norway / Smørås IL)
Vicente Sabbione, S (Northbrook, IL / Sockers FC)
Tim Sjöström, S (Hönö, Sweden / Öckerö IF)
Frederic Chaisee Storødegård, M (Stabekk, Norway / Siena College) (junior)
Thomas Chaisee Storødegård, S (Stabekk, Norway / Siena College) (junior)
Emil Svenander, S (Täby, Sweden / Wingate University) (sophomore)
Mathias Sørum, M (Brumunddal, Norway / Brumunddal Fotball)
León Weichbrodt-Ottesen, M (Vollen, Norway / Baerum SK)
Ismael Zepeda, F (Cicero, IL / Chicago Fire YSC)
Noel Åberg, M (Halmstad, Sweden / Halmstads BK)

This is mind-boggling work done by Kris and Karsten. This newbie list alone is almost the size of a typical D3 roster! And, while the résumés of the Storødegård twins and Emil Svenander clearly indicate that they'll be standouts at this level, one has to think that there is plenty more straight-to-varsity talent on that list among the freshmen -- particularly among the Swedes and Norwegians, although I'm not discounting the Chicagoland kids at all.

I'm pretty pumped to see that first Vikings scrimmage next month.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on July 18, 2023, 03:58:16 PM
Sebastianus Uribe isn't coming back, so it looks like Alfie Swärd is once more the incumbent at GK for North Park in 2023. But there are five other GKs on the roster, so it isn't as though he won't get pushed.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: markerickson on July 28, 2023, 09:08:48 AM
NPU at #19 will ultimately prove to be far lower than the season's end result. CCIW conference and tourney champs and a deep postseason run is what I expect.  Keeping positive chemistry between starters and nonstarters will be a huge challenge for Coach Grahn.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: npbaseball40 on August 09, 2023, 12:40:30 PM
Congrats on your selection to the Viking Hall of Fame, Greg, and thanks for all you do to support NPU Athletics, at the mic and away from it!

Press Release:
https://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2023/8/9/baseball-north-park-athletics-announces-viking-hall-of-fame-2023-class.aspx (https://athletics.northpark.edu/news/2023/8/9/baseball-north-park-athletics-announces-viking-hall-of-fame-2023-class.aspx)
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 16, 2023, 11:42:43 AM
Thanks!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 16, 2023, 11:47:32 AM
North Park edges out North Central for the top spot in the CCIW coaches preseason poll. (https://cciw.org/news/2023/8/16/coaches-vote-north-park-as-cciw-mens-soccer-frontrunner.aspx)


1.  North Park (5)  51
2.  North Central (4)  49
3.  Wheaton  47
4.  Carthage  43
5.  Carroll  33
6.  Elmhurst  30
7.  Illinois Wesleyan  27
8t. Augustana  12
8t. Millikin  12
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on August 17, 2023, 10:29:15 AM
Carroll is the sleeper team for the year.  Should be an interesting and competitive year for the top 5-6 teams listed
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on August 27, 2023, 01:04:42 PM
Anyone have info on the NPU v Calvin scrimmage?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2023, 02:33:22 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 27, 2023, 01:04:42 PM
Anyone have info on the NPU v Calvin scrimmage?

I have an uncorroborated report. I'm waiting to get it confirmed before I post about it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on August 29, 2023, 09:06:35 AM
Anyone know how the Chicago/North Central scrimmage was last night?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2023, 10:51:04 AM
Yeah, I'd like to hear about that scrimmage as well.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2023, 10:52:57 AM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on August 27, 2023, 02:33:22 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on August 27, 2023, 01:04:42 PM
Anyone have info on the NPU v Calvin scrimmage?

I have an uncorroborated report. I'm waiting to get it confirmed before I post about it.

North Park returned home from Grand Rapids with a 5-1 victory under its belt on Saturday. The Knights scored first, and then the Vikings reeled off five unanswered goals.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 4samuy on August 29, 2023, 12:59:57 PM
Fwiw,

Last night Chicago 2  North central 0.

Chicago very liberal with substitutions.  I believe every healthy body in uniform got some run for the Maroons. North Central not so much.  I think (but could be wrong) their back line and keeper played full 90.

Goals- yetishevsky  (pretty sure) and Walsh.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on August 29, 2023, 01:13:02 PM
Thanks, 4samuy!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on August 29, 2023, 01:39:01 PM
4samuy - were you at the game? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: 4samuy on August 29, 2023, 01:44:22 PM
Yes
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on August 29, 2023, 02:38:27 PM
what about overall flow of game? Chicago look ready to defend title, or typical scrimmage (established players play with control while newer play trying to "prove" themselves)?  New/different tactics with new coach? 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 02, 2023, 01:43:02 AM
First day's in the books:

North Park 3, Benedictine 0
North Central 3, Baldwin-Wallace 1
UW-Platteville 3, Wheaton 1
Macalester 3, Carthage 0
Carroll 2, Lakeland 1
Trinity (TX) 3, Elmhurst 1
Illinois Wesleyan 1, Washington (MO) 0
Simpson 4, Augustana 0
Aurora 2, Millikin 1

That's not a particularly good day for the league, although Illinois Wesleyan's upset win over the Bears does add a bit of glow to an otherwise mediocre day for the league.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 04, 2023, 10:38:15 PM
Saturday's results:

North Central 3, PSU-Behrend 0
Millikin 5, Illinois C. 4
Wheaton 3, Principia 0

... and Sunday's:

Elmhurst 2, Southwestern 2
St. John's 2, Carroll 0
Carleton 3, Augustana 0
Carthage 3, Concordia (WI) 2

The league sits at 8-7-1 after opening weekend. Color me unimpressed.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 06, 2023, 10:17:30 AM
North Central defeated Benedictine last evening at Benedetti-Wehrli, 3-1.

Riley Johnson has been NCC's goalkeeper for the entirety of all three Cardinals games to date. Does anybody know what the situation is with Sid Marquardt? Is he hurt?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 07, 2023, 12:20:47 AM
Another extensive menu was placed on the table of CCIW soccer fans today:

Dominican 2, Elmhurst 0
Knox 4, Augustana 0
Millikin 7, Blackburn 1
Wheaton 2, Lake Forest 0
Illinois Wesleyan 2, Aurora 0
Carroll 2, Illinois Tech 0
North Park 1, St. Norbert 0

A that's-more-like-it Wednesday effort puts the CCIW at 14-9-1 for the season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2023, 09:41:59 PM
Thursday:

Carthage 4, Benedictine 1

Friday:

Concordia (WI) 3, Carroll 0
North Central 3, Trine 1

Today:
Elmhurst 1, Hope 0
Millikin 4, DePauw 3
MSOE 2, Wheaton 1
North Park 3, Kalamazoo 2

The Vikings played like crap tonight. After netting goals from Mike Dejworek and Mathias Soerum within ten seconds of each other around the ten-minute mark, the Vikings spent the bulk of the game's remainder getting completely outworked by a Hornets squad that didn't look like it got the memo that they were supposed to roll over for a nationally-ranked team once they fell behind to them. The Vikings compounded their problem with excess chippiness by accumulating six golden ducats over the course of the contest (one of them booked on the NPU bench). They looked very disorganized and undisciplined. Fortunately, they seemed to wake up in the last fifteen minutes and not only possessed better but put good pressure on the Kazoo keeper. He ended up having to take out Soerum's legs on a breakaway opportunity, and Willy Wickman netted the ensuing PK at 77:54, after which NPU got serious and clamped down until the final horn.

But if the Vikings play anything like this when the U of C comes to the North Side on Tuesday evening, they're going to get their butts handed to them.

Wheaton got burned with only two minutes left in the game atop the parking lot up in Brewtown. The Orange and Blue are now 2-2 against a not-terribly-difficult schedule to date.

Millikin's win over a DePauw team that pulled up in the Lindsay Field parking lot sporting a 3-0 record -- which included scoring four goals against a Tigers team that'd turned in three clean sheets in their first three games -- is one of the bigger surprises of the season thus far.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: tjcummingsfan on September 09, 2023, 10:37:00 PM
Millikin scored 3 of their 4 goals in the last 3:30ish.  Just a disaster for DePaul.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 09, 2023, 11:04:03 PM
Wow! And the game-winner came with 1.1 seconds remaining!
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 11, 2023, 01:31:23 AM
Sunday's games:

Carroll 2, St. Norbert 1
Carthage 3, Trine 2
Lake Forest 2, Elmhurst 1
North Central 5, Rose-Hulman 0
Central 2, Augustana 0

Good result for Carroll against a solid opponent up in Packerland. But that's offset league-wise by a not-very-good result for Elmhurst against the heretofore winless Foresters.

North Central squashed the HCAC preseason favorite like a bug at Benedetti-Wehrli. At this moment I'd say that NCC looks like the best bet to win the league, not NPU.

Losing by only two goals is starting to look like as good a day at the office as new Augie coach Chad Flanders can hope for in 2023. His boys still haven't found the back of the net yet this season after four games.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on September 13, 2023, 10:43:22 AM
Tuesday:

Carthage 6, Lake Forest 2
Congratulations to Aidan Crowder, whose four goals for the Firebirds tied a school record.

Augustana 0, Illinois College 0
Augie still hasn't scored this season, but at least the Doggies didn't lose this time. The Blue Boys got off 19 shots (to only four for Augie) but still couldn't find the back of the net in Jacksonville.

Chicago 1, North Park 0
Close but no cigar for NPU against the defending national champs, but a much better performance by the Vikings than they showed in their win at Kalamazoo on Saturday.

Greenville 1, Illinois Wesleyan 0
The Titans came crashing to earth, as that can't be interpreted as anything other than a bad loss for IWU in Blo-No.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 03, 2023, 10:09:06 AM
Conference season just starting - time for teams to step up.....Hang on for the ride
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2023, 10:18:22 AM
Right now the burning question is whether or not Augustana will score a goal this season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gotberg on October 03, 2023, 05:08:32 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2023, 10:18:22 AM
Right now the burning question is whether or not Augustana will score a goal this season.

Holy smokes - I hope they get 1, but if they don't - would that be a first?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 04, 2023, 10:40:21 AM
Full slate of games tonight - things will start taking shape over the next week. 

Anything can happen in conference play but North Central looks like the team to beat but on any given night......
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: SimpleCoach on October 04, 2023, 11:38:40 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 03, 2023, 05:08:32 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2023, 10:18:22 AM
Right now the burning question is whether or not Augustana will score a goal this season.

Holy smokes - I hope they get 1, but if they don't - would that be a first?

Am being serious.  What has happened to Augustana Athletics?  They used to be dominants in a number of sport in the 80s and think into the 90s. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 04, 2023, 12:17:49 PM
I am not sure.  Had a teammate of my son go there and he stopped after one year due to the culture.  That was before recent coaching change.   

Whatever the reason will be a large hole to dig out of to become relevant again.......As a Chicago Bear fan I feel their pain.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: WUPHF on October 04, 2023, 01:41:59 PM
Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 04, 2023, 11:38:40 AM
Am being serious.  What has happened to Augustana Athletics?  They used to be dominants in a number of sport in the 80s and think into the 90s.

I was curious so I looked.  Augustana finished No. 199 in the Director's Cup last year.  The second lowest in the league.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Coach Jeff on October 04, 2023, 10:58:14 PM
Just watched the second half of North Central Cardinals versus Wheaton Thunder.  Wheaton winning 2-1 when a Louth was shown a second yellow.  Wheaton playing with 10 men from the 75 minute.  Wheaton continued to possess the ball for the next 10 minutes or so and then the Cardinals started dropping long ball after long ball into the box.  With 1 minute to go Jack Fairwood headed a ball pass the thunders GK to tie the game at 2 a piece.  Game ended in a draw.  The cardinals are now 10-1-1 on the season with the thunder going to 6-4-1. Up next for North central is Cartage at home on Saturday and the thunder will visit Elmhurst on Saturday at 11 am.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2023, 12:09:36 AM
Quote from: SimpleCoach on October 04, 2023, 11:38:40 AM
Quote from: Gotberg on October 03, 2023, 05:08:32 PM
Quote from: Gregory Sager on October 03, 2023, 10:18:22 AM
Right now the burning question is whether or not Augustana will score a goal this season.

Holy smokes - I hope they get 1, but if they don't - would that be a first?

Am being serious.  What has happened to Augustana Athletics?  They used to be dominants in a number of sport in the 80s and think into the 90s.

Augustana was the all-sports dominant power in the CCIW right on up into the Oughts. Most of the Augie people blame the falloff on a change in school administration, although I'm not really sure how that plays out. Augie appears to be spending as much money on sports as it always did -- perhaps even more now, since various Augustana sports programs have become noted over the past 25 years for heavily recruiting Colorado as well as the school's traditional recruiting footprints of rural northern Illinois, eastern Iowa, and (especially) the western suburbs of Chicagoland. And those Colorado recruiting jaunts ain't cheap if your home address is Rock Island, IL.

BTW, Augie's goose-egg woes continued tonight, as IWU shut out the Rock Islanders in Blo-No, 3-0.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 05, 2023, 12:14:02 AM
North Park finally started connnecting passes in the forward third with consistency and finding the back of the net, as the Vikings blew out Elmhurst, 5-1.

The most noteworth non-con game of the night took place on the other side of two (the baddest part, as the late Jim Croce liked to sing), as Carthage deadlocked Chicago at Stagg Field, 1-1.

UW-Whitewater topped Millikin, 2-1, in the other out-of-circuit contest.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 09, 2023, 12:45:42 PM
Augustana still yet to score on the year losing to Millikin 6-0

North Central handing it to Carthage (off a recent 1-1 tie to Chicago) to the tune of 7-2. 

North Park getting past their last non-conference foe (Depauw) 1-0

Wheaton remaining strong with the win (3-2) over Elmhurst

Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll play to a scoreless tie.

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2023, 04:13:52 PM
What will likely be the biggest regular-season game of the year in CCIW men's soccer (although Carthage and Wheaton may still have something to say about that) is on tap for Wednesday at Hedstrand Field, and I'm psyched to call it. North Park is in first place at 3-0, but North Central is right behind in a tie for second at 2-0-1, and the Cardinals, unlike NPU, have been able to sustain a national ranking all season long, as they currently hold the #11 slot in the (admittedly much-maligned) USC poll.

North Central has to be seen as the clear favorite in this one, but I anticipate this to be a good contest that the Vikings will have a decent shot to win.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 09, 2023, 04:32:26 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on October 09, 2023, 12:45:42 PM
Augustana still yet to score on the year losing to Millikin 6-0

Augustana's hardly even getting any chances to score. Here's Augie's shots-on-goal tally for the season:


opponent   AC's SOG
Simpson    2
Carleton    0
Knox    0
Central    1
Illinois College    4
Fontbonne    4
North Park    2
Coe    1
Carthage    1
Illinois Wesleyan    3
Millikin    0

Hard to put the ball in the net when you're averaging only 1.63 shots on goal per game. And, if they're anything like the two SOG that Augie took against North Park, they're been mostly routine, easy-peasy balls from 30 yards out or more.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 11, 2023, 11:55:08 PM
Vikings settle for a draw with North Central that, all things considered, was earned under serious duress. NPU was missing four starters tonight -- William DeCarro, Hugo Neborg, Teo Helm, and Alfie Swärd -- and several key reserves as well, and their absence could not be more ill-timed. To make matters worse, Carl Karlsson got sent off with 11 minutes to go in the first half with his second yellow, leaving the already-depleted Vikings to play the final 56 minutes short-handed.

The Vikings turned out to be more than up to the challenge, as Willy Wickman took advantage of a Cardinals foul in the box on a corner kick to strike a PK tally at the 47:22 mark that put the Park up 1-0. Playing truly stout defense a man down against one of the most prolific scoring teams in all of D3, and doing so with mostly freshmen and sophomores on the pitch, it looked for the longest time as though the Vikings might pull out the win. But the veteran combo of Westerberg and Fairwood put together a beautiful goal up the middle past NPU's Raul Jasso (who was otherwise outstanding tonight) in the 82nd minute to bring NCC level. And that's how it ended -- a 1-1 draw.

It was pretty clear who was happy to get the draw and who wasn't, as there was a lot of shoving and yelling going on in the handshake line. Some sore Cardinals players took objection to Vikings who were too gleeful in the moment, and both parties were lucky that the center ref didn't reach into his pocket to hand out some postgame punishment.

The draw leaves North Park still in control of matters atop the league, albeit now in a tie for first with Wheaton. Both teams are 3-0-1 in CCIW play, the Wheaties having easily dispatched Carroll at Joe Bean, 4-1. North Central, on the other hand, does not control its own destiny, as the Cards are now 2-0-2 in CCIW play with both of the teams ahead of them on the CCIW table having already drawn with NCC.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 12, 2023, 12:00:05 AM
Congratulations to Augustana, as Ben Statz struck one home at the 52:55 mark tonight at Thorsen-Lucken to give Augie its first goal of the season. It even got Augustana back into the game, however briefly, as it halved visiting Elmhurst's lead to 2-1. The Bluejays did end up putting the game away with three goals in the final 17 minutes, but at least the monkey is off of Augie's back now. I was happy to see it happen; those Augie kids practice just as hard and play just as hard as everybody else, and it's good to see them finally rewarded for it. I wouldn't wish a scoreless season on my worst enemy.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 12, 2023, 10:21:22 AM
Watched much of the North Park vs North Central match. Great job by the NPU PbP as always. Considering the circumstances I suppose the draw was a good result for NPU but I don't think the Cardinals should be too upset...and at the end they may have been more upset about some interactions rather than the draw. Sure, NCC would love to win the CCIW regular season but ultimately the prize is a NCAA bid and NCC is a virtual lock for that barring a complete meltdown.  So they might have to play the CCIW final on the road, which they might now relish...but again, even if they don't win the conference tourney they're still going to the big dance.

I don't recall NPU being so physical and foul-prone but the Vikings even missing players are a very big team.  I think they really miss Angel Barriga (so?), the dynamite left back who was outstanding.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 12, 2023, 11:09:28 AM
A couple notes:

Great result for North Park given the circumstances but it should be noted North Central was also without 3 of their All-CCIW performers from a year ago.

The scrum at the end of the game was instigated by North Park ball boy getting in the faces of some North Central players while emotions were still high during the post game handshake.   

Should they match up again in the postseason will be fun to watch 2 teams at full strength.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 12, 2023, 12:09:34 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on October 12, 2023, 10:21:22 AM
Watched much of the North Park vs North Central match. Great job by the NPU PbP as always.

Thanks, PN!

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 12, 2023, 10:21:22 AMConsidering the circumstances I suppose the draw was a good result for NPU but I don't think the Cardinals should be too upset...and at the end they may have been more upset about some interactions rather than the draw. Sure, NCC would love to win the CCIW regular season but ultimately the prize is a NCAA bid and NCC is a virtual lock for that barring a complete meltdown.  So they might have to play the CCIW final on the road, which they might now relish...but again, even if they don't win the conference tourney they're still going to the big dance.

Quite true, and it's not always a good thing if you're on the pitch in a big game and you know in the back of your mind that you already have a D3 tourney berth sewn up.

Quote from: PaulNewman on October 12, 2023, 10:21:22 AMI don't recall NPU being so physical and foul-prone but the Vikings even missing players are a very big team.  I think they really miss Angel Barriga (so?), the dynamite left back who was outstanding.

They certainly do. His combination of electric pace and technical skill is not easily replaced.

Quote from: soccerpapa on October 12, 2023, 11:09:28 AM
A couple notes:

Great result for North Park given the circumstances but it should be noted North Central was also without 3 of their All-CCIW performers from a year ago.

Yes, that's true. Innocenti, De Collibus, and Nyibizi were all MIA last night for NCC. But the Vikings were not just down four starters, as a lot of their bench depth (Rocco Wallin, Joshua Dyke, the Rønning brothers) was missing as well. And the Cardinals do finally have Sid Marquardt back -- and, however well Riley Johnson fared in his stead, Marquardt is still the best GK in the CCIW.

Quote from: soccerpapa on October 12, 2023, 11:09:28 AMThe scrum at the end of the game was instigated by North Park ball boy getting in the faces of some North Central players while emotions were still high during the post game handshake.

Yes, I did see him out there, and I'm sure that he got an earful from the North Park coaching staff afterwards. But how wired-up must you be if the ballboy, of all people, sets you off while you're in the handshake line?   

Quote from: soccerpapa on October 12, 2023, 11:09:28 AMShould they match up again in the postseason will be fun to watch 2 teams at full strength.

It certainly will. I felt last night that the true Meatball War was sort of put on hold. Unless Wheaton or Carthage has something to say otherwise, it will now presumably occur in early November.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 12, 2023, 12:25:02 PM
No tourney berths are ever sewn up  - soccer is a crazy game and strange things can/will happen over the next three weeks

Hang on for the ride

Both teams, full strength, will be an epic battle should the rematch occur
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 12, 2023, 12:39:33 PM
It is true that both are low on ranked wins.  NCC can hope that ONU is ranked in the end and maybe Carthage since Carthage DOES have ranked wins or at least a win and a draw. I don't see RHIT being ranked.  Wheaton could I suppose but NCC had a draw there.  NCC also doesn't have any games to help with RvR left at least in regular season.  North Park is holding several likely ranked losses and no obvious ranked wins but maybe the Wheaton game will help.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 14, 2023, 07:48:00 PM
Well, so much for first place. NPU spit out the bit and blew a 2-0 lead at Illinois Wesleyan in the final thirty minutes, dropping the contest by a 3-2 score. It snaps an 11-game head-to-head winning streak for the Vikings against IWU, and it's the first time that the Titans have beaten North Park since 2008.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Falconer on October 18, 2023, 09:22:07 PM
Wheaton getting it done vs winless Augustana, 2-0 at the half. Watching it live at Joe Bean Field, since I happen to be in the area for a few days. Hard to tell just how good they are, since their opponents aren't, but IMO number 7 (Johnson) is a stud. Fast, quick, fearless, smart, and aggressive. He'd be all-conference in the MAC—I haven't seen anyone not playing for Messiah in the conference who's better. An Illinois HS player, he was apparently all-state and I believe it.

Wheaton's two goals came off great balls into the box, the first for a leaping one-timer and the second for a header. They dominated possession, but that was to be expected. I wish I could be here for the Saturday game vs NPU. The way both teams have been playing, I give Wheaton the nod.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 19, 2023, 12:28:09 AM
North Park came up big today at Carthage, taking down the Firebirds by a 3-0 tally.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Midwest Fan on October 21, 2023, 09:40:15 PM
Quote from: Falconer on October 18, 2023, 09:22:07 PM
Wheaton getting it done vs winless Augustana, 2-0 at the half. Watching it live at Joe Bean Field, since I happen to be in the area for a few days. Hard to tell just how good they are, since their opponents aren't, but IMO number 7 (Johnson) is a stud. Fast, quick, fearless, smart, and aggressive. He'd be all-conference in the MAC—I haven't seen anyone not playing for Messiah in the conference who's better. An Illinois HS player, he was apparently all-state and I believe it.

Wheaton's two goals came off great balls into the box, the first for a leaping one-timer and the second for a header. They dominated possession, but that was to be expected. I wish I could be here for the Saturday game vs NPU. The way both teams have been playing, I give Wheaton the nod.

Johnson making an impact again tonight as Wheaton leads North Park 3-1 at Joe Bean. He drew the penalty on the first goal and has scored the other two. Wonderful strike on the goal from him that put Wheaton up 2-1 - he brought a long ball down nicely on his thigh and smashed a left footed volley past the keeper.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 23, 2023, 02:34:42 PM
It's pretty obvious that NPU is down this year, but I'm still hopeful that the Vikings can manage to put together a good CCIW tourney run and get into the dance via the Pool A route. But I'm not putting any money on it.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: robertgoulet on October 26, 2023, 02:12:40 PM
What are the current standings looking like? Odds for playoff births?
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on October 26, 2023, 02:42:24 PM
Quote from: robertgoulet on October 26, 2023, 02:12:40 PM
What are the current standings looking like? Odds for playoff births?

Mr. Robert Goulet....loved your work in Brigadoon.

Your alma mater having superb season.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 26, 2023, 02:49:02 PM
Final Standings
North Central (Conference Champs)  6-0-2
Wheaton                                          6-1-1
North Park                                        5-2-1
Carthage                                          4-3-1
Elmhurst                                          4-4
Illinois Wesleyan University               3-3-2
Carroll                                             2-5-1
Millikan                                            2-6
Augustana                                       0-8

Wheaton lost on the final night of league play to Millikan to lose the chance of being conference regular season champions for the first time since 2015.  First lose in their history to Millikan. 

Conference Tournament starts Saturday with first two getting a bye and top six making the CCIW tournament.

As far as NCAA Bids I would say the only chance of getting more than one team in would be if a team other than North Central wins the conference tournament (automatic qualifier) 

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 30, 2023, 10:02:30 AM
Carthage is thru to the next round with a win over Elmhurst.  They will meet North Central in the semis on Wednesday.

North Park (3rd seed) is out with a loss to 6th seeded Illinois Wesleyan.  Wesleyan won in PKs after coming back while playing a man down.  They will face Wheaton on Wednesday.  Disappointing end to the season for a team with high expectations.   

Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2023, 12:18:40 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on October 30, 2023, 10:02:30 AM
North Park (3rd seed) is out with a loss to 6th seeded Illinois Wesleyan.  Wesleyan won in PKs after coming back while playing a man down.  They will face Wheaton on Wednesday.  Disappointing end to the season for a team with high expectations.

The expectations were certainly high among the North Park fanbase, which has grown used to supporting nationally-competitive teams. But the coaching staff was privately much more guarded about this group from the get-go, once it became apparent in preseason practice that the three scholarship-level transfers that they were depending upon to bear the weight of all of those graduation losses from last season were, contrary to their prior D1 and D2 performances, busts. Once their inadequacy was revealed, the season became a matter of trying to climb extremely steep Mount Expectation with a very inexperienced set of Sherpas.

The Vikings do have talent, but it's very young, and there are no Peder Olsens, Angel Barrigas, Gustav Ericssons, or Ricky Pimentels among them. This necessitates a different sort of reloading than the NPU coaching staff is used to doing. Nevertheless, I have great faith in Kris Grahn's ability to get it done. If anybody can find that sort of talent, on either side of the pond, and then bring it to the North Side of Chicago, he can.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: soccerpapa on October 30, 2023, 01:00:22 PM
Were they busts....or does it just go to show that higher level D3 is better than mid/lower level D1/2?

I would side with the latter.  I think the divide between the levels is not nearly what is used to be. 
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2023, 02:03:48 PM
That's entirely possible in theory, but it is a subject for a much larger debate that needs to take place on a bigger stage (i.e., a nationally-based board on this website) than this one.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: stlawus on October 30, 2023, 02:36:39 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on October 30, 2023, 01:00:22 PM
Were they busts....or does it just go to show that higher level D3 is better than mid/lower level D1/2?

I would side with the latter.  I think the divide between the levels is not nearly what is used to be.

I personally think North Park did themselves a major disservice with the enormous roster size.  Even with a reserve team there is simply no way you can develop talent with a roster of 50 or more. Every team will have injuries so developing depth is key, and it's not unusual for players to step up throughout the course of a season due to extra attention and development in training as the available player pool dwindles.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Gregory Sager on October 30, 2023, 08:45:38 PM
Quote from: stlawus on October 30, 2023, 02:36:39 PM
Quote from: soccerpapa on October 30, 2023, 01:00:22 PM
Were they busts....or does it just go to show that higher level D3 is better than mid/lower level D1/2?

I would side with the latter.  I think the divide between the levels is not nearly what is used to be.

I personally think North Park did themselves a major disservice with the enormous roster size.  Even with a reserve team there is simply no way you can develop talent with a roster of 50 or more. Every team will have injuries so developing depth is key, and it's not unusual for players to step up throughout the course of a season due to extra attention and development in training as the available player pool dwindles.

That's not the issue at all. North Park has had a roster this size for six or seven years now. For example, here's the roster and team picture for the 2018 NPU team. (https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster/2018)

The travel squad practices separately from the reserve team, and the travel squad corresponds roughly to the size of a more standard roster. As attrition takes place within the travel squad, players from the reserve team are promoted to it. The travel squad backups get all the extra attention and development in training that they need.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Christan Shirk on November 01, 2023, 04:22:38 PM
REGION VIII - NCAA REGIONAL RANKINGS - November 01, 2023

Rank

School
. Div. III .
Record
. Div. III .
SOS

 . R-v-R .
. Overall .
Record
. Prev. .
Rank
1.
Calvin
12-2-1
0.570
4-1-1
14-2-1
1
2.
Chicago
8-2-5
0.628
4-1-2
8-2-5
3
3.
North Central (Ill.)
15-1-2
0.559
2-1-1
15-1-2
2
4.
Carthage
10-5-2
0.563
1-4-1
10-5-2
--
5.
Wheaton (Ill.)
11-5-1
0.566
1-3-1
11-5-1
5
6.
MSOE
15-1-3
0.528
1-1-2
15-1-3
4
7.
Trine
7-5-3
0.579
2-4-1
7-6-3
--
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on November 02, 2023, 11:28:17 AM
Either Carthage or Illinois Wesleyan is going to the NCAA tournament.  Illinois Wesleyan has advanced to CCIW final after back to back PK shootouts...and after being out shot by Wheaton 29-15.

Bubble teams forced to ingest more anxiety as North Central almost certainly takes a Pool C spot off the board.

Wheaton is probably done but who knows.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: PaulNewman on November 02, 2023, 11:43:21 AM
With a bit more research I think Wheaton is probably on the bubble, not off.  The Thunder have three ranked wins and a h2h win over Carthage. However yesterday Carthage was one spot ahead in the RR...and now Carthage has another ranked win after last night.  Both Carthage and Wheaton also add ranked wins for next week as they hold wins over Trine.
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: iwu70 on November 05, 2023, 12:53:02 PM
IWU wins the CCIW Tournament and the AQ.  A real shocker!  :)   iwu'70
Title: Re: CCIW
Post by: Coach Andrew on November 05, 2023, 02:33:30 PM
Quote from: PaulNewman on November 02, 2023, 11:43:21 AM
With a bit more research I think Wheaton is probably on the bubble, not off.  The Thunder have three ranked wins and a h2h win over Carthage. However yesterday Carthage was one spot ahead in the RR...and now Carthage has another ranked win after last night.  Both Carthage and Wheaton also add ranked wins for next week as they hold wins over Trine.

I don't believe that the Thunder have a shot for a Pool C as both NC and Carthage would have to get off the board before them.