UAA 2017

Started by blooter442, May 22, 2017, 09:32:58 PM

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blooter442

Quote from: Ommadawn on December 03, 2017, 09:23:35 PM
Quote from: Buck O. on December 03, 2017, 08:49:20 PM
I'm assuming that, in order to match what Mr. Right did for NESCAC, you'll be writing a similar review for the other seven UAA squads.  Right??   ;D

And then, of course, they (or other correspondents) will be picking up the remaining conferences after that.  At the rate of a little more than a team per day, we'll all be up to speed a few days before preseason begins.   ;)  The off-season is WAY too long!

Appreciate it, but I'll be honest with you, while I can probably do a basic overview of those other teams, no way I can get into the depth that Mr.Right can across the board. I try to watch games here and there, but the geographic nature of the UAA means my knowledge is much more confined to New England. That said, I definitely will get after it during some down time...agree that the offseason is far too long!

blooter442

Quick look at Rochester's seniors. Along with Chicago I probably watched UR the most out of the other UAA teams. I didn't expect them to do much this year, as they lost two integral players in Swanger and Greblick, and I did not see any difference-makers in their lineup in the form of a Lopez, Koh, or Ocel -- guys who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and put the team on their back. Certainly didn't see them getting to the Elite 8. Despite a lack of big names, Rouin emerged from nowhere to bag 14 goals and end up as a 3rd Team All-American. He was a big part of the reason that UR did so well, but the Yellowjackets had a number of kids emerge across the board this year. They will lose a lot of goals from Rouin and Di Perna and some experience in net in Brown but the rest were reserves who seem replaceable.

Rouin: It is very rare to see a kid have as much of a breakout year as Rouin did. In my observation, when someone scores 14 goals as a senior, it usually follows two or three solid seasons of 5+ goals. Rouin did not score at all as a FY, once as a sophomore, and twice as a junior, so he had three goals to his name at the start of this year. He got two in the first two games (Ill. Wesleyan and Misericordia) but even after getting a hat-trick against RIT I figured he might be somewhat of a flat-track bully, as that came after he didn't score once against St. John Fisher, Hobart, or Buff. State (a 0-1-2 stretch for UR). I was curious as to whether he could keep up his production in UR's UAA schedule. To his credit, he scored winners against WashU (2OT) and Brandeis in UAA action, as well as bagging a goal over Case, before he was kept pretty quiet in the Yellowjackets' last two games against CU and Emory. He snapped a four-game drought (which I am guessing came about after coaches realized he was the main UR dangerman and man-marked him) against Amherst with both goals in the come-from-behind 2-1 victory, before the Yellowjackets finally met their match against Messiah. Interestingly enough, Rouin's career progression was vastly different than Rochester's CF from last year, Greblick, who was UAA ROY his freshman year with 9 goals and 9 assists, but did not put up numbers anywhere near those marks in his last few years. Perhaps Greblick suffered from the issue I spoke about earlier in that he played very well with good players but struggled when the team needed him to be the main scorer. But, I digress. Anyway, when I first realized Rouin was coming on to the scene, I figured his numbers were so good because his team's entire offensive scheme was being fed through him, as I witnessed with Sean Bingham and MIT two years ago. That may have been true for Rouin, too, but I have to give Rochester credit that they found ways to win games even when Rouin was the marked man, although Rouin scored the game-winner in half of UR's 14 wins. Moreover, in looking at his career stats, Rouin's SOG percentage improved dramatically from .050 as a junior (2 goals on 40 shots) to .222 this year (14 goals on 63 shots). That is a very impressive improvement, and credit to him.

Di Perna: Another kid who put together an impressive year after being somewhat of a bit-part player in his first three years (worth noting that he missed half the season last year through injury). Not the biggest kid but wasn't afraid to get stuck in, and the Rochester characteristics of grit and athleticism were certainly evident in his DNA. Got the game-winner against Oneonta in the 2nd Round after missing a penalty in the first half (following a re-take).

Brown: Saw him first a couple of years ago when he was UR's starter in the 15-16 season. Solid if not a fantastic goalkeeper. His numbers weren't stellar, but he led a cohesive Rochester back line to 14 wins this season. Certainly did his job.

Martin: Reserve who got a few minutes here and there, but wasn't on the pitch that often for the Yellowjackets.

Dombrowski: Another reserve, albeit he played more than Martin. Seemed to be a guy who came off the bench to give Rouin et al a rest at the end of the half.

Sarkovich: Much like Dombrowski, was mainly on board to give the front runners a break. Got one goal against Ill. Wesleyan in the first game of the season, but didn't score again.

Morgan: Came from the land Down Under. Joined the team as a junior, played one game, played five as a senior. One shot on the year, which turned out to be a goal against Wells.

blooter442

Now for a look at Chicago. When you are the consensus No. 1 like Chicago was for much of last year and then lose your first game in the Sweet 16, at home, it's obvious that the season was a disappointment. This year, Chicago's season went much better, as -- despite losing two regular season games at home -- the Maroons made it to the Final 4, where they were very unlucky not to avenge this season's earlier defeat to North Park. And, unfortunately for the rest of the UAA, Chicago will only lose four seniors to graduation, albeit three of whom were key contributors in the defensive half of the field. That said, they should be well and truly back among the national mix next year.

Bonin: Won the starting job in goal as a freshman midway through September, and played a crucial role in Chicago's unexpected UAA title. That year, Chicago was a measly 6-5 out-of-conference. In conference, though, Chicago went 5-0-2 to win the UAA and conceded just one goal, and a large part of that was due to Bonin. He was named UAA RoY that year with a save pct. of .840. The next year, Chicago looked primed to repeat, but the wheels somewhat came off after an early defeat to Loras, and the Maroons went five games without winning mid-season, sneaking into the tournament with a final day 3-2 win in 2OT over WashU where the Maroons came back from 2-0 down. Bonin's .802 save pct. was a big part of that. Junior year, he had another very good year, notching a career-best save pct. of .852, and was named an All-American. This year, he didn't quite hit the heights of his first few years, and there were rumors that he was pulled for his poor decision-making on a few particular plays, although this seems untrue given that a UC interview indicated he was injured during the middle of the season. Regardless, he still set school records in career shutouts, GAA, and minutes played, as well as season shutouts and GAA. Moreover, he was still consistent enough to get his team to the Final 4, so he can certainly look back on his career as being successful. Didn't see much of Katsimpalis this year aside from Chicago's shootouts, so tough to say how the two compare.

Abedian: Came in as a freshman and started pretty much right away. An unheralded player compared to his teammates up front, but very important to Chicago at both ends of the pitch, especially in the defensive half, and he also managed to contribute offensively this year. Good athleticism and intelligence who managed five goals and four assists this year, including two UAA game-winners and two goals against Lake Forest in NCAAs. Will be tough to replace.

Reimann: Another guy who came in as a freshman and played pretty much from the start at right-back. A cool, experienced head who was perhaps underrated and provided good leadership and organization to the defense but could also move the ball forward. Technically sound and very good in terms of positioning and tackling. A "ball-playing" defender that was crucial to Chicago's UAA success and NCAA runs.

Huang: Played eight games as a FY, and seven as a sophomore (started three) and junior (started one). Didn't see much time this year, playing six and starting one, although he did appear in some big matches against NYU, WashU, and Lake Forest. Mostly used coming off the bench to give the front-runners some rest.

Mr.Right

Good work Bloots...+k...Seems like Chicago will get basically everyone back but might have some issues in the beginning of the year replacing a couple defenders and in net. Still with the pieces they return up top and in midfield they will have to be one of the favorites for the UAA and NCAA titles next year. They are a fun side to watch. Will be interesting to see what they bring in for Frosh to go with their returning players. Just looking on paper it seems Emory,UR and Wash U will be losing the most talent but that Emory GK was very impressive in the NCAA tournament and I believe is only a Frosh. Will also be interesting to see what Emory does with their coaching situation.

blue_jays

Abedian had a career year and was a great glue guy for the team with a big leadership role. It seemed all the goals in his career were clutch scores at key junctures, and he did a lot of the grunt work on the pitch that doesn't always get noticed.

Mr.Right

Quote from: blue_jays on December 08, 2017, 05:26:15 PM
Abedian had a career year and was a great glue guy for the team with a big leadership role. It seemed all the goals in his career were clutch scores at key junctures, and he did a lot of the grunt work on the pitch that doesn't always get noticed.


Very true but it is much easier to replace a "glue guy" dirty work player than it is to replace a midfielder like Koh and a striker like Lopez...Not to say it is easier to replace a guy like Abedian but it is much harder to replace talent than workers / leaders...hopefully out of all those key JR's moving into their SR years they will grow into leaders themselves.

rolldeisroll

Quote from: blooter442 on December 02, 2017, 03:14:22 PM
I'm not sure that this will be up to the standards of Mr.Right's overviews of seniors, but I figured that -- now that their season is over -- it might be worth looking at the seniors on the Judges' roster.


Vinson: A heck of a player. He transferred in last year from D1 Loyola-Chicago, and saw some time at LB, although he was a bit short of match fitness from what I knew, which is understandable, as I believe he sat out the year previous. Either way, he started at LB pretty much all of last year, and was excellent. Physical, skilled, and had great positional sense. Barely put a foot wrong, and made some big tackles in the match last night, as well as scoring a goal to give the Judges the lead on the hour mark. When the year started, I honestly wasn't that confident that Brandeis would even make the NCAA Tournament, as the Judges lost both starting CBs and outside forwards to graduation. However, it was a very astute move to bring both outside backs, Vinson and DePietto, into the middle, and they both did very well (DePietto did his ACL halfway through the season, and I believe he was just early enough to have another year of eligibility). As for Vinson, he did fantastic alongside new partner Alex Walter, who as a sophomore stepped up very well, but Vinson was the real leader back there. Not much got past him and Hennessy on that left side. I believe he has another year of eligibility, although I am not sure if he plans to use it. It would be great to have him back for another year.


Miskin: Hasn't played a ton over the last few years due to injuries, but very good in possession when he is healthy. Very technically sound. Scored a nice header against Bowdoin in the 1-0 win in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, his first collegiate goal, and the only goal in last year's win over Haverford. Not sure if he will be back for a 5th year, or even if he is eligible, although I think he might well be.



If Vinson and Miskin come back, what do you think of the Judges chances next year? They will return a whole back line that gave up no goals in the first 4 games of the tournament, and a total of 3 goals in 7 league games, to some stacked forward lines. They also have some promising talent up top, that may well struggle with creativity gone in Ocel, but I feel Gans and Glass can help cover it

NESCAC43

Quote from: rolldeisroll on December 11, 2017, 01:44:28 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on December 02, 2017, 03:14:22 PM
I'm not sure that this will be up to the standards of Mr.Right's overviews of seniors, but I figured that -- now that their season is over -- it might be worth looking at the seniors on the Judges' roster.


Vinson: A heck of a player. He transferred in last year from D1 Loyola-Chicago, and saw some time at LB, although he was a bit short of match fitness from what I knew, which is understandable, as I believe he sat out the year previous. Either way, he started at LB pretty much all of last year, and was excellent. Physical, skilled, and had great positional sense. Barely put a foot wrong, and made some big tackles in the match last night, as well as scoring a goal to give the Judges the lead on the hour mark. When the year started, I honestly wasn't that confident that Brandeis would even make the NCAA Tournament, as the Judges lost both starting CBs and outside forwards to graduation. However, it was a very astute move to bring both outside backs, Vinson and DePietto, into the middle, and they both did very well (DePietto did his ACL halfway through the season, and I believe he was just early enough to have another year of eligibility). As for Vinson, he did fantastic alongside new partner Alex Walter, who as a sophomore stepped up very well, but Vinson was the real leader back there. Not much got past him and Hennessy on that left side. I believe he has another year of eligibility, although I am not sure if he plans to use it. It would be great to have him back for another year.


Miskin: Hasn't played a ton over the last few years due to injuries, but very good in possession when he is healthy. Very technically sound. Scored a nice header against Bowdoin in the 1-0 win in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, his first collegiate goal, and the only goal in last year's win over Haverford. Not sure if he will be back for a 5th year, or even if he is eligible, although I think he might well be.



If Vinson and Miskin come back, what do you think of the Judges chances next year? They will return a whole back line that gave up no goals in the first 4 games of the tournament, and a total of 3 goals in 7 league games, to some stacked forward lines. They also have some promising talent up top, that may well struggle with creativity gone in Ocel, but I feel Gans and Glass can help cover it

I know this question is directed towards Bloots but hopefully you don't mind if I chime in. I get to watch a few Brandeis games per year due to geographical convenience and I am always impressed with them. Even when they lost Savonen, Sobhoff, Lanahan, among others, they still put together a solid season. They graduate a strong core this year, but there is no reason why the Judges won't be back in the Sweet 16/Elite 8 mix. I may be wrong on this, but I'm assuming Margolis did the majority of recruiting in Coven's later years so I think their incoming class will be no different than in recent years. Gans and Glass both had good seasons but losing a 3X AA in Ocel will be hard to replace. But, as you mentioned in your post, Brandeis' defense is always sound and organized, regardless of personnel. Definitely rooting for Brandeis as it is good to see the UAA performing in the tournament when they necessarily hadn't done so in the last 5-10 years. One would assume that the 7 games all against quality opponents would prepare UAA teams for the tournament, just as it did this year.

blooter442

Quote from: rolldeisroll on December 11, 2017, 01:44:28 PM
If Vinson and Miskin come back, what do you think of the Judges chances next year? They will return a whole back line that gave up no goals in the first 4 games of the tournament, and a total of 3 goals in 7 league games, to some stacked forward lines. They also have some promising talent up top, that may well struggle with creativity gone in Ocel, but I feel Gans and Glass can help cover it

I certainly think that their chances would be much improved with those two in the lineup. Walter did well alongside Vinson after DePietto got hurt, and I think he would do well alongside DePietto in a hypothetical situation, but Vinson is a former D1 talent who certainly plays like it. Even better, they bring back both outside backs in Handler and Hennessy, and I think those two had solid seasons. One thing I have always noticed about the Brandeis outside backs is that they are very good going forward but don't get caught out of position much. Handler did a couple of times here and there but thankfully it didn't turn out to be that catastrophic in terms of costing his team goals, and I think Handler has done very well to acclimate to right back after being a winger in his first two years. Hennessy really emerged this year on the left side -- he showed some promise last year but got hurt halfway through the year, but he played like a veteran both offensively and defensively this year. A potential All-American at LB if he keeps up that form. The one concern is losing Woodhouse, but I think Irwin did well in his appearances this year. He is not the biggest guy but he's a good shot stopper -- I don't think there's a significant drop-off between Woodhouse and him -- and if he can work on commanding his area a bit I think he will be even better.

I also think the front runners did much better than I'd have expected this year, particularly after losing Jastremski and Vieira, although Lynch and Flahive will be big losses. Still, they return Allen, Breiter, and Colin Panarra, a transfer from D1 St. John's, who got two assists in big games coming off the bench, and I think Panarra in particular could really emerge -- he has some silky skill and speed that reminds me of Ocel going down the wing and cutting in. Allen is a solid target man who can hold the ball up and finish. He has emerged as a reliable leader after playing a bit-part role his first year or so. Ocel will be a big loss, but Gans showed some promise this year, and I was particularly impressed with Glass coming off the bench, and Glass has a long throw that is very good. They were very much adept to handling those big game situations, particularly impressive as freshmen, and I think both have the potential to be top players. Moreover, I agree that those two can help fill the void, but another thing about creativity, I think, is that you don't always need a top-class playmaker to play a killer through-ball to create chances. It certainly helps, but the Judges' pass-and-move scheme relies a lot on team chemistry, finding the right man making the right run and playing a quick pass, and it's evident that it's replicable from year to year with the ability of the variety of players that have come through the system to adopt it.

Quote from: NESCAC43 on December 11, 2017, 02:08:32 PM
I know this question is directed towards Bloots but hopefully you don't mind if I chime in. I get to watch a few Brandeis games per year due to geographical convenience and I am always impressed with them. Even when they lost Savonen, Sobhoff, Lanahan, among others, they still put together a solid season. They graduate a strong core this year, but there is no reason why the Judges won't be back in the Sweet 16/Elite 8 mix. I may be wrong on this, but I'm assuming Margolis did the majority of recruiting in Coven's later years so I think their incoming class will be no different than in recent years. Gans and Glass both had good seasons but losing a 3X AA in Ocel will be hard to replace. But, as you mentioned in your post, Brandeis' defense is always sound and organized, regardless of personnel. Definitely rooting for Brandeis as it is good to see the UAA performing in the tournament when they necessarily hadn't done so in the last 5-10 years. One would assume that the 7 games all against quality opponents would prepare UAA teams for the tournament, just as it did this year.

I think this is really on-point. The UAA games are similar to NESCAC games in terms of parity -- most are very tight. Blowouts are very rare, and I think Coven put it really well in his Final 4 interview last year in that having a tough conference schedule has you battle-tested and makes you a better team. Moreover, Brandeis' out-of-conference schedule has been pretty good in recent years, with national powers like Tufts, Trinity (TX), and Haverford, as well as NCAA teams in Hobart and Cortland State, so there are very few games where Judges fans can go in confident of coming out with a victory.

From what I understand, you are correct that Margolis did most of the recruiting and tactics, at least as long as I've known the program. That's not to say that Coven wasn't involved -- it's well-known that he used to send handwritten letters to recruits -- but having a guy like Margolis who has been involved with the Bolts and the academy scene certainly helps. It was really nice to see him have such a great season in his first year in charge, particularly considering how much he has been involved behind the scenes for the last 10+ years.

That said, even with the Judges' recent run of good form in the NCAA Tournament, no team has a divine right to be in NCAAs; lose a couple of bad games here and there and you're firmly on the bubble. However, the Brandeis system and team chemistry has enabled the Judges to win games in tight situations, even after losing very good players. I was not convinced they would make the tournament last year after a bad start, but they pulled it together and made a run. This year, I certainly wasn't optimistic after the first couple of games, particularly the opening loss, but -- even if they weren't as highly-rated as Chicago -- they seemed to be firing on all cylinders by the end of October. You want to start peaking at that point, and they have been able to do so the past couple of years, and that -- to me -- is very much down to the quality of the coaching, both from Margolis and Coven.

rolldeisroll

Quote from: NESCAC43 on December 11, 2017, 02:08:32 PM
Quote from: rolldeisroll on December 11, 2017, 01:44:28 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on December 02, 2017, 03:14:22 PM
I'm not sure that this will be up to the standards of Mr.Right's overviews of seniors, but I figured that -- now that their season is over -- it might be worth looking at the seniors on the Judges' roster.


Vinson: A heck of a player. He transferred in last year from D1 Loyola-Chicago, and saw some time at LB, although he was a bit short of match fitness from what I knew, which is understandable, as I believe he sat out the year previous. Either way, he started at LB pretty much all of last year, and was excellent. Physical, skilled, and had great positional sense. Barely put a foot wrong, and made some big tackles in the match last night, as well as scoring a goal to give the Judges the lead on the hour mark. When the year started, I honestly wasn't that confident that Brandeis would even make the NCAA Tournament, as the Judges lost both starting CBs and outside forwards to graduation. However, it was a very astute move to bring both outside backs, Vinson and DePietto, into the middle, and they both did very well (DePietto did his ACL halfway through the season, and I believe he was just early enough to have another year of eligibility). As for Vinson, he did fantastic alongside new partner Alex Walter, who as a sophomore stepped up very well, but Vinson was the real leader back there. Not much got past him and Hennessy on that left side. I believe he has another year of eligibility, although I am not sure if he plans to use it. It would be great to have him back for another year.


Miskin: Hasn't played a ton over the last few years due to injuries, but very good in possession when he is healthy. Very technically sound. Scored a nice header against Bowdoin in the 1-0 win in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, his first collegiate goal, and the only goal in last year's win over Haverford. Not sure if he will be back for a 5th year, or even if he is eligible, although I think he might well be.



If Vinson and Miskin come back, what do you think of the Judges chances next year? They will return a whole back line that gave up no goals in the first 4 games of the tournament, and a total of 3 goals in 7 league games, to some stacked forward lines. They also have some promising talent up top, that may well struggle with creativity gone in Ocel, but I feel Gans and Glass can help cover it

but losing a 3X AA in Ocel will be hard to replace.

I think in some sense they'll be fine in that sometimes it takes a big name player who runs the offense to leave in order for others to flourish. Ocel's fingerprints are all over the season's success, as it has been for 4 years, but once he is gone, it'll be interesting to see how they play. Now that they don't have someone they can force the ball to if they need a big play, who will step up? I immediately think to Ronaldo when he got injured in the Euro Final, and how Portugal played better without him, since they didn't force the ball to him as much. Now comparing Ocel to Ronaldo may seem a bit much, but the metaphor is there. Like you said bloots, it'll be interesting how the returning forward line will play without him. Can one of Breiter or Allen or Panarra step up, and be "the guy"? Who would it be?

Mr.Right

I am no Deis expert but from the few games I tuned into I actually liked Walter at CB. He is a tough kid and is very athletic. I was not as impressed with Handler especially against Messiah he was giving the ball away almost every other time he touched it. Maybe that was a one off but he did not have a great Final 4 game IMO.

rolldeisroll

Quote from: Mr.Right on December 11, 2017, 04:51:16 PM
I am no Deis expert but from the few games I tuned into I actually liked Walter at CB. He is a tough kid and is very athletic. I was not as impressed with Handler especially against Messiah he was giving the ball away almost every other time he touched it. Maybe that was a one off but he did not have a great Final 4 game IMO.

If I remember correctly, Handler was a midfielder in high school, played winger freshman and soph year because of no space in the midfield with Ocel Picard and Miskin to name a few. I don't know why he was moved to RB this year, but he had a good year from what I saw for a winger turned RB. I know deis likes to have their outside backs good going forward, and he certainly is creative. Didn't really get beat 1v1 that much against Messiah either.

Walter got a chance because DePietto dropped with an ACL. Interesting who will play once depietto comes back,if Vinson returns as well. Maybe move one to a CDM role for hernandez