Mid-Atlantic Region

Started by Mid-Atlantic Fan, August 29, 2017, 02:44:32 PM

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Mr.Right

Quote from: Hopkins92 on April 02, 2018, 01:37:07 PM
Quote from: luckylefty on March 31, 2018, 08:00:04 AM
Seems like a great hire. Word has it the Haverford position wasn't as appealing for many reasons as one would think.

This guy will have knowledge of the conference, familiarity with coaching a strong program, and an understanding of recruiting to a stronger academic school.

Care to elaborate?


My guess is and TOTALLY A GUESS but he means MONEY.....Maybe Haverford was going on the cheap and that is why they hired such a young coach. I mean he is VERY YOUNG...Couldn't be older than 28..To me a coach should have a little more experience than what he has but hey if Haverford wasn't offering much money than the quality of candidates is naturally going to diminish. You have to ask yourself why the previous Coach wanted to leave to be a D1 Assistant at Colgate which is not exactly a soccer powerhouse. I can see when the old Stevens Head Coach left to be Ray Reid's top Lieutenant at UCONN when UCONN was a sick program and now is Navy's Head Coach. You would have to say that was a good reason to leave Stevens and go to a Top D1 School but leaving Haverford to go to Colgate is a bit strange. I am guessing Haverford did not pay very well compared to other D3 programs. Was Rineer Full Time at Haverford? Because if it was Part-Time than I understand leaving but I do not think Haverford is Part Time.

midwest

Another factor could be that Haverford coaches are reputed to have less "pull" in admissions than some their academic and athletic peers, presumably because of the distinctive campus culture and the importance of "fit" in admissions decisions. There is chatter that recruits in various sports who have gotten positive pre-reads and have coach support have been deferred/denied as ED applicants, presumably making it challenging for the coach to build the roster he wants.

Hopkins92

Thanks fellas, even if speculative, seems plausible as a combo of the pay and the pull. Very valid/good point re: the admissions office at Haverford.

luckylefty

Both points made regarding the job are correct. Pay was rumored to be very light, and Admissions isn't providing much support. These are things I heard from a friend who is a former long time d3 coach.

I will say I think much of the reason the former Coach left Haverford is because he wanted to be a Division 1 Head Coach one day. Look at the jobs the last two Colgate Assistants and the jobs they took  Both took very good head coaching positions.

darad44

Any updates from this past weekends scrimmages?

franklyspeaking

TCNJ got beat by Bucknell 4-0 but that is not a surprise.  Only surprise was that Bucknell scheduled it in the first place, what were they hoping to get out of it?  They would have been better off playing Lycoming, Bloomsburg, or Susquehnna all of which are in their area.

Mid-Atlantic Fan

Messiah favored to win the Commonwealth
Eastern favored to win the Freedom
Keystone favored to win the CSAC
Hopkins favored to win the Centennial
Drew/Scranton/Etown I imagine favored to win the Landmark but no preseason poll has been released yet.
The NEAC and newly formed AEC have not released preseason polls either but I would guess PSU-Abington and Cabrini to be tabbed the favorites from each.

Thoughts on the region as a whole? 

Falconer

#427
Messiah beat Randolph Macon 2-0, both goals in the opening minutes of the game. I heard conflicting reports on who scored. If my sources are accurate, the entire bench got into the game, except injured players--who would include JR CB Cooper Robbins, who will miss at least a month. That's a huge loss, but I think they expect him back before the end of the conference season.

rudy

Quote from: Falconer on August 27, 2018, 05:20:16 PM
Messiah beat Randolph Macon 2-0, both goals in the opening minutes of the game. I heard conflicting reports on who scored. If my sources are accurate, the entire bench got into the game, except injured players--who would include JR CB Cooper Robbins, who will miss at least a month. That's a huge loss, but I think they expect him back before the end of the conference season.

I think Cooper will be back sooner than a month. Possibly a couple weeks. From pictures I saw it looked like Joe King and possibly Jonny Groothoff scored in scrimmage.  Looks like as of second scrimmage new starters include Mica Fitz at right winger, Luke Groothoff CB , Jonny Groothoff attacking mid , David Alejos back in starting lineup at left wing, Joe King right back, and looks like Reid Ruark taking Cooper CB position until he returns. Of course this could change by opening day but that's best I can deduce at this point. The rest are returning starters.

blooter442

Quote from: rudy on August 28, 2018, 10:41:22 AM
Luke Groothoff CB

I get that this is pre-season where coaches are still trying to figure out everyone's best position, and that's particularly the case for incoming freshmen, but wouldn't have guessed that one myself. He played mid/forward his entire high school career, and is 5'11". While I've seen some guys who were midfielders in high school convert to CB in college (Conor Lanahan being perhaps the most successful example), the trend generally seems to be that those converts are generally "big" guys. Still, perhaps if Messiah wants to play the ball out from the back, it could help to have a ball-playing center back — and having seen Groothoff play myself, I have no doubt that he could challenge for a starting XI spot.

NEPAFAN

Quote from: Mid-Atlantic Fan on August 27, 2018, 02:15:34 PM
Messiah favored to win the Commonwealth
Eastern favored to win the Freedom
Keystone favored to win the CSAC
Hopkins favored to win the Centennial
Drew/Scranton/Etown I imagine favored to win the Landmark but no preseason poll has been released yet.
The NEAC and newly formed AEC have not released preseason polls either but I would guess PSU-Abington and Cabrini to be tabbed the favorites from each.

Thoughts on the region as a whole?

Dew has to be the overwhelming favorite for Landmark this year.
A school without football is in danger of deteriorating into a medieval study hall.
Vince Lombardi

Falconer

Quote from: blooter442 on August 28, 2018, 11:50:31 AM
Quote from: rudy on August 28, 2018, 10:41:22 AM
Luke Groothoff CB

I get that this is pre-season where coaches are still trying to figure out everyone's best position, and that's particularly the case for incoming freshmen, but wouldn't have guessed that one myself. He played mid/forward his entire high school career, and is 5'11". While I've seen some guys who were midfielders in high school convert to CB in college (Conor Lanahan being perhaps the most successful example), the trend generally seems to be that those converts are generally "big" guys. Still, perhaps if Messiah wants to play the ball out from the back, it could help to have a ball-playing center back — and having seen Groothoff play myself, I have no doubt that he could challenge for a starting XI spot.

I actually expected this move; I really did. The Falcons lost their fastest defender, by far, when 1st team AA Dakota Rosenberg graduated. There's no way McCarty goes into this season without finding another really fast man for the backfield. He had two spots to fill, CB (Rosenberg) and outside right back (Josh Bender). Groothoff was the obvious man to fill one of those two spots. I agree it's slightly surprising to see him at CB, given his modest height and HS background, but he has the skill set to play anywhere on the field effectively, even at target (the spot I thought he'd get if not in the back), since he's much faster than most D3 defenders and he could create a lot of plays from the MF moving forward.

The information that somewhat startled me doesn't involve Groothoff.  It involves West, the other (with Rosenberg) speedster from last fall's team. I hear he's been playing target since the spring, and apparently he was in that place in both scrimmages. This I did not foresee at all, and I think it might be a bad move. (I grant that McCarty knows far more about his team and the game of soccer than I'll ever know, but I am scratching my head.) I certainly expected Alejos to take the empty spot on the right wing (where Colby Thomas was last fall), leaving West on the opposite wing, or perhaps the other way around since Alejos started on the left as a freshman. But, to put West in the middle? My gosh, there's not a man in D3 who can handle him from the wing. Why fix what ain't broke? If this were my team, I put West and Alejos on the two wings and bring Justin Brautigam out of the MF and put him up front. He's good in the air, pretty strong, and great with his feet: just what the Falcons need there. Leave West where he was to be dangerous all game long, and let Brautigam hold the ball in front of the net and get his share, especially cleaning up junk.

The one positive thing I can say about this major strategic change: West is going to wreak havoc in certain situations, when the other team comes too far forward on the attack. Perhaps the Falcons will even turn the clock back 20+ years and start looking to play dump and run in those situations. If the keeper or a CB can play bombs away, West could have free run of the last third of the field and score a lot of goals.

I'll have to see what happens this weekend vs Cortland and Whitworth--a pretty good pair of opponents to start the season.

rudy

Quote from: Falconer on August 28, 2018, 10:05:08 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on August 28, 2018, 11:50:31 AM
Quote from: rudy on August 28, 2018, 10:41:22 AM
Luke Groothoff CB

I get that this is pre-season where coaches are still trying to figure out everyone's best position, and that's particularly the case for incoming freshmen, but wouldn't have guessed that one myself. He played mid/forward his entire high school career, and is 5'11". While I've seen some guys who were midfielders in high school convert to CB in college (Conor Lanahan being perhaps the most successful example), the trend generally seems to be that those converts are generally "big" guys. Still, perhaps if Messiah wants to play the ball out from the back, it could help to have a ball-playing center back — and having seen Groothoff play myself, I have no doubt that he could challenge for a starting XI spot.

I actually expected this move; I really did. The Falcons lost their fastest defender, by far, when 1st team AA Dakota Rosenberg graduated. There's no way McCarty goes into this season without finding another really fast man for the backfield. He had two spots to fill, CB (Rosenberg) and outside right back (Josh Bender). Groothoff was the obvious man to fill one of those two spots. I agree it's slightly surprising to see him at CB, given his modest height and HS background, but he has the skill set to play anywhere on the field effectively, even at target (the spot I thought he'd get if not in the back), since he's much faster than most D3 defenders and he could create a lot of plays from the MF moving forward.

The information that somewhat startled me doesn't involve Groothoff.  It involves West, the other (with Rosenberg) speedster from last fall's team. I hear he's been playing target since the spring, and apparently he was in that place in both scrimmages. This I did not foresee at all, and I think it might be a bad move. (I grant that McCarty knows far more about his team and the game of soccer than I'll ever know, but I am scratching my head.) I certainly expected Alejos to take the empty spot on the right wing (where Colby Thomas was last fall), leaving West on the opposite wing, or perhaps the other way around since Alejos started on the left as a freshman. But, to put West in the middle? My gosh, there's not a man in D3 who can handle him from the wing. Why fix what ain't broke? If this were my team, I put West and Alejos on the two wings and bring Justin Brautigam out of the MF and put him up front. He's good in the air, pretty strong, and great with his feet: just what the Falcons need there. Leave West where he was to be dangerous all game long, and let Brautigam hold the ball in front of the net and get his share, especially cleaning up junk.

The one positive thing I can say about this major strategic change: West is going to wreak havoc in certain situations, when the other team comes too far forward on the attack. Perhaps the Falcons will even turn the clock back 20+ years and start looking to play dump and run in those situations. If the keeper or a CB can play bombs away, West could have free run of the last third of the field and score a lot of goals.

I'll have to see what happens this weekend vs Cortland and Whitworth--a pretty good pair of opponents to start the season.

I'm sure there will be some tinkering in the first half of season. It may even change by opening weekend based on scrimmages. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. My understanding is that all the new freshman are good enough to play solid minutes so we may see deeper bench play through the season and some more may end up starters before the season is done.

Falconer

#433
Quote from: rudy on August 29, 2018, 08:00:09 AM

I'm sure there will be some tinkering in the first half of season. It may even change by opening weekend based on scrimmages. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. My understanding is that all the new freshman are good enough to play solid minutes so we may see deeper bench play through the season and some more may end up starters before the season is done.

As you say, Rudy, the incoming class is very deep--and this bodes well for the Falcons. Last year (IMO) the two biggest weaknesses for Messiah were (1) a bench that wasn't as talented overall as (say) 5 or 10 years ago; and (2) an inability to score on set plays (we badly missed those direct kicks by Jacob "Bend it like" Bender), coupled with serious vulnerability defensively on set plays. I think (1) is not going to be a problem at all this year. But (2) might remain a big problem, with no obvious fixes. To some extent, problem (2) might be alleviated by playing JR CB Joey Cianciotta more, now that he's finally healthy (I hear he got lots of time last weekend) after two years of major medical issues. He's the tallest and perhaps biggest Falcon, on a team that is vertically challenged. And, as far as I can tell from viewing HS highlight clips, FR winger Darryl Daniels is awfully good at direct kicks--a skill badly needed. I hope he gets enough minutes to see him get a couple of goals that way, if not in the other ways at which he also seems to have a top-drawer skill set.

rudy

Quote from: Falconer on August 29, 2018, 01:55:54 PM
Quote from: rudy on August 29, 2018, 08:00:09 AM

I'm sure there will be some tinkering in the first half of season. It may even change by opening weekend based on scrimmages. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out. My understanding is that all the new freshman are good enough to play solid minutes so we may see deeper bench play through the season and some more may end up starters before the season is done.

As you say, Rudy, the incoming class is very deep--and this bodes well for the Falcons. Last year (IMO) the two biggest weaknesses for Messiah were (1) a bench that wasn't as talented overall as (say) 5 or 10 years ago; and (2) an inability to score on set plays (we badly missed those direct kicks by Jacob "Bend it like" Bender), coupled with serious vulnerability defensively on set plays. I think (1) is not going to be a problem at all this year. But (2) might remain a big problem, with no obvious fixes. To some extent, problem (2) might be alleviated by playing JR CB Joey Cianciotta more, now that he's finally healthy (I hear he got lots of time last weekend) after two years of major medical issues. He's the tallest and perhaps biggest Falcon, on a team that is vertically challenged. And, as far as I can tell from viewing HS highlight clips, FR winger Darryl Daniels is awfully good at direct kicks--a skill badly needed. I hope he gets enough minutes to see him get a couple of goals that way, if not in the other ways at which he also seems to have a top-drawer skill set.

The good news is that even with some of these weaknesses last season they won the national championship and matched the most wins ever in a season with 24...with probably one of the more difficult non conference schedules in a while.   Scrappy team that never gave up in a game. If they can maintain that then they will be fine