2019 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

Started by PaulNewman, August 26, 2019, 08:24:35 PM

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lastguyoffthebench

Quote from: EB2319 on September 14, 2019, 09:58:45 AM
Quote from: Ron Boerger on September 14, 2019, 09:28:34 AM
CNU had the game-winner with 5 seconds left in 2OT waved off on an offsides call.

I just watched the video, and with multiple angles and slow motion, no less! He looked onside to me - they got robbed.
https://www.trinitytigers.com/sports/msoc/2019-20/live/190913_CNU

This is garbage mechanics...

Put the flag up to get the Refs attention and talk about it...  Very tough call, but still needs to be addressed and discussed.

In real time, I'm letting that go unless I'm 100% certain #20 did not touch the ball first.


Falconer

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 14, 2019, 06:39:07 PM

And I'm confused by the Messiah reference.  It was a ball that had been cleared but wasn't a clear failure?  And yes, great half-volley goal, but how many times does that land top corner out of 20 tries?  Did Messiah have any near misses in that game?  Any posts?  Any missed point-blank chances?
Yes. In the closing minutes, FR Colby Thomas had two point-blank shots go awry. Memory is a bit foggy, but I think one hit the crossbar and the other went over the top or was blocked/saved. I wasn't there live, so didn't have a good view of it. Perhaps someone who did see it live can fill in the blanks.

d4_Pace

Oh yeah he absolutely smashed the crossbar and the other one was rolling in until it was slide off the line by a tufts defender.

d4_Pace

Tufts with their best performance of the year tonight against Brandeis.  After a lackluster performance midweek against Keene they were up for it tonight. This is on par with Amherst as the biggest rivalry, and for whatever reason the deis game seems to get even more chippy.  Tonight it boiled over early on.  After the Tufts goal on the corner a meelee broke out and resulted in a brandeis player being sent off. 

Given that Brandeis had to play 60+ minutes down a man its hard to use this game to gauge either team.  Overall, Tufts managed the game, kept the ball, found the second goal, and gave nothing to brandeis while integrating a ton of new players. 

Brandeis was solid but down to ten men posed no real attacking threat. I thought the right back had a good game dealing with constant pressure from tasker and the tufts outside backs. Dylan Hennessy on the other side is one of the top defenders in the country. Brandeis will be a tough team to play all year, but might struggle in the two penalty boxes where ultimately games are won.

rolldeisroll

Quote from: d4_Pace on September 14, 2019, 10:15:58 PM
Tufts with their best performance of the year tonight against Brandeis.  After a lackluster performance midweek against Keene they were up for it tonight. This is on par with Amherst as the biggest rivalry, and for whatever reason the deis game seems to get even more chippy.  Tonight it boiled over early on.  After the Tufts goal on the corner a meelee broke out and resulted in a brandeis player being sent off. 

Given that Brandeis had to play 60+ minutes down a man its hard to use this game to gauge either team.  Overall, Tufts managed the game, kept the ball, found the second goal, and gave nothing to brandeis while integrating a ton of new players. 

Brandeis was solid but down to ten men posed no real attacking threat. I thought the right back had a good game dealing with constant pressure from tasker and the tufts outside backs. Dylan Hennessy on the other side is one of the top defenders in the country. Brandeis will be a tough team to play all year, but might struggle in the two penalty boxes where ultimately games are won.

Always a great game when these two get together, shoutout to Tufts for absolutely locking everything down after going up a man. Didn't give Brandeis  much room to operate, class way to finish it out. Tufts is the real deal, and should be treated as such. Deis needs a full 90 to compete, because if they make a mistake, it will be punished, and usually is.

Deis needs to relax and move forward. The Tufts game would be great to win, but one of the roads to the Final Four will go through Medford, as long as they keep being strong. They need to focus up and not drop any more New England games, and then compete in a surprisingly open UAA.

blooter442

Caught from about 20' to 50'. Pretty comprehensive victory for Tufts, even without the red card. On that note, it looked like the ball went in off Walter from the corner and Daly hugged him celebrating, to which Walter reacted angrily and Daly got shoved over, and somehow Breiter got involved and got sent off. The whole incident was regrettable IMHO but entirely predictable, as rivalry games are when the back-and-forth escalates and ultimately you give the ref a decision to make when you get involved with things like that.

Even beforehand, I didn't see Brandeis winning it. Perhaps I have underestimated them so far but the test today was on a different level than even the Babson rivalry game, the only Brandeis rivalry that is comparable with Brandeis-Tufts. Realistically, I thought Tufts would be too streetwise and physical. The Judges look more dynamic than they did last year, and 3-2-1 given their early run of games isn't terrible, and they are in and around the top 25, but there is still a big gap between them and the top 5-10 teams on current form. That said, the UAA is looking surprisingly open, so while they have some improvements to make they are realistically positioned to compete this year in conference.

Ejay

CNU hosed again, losing in OT to Hardin Simmons on what looked like an offside. So instead of coming home 1-0-1 they come home 0-1-1. That flight is gonna suck and I'd hate to be Lynchburg, their next opponent.

PaulNewman

Who is #2 in the country?  I can't come up with a team, so I'll pose a different question....who could knock Tufts out in the NCAA tourney presuming they play at their level and don't get stopped in PKs after outshooting some team 32-4?  I'm going to say, in no particular order, Amherst and possibly one other NESCAC team that may emerge (Conn?  Williams?), Oneonta St, Cortland St, Johns Hopkins, Rowan, Chicago and maybe W&L.  And Messiah if fully healthy.  I'm not familiar enough with Stevens to have an opinion on them.  There are teams talented enough but not physical enough. There are probably some teams physical enough that aren't talented enough.  And the necessary physicality doesn't necessarily mean the needed size.  I suppose it's possible that Amherst is the best bet.

Ommadawn

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 15, 2019, 09:24:58 PM
Who is #2 in the country?  I can't come up with a team, so I'll pose a different question....who could knock Tufts out in the NCAA tourney presuming they play at their level and don't get stopped in PKs after outshooting some team 32-4?  I'm going to say, in no particular order, Amherst and possibly one other NESCAC team that may emerge (Conn?  Williams?), Oneonta St, Cortland St, Johns Hopkins, Rowan, Chicago and maybe W&L.  And Messiah if fully healthy.  I'm not familiar enough with Stevens to have an opinion on them.  There are teams talented enough but not physical enough. There are probably some teams physical enough that aren't talented enough.  And the necessary physicality doesn't necessarily mean the needed size.  I suppose it's possible that Amherst is the best bet.

I think that all of the teams you mentioned (and probably a few more) have to potential to go all the way.  No team is heads and tails above all others, and in a one-and-done situation, the possibilities of minor (and even major) upsets are salient.  That's one of the things that makes the tournament so exciting!

Dubuquer

Loras vs Chicago on Friday night should be an interesting (and telling) one.  I've given up on using early season games to try to decide how good Loras actually is since their style doesn't lend itself to that. I'm sure they would again be national leaders in goals scored per pass completed.  The only metric that matters, though, is wins and so far this season they've been winning, often with goals late in the game when presumably they've worn down the other team.

Mr.Right

Quote from: Dubuquer on September 16, 2019, 11:20:53 AM
Loras vs Chicago on Friday night should be an interesting (and telling) one.  I've given up on using early season games to try to decide how good Loras actually is since their style doesn't lend itself to that. I'm sure they would again be national leaders in goals scored per pass completed.  The only metric that matters, though, is wins and so far this season they've been winning, often with goals late in the game when presumably they've worn down the other team.


What is the story with Loras in 2019? They look to be off to a fast start and compared to the past few seasons it has to be welcome but what to make of them?

Dubuquer

#86
I suspect that the Loras team has had a bit of a mental re-adjustment (courtesy of Rothert) after their last few years of sub-par performances and the new attitude is paying off.  I just saw that the United Soccer Coaches moved them up to #9 and I have a very hard time believing that they are that good, but maybe time will prove me wrong.  They play the same style they always have and have lots of decent players who have a high work rate and wear teams down.  I don't see any superstars on the team, just consistency across the board and little dropoff when players from the bench are called on.  As I said earlier, this week's game against Chicago will be telling.

gustiefan04

a couple of interesting results out of the MIAC last night that should shake thing sup on the national level a bit out of the North Region...

Macalester dumps Augsburg 4-1. While I suspect the game was a bit more even than the score line suggests, MAC appears to have been quite clinical in front of goal last night and the Auggies struggled to put their shots on target. MAC is certainly battle tested, having played a difficult schedule- drawing with U of C, Wash U and Luther, and getting two big wins back to back against Carthage and Augsburg in the last 4 days. The Auggies have looked pretty strong all year, excluding last nights performance. And have a tough match next as they host St. Thomas on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back with against the Thommies. 

Gustavus improves to 5-1 after defeating St. Thomas 2-1 last night, at UST. UST seems to be on a downward slide, can they right the ship? They've arguably played the most difficult schedule in the MIAC so far - Wash U, U of C, Luther, Wartburg, Claremont-M-S, Redlands, GAC - but have failed to get the result in all but 1 match so far. The Thommies are talented, but seem to be lacking the attacking fire power this year. GAC, who's non-conference schedule was rather weak, has at the very least, dispatched those opponents as one would expect and they have 3 of the top attacking players (Statistically) in the nation (Returning AA, Matt Gibbons; D1 Transfer Cole Schwartz; First Year Raphael Cattelin. After a poor defensive showing against Central (7-0-1) on the weekend, Gustavus looked stout at both ends of the field against UST last night, and are a very fun team to watch in the attacking third. If the team can continue to play as they did last night, the Gusties will doubt have a shot at a deep run this year. 

Carelton, picked first in the MIAC coaches poll, is humming along at 5-1, and while they seem to be off the radar a bit nationally, are not a team to be taken lightly and will surely be in the hunt for the MIAC title. The Carley's easily beat a hapless Bethel sided to open conference play last night 3-0. Knights returning stud, Brennan Johnson, is making quick work of the stat sheet, with 3 goals and 6 assists on the season so far, really pulling all the strings in the attack for this years team. Defensively they've only conceded 2 goals and maybe one of the best defensive units in the country.

PaulNewman

Thanks for the North report above.  Helpful.

Something I've wondered about but never asked....why are there always a big docket of games on Tues and Weds but never on Thurs?

gustiefan04

Quote from: PaulNewman on September 19, 2019, 10:58:13 AM
Thanks for the North report above.  Helpful.

Something I've wondered about but never asked....why are there always a big docket of games on Tues and Weds but never on Thurs?

I suspect its to allow players enough recovery time to get ready for the weekend slate of games. Although there are a fair amount of back to back games on the weekends, that would totally undermine that theory. I suppose the Sat/Sun, back to back game days, are meant to avoid players missing class, etc.