2022 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[PaulNewman]

These are some brutal months to wade through while waiting for my team to have a stellar season and get bounced in the round of 32.

[Another Mom]

I agree, although I hope my team doesn't get bounced :-)

Remind me when the schedules are released? I cannot wait for the season to begin!!

Anyone want to talk about spring training, or where players will be playing over the summer? It will come as no surprise to say that W&L focused on it's defense/back line this Spring,  since both centerbacks are graduating.  My son tells me it's sorted :-)

[Ejay]

We received fall schedule at Senior Night a month ago, though I don't suspect it will be published online until August. Excited for play-day this weekend, although my kid is nursing an injury so I'm not sure he's playing.  Will be fun to watch live soccer again though!

[PaulNewman]

Paul Newman's Own Super-Myopic Too Early to Know Preseason Preview Non-NESCAC Top 10

1) W&L
2) North Park
3) Kenyon
4) Chicago
5) Messiah

With decreasing confidence level...

6) Montclair St
7) OWU
8) Cortland St
9) Wash U
10) Trinity (TX)

It is difficult to project returning rosters on multiple teams without a lot of digging.  You first have to check if players listed as seniors last year already exhausted their four years or whether they have a year remaining.  For those who have a year left you then have to know whether they are coming back.  Returning for that last year no doubt in general is easier for schools where players can do a graduate year, but for schools without graduate programs the players have had a couple of years to delay graduation if they chose to do so. 

There are a number of teams that would be great to get a preview on for those who know.  Calvin comes to mind...a typical Calvin team this year or down just a little?  What about Emory?  Hardly anyone ever talks about the Eagles.  Oneonta?  F&M?  Wash College?  Hopkins?  Trinity (TX) with a typical squad or projected to be stronger or weaker?  Redlands and C-M-S?  NYU?  John Carroll?  Otterbein?  Can Travis Wall at St Olaf duplicate or exceed last year's surprise stellar campaign?  Rowan?  North Central?  Rochester?  Christopher Newport?

We could use some regional/conference expert breakdowns of UAA, NJAC, Centennial, and Liberty.

[Kuiper]

Paul Newman's Own Super-Myopic Too Early to Know Preseason Preview Non-NESCAC Top 10

1) W&L
2) North Park
3) Kenyon
4) Chicago
5) Messiah

With decreasing confidence level...

6) Montclair St
7) OWU
8) Cortland St
9) Wash U
10) Trinity (TX)

It is difficult to project returning rosters on multiple teams without a lot of digging.  You first have to check if players listed as seniors last year already exhausted their four years or whether they have a year remaining.  For those who have a year left you then have to know whether they are coming back.  Returning for that last year no doubt in general is easier for schools where players can do a graduate year, but for schools without graduate programs the players have had a couple of years to delay graduation if they chose to do so. 

There are a number of teams that would be great to get a preview on for those who know.  Calvin comes to mind...a typical Calvin team this year or down just a little?  What about Emory?  Hardly anyone ever talks about the Eagles.  Oneonta?  F&M?  Wash College?  Hopkins?  Trinity (TX) with a typical squad or projected to be stronger or weaker?  Redlands and C-M-S?  NYU?  John Carroll?  Otterbein?  Can Travis Wall at St Olaf duplicate or exceed last year's surprise stellar campaign?  Rowan?  North Central?  Rochester?  Christopher Newport?

We could use some regional/conference expert breakdowns of UAA, NJAC, Centennial, and Liberty.

I don't have any connection to Redlands to know who is returning, but I thought its non-conference schedule is a step up from recent years, suggesting the coaches think they will be up to the task and/or that they want to improve their strength of schedule.  They are playing Calvin and Hope away and hosting Montclair State.  SCIAC holds them back on strength of schedule with every team playing each other twice, leaving little room for non-conference games that can improve a school's RPI.

[Ron Boerger]

Trinity(TX) has yet to post their roster.  Rowan and CMS are coming to town in September and should give a good read on what this year's team is capable of.  Other than that and the SCAC schedule, they have games against ASC opponents:  @Hardin-Simmons, UT-Dallas, @UMHB, Concordia and a non-conference tilt at Colorado College.  The four ASC teams were atop the ASC table last season with UMHB going undefeated in conference play; Concordia took the conference championship in PKs over Hardin-Simmons (who defeated UMHB in semis).

It could be a rebuilding year for the Tigers as only rising sophomore Michael Meese of the four all-region X players is set to return, barring use of the NCAA's extra COVID year eligibility.  The same is also true at keeper.

[PaulNewman]

Trinity(TX) has yet to post their roster.  Rowan and CMS are coming to town in September and should give a good read on what this year's team is capable of.  Other than that and the SCAC schedule, they have games against ASC opponents:  @Hardin-Simmons, UT-Dallas, @UMHB, Concordia and a non-conference tilt at Colorado College.  The four ASC teams were atop the ASC table last season with UMHB going undefeated in conference play; Concordia took the conference championship in PKs over Hardin-Simmons (who defeated UMHB in semis).

It could be a rebuilding year for the Tigers as only rising sophomore Michael Meese of the four all-region X players is set to return, barring use of the NCAA's extra COVID year eligibility.  The same is also true at keeper.

Iirc, Meese is supposed to be one of the best and most offensively dangerous players in the country.

Addendum:  Yep, first team AA for both major AA teams as a frosh sounds pretty decent.

[PaulNewman]

I am curious about the state schools like Montclair and Rowan making major, I assume relatively expensive trips.  UMass-Boston did a Western trip (PAC NW iirc) a few years ago.  Are some of the state schools (NJAC, SUNYAC) better funded than most of the privates?  One takeaway for me is that there is no excuse (other than the annual NESCAC argument about a shorter season and less games) for competitive programs not to do similar trips.  Looking at you Kenyon who should make a New England trip at the very least every other year (and if for no other reason for recruiting).

[SimpleCoach]

Trinity(TX) has yet to post their roster.  Rowan and CMS are coming to town in September and should give a good read on what this year's team is capable of.  Other than that and the SCAC schedule, they have games against ASC opponents:  @Hardin-Simmons, UT-Dallas, @UMHB, Concordia and a non-conference tilt at Colorado College.  The four ASC teams were atop the ASC table last season with UMHB going undefeated in conference play; Concordia took the conference championship in PKs over Hardin-Simmons (who defeated UMHB in semis).

It could be a rebuilding year for the Tigers as only rising sophomore Michael Meese of the four all-region X players is set to return, barring use of the NCAA's extra COVID year eligibility.  The same is also true at keeper.

Iirc, Meese is supposed to be one of the best and most offensively dangerous players in the country.

Addendum:  Yep, first team AA for both major AA teams as a frosh sounds pretty decent.

He also received a Golden Rice Krispy Treat for being on the SimpleCoach Best XL in the country.  Kid is a monster.

SC

[Gregory Sager]

Granted, the only times I watched Trinity (TX) last season were against decidedly inferior competition, but the Meese kid impressed the heck out of me, nonetheless.

[Kuiper]

I am curious about the state schools like Montclair and Rowan making major, I assume relatively expensive trips.  UMass-Boston did a Western trip (PAC NW iirc) a few years ago.  Are some of the state schools (NJAC, SUNYAC) better funded than most of the privates?  One takeaway for me is that there is no excuse (other than the annual NESCAC argument about a shorter season and less games) for competitive programs not to do similar trips.  Looking at you Kenyon who should make a New England trip at the very least every other year (and if for no other reason for recruiting).

With many D3 schools athletic departments/teams being de facto divisions of the admissions/recruitment departments these days (complete with enrollment quotas), I'm always amazed that more schools don't push coaches to take their teams to California every so often to help raise their profiles.  With a huge population of students in Southern California, relatively few small liberal arts colleges, and declining populations/student enrollments in a place like Ohio where a ton of liberal arts schools are located, California is one of the top three feeder states for students for a lot of far-away small schools, including Kenyon.

[jaysoccer]

Adding to Ron Boerger's post above. Some quick thoughts about Trinity this year:
1. Need to avenge going out in the first round of NCAA while playing on the road in Spokane
2. Need to win SCAC; likely St. Thomas will be a tough foe again.
3. Trinity returns Michael Meese (transferred in last year from William & Mary) who was 1st team United Soccer Coaches. He tallied 36 points while missing (I think) 3 games with injury.
4. Trinity also returns Fraser Burns at 1 midfield position; he was a 3rd team All American United Soccer Coaches
5. Incumbent GK Juan Carlose Valdes returns for final year
6. Have no idea how good he is but Trinity picked up MF Louis Instrall, a transfer from Marshall University
7. Also return Jack Eubank (a personal favorite) at LB (he was HM all SCAC), JC Rule at CB (coming back from knee injury in game where he scored 2 goals!), and a lot of other players with significant experience, including Michael Pham, Pieter Blank, Chen Adjei, Hunter Cain, Joseph Kuri, Jack Downes.

All in all, looking for consistent success; schedule is weighted with away games.

[PaulNewman]

I am curious about the state schools like Montclair and Rowan making major, I assume relatively expensive trips.  UMass-Boston did a Western trip (PAC NW iirc) a few years ago.  Are some of the state schools (NJAC, SUNYAC) better funded than most of the privates?  One takeaway for me is that there is no excuse (other than the annual NESCAC argument about a shorter season and less games) for competitive programs not to do similar trips.  Looking at you Kenyon who should make a New England trip at the very least every other year (and if for no other reason for recruiting).

With many D3 schools athletic departments/teams being de facto divisions of the admissions/recruitment departments these days (complete with enrollment quotas), I'm always amazed that more schools don't push coaches to take their teams to California every so often to help raise their profiles.  With a huge population of students in Southern California, relatively few small liberal arts colleges, and declining populations/student enrollments in a place like Ohio where a ton of liberal arts schools are located, California is one of the top three feeder states for students for a lot of far-away small schools, including Kenyon.

Yes on all counts.  Also note which programs consistently utilize the rule about an overseas trip every four year.  Again, looking at you Kenyon.  As for California....

Who We Are

We come to Gambier, Ohio, from every region of the country and corner of the globe to better understand our place in the world.

48 U.S. states are represented by Kenyon students, with the top three being Ohio, California and New York.

[SimpleCoach]

I am curious about the state schools like Montclair and Rowan making major, I assume relatively expensive trips.  UMass-Boston did a Western trip (PAC NW iirc) a few years ago.  Are some of the state schools (NJAC, SUNYAC) better funded than most of the privates?  One takeaway for me is that there is no excuse (other than the annual NESCAC argument about a shorter season and less games) for competitive programs not to do similar trips.  Looking at you Kenyon who should make a New England trip at the very least every other year (and if for no other reason for recruiting).

With many D3 schools athletic departments/teams being de facto divisions of the admissions/recruitment departments these days (complete with enrollment quotas), I'm always amazed that more schools don't push coaches to take their teams to California every so often to help raise their profiles.  With a huge population of students in Southern California, relatively few small liberal arts colleges, and declining populations/student enrollments in a place like Ohio where a ton of liberal arts schools are located, California is one of the top three feeder states for students for a lot of far-away small schools, including Kenyon.

Yes on all counts.  Also note which programs consistently utilize the rule about an overseas trip every four year.  Again, looking at you Kenyon.  As for California....

Who We Are

We come to Gambier, Ohio, from every region of the country and corner of the globe to better understand our place in the world.

48 U.S. states are represented by Kenyon students, with the top three being Ohio, California and New York.

@PaulNewman - Does Kenyon not go on overseas trips?

SC

[PaulNewman]

Adding to Ron Boerger's post above. Some quick thoughts about Trinity this year:
1. Need to avenge going out in the first round of NCAA while playing on the road in Spokane
2. Need to win SCAC; likely St. Thomas will be a tough foe again.
3. Trinity returns Michael Meese (transferred in last year from William & Mary) who was 1st team United Soccer Coaches. He tallied 36 points while missing (I think) 3 games with injury.
4. Trinity also returns Fraser Burns at 1 midfield position; he was a 3rd team All American United Soccer Coaches
5. Incumbent GK Juan Carlose Valdes returns for final year
6. Have no idea how good he is but Trinity picked up MF Louis Instrall, a transfer from Marshall University
7. Also return Jack Eubank (a personal favorite) at LB (he was HM all SCAC), JC Rule at CB (coming back from knee injury in game where he scored 2 goals!), and a lot of other players with significant experience, including Michael Pham, Pieter Blank, Chen Adjei, Hunter Cain, Joseph Kuri, Jack Downes.

All in all, looking for consistent success; schedule is weighted with away games.

1) W&L/Trinity (TX) TIE
3) North Park
4) Kenyon
5) Chicago


With decreasing confidence level...

6) Messiah
7) Montclair
8) OWU
9) Cortland St
10) Trinity (TX)  Wash U

Just having fun, but Trinity seems ripe for a great season based on that info.

On side note, I thought the NCAA got rid of the advantage to SoS of away games.  I wondered when I saw 10 out of Kenyon's 16 games are away.

Addendum for @SimpleCoach...Kenyon has NOT done overseas trips.  As far back as I can remember in the regular season they haven't gone anywhere further than Pittsburgh for CMU and Centre in Danville, KY.  Very easily could play Rochester, some of SUNYACs, Messiah, Dickinson, F&M, and even W&L/Lynchburg, and New England makes sense since so many New England kids have been on the team and it's a nice thing to do for players and parents.  Despite the tragic ending seeing Kenyon play Tufts at Tufts in the Elite 8 was a fantastic experience...played Trinity (TX) the day before btw....and even though Tufts had no business hosting that year...but let me stop before too much grievance washes over me.