The Big Dance

Started by Falconer, November 06, 2017, 02:05:01 PM

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blooter442

Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:02:50 PM
North Park holds on for a 1-0 victory to advanced to the final four for the first time in program history.

Congrats to North Park! Well deserved.

Hopkins92

Chicago - North Park
Messiah - Brandeis

Solid group, there.

mr_b

#422
Quote from: blooter442 on November 19, 2017, 04:03:56 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:02:50 PM
North Park holds on for a 1-0 victory to advanced to the final four for the first time in program history.

Congrats to North Park! Well deserved.
It was a very hard-fought game (with lots of fouls -- 46 in all -- and seven yellow cards and one red card).  Very exciting game with lots of action on both ends. I was impressed with the excellent play by both goalkeepers.

Update: looking at the box score, two more Tommies players got red-carded at the 90:00 mark, so a total of ten cards were handed out in the contest.

PaulNewman

Congrats to Brandeis! Tremendous under the radar season and it took a team as tough-minded as Tufts to take Tufts out.

Tufts wins in the 109th minute in  the Elite 8 last year off a fatal defending error in 2016 and loses in the 109th minute in the Elite 8 in 2017....both times at Bello.

RE: the success of the UAA. I don't really think there is a correlation as year to year so many random events occur and then a team like Tufts feeds off momentum (like imagine if Tufts had not prevailed against Messiah in 2014), but I think there is a gradual shift happening in terms of popularity away from the NESCAC type smaller liberal arts colleges to the elite mid-size private universities.  I mean a shift well beyond soccer. But I would assume Williams used to get any top prospect choosing D3 they wanted presuming admitability. Now some that might choose Williams, Amherst, Midd, Bowdoin, etc might be choosing a UAA type school, and I include Tufts and Hopkins as classic UAA type institutions.

Gotberg

Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:06:39 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on November 19, 2017, 04:03:56 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:02:50 PM
North Park holds on for a 1-0 victory to advanced to the final four for the first time in program history.

Congrats to North Park! Well deserved.
It was a very hard-fought game (with lots of fouls -- 46 in all -- and seven yellow cards and one red card).  Very exciting game with lots of action on both ends. I was impressed with the excellent play by both goalkeepers.

Very thrilled for the NP players and John Born.

The St. Thomas keeper was amazing - could have been more than 1-0, but he did a great job.
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. - George Best

4samuy

Quote from: Gotberg on November 19, 2017, 04:12:27 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:06:39 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on November 19, 2017, 04:03:56 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:02:50 PM
North Park holds on for a 1-0 victory to advanced to the final four for the first time in program history.

Congrats to North Park! Well deserved.
It was a very hard-fought game (with lots of fouls -- 46 in all -- and seven yellow cards and one red card).  Very exciting game with lots of action on both ends. I was impressed with the excellent play by both goalkeepers.

Very thrilled for the NP players and John Born.

The St. Thomas keeper was amazing - could have been more than 1-0, but he did a great job.

In fairness, St Thomas could have had a couple as well.  The redirect off the post was beautifully played.  The keeper also made a great initial stop on what I think was a direct free kick that ended up going in, but was whistled as an interference call.  St Thomas really came after them the last twenty or so,  but great victory for North Park and the CCIW.

Gotberg

Quote from: 4samuy on November 19, 2017, 04:27:21 PM
Quote from: Gotberg on November 19, 2017, 04:12:27 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:06:39 PM
Quote from: blooter442 on November 19, 2017, 04:03:56 PM
Quote from: mr_b on November 19, 2017, 04:02:50 PM
North Park holds on for a 1-0 victory to advanced to the final four for the first time in program history.

Congrats to North Park! Well deserved.
It was a very hard-fought game (with lots of fouls -- 46 in all -- and seven yellow cards and one red card).  Very exciting game with lots of action on both ends. I was impressed with the excellent play by both goalkeepers.

Very thrilled for the NP players and John Born.

The St. Thomas keeper was amazing - could have been more than 1-0, but he did a great job.

In fairness, St Thomas could have had a couple as well.  The redirect off the post was beautifully played.  The keeper also made a great initial stop on what I think was a direct free kick that ended up going in, but was whistled as an interference call.  St Thomas really came after them the last twenty or so,  but great victory for North Park and the CCIW.

I was only trying to compliment the keeper, I thought he was amazing.
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. - George Best

4samuy

So Chicago gets to face the two teams that beat them in the regular season.  Last night in the elite 8 beating Emory and now North Park in the Final Four.  I will say the game earlier this season vs North Park could have gone either way and stats reflect that, but early in the second half CCIW POY Matias Warp hit a great shot from a tough angle for the result.  Will be fun to watch.

Falconer

Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 19, 2017, 02:33:05 PM
The guy on Messiah's left wing? Unstoppable today. He is absolutely gashing Rochester down that side. Fast as a greyhound.

His name is Nick West (#11), and he is the fastest current Falcon, though two other Falcons are nearly as fast, Colby Thomas (who starts on the opposite wing) and David Alejos, who doesn't usually start. David has about 5 different gears. Of the teams I have seen in the past two seasons, I cannot name another team that can match the speed Messiah has on the two wings. What they lack is a consistent striker to finish the balls that the two wingers can consistently give them. The Falcon who put his head on West's cross today is an attacking MF who rarely scores, but he was certainly in the right place at the right time today.

Nick is from East Hampton, NY. His brother Brandon was the starting GK on the last national champions from Messiah. Next year, Brandon will be coaching the Eastern University women's team. His teammates Jeremy Payne and Benji Kennel are coaching the men at Eastern.

blooter442

Quote from: Falconer on November 19, 2017, 04:47:36 PM
Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 19, 2017, 02:33:05 PM
The guy on Messiah's left wing? Unstoppable today. He is absolutely gashing Rochester down that side. Fast as a greyhound.

His name is Nick West (#11), and he is the fastest current Falcon.

The Dassault Falcon 900 might be a faster Falcon — it can hit Mach 0.87. ;) That said, West is an animal and would give any outside back in the NCAA (even at the D1 level IMHO) a really tough time.

Falconer

#430
I don't know how many here were watching the game in Grantham today, but if you didn't then IMO you missed one of the best displays of possession soccer you will ever see. An absolute clinic, against a really good Rochester team that came to play. The Falcons are in high gear at exactly the right time. If they can stay there for two more games, they can bring home the bacon.

And this despite the fact that the regular large grass field wasn't suitable for playing, and with very high winds to contend with. There were stretches in which Rochester didn't touch the ball for 2-3 minutes at a time, as best I can tell, even though they were pressing the Falcons all over their half of the field and sometimes in their offensive half too. Game ball goes to Shay Quintin, who played AA level defense at left back while many times putting on his attacking MF disguise, doing the shake and bake on multiple defenders and taking the ball himself right through the right side of Rochester's formation. I was talking after the game with some from the large contingent of Rochester fans--bully to them for making a long trip on a dreary day. What most impressed them was Messiah's back line, starting with Shay, but they also mentioned Cooper Robbins (who had a terrific game as the stopper) and Josh Bender, who just dominated the right side of the defense and MF today.

Another game ball to Nick West, who set up the GW with a brilliant cross and was serious trouble all afternoon on the left wing. Honorable mention to Colby Thomas, who had a rocket saved by the keeper, got himself open several times by going through people, and set up the second goal with a great cross.

I have no idea how Brandeis plays, not having seen them in the past few seasons. Someone described them as ponderous and slow. If so, the semi-final will be a big contrast in styles. Anyone who takes down Tufts, even a relatively fangless Tufts that relies so much on shutting you down, deserves great respect. If both teams bring their A games, I expect a barn burner in Greensboro.

firstplaceloser

#431
Quote from: blooter442 on November 19, 2017, 03:50:00 PM
Brandeis back in the Final 4, and a Final 4 appearance for Gabe Margolis in his first year as head coach. Honestly didn't expect the Judges to beat Tufts, although I did like their chances if it went to PKs with Woodhouse in net. You can imagine my surprise when my phone — which had died with 3 left in 2OT — turned back on and I saw a "1" next to Brandeis on the live stats.

That said, fair play to the Jumbos, who were deserved NESCAC Champions and handed the Judges a loss earlier this season. There is much respect between the two programs and I think, in addition to being an Elite 8 game at Bello (where Tufts hadn't lost all year), the magnitude of this win is signified even more in that this was against the defending national champions, who seemed primed to go all the way again this year. However, as a Tufts parent said last weekend, "you need a lot of luck to get through this tournament." Based on the description of the goal, it would appear that Tufts' ran out, while the Judges got a slice of their own. Sometimes that is just the way it happens.

bloooots, I agree with ALMOST everything you said here until I read, tufts was primed to go all the way again. they were very good but they didn't score at all in the tournament. and honestly the fact they got that far without scoring is even crazier. great year for the Jumbos and we all know they will be back-Liam Nesson voice

blooter442

Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 19, 2017, 05:27:46 PM
bloooots, I agree with ALMOST everything you said here until I read, tufts was primed to go all the way again. they were very good but they didn't score at all in the tournament. and honestly the fact they got that far without scoring is even crazier. great year for the Jumbos and we all know they will be back-Liam Nesson voice
this far is more of a

Understandable, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. For me, their defensive record provided a very good foundation, and if  they weren't going to outplay you they would capitalize on a set piece. They had a number of ways of winning games and had a squad with the know-how of not just getting it done in gritty fashion (remember, all of their results from the 2nd Round on last year were one-goal wins, and two of those came in 2OT, including the final) and very much had the ability to win ugly but had done so not just once but twice in the last three years. Combine all those factors, and it's hard to say who would have beaten them.

firstplaceloser

Quote from: blooter442 on November 19, 2017, 05:37:17 PM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 19, 2017, 05:27:46 PM
bloooots, I agree with ALMOST everything you said here until I read, tufts was primed to go all the way again. they were very good but they didn't score at all in the tournament. and honestly the fact they got that far without scoring is even crazier. great year for the Jumbos and we all know they will be back-Liam Nesson voice
this far is more of a

Understandable, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. For me, their defensive record provided a very good foundation, and if  they weren't going to outplay you they would capitalize on a set piece. They had a number of ways of winning games and had a squad with the know-how of not just getting it done in gritty fashion (remember, all of their results from the 2nd Round on last year were one-goal wins, and two of those came in 2OT, including the final) and very much had the ability to win ugly but had done so not just once but twice in the last three years. Combine all those factors, and it's hard to say who would have beaten them.

yeah absolutely. they are a team that knows how to win many ways. set piece, run of play, counter, throw ins. there is no doubt in my mind they are one of the hardest teams to play and beat.

blooter442

Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 19, 2017, 05:40:51 PM
yeah absolutely. they are a team that knows how to win many ways. set piece, run of play, counter, throw ins. there is no doubt in my mind they are one of the hardest teams to play and beat.

Exactly, I think you summed up the points my rambling better than I could have. :)

In other news, very classy press conference by Shapiro, per usual, on the Tufts Athletics YouTube channel. He is the kind of guy you want leading a successful program -- doesn't get too high, doesn't get too low, doesn't gloat when they win, and does respect the opposition regardless of the outcome. A class act. All the respect in the world to him.