2010 Final Standings:
Conference Overall
GP Pts Record Win % GF GA GP Record Win % GF GA
Otterbein 9 27 9-0 1.000 24 1 24 20-0-4 0.917 48 4
Ohio Northern 9 22 7-1-1 0.815 21 5 20 13-6-1 0.675 43 17
Capital 9 19 6-2-1 0.704 24 8 21 11-6-4 0.619 45 23
John Carroll 9 19 6-2-1 0.704 18 8 20 9-7-4 0.550 29 16
Wilmington (Ohio) 9 12 3-3-3 0.444 14 13 20 7-8-5 0.475 27 31
Baldwin-Wallace 9 9 2-4-3 0.333 15 11 21 7-10-4 0.429 38 38
Heidelberg 9 8 2-5-2 0.296 16 18 19 9-8-2 0.526 33 30
Mount Union 9 7 2-6-1 0.259 9 24 19 4-11-4 0.316 22 46
Muskingum 9 3 1-8 0.111 6 47 20 2-18 0.100 15 85
Marietta 9 2 0-7-2 0.074 6 18 19 2-14-3 0.184 14 38
Ohio Northern picks up the first vote.... A strong choice to finish at the top of the conference. Ohio Northern boasts a young team with high scoring potential. Two of the top three scorers on the club were Freshmen last year. The other top scorer is going to be a senior. Together, the three players combined for an impressive 50 points between them! That put them at the top of the conference in offense.
Statistically, they look like the team to beat!
Otterbein....
Some consider this program the class of the midwest. They are consistently at the top of the conference. Last season they had 6 players in double digits in points. Half of that sextuplet has moved on through graduation, including the OAC scoring leader. What remains are a Senior, a junior and sophomore who combined for 47 points last season. Having gone to the NCAA final four, this team knows how to win and has a great mix of upperclassmen and young players. They have to be considered a top contender again.
Last season, I recall some posts calling this team a "soft pick" in the NCAAs because so many of their wins came late in the game and were one point decisions. They proved their critics wrong by rolling through some high profile opponents to get to the semi-finals, and only lost that on PKs.
Seem to be having problems with the poll. :-[ Closed it out because I got word that some people couldn't vote on it.... I will see what I did wrong and then try to start over.... ???
Anyone have any thoughts on the Great Lakes region? A lot of good, under-rated teams and not just in the OAC.
Capital---
All 5 of its top scorers are returning. This includes 2 Seniors who combined for 35 points, two sophomores who tallied 28 points as Freshman and one Junior who had 11 points.
Parity is the word in the OAC. Not much seperates the top 6 teams here.
Another factor in assessing the Crusaders is their deep bench. This team has a big roster. This should allow them to develop their bench as players move on. Of all the teams in the OAC, this one seems to have the nicest mix of under and upper classmen. Their supporters will be looking for a breakthrough year.
JCU is next up.... We're a little biased toward the Blue Streaks. This is a team that has a strong defense and midfield. They have some talented upper classmen up top and a good mix of players in supporting roles. Last season they were anchored by an excellent keeper who has moved on. However, they had an extremely large freshman class and have another strong class coming up. If they can fill the keeper position expect them to make a run.
Wilmington-
This is a gritty team. They won an amazing (heartbreaking if you are a JCU fan) Quarterfinal game in the OAC quarters on PKs. This team lost their scoring leader to graduation, but it may not matter too much. The Quakers won on a solid defense last year. They boast a large class of incoming Freshman (This year seems to be a big Freshman year for most OAC schools) who look to fill the vacancies and bring Wilmington additional success.
Check out the team's fall outlook below:
http://www.wilmington.edu/news/Lady-Quakers-gear-up-for-2011.cfm
Here are some season previews from the OAC:
Baldwin-Wallace:
http://www.bw.edu/athletics/ws/features/1112/11seasonpreview/
Capital:
http://www.capital.edu/Athletics/Athletics_News/WOMEN_S_SOCCER_ROUNDS_OUT_2011_COACHING_STAFF_WITH_PENA.aspx
Heidelberg:
http://www.heidelberg.edu/athletics/teams/wsoccer/news/2011/05-10-11
Marietta:
http://pioneers.marietta.edu/news/2011/4/19/WSOC_0419113417.aspx?path=wsoc
Continued :o
Mount Union:
http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/wsoc/2011-12/releases/20110613ir7hl3
Ohio Northern:
http://www.onu.edu/athletics/archive/womens_soccer_to_open_2011_schedule_sept_1_with_home_match_against_wooster
Wilmington:
http://www2.wilmington.edu/news/Lady-Quakers-gear-up-for-2011.cfm
Pre-season is about to start....two weeks to labor day and the fall campaign.....
http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/sports/article_ecbdbd8e-cd40-11e0-ba54-001cc4c002e0.html
An interesting article on a concussion study being done on IPADs. The idea is to measure baselines on a tablet ---
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2011/08/giving_the_clinics_health_apps.html
Otterbein Fans, check this article out...right here on the main site:
http://www.d3soccer.com/teams/Otterbein/Women/2011-12/Otterbein_Aug_24
Denison and JCU Scrimmage tomorrow.
Here are the latest updates from both ---
Denison:
http://denisonbigred.com/sports/wsoc/2011-12/releases/2011082423whii
JCU:
http://www.jcusports.com/news/2011/8/26/WSOC_0826115310.aspx
Word is Denison looked pretty sharp in the scrimmage.
Look for them to be at the top of their conference again this year.
Women's pre-season rankings are out. Otterbein is in at number 7. Last year some polls didn't even have them ranked. I always find the polls interesting. It is intriguing to see them at the beginning of the season and see how many schools are on the list because they are just supposed to be there. :-\ Love to see the upstarts knock them out. 8-)
Well, this weekend the feet hit the turf and we will see who is for real and who is not. Hoping we have some good reps in the OAC this year......
I think most preseason polls (NSCAA for instance) are just reprints of last years final poll. Good for the D3soccer folks for shaking that up a bit. I am not comfortable with Messiah at #1 but that could just be a recent history vote.
Agreed. I was speaking more to the NCAA poll that sometimes seems to favor the insiders long after their record deserves it. The regional rankings sometimes are inconsistent with the national ones. The D3 poll here is a nice change....
Thanks! ;)
OAC opening weekend games:
Sep. 1 5:00 PM
Ohio Wesleyan Capital
5:00 PM Wooster Ohio Northern
5:00 PM Rio Grande Muskingum
6:30 PM Mount Union Waynesburg
7:00 PM Mt. St. Joseph Wilmington (Ohio)
Sep. 2 1:00 PM
Otterbein Rowan
at Centenary (N.J.)
3:00 PM Point Park Marietta
Marietta College Classic
4:00 PM Susquehanna John Carroll
at Gettysburg Tournament
Sep. 3 12:00 PM
Maryville (Tenn.) Wilmington (Ohio)
Rhodes Classic at Memphis, Tenn.
1:00 PM Otterbein Drew
at Hackettstown, N.J. (Centenary)
1:00 PM Capital Denison
1:00 PM Ohio Northern Earlham
1:00 PM Drew University Otterbein
Centenary (NJ) Tournament at Hackettstown, NJ
1:00 PM Spalding (Ky.) Mount Union
1:00 PM Muskingum Me.-Fort Kent
at Daemen
7:30 PM Heidelberg Adrian
Some games to watch highlighted. I like the Otterbein - Drew game, the Capital -Dennison game, JCU v susquehanna and OWU v. Capital.....
Just wondering why 2xfaux doesn't like Messiah at #1. Who do you think should be there?
I don't want to highjack the OAC talk but in response to jellybelly let me say that I am big Messiah fan and while I understand that their recent extraordinary success makes them, perhaps, the default choice for #1 they are, like all the top teams except HSU, on a one game losing streak :'(. So I don't disagree with the ranking. I am a little uncomfortable with the expectations it puts on them. I am certain Coach Frey will have them ready and in a couple of weeks we will know how good they are.
I am sorry your trip to Central Pa. wasn't more successful but I hope that despite the outcomes and questionable officiating you enjoyed the weekend.
I am wondering if you or any OAC fans have thoughts on a stat that continues to intrigue me.... Otterbein's opponent's yellow cards..22 last year and 2 already this year. I assume their opponents are frustrated by the Cardinal's sufficating defense but I am still amazed but the stat.
Great Lakes Rankings:
Rank School Prev. W-L-T
1 Otterbein (Ohio)
DN Rowan 1-0; DN Drew 5-1 2 - 0 - 0
2 Centre (Ky.)
DH Transylvania 5-1; DH Mount St. Joseph 8-0 2 - 0 - 0
3 Denison (Ohio)
DH Capital 1-0; LH Marian 0-2 1 - 1 - 0
4 Ohio Northern
DH Wooster 3-2; DA Earlham 1-0 (OT) 2 - 0 - 0
5 Allegheny (Pa.)
DN Lycoming 5-0; LN SUNY Brockport 0-1 1 - 1 - 0
6 Case Western Reserve (Ohio)
DA Westminster (Pa.) 2-0 1 - 0 - 0
7 Earlham (Ind.)
DA Thomas More 3-1;' LH Ohio Northern 0-1 (OT) 1 - 1 - 0
8 Kenyon (Ohio)
LH Marian 0-2; DH Capital 3-1 1 - 1 - 0
9 Hanover (Ind.)
DA Trine 3-2; DA Ohio Wesleyan 1-0 2 - 0 - 0
10 Washington & Lee (Va.)
DH Wooster 2-0 1 - 0 - 0
Also receiving votes: Transylvania (Ky.), Thomas More (Ky.), Wilmington (Ohio)
A lot of Ohio Schools on the list. Otterbein at number one, Ohio Northern at 4 and Wilmington receiving votes. Pretty good OAC representation there. Add to that Dennison, Kenyon and Case Western. Pretty solid there....
Tomorrow's OAC Games:
Otterbein at Transylvania for their tournament
ONU takes on NYU at Stephenson
JCU hosts Olivet at their tournament
Wilmongton lost to Wittenberg on Tuesday and play Wooster (OH.) tomorrow
Capital lost to Centre on Wednesday and plays Frostberg State at their tournament tomorrow....
Transylvania is no pushover. That should be an interesting test for the Otters. ONU traveled quite a distance to play in NJ. They are 2-0 and this weekend might show if they are the real deal.
The Blue Streaks destroyed Olivet, which looks to be in a rebuilding year. The final shot total was close to 30 to 6 for JCU. The Comets keeper was excellent. Honestly, the score could have been 10 or 15 to 1 instead of the 5 to 1 final if it weren't for her excellent work. JCU built up a 4-0 lead in the first 20 minutes and then subbed liberally from that point. A good win for a team that needs to learn how to win.....
The second game was much closer. Case-Western edged Grove City in double overtime. This is the first loss for Grove.... C-W is going to look to move up in the rankings after its strong start.
Blue Streaks get a nice win over Grove 2 to 1!
Transylvania upsets #3 Otterbein in double overtime. A big upset, but you knew this one was going to be close. Transylvania is going to have a good year. I expect the Otters to bounce back.
Ohio Northern loses 3 to 1 to an undefeated NYU team. They play Stephenson tomorrow.
As for JCU, they looked good in their win against Grove City. They are starting to show some resilliance. They had a 1-0 lead and controlled most of the first half. They responded to a second half goal with a late goal to seal the victory. This week they take on their cross town rivals Case-Western. Case is soaring in the early going and they have dominated the recent series between the two clubs. It should be a great game. You can catch on JCU's streaming video. ( I only wish they had a better video camera for the broadcasts! )
Suddenly, the OAC is a big jumble as Otterbein loses again; this time to Centre. Ohio Northern ties Stephenson. Its early, but the OAC looks wide open right now!!!!! :o
It could be one of those years and not just in the OAC. Lots of early results have really opened this thing up.
I don't think its a big surprise, but Centre out of the SCAC is off to a roaring start. As far as the OAC its usually hard to predict how the conference will turn out until we get into conference play, and generally ONU and Otterbein are at the top of the pack at the end of October. I think its going to be a fun season to watch and see how everything plays out this year.
JCU upsets Case Western 1 to 0. The Blue Streaks scored in the first four minutes and played 87 minutes of defense ;) to hand the Spartans their first loss of the year! After dropping their first two games the Streaks have gone 3 and 0 and have only allowed two goals.
JCU has a brutal week. The school's sports complex is under renovation, so they are playing two of this weeks home games off campus. Today's game was moved to Case and this weekend's match against Carnegie is 40 minutes away.
Case plays Otterbein Saturday. That should be an interesting game. I think Case is a great team despite their loss tonight and Otterbein has always been resiliant. We'll see if they can bounce back from some of their recent trials.
Ohio Northern plays Wittenberg tomorrow night. The Tigers took a beating from Messiah to open their season, but have played solidly since then. A nice test for ONU.
Ranking Discussion and Questions:
Comparing D3 Top 25 to NSCAA Top 25---
Why the inclusion of Cal Lutheran and exclusion of Transylvania? Don't know much about Cal. Lutheran, but would like to hear about their program. Transylvania seems to be playing well. Its early but Transylvania seemed like a solid Top 25 team? Any thoughts?
I did see that they received votes.
JCU knocked off Westminster tonight. They now have won 4 straight after dropping their first two games.
Otterbein's slide continues. They lost to Denison snapping a 29 game home field undefeated streak. ONU won and continue to look strong.
A strong team that has been overlooked here is Mt. Union, who has knocked off some quality opponents and are looking at compiling a nice record in the early going.
Two steps forward and one step back....JCU drops an ugly one to Carnegie-Mellon. The first half looked fairly even, but for a weak goal conceded by the Blue Streaks. In fact, JCU had more quality chances in the first frame. The second half was a disaster. C-M dominated from beginning to end. A rough end to a promising week
Otterbein falls again; this time to Case. Right now, it looks very unlikely they will return to San Antonio. I thought they would pick up their game by now. However, they still have their conference play and they usually do well there.
Ohio Northern wins and faces a big matchup against Denison on 9/20. Denison is the school to beat in the Great Lakes region right now. They look very good. It should be a good game between these two teams. Right now ONU looks like the OAC front runner.
What in the world has happened to Otterbein? Do they have injuries to key players?
I've been trying to get some reports on that. From what little I've seen, their scoring has left them. They have only scored one goal since September 3rd (in the overtime loss to Transylvania). Statistically, they still seem dominating. One stat that jumps out is that they have had 54 corner kicks to their opponents 14...but haven't been converting. Their shot percentage is a measly .074, which suggests shot selection has not been good.
**** Also, consider the opponents Centre, Transylvania, Dennison, Case. If they were up to form they would have won those contests, but all four are quality opponents. Next up is OWU. That might be a measure of how they will fare in the OAC.
JCU lost another one to an opponent they should have beat. They dominated Wooster statistically, but couldn't get it done when it counted....the big lesson to be learned? They still don't know how to put away opponents; mastering that skill is the key for their season.
Ohio Northern enters the NSCAA top25 at "25" and Otterbein drops out. No surprises there.
One surprise in the regional rankings. Not exactly sure how C-W deserved to be at 5 in the Great Lakes region. No. 6 Carnegie is a much sharper team from what I've seen.
Transylvania and Centre out of Kentucky continue to look strong.
JCU 6, Marietta 1 - First OAC matchup of the season....
Last night JCU won 6-1 against an outmatched Marietta squad to open their conference play. Today it is No. 25 Ohio Northern playing Muskingum. Look for ONU to win that one going away. Thursday they played Denison, who still looks very strong despite a mixed record, to a tie.
Otterbein plays Earlham today. They struggled to a tie against cross state rival Ohio Wesleyan. They open their conference play on the first against JCU. Mount Union, who has the best OAC non-conference record, plays Wilmington tonight at 5 p.m.
JCU's enigmatic offense showed up Friday as the Blue Streaks pummeled Wilmington. With the Streaks up 4 to 0 at half, the squad subbed liberally, and the healthy crowd got to see some of the new and up-and-coming players on the team.
The OAC jumble continues....Wilmington sent a message to the OAC by clobbering Mount Union 4 to 0. MU had been playing well early in this season and had to be the favorite this afternoon, but Wilmington held them scoreless. In other action, Otterbein squeaked past Earlham on an a goal in the 89th minute.
Ohio Northern continues to roll. The Polar Bears dominated the visiting Muskies 4 to 0.
ONU has to be the favorite to witn the OAC right now. Mark 10/21 on your calendars-that's the day the Polar Bears head to University Heights to take on JCU.
This is a very lonely board :'(, but here are tomorrow night's OAC matchups:
Sep. 27
4:00 PM Capital v. Bluffton
5:00 PM Bethany (W.V.) v. Muskingum
7:00 PM Marietta v. Geneva
7:00 PM Hiram v. Heidelberg
7:00 PM John Carroll v. Oberlin
Otterbein is idle until this weekend. I'm sure the break is intentional and was designed to give the Otters a rest leading into their conference schedule. Whether it helps them will be seen this weekend! :-\
Surprised ONU did not make the DIII top 25 and only "received votes".
Also surprised that Case is still ranked fifth in the DIII Great Lakes poll. That looks like a vote based on inertia.
It was also unexpected that B-W received votes in that poll ahead of Mount Union, Wilmington and JCU...no doubt they have a good record, but it seems like there are other candidates in the conference that look strong(er). Conference play should sort that issue out.
JCU beat Oberlin in a typical game for them. They came out and dominated in the first half but scored no goals. They had a bizarre defensive lapse in the early second half to go down 1-nil and fought back for a victory by scoring the game-winning-goal with about 3 minutes left.
In related action, B-W makes a liar out of me by winning their game and beating St. Vincent's. They've played some quality opponents...so I guess we better add them to the mix now too.
Its going to be an interesting season. For the first time in recent years, I think its safe to say that the OAC title is wide open.
4:00 PM Baldwin-Wallace 1 Capital 6 Final
The flip flop continues. Yesterday I took a look at B-W and was impressed. Today....not so much! ::) Capital put a beat down on them. You've got to question the wisdom of playing a non-conference game the night before a big conference matchup :o What were they thinking?
In any event, it just goes to show that the conference is there for the taking... Who is going to take the title? ;)
"Coin flips, coin flips
coin flips, coin flips"
Haha! Well that's one way to decide it! ;)
Saturday is the first full weekend of conference matchups. Here are some predictions:
12 PM Wilmington (Ohio) 4 Muskingum 1
1:00 PM Marietta 1 Baldwin-Wallace 3
1:00 PM John Carroll 2 Otterbein 2
1:00 PM Ohio Northern 4 Mount Union 2
4:00 PM Heidelberg 0 Capital 2
Ohio Northern has been the one completely consistent team in this group. JCU looks good as well, but I look for Otterbein to step it up for conference play. They've been off since last weekend so they should be fresh. This is Baldwin-Wallace's third game this week, but they look to return to form after getting beat by Capital this week.
Today's OAC scores:
1:00 PM Wilmington (Ohio) 1 Muskingum 0 Final
1:00 PM Marietta 0 Baldwin-Wallace 2 Final
1:00 PM John Carroll 0 Otterbein 2 Final
1:00 PM Ohio Northern 4 Mount Union 1 Final
4:00 PM Heidelberg 3 Capital 4 Final
Well, we got the winners right for the most part, but not scores. And my oh my, what is the story with JCU? They are a much better team than that result. Otterbein showed they weren't going to fade away, but JCU needed a better game than that! ??? I still like them somewhere near the top of the division, but they are going to have to step it up to get there. In related news, Ohio Northern continues to roll......... 8-)
The non-conference matchups finish up tomorrow. Here they are:
4:00 PM Manchester v. Ohio Northern
5:00 PM Muskingum v. Oberlin
7:00 PM Wilmington (Ohio) v. Cedarville
7:00 PM Hiram v. John Carroll
7:30 PM Capital v. Case Western Reserve
It would be a big win for Capital to knock off Case. The rest look like tune ups for both sides.
The OAC rundown for tonight:
4:00 PM Manchester 0 Ohio Northern 2 Final
5:00 PM Muskingum 2 Oberlin 1 Final - OT
7:00 PM Wilmington (Ohio) 0 Cedarville 0 Final - 2OT
7:00 PM Hiram 0 John Carroll 2 Final
7:30 PM Capital 0 Case Western Reserve 1 Final - OT
Capital played hard tonight, but came up short. The Spartans outshot the Crusaders 16 to 4, but the Capital defense was well organized and held Case at bay until the overtime. The Spartans improve to 8-1-2. Look for them to get national recognition if they keep winning.
And how about those JCU Blue Streaks? They came back and made a statement tonight. Here are some impressive stats:
JCU 33 shots/ 26 on goal Hiram 6 shots and 4 on goal. The Blue Streaks tallied 14 corners to the Terriers' 1 corner kick. The Terrier's freshman keeper played a great game and kept the wolves at bay for a half, but the offensive pressure eventually broke through. That has been the story of JCU's season. When they are hot they are hot and when they aren't....well let's not go there. :-X The Streaks controlled the midfield and didn't let Hiram get on the attack at all. Coach Blasius made some nice adjustments at half to get the scoring going. They might be the sleeper team of the OAC...... ;) By the way, the C-W Spartans only loss was to JCU. 8-) Another thought that might scare teams playing at Shula Stadium: At home the Blue Streaks are 5-0, have two shutouts and have only allowed three goals all season. They are averaging 17.9 shots per game.
ONU will have to win a few tough ones to get ahead of anyone on the rankings. Or, as often happens, someone else will have to lose!
With only their conference schedule remaining I agree its going to be tough for ONU to move up. For a number of reasons (many illegitimate imho), the OAC doesn't carry a lot of weight with the pollsters. I remember last season someone pointing out on a D3 Soccer board some anomolies in the NSCAA rankings that might have left Otterbein out of the tournament if they didn't get their conference bid. As it turned out they were a semi-finalist. The OAC is like what Chris Berman used to call the NFC Norris division-- the teams battle every week and there is very little seperating the top four or five teams. Its been that way for years. So, in short, the conference play is almost a "trap" for ONU. They are expected to win their conference games by the pollsters, so they are in an impossible situation. Still, they've played some great ball and I expect them to stay strong throughout their season.
Tonight's Games---
4:30 PM Mount Union 1 Kenyon 4 Final
7:00 PM Penn St.-Behrend 0 Baldwin-Wallace 1 Final
7:00 PM Otterbein 5 Heidelberg 0 Final
They're back.... :o...Otterbein looks like they are picking it up for conference play..Now 2-0 in the OAC.
1st, thanks for keeping up the OAC women here.
I've watched the last 4 Otterbein games. They start and play a number of soph and frosh. I think the JCU game was when they finally jelled. At Heidelberg they really gained their confidence. They are a very different team then they were a month ago.
Agreed.
First, its nice to have another OAC voice here.
Otterbein has a great coach and once the kids make the adjustment to college soccer the Cardinals will be back where they were at the top of the conference.
As a Blue Streaks' fan, the Otterbein loss was a wake up call. I think JCU will compete for the championship, but they have a young squad too and I don't see the consistency yet. The upcoming week should tell a lot about them. They pummeled Hiram in a meaningless game, now they've got to win the conference matchups.
What are your thoughts on Otterbein v. ONU? They play next Wednesday at 4 at Otterbein.
Since I'm new to OAC soccer, I don't know. I was expecting JCU to possible beat Otterbein. They scored those 2 goals on corners and at least 1 at Heidelberg. ONU looks like they can run the table. The only Ottrrbein loss where they were out of it was Denison. They had lost 3 strong scoters at that point. One is now back. Others out for season. Others have surfaced.
Sorry...still getting use to my iPad
That's a good point about Otterbein. They played a very tough non-conference schedule and are relying on a lot of freshmen. Given that, they look good.
Here are the scores from this weekend:
1:00 PM Mount Union 3 Marietta 2 Final - 2OT
1:00 PM Muskingum 0 Heidelberg 1 Final
3:30 PM Capital 0 Ohio Northern 1 Final
4:30 PM Otterbein 1 Baldwin-Wallace 0 Final
5:00 PM Wilmington (Ohio) 0 John Carroll 2 Final
Ohio Northern edged Capital this weekend. The Capital defense played tough, but they couldn't put any points on the board.
John Carroll played fairly even with Wilmington in the first half, but put on a dominating performance in the second half to put down Wilmington 2 to 0. It was a very physical game.
Tomorrow......Otterbein v. ONU!!!!!!!!
Ohio Northern has now cracked D3 Rankings and has moved to 18 in the NCAA national poll.
Ohio Northern swept Otterbein aside today 3 - 0 to stay undefeated in conference play. The game was scoreless for the first 45 and was the tie was broken when ONU's forward notched a hat trick in the second half.
In another OAC matchup JCU knocked off Mount Union 1 to 0. The interesting statistic from that game was the forty -yes forty- shots JCU put on goal. Don't know if that's a good statistic or not. The Blue Streaks are putting shots on goal, but are the forwards taking quality chances? Its hard to say.
Capital beat Wilmington 2 to 0.
Ohio Northern leads the conference while JCU, Otterbein and Capital are knotted at 3-1.
Saturday's OAC matchups-
1:00 PM John Carroll Muskingum
3:30 PM Baldwin-Wallace Ohio Northern
4:00 PM Otterbein Capital
4:30 PM Heidelberg Mount Union
5:00 PM Marietta Wilmington (Ohio)
Otterbein v. Capital should be an interesting contest. Its two 3-1 teams. B-W has been inconsistent. Early on they received some poll votes, but have struggled recently. It might make their season if they could upset surging ONU, but that is a lot to ask at this point.
ONU seems to be getting up a head of steam. An upset now would be unlikely. But of course, on any given day....
This past week is the first time that there has been an OAC school with both mens and women's team in our Top 25. That accomplishment is not as common as one might think and forms an impressive list: Trinity in the SCAC, Williams and Amherst in the NESCAC, Emory, Rochester, Wash U. and Chicago in the UAA, Johns Hopkins in the Centennial, Hobart/William Smith in the Liberty League, Messiah in the MAC, Macalester in the MIAC, and Wheaton in the CCIW.
Jim,
Thanks for the thoughts. I agree ONU looks unstoppable. They might run the table in OAC.
I have hope for my Blue Streaks, but some questionable decisions on their part might hurt them next week; only time will tell.
I know this is a soccer board, but there was a great article on Heidelberg v. Mount Union football in the Times this week. Here is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/sports/ncaafootball/heidelberg-football-works-toward-upset-that-never-comes.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/15/sports/ncaafootball/heidelberg-football-works-toward-upset-that-never-comes.html)
As for ONU's elite company, wouldn't you agree that elite programs are exactly that, "programs"? The schools you listed generally have a departmental philosophy that allows both the men's and women's sides to flourish. Some schools may have teams that excel because they have a great coach, or more often, a great core of players. However, great programs have men's and women's sides that compliment each other and usually are strongly supported by the University administration.
B-W gave it the old college try, but despite tallying 11 shots to ONU's 7 they lost 2 to 0.
JCU routed Muskingum 4 to 0. They outshot the Muskies 20 to 0 in the first half and led 3 to 0.
The game of the day has to be Otterbein v. Capital. Final Score 2-2 after two overtimes. Otterbein received a red card in OT....I'd love to hear the story behind that. Does anyone know the details of the game?
I would agree on the program comments. You need two serious attempts at fielding a great team in order to have a shot at two great teams. Obvious, but perhaps not really believed?
Tuesday night matchups:
4:00 PM Otterbein Marietta
4:00 PM Wilmington (Ohio) Ohio Northern
4:00 PM Capital Muskingum
7:00 PM Mount Union Baldwin-Wallace
7:00 PM John Carroll Heidelberg
Two early games and two late games as weather starts to be a factor in Ohio. These games could be setting the table for some great weekend games!!!!
Tonight's winners:
4:00 PM Otterbein 2 Marietta 0 Final
4:00 PM Wilmington (Ohio) 0 Ohio Northern 2 Final
4:00 PM Capital 2 Muskingum 0 Final
7:00 PM Mount Union 0 Baldwin-Wallace 2 Final
7:00 PM John Carroll 1 Heidelberg 0
This Friday night there will be a HUGE game in the OAC as Ohio Northern takes on John Carroll at Don Shula stadium. Ohio Northern is undefeated in regular season play in the OAC and is ranked 11th on NSCAA and 18th on D3 Boards. The JCU Blue Streaks are unheralded, but have already beaten nationally ranked Case Western. They are surging. They have not allowed a goal in 5 games. Going into tonight's game they had a league leading 93 points and 325 shots and ranked second with 31 goals (tie) and 75 corner kicks. Ohio Northern ranks first in the latter two categories. Tonight the Blue Streaks continued to put up impressive numbers holding Heidelberg without a shot until the second frame. They outshot the Berg 25 to 3.
So Friday will be a match between a rising national power in ONU and an unheralded, but determined underdog in JCU. At stake is first place in the OAC and a potential preview of the OAC playoffs. These two teams have been on a collision course for weeks. Anyone who is interested in watching it should click on to the JCU soccer web page and catch the game on U-stream.
And see, for a while I thought the only two teams in Division 3 were Hopkins and Messiah! ;)
And maybe Wheaton (Ill.)....
Yes, my bad. :o Haha!
What a great game! ONU shows why they are nationally ranked in a 2 - 1 victory over JCU. It was a beautiful contest. Both teams played excellent soccer. After ONU got its second goal, JCU fought with even more intensity and scored in the 77th minute. ONU spent the last ten minutes in protect mode, which almost cost them. JCU looked strong between the eighteens, but ONU's counter-attack is a thing of beauty. One of the most enjoyable games I've ever seen-- :)-save for the result!
How much did that loss cost JCU? It was a four game swing. Instead of being in first, they are now in fourth place. Capital and (guess who?) Otterbein are tied for second. JCU is half a game behind them. Otterbein may cruise into second and Third place may be determined next weekend when the Blue Streaks travel to Columbus to play Capital. As usual, its a slugfest in the "Norris Division".
Here are the OAC standings:
Conf. Overall
Ohio Northern 7-0 13-1-2
Otterbein 5-1-1 8-5-2
Capital 5-1-1 7-7-2
John Carroll 5-2 11-6
Baldwin-Wallace 3-4 10-7
Heidelberg 3-4 6-9-1
Wilmington (Ohio) 3-4 5-9-3
Mount Union 2-5 7-8-2
Muskingum 1-6 5-12
Marietta 0-7 1-14-1
Like many conferences, top 6 make the post-season. Top 2 teams get a bye. Tomorrow JCU plays Baldwin-Wallace. A big game for both of these schools. JCU wins and they can secure 2nd or 3rd seed with a win Saturday. B-W could jump as high as number 4 seed with wins over the next 2 games, but can be knocked out with two losses.
Otterbein plays Wilimington. Wilmington is on the cusp. They've been an enigmatic team this year. They have played very streaky soccer. Otterbein has a young squad that is coming along nicely. Their biggest win so far was the upset over JCU. They can clinch 2nd with two wins. However, Wilmington needs the win tomorrow to stay in the hunt. Should be another good game.
Capital takes on Marietta. If Marietta beats Capital it will make their season. They Pioneers have had a rough year, so they are a long shot tomorrow. Assuming Capital wins, it will make for a big matchup with JCU on Saturday.
ONU takes on Heidelberg. Heidelberg is fighting for a playoff spot as well. They just won't matchup with ONU. The Polar Bears will win going away. They close against Marietta. A perfect conference schedule looks to be in the works for them. If only that JCU game had been 10 minutes longer ..... :-\
So here is the breakdown on tonight's game:
Muskingum 0 Mount Union 3 2nd half - 63:27
Marietta 2 Capital 5 Final
Heidelberg 0 Ohio Northern 4 Final
Baldwin-Wallace 0 John Carroll 2 Final
Otterbein 3 Wilmington (Ohio) 0 Final
So, the standings stay pretty much the same. Third place gets decided on Saturday in Columbus at the Capital v. JCU game. Otterbein takes on Wilmington, who will be fighting desperately to stay in the playoff hunt. Ohio Northern has clinched 1st place seed in the OAC playoffs.
...so whoever voted ONU champs in the survey was right!
Just back from the Capital game.... 3-0 over JCU. Capital scored twice in the first ten minutes and JCU had no Answer. As usual, the Blue Streaks had a lot of shots, but they put very few on frame. They had no answer early for Capital's potent counter attack.
Tuesday. Capital hosts Wilmington and JCU hosts B-W.
ONU and Otterbein get the bye.
ONU looks unbeatable at this point, but Otterbein has to be encouraged after a slow start. They owned October. The winners of Tuesday's matchups earn the "honor" of traveling to one of the first two seeds.
Ohio Northern could be a real surprise in the post-season, making an assumption of course. I agree with woacfan's implication that they may well be one of the better teams in the country.
As an inexperienced tournament team, they need to be sure to be great at the SO aspect of the match. Many of these tourney matches end in a draw so having confidence in SOs is a key to e Final Four (see Wheaton's first championship in 2005).
PKs are a huge part of conference play. I am still naive enough to think that the top 4 teams are all good enough to win the conference on the right day. ONU proved they were the best, but Capital, JCU and Otterbein all have looked pretty good at times. If you are looking at consistency, one of the qualities of a champion, you have to pick ONU, but two of the other three teams are ascendant; JCU and Otterbein have young squads. Capital looks gritty. Looking forward to this week...
JCU over BW and Capital over Wilmington. Watched the JCU game. It was very physical and chippy. Capital is very hot right now. They could be the darkhorse team in the OAC.
JCU just upset ONU 1 to 0
The Blue Streaks scored when ONU tackled JCU's star middie from behind. They drew a yellow card and a kick along the flat edge of the 18. The shot hit the top bar and deflected into the net!
The Blue Steaks...who dey?...the Blue Streaks advance to the final!
And Capital upsets Otterbein!
Capital handled JCU just a week ago....I would call them the favorite. But in the playoffs anything can happen....
And that is why its D3 Soccer's "Norris Division"!
It really doesn't get any better than play-off soccer. Good for JCU and congratulation. Thanks for keeping us posted. Good luck from here on out.
Thank you! Today was fun 8-)
OAC Championshp Keys to the Game:
Capital
1. Keep JCU off the board early
2. Penetrate the Defense with crisp passes and try to get inside.
3. Force JCU to take outside shots
JCU
1. Balls to feet, no kick and run
2. Pressure, pressure, pressure...Capital's forwards and mids love to run with the ball, shut them down
3. Quality shots
Here we go!
Quote from: woacfan on November 05, 2011, 10:25:42 PM
OAC Championshp Keys to the Game:
Capital
1. Keep JCU off the board early
2. Penetrate the Defense with crisp passes and try to get inside.
3. Force JCU to take outside shots
JCU
1. Balls to feet, no kick and run
2. Pressure, pressure, pressure...Capital's forwards and mids love to run with the ball, shut them down
3. Quality shots
Here we go!
(Billy Joel's "Pressure" playing. . . ) ba dumm bumm!
Congratulations to the Capital Crusaders...winners of the OAC 4-2 this afternoon. Capital's edge came in the form of set pieces (something JCU has struggled with all season on both sides of the ball) and some nifty runs (see previous posts below) by the Crusaders' forwards.
Capital took a 2-0 lead, but the Streaks brought it back to 2 to 1. Early in the second half JCU had three close calls to tie the game, but the Crusaders' counter-attack broke through making it 3 to 1. They scored a few minutes laters to make it 4 to 1. JCU carried the play from that point on, but it was too big a hole to climb out of.
Some thoughts: 1. Capital is going to surprise somebody. They have a good shot of getting out of the first round. Coach Kouns has done a great job in his first year. This team made a strong showing down the final stretch of the season.
2. ONU deserves a tournament bid. They had a great season and JCU was ideally suited to play them. They could just as easily been tournament champs.
3. The Blue Streaks have a lot to look forward to. This is a team with a lot of Sophomores and Freshmen. They are very young. They are going to miss their star forward and star defender (both Seniors), but have depth from top to bottom in underclassmen. Hold your head high JCU you gave it your all, and for most of you the best is yet to come....
4. On a lighter note, why don't these colleges put a little money into their internet streams? What a great recruiting tool gone to waste! Trying to figure out which pony-tailed pixel belongs to you is maddening! It couldn't be that much to buy some decent cameras and the cost could be spread across all sports. These poor kids are basically trying to broadcast a game with home video cameras....good grief! ::)
I'll add my congrats as well.
They'll have their chance to make a name for themselves in a week!
Your OAC matchups for the NCAAs:
Capital gets a tough draw against Alma
Ohio Northern makes the tournament and draws Scranton; They have to a be a little bit of a favorite in that one
And in Great Lakes region--
Case opens up with Lebanon Valley. That should be a good match-up. Seen them both play and they are both good teams (of course, isn't every body at this time of year!)
Capital ousts Alma 1 to 0
http://www.capital.edu/Athletics/Athletics_News/Crusaders_Oust_Alma_to_Advance_to_Second_Round_of_NCAA_Tournament.aspx (http://www.capital.edu/Athletics/Athletics_News/Crusaders_Oust_Alma_to_Advance_to_Second_Round_of_NCAA_Tournament.aspx)
Ohio Northern beats Scranton 1 to 0 in overtime....
On to the second round!
Also, another Northeastern Ohio team, Case Western, beat Lebanon Valley 3 to 0!
Both Capital and Ohio Northern get beat ending the OAC's presence in the tourney.
Ohio Northern looked like they might have been headed for a deeper run, but started to fade at the end of the season. Capital was definitely an upstart, but both look to be powers in the coming year.
Good luck to the remaining teams......
Capital was a good team this season. They knew how to score, and really knew how to play a solid defense. They just ran into a Wheaton team that was clicking on every cylinder imaginable.
Making the second round is a great thing for a younger program. And Ohio Northern is rapidly becoming a soccer name on both the men's and women's side.
Thanks Jim,
I agree with your assessment. I think my Blue Streaks will be competitive for the next two to three years as well.
Also, Capital did extremely well given they were playing for a new coach. He has done a wonderful job in his first year. I could tell they were a well coached team by some of the little things they did during the OAC championship game.
Wheaton has a very good team. There is no shame in losing to them for sure.
congratulations to capital on a fine season. we found ourselves extremely impressed with the defense for capital and lauren roy's leadership of that back line and the way that defense plays together is very fun to watch, even if its frustrating your offense ;) maggie donnellan is as fine a keeper as we've seen this season and did a masterful job keeping that game close as she made several point blank saves to keep capital close or that could have easily been a 5-0 game. very impressive young core for the crusaders and i would expect to see them make a run in the coming years.
JCU names a new soccer coach
http://www.jcusports.com/news/2012/4/2/WSOC_0402120111.aspx (http://www.jcusports.com/news/2012/4/2/WSOC_0402120111.aspx)
Good luck Coach Marich! Go Blue Streaks!
I've noticed some teams have their fall schedules out now and some don't. Is there a date by which most teams post their schedules?
I know that last year it was mid June when folks started posting schedules. In mid July, my personal hero WLCALUM83 started filling in the blanks. The latest Vegas line has JCU beating Wheaton in next years semi-final and knocking off Amherst in P-Ks in the final ;) I love D-3 soccer.
Now there's a Cinderella Story! I love it!
We'll enjoy the summer, but we do look forward to soccer season!
Quote from: woacfan on May 10, 2012, 11:08:37 PM
I've noticed some teams have their fall schedules out now and some don't. Is there a date by which most teams post their schedules?
Quote from: 2xfaux on May 18, 2012, 05:13:40 PM
I know that last year it was mid June when folks started posting schedules.
Nearly all of '11s' schedules were in before the last full week of August-- (I figured on going the "composite" route for the most part to cut down on clutter).
Capital Women's Soccer Schedule - They face 8 teams that were in the 2011 NCAA Division III National Tournament or were 2011 Conference Champions.... looks like a stern test in 2012!
AUGUST
SAT Aug. 25 Ohio Christian 4:00 pm HOME Exhibition
FRI Aug. 31 Earlham % 6:00 pm AWAY
SEPTEMBER
SAT Sept. 1 Anderson 3:00 pm AWAY
MON Sept. 3 Thomas More* 4:00 pm HOME
FRI Sept. 7 J& W 4:00 pm HOME Ft. Rapids Invitational
Salem vs. Adrian 2:00 pm &
SUN Sept. 9 Adrian % 1:00 pm HOME Ft. Rapids Invitational
Salem vs. J & W 11:00 am &
TUES Sept. 11 Tiffin 3:00 pm Away RESERVE GAME
WED Sept. 12 Penn State-Altoona % 4:00 pm HOME
FRI Sept. 14 Defiance 4:00 pm HOME
SUN Sept. 16 Allegheny % 12:00 pm AWAY
SAT Sept. 22 Case Western * 4:00 pm HOME
MON Sept. 24 Hanover * 5:00 pm AWAY
WED Sept. 26 Tiffin 3:00 pm Home RESERVE GAME
SAT Sept. 29 John Carroll 1:00 pm AWAY OAC
OCTOBER
WED Oct. 3 Ohio Northern * 4:00 pm HOME OAC
THUR Oct 4 Ohio Northern 4:00 pm AWAY RESERVE GAME
SAT Oct. 6 Heidelberg 1:00 pm AWAY OAC
WED Oct. 10 Wilmington 4:00 pm HOME OAC
SAT Oct. 13 Mt. Union 4:00 pm HOME OAC
MON Oct. 15 Ohio Midwestern 4:00 pm Home RESERVE GAME
WED Oct. 17 Marietta 4:00 pm AWAY OAC
SAT Oct. 20 Baldwin-Wallace 4:30 pm AWAY OAC
WED Oct. 24 Muskingum 4:00 pm HOME OAC
SAT Oct. 27 Otterbein 1:00 pm AWAY OAC
TUES Oct. 30 OAC Tournament TBD
THUR Nov. 1 OAC Semi-Final TBD
SAT Nov. 3 OAC Championship TBD
* 2010 NCAA Division III National Tournament Participant
% Regular Season Conference Champion
& Fort Rapids Invitational at Capital University
Awesome!!! Now I know where I am going to be on September 29th!!!! 8-)
Hope to see more schedules soon!
Allegheny and Case back-to-back...that will be a tough week. It would be nice to see the Crusaders win those games.
Here's to Title IX, without which Division 3 women's soccer may never have been! 8-)
Amen to that.
Here it is! More to follow.....
JCU Blue Streaks Schedule
Centre Showcase
8/31/2012 Centre College Danville, KY 7:30 PM Details
9/1/2012 Transylvania University Danville, KY 5:00 PM Details
Carroll Classic
9/7/2012 Olivet College University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 5:00 PM Details
9/8/2012 Grove City College University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 2:00 PM Details
9/12/2012 Oberlin College University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 4:00 PM Details
9/15/2012 Houghton College Houghton, NY 2:00 PM Details
9/17/2012 Hiram College Hiram, OH 7:00 PM Details
9/19/2012 College of Wooster University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 4:30 PM Details
9/24/2012 Case Western Reserve University University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 7:00 PM Details
9/29/2012 * Capital University University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 1:00 PM Details
10/3/2012 * Otterbein University University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 4:00 PM Details
10/6/2012 * Marietta College Marietta, OH 1:00 PM Details
10/9/2012 * University of Mount Union Alliance, OH 7:00 PM Details
10/13/2012 * Muskingum University University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 1:00 PM Details
10/17/2012 * Baldwin Wallace Berea, OH 7:00 PM Details
10/20/2012 * Ohio Northern Ada, OH 1:00 PM Details
10/23/2012 * Heidelberg University Hts., OH - Don Shula Stadium 7:00 PM Details
10/27/2012 * Wilmington Wilmington, OH 7:00 PM Details
OAC Tournament
10/31/2012 OAC Tournament TBA TBA Details
11/2/2012 OAC Tournament TBA TBA Details
11/5/2012 OAC Tournament TBA TBA Details
Here is ONU:
2012 Women's Soccer Schedule
Overall Pct. Conf. Pct. Streak Home Away Neutral
0-0 .000 0-0 .000 - 0-0 0-0 0-0
Date Opponent Notes Result Time/Status Links
Aug. 31 Grove City (Pa.) 4:00 PM
Sep. 2 Case Western Reserve 1:00 PM
Sep. 8 vs. Earlham (Ind.) at Wooster Invitational 1:30 PM
Sep. 9 at Wooster 2:30 PM
Sep. 12 Ohio Wesleyan 4:00 PM
Sep. 15 Mt. St. Joseph 2:00 PM
Sep. 18 at Denison 7:00 PM
Sep. 22 Thomas More (Ky.) 3:30 PM
Sep. 26 Wittenberg 4:00 PM
Sep. 29 Mount Union * 1:00 PM
Oct. 3 at Capital * 4:00 PM
Oct. 6 at Baldwin Wallace * 4:30 PM
Oct. 9 Otterbein * 4:00 PM
Oct. 13 Marietta * Kicks For A Cause/Parent's Day 3:30 PM
Oct. 17 at Heidelberg * 7:00 PM
Oct. 20 John Carroll * Alumni Weekend 1:00 PM
Oct. 23 at Wilmington * 7:00 PM
Oct. 27 at Muskingum * 1:00 PM
Oct. 29 vs. TBA OAC Tournament - Quarterfinals TBA
Oct. 31 vs. TBA OAC Tournament - Semifinals TBA
Nov. 3 vs. TBA OAC Tournament - Finals TBA
And Otterbein:
0 - 0 .000 --- 0 - 0 0 - 0 0 - 0
Follow this schedule: iCal Download | iCal Subscribe| RSS Subscribe
Date Opponent Location Time/Result Details
Penn State-Behrend Tournament
9/1/2012 Penn State-Behrend Erie, Pa. 7:30 p.m. Details
9/2/2012 Allegheny Erie, Pa. 3 p.m. Details
9/5/2012 Hiram Westerville, Ohio 5 p.m. Details
Penn State-Altoona Tournament
9/8/2012 Moravian (N.J.) Altoona, Pa. 3 p.m. Details
9/9/2012 Penn State Altoona Altoona, Pa. 3 p.m. Details
9/12/2012 Denison Granville, Ohio 7 p.m. Details
9/15/2012 Earlham Earlham, Ind. 1 p.m. Details
9/18/2012 Ohio Wesleyan Delaware, Ohio 7 p.m. Details
9/22/2012 Transylvania Westerville, Ohio 1 p.m. Details
9/29/2012 Baldwin-Wallace Westerville, Ohio 1 p.m. Details
10/3/2012 John Carroll University Heights, Ohio 4 p.m. Details
10/6/2012 Muskingum New Concord, Ohio 1 p.m. Details
10/9/2012 Ohio Northern Ada, Ohio 4 p.m. Details
10/13/2012 Heidelberg Westerville, Ohio 1 p.m. Details
10/17/2012 Wilmington Westerville, Ohio 4 p.m. Details
10/20/2012 Mount Union Alliance, Ohio 1 p.m. Details
10/23/2012 Marietta Westerville, Ohio 3:30 p.m. Details
10/27/2012 Capital Westerville, Ohio 1 p.m. Details
More to come....anybody want to make some early predictions for 2012?
BW-
1-2 @ Penn State-Behrend Tournament in Erie, Pa.
1 versus Allegheny (Pa.) 5:00
2 @ Penn State-Behrend 5:30
4 @ Oberlin # 7:30
8 @ The College of Wooster 11:00 a.m.
9 versus Earlham (Ind.) at Wooster 12:00
12 @ Hiram 7:00
15 GROVE CITY (Pa.) # 3:30
19 @ Case Western Reserve 7:30
22 WESTMINSTER (Pa.) #
1:00
25 BETHANY (W.Va.) 7:00
29 @ Otterbein *# 1:00
Oct. 3 MUSKINGUM * 7:00
6 OHIO NORTHERN *# 4:30
9 HEIDELBERG * 7:00
13 @ Wilmington *# 4:30
17 JOHN CARROLL * 7:00
20 CAPITAL *# (Seniors' Day) 4:30
23 @ Mount Union * 7:00
27 @ Marietta *# 1:00
and Wilmington (Sorry, their webpage sets up a little differently and I couldn't get it to display as a list):
Sep
1
Sat
Wilmington vs. Franklin (Rose-Hulman Invitational)
Home - Terre Haute, Ind.
2:00 PM
View details .Sep
2
Sun
Wilmington @ Rose-Hulman (Rose-Hulman Invitational)
Away - Terre Haute, Ind.
12:00 PM
View details .Sep
5
Wed
Wilmington vs. WITTENBERG
Home
7:00 PM
View details .Sep
7
Fri
Wilmington @ Anderson (Raven/Spartan Classic)
Away - Anderson, Ind.
4:00 PM
View details .Sep
8
Sat
Wilmington @ Manchester (Raven/Spartan Classic)
Away - North Manchester, Ind.
3:00 PM
View details .Sep
12
Wed
Wilmington @ Mount St. Joseph
Away - Cincinnati
7:00 PM
View details .Sep
15
Sat
Wilmington @ Bluffton
Away - Bluffton
12:00 PM
View details .Sep
16
Sun
Wilmington vs. WOOSTER
Home
2:00 PM
View details .Sep
22
Sat
Wilmington @ Defiance
Away - Defiance
2:00 PM
View details .Sep
26
Wed
Wilmington @ Ohio Wesleyan
Away - Delaware
7:00 PM
View details .Sep
29
Sat
Wilmington vs. *MUSKINGUM
Home
4:30 PM
View details .Oct
3
Wed
Wilmington @ *Heidelberg
Away - Tiffin
4:00 PM
View details .Oct
6
Sat
Wilmington @ *Mount Union
Away - Alliance
2:00 PM
View details .Oct
10
Wed
Wilmington @ *Capital
Away - Bexley
4:00 PM
View details .Oct
13
Sat
Wilmington vs. *BALDWIN-WALLACE
Home
4:30 PM
View details .Oct
17
Wed
Wilmington @ *Otterbein
Away - Westerville
4:00 PM
View details .Oct
20
Sat
Wilmington @ *Marietta
Away - Marietta
2:00 PM
View details .Oct
23
Tue
Wilmington vs. *OHIO NORTHERN
Home
7:00 PM
View details .Oct
27
Sat
Wilmington vs. *JOHN CARROLL
Home
7:00 PM
We interrupt this soccer off season to bring you one of the most dramatic women's soccer games ever played! USA 4, Canada 3. Drama, controversy, a last second game winning goal....that game had it all. GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two More, Poor Formatting, sorry about that.....
(Heidelberg and Mount Union)
Heidelberg Women's Soccer
August 31, 2012
5:00pm
vs. Case Western Reserve
Hidden Valley
Tiffin, Ohio
September 1, 2012
3:00pm
vs. Grove City (Pa.)
Hidden Valley
Tiffin, Ohio
September 8, 2012
1:00pm
at Hanover (Ind.)
L.S. Ayres Field
Hanover, Ind.
September 9, 2012
1:00pm
at Thomas More (Ky.)
Bank of Kentucky Field
Crestview Hills, Ky.
September 16, 2012
2:00pm
vs. Franklin (Ind.)
Family & Kids' Day
Hidden Valley
Tiffin, Ohio
September 19, 2012
2:00pm
at Defiance
Winsper-Knobel Memorial Field
Defiance, Ohio
September 22, 2012
3:30pm
at Bethany (W.Va.)
Hoag Field
Bethany, W. Va.
September 25, 2012
7:00pm
at Hiram
Hiram Soccer Complex
Hiram, Ohio
September 29, 2012
2:00pm
at Marietta
OAC Match
Marietta Field
Marietta, Ohio
October 3, 2012
7:00pm
vs. Wilmington
OAC Match
Faculty Appreciation Night
Mayer Field
Tiffin, Ohio
October 6, 2012
1:00pm
vs. Capital
OAC Match
Shoot for the Cure
Hidden Valley
Tiffin, Ohio
October 9, 2012
7:00pm
at Baldwin Wallace
OAC Match
Tressel Field at George Finnie Stadium
Berea, Ohio
October 13, 2012
1:00pm
at Otterbein
OAC Match
Westerville, Ohio
October 17, 2012
7:00pm
vs. Ohio Northern
OAC Match
'Berg Pride Night
Mayer Field
Tiffin, Ohio
October 20, 2012
4:00pm
at Muskingum
OAC Match
Muskie Field
New Concord, Ohio
October 23, 2012
7:00pm
at John Carroll
OAC Match
Don Shula Stadium
University Heights, Ohio
October 27, 2012
1:00pm
vs. Mount Union
OAC Match
Hidden Valley
Tiffin, Ohio
. .
Mount Union 2012
September
Sat
1
at Denison
Denison/Kenyon Classic - Granville, Ohio
1:00 PM
Sun
2
at Kenyon
Denison/Kenyon Classic - Gambier, Ohio
1:00 PM
Fri
7
at Hiram
Hiram Tournament - Hiram, Ohio
4:00 PM
Sat
8
at Oberlin
Hiram Tournament - Oberlin, Ohio
7:00 PM
Wed
12
Penn St.-Behrend
Mount Union Stadium
6:00 PM
Mon
17
Grove City (Pa.)
Mount Union Stadium
7:00 PM
Wed
19
Waynesburg (Pa.)
Mount Union Stadium
5:00 PM
Sat
22
Geneva (Pa.)
Mount Union Stadium
2:00 PM
Sat
29
at Ohio Northern *
Ada, Ohio
1:00 PM
October
Wed
3
Marietta *
Mount Union Stadium
7:00 PM
Sat
6
Wilmington *
Mount Union Stadium
1:00 PM
Tue
9
John Carroll *
Mount Union Stadium
7:00 PM
Sat
13
at Capital *
Columbus, Ohio
4:00 PM
Wed
17
at Muskingum *
New Concord, Ohio
7:00 PM
Sat
20
Otterbein *
Mount Union Stadium
1:00 PM
Tue
23
Baldwin Wallace *
Mount Union Stadium
7:00 PM
Sat
27
at Heidelberg *
Tiffin, Ohio
1:00 PM
Mon
29
at TBA
OAC Tournament Quarterfinals
TBA
In the NSCAA pre-season poll ONU sits in the Top 25 at #12. As the only OAC team represented in the rankings it looks like they are the team t beat in the eyes of the pollsters!
What about Capital....the defending champs?
ONU is good, but I thought your Crusaders looked pretty strong at the end of last season... probably seriously underrated!
OAC Coaches poll for men and women:
Women's Coaches' Poll Men's Coaches' Poll
Rank School (First Place Votes) Points Rank School (First Place Votes) Points
1. Ohio Northern (8) 80 1. Ohio Northern (7) 74
2. Otterbein (1) 72 2. Baldwin-Wallace (2) 71
3. Capital (1) 64 3. John Carroll (1) 64
4. John Carroll 57 4. Mount Union 61
5. Baldwin-Wallace 50 5. Wilmington 49
6. Wilmington 43 6. Capital 35
7. Heidelberg 32 7. Muskingum 31
8. Mount Union 26 8. Otterbein 28
9. Marietta 14 9. Heidelberg 21
10. Muskingum 12 10. Marietta 16
Dark horses anyone? I can think of one or two. :-X
Here is the link: http://www.oac.org/sports/msoc/2012-13/Releases/2012_Soccer_poll.pdf (http://www.oac.org/sports/msoc/2012-13/Releases/2012_Soccer_poll.pdf)
Quote from: woacfan on August 14, 2012, 08:26:32 PM
What about Capital....the defending champs?
ONU is good, but I thought your Crusaders looked pretty strong at the end of last season... probably seriously underrated!
Of course I hope my crusaders will be good again, they have potential, but, they have some serious injuries to key returners. They may have had a better chance if they did not lose two of their returning starters for the year. In terms of being underrated we will keep our fingers crossed!
Season Previews:
Wilmington:
http://www2.wilmington.edu/news/Quakers-poised-for-strong-2012-season.cfm (http://www2.wilmington.edu/news/Quakers-poised-for-strong-2012-season.cfm)
John Carroll:
http://jcusports.com/news/2012/8/27/WSOC_0827125448.aspx (http://jcusports.com/news/2012/8/27/WSOC_0827125448.aspx)
Otterbein:
http://www.otterbeincardinals.com/news/2012/8/17/MSOC_0817123159.aspx (http://www.otterbeincardinals.com/news/2012/8/17/MSOC_0817123159.aspx)
ONU
http://onuwsoccer.blogspot.com/ (http://onuwsoccer.blogspot.com/)
Capital:
http://www.capital.edu/Athletics/Athletics_News/Womens_Soccer_News/2012_Women's_Soccer_Preview__After_Breakthrough_Season,_Crusaders_Look_to_Take_Next_Step.aspx (http://www.capital.edu/Athletics/Athletics_News/Womens_Soccer_News/2012_Women's_Soccer_Preview__After_Breakthrough_Season,_Crusaders_Look_to_Take_Next_Step.aspx)
Muskingham:
http://www.muskingum.edu/athletics/soccer_w/index.html (http://www.muskingum.edu/athletics/soccer_w/index.html)
Mount Union:
http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/wsoc/2012-13/releases/weekpreview_082712 (http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/wsoc/2012-13/releases/weekpreview_082712)
Couldn't find any previews for Heidelberg or B-W.
Polar Bears meet Grove City on 8/31.
Crusaders to take on Earlham on 8/31
JCU opens with a mighty challenge taking on highly rated Centre in Kentucky to open their fall campaign.
Otterbein travels to the very solid Penn State-Behrend
Wilmington takes on extremely underrated Transylvania (who probably deserved a post-season bid last year).
Let the excitement begin!!!!!!!!!! ;D
JCU loses to Centre 2 to 1.
JCU's early goal couldn't hold up as Centre used some outside speed to press the Blue Streak defense. The Streaks keeper was excellent.
The Streaks were loaded onto a bus at 7 a.m. and shipped off on a 7 1/2 hour bus ride to Kentucky. After that, they had a few hours to eat and recoup. Then they played the 24th ranked team in the country. I would say it was a tall order to come out of that one with anything but a loss. The Streaks gave it their all and can hold their heads high.
Capital loses to Earlham 2 to 1, but destroys Anderson 10 to nil!!!!
Ohio Northern ties Grove 1 -1.
Otterbein beats Penn State- Behrend 3 to 1
Centre...gulp....7 to 0 over Marietta!
Week 1 in the OAC
Baldwin Wallace 0-0 2-0
Wilmington (Ohio) 0-0 2-0
Capital 0-0 1-1
Mount Union 0-0 1-1
Muskingum 0-0 1-1
Ohio Northern 0-0 0-2
Otterbein 0-0 1-1
Heidelberg 0-0 0-2
John Carroll 0-0 0-2
Marietta 0-0 0-2
Two solid wins for B-W against quality opponents bodes well for them in the early going!!!!
When is bad good?
The Streaks are struggling to get wins at 1 and 3, but they look far superior to last season in terms of field organization, preparedness and strategy. They've come up short against two excellent teams, but had the lead in both games. Its a fairly young squad, so you can hope that this will show up with wins as the season progresses.....
As to the other OAC teams, the conference favorites are all off to a slow start with some surprises looking good. Wilmington is firing on all cylinders early on. You've got to like Otterbein in the early going. They always field a good team and here they are again contending. Here are the pre-conference W-L:
Wilmington (Ohio) 0-0 4-0-1
Baldwin Wallace 0-0 2-0-2
Mount Union 0-0 3-1
Otterbein 0-0 3-1
Ohio Northern 0-0 1-0-2
Capital 0-0 2-2
Muskingum 0-0 2-2
John Carroll 0-0 1-3
Heidelberg 0-0 0-3
Marietta 0-0 0-4
Here is the news on Wilmington....
http://www2.wilmington.edu/news/Womens-soccer-sets-WC-NCAA-record.cfm (http://www2.wilmington.edu/news/Womens-soccer-sets-WC-NCAA-record.cfm)
By and large some low scoring affairs with one 10 to 0 blow out of Anderson. It sounds like Wilmington has a pretty stout defense. Any supporters have insights they would like to share?
JCU 4, Oberlin 0
This stat says it all: SHOTS
Period 1 2 Total
Oberlin 0 3 3
John Carroll 15 28 43
JCU 1, Houghton nil.
A great game. JCU scored early, but Houghton carried the play for much of the second half.
Both teams had opportunities late. In the end, the early tally carried the game. 8-)
Week Three Records for OAC teams. Wilmington continues to surprise. ONU back on track after a slow start. A lot of teams bunched up in the middle. And the build up to conference play continues....
Wilmington (Ohio) 0-0 6-0-1
Ohio Northern 0-0 4-0-2
Mount Union 0-0 4-1
Baldwin Wallace 0-0 3-1-3
Capital 0-0 4-3
Otterbein 0-0 4-3
John Carroll 0-0 3-3
Muskingum 0-0 2-4
Marietta 0-0 1-5
Heidelberg 0-0 0-4
It was a good week for the purple and white... three wins, including handing the Allegheny (the#5 team in the region) their worst home loss since 2009 and only their second home loss in 23 games! Maybe things are finally falling in place and players are stepping up to replace the big holes left by injuries?
Capital and ONU seem to be on the rise. After a slow start they are both ascendant.
Also, that is a great result on the road. Allegheny's field seems to be sloped and the grass is always very thick there. Its a very hard place for a visitor to come out of with a win!
JCU records its 4th shutout in as many games, defeating regionally ranked Wooster 2-0. Surprisingly lopsided affair, with the Blue Streaks controlling the tempo from beginning to end. JCU keeper and middies should be all OAC if this caliber of play continues.
One week before league play, the conference has one team at 7-1-1 and six teams with either 5-3 or 5-4 records. Let the blood-letting begin!!!!!!
http://www.oac.org/sports/wsoc/2011-12/standings?dec=/printer-decorator& (http://www.oac.org/sports/wsoc/2011-12/standings?dec=/printer-decorator&)
Ugggghh!!!!! The Blue Streaks got outmuscled and outhustled in a 3-0 loss to Case Western. They controlled the first ten to fifteen minutes and then got pummeled. Not a promising way to end non-conference play. They'd best find some answers if they want to compete with the Crusader's in the conference final rematch this Saturday!!!!!
Not sure Capital can offer JCU much this season in terms of rematch capabilities. Capital lost two starters for the season before pre-season started and have since lost another for the year. Right now it is a team with some good players but nothing that is worth mentioning as a contender this time around. On the good side the leading scorer from 2011, Hilary Ells, will get a redshirt year and so will left back & captain Michelle Geiger. So, for the next two seasons they will have recruits plus a big part of the puzzle back from last year's title team... That said, it still should make for a good game to watch as both teams are capable of playing some good soccer.
Ells had a goal in the championship game last year, and if I remember correctly she took some great runs up the middle of the JCU defense and split them a few times. This year, their non-conference standings are about the same, JCU is 5-4 and the Crusaders are 5-5. The Crusaders had a couple of blow out wins against opponents. I am not familiar with those teams, so I don't know how to guage the opposition there. They seemed to play Case tougher than JCU though. All the goals in the Crusader's game were in the first half. Case scored all their goals in the second half against the Blue Streaks.... The Streaks are missing a few people too, including one of their best defenders.
I agree, it should be a good game!
Looking at the conference, I think this is the tightest I've ever seen it going into league play. I couldn't begin to predict who will win the thing. We might have a better picture in a few weeks!
As much as my eyes will be on the re-match between JCU and Capital, the game of the week may be Mount Union (tied for 9th in the Great Lakes) and Ohio Northern (Number 2 in the Great Lakes). Anyone have any insights on that matchup?
Looking at everything not much doubt ONU should win the double this year. Although not dominating teams they are playing great defense and not taking any losses. Not to mention they have played one of the toughest out of conference schedules this year and are still unblemished.
Although some teams have surprising non-conference records heading into OAC play if you look at the W-L-T records for their opponents the W's may not be a true indicator (although you can never overlook the power of wins and player confidence). Below are the opponents records as reported by Top Drawer Soccer:
51-52-8 Muskingum
54-61-10 Wilmington
57-57-10 Mt. Union
60-45-8 John Carroll
60-51-7 Marietta
61-56-9 Otterbein
66-54-13 Heidelberg
68-59-5 Baldwin Wallace
69-53-9 Ohio Northern
77-57-6 Capital
OAC MAtchups Week 1:
VISITOR HOME KICK OFF
Mount Union Ohio Northern 1:00 PM
Catch Live Stats Here: http://www2.onu.edu/livestats/ws/xlive.htm (http://www2.onu.edu/livestats/ws/xlive.htm)
Baldwin Wallace Otterbein 1:00 PM
Follow this link to live stats and audio: http://www.otterbeincardinals.com/schedule.aspx?path=wsoc (http://www.otterbeincardinals.com/schedule.aspx?path=wsoc)
Heidelberg Marietta 2:00 PM
This gets you to live stats: [urlhttp://pioneers.marietta.edu/schedule.aspx?path=wsoc][/url]
Capital John Carroll 1:00 PM
Video Coverage and Live Stats: http://jcusports.com/schedule.aspx?path=wsoc& (http://jcusports.com/schedule.aspx?path=wsoc&)
Muskingum Wilmington (Ohio) 4:30 PM
No Coverage found.
Looks like a bunch of good games on tap. The two I'm looking forward to JCU v. Capital and ONU v. Mount Union! Great opening week matchups from top to bottom!
The great thing about the opening of conference play is the anticipation. Every team is in the competition, and anything can happen. GO BLUE STREAKS!!!!!!!!
JCU and Capital battle to a 1-1 tie after 2 OTs.
Battle is the operative word!!!!
A great game!
One day removed, this is what I took away from yesterday's match:
1. Statistically it was dead even between the sides.
2. JCU owned most of the first half and Capital most of the second.
3. JCU's keeper is having an all OAC season;
4. Both goals came off set pieces.
5. A lot of people took the drive up from Columbus to support the Crusaders.
6. I think both teams will be solid throughout conference play.
7. The Crusader Coach is a pretty vocal guy...you could hear him in the stands all the way across the field. He might want to work on his "language" a little bit....haha.
As for ONU v. Mount Union....looks like Ohio Northern is returning to form for conference play. They will be hard to beat. Mount Union had a great early season, and its hard to imagine that the play was that uneven.
Otterbein also took a nice win against B-W. B-W had a strong start too, but every year Otterbein ends up in the mix. They are always well coached. They come to University Heights to take on the Streaks Wednesday.
Crusader Nation, do you have any thoughts on the game?
It is a very fair statement to say that it was a game of two halves. In terms of legitimate chances both teams were challenged. However, both teams can take something away from the game to work on.
Can't say I agree with the GK assessment. Not sure if I would say either one played at an All-Conference level, but, that is just my take.
IN terms of the other games I would refer you back to the stats about opponents posted earlier. Although some teams have good out of conference records that does not mean they have progressed to a level where they can compete with Otterbein and ONU. It is a safe bet to say those two teams will be the ones to beat this year!
Otterbein proved your point this evening. They beat JCU 2-0.
Blue Streaks controlled the ball between the eighteens, but were abysmal on each end. They gave up way too many corners and took way too few shots.
They are usually the ones to beat!!!haha!
And BIG PS...Capital stuns ONU tonight!!!! Maybe Capital is the team to beat afterall!
Details...we need details! What happened?
As much as I wish Capital were the team to beat I am afraid that is not so. It was a great game for the Capital in terms of heart, effort and fight. Two well deserved goals during about a 20 minute run of play for the Crusaders. But, the consistency of ONU or Otterbein still looks to be the ones who will ultimately end up on top. However, as everyone knows... "in sports on any given night"... and this happened to be the first night since 2008 that Capital topped ONU.
Elsewhere the Heidelberg - Wilmington score again showed that early results do not consistency make. Wilmington has a very potent attack, but, it takes more than that to be in the ONU - OTT conversation.
So, the story continues!
Streaks beat Marietta. Wednesday they play Mount Union, who got off to a lightning start. Should be an interesting game. The Streaks have run hot and cold this year. Mount Union was handled by ONU, but beat Wilmington and Marietta.
And despite my friend from Capital's assessment, the Crusaders are undefeated and ONU is staggering--- they lost this weekend to a scappy B-W team.
Otterbein spanked Muskingum 5 to 0. Right now I would say Otterbein is the team to beat and Capital and B-W are teams to watch in the stretch run. I wouldn't count my Streaks out either, but they need to play more consistent ball.
It appears I may have been mistaken in terms of the regular season title.. at least in terms of ONU. I still believe they have the consistency for the tournament title, but, we will see. As for Otterbein I think Tuesday will be the telling factor. If they go up to ONU, and win there, I do not think there is any doubt they are in the drivers seat. If not, it still might be interesting to see how things play out.... and for Capital. Well, when you start five or six freshman every game you are bound to stumble just because freshman have freshman like games. Especially without Ells, Geiger or Phillips to fall back on with all of them gone for the year. That said, it is always nice to be in the conversation!
Keep the faith in your Blue Streaks. Mike has them playing much better soccer than in past years. They can still have a say if things go right for them. Any time you are playing good soccer you just need a lucky bounce!
I agree. Mike has done a great job in organizing them on the field. Their midfield is SOLID.
He has a young squad too, and some of them have to grow into their positions. They are playing some pretty ball, which makes even the losses a little more tolerable.
I shudder to think what the Crusaders will be like next year! Out of the teams that I've seen, they looked the best. Its hard to express all my thoughts here, but the loss to Otterbein was the result of mental errors, not domination. Otterbein played its best game on each end of the field, while JCU controlled the midfield. Of course, the scoring and stopping scores is what matters. I agree Otterbein is the favorite, especially if they beat ONU (who will be fighting like h*** to avoid another conference loss), but don't count your young team out.
Any thoughts on B-W? They've improved a lot over the past two seasons.
BW is big and athletic and this year they have a GK that is capable of keeping them in games.... that is the real difference. That also makes them dangerous if a team allows them to play to that strength. If a team keeps the ball and stays on the ground with it then they will have a much more difficult time... thus some of their interesting results. But, they are very capable of beating anyone in the conference on any given day.
Well... it appears confirmed that Otterbein is the team to beat. A 2-1 win at ONU puts ONU at 3 straight losses and leaves Otterbein unblemished. With BW putting a thrashing on Heidelberg they seem to be the next in line who might be able to challenge Otterbein in the tournament. It is going to be a tough tournament for someone to go to Otterbein and steal away a win! Still a long way to go, but, don't see them faltering as they are really consistent right now. In terms of the game tonight it will be interesting to see how the MU vs. JCU game goes. Maybe MU will still play a role in stumping Otterbein? But, first comes the Blue Streaks!
JCU 3, MU 1- Streaks seemed to dominate. The game was a cross-bar and a post away from 5 to 1. This looks like the total game the Streaks needed. It was a dominating performance. Now they need consistency.
I think you are right Crusader Nation, B-W is going to be tough. They are a very physical team. If you can, go to the JCU archive and look at the photos from the playoff gamelast season. They look more like football photos than soccer. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/405708_10150573328707356_1537518870_n.jpg (https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/405708_10150573328707356_1537518870_n.jpg) and https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/396658_10150573329482356_645064942_n.jpg (https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/396658_10150573329482356_645064942_n.jpg)
I love those pics. Kinda gives you the flavor of the OAC...total destruction! There were a lot of uncalled fouls in that game. Some teams have a little more finesse than B-W, but they are very gritty.
Looks like an exciting home stretch in the OAC. I would put 10/27 on my calendar as the Crusaders look like the last, best chance to stop the Cardinals from running the table.
Capital will certainly have more finesse and soccer savvy than BW but BW they will certainly have more bite... that is a certainty. But, none of that matters unless the Crusaders hold home court tonight against Wilmington and Saturday vs. Mt. Union!
Congrats to the Blue Streaks!
The scores from today.....
Oct. 13
Muskingum 0 John Carroll 3
Heidelberg 0 Otterbein 5
Marietta 0 Ohio Northern 5
Mount Union 2 Capital 1
Baldwin Wallace 0 Wilmington (Ohio) 2
It looks like Otterbein alone on top of the OAC and the slimmest of differences for positions 2 through 5. JCU and Capital are at 3-1-1 while B-W and Wilmington are at 3-2. ONU tells the conference they're not dead yet by thrashing Marietta.
As for the JCU game, the Streaks looked good again as their reliable midfielder opened the scoring for them. Then their speedy forward finished them off with two more. The 3-0 final is deceptive as the Streaks played their subs through the second half. They look stronger every week. Two tough challenges this week with B-W followed up by ONU. Look for Ohio Northern to make a strong end of season run. Its shaping up to be another wild season in the OAC.
Can anyone knock off the Cardinals?
Unfortunately what the statistics show is that overall the OAC is average this year. Without the consistency for more teams in terms of better scheduling and better results it is kind of a crap shoot. Even the team leading the pack is doing so in a workman like manner and does not have any outstanding results. So, at this rate it looks like it will be a 1 trick pony (Otterbein has been my guess) for the OAC in the NCAA Tournament this year.
Crusader Nation,
I agree in part with your assessment. I concur that only one OAC team will make it through to the NCAAs- the winner of the OAC tournament, but think its far from decided at this point. Last year at this time ONU was all but annointed champion and we know how that turned out.
I also think by the time the tournament plays out, Otterbein may deserve an at-large invite, but probably won't get one. Looking around at all the conferences, not just the OAC, it seems that there is a lot of uncertainty this season with many of the usual suspects stuggling this year.
Arguably, this season is down a bit in terms of quality from the OAC teams as compared to last season, but I think the OAC is ascendant in women's soccer generally. There are three strong programs and three other programs that are getting stronger. I've also noticed the crowds at the games are getting a little better- its not just parents and a few bored students in the stands this year (at least at the Blue Streaks games).
In terms of overall quality, I am not sure that the OAC is as far behind the other conferences as the "statistics" might suggest. In any event, I don't think the results of this season are a "given" yet. I do think Otterbein has a leg up on the rest of the league for regular season champs, and their deep, grassy field is hard on visitors, but anything is possible at playoff time.
Besides, when you live on the Great Lakes you always root for the underdog!
Here's to a great finish... 8-)
I agree with rooting for the underdog... there is something endearing about cheering for the one not supposed to come out on top and fulfilling about watching them maximize their potential and win when no one gives them a chance.... maybe there will be a spot for my Crusaders afterall :)
Wilmington beats Otterbein. JCU and BW play to a tie and Capital pounds Marietta. The stars may be aligning for you Crusader Nation!
I can speak a little on the JCU v. BW game. Very physical game. I thought the streaks were up to the challenge. Both teams had their chances. Unfortunately, for a team trying to move up, the tie hurts. It means the Streaks will have to pull one out at Ohio Northern this weekend!
I saw a little of the JCU v BW game online and I felt that your streaks could have deserved better. But, for a team in transition with a new coach I go back to what I've said from the beginning... they are a much improved soccer team and continue to play better each time.
As for the stars... well... consistency has been the issue and continues to be so. It appears it might be a bit of an issue for the cross town neighbors as well losing at home to Wilmington. (Although Wilmington is very streaky) Regardless, somehow, someway if the Purple and White can win the next three games they will be the OAC Regular Season Champions. A true feat considering the loss of two key players before the start fo the season and starting five freshman.
We will see!
I'd like to see the Blue Streaks move up a spot - at least get past Mt. Union. before playoff time.
However, their schedule is tough. They still play Wilmington and ONU.
The Otterbein loss was a surprise to me. I knew Wilmington was pretty good, but Otterbein always seems to pick up steam as the season progresses. Anyone have any insights into that game?
I think the Otterbein loss confirms that the only way to the NCAA this year is to win the conference tourney.
The Otterbein loss was only a surprise in terms of they had been fairly consistent till then. Wilmington is a pretty good attacking team, but, their defending has not been a strength and I thought Otterbein would score.
What it really confirms is what I said earlier, the OAC is average this year. Does not mean they will be next year, but, where as last year there were some dominant teams scoring multiple goals per game and beating people soundly that is not the case this year. All of the OAC teams are about the same time time around so we honestly do not deserve more than the AQ.
However, on the upside that means the OAC Tournament should be very competitive as there is no telling which OAC team will show up on which day!!!
What a bizarre weekend!!!
JCU and ONU play to a draw. ONU threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Streaks Keeper. The Polar Bears had a 34 to 6 shot advantage over the Blue Streaks. One game or less seperates the second through seventh place teams and only 3 points seperates them. One might lament the lack of a standout team, but for sheer excitement the last two regular season games will mean the world for most of the conference!
And Crusader Nation, what in the heck happened in the Capital game? 5 yellow cards to the Crusaders in the second half and one to B-W? Sounds crazy!
You can read the game stats in Berea as you might... but... when you see Capital with 19 fouls (which is far from the norm if you look at every OAC box score for the Crusaders) and four yellow cards in the second half (when CAP has a total of six yellow cards for the entire season) compared to just 9 fouls and 1 card for BW... one can draw their own conclusions. The physicality of BW made it difficult to play but the extrenal factors around the game made it impossible to come out with a different result.
With the Capital result this evening the regular season title goes back to Westerville and it looks like it will just depend on the day and the field to decide who will represent the OAC at the NCAA's this year!!!
Such a diplomat! Last week I thought one of B-Ws players was trying out for the swim team. That ref eventually caught on and carded her late in the game. Don't know if that was a factor today. A loss is a lot harder to take when you feel like you are playing two teams! Sorry to hear about it.
Otterbein is in and the next six will be sorted out next week.
Muskingum at Capital tonight. A win puts Capital in third and drops JCU to fourth. Of this weekend's competitions, JCU v. Wilmington looms large. That game has the potential for the biggest swing in position, and will be the difference between JCU hosting, or traveling to someone else for the first round of the playoffs.
Looks like Otterbein and B-W earn the bye, although a Capital win tonight and Saturday, tied in with a B-W loss on Saturday would give Capital the 2nd seed. Capital may catch a break if Otterbein rests its starters on Saturday. Also, Marietta is half a game behind Heidelberg for a playoff spot. They might give B-W a game if they are not sharp.
JCU doesn't play until late, so they will know what they need to do by game time.
Crusader, it looks like Capital is still going to be okay for the playoffs. The Streaks a little less secure. I tried to figure out the scenarios and gave up. Do you have any thoughts on this weekend's action?
Yes, Capital is in with their win over Muskingum. It was a well played half, probably the best of the year, so, maybe there is hope!
In terms of the other scenarios here is what I can figure:
You are correct JC v. Wil carries the most affect.
Right now Wilmington and Mount Union both sit at 12 points - ONU at 13 points - JC at 15 points - BW & Cap at 16 points
You assume ONU will beat Musk and if so they will sit at 16 points
If......
JC beats or ties Wilmington then Wilmington is eliminated and their position depends on or game with Ott as JC will have 18 points
If Wlmington beats JC things get weird because (wth wins) both Mount Union and Wilmington will both have 15 points and so will JC.... What makes it worse is that Wilmington bat JC, JC beat MU and MU besat Wilmington
The way I read the OAC rules the tie breakers would make it (but this is not set in stone because as with many things in the conference it is muddled to say the least) 1. Otterbein 2. or 3. BW & Cap 4. ONU 5. Wilmington (they beat OTT & BW) 6. JC (they tied BW but MU lost to BW)
I am not beting my life on the result of the tie breakkers, but, that is the way I read it!
Thank you for your excellent analysis. It actually gave me headache figuring it all out. The bottom line is the Streaks need to win to ensure their post-season.
Blue Streaks -- A win and they are third
A loss they are out
A tie and they travel
Wilmington A win and they are in
A loss and they are out
Winning is the only realistic option for them now!
Apparently I got it all wrong earlier today-----
Ohio Northern hosts Wilmington and Capital hosts my Streaks.
Ugh! A win would have made things so much easier for the Streaks!
This is a team that loves drama. They took it to overtime in rotten conditions, but lost on the golden goal (one of my least favorite rules of college soccer). They lost number 3 of their 4 starting defenders in the 8th minute of the game.
Winner of Crusaders v. Blue Streaks plays for the honor of facing B-W Wednesday.
ONU and Wilmington winner plays Otterbein.
Poor Mount Union is eliminated on tie breakers despite a fine season.
JCU beats Capital on PKs on a very windy day in suburban Columbus.
Very even on both sides. The team with the wind at their back usually had the run of play.
All Capital in the first half, all JCU in the second.
JCU goalie superb on PKs.
Hate to see the Crusaders go out this way. In some ways, an unfortunate result. The wind definitely played a role in the game.
However, extremely happy for my Blue Streaks!!!! On to B-W!!!!!
Congratulations to your Blue Streaks. It proved just not to be Capital's day when they missed a penalty kick in regulation that would have won it, missed several other opportunities to finish with just the keeper ahead of them and then only made 2 penalty kicks during the shootout! However, credit certainly goes to Mike and his kids as they fought all the way throgh and made their own opportunities... all the best againstBW!
It wasn't the most beautiful game, but your Crusaders played valiently under adverse conditons. I read the Capital post-game report on their website- your coach summed it up-- seems like the Crusaders just had some bad breaks.
Now the Streaks move on to play B-W. One concern has to be the physicality and the diving. Hopefully, the officials don't buy into it. It almost cost the Streaks in the last meeting, and it seemed to hurt Capital in their match with them.
In the other bracket, Ohio Northern dispatched Wilmington with little trouble. They win the honor of travelling to Otterbein to face a team that seems to be on a roll. That should be a great game. The Polar Bears fell short of their pre-season expectations, but their form was great to finish out the season.
Breaking News!!!!
http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1757122724/Baldwin-Wallace-self-imposes-postseason-ban-for-all-sports (http://www.cantonrep.com/newsnow/x1757122724/Baldwin-Wallace-self-imposes-postseason-ban-for-all-sports)
This impacts all sports where B-W is a participant. I feel sorry for the majority of athletes at B-W that undoubtedly had nothing to do with this.
Congratulations to your Blue Streaks as they advance to play for the OAC Championship! Hope to say we lost to the OAC Champions come Monday!
As for BW, although we will probably never know exactly how many student-athletes got extra financial aid money to get them into BW, but, I can tell you this from the school's response... you don't give up post season pay in all sports for "a few" exceptions. You give up basketball if it was basketball, you give up football if it was football... but... schools take that kind of action when they are afraid the NCAA will levy something much worse which means there is probably more than "a few".
Oh dear! Crusader Nation I hope you are wrong, although I can't argue with your logic. I guess I was hoping it was limited to their football program, which is where this type of behavior usually occurs.
As for the game, I hope you are right. It would certainly be a "Miracle-like" outcome if the Blue Streaks could pull it off. They will be heavy underdogs to the winner of the ONU/Otterbein game. That being said, on any given day.....
GO BLUE STREAKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations to the ONU Polar Bears, winners of today's final and the OAC's automatic berth to the NCAA tourney.
My Streaks went down fighting at ONU today. ONU was the better team and deserved the win. The Streaks played even with them in the first half; the Polar Bears scoring on a flukey goal. A shot that looked to be going wide bounced off the outside of the post and into the back leg of a Blue Streak defender and into the net. In the second half, a free kick from just to the left of the keeper and just outside of the box allowed the Polar Bears to convert making the final 2 to 0.
This is the second straight year the Streaks made it to the final to lose.
The Blue Streaks played hard but three critical injuries among their defense were probably the difference in this one. They had only one starter left defending at the end of the season. The Streaks used their star middie to mark ONU's star striker. This effectively neutralized her. However, once they fell behind, they had to push the middie back upfield to try and generate some offense. From that point, the defense seemed constantly on their heels. Nonetheless, the Streaks fought to the end. They played bravely and should be proud!
Now its up to the Polar Bears to carry the banner of the OAC! Represent!
All OAC released this morning:
http://www.oac.org/sports/wsoc/WS_AOAC/W_Soc_All-OAC_2012.pdf (http://www.oac.org/sports/wsoc/WS_AOAC/W_Soc_All-OAC_2012.pdf)
Now rooting for the Polar Bears! Their coach has done a great job with them and is an excellent choice for coach of the year! They face RIT at Carnegie Mellon on Saturday. I'd say they are a favorite in that game, but have to follow-up with the winner of the Carnegie game. That might be a more difficult hurdle for them to get over. Wish them the best.
As for all OAC, there was one glaring omission. I feel bad for the Streaks keeper, who was magnificent this year.
ONU advances on PKs!!!! Congrats to ONU...
Get rested tonight!
Tomorrow they take on a Carnegie Melon team that destroyed Carbini 5 to nil. Plus, C-M gets an extra day of rest having played last night. The Polar Bears are gritty though!!!! Win one for the OAC!!!!!!!!
Ohio Northern Falls to Carnegie Melon. Good effort for the Bears who played strong and almost pulled it off!!! Congratulations to ONU who played strong and are a class team!
.... Already looking forward to next season!
Congrats Streaks and Coach Marich!
Now that's a box score everyone can be proud of! Well done!
http://jcusports.com/news/2012/11/28/WSOC_1128120953.aspx (http://jcusports.com/news/2012/11/28/WSOC_1128120953.aspx)