Hopkins opens with Rensselaer and CMU. Messiah starts with Wittenberg and Swarthmore. On 9-7 JHU and Messiah meet in what has become one of the best rivalries in the east. It should be an interesting first week of the season.
In the past five years, Messiah has lost two matches; one to Wheaton in the 07 championship match and one to Hardin-Simmons in the 2010 championship match. The Johns Hopkins/Messiah 2010 post-season contest was the toughest the Falcons have had other than those two losses. I think they were genuinely on their heels for most of the second half. There will be some changes to each of the line-ups this season, but it yet might be the best regular season match for both teams.
In the past three years I've seen these two teams (Messiah and Hopkins) play five times. It's great that they get together and play during the regular season knowing that there's a good chance they're going to meet again in the NCAA tourney later in the year. The games are just as entertaining as any Final Four game you'll see and I'm really surprised that more soccer fans don't come out and watch. There's no doubt in my mind that over the past five years Hopkins has had the second best program in the nation, but it's just unfortunate that they have to run into Messiah during the sweet sixteen or elite eight every year.
By the way, Messiah travels to Williams & Smith on 9/10 and then to Williams on 10/17. Talk about a tough schedule in a ten day period. By then we should know if they are once again the team to beat.
Messiah-JHU is always a better game at Homewood than it is at the Shoe. This year is Messiah Women's year to host the third and fourth round (shocking and impressive that that fact is known.) of the NCAA Tournament. If Hopkins wants to get them at home in the post-season, the probably need a win or a tie on Wednesday.
Why a better game at Homewood? JHU's best effort was in the tournament at Messiah last year. A game where even Messiah fans would have to admit that the Blue Jays out played them for most of the match.
Does the NCAA already have an outline for potential regional and sectional sites for this year?
There's no doubt that Hopkins played a great second half in last year's ncaa tourney game, but I also agree that Hopkins is better able to play with Messiah on their home pitch. Messiah is so good at controlling the ball and they seem to have a more difficult time doing this on the turf....especially the fast turf at Hopkins.
Sounds like the weather is going to be a factor come Wednesday. Grantham has been getting rain the past two days and it looks like the hurricane leftovers are coming as well. Wonder when they might play it if it does get rained out.
Apparently Wednesday's match has been moved to Homewood due to the weather.
Bummer no JHU v Messiah this year. If they both live up to expectations maybe they will meet in the tournament. Enough with the rain already!!
Why no re-match? After watching Messiah's first two games, I think they need a tougher team to see how they are really doing. Even though they scored a lot of goals they looked shaky to me.
I am certain if it could have been scheduled both teams would have liked to slug it out. Messiah still has three of last years NCAA tournament teams to face in September (William Smith, Williams and Dickinson). We should know a lot more about this Messiah team after Saturday's game at William Smith. Their last two meetings were in the NCAA semi-finals in 2008 and last year. No doubt the Herons will pumped for this one.
jellybelly....what part of Messiah's game was shaky to you? From what I heard and read, their offense could have scored more goals and their defense only gave up like two shots all weekend. Coach Frey played his entire bench, so it sounds as if they were totally dominant in every aspect of the game. 2xfaux is right....we'll know how good Messiah is after next weekend. William Smith and Williams on the road within a week of each other is a tough grind.
Did anyone see the William Smith v Messiah game? From the stats and the little bit I heard on the radio it seems that WS dominated the first half and while Messiah played better in the second half the WS defense was more than up to the challenge. Any thoughts?
I was at the Messiah and William Smith game and it was a very entertaining game to watch. Both sides had a couple of good scoring opportunities....Messiah from closer range and WS with more distant but quality shots. Both defenses were outstanding, but the way WS defended Messiah's possesion game was impressive. They were all over the Falcons from the beginning and never gave them an easy look at the net. When the Falcons did have a good look, they didn't put their shots on goal. I have been following the Messiah program for over four years now and this was the best defensive performance that I have seen against them. Usually Messiah will wear an opponent down in the second half by using more subs and having fresher legs, but WS used their bench as well and the quality of play didn't drop off.
WS has a freshman forward from South Africa that gave the Messiah defense fits. She has tremendous ball skills and is very strong with the ball. Most of WS offensive action went through her first.
I wouldn't say either time had the better of play. For a while Messiah would have it and then WS. It was fun to watch the different styles of play and how they were both effective at times. I wouldn't be surprised at all if both of these teams are at San Antonio again this year.
It must have been quite a game. According to the box score Messiah's keeper made 7 saves. All last season she only had 42. It's good to see Ms. Reilly get some work. ;) She was obviously up to the challenge. Great work Autumn!!!
Hopkins seems to be on a roll. This week at TCNJ will tell us a lot about how good JHU really is. It is really too bad the Messiah/JHU game couldn't have been rescheduled. Messiah seems to be pretty banged up right now. They might have already exceded their budget for tape this year. I think they will have to play better than they have lately against a solid Arcadia side this weekend. Thank goodness, for the Messiah folks, the game is at home and not at the smallish field at Arcadia. Can Arcadia solve the Messiah puzzle? It might be interesting!!
Messiah totally dominated Arcadia yesterday. Arcadia looked a step slow and never had any type of flow to their game. I too wish that Messiah and JHU could have played their game. They are without a doubt above everyone else in the Mid-Atlantic Region. It's a shame that they usually have to play each other for a final four berth every year.
I didn't see the game. I am surprised Arcadia didn't play better. I don't remember a game, certainly a Women's game, where a team scored two goals on PKs. I think Hopkins also won 6-0. Perhaps another NCAA tournament showdown is coming. Hopkins does have TCNJ this week. We shall see.
actually, Hopkins only won 2-0 against Arcadia, but they played away. Messiah won at home. it's always difficult to compare teams on paper; however, although i am biased in my judgment, i would def give the edge to messiah. of course, that would have been nice if the game could have been played between these 2 great teams. If it was played at Messiah (beautiful grass field), there's no doubt in my mind that the Falcons would have won. Honestly, Hopkins has not played anyone worth talking about. We shall see how they play against TCNJ tonight. That will be a great matchup. a great rivalry, #5 and #11.
Messiah just beat Lycoming 6-0. That is actually a pretty good showing for Lycoming. I heard that Lycoming played straight up instead of putting 10 girls in the box like Widener did against Messiah. Kudos to the Lycoming coach for playing the "right way"
A quick question for you D3 experts out there. If Messiah and Hopkins run the table the rest of the year and end up ranked both in the top four in the country, would there be a chance that one of them would be moved to another region so they wouldn't have to meet in the sweet sixteen or elite eight? It would be a shame that maybe 1 and 2 would have to meet before the final four. I know it's along way off, but it's a good possibility that it could happen.
Ja_ I had forgotten that Hopkins played Arcadia. My 6-0 meant to reference Hopkins v Ursinus the same night Messiah played Arcadia. My mistake. Purplehat, your kodos to Lycoming for playing Messiah "straight up" is interesting to me. I have been watching D-3 soccer games for several years now and have been maddened by seeing teams play "10 women/men in the box". It is no fun to watch as a fan. However, as the coach of an over-matched team, should I play the superior team's game and pray for mercy or should I give my team a chance to tie 0-0 or maybe get lucky and pop one in by counter-attacking????
Have a good Homecoming and don't overlook LV.
2X, I agree that as an opposing coach I might try and pack it in and keep it close until the end. What upsets me as a fan is the team that packs it in and kicks the ball upfield to no one or kicks it directly out of play. This was the approach Widener took this year against Messiah, even when they were losing 2-0 in the final twenty minutes. It was apparent that their coach was pleased with a 2-0 loss, but he never let his girls really play. I wonder if during the three days prior to the game if they practiced booting the ball long to no one. Even in a lopsided loss you can still try to play the game right and improve your play. No wonder Widener only draws 20 people to their home games.
agreed. yes, one would/should play cautious against a powerhouse team, but the players, the team, they do not learn anything that will help their own game. i think for the coach, it comes down to respecting the game. soccer is not a game of kickball. You lose the system play and the team work related to the system play. The game should be played within the spirit of the game. On the other hand Messiah now has to fire shots from beyond the 18 or a cross/finish type strategy, neither of which is ideal, nor the Messiah style. That's why, to a certain extent, it has worked for teams such as Widener. (not fun to watch either). This of course does not apply to a team who legitimately scores first and then is cautious to advance outside of their defensive end. I would no doubt be playing for the win in that circumstance.
Btw - well done, Hopkins 1-0 over TCNJ. well done. you have proven top 5 status, but i don't see them moving up over 1-4...Messiah, William Smith, Trinity, Wheaton, IL. All 4 are solid teams and programs and the rest of their schedules should be handled with ease.
PurpleHat, my opinion means nothing to the NCAA, so I will have to admit that Messiah will probably have to face Johns Hopkins in the second round, assuming that they both make it that far. My opinion is that the NCAA could easily stick with ground transportation and keep those two apart. This year, Messiah will have the advantage of hosting the women's sectional, so if Hopkins can manage to win their first two, and if enough other teams in the area make it that far, Hopkins might get shipped out to New England or somewhere West.
We will know more next week when the NCAA regional polls are released. Messiah has faced two tough opponents and so they should be at the top of the their ranking; where will JHU end up?
I have not seen Trinity play, but William Smith and Wheaton appear to be tough sides this season - maybe as good as anyone in the nation. Wheaton is as skilled on the ball as I have seen in some years, and has at least four strong scoring threats. They have defeated three teams in the top 15, and three that have fallen out of the top 25.
WMS has a an exceptional player and a strong defense, and has played Messiah to a scoreless draw, and defeated one other Top 25 team. They will face two more in Union and Ithaca.
Messiah has a diversified scoring threat as well and a very tough defense. Besides William Smith, they faced a top 15 team in Williams and won 1-0. Messiah's struggle is that they have a fairly weak schedule beyond those two sides.
My guess is that the NCAA will end up with the same opinion in their regional rankings. You'll see Messiah, Wheaton, William Smith, and Trinity as #1 teams in the Mid-Atlantic, the Central, the East, and the West.
I agree with those four Jim, but if any of them slip up down the home stretch, then I'm sure Hopkins will move into their place. That would make things quite a bit more interesting.
Well one of them slipped and Hopkins moved in. Two from the Mid-Atlantic in the top four...as of now.
get ready...9/5/2012 at Homewood - one of the best games of the season in D3
Messiah's 2-1 OT loss to a really big, strong, well coached Emory team means Hopkins can make a run at #1 in the next rankings. They play Messiah, mid-week and I think, Emory next weekend. William Smith will be there as well. William Smith plays at Messiah next weekend. The possibility of the Messiah Women beginning the season 1-3 is real. They are young and have some injuries. Get well soon.. Go Falcons!
I am stunned. Messiah 4 - JHU 0 at Homewood. Go figure.
If Hopkins and Messiah would have both played like they did in the first half, it would have been a closer game; but:
- although JHU played with energy in the first half; they were walking in much of the second half;
- Messiah played sloppy and uneasy in the first half; but as Messiah is arguably the fittest team in the country with somewhat of a deep bench, they ran over a JHU team that died in the second.
I am surprised not by the score, but by the way JHU seemingly just gave up at the end of the game. Messiah was dominant at times, but needs to set their back 4 and develop a goal scorer. On the plus side, their freshman goalie looked confident and saved them in the first half multiple times.
Wow. JHU was awful! So many things wrong where do you start? Obviously at the top. That's all I'm going to say.
I wasn't at the game but saw bits and pieces on line. I thought Hopkins look solid, very solid until the wheels came off in the second half.
There is no way to sugar coat a 4-0 drubbing. If you've been around the game long enough you know even bad teams throw together good first halves. It's the second half where games are generally won on skill and fitness.
Bad decisions are being made in many areas (like running from a formation [4-5-1 maybe?] where your 1 doesn't get off a shot???). Let's see how things go this weekend. After 5 games the picture will be clearer. As of now there is no way JHU even gets to the round of 8 unless some changes are made.
Hat's off to Messiah. Bet it was a very happy bus ride home.
Alluding to above - Case in point # 1. Coach subs player who had been out the entire 3 week preseason except for one practice day before Messiah game over player who earned her chance and had played well in both previous games. Result: Player plays poorly AND benched player has decided not to put the rest of her soccer career in the hands of such decisions. Very sad situation that kills credibility.
Hubert...spoken like a true fan of the game. Your points are spot on. The first weekend at the TCNJ Tournament the Hopkins girls played the first game with NO Emotion or Drive. Chalk it up to the first game of the season with some getting familar with each others playing style and you eek out a 1-0 win. The opponent offered no real offense so the defense was not really tested. Game two had the big gun score three although she was invisible during game one. Guess she decided she wanted to play. Result 4-0 win over another offensively challenged team. Messiah, different story. Very well coached team that keep churning, you never see them take a play off. The vaunted 4-5-1 which looked good the first weekend was shown to be what it really is. The midfield could not challenge on the offensive side because they had to be aware of Messiahs wings and/or playing the ball wide or passing inside. The mids were is defense mode. Hopkins big gun was no where to be seen again. This season she does not have Erica Suter who demanded double marking and was left free for a pass or rebound. She is the offense in a one pronged fork.
His defense is poor compared to the last 6-8 seasons when the flat four defense was solid.
You will also understand that Coach picks a favorite,usually a freshman who for some reason he becomes enamored with, starting and playing said player in front of better players. The freshman favorite from three seasons ago left the team! Imagine that!
Team leadership is another big question mark when you have all these disruptions going on but then again Coach has never given respect to any of his team captain(s) as far as opinions or gripes. I hope the girls get their act together this weekend. And Hubert for what it's worth,Coaches mantra has always been"It's a tournament" or "It's not a conference game" so it's not important to him..He is content being the King of The Centennial Conference.
I must state that my intention was not to single out any player in the examples above. If you are on a team and called to go in you go in and play where you're told. I think they did their best. My critique was meant for the people making decisions.
It was embarrassing to see players on the field walking and seeing fresh talented players on the bench. I believe two other really good players are close to calling it a career pending this weekend. It's tragic and hard to watch.
I hope they get this sorted out. It makes for good soccer in the area when Hopkins is a power. Good luck to JHU tonight.
Hubert....There is only one person making the decisions for the team...make no mistake about that. I mentioned a graduated four year starter who holds many JHU records who made her place in the record book because she was hungry and wanted the ball at her foot even if she was double or triple marked. That is the difference between her and "your 1"(as you called her).
"My" 1? I was referring to the top striker position in the 4-5-"1" formation. I am very familiar with ms. suter's game.
U refer to "one" person calling the shots. Do u mean the head coach or the asst. guy that constantly jabbers on the sidelines?
I think the final against Emory was 2-2 with JHU squandering a 2 goal lead in the second half. I think both JHU goals were from the midfield. Looks like whoever is calling the shots is "playing" the first string into shape. JHU subbed maybe three players in a 110 minute game. Again, the decision making is baffling. I look forward to seeing the box score on this game.