The NJAC is off to a good start this year. Gonna be a dogfight all the way through.
My predicted finish:
1)Rowan
2)Montclair
3)Rutgers Newark
4)Kean
5)Rutgers Camden
6)Stockton
7)TCNJ
8)William Patterson
9)NJUC
Quote from: Go2Goal on September 05, 2016, 11:16:36 AM
The NJAC is off to a good start this year. Gonna be a dogfight all the way through.
My predicted finish:
1)Rowan
2)Montclair
3)Rutgers Newark
4)Kean
5)Rutgers Camden
6)Stockton
7)TCNJ
8)William Patterson
9)NJUC
Rowan has big win over Lycoming already and also over W&L. Have they improved since last year? Did they lose a lot? They had a solid season last year..but Montclair beat them pretty bad in conf tourney right? What makes Rowan favored over Montclair and RC this year?
Rowan lost one senior starter and had an influx of transfers. Their recruiting class was great. Also the third year for the coaching staff and being in the system.
Big win for Rowan today over SUNY Oneonta 1-0 played with 10 men from the 43rd minute on.
Those are massive wins for Rowan. I will try to catch a game or 2. I saw RUN at Wheaton(MA) this weekend and I was impressed with their midfield and forwards. They have skill, grit and speed. Backline needs some work as this team will leak goals but they will be scoring in bunches also. GK made one pretty good save. Looked gassed 2nd Half of a doubleheader and didnt look to have tons of depth so must stay injury free.
NJCU now 4-0!
Last year NJCU didn't give up a goal in the first half all year in conference! The coaching change seems to have lit a spark with this team. They haven't played great competition but they already have more wins than this year than the last two years combined. We will see how they hold up in conference! But it looks like things are headed in the right direction at NJCU.
NJAC IS
34-9-2 so far this season. Best conference in the country. Stockton seems to be struggling early and NJCU Is off to its best start ever. Montclair will be a tough out all year and Rowan has returned to National prominace! Conference play starts next weekend and it's gonna be a war.
NJAC STANDINGS as of 9/22
SCHOOL CPTS CONF OVERALL
ROWAN 3 1-0 8-0
RAMAPO 3 1-0 7-0 conference overall: 59-16-7 9 (.729)
KEAN 3 1-0 8-1
RUTGERS-CAMDEN 3 1-0 4-1-2
THE COLLEGE OF NJ 3 1-0 4-3-1
NEW JERSEY CITY 0 0-1 8-1-1
MONTCLAIR STATE 0 0-1 7-2
RUTGERS-NEWARK 0 0-1 7-2
WILLIAM PATERSON 0 0-1 4-3-1
STOCKTON 0 0-1 2-4-2
Another weekend of games in the conference and the teams are beating each other up as is always the case. the results from Saturday:
SATURDAY9.24.16MEN'S SOCCER
New Jersey City University 0 The College of NJ 7
Stockton University 1 Ramapo 1
Rutgers-Camden 1 Montclair State 3
William Paterson University 2 Rowan 6
Kean University 1 Rutgers-Newark 2
NJCU may be in big trouble
Rampo stumbles a bit but remains undefeated
Stockton needs a win and has Rowan up next!
Montclair hands Camden their first loss.
Rowan rolls on!
Newark with a big result against Kean!
I'm excited to see this season progress!
RUN up 1-0 on Rowan at the Half. I missed the goal but I wanted to see how Rowan plays. Well I got my answer as Rowan has some serious attacking threats. They possess the ball very well on the carpet and almost over possess as RUN picked off a few passes and had some chances to grab a 2-0 lead. Rowan knocks the ball around crisply and are very precise. They look big and athletic but RUN seems to be letting them possess the ball all they want until they enter the Final 3rd. Newark a very solid side as well but they are not as good defensively. Still cannot believe RUN at 14-2-0 was not ranked D3 top 25 this week and teams like ETOWN with no legitimate wins are ranked. The Mid-Atlantic bias in the D3 Top 25 is starting to show a bit. Anyhow I am looking forward to the 2nd Half. Personally, after watching Chicago last night I would say Rowan is a bit more technical but both teams are Very solid.
I must say this RUN v Rowan match is one of the better games I have seen all season. Both teams are playing very good futbol. Rowan looks to be a bit more athletic than RUN but Newark is just as technical IMO. Both teams should have deep runs in NCAA's.
Rowan zonal defending on corners which I am not a fan of.
RUN goes up 2-0 on just an unbelievable individual sick piece of skill from the RUN striker and just a great FINISH over Rowan's GK. I have not seen many teams that can FINISH this season. Still 20 minutes left and IMO more goals to come especially as Rowan pushes forward
RUN snags a 3rd goal on a horrific GK mistake by Rowan. 3-0 RUN about 13 minutes left. Rowan pushing numbers so the game is more even than the score suggests but Newark is finishing and Rowan is not. I would be shocked if these 2 teams were not ranked #! and #2 in the South Atlantic. Newark came to play tonight
Quote from: Mr.Right on October 15, 2016, 09:16:31 PM
RUN snags a 3rd goal on a horrific GK mistake by Rowan. 3-0 RUN about 13 minutes left. Rowan pushing numbers so the game is more even than the score suggests but Newark is finishing and Rowan is not. I would be shocked if these 2 teams were not ranked #! and #2 in the South Atlantic. Newark came to play tonight
Very unfortunate for Rowan but it is very very hard to win at newark. both teams deserve 1 and 2 in the region. if newark can keep home field advantage through the NJACS expect them to make deep run at their first ever Championship
Quote from: Mr.Right on October 15, 2016, 08:30:40 PM
RUN up 1-0 on Rowan at the Half. I missed the goal but I wanted to see how Rowan plays. Well I got my answer as Rowan has some serious attacking threats. They possess the ball very well on the carpet and almost over possess as RUN picked off a few passes and had some chances to grab a 2-0 lead. Rowan knocks the ball around crisply and are very precise. They look big and athletic but RUN seems to be letting them possess the ball all they want until they enter the Final 3rd. Newark a very solid side as well but they are not as good defensively. Still cannot believe RUN at 14-2-0 was not ranked D3 top 25 this week and teams like ETOWN with no legitimate wins are ranked. The Mid-Atlantic bias in the D3 Top 25 is starting to show a bit. Anyhow I am looking forward to the 2nd Half. Personally, after watching Chicago last night I would say Rowan is a bit more technical but both teams are Very solid.
Mid Atlantic bias had nothing to do with it. The south Atlantic region has 3 teams in the top 25 just as mid Atlantic region has 3. You could argue that RUN should be ranked higher the Christopher Newport and Lynchburg in this region which they very well may be in next poll. I would bet they move up to 3rd at least after this win and will be in around 20-23. I'm talking about NSCAA not d3soccer poll.
Its neither here nor there at this point. NCAA Regional Rankings are all that matter now. I think there is a 25% chance that RUN gets #1 in South Atlantic and Rowan #2. Because of Rowan's SOS they may well take the #1 spot for now but 1 more blemish and if RUN goes clean they will not only take over at #1 in the region but will be hosting until the NCAA Final 4.
Just another fantastic game tonight with RUN v Montclair St...Both teams skilled and working very hard. RUN has had some good chances to score but MSU pretty good on the counter. I would say Rowan, RUN and MSU all are NCAA tournament teams that will be tough outs....The best Top 3 in any league in the country this year. MSU needs this game BAD though to keep their Pool C hopes alive.
0-0 at the Half between RUN v MSU...I am just very impressed with how RUN possesses the ball. They are very skilled especially their backs who look for their strikers feet every time they have the ball...You do not see that alot in D3. MSU has some technical players but they would rather whack the ball then over possess which is fine but I just love the way RUN plays. If they can stay on their carpet up until the Final 4 they WILL BE in the Final 4 IMO
RUN goes up 1-0 about a minute after halftime on a 35 yard bullet. MSU did not pressure the ball at all and the kid just ripped it...MSU is on their heels to start the half as RUN just is taking it to them. This might be the nail in MSU's Pool C coffin. They will have to win the AQ if this score holds. I am sensing about 2-3 more goals in this game so a long way to go
RUN wins 1-0. And what's wild is that MSU is outside of the playoff spots after tonight. They should move up into a playoff spot on the final game day as they get NJCU who they should beat, in which case they would only need one of the following to occur: Stockton to tie or lose to RUC, Kean to tie or lose to Ramapo (if TCNJ lost to Rowan, they'd be tied at 13 pts, with a head-to-head tie, so I'm not sure of the tie-breaker beyond that). But for MSU to go down to the last game day to claim a playoff spot is crazy.
Quote from: Flying Weasel on October 22, 2016, 09:42:57 PM
RUN wins 1-0. And what's wild is that MSU is outside of the playoff spots after tonight. They should move up into a playoff spot on the final game day as they get NJCU who they should beat, in which case they would only need one of the following to occur: Stockton to tie or lose to RUC, Kean to tie or lose to Ramapo (if TCNJ lost to Rowan, they'd be tied at 13 pts, with a head-to-head tie, so I'm not sure of the tie-breaker beyond that). But for MSU to go down to the last game day to claim a playoff spot is crazy.
MSU has one of the top scorers in all D3 in Lucas Terci. I saw him play as a freshman against a great Messiah team and he was probably the most dangerous player on the field that day. If the make the tournament, watch out. He's a game changer.
Quote from: Falconer on October 22, 2016, 11:25:03 PM
Quote from: Flying Weasel on October 22, 2016, 09:42:57 PM
RUN wins 1-0. And what's wild is that MSU is outside of the playoff spots after tonight. They should move up into a playoff spot on the final game day as they get NJCU who they should beat, in which case they would only need one of the following to occur: Stockton to tie or lose to RUC, Kean to tie or lose to Ramapo (if TCNJ lost to Rowan, they'd be tied at 13 pts, with a head-to-head tie, so I'm not sure of the tie-breaker beyond that). But for MSU to go down to the last game day to claim a playoff spot is crazy.
MSU has one of the top scorers in all D3 in Lucas Terci. I saw him play as a freshman against a great Messiah team and he was probably the most dangerous player on the field that day. If the make the tournament, watch out. He's a game changer.
Terci is also about 2 years older than everyone else on the field. he was considered a sophomore in 2013. i believe a few injuries stopped him from playing for 2 years.
If Stockton can hold on for the win over RUC they'll jump up to 3rd place, and we may have a four-way tie at 4-4-1 for the the final three playoff spots. Not going to look up the tie-breakers, but will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. Could MSU be the odd man out? How wild would that be!
Quote from: Flying Weasel on October 26, 2016, 08:58:48 PM
If Stockton can hold on for the win over RUC they'll jump up to 3rd place, and we may have a four-way tie at 4-4-1 for the the final three playoff spots. Not going to look up the tie-breakers, but will be interesting to see how it all shakes out. Could MSU be the odd man out? How wild would that be!
Not good....MSU must win the NJAC tournament which I feel is a big ask in itself as I feel RUN and Rowan are the 2 best teams in the league as I have seen each of them about 3 times now. Not impossible but very unlikely IMO. More importantly, teams like Rhode Island College and others really NEED MSU to stay regionally ranked as some of these schools MUST get that extra win in the RvR.
NJAC playoffs are set
1) Rutgers Newark
will play winner of
4) Rutgers Camden vs 5) Montclair St.
2) Rowan
will play winner of
3) Stockton vs 6) The College of NJ
A crazy regular season that see's 4 team end up 4-4-1 with Kean ending up as the odd man out!
I would say that Rowan got the better draw as the 2 seed. RUN lost to RUC 3-0 and Montclair is very talented and always dangerous. I hear that Montclair's reigning 2 time NJAC midfielder of the year Damien Bzieukiwicz (sorry if I misspelled that) quit the team tonight after a fight with the coach. Should be a great postseason and the best league in the country should again send 3-4 quality teams into the NCAA Tournament.
Quote from: Go2Goal on October 26, 2016, 11:45:57 PM
NJAC playoffs are set
1) Rutgers Newark
will play winner of
4) Rutgers Camden vs 5) Montclair St.
2) Rowan
will play winner of
3) Stockton vs 6) The College of NJ
A crazy regular season that see's 4 team end up 4-4-1 with Kean ending up as the odd man out!
I would say that Rowan got the better draw as the 2 seed. RUN lost to RUC 3-0 and Montclair is very talented and always dangerous. I hear that Montclair's reigning 2 time NJAC midfielder of the year Damien Bzieukiwicz (sorry if I misspelled that) quit the team tonight after a fight with the coach. Should be a great postseason and the best league in the country should again send 3-4 quality teams into the NCAA Tournament.
Love it....Gotta love Jersey
Im checking out this NJAC Quarterfinal between Stockton v TCNJ...1-0 Stockton with about 30 minutes left...I feel these 2 teams are a full level below my Top 3 of Rowan, RUN and MSU but still there are some good players for both sides. Stockton has a long thrower and MUST PLAY ON THE NARROWEST FIELD IN D3....Unless the stream is making it seem more narrow then it really.
MSU defeats RUC 4-2 earlier so we should have some good Semi-Final action in the NJAC
TCNJ wins it 2-1 over Stockton in OT on a nice one two an finish. Stockton had many chances to go up 2-0 and finish the game off could not finish to get that 2nd goal. Stockton's season is over unless they applied for the ECAC's and TCNJ season rolls on for at least another week.
Mr. Right you have it wrong! TCNJ was up 1-0 until Stockton scored with about 10 minutes left to tie it up. TCNJ had chances to open it up but couldn't. Stockton doesn't deserve to go on...they play such an ugly defensive style. It's the end of a solid career for Colofranson.
TCNJ now travels to Rowan. Rowan just beat them 3-1 earlier this week at TCNJ.
On the other side of the bracket Montclair destroyed Rutgers Camden 4-2 today behind a first half hat trick from Nicholas Terci who ran his season goal total to 27! Now Montclair travels to Rutgers Newark for a chance at redemption. Newark has already beaten Montclair earlier this year. Great games on the schedule for Tuesday! Careers are ending this time of year and it brings a lot of emotion and drama!
My bad....Either way TCNJ did deserve to win...They will be a tough out I think as they can hang with the big boyz of the NJAC...They so not have the same talent level but they work hard and could sit in and try to counter to get a result
Looking forward to watching the stream of RUN v MSU tonight in the NJAC Semi's. RUN stream is pretty good if I remember correctly. BIG GAME for MSU as they MUST beat RUN to have any chance at a long shot Pool C. I think RUN will be to much for MSU offensively and will be fighting hard to win their first NJAC title
RUN v MSU 0-0 at the half. RUN has had a few nice scoring chances, MSU not so much. Both teams possess the ball very well but MSU is missing that final ball so far. Good game so far. Let's see if it is a game of halves and MSU comes out of the box jacked. The eye test tells me MSU is a NCAA tournament team but for whatever reason they lost games they should not have lost. A win here would go a LONG way to help their Pool C chances. RUN is so composed on the ball and I've said ot all year but I love how RUN backs do not just whack the ball as they look for their strikers feet which I love. Great game to watch so far
MSU goes up 1-0 at RUN 4 minutes into the 2nd Half with a nice run by the player on the left flank and quick one two passing that found the player on the right flank open and he had all of 2 seconds of time to control the ball and finish it and he hit the panel...Beauty of a goal. Let's see how MSU plays the rest of this game out and if they sit and absorb pressure.
MSU down to 10 men with about 27 minutes left....Still 1-0 MSU
Hmmm...You see it happen at all levels but MSU playing better with 10 men. They go up 2-0 with about 23 minutes left at RUN....RUN defenders as skilled as they are MUST close faster to the ball...MSU scores on a 30 yard rocket...I think there are more goals in this game and RUN has its work cut for them....They must throw everyone forward now.
What a crazy game. Great soccer and intensity but also a bit of a WWE quality. The drama almost seems bigger than the outcome. MSU's star gets tossed on second yellow after really lazy control blasting the ball at the net well after the whistle. Just cannot do that to your team. Other antics from both teams all over the field. And yet MSU goes up 2-0 as I type this while they are down a man.
And a very raucous Jersey crowd in the background.
Typical Jersey game....Love it...very chippy...If they can hold on this win will get MSU a Pool C IMO..They are a legit team that should be in the NCAA's.
More players are going to be sent off. RUN starting to lose it and MSU is loving it. These remind me of D2 teams.
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 01, 2016, 09:12:36 PM
Typical Jersey game....Love it...very chippy...If they can hold on this win will get MSU a Pool C IMO..They are a legit team that should be in the NCAA's.
montclair needs to get their defense situated before making a deep run. they played alright tonight but normally they are pretty bad. RUN drought of a NJAC championship continues
Either or both of these teams could make deep runs but I'm not sure you can win it all with such a lack of discipline. Maybe Rowan is stronger in that regard???
Wow. That is just unbelievably dumb.
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 01, 2016, 09:18:03 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 01, 2016, 09:12:36 PM
Typical Jersey game....Love it...very chippy...If they can hold on this win will get MSU a Pool C IMO..They are a legit team that should be in the NCAA's.
montclair needs to get their defense situated before making a deep run. they played alright tonight but normally they are pretty bad. RUN drought of a NJAC championship continues
I thought MSU worked hard tonight defensively. Very gritty and especially 2nd Half were not giving RUN to many looks. If they continue to play like this I would not want to be facing them in any NCAA 1st Round / 2nd Round Pod. I was a bit disappointed in RUN tonight. They did not quite look like the team that beat Rowan 3-0 a few weeks back. Still they are VERY legit and a technical team and if they can stay on the carpet until the Final 4 they will have a good chance. I thought as skilled as their defense is they MUST close opponents faster defensively and not sure about how good the GK is...Never really seen him tested.
It is a definite lack of discipline but also just a competitive fire that you gotta respect. Just gotta cut out the stupid stuff.
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 01, 2016, 09:34:33 PM
It is a definite lack of discipline but also just a competitive fire that you gotta respect. Just gotta cut out the stupid stuff.
i couldn't tell for sure but that was terci who received the red card? that type of fire isn't needed at 2-0 with 10 minutes left
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 01, 2016, 09:34:33 PM
It is a definite lack of discipline but also just a competitive fire that you gotta respect. Just gotta cut out the stupid stuff.
I can respect the competitive fire and Jersey flair but this got ridiculous. RUN kid kicked a ball hard into MSU bench. MSU GK throwing ball back AFTER the ref placed it. Pushing and shoving constantly and dangerous tackles all over. MSU gonna play a final with 3 key guys missing. MSU finishes with 8 players on the field. And even after the game you can hear fans talking about finishing matters in the parking lot.
LOL just a little Tuesday night entertainment. Maybe Firstplace closer can go into more detail on WHO RUN loses for the 1st Round of the NCAA;s and who MSU loses for the Final. RUN should have a relatively easy 1st round game in the NCAA's so it might not matter but MSU w/o 3 players against Rowan will hurt. I know one of them was their striker. Also, I thought MSU's GK played wll tonight. He has nutsack and made some great saves.
I assume two of them are brothers with same last name.
Do the coaches in the NJAC actually promote that kind of entertainment?
Yes, the second red card for MSU went to the younger Terci brother, Rafael, not the senior Lucas who's an All-American candidate with 28 goals.
Quote from: Flying Weasel on November 01, 2016, 11:05:55 PM
Yes, the second red card for MSU went to the younger Terci brother, Rafael, not the senior Lucas who's an All-American candidate with 28 goals.
And the third MSU red card was on Lucas.
Terci is a stud with 63 Career goals in 4 1/2 seasons....That is very impressive...That is a big loss for the NJAC FInal and the 2nd time this year he has gotten a red. The other kid is a captain...The brother has 10 career goals...So Rowan comes into the game with a big advantage but I wouldn't be surprised if MSU has a ton of younger players chomping at the bit to prove themselves....I think MSU just got a Pool C tonight so they do not need to win the game but you never know.
RUN outshot MSU 18-3, which I wouldn't have guessed watching a good portion of the 2nd half.
Quote from: NCAC New England on November 01, 2016, 09:41:21 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 01, 2016, 09:34:33 PM
It is a definite lack of discipline but also just a competitive fire that you gotta respect. Just gotta cut out the stupid stuff.
I can respect the competitive fire and Jersey flair but this got ridiculous. RUN kid kicked a ball hard into MSU bench. MSU GK throwing ball back AFTER the ref placed it. Pushing and shoving constantly and dangerous tackles all over. MSU gonna play a final with 3 key guys missing. MSU finishes with 8 players on the field. And even after the game you can hear fans talking about finishing matters in the parking lot.
The fact that this was (apparently), as stated previously, a typical Jersey game speaks directly to the general absence of NJAC teams on Messiah's schedule--for which they've been criticized here. The Falcons will play them at home, but not home-and-home in most cases, though they have accepted some exchanges with TCNJ, probably b/c that team respects the game and doesn't turn futbol into football. The Falcons did play at another NJAC school several years ago (I will leave out the name so as not to single out one of them when several could fairly be surmised) and left with two or three starters badly hurt, owing to dangerous plays by the opponents. Let's be honest: why
should Messiah risk their best players just to get a result against a Jersey team? I cannot see one good reason why they should.
Falconer...Messiah played a home and home the last two years with Rowan! And if memory serves me correct last year Rowan was up 4-0 when they emptied their bench in from of 5,000 fans at Messiah! The final score of 4-2 is not a good indication of the game as it could have been 6-0! Messiah doesn't want to play NJAC teams because they are a tough out and may not help their SOS due to taking losses in a brutal league! If Messiah is scared to get guys hurt they are too soft to win a national title. I have seen the entire NJAC play and some of the Mid Atlantic region teams. There is no difference in the physicality of the teams. Montclair has a serious lack of discipline that permeates their whole program. Don't lump all of the NJAC teams into that mess! Let's not make assumptions why Messiah is scared to play the Jersey teams because I would say they just don't want to get smoked again like last year! It's much easier to play a mid level team from a weak conference that will end up 8-5-3 and give them the SOS result and not much risk!
Messiah is 23-4-4 all-time versus NJAC teams
Quote from: Go2Goal on November 02, 2016, 12:28:27 AM
Falconer...Messiah played a home and home the last two years with Rowan! And if memory serves me correct last year Rowan was up 4-0 when they emptied their bench in from of 5,000 fans at Messiah! The final score of 4-2 is not a good indication of the game as it could have been 6-0! Messiah doesn't want to play NJAC teams because they are a tough out and may not help their SOS due to taking losses in a brutal league! If Messiah is scared to get guys hurt they are too soft to win a national title. I have seen the entire NJAC play and some of the Mid Atlantic region teams. There is no difference in the physicality of the teams. Montclair has a serious lack of discipline that permeates their whole program. Don't lump all of the NJAC teams into that mess! Let's not make assumptions why Messiah is scared to play the Jersey teams because I would say they just don't want to get smoked again like last year! It's much easier to play a mid level team from a weak conference that will end up 8-5-3 and give them the SOS result and not much risk!
G2g you may want to look at the national championship history before you make the statement that Messiah may be too soft to win the national championship.
I watched 2nd half of game last night and while rivalry games like this bring excitement to the game there is a fine line between hard play and losing control. Having 3 players red carded is losing control. You hurt your team now for next game.
Quote from: Falconer on November 02, 2016, 12:12:13 AM
Quote from: NCAC New England on November 01, 2016, 09:41:21 PM
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 01, 2016, 09:34:33 PM
It is a definite lack of discipline but also just a competitive fire that you gotta respect. Just gotta cut out the stupid stuff.
I can respect the competitive fire and Jersey flair but this got ridiculous. RUN kid kicked a ball hard into MSU bench. MSU GK throwing ball back AFTER the ref placed it. Pushing and shoving constantly and dangerous tackles all over. MSU gonna play a final with 3 key guys missing. MSU finishes with 8 players on the field. And even after the game you can hear fans talking about finishing matters in the parking lot.
The fact that this was (apparently), as stated previously, a typical Jersey game speaks directly to the general absence of NJAC teams on Messiah's schedule--for which they've been criticized here. The Falcons will play them at home, but not home-and-home in most cases, though they have accepted some exchanges with TCNJ, probably b/c that team respects the game and doesn't turn futbol into football. The Falcons did play at another NJAC school several years ago (I will leave out the name so as not to single out one of them when several could fairly be surmised) and left with two or three starters badly hurt, owing to dangerous plays by the opponents. Let's be honest: why should Messiah risk their best players just to get a result against a Jersey team? I cannot see one good reason why they should.
i am sorry but this is just ridiculous for you to say about messiah. i've played against teams out of the NJAC who played rougher than we did! and yes the njac teams might play a little harder but for the all mighty messiah not to play against them is soft. the thing about the njac is that any team could win on any day and i think that pushes teams away from playing them.
and for montclairs behavior last night, you can't pin the behavior of one team on the entire conference. 2-3 years ago RUC MSU eben RUN played excellent soccer and did not partake in this kind of behavior. nj ac games typically have more fouls and cards but i've never seen 4-5 red cards in one game. and the worst part about is MSU was winning! Terci is in his SIXTH year of college soccer and an all american, there's no excuse for that. msu will get embarrassed by rowan showing up with half their squad with red cards. rowan is probably ecstatic right now.
Go2Goal:
There is one single occasion when I would have said Messiah was scared to play a particular opponent: a home game vs York in 2008 (I think it was that year). Brandt did something I'd never seen him do: he came out in a totally defensive posture, rather than the usual possession and attack game. And, York almost scored anyway in the first 30 seconds and ended up winning 2-1. That York team was an offensive powerhouse, with both Ports brothers and Lucas Emil.
As for playing physically, the Falcons aren't afraid to do that, either, if that's how the game is being officiated. They prefer not to, obviously, b/c it interferes with the type of soccer they do best, but they don't back down. It's dangerous games that they seek to avoid.
The Falcons did not play any Jersey schools in 2010-2012 (I did not look further back), two of which were championship seasons so it's hard to say they were too "soft" to win. In 2013 they hosted MSU and there were no cards given. In 2014, however, they played 3 times in New Jersey, winning all 3 times: at Rowan (2 YCs for Rowan), at MSU (no cards), and vs TCNJ at Rowan (no cards). In 2015 they hosted Rowan in the game you accurately analyzed as being dominated by Rowan. There were 5 YCs on Rowan, 1 on Messiah.
No Jersey teams were on this year's schedule. None of these games were the one I mentioned in which some Messiah players went on the DL, so to speak, directly as a result of dangerous plays, but obviously at least one of these games was overly physical in that respect.
It's not really true that Messiah avoided playing NJAC schools. It's true that Messiah didn't go out of its way to schedule multiple NJAC schools per year, but their non-conference schedule has typically included one NJAC opponent per season over the last decade and a half, playing a home-and-home with Richard Stockton, TCNJ (twice), Kean, Montclair St., and Rowan.
Messiah Regular Season Games vs. NJAC (Last 15 years)
2002: Richard Stockton (A) W 4-0
2003: Richard Stockton (H) W 4-2
2005: --
2004: TCNJ (H) W 5-0
2006: Kean (A) W 2-1 (OT)
2007: TCNJ (A) W 2-1 (OT)
2008: TCNJ (H) T1-1 (2OT), Kean (H) W 5-0
2009: TCNJ (A) W 6-0
2010: --
2011: --
2012: --
2013: Montclair St. (H) W 3-1
2014: TCNJ (N) W2-1, Rowan (A) W 3-0, Montclair St. (A) W 3-1
2015: Rowan (H) L2-4
2016: --
And Messiah fared well, going 11-1-1 overall, 4-1-1 at home, 6-0-0 away, 1-0-0 nuetral.
In the NCAA's, Messiah has encountered the NJAC six times and have also fared well: 7-0-0
Messiah vs, NJAC in NCAA Tournament:
1988 First Round: Rowan (A) W 2-1
2000 Final: Rowan (A) W 2-0
2005 Sectional Final (Elite 8): TCNJ (H) W 3-0
2007 Sectional Final (Elite 8): Montclair St. (H) W 1-0
2008 Sectional Semifinal (Sweet 16): Montclair St. (N) W 1-0 (2OT)
2010 Second Round: Montclair St. (H) W 2-1 (OT)
2013 Final: Rutgers-Camden (N) W 2-1 (2OT)
So, . . . Messiah isn't afraid to play NJAC schools. And Messiah isn't soft. Please. Maybe pre-Dave Brandt that would have been a bit more fair of an assessment/criticism, but Brandt brought a change in philosophy with regards to physicality and fouls--Messiah were going to play tough and hard and not back down to nobody, all within the rules and spirit of good sportmanship, knowing that doing so means occasionally earning a yellow card.
That said, it wouldn't surprise me if they wanted to minimize their encounters with NJAC schools because there's no doubt the chance of extra-curricular activity, late fouls, dirty plays was higher playing an NJAC school than the typical MAC Commonwealth or Freedom school. Not saying that's unique to the NJAC--it isn't--but the probability is higher. Also, not sure which NJAC schools played on turf, as in astroturf, in the 2000's, because Messiah also seemed to minimize their games played on turf (probably explains the lack of regular season match-ups with Johns Hopkins in the early to mid-2000's). But Messiah did play TCNJ more than any other NJAC school and they played on turf, right? Again, Messiah didn't avoid NJAC teams or turf, but they did seem to minimize such matches. Now with the new generation synthetics (Field Turf, NexTurf, etc.), you see Messiah playing on turf more often in the non-conference schedule then before.
To be fair -- and I had to remind myself by looking at the posts -- this sidetrack about Messiah and the NJAC started with a Messiah supporter interjecting the idea that Messiah might have good reason to avoid NJAC teams in the context of commenting on last night's game.
Aside from the overall display which I personally found outrageous, I frankly am stuck on what I'm hearing is a SIXTH year All-American player getting himself tossed in the 90th minute of a game that was over in his team's favor, knowing that his team already had lost two players for the final. Sure, MSU might have earned a Pool C last night, but then again they were barely in the rankings last week and a loss to Rowan will give them six losses and seven blemishes overall, so it would be far from shocking to see them not get a bid. Soccer apparently (and presumably playing for and representing MSU) meant enough to stick around for six years so one would think a veteran of that sort and with such importance to his team would be feeling great about a huge win with hopes of further post-season play in his mind. Also have to wonder about the coaches, AFTER seeing two players get tossed, not exhorting the rest of the players on the field to chill out and avoid further damage especially knowing what potentially was at stake. All that said, MSU will probably go out and beat Rowan 4-0 and that will make them seem in some bizarre way vindicated.
Many thanks, FW, for the additional data and commentary. The two games with Stockton followed up on their appearance in the Final Four in 2001--which Messiah hosted and Stockton won, defeating Redlands in the championship game (which I saw). Brandt wanted to play them (the Falcons lost to Redlands in the semis and so a game with Stockton didn't happen), and so a home-and-home was scheduled for the next two seasons. I can't find a box for the 2002 contest at Stockton; in 2003 at Grantham there were no cards given.
The data confirm my impression that TCNJ has been scheduled more often than any other NJAC school, and in fact they own the only victory by one of those schools in the period covered by the data. The fact that Brandt scheduled them for another home-and-home immediately after that victory, coupled with the scheduling of Stockton immediately after they won a championship is further evidence (not that it's needed) that the Falcons aren't afraid of playing NJAC schools.
As for not scheduling schools from the Centennial Conference (another criticism leveled at the Falcons here), they certainly do schedule those schools and probably would like to do so more often--but I sense some hesitation on the part of those schools to reciprocate. For example, Messiah played Dickinson nearly every year down through 2014, a period that includes the very good Dickinson teams of recent years. The Falcons' all-time record in those games is 34-0-0, so if that series will not be resumed (I don't know whether that is true) it could well be for that reason. Of course if it were to continue, critics could always say that Messiah schedules cupcakes, even though some of Dickinson's teams were good enough to qualify for the tournament and at least two of those teams dominated Messiah while losing on the scoreboard. Messiah plays Gettysburg every year and I have no reason to think that won't remain true. This year's game was the single most competitive game all year, IMO. Gburg started a lot of freshmen (maybe half a dozen, but I didn't check the box, one of them (at least) a dynamite scorer who could start for Messiah at target right now (IMO). Both teams are very young so the upside for those future games is big. But this paragraph takes us well outside the NJAC and I need to take it elsewhere if I want to say more.
Quote from: NCAC New England on November 02, 2016, 12:27:53 PM
To be fair -- and I had to remind myself by looking at the posts -- this sidetrack about Messiah and the NJAC started with a Messiah supporter interjecting the idea that Messiah might have good reason to avoid NJAC teams in the context of commenting on last night's game.
Aside from the overall display which I personally found outrageous, I frankly am stuck on what I'm hearing is a SIXTH year All-American player getting himself tossed in the 90th minute of a game that was over in his team's favor, knowing that his team already had lost two players for the final. Sure, MSU might have earned a Pool C last night, but then again they were barely in the rankings last week and a loss to Rowan will give them six losses and seven blemishes overall, so it would be far from shocking to see them not get a bid. Soccer apparently (and presumably playing for and representing MSU) meant enough to stick around for six years so one would think a veteran of that sort and with such importance to his team would be feeling great about a huge win with hopes of further post-season play in his mind. Also have to wonder about the coaches, AFTER seeing two players get tossed, not exhorting the rest of the players on the field to chill out and avoid further damage especially knowing what potentially was at stake. All that said, MSU will probably go out and beat Rowan 4-0 and that will make them seem in some bizarre way vindicated.
AMEN to that. I had (last week, I think) pointed out somewhere that Lucas Terci is a superb striker, making MSU an opponent no one will want to face this month. You just have to scratch your head, wondering what he and the coaches were thinking: why in the world to you want to take him out of any future game, let alone the present game? There is neither strategic nor moral justification for getting red card number three at any point in the season, let alone at this point. I was hesitant to say it this bluntly, but you've basically said it for me so I'll second it.
Lost in all of this Messiah / NJAC scheduling nonsense is the fact hat Falconer considers this league not to play futbol but football. That is just a foolish comment because after watching the top teams in this league all season they are some of the more technical / skilled sides in the country. Especially on the carpet. Yes they are chippy and yes they do stupid things BUT that does not mean they play like Amherst or some Nescac schools that hoof all day and rely on their athleticism and set pieces. It is really some great possession futbol especially from RUN and Rowan and even MSU was knocking it around. To me last night's game was more entertaining a game as I have seen since well RUN v Rowan. MSU might not have to win the AQ as that win last night was not factored in but a loss might do them in. A draw might get it done. MSU deserves it more than Rochester and SLU I can tell you that. The eye test tells me they are a legit NCAA team.
Quote from: Mr.Right on November 02, 2016, 11:57:59 PM
Lost in all of this Messiah / NJAC scheduling nonsense is the fact hat Falconer considers this league not to play futbol but football. That is just a foolish comment because after watching the top teams in this league all season they are some of the more technical / skilled sides in the country. Especially on the carpet. Yes they are chippy and yes they do stupid things BUT that does not mean they play like Amherst or some Nescac schools that hoof all day and rely on their athleticism and set pieces. It is really some great possession futbol especially from RUN and Rowan and even MSU was knocking it around. To me last night's game was more entertaining a game as I have seen since well RUN v Rowan. MSU might not have to win the AQ as that win last night was not factored in but a loss might do them in. A draw might get it done. MSU deserves it more than Rochester and SLU I can tell you that. The eye test tells me they are a legit NCAA team.
Mr. Right, actually I don't doubt the ability of those teams to play excellent soccer. Not at all. For example, the RUC team in the finals a few years ago was a terrific team with the best striker I've seen in D3 a decade. In the current example, the Terci brothers can flat play: so, why not do it and steer clear of the rest?
What I doubt is the ability of several of those teams to focus on their ability and just play soccer. The other stuff just plays to the worst in some of their fans. I can't imagine any of this stuff happening at OWU, Wheaton, Williams, or any of the other storied programs that do know how to focus on their ability.
So much NJAC hate. Everyone else keep throwing their marshmellow's and leave us to play our games.
i would have to say that majority of the NJAC teams played futbol this year and not football. don't let one game shape your opinion on the rest. It was a lack of discipline that the coaches can't control. you really think coaches encourage players to act like that? come on. don't be surprised if there are 2-3 njac teams left in the S16-E8
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 03, 2016, 02:34:31 PM
i would have to say that majority of the NJAC teams played futbol this year and not football. don't let one game shape your opinion on the rest. It was a lack of discipline that the coaches can't control. you really think coaches encourage players to act like that? come on. don't be surprised if there are 2-3 njac teams left in the S16-E8
Your opinion is why the behavior exists. The coaches can control it, it's called "The Bench". If that's the program the coach wants to run that player will start the next game, if the coach has control of the program he sits him.
Quote from: mjan on November 04, 2016, 08:50:28 AM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 03, 2016, 02:34:31 PM
i would have to say that majority of the NJAC teams played futbol this year and not football. don't let one game shape your opinion on the rest. It was a lack of discipline that the coaches can't control. you really think coaches encourage players to act like that? come on. don't be surprised if there are 2-3 njac teams left in the S16-E8
Your opinion is why the behavior exists. The coaches can control it, it's called "The Bench". If that's the program the coach wants to run that player will start the next game, if the coach has control of the program he sits him.
Correct. Just one more point. The behavior isn't bothering us fans, unless we're MSU fans upset that our team is short-handed. We all know the NJAC is one of the top two or at worst top three conferences in the country. We know they play really good, hard-nosed soccer and are always candidates to go very deep in the tournament. [Rowan has been considered by most one of the top two teams in the country this entire season, and by a significant margin, until the last third of the season when Messiah has emerged as a potential co-equal and RUN also emerged as a serious contender.]
The behavior hurts themselves and their own teams. And if a coach can't positively influence a player over SIX years in his program then maybe he shouldn't have a player for six years no matter how many goals he scores OR maybe he shouldn't be coaching. Coaches yell and scream at their players throughout the game. There's nothing to prevent a coach from yelling "Hey, Jimmy, 90 seconds to go, we got this game. NO MORE CARDS! KEEP YOUR COOL!" Now I would guess the coaches very well might have been yelling something like that and if so then it goes back to the player. Or is there simply no responsibility on anyone at all?
Quote from: mjan on November 04, 2016, 08:50:28 AM
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 03, 2016, 02:34:31 PM
i would have to say that majority of the NJAC teams played futbol this year and not football. don't let one game shape your opinion on the rest. It was a lack of discipline that the coaches can't control. you really think coaches encourage players to act like that? come on. don't be surprised if there are 2-3 njac teams left in the S16-E8
Your opinion is why the behavior exists. The coaches can control it, it's called "The Bench". If that's the program the coach wants to run that player will start the next game, if the coach has control of the program he sits him.
which part of my opinion do you have a problem with exactly? because nothing i said would suggest what you have just said. why would msu bench their best player after doing that in the NCAAs. montclair itself may push more punishment on him but there's no need to bench him. they won't win without him playing.
montclair pulling an upset right now!
right after i say this they score again! someone called this happening!
Now that shows a different side of MSU's character. Impressive and well done.
Quote from: NCAC New England on November 04, 2016, 08:59:40 PM
Now that shows a different side of MSU's character. Impressive and well done.
Have to give them credit for coming up big in the conf tournament to get a bid. 3 hard fought wins. Outshot 29-9 in final game but win it anyway. So Rowan will likely take one of the pool c bids leaving some other bubble team out. And RUN as well. Three bids for NJAC?
Quote from: rudy on November 05, 2016, 08:46:54 AM
Quote from: NCAC New England on November 04, 2016, 08:59:40 PM
Now that shows a different side of MSU's character. Impressive and well done.
Have to give them credit for coming up big in the conf tournament to get a bid. 3 hard fought wins. Outshot 29-9 in final game but win it anyway. So Rowan will likely take one of the pool c bids leaving some other bubble team out. And RUN as well. Three bids for NJAC?
3 bids for the NJAC and completely deserved. like i said before don't be surprised for all 3 to make a run at the big dance
Quote from: firstplaceloser on November 05, 2016, 11:13:22 AM
Quote from: rudy on November 05, 2016, 08:46:54 AM
Quote from: NCAC New England on November 04, 2016, 08:59:40 PM
Now that shows a different side of MSU's character. Impressive and well done.
Have to give them credit for coming up big in the conf tournament to get a bid. 3 hard fought wins. Outshot 29-9 in final game but win it anyway. So Rowan will likely take one of the pool c bids leaving some other bubble team out. And RUN as well. Three bids for NJAC?
3 bids for the NJAC and completely deserved. like i said before don't be surprised for all 3 to make a run at the big dance
Agreed. I would like to see all 3 of them clean up some minor defensive things to make a NCAA Final 4 run but offensively they all will be very dangerous.