Quote from: ldahoSoccer on November 27, 2013, 06:13:41 PM

Quote from: soccershins123 on November 27, 2013, 03:46:25 PM
Looks like Messiah women and men won't repeat as dual champions but the men are still alive and kicking!

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer-articles/mens-teams-wade-into-dii-diii-final-fours_aid32144

Thank you, I almost forgot. 

The mods should consider creating rules about thread topics.

Is it only me, or do some of these Loras supporters seem a bit bitter about Messiah's success?  Maybe a tinge of jealousy is coming through here?  When I was in Iowa several years ago, one of the locals told me what "IOWA" stood for.  I believe he is right.

Memo to all anti-Messiah fans:  You do not ... I repeat, you do NOT ... need to click on any thread that offends you.  Feel free to bypass and keep your blood pressure down.  Thank you for listening.

Happy turkey day to all!

Jump4Joy just nailed it.

Quote from: NCAC New England on November 26, 2013, 12:15:44 PM
CCIW, fair enough I suppose, EXCEPT....these guys clearly are no dummies, and clearly they were aware that they were providing coverage for a NCAA sectional, meaning for 4 teams.  There was zero confusion that they were broadcasting for the entire sectional and whoever might be interested from any of the 4 teams.  Some degree of bias as the home announcers is to be expected, even cheering for your own team.  But to be derogatory and essentially slur another team and make excuses for why your world-class team is in a dogfight constitutes poor form, period.  Not mention that it also was filled with gross inaccuracies.  And the proof is in the range of people who have commented about how atrocious it was....from a primary D3soccer writer here, to a recent OWU all-american who is a bitter rival of Messiah's opponent, to the IIAC guys, to the GAC guy, and for siblings and grandparents watching and listening at home. Independent of knowing that others were having a reaction.

Hmmmm.... I'm not disagreeing with you at all and am not defending their homerism.  The broadcast style definitely needs to change, and I hope that it will.  Messiah should be classier than this.  That's all I'm saying.

Just a comment on the Messiah  announcers (and forgive me if this is not accurate):

Back in the days of audio-only (no video coverage), the two announcers committed to announcing soccer games -- men's soccer only; not women's.  They are personal friends of the program and alumni; the play-by-play guy was a great player for the Falcons, and I'm not sure if the color guy played or not.  So they did it as a favor, and their audience consisted of players' families who couldn't attend; lots of soccer alumni; some fans; and a sprinkling, of course, of parents from opposing teams.  So it was kind of an old-home broadcast with lots of acknowledging friends calling in; plenty of homerism; lots of humor and laughing; it was a good-ol'-boys effort.  And the listening audience loved it.

Fast forward now to a couple of years ago, when video streaming became available.  It wasn't only a new thing at Messiah, but it was a national phenomenon.  Now all the NCAA tournament games are broadcast, and many schools broadcast all their home games in the regular-season.  So the listening and viewing audience has dramatically changed; but the Messiah announcers haven't.  They still do the  same schtick that they've been used to, probably forgetting every time they complain about an official's call there are plenty of people seeing the same thing.

They need to understand that the audience, especially for an NCAA game, has changed.  They are no longer doing a favor for Messiah soccer fans.  They are expected to be impartial and professional and behave in ways worthy of a prominent program and positively represent the institution.

KICKIN95 wrote:  You are nothing if not confident and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just because your team is having an indisputably great season doesn't make them the better team.  OWU can attest to that, Messiah can attest to that, Loras can attest to that, in '07 they were 23-0-2 and lost in PK's to eventual champion Middlebury.

History does indeed make a difference.  I guarantee you that Messiah will have the benefit of "We've done this before.  We know we CAN do this.  We will find a way.  We will win."  That's powerful belief.  However...

Anything can happen in this sport.  Kickin95 talked about Middlebury, perhaps the unlikeliest champion in D-III soccer history.  In 2007, Middlebury did not score a single goal in two Final Four contests ... in 220 minutes, Midd never broke the plane.  Yet they took home the championship trophy by outperforming its opponents in PKs.

All this to say...  No one is handing Messiah the trophy.  The other three teams have something BIG to prove.  So it should be a great tournament

The Messiah announcers are an embarrassment to the College.  These two yahoos are worse than 'homers,'  I'd have to call them 'grand-slammers' in their bias.  I'm surprised that Messiah lets them get by with such amateurism.

I  believe that the wind (and other conditions that can affect the game) is to the less-talented team's advantage.

Let's say, on a perfect day, the probability for the most talented team to win is 60 percent (three times out of five, the better team will win).  However, throw in bad weather conditions (in this case, the wind), we will assume that both teams will be penalized equally -- maybe a factor of 20 percent in controlling the ball and keeping possession.  So now, the sixty-forty percentage changes.  The 20 percent is split equally, and now the remaining 80 percent, split 60-40 becomes 48-32.   Add the wind factor -- 10 percent for both teams -- and the percentage becomes 58-42.  The more talented team's win probability drops from 60 to 58 percent.  Of course, adverse weather conditions can impact the game more than the 20 percent that I am using to illustrate this example.  In any case, however, the less-talented will benefit more from "equalizers" than the more-talented team will.

In more extreme weather, we'll say that the conditions have a 50 percent factor.  Thus, the percentages become 30-20, favoring the better team, plus splitting the weather factor (25-25), the new percentages become 55-45.  At that point, especially in the sport of soccer, the game is a toss-up.

Hdre's hoping that the better teams will not allow bad weather to end their seasons.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on November 22, 2013, 08:09:21 PM
Trinity (TX) gets a 2-1 upset over Montclair State.

But not a 'surprising' upset (see Rose-Human over Ohio Wesleyan on the men's side).  It was #1 vs. #4 In d3.com rankings.  Plus the game was at Trinity.  The gusty wind hurt both teams, of course.  I also watched the Wheaton-Emory game, and the passing and ball control by both teams was much better in that contest than what Trinity and Montclair State showed.

Thunder over the home team tonight, 2-0.

Quote from: Dave 'd-mac' McHugh on November 20, 2013, 11:57:16 PM

Quote from: cciwrabblerouser on November 20, 2013, 05:42:28 PM
Grinnell.  Not much else to say about the coach's attitude or approach, but I will say this.  After last year's debacle against a team from Faith (Christian/Baptist/whatever), I contacted the AD and the head coach at Grinnell.  Both defended the basketball program and said they have no problem in embarrassing an outmanned opponent. 

I say that Grinnell needs to re-read the principles that govern Division III.  Isn't there anything in there about respecting your opponent and displaying sportsmanship?  I guess maybe these principles don't apply any place where illiterate and/or insensitive people are running the circus.

The only alternative is for schools to not schedule Grinnell in hoops.

Are you sure you heard from Sr.? He is known for having his son answer questions without telling people it's Jr.

I sent my question by e-mail to their G-nell accounts.  I cannot vouch who may have answered the questions but their replies were sent from the AD's and the head coach's e-mail accounts at "The Circus."

The problem would solve itself if potential opponents refused to play Grinnell.  The basketball program is forced to pay schools to sign a contract.  I think Crossroads did itself no favors by accepting the moolah and then getting thoroughly embarrassed.

I would also love for the administration at Grinnell to offer a definition of "sportsmanship" that is valid.

Grinnell.  Not much else to say about the coach's attitude or approach, but I will say this.  After last year's debacle against a team from Faith (Christian/Baptist/whatever), I contacted the AD and the head coach at Grinnell.  Both defended the basketball program and said they have no problem in embarrassing an outmanned opponent. 

I say that Grinnell needs to re-read the principles that govern Division III.  Isn't there anything in there about respecting your opponent and displaying sportsmanship?  I guess maybe these principles don't apply any place where illiterate and/or insensitive people are running the circus.

The only alternative is for schools to not schedule Grinnell in hoops.

Does anyone know if Kenyon submitted the paperwork to host a sectional round?  I'm just a bit surprised that Rose-Hulman will be flying when, with Kenyon hosting, the other three would have bused it to Gambier.

Quote from: lastguyoffthebench on November 18, 2013, 10:46:50 AM

Quote from: KICKIN95 on November 18, 2013, 07:52:08 AM
Loras, Messiah, Rutgers Camden, and Amherst are hosting.

As I would have expected!   Good luck to the remaining 16.  Messiah is a stone cone lead pipe lock for the Final Four!

Would be quite interesting if it were NJAC vs NJAC, IIAC vs IIAC, and NESCAC vs NESCAC in the Elite 8...

Accuracy check ...

I believe the phrase is "stone COLD lead pipe lock." 

From what I know about Messiah's approach throughout the years and in multiple tournaments, there is no one in the soccer program that believes that statement.  That is when a team gets knocked off.  I'm not, bu any means, saying that Ohio Wesleyan felt it was guaranteed a win vs. Rose-Hulman, but look what happened yesterday.  If Messiah advances, it will be they are taking NO ONE for granted.  That is what makes Messiah a championship program.

Quote from: Wormburner on November 17, 2013, 06:39:36 PM

Quote from: cciwrabblerouser on November 17, 2013, 05:58:41 PM

Like I said, the NCAA call will be verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting (according to Sgt. Schultz).

Comedy Fact Check...

Sgt. Schulz from Hogan's Heroes' tag line was "I see nothing, nothing!"

Arte Johnson playing a German soldier on Rowan & Martin's Laugh In had the tag line of "Very interesting..."

OK, back to soccer!

Wormburner remembers his comedy much better and more accurately than I do ... that's for sure.  I got the fact that the comment was made by an incompetent German military man ... but otherwise I swung and missed on this one.

Thanks for setting the record straight, Wormburner!

Quote from: NCAC New England on November 17, 2013, 05:46:53 PM
Not sure what you men by unrated.  Unranked?  Kenyon likely ended up #3 in Great Lakes. 

BTW, F&M up 3-0 on Dickinson still in 1st half.

Since this board is part of D3.com, I was just referring to the D3.com rankings (aka ratings).  Kenyon wasn't in the Top 25.  Yes, Kenyon is #3 in the NCAA regional rankings.

Like I said, the NCAA call will be verrrrrrrrrrrry interesting (according to Sgt. Schultz).  Save flight dollars, or allow two remaining teams within an hour of each other to be able to have an opportunity to host.

Actually, Messiah has proven through the years that it plays better on the road in NCAA tournaments than it does at home.  Its fans will definitely what their Falcons to play at home, but I don't think Messiah's coaches would mind an excursion to central Ohio.