You are absolutely correct. I got caught up in taking the Disney version of the story at face value. Most of the country, even folks in hockey country, weren't following their exhibition season until it was closer to the Games. I distinctly remember the Russians smoking the US, which stuck with a lot of folks.

But, yes, the overall run-up had its blips, but was mostly successful.

But what stands out about IU is that they have been historically bad in a highly visible conference. I grew up in Ann Arbor. IU and Northwestern were, by far, the two most booked teams for homecoming games.

It's not just that they had a few down years and crawled back out of the muck. The last time this team won 9 games was in the 60s. Vanderbilt is the only other team in the ballpark, in terms of historically bad.

It's a great topic, but I don't think you're going to find a like-for-like in any sport. The closest thing I think of in the NFL is a hypothetical where the Jets somehow go from - whatever that is -- to winning a Super Bowl.

Leicester City doesn't really work and I don't feel like typing out why.

Miracle on Ice in 80 has a very close vibe, in that the US was getting absolutely wrecked in its exhibition games leading into the Olympics. And the US hadn't won gold for 20 years... And they hadn't been particularly competitive since that win on the international stage.

But looking at the D3 champions, as you've already done... You'd need something like a bottom dwelling NESCAC, NJAC, Centennial or UAA team to come out of nowhere to becomes a national contender/champion and we just haven't seen that. (Unless I'm missing something.)

When I look at teams like Bethany, E-town and San Diego... I don't have time to dig into their history, but I highly doubt they were rags-to-riches stories.

I hear Dallas might have an airport or two.

(And I know you've laid out the business case for Pitt and CLB... I just have a hard time with the NCAA putting outdoor Final Four games in obvious snow country.)

Quote from: Ron Boerger on December 10, 2025, 10:27:33 AM

Quote from: Hopkins92 on December 10, 2025, 10:26:02 AM

QuoteOnce the bus was at the fire station, the team loaded up to continue its journey to San Antonio, Texas.

That's a helluva bus ride. Google spit out 20.5 hours on the road.

They flew via Greensboro (GSO) and were on their way there. 

I figured as much... Local reporting can be a little spotty. ;-)

QuoteOnce the bus was at the fire station, the team loaded up to continue its journey to San Antonio, Texas.

That's a helluva bus ride. Google spit out 20.5 hours on the road.

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on December 08, 2025, 01:17:27 PMI'm thinking that Goucher College may need a coach considering that the long-time AD and coach stepped back in after Mike Singleton left before the season. He had coached the team 14 or 15 years before. So I am thinking that might be an opening.

Which brings up - What Maryland/PA school that will need a coach and be a good fit for Mike Singleton??

As was discussed at the time, his departure was weird. We don't really know what happened, but the guy can clearly coach.  Just an odd situation and I'll leave it there. (I don't want to speculate, having ZERO insight into what happened.)

Ooof. That goal reminds me of my worst let up... Happened in high school against our rival in the Regionals. (winner goes to the F4.)

Feel bad for the kid.

Quote from: SimpleCoach on December 05, 2025, 06:16:24 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on December 05, 2025, 06:08:47 PM

Quote from: Hopkins92 on December 05, 2025, 05:54:44 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on December 05, 2025, 05:07:42 PMFantastic save by Antic, making up for a really poor punch of the ball

Interesting that the St. Olaf keeper is coming up for every corner.

*pulls out soap box, climbs up*

Once again, the trend in goalkeeping coaching away from correctly punching the ball rears its head. BACK IN MY DAY, that is a very clear, two-handed punch out to the sideline that is well clear of the 30-yard line. He came out without conviction and with not a ton of traffic (he wasn't getting bumped when he hit the ball, goalies are used to that level of traffic) and limp-wristedly flapped at the ball.

It was a nice recovery, but that almost put this game into OT.

100% agree.  Goalkeepers are being taught to one-hand punch the ball these days because you can theoretically direct it better and it's more flexible since you can pull out easier if traffic changes and you're about to punch a player in the head.  The problem is that goalkeepers didn't grow up doing much boxing training and a one-handed punch when your feet aren't on the ground and legs stabilized is not that easy to manage.  It's also difficult to get the proper power since you need some hip rotation to properly punch if you aren't rushing out and throwing your body at the ball like a missile (in which case you might as well two-handed punch to increase your surface area for making contact). It's also one more decision to make when you're going 100 mph and decision making is a much more difficult part of being a goalkeeper than shot-stopping, which is generally positioning and muscle memory reaction. 

I think the day when they started treating goalkeepers as field players, in general, we lost the plot.

Notice how keepers are reactive about everything... coming out to block a shot.... parrying every shot.... I was brought up to shut up and get the ball.  Now its... don't be scored on.

I don't like it.  Maybe need to do a video on this....

SC/.

I'm ready, coach!

I think Emory wins. I wouldn't say they got lucky against Dickinson, but... As I posted, they kind of stole that game.

Don't get me wrong, very good team. It just looks like Trinity is a notch above.

And I think the cold weather is wash. Atlanta isn't exactly Pittsburgh (or Columbus).

Quote from: Kuiper on December 05, 2025, 05:07:42 PMFantastic save by Antic, making up for a really poor punch of the ball

Interesting that the St. Olaf keeper is coming up for every corner.

*pulls out soap box, climbs up*

Once again, the trend in goalkeeping coaching away from correctly punching the ball rears its head. BACK IN MY DAY, that is a very clear, two-handed punch out to the sideline that is well clear of the 30-yard line. He came out without conviction and with not a ton of traffic (he wasn't getting bumped when he hit the ball, goalies are used to that level of traffic) and limp-wristedly flapped at the ball.

It was a nice recovery, but that almost put this game into OT.

I guess I don't understand the venue selection thinking process.

Vegas was weird, but at least not a Frost Bowl. Pittsburgh and Columbus??

Probably a question for the UAA thread... Is Carnegie Mellon's field still so dark and gloomy? I have to imagine the swapped out of that location I played in many moons ago. Their lights were substandard... It was weird.

Quote from: Ejay on December 02, 2025, 05:40:26 PM

Quote from: VASoccerDad on December 01, 2025, 02:19:43 PM

Quote from: Ejay on December 01, 2025, 01:35:24 PMMy Junior year we won the ECAC tournament. It was awesome. My senior year, nobody wanted to play in it. It was a frustrating year and we just wanted it over. We made the finals and it was 38 degrees, raining, with 30 MPH winds. The absolute worst game to finish your career on. I was never so happy to be subbed off in the second half. With about 15 minutes to play, coach asked me to go back in. I said, "nah, I'm good. Let one of the younger kids play".

In the moment you were fine giving it up because of the weather, frustration, etc., but looking back on it (not now, but back then) would you want one more game? I would say probably yes...

I know in my case I would.

It's a great question, but I was honestly done. Took me almost 2 years before I touched a ball again.

What I would want though, is to redo that entire season. We were returning 10 starters, we had a successful preseason trip with all returning players (defeating a U20 National Team among others), and were firing on all cylinders. Things looked promising. So what does coach do? He throws 3 new players (1 freshmen, 2 transfers) into the starting lineup. There goes the chemistry. Things just spiraled from there.

I can empathize with this... strongly. Though my senior year was mostly cratered because of a REALLY bad coach. We were in his second year. His first year was fool's gold, because that team was full of seniors and juniors that were used to being coached by the Lax team's Def. Coordinator... In other words, self-coached. By the time those seniors were gone, my class wasn't able to keep the momentum going.

When you add in a guy that was more concerned with outfitting us in puma gear, which he got a cut from, than evaluating players... And with a pretty significant dose of not knowing what he was talking about.

Disaster.

I, too, didn't want to play the game for several years after that.

I'm not disagreeing with you Sierra, but at least with soccer, it's not hard to find highly competitive teams/leagues that you can play with/in for MANY years after college. I was able to latch onto a team that made it to the Over 30 final four that was held in Orlando. (humble brag ;-))

The guys I feel for are football players. More than any other sport, it's really difficult to keep playing after college. Just too expensive and to much chance for serious injury.

Counterpoint, camo, is that COLLEGE soccer is different than what is watched all over the world in a few fundamental ways.

We've talked about the subbing.

And there is the weird way the clock is managed in college soccer.

I don't think tweaking the NPI formula (again, not a thing anywhere else in the world) would be such a radical move, for example.

I don't think taking players off is a great idea, because at 10v10 I think the difference is marginal and at 8v8, now you are asking guys to cover a TON more turf and we come back to player safety/attrition.