Quote from: SKUD on Yesterday at 02:20:43 PMI disagree as this conference is subpar in both men's lax and soccer and it never preps them for what comes in the tournament.  They could make 20+ years and it would not be a significant accomplishment.

I beg to differ. Probably right as not great prep for the soccer tourn, but, though only a part of this league since 2017 they have showed up and not been blown out. In the last two years lost to Amherst both times (one in pks and the other in OT) in second round (Amherst winner and finalist these years). In 2022, lost in OT to U of Chi in the NCAA Finals. Had to beat a lot of good teams to get there. In 2021, lost in second round to Tufts in pks (11-10). In 2019, was upset in conf. tourn. In 2018, lost to 2nd ranked Tufts in the second round 1-0 (Tufts won the NCAAs this year). In 2017, lost in sweet 16 to Messiah 3-2 (NCAA Championship winner).

I am also not particularly impressed by the conf. teams, but, imo, that is a pretty impressive run for Stevens so far. There goal every year is to win their conf and go to the NCAAs. On top they have done pretty well in NCAAs which 95% of D3 teams would probably want to trade places.

 

Quote from: SKUD on Yesterday at 01:54:44 PMAre any of the other schools in the conference good at any sport?  Why does Stevens stay?

Soccerwise it is probably better being a big fish in a small fish. While not a guarantee NCAA bid, it is pretty close. Since 2017, they've made the NCAAs every year and made it to the finals.

Please, Dave Brandt is a D3 legend with Messiah and 6 Nat'l Championships. No Dave, no Messiah imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBC3FMn9zS8

He did a fine job at Navy. Saw him up close there. However, he had a lot of constraints with the recruitment requirements. Not sure exactly why he left after 6 years. They actually won a NCAA tournament game which was first for Navy and probably not done, or rarely done, by anyone in the Patriot League.

So it is great to see him do well with Bucknell also not known as a soccer power.

Side note, Loyola was previously coached by Gettysburg's recently retired Mark Mettrick. He had left Loyola before they joined the PL, but was know a very good coach in the Baltimore area. Also Dickinson's Jorge Chapoy was an assistant coach at Lafayette (in my hometown) for 6 years.

Quote from: Another Mom on August 15, 2025, 05:17:44 PMLoved the top 25 SC! Of course, I think you were a little hard on W&L, and a little too generous with Dickinson and a couple of others. Appreciate the shout out for my son -- we were working together on the farm while I listened to your podcast so I played that part for him :-)

W&L has a couple of rising sophomore forwards that seem very promising. In my opinion W&L had a harder time scoring goals last season, so they could be difference makers. Plus of course the new players coming in.

Perhaps as to Dickinson. However, at least preseason, Dickinson is packed with 10 seniors to include its 2 big goal scores (one with 16 career 36 and the other 13 career 26). If they tighten up the defense and goalkeeping, they should be the favorite in the Cent. Conf. and do well in the NCAAs again.  They have been on the rise the last two years. Some have discounted because it is not a big name, but this year they could do something really special. W&L, while never behind, was pushed. IMO, definitely a team to watch and worth being ranked.

Also still free to watch.

Quote from: Kuiper on August 06, 2025, 05:53:29 PMManchester hires Olaoluwade Ladapo as Men's Soccer Head Coach

QuoteManchester University Men's Soccer names Olaoluwade "Ola" Ladapo as new head coach.

So, if you follow this team, are you a Man U fan??

Hahaha, definitely worth a few thousands of a percent!

Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on July 29, 2025, 03:50:50 AMMy suggestion is to have one game each week that is off the beaten path. There's over 400 teams in D3 and it gets a bit boring when the slate consists of the same handful of teams every single week.

Definitely think there was a very good effort.  Remember that he took a game where Mississippi Univ for Women playing someone one week. We feasted on that game for awhile. I think MSW doesn't even play in the NCAA??

First weekend and maybe second, going to have to have 20 plus games each! So many good matchups that many will not be able watch.

Quote from: Kuiper on July 23, 2025, 11:47:53 PMInteresting D3 to D1 transfer news:

Kevin Box played three years as GK for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, starting 27 games (including all 17 his senior year in 2023).  He apparently didn't play at a college anywhere last season, but DI UCLA just announced Box as a late addition to its recruiting class. 

It looks like Box  never used his Covid year and then entered UCLA for grad school and may have walked-on in the Spring and then was asked to join the team for the fall as a late addition to the roster.  I assume they needed a practice GK since two other GKs from last season transferred to get a chance at playing time.  Even if that's all it is and he never gets to travel, it's pretty cool that he's able to keep his playing career going after a year off and at a major DI program like the Bruins.

Definitely interesting. He most likely will have much more experience than the other two keepers. So may be a viable starter depending how he does starting Aug. 1. Keeper experience can play a huge factor. It is also possible that UCLA lost a GK recruit late which would explain why he is there. They would only carry 3 keepers with the reduced rosters. Days of 4 keepers are gone.

Also interesting - of the 8 players announced as recruits for UCLA, 7 are transfers (6 from other D1 programs) and one freshman who is from Spain. The Spaniard will be 20 at the start of the season as well so your typical int'l freshman. All 8 will be 20 or older and several 23 or 24. Another interesting thing with UCLA in the Big Ten, they'll have to take at least 7 plane rides to play a game. https://uclabruins.com/news/2025/7/22/mens-soccer-announces-eight-additions-to-incoming-recruiting-class

Definitely.  W&L is the only school which has somewhat of a nat'l presence (unlike NESCAC). Most of ODAC are at best regional schools who outside the area people don't know much about. Plus with the squeeze on private schools, I would say that some of the 14 or so ODAC schools won't be around or playing sports.

Quote from: stlawus on July 19, 2025, 06:41:39 PMI actually thought about referencing Stern in my post lol.  I thought his first contract at sirius was some of his best years, but it was when he went to 3 days a week is when it really cratered.  Someone said "these reduced hours have led to some reduced listening", and that's basically how it's going to be with FLoSports now.

Yeah, hopefully he only got better, but I was not going to pay for satellite radio and I was a huge Stern fan. Plus now he just seems to go on an apology tour. Putting D3 sports behind payways makes it even more irrelevant imo

Lot of really, really good points on Flo. I agree with all of it. I really think colleges are cutting off their noses to spite there faces.

Maybe a bad example, having grown up in the NY area, I was a big Howard Stern fan.  Once he went satellite in 2006 or so, I never listened to him again. So people who starts to like soccer and maybe have a connection to D3 will never discover/watch D3 soccer. In other words, people who never heard Stern, will never find him after 2006. That could be one of the biggest impact.

Quote from: Kuiper on July 17, 2025, 08:45:57 PMI don't usually highlight assistant coach hires, but this is just unusual enough to bear mention. 

Kevin Doyle Named Colorado College Assistant Coach

QuoteColorado College men's soccer head coach Scott Palguta announced on Thursday the hiring of Kevin Doyle as the new assistant coach.

"I am thrilled to welcome Coach Doyle to the CC soccer family," Palguta said.  "Kevin is a coach I have admired and respected for a very long time.  He has found success at every stop on his impressive coaching journey, and he will bring instant credibility to our team.  Coach Doyle shares my values and vision for our soccer program, and I am excited to work closely with him as we lead and mentor our student-athletes."

Doyle brings nearly three decades of collegiate coaching experience, including the past 10 seasons at the Air Force Academy, where he served as associate head coach before being elevated to interim head coach for the 2024 season.

QuoteDoyle also spent two seasons at Grand Canyon University, leading the Lopes to a WAC championship and NCAA tournament appearance in 2018.

His coaching resume also includes stints at Virginia Tech, Creighton, Penn State, William & Mary and Mercer. At Creighton, he helped guide the Blue Jays to six NCAA Tournament appearances.

There are DI coaches who find their way to DIII, especially in their later years, but he was just the interim HC of CC's neighboring DI program last season and has spent his entire career in DI.  It was a very tough season for Doyle at Air Force though.  He had to take over for the long-time HC and they went 1-15-1 in a season where 8 of his players were suspended in what sounds like a hazing scandal.

Mark Mettrick, until this year, coached at Gettysburg for 11 years and before that

"Mettrick completed a highly-successful 14-year stint as head coach at Loyola University in Baltimore. He posted a record of 166-84-25 (.649) and guided the Greyhounds to five NCAA Division I Tournament appearances, advancing as far as the Round of 16 in 2001. A native of Manchester, England, Mettrick also coached Loyola to eight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) regular-season titles and four MAAC tournament titles. A five-time MAAC Coach of the Year, he also captured two NCAA Division I Regional Coach the Year awards (2001, 2008) and was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Coach of the Year finalist."

Before that 6 years with a winning record at D1 Mount St. Mary's in 90's.

Always puzzled me how, under him, Gettysburg was never consistently successful. A lot of people in the Baltimore area respected him. I knew my son and his coaches liked him.

Quote from: Ejay on July 17, 2025, 05:49:33 PMI recall reading somewhere that it's ~$20k per year to the school. While that will certainly help many D3 schools with limited budgets, unless it ends up hurting their donations/endowments, I doubt they'll think twice about it.

W&L can not claim limited budget with their students paying over 90k this year and probably over 100k in 2 or 3 years. Yeah, I know not all pay that, but solid middle class parents with some assets are expected. That was our case when our son got accepted in 2018. However, it was only high 60's low 70's then, hahaha.  Another reason why W&L alumni like us will continue to not donate.

I think many of the ODAC teams are struggling like other schools. For example, Sweet Briar almost closed its doors a few years ago and several other schools are in similar situations. So 20k might help just a little, but not much.

Quote from: Kuiper on July 15, 2025, 01:24:07 PMODAC signed a deal with Flo Sports starting this fall

QuoteFloSports and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) have entered into an exclusive five-year media rights agreement that will begin in the fall of 2025, bringing the conference's 14 member institutions to the FloCollege platform. Through the agreement, FloSports will provide a global platform to live stream over 1,500 regular-season and postseason events annually. The partnership further reinforces FloSports commitment to Division III athletics - adding an eighth conference to the portfolio - bringing the total to 18 conferences across all NCAA levels in the Fall.

The ODAC, headquartered in Forest, Virginia, stands as the second-largest multi-sport NCAA Division III conference in the country. It has gained national attention hosting NCAA Division III championships in baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, and women's volleyball.

The ODAC's full-time member of 14 schools includes Averett University, Bridgewater College, Eastern Mennonite University, Guilford College, Hampden-Sydney College, Hollins University, University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Randolph-Macon College, Roanoke College, Shenandoah University, Sweet Briar College, Virginia Wesleyan University, and Washington and Lee University. The ODAC also features five associate members in five sports.

"This agreement reflects a thoughtful next step for the ODAC in how we tell the stories of our outstanding student-athletes," said ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston. "As technology and fan engagement habits evolve, we have a responsibility to adapt while staying true to our mission. FloSports provides a reliable and forward-looking platform that helps us deliver a consistent, quality experience for our teams and fans. Most importantly, this partnership enables us to highlight the achievements of our athletic programs across our wide sports offering - at a level they deserve and with the reach they have earned."

Very much a shame. Look of good games every year in soccer, but 9 or 10 ODAC teams are not very good and have not been for a long, long time. It was working pretty well before with all the schools broadcasting their games free.  I will not purchasing (W&L grad) and I am guessing that, other than parents, will not be buying the games.