Quote from: Kuiper on March 27, 2026, 07:27:01 PMJohns Hopkins

Hopkins had a down season by their standard last year, finishing 8-7-6, although they did make a run in the Centennial tournament before losing 4-0 to Dickinson in the finals.  Two big road trips to Tennessee and Ohio might have gotten the team off on the wrong foot.  They went 2-2 on the trip, but were winless for the next 6 games after returning.  This season, they mostly stay close to home to start the season.  They drop Rhodes, Sewanee, Kenyon, and Denison, and pick up York and Catholic away and a big set of games on the second weekend hosting Vassar and Washington & Lee.

True. I really think the first two Hop games (York and Catholic) are scrimmages as they are before Labor Day weekend and the schedule has 19 games. I think the NCAA allows teams to begin scheduling competitive games on Aug. 28.

Based on the schedule, I think Hop could go at least 5-1 before its Cent. Conf. schedule. That will be great.

A bit beyond the topic, but relevant imo. Also the narrator talks about law school, but pretty applies to all undergrad and grad school. Very scary and a good financial correction imo. Something to think about when going to college with a major that requires a grad school. Money is king.

https://www.youtube.com/live/R8lsOqQo5rU?si=iwiTJOJgZmAM-53_

Quote from: Kuiper on March 11, 2026, 12:43:02 AMMillsaps

They are playing some school named "United States Sports University" for the second year in a row. Apparently, it's been around since 1972, but for some reason it only started offering intercollegiate athletic teams in 2024. I guess they offer majors in sports-related areas but it seems odd that someone wouldn't have thought earlier that actually having sports teams would be mission-related, right?  In any event, the really crazy thing is that Millsaps is playing AT Southwestern and AT Trinity for a second year in a row.  Many conferences rotate home-and-away, but I guess not in the SAA.  That's kind of rough.  At least they do it in one weekend and they play LeTourneau at home this year rather than traveling to Texas again.  They also host Centenary instead of traveling to East Texas Baptist.

Apparently, Mike "the Pirate" Leach got a masters from the sports college which is located in Alabama. Never heard of it before.

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on March 05, 2026, 12:59:50 PMAbsolutely agree.

Can you even imagine if Arsene Wenger's idea for offsides happens?? One's entire body has to be free of the backline to be offsides. IMO, that'll change the game even more than the passback rule. https://youtu.be/uar7_PATBqA?si=0zB2vIe2lHgyKgTW

Looks like the Canadian Premier League will try it. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cpv7dr41yndo

Looking over this, the days of the slow or maybe just not to fast huge centerback may be numbered if the Wenger's rule happens.

Absolutely agree.

Can you even imagine if Arsene Wenger's idea for offsides happens?? One's entire body has to be free of the backline to be offsides. IMO, that'll change the game even more than the passback rule. https://youtu.be/uar7_PATBqA?si=0zB2vIe2lHgyKgTW

Looks like the Canadian Premier League will try it. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cpv7dr41yndo

Quote from: Hopkins92 on March 05, 2026, 10:14:47 AMI love anything that cuts out time wasting. Huge pet peeve for almost all fans.

(I'm old enough that when I first started playing, you could pass back to the goalie and they could just pick it up and hold it for however long they liked. I would split GK duties with another player all the way through high school, playing midfield/defense in the other half. I was a bit of an anomaly at the time, being able to play keeper sweeper before that was really a thing. I actually "quit" playing goalie when I moved to MD... Didn't tell anyone that was my "real" position and made the high school team as a field player. Our goalies were terrible and one of my teammates outed me to coach... Rest is "history".


Nowadays, you've got guys like Neuer who probably could play at the highest level as a field player, but he's not some outlier, generally speaking.)

Hahaha. Yup remember that as well. Had to look it up. Apparently changed in 1992 which does not seem so long ago. The pass back was the main feature in the West Ger v. Austria 1982 pool play called "The Disgrace of Gijón"  Craziest fixed game. Algeria really, really got screwed.  https://youtu.be/M0mHp3iyWGg?si=L5zf7JK-OS2tdzW5 

Quote from: Hopkins92 on March 04, 2026, 12:16:07 PMPoint of clarification, because I'm too lazy to dig this up:

Does "release" pertain to the goalie holding the ball in their hands, or does it also pertain to when the ball is at their feet? If it's the latter, that seems problematic.

Also, it feels like tracking this should be something a 4th official could help backstop, but I don't think 4th officials are a mandated thing at the D3 level. (I guess someone could clarify that, too. :-))

Lastly, I wonder if there is a mandate that all D3 schools have a scoreboard that has a clock/timer. It has always been weird to me that in basketball there isn't a ten second clock, separate from the shot clock. But in any event, a ref can just look at the darn clock to see if they have hit 10 seconds. Having them do it manually (or whatever the term is) seems so antiquated and silly.

Don't know exactly if this is the way it will happen, but makes perfect sense. As to 8 sec, ref will count 8-6 in head and then out loud using his voice and hands 5-1. Laws of the Game Law 12 -

A corner kick is awarded if a goalkeeper, inside their penalty area, controls the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s) for more than eight seconds before releasing it.  A goalkeeper is considered to be in control of the ball with their hand(s)/ arm(s) when:
•  the ball is between their hands/arms or between their hand(s)/arm(s) and any surface (e.g. ground, own body)
• holding the ball in their outstretched open hand(s)
• bouncing it on the ground or throwing it in the air The referee will decide when the goalkeeper has control of the ball and the eight seconds begin and will visually count down the last five seconds with a raised hand. A goalkeeper cannot be challenged by an opponent when in control of the ball with their hand(s)/arm(s).

from page 57

In theory and not sure if this will happen, one time corner kick, 2nd time corner with a yellow for delay of game, 3rd time corner 2nd yellow/red. Will depend on the referee, but delay is pretty much a judgement call for a referee. Def seen some refs give yellows for delay. From this website - -The goalkeeper will be warned for the first offence and cautioned with a yellow card for any subsequent offence(s). https://www.premierleague.com/en/news/4079191

I think it is awesome, refs never have really called it with 6 seconds for some reason. IMO I think they never did bc of the consequence. My son would get warned, but never called in the end.  So, so, so many keepers hold the ball way to long. Now it will be like basketball going up the floor to the mid line with ref, waving his hand and using his fingers. As to a clock, I guess you could have used the shot clock, but no one really does.

He's got a lot lot of work to do well at Guilford in the ODAC. Pretty much one of the doormats of the ODAC. Only team in NC, and, while not VWU, is pretty far from other teams in the conf.

FYI Manhattanville is in Purchase right next to the CT border and not NYC. However, living in NC is substantially cheaper to live than Purchase or NYC. Might have an opportunity to coach offseason and/or have camps around the Greensboro area. No big soccer college powers in the area really. 

The time goalkeepers must release the ball after gaining possession could increase to eight seconds next season. Officials would make an accompanying visual signal for the final five seconds of the count. If the goalkeeper doesn't release the ball within eight seconds, the opposing team would be awarded a corner kick. This change would align the NCAA with international rules.

Currently, goalkeepers have six seconds to release the ball after gaining possession, and if the ball isn't released, the opposing team receives an indirect free kick.

About time - I really hope it is enforced just like they do when taking the ball up court in basketball . Ref don't seem to even warn keepers with the 6 sec. penalty much less give indirect kicks.

Quote from: SimpleCoach on February 05, 2026, 12:58:07 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on February 04, 2026, 05:56:04 PMAs part of the process of merging New Jersey City University into Kean University, the NJCU men's soccer team, which finished last in the NJAC in 2025 with a 1-6-2 record in conference and a 4-11-4 record overall, will cease to exist.  The NJCU campus men's soccer players will be eligible to try out for the Kean men's soccer team and Kean will be permitted to have an expanded roster to accommodate players from NJCU.

Wonder if we should keep a list of all the D3 mens programs lost. That has to be 3 or 4 recently?

Going to guess that it will only be more as colleges fail.

Did find two websites tracking some of this - https://www.2adays.com/blog/every-college-sports-program-cut-closed-or-merged-july-2025-updated-list/

https://www.extrapointsmb.com/p/guest-post-closer-look-small-colleges-closed

Quote from: d4_Pace on January 26, 2026, 12:25:49 PM2014 Tufts may be the most recent comparable. Hadn't won an NCAA tournament game in over 20 years. Were 4 years removed from an 0-8 NESCAC campaign. It was year 4 of the new coach instead of year 2 like Indiana. Obviously the recent success has completely altered how the program is looked at, but that team came out of nowhere on the national stage and wasn't even sure if they'd make the NCAA tournament after losing in first round of NESCAC tourney.

True, but you can also say that student size wise Tufts always had the potential. 7k in students with all the other NESCAC had 3k or below. Hopkins is the same with over 6000k plus grad students and the other conf. schools under 2500k. I would say that Tufts was just looking for the right coach and always had a chance of getting there. What may be one of the reasons for Tufts and other schools doing better is the rise in D1 int'l players making American players looking at d3 schools.

Indiana maybe the same, but they did not have double or more students as Tufts and Hopkins. Indiana was a sure win forever for most teams. Right now and despite going 16-0 and 27-2 over 2 years, they are now either tied or just one/two above Northwestern for the most loses in NCAA history.

Quote from: Hopkins92 on January 21, 2026, 10:42:13 AMIt'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.

So as to Super Bowl runs, 2007-08 Giants third Super Bowl where they were 10-6 and a wild card only to beat the 18-0 Pats? Yeah Jets did something, but Giants beat probably the greatest team in football.

2010-11 Giants were 9-7

Quote from: SimpleCoach on December 25, 2025, 10:50:10 AMAll -

From my home to yours, wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hannuckah or whatever it is you do with your family this time of year.  Thanks for all and looking forward to 2027!

Many Blessings.

SC.

Same to you Simple Coach!! Happy New Year!

BTW is there something we all need to know about 2026?? Could be???

Quote from: OldNed on December 12, 2025, 01:33:52 PMMy son is on the staff at UVM and I'm speaking only for myself but I hope they make the interim coach, Brad Cole, the coach and not Kyle Dezotell. No shade to Dezotell at all, I just think Brad Cole is better prepared to take the reins at UVM given his background. That being said, I think Kyle Dezotell has done a terrific job after taking over from Josh Shapiro at Tufts. I seem to recall a few people doubting his resume when he got the Tufts job, but I think he's put that argument to bed.

I am guessing and only guessing, but UVM's success may not continue or at least to the same level of 2024. It definitely has embraces the int'l player trend and obv was very successful. I follow American East bc of UMBC which I have connections to. UVM is the most successful team coming out of AE which before was a conf. that had one team qual for the NCAAs and were matched with a much higher rated conference. So usually one and done. AE collectively is not a great conf. (definitely not like NESCAC). I think the last team that got close before UVM was UMBC's run to the semis in 2014 which was amazing. Lot of lean years.

Coaching obv made a difference at UVM, but, like Marshall, it appears to have taken the int'l players has made it a success. As to college coaching, UVM probably does not have anywhere the resources Penn State has especially since UVM does not have football revenue.

Penn State has had some success in Big Ten soccer and has had some good coaches. So, while a challenge, Penn State currently does not have the same talent level of int'l players. I would guess that UVM's former coach will get paid more, better resources and may think he will not be able to repeat his success at UVM.

All saying this, bc, though Dezotell has done an incredible job, going on to coach semi prof soccer at UVM where the players are players first and students second is huge leap. Dezotell may have extensive int'l coaching experience though. Also int'l players don't stick. They often will be in one place a year or two and move on to other programs. Until the football/basketball portal, NCAA D1 mens' soccer had the highest rate by a lot of transferring. 

Some have made the D3 leap to D1 successfully, but not at the same level. Ex. being Dave Brandt from Messiah to Navy and now Bucknell, but not on to D1 nat'l championships. Probably others, but not going from a perennial D3 success to same success at D1 or at least nobody I remember. 

Quote from: Kuiper on December 12, 2025, 12:29:34 PMInterim Gettysburg Head Men's Soccer Coach, Dan Malone, Tabbed for the Permanent Job

Good move. Not sure where Gettysburg will be in the next couple of years, but Malone definitely stepped up the program.