Quote from: Kuiper on July 15, 2025, 08:06:07 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on February 14, 2025, 05:49:51 PMWhat should you do and when?

1.    Watch games

This isn't a rule, by any means, but my advice is to start by watching D3 college soccer games (or really any level of college soccer) as early as possible, but definitely by fall of freshman or, at the latest, fall of sophomore year.  Taking your kid to watch a local game in person is a great way to get a sense of the atmosphere and the game-day environment and facilities, as well as to see what different campuses look like.  In addition, most D3 schools livestream their games for free on their website and many other levels air games on networks like ESPN+, FloSports (a few D3 conferences only stream on Flo) that you can watch if you are a subscriber.  Watching a game is a great way initially to get a sense of the different levels, and later to get a sense of different playing/coaching styles and quality within each level.  Too many kids insist they want to play college soccer, or they are only willing to play D1, without ever having watched a game, which is kind of crazy when you think about it. 

I think I might need to amend this first post to point out that you may want to subscribe to FloSports once you are far enough along in the recruiting process that you are getting serious about potentially considering D3 schools.  With 9 conferences now locked into exclusive contracts with FloSports, and possibly more in the works, there are starting to be some economies of scale for signing up and getting access to a lot of the games.  You can do it for a couple of months (it looks like it's currently $19.99/month for the monthly plan on FloCollege) and cancel after that.  I know no one wants to pay for something that is often a YouTube stream and that used to be available without cost, but given all the money you will end up paying for college visits, ID camps, highlight reels (if you don't do them yourself), recruiting services etc, the price is a drop in the bucket to make sure you have all the information you need about the possible options out there.

And I would really advise against ruling out a school just because it is part of a conference that has a FloSports contract.  First, by the time your kid enrolls, your chosen school/conference may be part of FloSports anyway (or FloSports will go out of business and everything will be back to the way it was).  Second, this is way too big and consequential a decision to penny pinch on the FloSports subscription.  College is really expensive and I get trying to reduce costs whenever possible, but this won't be the marginal cost for you.  There are tons of hidden nickle and dime college fees that are way higher than FloSports.  At least a FloSports subscription would be optional.  It's annoying, but it won't be the most annoying thing the college your son selects does by a long shot.

Yes - far more annoying things like paying for uniforms in D3 on top of tuition costs 

Not sure if Viking is around but was anxiously awaiting the list of NESCAC incomings for 2025!

Quote from: Kuiper on June 25, 2025, 10:39:06 AMPeter Sylvester (GK, Conn College) nominated as NESCAC student-athlete of the year

https://nescac.com/news/2025/6/23/nescac-news-nescac-nominees-for-diiica-mens-sport-student-athlete-of-the-year-announced.aspx

Peter Silvester, Conn. College Men's Soccer

A quantitative economics major and finance minor, Silvester graduated from Conn. College with a 3.71 GPA.
Silvester was the team liaison between the men's soccer program and Team Impact. He organized events with their Team Impact athlete. Silvester also volunteered with the Bermuda Goalkeeping Association.

A United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American, Silvester helped the Camels win the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer title in 2021 and finish as the national runner-up in 2024, where he was named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player. He was a two-time All-Region and All-NESCAC honoree, leading the Camels to their first NESCAC title in team history in 2024.

And one of the best PK goalies I've seen at this level

Quote from: nescac1 on June 24, 2025, 11:38:43 AMI'm not sure who was doing recruiting for Colby, but he got a huge recruiting class in, including three transfers (two from Union College and one from UC San Diego) and ten first-years incoming (all announced on Instagram). 

Amherst is also bringing in an impressive D1 transfer, Kavi Krishnan, who started a handful of games as a FY at UC Santa Barbara.  Amherst brings in yet another loaded recruiting class to help replace the huge group of big-time seniors they graduated from their title team.   

Siebert continues to bring in deep and talented classes for Williams, as well.  The big question for the Ephs next year is at GK, and there are two keepers in the incoming class, including one from Spain who I suspect will be in the mix early.

Thats tough for the returners when it looks like Colby only graduated 4 seniors.....

Quote from: BigSoccerFan on March 22, 2025, 11:37:54 AMRowan brings in six D1 transfers. 

Well - their coach said that's where they were going to heavily leverage during his Simple Coach interview.....Prob be a few more years of this across the board as the D1 rosters get used to the player restrictions.....Doesn't necessarily feel like that promotes the D3 "philosophy" but that's one man's opinion.....

Quote from: MunnyTim on December 16, 2024, 11:02:58 AMChecking in after my one week mandated absence from the board due to serious depression.  That was a tough loss to take for the Camels.  Just a handful of thoughts.

1.  The field was really not good.  All the folks who commented on it via the livestreaming were accurate.  I walked it a bit after the game and it was about as bad as you could imagine.

2.  I need a second opinion.  I thought Amherst was lucky to finish the game with 11 players.  It seemed to me that #14 (McCarthy), who received a yellow with his first hard challenge of the day, had two fouls after that which were as cynical/physical as the first one.  Yet, no other sanction other than a common foul was given.  That was my opinion as I watched it live.  Uncertain if others saw it the same way - the partisan/homer glasses were on.

3. EnmoreCat.  I have said this before, but The Kitten is a heck of a player.  And, I would add after watching this one up close and paying attention, he is a good sportsman.  I saw several moments of really good sportsmanship out of him.  Class kid.  If we were going to lose, I appreciate the fact that it was The Kitten who knocked in the winning penalty.

That is all.  Back to my group therapy session with us sad Camels.

I was there as well and agree that overall the officiating was decent - there were certainly some additional fouls in the second half for 14 but my only criticism is that the head official didn't even pull the player over to talk/give a final warning which tends to calm things down........

Quote from: Kuiper on December 09, 2024, 01:37:41 PM

Quote from: FanofNescac on December 09, 2024, 01:16:55 PMWell answer this. Would you want Freddy Rogers over Silvester entering a Final Four?

Clearly you don't want to bet against the goalie that has an impeccable record in the most important games of the season -- knockout games. Take a look at who Conn played starting from Nescac QF all the way to the National Final. Without Silvester, they would have lost to Amherst in the NESCAC QF and lost to Kenyon.

That's why it's not close for me, he's a game changer and shows up on the biggest stage. MW's schedule does not compare to Conn's either

Once Diffley was named first team All Region I and Silvester was second team, it was going to be a difficult task for Silvester to be an All American (not impossible mind you).  Diffley was only 4th team All-American and plenty of regions' first team All Region GKs didn't even make the team.  Silvester would have to have jumped not only Diffley, but a bunch of other first team all region GKs and those voters were unlikely to do that.

agreed - one of the intangibles is PK's - which I don't think would show up in the stats or voting? still won 2 of 3 shootouts this season with 3 saves in the finals......

How Peter Silvester doesn't make this list for Conn hasn't watched him play - grabbed everything in sight today. Team lost their first PK's in 4 years and he still saved 3 in the process......

Quote from: rdanie03 on December 06, 2024, 03:39:08 PM

Quote from: Kuiper on December 06, 2024, 01:31:26 PM

Quote from: Hopkins92 on December 06, 2024, 12:53:47 PMDitto, especially the part about conference titles. Most teams post their goals on a white board or team notebook or whatever and winning the conference title is absolutely a huge deal to them.

You can see it the celebrations after they win. They go nuts.

To some of us old heads who have seen those banners hung a number of times, we might be less impacted. That's just a natural reaction. But there are folks in the Centennial who see this post as fairly annoying. Not my intent, but I would understand someone taking issue with the perceived arrogance.

Quote from: Another Mom on December 06, 2024, 12:42:21 PMCompletely agree with everything you wrote @jknezek.

I think most of the discussion on this topic is really about the psychological proposition that happiness is all relative or relative to expectations, which in the context of a team or program might be relative to what you and your cohort have done and what your school's teams have done in past years.  If Cal Tech Coach Duncan Gillis had written on the whiteboard the first practice that first season that the goal was a national championship or even a conference championship (or even making the conference tournament), it might have been so unfathomable that it would have failed to motivate the players.  I'm sure he set goals that would not have satisfied most teams.  For many, many teams, the season is absolutely a success if the team just makes the conference tournament or beats its biggest rival.  The burden for a successful program is the goals get bigger and the chances that you will reach them get smaller.  It is far more likely that every season the coach will have to console the team and convince them that they had a great season even though they failed to achieve their goals.

Honestly, every coach has to be jealous of Wisconsin-Superior. This is the most successful season ever for them and they improved from last season in a very measurable way. They beat defending national champion St. Olaf and qualified for the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in program history.  Last season, they lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament to St Olaf by a 7-1 score.  That is a massive turnaround.  They might have a few regrets if Amherst wins, knowing that they scored two goals on them and took them to the last minute or two of double OT before losing, but the glow of getting farther than you have before and improving over last season is a far different feeling than the relief of doing what you were expected to do.

I think the Jumbos are going to have a similar feeling, knowing that the national champ is either a team they gave the only loss to(Amherst), or haven't lost to in 3 years(Conn College), having gone out in both the NCAAs and NESCAC tourney on pens.

haven't beaten Conn in 3 years either....last result was Conn win in 2021 NCAA's I believe.....

Quote from: jknezek on December 05, 2024, 10:54:07 PMPainful. Conn can't do anything if it's not a clean break. If any of those W&L chances had gone in and Conn had to chase with W&L sitting back a bit this would be a different game.

The Camels just... Nothing with the ball. All credit to the goalie. If Conn goes through this is his victory.

It was a nice free kick, I'll give them that.

Soccer is a weird and frustrating game sometimes.

yes - but game changed after goal - w&L pressed - would be a different game in any other situation

For those in attendance - the field conditions are terrible

Quote from: stlawus on December 05, 2024, 07:19:46 PMThere's technically been VAR all season it's just been up to the host institution's discretion.

got it - watched it a lot of games across conferences - didn't see it once

Quote from: gocamels on December 05, 2024, 07:16:15 PMLooks like Nuhu got injured during the bad celebration LOL after the horrible use of VAR. Slo-mo made it look 100x worse, not a great angle either. How can there be VAR in the F4 after no VAR all season?? Harsh call

no clue VAR was in play?

Quote from: Middfan on December 04, 2024, 06:34:59 AMDoes anyone have information on travel schedules for the final four teams?

I know Conn left yesterday afternoon and arrived in Vegas late last night. All teams get a set time to practice and walk the field today.

Quote from: paclassic89 on December 02, 2024, 03:46:49 PMYeah, it's Lukovic.  Who is in the transfer portal btw...

Yes - assume a medical redshirt for D3.

Its interesting that D3 has different rules - curious if anyone knows the exact medical redshirt rules (think it's playing less than a 1/3 of the season with the college's support for petition)?

I do know D3 eligibility counts the whole year the minute you practice during the regular season regardless of minutes played if you don't have a qualified circumstance.