Univ of Lynchburg ranked 14th and also receiving votes...that's a first

Well, well, well...we are officially 1 day into the unofficial off-season for D3 NCAA programs. Any news, updates, or coaching vacancies to speak of?

Who are everyone's surprise teams of the tournament? You can take the word "surprise" however you'd like. For me, I'm thinking about teams I had only seen on paper, but was surprised at how good they were when I actually tuned in to their games. In 2024, that team for me was Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

This year, my surprise team was Catholic- and particularly when I watched them against Amherst. Not only did they play a direct, punchy style--but mentally they were very strong and up for everything. My other surprise team was Babson. Even though they lost to Conn, they were a joy to watch. Super aggressive and press extremely well. I watched them score a wonder goal where they lobbed it to JR #9, who took it down on his chest, spun, and volleyed home a magnificant goal.

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on November 25, 2025, 10:58:30 AM

Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 25, 2025, 09:44:22 AM

Quote from: camosfan on November 24, 2025, 07:38:39 PM24 hours between games is reasonable at this level, when you have almost limitless substitution. These teams will be coming off two weeks rest.

But, it's not limitless. Saying "almost" isn't an accurate qualifier. I coached youth soccer... That's limitless.

If you were able to start a guy, pull him after 20 and then put him back in at 35-- and do the same thing in the second... That's "almost" limitless.

Not being able to bring a person back in after subbing them out during a half is limited subbing.

And we'll just agree to disagree about 24 hours being adequate time to recover.

Yeah, just funny how during the season they can't play an extra possible 20 min for "safety" reasons to give teams a chance to resolve ties using a golden goal. Yet during playoffs they play extra 20 min and another game 24 or less hours later.

If they were so concerned then they should go directly to PKs after 90 in NCAAs.

#BringBackOTandGoldenGoal

Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 25, 2025, 09:44:22 AM

Quote from: camosfan on November 24, 2025, 07:38:39 PM24 hours between games is reasonable at this level, when you have almost limitless substitution. These teams will be coming off two weeks rest.

But, it's not limitless. Saying "almost" isn't an accurate qualifier. I coached youth soccer... That's limitless.

If you were able to start a guy, pull him after 20 and then put him back in at 35-- and do the same thing in the second... That's "almost" limitless.

Not being able to bring a person back in after subbing them out during a half is limited subbing.

And we'll just agree to disagree about 24 hours being adequate time to recover.

As I remember from my time playing NCAA tournament games back-to-back, I can recall that 24 hours was enough time for those to recover who had somehow came out unscathed. But for most players (those who played significant minutes on Saturday) you're bound to have tight hamstrings/calves, little knicks that slow you down a half-second, and even an emotional hangover from the day before.

I'm not necessarily taking a stance either way with my comment, I'm just saying it does significantly hamper players from playing at their top level the next day. With the NCAAs being the biggest stage, you'd want players to be able to compete at their highest level through physical recovery and mental preparation, and back to back games does not typically allow for that.

Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 24, 2025, 06:47:02 PM

Quote from: SierraFD3soccer on November 24, 2025, 05:47:35 PMAnybody watching the D1 tournament?? 1-3 seeds lost in the 2nd round (they had byes) to include last years winner, no. 1 seed Vermont in the snow to unseeded Hofstra 3-2. They would have lost Maryland if not for its really good German goalkeeper who made an English Premier PK at the end of the shootout to move on.

I know we've discussed this before, but first round was on Thursday at home for half and then on Sunday for 2nd round  FYI, Maryland if it wins all its games till semis, they play at home. 3rd round is on this upcoming Saturday/Sunday. Quarters on Friday/Saturday Dec. 5 or 6. and then semis on Friday Dec. 12. Final on Monday Dec. 15.

IMO, D3 is not taken seriously. 

You and I are aligned on this. The rounding error of an extra night at a hotel and meals is silly when you think about the "fairness' of having guys play back-to-back soccer games at the highest level.

It's silly.

To build on your D1 point, and I know you know this, but for the good of the order. The B1G soccer tournament was hosted at Ludwig (MD). They played the semis on Wednesday. They played the final game on SUNDAY(!?) While I found that situation ridiculous, the reality is that UCLA showed up in College Park on MONDAY(!). They were in the DMV for pretty much a week.

But, Yahweh forbid we have 8* teams stay an extra night at the Courtyard for one additional night.

Gimme a break.

* - I'll give away the first weekend if I have to. The S16 and E8 should not be playing on barely 24 hours' rest.

Ridiculous.

The team that grinds out a momentous and well-earned result in the Sweet 16 is punished the next day if the other match-up was a more laid back affair. Physical recovery is one piece of it, and then imagine the lack of time to tactically and mentally prep for the next match-up.

Quote from: Hopkins92 on November 24, 2025, 06:34:33 PMThe weird hatred of Messiah fascinates me. Like... It's not like they have a heated conference foe... That's just not a thing in the MAC-C.

Something weirdly personal is going on here. To come to a pretty sleepy message board with a vendetta unsupported by the facts is weird.

Like... We're not a bunch of bumpkins. No one is looking at an Elite 8 exit(!!!) and saying, wow, Messiah is a program in decline. We're mostly middle-aged dudes with an odd hobby. We certainly aren't going to be stirred up by quasi-delusional rhetoric.

Just odd. Come back in 2-3 years of them NOT winning the conference and making an Elite 8 exit and pop off.

Or just admit that Messiah and the coaching staff did you dirty somehow... Eat the pain and move on, Footy.

Not very good trolling, frankly. No one is buying what you're selling.

Couldn't have said it any better, Hop.

Can't help but feel sorry for Dickinson, who end the season undefeated and bow out at the Elite 8. Iwowo and Jarden bow out after phenomenal collegiate careers for the Red Devils. Been a joy and a pleasure to watch them work their magic in Carlisle, PA.

Iwowo's Career Stats across 4 seasons...
86 GS, 82 GP - 53 Goals, 21 Assists. Astounding numbers...

I figured it must have had to do with Augsburg pushing for goals and Trinity punishing them in transition. Despite the score line, what a season it was for the Auggies. I was very impressed by the two games I tuned in for during the 1st and 2nd round of the NCAAs. They can keep their head held high after a fantastic season.

As for Trinity, I will be absolutely fascinated to watch them battle it out with Emory in the Final Four. Should be a blockbuster game. Any early predictions??

Can someone provide more insight as to how the Augsburg-Trinity match ended up at 5-0? I saw some of the commentary but still curious as to how it ended up as 5-0...

Quote from: Footy on November 22, 2025, 01:48:33 PMTufts reminds us once again that Messiah wasn't ever at a national contender level.  Soft opening weekend draw - regardless what one might think or argue based on opponents records. They should have seen a nescac caliber team opening weekend with that record.  Opened with a touch of luck - then got drug. 

*checks user's 17 posts on the boards*

*notes all post denote a negative slant toward Messiah except for 1 post*

*lifts eyebrows*

Disgruntled Messiah fan/alum, or just a program downer?

Quote from: Kuiper on November 20, 2025, 07:14:34 PMThe Sweet 16 contains a lot of fun matchups we don't see very often (other than the intra-conference tilt), but Messiah @ Tufts (Saturday 11/22 at 11 am EST) is more fun than most.  Here a few things of note that may only be of interest to me:

1.  Any 14'ers heading up to Medford for a little reunion?

Almost 11 years ago to the day, on Nov. 23, 2014, #20 Tufts waltzed into Allentown, PA (cue the Billy Joel song) to take on #1 undefeated Messiah in the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.  53 seconds after kickoff, a Tufts free kick was knocked away by the Messiah defense and Tufts' Jason Kayne blasted through a follow-up shot to the left corner of the net that Messiah goalkeeper Brandon West couldn't get enough of a touch on to keep it out of the back of the net.  Tufts held on to that 1-0 lead to hand Messiah its only loss of the season and end Messiah's quest to win a third national championship in a row.  Tufts went on to beat Ohio Wesleyan 3-0 in the semifinals and Wheaton (IL) 4-2 in the Finals to win its first of what became four national championships.

That was the last time these two storied programs faced each other . . . until now.

And now Tufts (NPI #1 and 16-1-3) is the heavy favorite and Messiah (NPI # 107 and 13-7-2) is the underdog looking to shock the world.

2.  Form matters

Messiah had a brutal start to the season, losing 5 in a row and losing 6 and tying 1 out of the first 10.  In retrospect, that record wasn't quite as bad as it looked considering that of those 7 non-wins, 4 were to NCAA tournament teams (Scranton, Rowan, Dickinson, and Penn State Harrisburg).  Still, it was historically bad for Messiah.  Nevertheless, since those first 10 games, Messiah has gone 10-1-1, including winning its last 10 games.  Its last loss was to Lynchburg away, another NCAA tournament team.  It also demolished Calvin in the second half of its second round game and handed Hobart its first loss of the season, on Hobart's home field, in the first game of the tournament.  In effect, Messiah's NPI ranking of #107 may not be an accurate reflection of their current rich vein of form.

Messiah's form goes beyond wins and losses.  Although it has given up 26 goals this season for a team goals against average of 1.18, only 1 of those goals has come during its 10 game win streak and that was in a 7-1 win over Hood.  It has had 4 straight shutouts and 9 shutouts in the last 10 games.

There are caveats to the "Messiah Turnaround."  The vast majority of the 10 game winning streak came against teams from the MAC Commonwealth, which hasn't exactly been know as the pinnacle of competitiveness in DIII.  Moreover, although its victory over Calvin was impressive, all three of its goals came after a two hour weather delay that stopped the game in the 39th minute, which makes it a tough match to use as a measuring stick.

The biggest caveat to Messiah being hot is that Tufts is even hotter.  They are on a 18 game unbeaten streak.  Their last loss was to Williams in the second game of the season.  They rolled through the NESCAC and won the conference tournament.  If there's any indication of a slight wobble in their step, it's that they've fallen into a pattern of waiting for late game heroics to pull out wins.  Other than the Penn State Harrisburg game, which was a gimme, they beat Brandeis in the 102nd minute, they beat Conn on a blocked clearance from the GK into the net in the 82nd minute, they beat Middlebury on a goal in the 97th minute to complete a 3 goal comeback after being down 2-0, and they beat Bates with a PK off a handball in the 76th minute.  Sometimes a team can be so confident that they will pull it out in the end that they can become too comfortable and too patient, and that can bite them against a team that is urgent from the outset.

3.  These two schools don't appear to recruit in the same pools

It's no surprise that you don't see a ton of overlap between these two rosters in terms of geography, schools, or club teams.

There is at least one pair of high school teammates in the bunch, though, as Henry Perkins of Tufts and Harrison Keator of Messiah appeared to overlap at Northfield Mt Hermon School.

I do have to express my amusement at the bio for Tufts player Will Nicholas, which states that he "surfed for Santa Monica Surf."  Although that is one of the few locations where the "Surf" moniker actually makes sense, Santa Monica Surf was the name of his club soccer team.  I think I mentioned this last season too, but no one seems to have made any effort to fix it.  I would say that it makes him sound cool to the New Englanders, but I don't think many people are going to mistake him for a surfer dude.

4.  Something has to give

Tufts has only allowed 9 goals (0.45/game) all season, but, perhaps even more impressively, they've only allowed 176 shots (8.8/game).

Messiah, by contrast, has taken 401 shots (18.3/game).  Some of that is because they were behind a lot earlier in the season, but it fits their recent pattern

v. Calvin 21
v. Hobart 14
v. Stevenson 19
v. hood 18

The question is whether Messiah can keep that up against Tufts - and maintain its shots on goal percentage of .400 (which is about the same as Tufts') -  while also garnering its impressive number of corners (152 on the season).  That would put Tufts under more pressure than its used to.  Brandeis only managed 7 shots (2 on goal) and 2 corners against Tufts.

Wait, hold up...

*pauses...shivers*

Was a gust of cold wind just passing through? Oh wait, nevermind. It was this post. This post gave me chills.

Quote from: Hillcountryview on November 17, 2025, 01:31:08 PM

Quote from: Another Mom on November 17, 2025, 01:24:07 PMI am rooting for Lynchburg.  They are a strong team, and they don't get a lot of attention on the forum. (I know probably because of the Flo Sports paywall) (which, by the way, I took great pleasure in canceling yesterday)

Agreed. I'm rooting for Lynchburg too.

Lynchburg's center backs are quality. Built like tanks but also highly intelligent and composed on the ball. Strike me as championship level center backs. Will be very interesting to see how Dickinson's elite attackers do against the Hornets.

Quote from: Ejay on November 17, 2025, 08:28:09 AMPretty pleased with my bracket thus far.

Tufts (#1) v. Messiah (#107)
Conn College (#7) v. Bowdoin (#9)

Augsburg (#2) v. Cortland (#18)
Wash U (#10) v. Trinity (#12)

St. Olaf (#3) v. Williams (#17)
Macalester (#6) v. Wheaton (MA) (#21)

Lynchburg (#4) v. Dickinson (#22)
Emory (#5) v. Rowan (#32)

This is impressive.

Tufts win it over Brandeis in double OT