Liberty League

[stlawus]

I have an email typed up that I will sleep on like I usually do.  But this might be it for me.

[StatesSoccerFan]

That was a beat down. I've seen SLU play the last few years and never saw a SLU team not play with any passion like today. To me that's on the players. Especially in a rivalry game vs Hobart.

[kevdog]

That was a beat down. I've seen SLU play the last few years and never saw a SLU team not play with any passion like today. To me that's on the players. Especially in a rivalry game vs Hobart.

That's putting it mildly

[Saint_Dad]

The most successful captain in Saint History led the team for two seasons.
Both undefeated (39w 0losses 2 ties) en route to an undefeated National Championship.
Was a Defensive player of the year and All American during the programs most dominant era ever.

We decided to  snub him for the Hall of Fame induction  last year while 8 other men got in.

This one action cut the Alumni support in half.

We have gradually cut all pipelines to recruiting and influential alumni.
We have WHITE WASHED a team that was the most diverse in college soccer for 25 years, bringing in some of the best African/Jamaican talent the division had ever seen year after year.
We have changed our playing style from attacking possession/penetration to pass backwards at all times and keep possession in our own final 1/3 waiting to get picked off.
We have decided to only play 13-14 players and hope to not get ran through by aggressive fit players.
Nothing  that is happening to the Saints was done by anyone but Saints.

Our dominance was not put to an end, We decided to end it.

The past 8 or so seasons we have had 2 of the best players in program history (Top 10) in Jethro Dede/ Marvin Sibanda, both African players.
These two men covered many cracks which are mentioned above, but now they are gone and so are the wins this program once took for granted.

Some of us tried to send a warning, first diplomatically, then more forceful, and we were called negative and dinosaurs.

SLU has been around since 1860, the soccer program since 1962.
First 0-4 start since 1962.

2024 (Last Season) was the 25th year of the 22-0-0 National Championship in 1999 and the program decided not to recognize the accomplishment in any way.


When you cut the roots of a tree, the tree dies.

I have to agree with a lot of this. It would be nice to see more players used over the years, rather than just a couple of subs. Perhaps Tosh doesn't have the depth, or that's just his style. It's been a problem with back to back games, and injuries the last few years. Last year the team seemed to be more aggressive than the previous year, perhaps because Mogul and Brown refused to go backwards. SLU had just two losses (7 ties) with a great back line, the player of the year up top, and the best player in the league on the wing. Unfortunately they were missing two international players in the middle which would have turned them into NCAA national contenders. Jeremy with an injury, and Marco Wong losing his eligibility playing in a few pro games in Hong Kong. With those two players you would have seen a very diverse starting team (5 international players from different countries, Cyprus, Holland, Kenya, Canada, and Hong Kong).
This was a diverse team. It wasn't the Jamaican connection. Somehow that was lost. Unfortunately, SLU is not the most diverse school. It is 75 percent white, and about 2 percent black or African American. The soccer team is certainly more diverse than the student body. What we do know about the team is that Tosh recruits kids with character. Just watch them on the sidelines. And after each game. Great kids.
This team lost some talented players from last year. George was a top goalie in the region. Will Baker and Owen Lillis were two of the best defenders in the conference, The Dutchman was a leader on the field, Henry Brown could score goals and has moved on to Tufts, where he is their PK taker, and Mogul, the attacker that stirred the drink, is attempting a pro career in Portugal.
There is some talent on this team. They are a young team with only two starting seniors. I'm not giving up on this season yet.

[Kuiper]

Ithaca is certainly having a banner season already this year.  Not only is it off to a 6-0-1 start on the field, with it's one blemish a 0-0 tie at Cortland, but it just announced that Men's soccer has received a $100K gift to their endowment in memory of former Ithaca men's soccer alum James Bredin '91

Ithaca College announced today a gift of $100,000 to the endowment that supports the men's soccer program, made in memory of former Bomber standout James Bredin '91. The gift, made possible by the SUSA FC Soccer Academy and its CEO Glenn Schneider '91, a college friend of Bredin, significantly strengthens the long-term sustainability of the endowment and will provide lasting resources to enhance the student-athlete experience. 
 
The gift will be formally presented to Ithaca College director of intercollegiate athletics Aaron Bouyea and head coach Gabe Kuhn by Schneider and his wife Kori (Weaving) Schneider '91 — both IC alumni and classmates of Bredin's - together with James' widow and college sweetheart, Jen (Cooper) Bredin '91. The presentation will take place during an on-field ceremony prior to the 3:00 pm kickoff of Ithaca vs. Vassar men's soccer game at IC's Carp Wood Field on Saturday, September 27.
 
"Kori and I, along with the entire SUSA family, are proud to make this gift to ensure that the legacy of our dear friend James Bredin lives on at Ithaca College," said Schneider. "James and I both met our wives at Ithaca, and the times we all shared together there remain some of the most meaningful of our lives. Losing James was heartbreaking, but it's comforting to know that his love for soccer and Ithaca continues to bring us together and ensure his spirit remains part of Ithaca soccer."
 
"We are deeply grateful to Glenn, Kori, and the entire SUSA FC family for their generosity in honoring James Bredin's legacy with this endowment," said Bouyea. "James' passion for the game, loyalty to his teammates, and a genuine care for others embodied the best of what it means to be a Bomber. This gift not only celebrates his life but also ensures that the Ithaca College men's soccer program will benefit from the same spirit of excellence and community that James represented."
 
To celebrate James' life and the gift, the weekend will also include a reunion of the 1991 Ithaca College men's soccer team during a pre-game tailgate. Confirmed attendees will include former coach Andy Byrne and more than a dozen of Bredin's teammates including; Peter Nagusky '92, Andy Poklad '92, Mark Primeau '91 and Zach Shaw '92.
 
James, who passed away unexpectedly in 2015 at the age of 46 from a blood clot, grew up in Pearl River, NY but built his life in Ashland, MA with his wife Jen, and their daughters, Jess '23 and Ellie. A standout left back for the Bombers and later an operations manager at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, James was known for his passion for soccer, his humor, and his gift for making everyone feel like a friend. His daughter Jess carried on his Ithaca College legacy by playing fullback for the women's soccer team.  The gift in his name ensures his love for family, friends, and Bomber soccer continues to inspire.
 
On the pitch, James was a four-year starter, helping the Bombers compile an impressive 46-18-5 record during his time on South Hill. He earned a spot in the starting lineup as a freshman and quickly became a key contributor. As a sophomore in 1988 he appeared in all 18 games, recording two assists and scoring three goals. He continued his consistent play as a junior, starting all 17 games and tallying four assists while leading the team to a 13-4 record. As a senior, he played in all 16 games and helped guide the Bombers to their fourth NCAA Division III Tournament appearance since 1984. He capped off his collegiate career with a First Team All-New York State selection.  Teammates Zac Shaw and Mark Primeau both earned Second Team honors, while Andy Poklad was recognized as an Honorable Mention All-Region performer.

[Saint of Old]

Bomber program has always been a class act.
Class Program.

Also shows the tight bond of the Alumni/Susa FC and all involved in honoring a great Ithaca legend.
The games on Saturdays are fun, but the true meaning of college football is the Brotherhood that teams like Ithaca and Williams show in winning games and honoring their Brothers when they are here and also when they are gone.

The true bond formed at programs like these is not lifelong, its wayy wayy more.

[stlawus]

I might have to start saying it, SLU is looking like it needs a complete reset.  Toshack had a decent 10 year run all things considered, but with part of that being off the back of Durocher's final recruiting class and the program's current trajectory it's getting late early as they say.  A few select players have kept things from spilling over like Sibanda and Mogul who really should be given more flowers in retrospect.  But this is just not going to cut it. Another game where players clearly want to go forward and be creative but have obviously had all of these habits coached out of them to think that their first option should be to go backwards. I know the players like playing for him, but SLU soccer is bigger than any one person.

[kevdog]

I might have to start saying it, SLU is looking like it needs a complete reset.  Toshack had a decent 10 year run all things considered, but with part of that being off the back of Durocher's final recruiting class and the program's current trajectory it's getting late early as they say.  A few select players have kept things from spilling over like Sibanda and Mogul who really should be given more flowers in retrospect.  But this is just not going to cut it. Another game where players clearly want to go forward and be creative but have obviously had all of these habits coached out of them to think that their first option should be to go backwards. I know the players like playing for him, but SLU soccer is bigger than any one person.

Durocher last recruiting class really helped Tosh out a lot. They need players who can take on players 1v1 especially on the outside. It seems like they want to do it but stop and pull the ball back to pass it backwards. I have heard that Tosh has turned off some alumni who have referred players to him that could have helped the team.  MLK is perenial powerhouse in NYC that Dede came from that needs be cultivated again. If things don't turn around fast they might not even make the league playoffs and only win maybe one more game. Going from a pk away from league champions to not even making the tournament is very telling.

[stlawus]

I might have to start saying it, SLU is looking like it needs a complete reset.  Toshack had a decent 10 year run all things considered, but with part of that being off the back of Durocher's final recruiting class and the program's current trajectory it's getting late early as they say.  A few select players have kept things from spilling over like Sibanda and Mogul who really should be given more flowers in retrospect.  But this is just not going to cut it. Another game where players clearly want to go forward and be creative but have obviously had all of these habits coached out of them to think that their first option should be to go backwards. I know the players like playing for him, but SLU soccer is bigger than any one person.

Durocher last recruiting class really helped Tosh out a lot. They need players who can take on players 1v1 especially on the outside. It seems like they want to do it but stop and pull the ball back to pass it backwards. I have heard that Tosh has turned off some alumni who have referred players to him that could have helped the team.  MLK is perenial powerhouse in NYC that Dede came from that needs be cultivated again. If things don't turn around fast they might not even make the league playoffs and only win maybe one more game. Going from a pk away from league champions to not even making the tournament is very telling.

It's not going to happen as long as he's the coach.  He's never going back to the old pipelines, and at this point it looks like it's out of spite. Seems content with just sticking with ECNL ID camps. It's going to take program alums stepping up and saying something, but from the sounds of things many are indifferent now due to the coach's approach.

[stlawus]

Shocking result in Potsdam with SLU playing by far their best game of the year so far against Clarkson.  Amazing what happens when you possess and penetrate instead of needlessly passing backwards.

[soccerfan111]

The fact that SLU fans are celebrating a victory over Clarkson in men's soccer shows the current state of the program. Hope the boys can keep it rolling into the conference schedule.