2021 NCAA Tournament

[College Soccer Observer]

Brilliant!  Great work here.

[PaulNewman]

Great job Cristan.

Interesting that OWU STILL has Jay Martin 40 years later and of course Coven at Brandeis just stepped aside a few years ago after a couple more Final 4 appearances after a long drought.  Can't comment on Glassboro (Rowan, right?) and Scranton.

I am as clueless on this as anyone else but Martin looks like he can go another 10-15 years.  And Coven looks great and could easily be coaching as well, as evidenced by his stepping in as an interim at Wheaton (MA) following the Matt Cushing tragedy.  Coven's brother, a prominent judge in Massachusetts, is literally in the same courthouse as myself right now (and daily).

[Ejay]

Three things I liked most about the throwback:
1. Seeing Jay Martin was in his 5th year at OWU.
2. That Scranton had two Cedric's.  You don't see that name often anymore.   
3. A pre-NCAA Messiah won the NCCAA Championship

[Domino1195]

Three things I liked most about the throwback:
1. Seeing Jay Martin was in his 5th year at OWU.
2. That Scranton had two Cedric's.  You don't see that name often anymore.   
3. A pre-NCAA Messiah won the NCCAA Championship

I was a sophomore at the University of Dayton in 1976 - we beat OWU 2-1. UD was non-scholarship and a glorified d3 team then.

Down here in Greensboro- got a 9 am tee time tomorrow, wondering what to do in the evening . . .

[PaulNewman]

Hey D4, how about a little color on the past couple of the days for these teams, what tomorrow is like, etc.  Do you see and interact with the other teams?  Events with special speakers?  Filet mignon, chicken, salmon or all of the above?  Curfew?  Team outings like NC Zoo in Asheboro, bus trip over to Raleigh to see Carolina Hurricanes?

[d4_Pace]

The exact timing on events is a little fuzzy after all these years but i'll give it my best shot. Usually we get in some time Wednesday morning/early afternoon, get checked in and then have a light training session at some local high school. Thursday was always the big day with a bunch of activities. In the morning you usually do some sort of "volunteering" at a local place. One year we went to a local animal shelter and just played with the dogs, another year we hosted a soccer clinic for a PE class at a local elementary school. Then you get exactly 60 minutes, not a second more or less they are very strict, on the actual game field for practice. Head back to the hotel rest, get changed, and then that night is the final four banquet with all 8 men's and women's teams. One person from each team gives a speech, all-americans are announced etc. The food is usually solid, mass banquet buffet style. In Greensboro my last year they had a weird post dinner social that was in like a night club at the hotel. Super odd for the night before the final four. I remember none of the other men's teams went but we did and hung out for like 15 minutes then went to sleep. From what I remember 3/4 or all of the women's teams were there. Kind of odd decision by the NCAA. Overall the activities are pretty fun and relaxed and then Friday its go time.

[jknezek]

Pretty fired up and, at the same time, irritated I won't get to watch the Generals play tonight due to significant other commitments. But still... first final 4. Huge step for the program!

[PaulNewman]

Pretty fired up and, at the same time, irritated I won't get to watch the Generals play tonight due to significant other commitments. But still... first final 4. Huge step for the program!

You'll at least have your phone, right?  I'd be out of my mind in your shoes.

[PaulNewman]

At the beginning of the season how many would have predicted there would be two NESCAC teams in the Final Four neither named Tufts?

You can make a good case they would have had three if placed in three different sectionals, and a decent shot at four if placed in four.

I am a very ambivalent observer of NESCAC but with shorter preseasons, condensed regular seasons, and no (official) Spring activity you really do have to tip your cap.

[jknezek]

Pretty fired up and, at the same time, irritated I won't get to watch the Generals play tonight due to significant other commitments. But still... first final 4. Huge step for the program!

You'll at least have your phone, right?  I'd be out of my mind in your shoes.

For some of the game maybe. It is my twin boys 10th birthday. Some things are just more important.

[PaulNewman]

Pretty fired up and, at the same time, irritated I won't get to watch the Generals play tonight due to significant other commitments. But still... first final 4. Huge step for the program!

You'll at least have your phone, right?  I'd be out of my mind in your shoes.

For some of the game maybe. It is my twin boys 10th birthday. Some things are just more important.

Well, I can't challenge or compete with that.  But I'm frustrated as well because our work Holiday party is right at 5:00 and everyone keeps checking in to make sure I'm coming.

Key to game....who has better performance...Bass or Yeonas.

[Bucket]

Alma mater wins out over my NESCAC ties: GO GENERALS!

[Saint of Old]

Nothing like the final 4 boys.

I can say from going on 3 decades of D3 soccer experience that the best team does not always win the championship, but the hungriest team always does.

Who's starving boys?

[camosfan]

that would be Camels.

[Gregory Sager]

My philosophy, particularly in a season such as this one in which the bracket is not designed to culminate in a northeast vs. northeast, non-northeast vs. non-northeast semifinal round (a la 2017 and 2018), is to root for anybody located west of the Allegheny and/or south of the Potomac.

It's obviously a rooting philosophy that has led to (usually mild) disappointment over the past decade.

Regardless ... go Generals, go Maroons!