2025 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[eaglesoccerdad]

the UMW Eagles are struggling a bit with the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern. Weak in the middle of field - can't retain possession. I missed the goal that ONU scored but it was in the first 5 minutes. 1-0 ONU at the half.

great FK oppy with 2 minutes left and MW brought the keeper, Kickbush, up to take it. decent effort but off the bar. 
Final ONU 1 - UMW 0

[Kuiper]

I just checked the LiveScore and the video feed itself and Sewanee beat Johns Hopkins 4-0.  That seems like a shocker.  Anyone who watched the match want to fill in the context?  Did Sewanee "glow up," in the offseason, as the kids would say?  Did they recruit a bunch of DI transfers or freshmen from the Chelsea Academy?  They tied Montclair State 0-0 in their first game, but they were only 6-7-4 last season, including losing to Hopkins 2-0.  Alternatively, has Hopkins declined significantly?  I saw their starting GK went off at halftime

[Ejay]

I just checked the LiveScore and the video feed itself and Sewanee beat Johns Hopkins 4-0.  That seems like a shocker.  Anyone who watched the match want to fill in the context?  Did Sewanee "glow up," in the offseason, as the kids would say?  Did they recruit a bunch of DI transfers or freshmen from the Chelsea Academy?  They tied Montclair State 0-0 in their first game, but they were only 6-7-4 last season, including losing to Hopkins 2-0.  Alternatively, has Hopkins declined significantly?  I saw their starting GK went off at halftime

42 total fouls?!?!

[Kuiper]

I just checked the LiveScore and the video feed itself and Sewanee beat Johns Hopkins 4-0.  That seems like a shocker.  Anyone who watched the match want to fill in the context?  Did Sewanee "glow up," in the offseason, as the kids would say?  Did they recruit a bunch of DI transfers or freshmen from the Chelsea Academy?  They tied Montclair State 0-0 in their first game, but they were only 6-7-4 last season, including losing to Hopkins 2-0.  Alternatively, has Hopkins declined significantly?  I saw their starting GK went off at halftime

42 total fouls?!?!

Hard to believe that there were only 4 yellow cards (all given to Sewanee players).  At some point, with 20 fouls committed by Hopkins and 22 by Sewanee, there's got to be a few cards at least for persistent infringement!

Seriously, though, did Sewanee unleash a high press and Hopkins was caught in the back a lot?

[BigSoccerFan]

There were 11 yellow cards between Montclair and Sewanee yesterday and a tussle after the end of the match.

[SKUD]

Montclair plays the dirty-Jersey style well.

When I watch JHU I feel that is exploitable.

[SierraFD3soccer]

I just checked the LiveScore and the video feed itself and Sewanee beat Johns Hopkins 4-0.  That seems like a shocker.  Anyone who watched the match want to fill in the context?  Did Sewanee "glow up," in the offseason, as the kids would say?  Did they recruit a bunch of DI transfers or freshmen from the Chelsea Academy?  They tied Montclair State 0-0 in their first game, but they were only 6-7-4 last season, including losing to Hopkins 2-0.  Alternatively, has Hopkins declined significantly?  I saw their starting GK went off at halftime

Breezed through the goals which were all in the 2nd half, but will watch closer. First goal just bad marking. Second from the goal kick gk played it left and back for some reason pushed it across the goal mouth to the other back???  Not good. Third - one min. later bad play in the box led to pk.  4th- Hop was in free fall. Sewanee punt Hop back waves his foot at it, Sewanee in easy score. FYI, right now it looks like Hop is platooning GK at least for the first two games.

When was the last time Hop lost 4-0? At least it is early.  However, would not want to be on that 11 hour bus ride. Would have been a lot better if they lost first and won the second. Lots, lots of play left.

If you want to watch - https://sewaneetigers.com/watch/?Archive=791&type=Archive

[Ron Boerger]

When was the last time Hop lost 4-0? At least it is early.  However, would not want to be on that 11 hour bus ride. Would have been a lot better if they lost first and won the second. Lots, lots of play left.

The last time Hopkins lost 0-4 was nearly two years ago, 9/3/2023, but to a much better team (then #4 Mary Washington).  They did lose 13 players from last year's roster - six graduate students, four seniors, a junior and two sophomores, including five of their top six scorers (cumulatively 24 of 35 goals scored, 20 of 37 assists) and one of the two keepers that saw significant time.

[SimpleCoach]

Hopkins made some awful mistakes passing in the back that Sewanee exploited.  Including one about six yards from goal.  Having said that Sewanee really took the game to them.  JHU couldn't get out of their half with ball confidently and when they had the ball in the back, it looked real shaky.  I was impressed with Sewanee.  Not sure if they got up for the game or this is a team to keep an eye on, but thought they could play.

UMW looked discombobulated, like they haven't figured out how to play this year.

Thought St. Olaf looked very good and dispensed with Pacific Lutheran.

F&M?  Looked.... fragile.

Like last year, I have my doubts about W&L.  Don't have an edge about them, and wasn't helped by their tie against Oglethorpe. 

More today.  Trying to figure out if I can get down to watch Stockton v Denison.

SC.

[SimpleCoach]

Oh, and Haverford.  I still think they get relegated to Division IV, but because the field looked terrible. 

SC.

[Another Mom]

Like last year, I have my doubts about W&L.  Don't have an edge about them, and wasn't helped by their tie against Oglethorpe. 

I don't disagree. The only thing that gives me a bit of hope is that they looked worse at the start of last year.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Montclair plays the dirty-Jersey style well.

When I watch JHU I feel that is exploitable.

MSU has 20 freshman and 20 who are not. I would say that MSU soccer is meeting its goal of enrolling men!

Big test for F&M against Rowan at 1 today. FYI, both F&M and JHU go out to Ohio to play Denison and Kenyon with a day in between. Could leave their seasons behind in Ohio depending on how they do.

[SimpleCoach]

Like last year, I have my doubts about W&L.  Don't have an edge about them, and wasn't helped by their tie against Oglethorpe. 

I don't disagree. The only thing that gives me a bit of hope is that they looked worse at the start of last year.

Agreed @AnotherMom.  Not writing them off, but it does make me wonder why it takes them a month to get in gear.

SC.

[SimpleCoach]

Montclair plays the dirty-Jersey style well.

"Knives.  No guns"

[jknezek]

So I went to Atlanta for the W&L games. It wasn't good. Last year when I saw those first two games I said they had talent but no idea how to play the way a new coach wanted them to play. As the season went along, coach and team adjusted to each other and the talent shown through.

That was not the problem this weekend. This weekend they played the system fairly well, better against Ogelthorpe than Emory, but well enough. I just don't ont think they know where the goals will come from.

If they push the two in off the post and crossbar they likely tie Emory and beat Ogelthorpe, so it wasn't a disaster, just unlucky. They really controlled Ogelthorpe for all but about 20 minutes of the second half, a 20 minutes that W&L seemed to be deep into their bench, and the PK Ogelthorpe scored on was pretty soft.

But that game shouldn't have been 1-0. They need a scorer, and I'm just not sure who it could be.

The game against Emory was not great. Emory played a high line with a lot of pressure and W&L lacked patience. Every transition was pushed up as fast as possible and resulted in aton of lost possession and having to get back on defense. No midfield patience hurt and eventually conceded a goal Emory earned. Emory deserved the win, but W&L had chances.

Anyway, W&L will be dangerous to everyone. They have midfield and defensive talent, but unless someone steps up to score 10 goals or so, it's going to be a tough season with a lot of these "could have been" games slipping away.