2025 D3 Men's Soccer National Perspective

[Hopkins92]

Anybody 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.

[SierraFD3soccer]

Agree Hop.

Go Terps (one daughter at MD along with another who graduated) despite Sasho going to the darkside, recruiting from an oversea catalog. FYI, UMD has the best college soccer fans.  They pack it pretty much every home game. Wouldn't be surprised if the place is not packed on Sat over Thanksgiving break.

[Mr_November]

The 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.

[Mr_November]

Anybody 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.

[Ejay]

I'm finding a lot of ironic humor in all the complaining about multiple games a weekend.  The majority of these kids have spent their entire competitive youth career traveling around the country playing in 2-3-4 game weekend tournaments; often back-to-back. And then once they get to college their first weekend of the season is most likely a Fri/Sun "tournament". I think they can handle these weekends.

[Kuiper]

We often discuss D3 players who made good playing at the D1 level, but it's also worth mentioning D1 coaches with coaching or playing experience at the D3 level who are being recognized. 

Here are the two nominees for the College Soccer News Bob Bradner DI Coach of the Year Award who have D3 connections

Ruben Resendes, who got his coaching start at Dean College during their transition to D3 in 2015-2016 and led them to a 17-2 record in their exploratory season in 2016 when they were ineligible for the NCAA tournament.  He subsequently went on to DII powerhouse Franklin Pierce (where he led them to a national championship) and now DI upstart Bryant where they finished 17-2-2 this season and are playing St. Louis University in the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Nick Carlin-Voigt, who was an All American goalkeeper at Kalamazoo College and then was an assistant coach at George Mason and UCLA before taking over the helm at the University of Portland in 2016.  He led them to a 13-1-4 record this season and they are playing Grand Canyon in the NCAA tournament tomorrow

[SierraFD3soccer]

A lot of good D1 games the next two days along with the games Kuiper mentioned.

[Kuiper]

The MLS Super Draft is being held tomorrow at 2 PM ET and MLS released a list of eligible players.  It looks like there are two players from DIII schools on the list

Owen Van Marter D Oglethorpe

Stephen Vilardo GK/F Case Western

Not sure what makes a player eligible, but neither of these players would be the first players I would pick from the DIII ranks to go to MLS (with all due respect).  If it was open to anyone, I would expect more DIII players on the list just to say that they gave it a shot.

Having said that, Van Marter played with Orlando City SC's MLS Academy and Vilardo played with Columbus Crew's MLS Academy, so perhaps those academies asked all of their alum whether they wanted to be placed on the list.

There's also at least one player on the list who played for a DIII team before finishing his career in DI

Kevin Box, GK, UCLA (and three years for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps)

Good luck to all the dreamers!

[jknezek]

The MLS Draft eligibility is really weird. Basically coaches and scouts vote on who they want in the draft.

So, yeah, I'd say their Academy programs have some interest or at least offered it to them.

[Ejay]

Stephen Vilardo GK/F Case Western

Goalkeeper and Forward? Played a total of 20 minutes in goal and only 750 as a Forward with 0 goals and 2 shots.  I'm guessing the Academy definitely invites their alum.


Separately, if you're on the list does that mean they're not going back to college? I'm thinking specifically of Clemson Sophomore Ransford Gyan. He's going to be a legit pro, but I didn't know he was leaving early. 

[Kuiper]

Stephen Vilardo GK/F Case Western

Goalkeeper and Forward? Played a total of 20 minutes in goal and only 750 as a Forward with 0 goals and 2 shots.  I'm guessing the Academy definitely invites their alum.


Separately, if you're on the list does that mean they're not going back to college? I'm thinking specifically of Clemson Sophomore Ransford Gyan. He's going to be a legit pro, but I didn't know he was leaving early. 

I believe you can now declare and still decide to go back to college without losing eligibility.

[OldNed]

We often discuss D3 players who made good playing at the D1 level, but it's also worth mentioning D1 coaches with coaching or playing experience at the D3 level who are being recognized. 

Here are the two nominees for the College Soccer News Bob Bradner DI Coach of the Year Award who have D3 connections

Ruben Resendes, who got his coaching start at Dean College during their transition to D3 in 2015-2016 and led them to a 17-2 record in their exploratory season in 2016 when they were ineligible for the NCAA tournament.  He subsequently went on to DII powerhouse Franklin Pierce (where he led them to a national championship) and now DI upstart Bryant where they finished 17-2-2 this season and are playing St. Louis University in the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Nick Carlin-Voigt, who was an All American goalkeeper at Kalamazoo College and then was an assistant coach at George Mason and UCLA before taking over the helm at the University of Portland in 2016.  He led them to a 13-1-4 record this season and they are playing Grand Canyon in the NCAA tournament tomorrow

Former St. Joe's of Maine coach Adrian Dubois has been named as head coach at Vermont after Rob Dow left to go to Penn State.

[VASoccerDad]

Vilardo is an interesting case (at Case, haha)...played GK first 3 years then switched to forward his senior year because of their inability to put the goal in the net. Like Ejay said, 0 goals on 2 shots. He did play a fair amount but little to no production (like most of Case's forwards this year, unfortunately for them). Probably the academy connections...

Anyway, sounds like Case is going after attackers this year- I think 5 commits so far and 4 are forwards (2)/attacking mids (2), plus a GK.

[Kuiper]

The Tufts coaching staff was named United Soccer Coaches Men's Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year

Coming off the program's fifth NCAA crown back on December 9 as well as its fourth New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title, the top-ranked Tufts University men's soccer staff was named as the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division III National Coaching Staff of the Year.

The Jumbos, led by head coach Kyle Dezotell, assistants Adam Batista, Cristian Wood-Suvak, Luca Napora, Eric Nordenson, Zach Abdu-Glass, athletic trainer Rick Cox and strength and conditioning coach Paul Stone, were one of the best sides in the nation all season as they finished with a stellar 20-1-3 record on the year. Tufts completed the "double" for just the second time in program history, earning a NESCAC and NCAA title in the same year, while tying the school record for wins in a season with 20.

Dezotell helped the Jumbos to one of the most incredible NCAA runs in recent history, as Tufts had to come from behind in three of its final four games of the NCAA Tournament. That included a NCAA title game where the Jumbos tallied with four seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime before winning the title in extra time.

Tufts lost just one game all season, and has gone a combined 32-1-9 over the last two seasons. Over his tenure at Tufts, Dezotell is 69-10-23 at the helm of the Jumbos, earning two NESCAC titles while appearing in the NCAA Tournament all five seasons he has coached. Dezotell also has the program's highest winning percentage all-time, winning 78.9 percent of his contests.

The Jumbos were the NESCAC's leading scoring squad this season, averaging 2.38 goals per game while allowing 0.54 per contest. Tufts had 25 players tally at least one point on the season, and senior goalkeeper Nikola Antic finished with 10 shutouts, tied for third-most in program history. 

This is the fourth time that the Tufts staff has received the United Soccer Coaches National Staff of the Year honor. Tufts were previously recognized following NCAA championship victories in 2016, 2018 and 2019. It's the first national honor for Dezotell in his collegiate coaching career.

[D3Navy]

They won this by 4 seconds.