NCAA Tournament 2025

[Hopkins92]

FINAL:  Dickinson 1 - Lynchburg 0

Tight game, but Dickinson defense proves that they are underrated and may be the strength of the team

Definitely, just checked - Dickinson has not allowed a goal in 6 games. That includes 3 NCAA games and 2 CC tournament games. They tied McDaniel 1-1 back on Oct. 25. Lynchburg until this game had scored 66 goals (3 per game).

Seeing them in person a few weeks ago... They are a very difficult team to deal with on both ends of the field. I think they struggle when you take away their #11 (striker), but they have other guys that can score.

[SimpleCoach]

FINAL:  Augsburg 2 - Cortland 2 (Augsburg wins in PKs)

Augsburg's keeper makes up for his gaffe to allow the tying goal to score by saving the final PK to advance.

I ask.  Does the Cortland keeper step off his line resulting in the retake of a penalty he saved, or is it too close to call?

SC.

[Sandon Mibut]

Bowdoin goalie with 3 saves out of 5 PKs to advance to Elite 8 @ Tufts.

Corltand-Augsburg PKs had a lot of theatrics but Bowdoin-Conn was straight to the point.

Augsburg flubbed their opening PK but managed to come back. Several odd-timed run-ups and off pace shots. Cortland goalie even made a huge kick-save but was called by refs as off his line and the PK was retaken and Augsburg scored. The #6 or perhaps 7 shooter for Augsburg had a well disguised "run up" which looked like he was walking to reposition the ball. Augsburg goalie looks kind of heavyset.

Bowdoin-Conn avoided the foreplay and they just shot. But the Bowdoin goalie saved 3 and advance to Elite 8 without needing their 5th attempt.

[kevdog]

HALF:  Augsburg 0 - Cortland 0

Augsburg is pressuring and out-shooting Cortland 7-1, but Cortland is not breaking yet.  Ott, Cortland's GK, has three saves in the first half.

UPDATE:  Cortland 1 - Augsburg 0

Cortland scores on a breakaway down the left wing that is crossed in on the ground and shut one time with the left foot by Josh Carroll for the goal about 4 minutes into the second half.

Augsburg scored and then scored again to take the lead. 2-1 in St. Louis thanks to to Carver Tierney goals.

2-2 now on another Carroll goal in the 82nd minute

Cortland can thank the Augsburg keeper for the PK.  Dumbest thing Keepers do.... leads to a dumb decision...

SC.

I have know idea what the Augsburg keeper was thinking on that PK. It looked like he was trying to stall for time but forgot that he was running out of room. As a coach once asked a teammate of mind What were you thinking? Never mind because if you were thinking you would not have done it.

[Kuiper]

UPDATE:  Trinity 2 - Wash U 0

Trinity's Samuel Theiss adds a goal in the 65th to double the lead

UPDATE:  Trinity 3 - Wash U 0

Jason Sukow puts the nail in the coffin with a third goal in the 82nd

FINAL: Trinity 3 - Wash U 0

First Region X team to get the Elite 8 in awhile

[D3Navy]

UPDATE:  Trinity 2 - Wash U 0

Trinity's Samuel Theiss adds a goal in the 65th to double the lead

UPDATE:  Trinity 3 - Wash U 0

Jason Sukow puts the nail in the coffin with a third goal in the 82nd

FINAL: Trinity 3 - Wash U 0

First Region X team to get the Elite 8 in awhile

Dominating performance by the Tigers.  Smothered Wash U.

[Freddyfud]

Just got home from a nice day trip to Lynchburg.  Disappointed to see Rowan lose but only one team can win.  It was a fun match to watch except for some frustration on Rowan's part at the end.  In the second half it seemed Emory was too much for the Profs.  Good luck to the Eagles tomorrow as they play a quality Dickinson side.

Earlier in the afternoon I caught the second half of the Dickinson Lynchburg game.  More quality soccer despite neither team really threatening to score.  Dickinson's defense held strong despite a fired up Lynchburg home crowd.

As a bonus I got to meet Kansas Hokie in person, and he invited me to their tailgate.  Thanks again Kansas Hokie!

But the icing on the cake was bringing my son home early for the week!  Now we can spend some time together.

(And as I type this he is out the door to catch up with some friends. I hope I get to see him...)

Good luck to all of the teams tomorrow.  It looks like the rest of this tournament will be exciting.

[kansas hokie]

Right back at you Freddyfud, your son was an impressive young man, congratulations! Great to meet you and connect in real life. All four teams played well, not sure any of them played their best game though, the stress of the tourney seemed to affect them all at some point. Tomorrow will be a great match, hope you can catch some of it and maybe root for the good guys! Enjoy time at home with your son, special times for sure. Good luck next season to Rowan, it's a quality program that left it all on the field today.

[Kuiper]

Three things about the Elite 8 that may only be of interest to me:

1.  The two teams that played their starters the longest play the two teams that were able to rest their starters the most

In its game against Conn College, which went to PKs, Bowdoin played 7 starters the full 110 minutes and 2 more starters 96 and 105 minutes.  It only used 2 substitutes for meaningful minutes.  And it plays Tufts, which beat Messiah 4-1 and was able to limit most starters to a little more than a half

In its game against Cortland, which also went to PKs, Augsburg played 7 starters more than 90 minutes and two more just a few minutes under 90.  It also played one player off the bench for 80 minutes.  And it plays Trinity, which beat Wash U 3-0 and was able to limit most starters to 65 minutes or fewer.  It emptied the bench, giving meaningful minutes to 9 players.

For years, D3 coaches have lobbied for a day off between tournament games.  They know how much it takes out of a player's body to play high minutes in a high intensity game two days in a row.  Doing it when your opponent is relatively fresh does not sound like a recipe for success.

2.  This will be the 7th year in a row that a NESCAC team will be in the Final Four

With Tufts playing Bowdoin in one of the Quarterfinal games, the NESCAC is assured of having a team in the Final Four.  This will be the 7th straight tournament in which a NESCAC team makes the Final Four.  The last Final Four without a NESCAC team was 2017 when North Park, Chicago, Messiah, and Brandeis were in the Final Four.

Notwithstanding the fact that NESCAC teams routinely make it to the Final Four, if Bowdoin beats Tufts, I think it will be the school's first time ever making the Final Four. [EDIT - I'm told they made it in 2010, so it wouldn't be a first, but it's been awhile]

3.  First Elite Eight appearance for a Region X team in a decade

Trinity last made it to the Elite Eight in 2015 when it beat another UAA team, Brandeis, in the third round, before losing 1-0 to Amherst.  Since then, it's been third round and out.

[nescac1]

Bowdoin did make the Final Four in 2010.

[Sandon Mibut]

My uneducated and highly biased predictions

Tufts
St Olaf
Augsburg
Dickinson

[Kuiper]

Bowdoin did make the Final Four in 2010.

Thanks for the correction!

[SierraFD3soccer]

My uneducated and highly biased predictions

Tufts
St Olaf
Augsburg
Dickinson

Seems like the NPI did alright except for Dickinson (22) and Wheaton (21). Don't know much about Wheaton, but I would think most do not think that the Red Devils played above their heads its way here. Though having not seen Emory (5), I think it is a pretty even match today at least on paper.

Interesting enough, Dickinson has played three more games than Emory (2 due to the CC tournament). Dickinson has allowed 8 goals with not allowing one in 6 games. Emory has only allowed 13 goals which is really good as well.

So could be a defensive battle.

[Kuiper]

UPDATE: Tufts 1 - Bowdoin 0 (16th minute)

Tufts scores on a rebound from a save after a corner kick, picking right where it left off.  Bowdoin had a chance of its own early after a nice build-up, but the shot was weak and off target.

UDPATE:  Tufts 1 - Bowdoin 1 (43rd minute)

Bowdoin ties it up after passing up the left side and then crossing a negative ball to an onrushing teammate for a shot into the top of the goal.

UPDATE:  Tufts 2 - Bowdoin 1 (73rd minute)

Tufts finally gets the go-ahead goal.  Bowdoin has proved to be resilient despite only playing three subs meaningful minutes after most starters went the full 110 yesterday, but climbing back may require more energy than they have left.

FINAL:  Tufts 2 - Bowdoin 1

[Kuiper]

UPDATE:  Trinity 1 - Augsburg 0 (16th minute)

Trinity has been controlling possession.  Adam Knutsen was fouled in the center of the field as he was pushing the ball forward.  Julian Lopez's free kick was blocked, but Knutsen got a hold of the rebound and shot it past the Augsburg goal for the 1-0 lead.

UPDATE:  Trinity 2 - Augsburg (38th minute)

Just as Augsburg was starting to grow into the game, Trinity started a counter-attack leading to a cross from the right side that was cut off by an Augsburg for an own goal.  If he hadn't intervened though, there was a Trinity attacker on the far post who would have put it in anyway.

HALF:  Trinity 2 - Augsburg 0